Gregory Blackwell stood at the podium, breaking down the basics like an enlightener, explaining them to the many students gathered.
“Many of you may wonder, since we have the Truth Level, why do we still need the [Combat Power Test]? It seems redundant,” Gregory Blackwell said, resonating with most of the students who nodded in agreement.
“This combat power system was initially designed under the supervision of Supreme Being [Morpheus]. I participated in some of the work and can share my views from different perspectives.”
“The primary purpose of designing the combat power system was to minimize casualties on the battlefield and maximize the usable combat power of the human race.”
This statement piqued a lot of interest. How could a combat power system be related to battlefield casualties?
Gregory Blackwell continued, “Calculating combat power is a complex process that takes into account various factors: level, talent, personality, experience, etc. Truth Level does not equal real combat power!”
Mike deeply agreed with this statement. Despite being only level 60, he could easily defeat a Battle Chief if one were thrown in front of him.
Gregory Blackwell sighed, “In the early days of the Blood War, the front lines often fell into a vicious cycle. Despite deploying higher-level warriors to the toughest battles, the results were often disappointing, and many lives were needlessly lost. The inability of the command to deploy the right people to the right battlefield was our biggest headache at the time.”
“To avoid such situations, today’s combat power system was designed…”
Gregory Blackwell was methodical in his teaching, explaining complex matters simply and clearly. Even information Mike already knew seemed fresh and insightful when presented from another angle by Gregory Blackwell.
“We’ve noticed that level 200 is the dividing line between Battle Soldier and Battle General…”
As Gregory Blackwell explained, the PowerPoint slide showed some data correlating levels with combat tiers:
– Level 200 — Battle General tier
– Level 600 — Battle Chief tier
– Level 900 — Battle Lord tier
– Level 990 — Ultimate Battle Lord
– Level 1000 — Supreme Being
“Supreme Being is actually level 1000, the upper limit of the Tower of Truth?” This was the first time Mike clearly understood the correlation between [Level – Combat Power].
Of course, some geniuses might be able to unleash extraordinary combat power and fight above their level before reaching these benchmarks.
Thinking this, Mike glanced at Jessica’s Guardian Shadow.
[Shadow Ninety-Nine, Lv.901]
As the lowest-ranked member of the Guardian Shadow, it was expected that she was just touching the threshold of Battle Lord.
Mike looked down at his own shadow.
[Shadow Nine, Lv???]
Mike felt a mix of emotions. Unsure whether to say this old guy was incredibly secretive or that his SSS-grade talent was underwhelming.
The stronger Shadow Nine was, the safer Mike naturally felt.
Gregory Blackwell’s class lasted only two sessions, three hours in total. When the bell rang for the end of the class, Gregory Blackwell had just finished his last point.
“Class dismissed.”
“Goodbye, Professor Gregory!”
Leaning on his cane, Gregory Blackwell slowly walked out of the classroom under the watchful eyes of all the students.
“Cough, cough.”
Mike coughed lightly.
Shadow Nine remained unmoved.
“Photo…”
“You should have given it to me earlier!”
A shadow rose, and Shadow Nine extended a gaunt hand, clearly expecting something.
Mike pulled out a photo he had prepared earlier and asked, “Morpheus, Ares, or Apollo—pick one.”
“Morpheus.”
Taking the photo, Shadow Nine didn’t look at it immediately but asked, “What do you need?”
“This is a bit tricky, but I think it’s better to speak up.”
Mike shared with Shadow Nine about Gregory Blackwell’s potential for a second talent awakening.
“I think Professor Gregory should rest more. Given his current condition, there’s still a chance he could live to 400.”
“Why make it so complicated?”
Shadow Nine’s response gave Mike hope.
“Just send him to Ares; that guy has a way to deal with it.”
After a pause, Shadow Nine added, “It’s related to Ares’s talent, and he’s the only one who can help Gregory. As for the success rate… I’m not sure, it depends on what Ares says.”
Regardless, the possibility of Gregory Blackwell having a second talent awakening was great news, offering him a glimmer of hope.
“I’ll be right back.”
Shadow Nine left and returned within five seconds.
“I’ve told Gregory about it. How he chooses is up to him.”
…
In the office, an old man sat in a chair, his face full of astonishment, struggling to grasp the news a old friend had just delivered.
A second talent awakening? Just live to 400 years old?!
This news was as thrilling as winning a lottery jackpot, filling Gregory Blackwell with excitement.
He looked down at his shadow and muttered to himself, “Is this real? Am I dreaming?”
From Gregory Blackwell’s shadow stepped a burly man with the number 11 tattooed on his right arm.
Shadow Eleven.
From the founding of [Guardian Shadow], some positions had fixed responsibilities.
Shadow Nine: Protector of potential Supreme Beings
Shadows Four, Five, Six, Seven: Guardians of the Forest of Truth.
Throughout history, [Shadow Eleven] had only one task: to protect Gregory Blackwell.
Few knew that Gregory Blackwell had been involved in the creation of [Lone Wolf] and [Guardian Shadow], including their early operations, all orchestrated by him.
“Professor Gregory, we’ve been together for twenty years,” Shadow Eleven said solemnly. “Appearing today already breaks the rules, and whatever punishment Shadow Nine imposes, I accept. But I must tell you, don’t go to the Abyssal Plane!”
Hearing this, Gregory Blackwell’s eyebrows furrowed, “Is his condition worse?”
Shadow Eleven nodded, confirming this.
“According to the news from Shadow Eight, the pressure on him has been immense since Thor appeared. The demon gods of the Abyssal Plane have gone mad, organizing no less than a hundred massive attacks, and the casualties at the front have doubled.”
“This was expected. Thor is too strong and has grown too quickly…”
Gregory Blackwell rubbed his temples and sighed, “My power is too weak to see clearly. I’ll ask you a few questions, and Shadow Nine won’t trouble you for it, otherwise, I’ll die just to show him.”
Shadow Eleven: …
The usually meticulous Gregory Blackwell suddenly made a joke out of character, surprising everyone.
Perhaps the news of the second awakening had injected new vitality into his aged body.
Gregory Blackwell asked,
“If I go to the Abyssal Plane, will it affect the grand scheme of the human race?”
“No.”
“If Ares helps me awaken a second time, will it affect him?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you think the chances of success are?”
“Less than 10%.”
Gregory Blackwell laughed, “That high, huh?”
He seemed more relaxed, apparently having made up his mind.
Shadow Eleven couldn’t help but speak again, “But if you just wait another eighty years, you can awaken a second time with 100% certainty!”
With the human race valuing Gregory Blackwell so highly, extending his life to 400 years, or even another 200 years, wouldn’t be a problem!
One option was a risk-free, guaranteed second awakening.
The other was fraught with great risk.
If it failed, Gregory Blackwell could die!
That was what Shadow Eleven feared.
“Child, please allow me to call you that, as many of you are just children in my eyes,” Gregory Blackwell said, looking out the window at the Tower of Truth from his angle.
“I’ve been a volunteer since the day this tower appeared, participating in the scientific exploration of the Tower of Truth.”
“The method of talent awakening was discovered by Morpheus after my suggestion and later popularized.”
“The subsequent Blood War… well, let’s not talk about that.”
“I’ve fought, I’ve failed, I’ve succeeded, I’ve lived longer and experienced more than most of my contemporaries.”
“My long life has taught me one thing: never pin your hopes on tomorrow for what you can hold in your hands today.”
Gregory Blackwell stood up, walked to the window, closer to the Tower of Truth. The sunlight fell on him, his aged face filled with determination, and he said emphatically,
“I can’t wait a hundred years.”
“I can’t fucking wait a second!”