The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 195  Path to New Beginning

"Imperial Lightning Fort!"

The shout of the soldiers reached all the way to the Captains, and they could not help but smile as they saw how Cain took advantage of the moment to boost morale while pressuring the students.

You needed more than brute strength to become a great military leader. Powerful cultivation made you a good soldier, but a good commander was someone wise enough to know how to explode the power of the others around you, and Cain was a master in it.

"That brat. No matter how you look at him, he is the perfect army weapon." Aaron spoke with respect in his voice, and the other Captains softly nodded.

Amos and Dominic did not care at the beginning that the state of the soldiers was better than that of the students since, for starters, they only cared about the strong ones, but there was also the fact they were younger and would be able to increase their cultivation exponentially during the next few months. Yet, Cain's actions made the duo look very bad in contrast, and if there was something they did care about was their reputation.

Ultimately, the duo could do nothing, so they only looked away and entered the command center.

Cain saw that his feat had the intended effect and smiled before walking straight into his residence, and right before entering, he shouted.

"We will continue our march in two days. Use this time to rest and take advantage of the military credits you have amassed. I left a book called Path to New Beginning in the military network. You can look at it if you so desire."

The soldiers were ecstatic about the day off since they were exhausted, and although Cain took the decision without consulting them, none of the Vice-Captains said a word about it. According to their calculations, overcoming their first encounter with a horde led by Wave Champion Beasts would have taken four days, but they did it in just one.

As for the book Path to New Beginning, the Vice-Captains were curious and immediately looked into it. The description was simple, and it said to have a path to Level 4 for soldiers of both the Astral Rebirth and Essence Evolution Path.

Guides like this one were very common, so it did not draw much interest, but shock suddenly appeared in the Vice-Captains' eyes as they read the final part of the summary.

[Three months are estimated for a Level 3 Wave Warrior to advance following the Golden Path in the guide.

Rate of success:

For Level 3 Wave Warriors of the Astral Rebirth path without meridian atrophy: 99%

For Level 3 Wave Warriors of the Essence Evolution path without meridian atrophy: 97%

For Level 3 Wave Warriors of the Astral Rebirth path with meridian atrophy: 87%

For Level 3 Wave Warriors of the Essence Evolution path with meridian atrophy: 84%

Note: Depending on the level of meridian atrophy, cultivators might need two extra months. The success rate does not vary.]

Not only were the Vice-Captains shocked, but also the rest of the soldiers. Guides for powerful and young soldiers were common, but for those older and suffering meridian atrophy, things were different, not to mention none of them would do something so bold as state their success rate.

At first, the soldiers did not know what to believe it since even if Cain was powerful and a great commander, he was still a Level 5 Wave Warrior, so they did not know whether to take cultivation advice from him. However, all their doubts vanished when they saw the book's price.

[Price: 25 Imperial Military Credits]

It was so low that no one in the entire encampment could not buy it. Even those already at Level 4 or above were tempted to buy it since 25 credits were not even a fraction of what they gained in a single hour, killing Wave Beasts.

"Amazing!"

The first soldier to buy the book shouted, and the amazement on his face was clear to everybody. Asking for the contents of the books was prohibited, but that awe was enough to start a frenzy, and it did not take long before almost every soldier in the entire encampment bought it, including the Vice-Captains.

Antony and the others read the Path to New Beginning and were surprised by the level of detail in it. Even the dumbest person could use it, as it did not require you to think, only to follow its steps.

The information focused solely on improving your foundation and fixing your flaws, so everybody could use it regardless of the cultivation technique they practiced. It had three paths: Golden, Silver, and Bronze. The Golden Path required a massive amount of resources that could amount to 70.000 Imperial Military Credits, something most Level 3 soldiers would need decades to amass. Things were a little different right now as they were participating in a military mission that granted many military credits, but it was still very hard to achieve.

However, those in a more difficult financial position could take the Silver Path, which only required 35.000 Imperial Military Credits. According to the book, the success rate did not change, but you will need eight months instead of three.

There was also the Bronze Path. This one only required 15.000 Imperial Military Credits and had a time frame of two years. But it was only helpful for those without meridian atrophy.

As they read the book, a flame ignited in the soldiers' hearts, and their battle will grew even stronger. Reaching Level 4 might be nothing for someone like Cain, but for the average soldier was a dream come true as they would enjoy a strong body until they were extremely old. Out of nowhere, all those soldiers that could barely hold their bodies a moment ago ran toward the Star Cruiser to use the teleportation formation to buy the resources stated in the book. Antony and the other Vice-Captains would have normally punished such undisciplined behavior, but seeing the fervor in their soldiers' eyes made them smile. They look at each other and cannot help but wonder how Cain came up with such a thorough cultivation guide. The Vice-Captains under Captain Aaron knew of Cain's abilities as a Grand Genetic Coder, but the book was still too amazing as it adjusted to the needs of everybody, not just a few.

In the end, all the Vice-Captains only took it as another fantastic feat from the youngest of them, who performed the first kill against a Wave Champion Beast.

Actually, the one that created the Path to New Beginning was Apex, under Cain's request. Apex used the [A.I. Chip Module] to monitor the veterans, which Cain helped after first taking control of his battalion, during the entire journey as they healed. That information and all the cultivation knowledge he had gained from the Empire Science Academy was enough for Apex to create the book using [Basic Virtual Simulation] and [Basic Data Gathering and Analyzing].

Cain knew that his actions would cause a lot of movement, but he did not care and threw himself into his bed and began to sleep soundly. He was too tired to project his Ego Wave across the encampment, but it would not be a problem since they had made the closest horde run a few hours ago.

Cain did not simply lower his guard; the [Basic Scan Force Field] was still working at full power, ready to warn him of any danger. Even if soldiers surrounded him, he would not blindly trust them.

The lack of Cain's Ego Wave did not surprise the Vice-Captains since he had already communicated his state and ensured they were ready to keep an eye during the night. Although the chances of an attack were almost zero, overconfidence was a key to failure.

The soldiers spent a night without a red force field protecting them for the first time since the Star Cruiser landed, but they were all so excited about Path to New Beginning that they did not even notice it. Cain woke up after roughly twelve hours and felt all his body and mind exhaustion disappear. A small smile appeared on his face as he felt the strength of his body, but it did not last long since a decisive expression soon replaced it. "I request all Vice-Captains to join me in the center of command in an hour. I have a crucial subject to discuss that involves the entire military force."

Cain sent that message to the A.I. Chip of all the Vice-Captains before looking into his space ring and ensuring he had everything he needed for the next part of his plan.

"Tell me, Apex. What do you think my chances of success are?"

Although they did not speak much, Cain knew that Apex was always by his side.

"Your chances to achieve that goal are 60%, by what I could tell from their interactions with you. But that was before killing the Wave Champion Beast and publishing the book. Now, do they even have a choice?"

Cain only smiled as he heard that and left his tent.