Re: Apocalypse Game

The process of teaching the novice sword skill was far from instant. It took between 3 to 5 hours for the players to gradually receive their coveted [Sword Skill (novice)]. Over 300 players reaped the benefits of Alan's [Sword Instructor] title, improving their melee combat capabilities in preparation for the upcoming round.

However, the much-coveted expert-level skill was not attainable through such training. It could only be learned if Alan achieved the Grandmaster level of sword skill, a level he was particularly interested in.

[Sword Weapon (GrandMaster)]

[Prerequisites: Agility B, Strength D]

[Cost: 30,000 survival points and 1x Rank C reward]

[You have 1x D rank reward and 9x E rank reward. 4 x F rank reward]

The Grandmaster level was on a different scale entirely. Alan could potentially convert his nine E-rank rewards into three D-rank rewards and finally earn a single C-rank reward.

With his crafting, he had amassed enough survival points to cover the hefty 30,000-point fee for the grandmaster skill. Money was not the issue, but his attributes were.

Alan had carefully examined his character's attributes and realized he fell short in the required Agility and Strength to meet the prerequisites for grandmaster status. He knew he had to enhance these aspects of his character if he were to advance. However, even if he met those criteria, another condition needed to be fulfilled.

[Prerequisite: Passing the Grandmaster sword exam]

Unfortunatly, The exam was only available to be taken in the next town. It meant that Alan had to wait for another round before he could begin the process of achieving grandmaster status.

As the day's training session concluded, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow across the cruise ship's deck. The warning light and the sight of more than 200 additional names registered for the upcoming session filled Alan with a sense of accomplishment.

"We are rich, Alan!" Vicky exclaimed with jubilation. Their earnings had swelled significantly, with an additional 100,000 survival points contributed by the players as a registration fee. This also meant an influx of 200 more crafting orders for the crafting team. They were about to get even more busy.

The day's training session also had done wonders for the Wolverines unit's reputation especially the fact Alan was able to match the strongest player in the server in a duel. It catapulted their name to new heights.

A massive influx of players eagerly sought to join the ranks of this elite group. Inside the cabin near the training area, lines of applicants stretched with individuals of all backgrounds and skills clamoring for the chance to become part of the Wolverine units.

Marsh, Kenny, and Milo had their hands full with the daunting task of conducting interviews throughout the day. As a military lieutenant, Marsh possessed the ideal demeanor to assess an applicant's mental fortitude and suitability for joining the unit. Meanwhile, Milo's role was to evaluate the applicants' physical fitness and combat experience, ensuring they met the required standards.

However, since many highly skilled players had already been recruited by the military in the port town, Alan had a different plan. He assigned Kenny to work a unique process of sorting through the applicants and streamlining the selection procedure.

"Kenny, did you get the data?" Alan inquired eagerly.

Kenny's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Yes, Alan, it's amazing! I'm having so much fun with this!"

Kenny, leveraging his expertise as a hardcore gamer, used his computational skills to process the applicants' data efficiently. The information included the mentality score provided by Marsh, the physical score evaluated by Milo, and the applicants' current stats and levels within the game. This method was reminiscent of how professional scouts selected athletes for sports like baseball, basketball, or football, relying on cold, hard statistics.

Alan told Kenny to prioritize the criteria in a specific order: mentality score was the highest priority, followed by physical combat experience, and then he examined the players' stats in relation to their level progression.

Through this method, Alan was able to identify two distinct types of players. Those with high initial stats but lower levels were recognized as natural fighters, while individuals with lower starting stats but substantial level-based growth were categorized as natural survivors.

This systematic approach allowed Alan to efficiently identify promising candidates from the pool of applicants, given the constraints of their current situation. Rankings based on these data were compiled, and Alan was ready to make his selections for the Wolverine unit.

It was at this moment that Alan overheard a heated argument between Milo and Marsh that piqued his curiosity. Marsh seemed frustrated as he explained, "These individuals lack discipline, and I couldn't trust them. That's why I rejected their applications."

Alan decided to intervene and understand the issue at hand. It turned out that Milo had been challenging Marsh's evaluations for several players. He presented a list of names, a dozen individuals with significantly high marks for combat experience, suggesting they were well-versed in fighting. Alan carefully compared this list to Marsh's, and it quickly became apparent why there was a discrepancy.

The ten men on Milo's list were all inmates, individuals who had been granted amnesty from their prison sentences as a way for the government to bolster the player count in the game. They were gang members and criminals, including one figure, Smiley, who had killed a player during their first game.

The conflict between Marsh and Milo stemmed from their differing perspectives, with Marsh approaching the evaluations from a military standpoint and Milo possibly holding some bias due to his own background as an inmate.

This issue was beyond the realm of statistics and required a more personal touch. Alan realized that he needed to handle it directly. He instructed Milo to assemble all of these players, the former inmates, so he could personally assess them himself.

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