39: Chapter 39 Qin Ce's Expectations

Qin Ce expressed his doubts.

Wei Ming sighed, his tone turning pragmatic. "Jiang Ruowei's team has the support of the City Lord's Mansion; their resources, intelligence, and connections are top-tier. Lin Yuan's team has a military background, and Zhou Haoran's team represents the Merchant Chamber Alliance... Though you are strong, your foundation is too shallow."

He wiped the smile from his face and said solemnly, "Beyond first place, the rewards for second and third are slightly less but still quite generous. Fourth to sixth place is another tier. Seventh to tenth is even lower. As for those outside the top ten..."

Wei Ming shook his head. "There's essentially no difference between them and a regular graduating class. No matter how hard you worked before, once you fall out of the top ten, everything will have been in vain. You are currently ranked seventh, which seems okay, but it's a dangerous position. The point gap behind you isn't large; you could drop out of the top ten at any moment."

Qin Ce remained silent. His gaze fell upon the "Overall Rankings" projected from his team badge.

Thunder Squad: 7th place.

Looking up the list: 6th place, 'Gale Squad', 1532 points; 5th place, 'Mountain Team', 1688 points; 4th place, 'Shadow Squad', 1890 points; 3rd place, 'Frost Blade Team', 2103 points; 2nd place, 'Blaze Squad', 2455 points.

1st place, 'Starlight Squad', 3917 points.

Captain: Jiang Ruowei.

Jiang Ruowei had a massive lead!

However, Qin Ce didn't care about that.

Instead, his gaze lingered for a long time on the terms "Inner City Property" and "Security Level."

His mother and younger sister.

They were still living in the old house in Yuntai Town.

The town's outer walls were only five meters high; they could stop stray fierce beasts, but what if a beast tide actually occurred?

Qin Ce didn't dare to think too deeply about it.

If they could move into the Inner City... if they could obtain the same level of security as the City Lord's family...

It would mean the chronic illnesses his mother developed from half a lifetime of hard labor might finally be cured, and his little sister could receive the best education.

Guard-level security would be enough to ensure their safety for the rest of their lives.

He didn't crave other forms of wealth or power that much, but these few things were the protective charms and foundations he wanted most for his family at this stage.

"Teacher," Qin Ce looked up, his voice very calm, "there are no rewards after tenth place, right?"

"Right," Wei Ming nodded. "The eleventh and twelfth places get the same graduation treatment as the regular classes. That's why in the last two months of every year, the lower-ranked teams fight incredibly hard—no one wants to fall out of the top ten."

Qin Ce's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop.

The Thunder Squad was currently in seventh place. They were only three spots away from the bottom of the top ten.

They were six spots away from first place, with a difference of 2490 points.

"I understand," Qin Ce said.

His tone was very flat, but Wei Ming heard something different in it.

It was the kind of look one has when they've locked onto a target at the edge of their vision and have begun calculating the distance.

Qin Ce lowered his head and continued eating all the food on his plate.

Every bite felt as if he were accumulating strength.

Once Qin Ce's emotions settled again, he remembered he hadn't asked clearly how to compete for first place.

"Teacher Wei,"

Qin Ce looked up, his gaze clear and steady.

"How do I take first place? How are points earned? Is it like freshman year, where we submit materials from fierce beasts?"

He recalled the combat training from three months ago.

Back then, he hunted fierce beasts and exchanged crystal cores and beast carcasses for points at the camp. It was simple and direct.

His individual points had surpassed an entire class!

Wei Ming shook his head. "No. The Elite Class doesn't have the concept of 'exchanging'—at least, you can't use ordinary beast carcasses to trade for points."

He tapped the icon for the Mission Hall.

"All points can only be obtained by completing missions. Furthermore, missions have strict rules and limitations."

Qin Ce frowned slightly. "Why?"

"Because for the families of Elite Class students, collecting beast carcasses is far too easy." Wei Ming's tone was flat, yet it revealed a harsh reality. "If we allowed exchanges, the rankings would immediately turn into a competition of family wealth. How could that be called elite competition? What the academy wants to filter for are people who are truly capable, intelligent, and can complete missions in complex environments."

Qin Ce was silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand. Then, what are the mission rules?"

Wei Ming drew several circles in the air over the table with his finger.

"Missions are divided into four tiers."

"First, Daily Missions. These must be completed every day. They are mostly basic requirements like 'bring back one intact black iron rank fierce beast carcass.' It's simple, but mandatory; if you don't do it, points will be deducted."

"Second, one-star missions. A batch is released every month, with occasional temporary assignments. Each mission only has six completion slots." Wei Ming held up one finger. "The first six teams to complete it receive different point bonuses based on their rank. First place gets 100 points, second gets 90, decreasing down to 50 points for sixth place. But—"

He shifted his tone.

"If you accept a one-star mission but finish seventh, not only will you get no points, but 50 points will be deducted—equivalent to losing the same amount of points as the sixth-place reward."

Qin Ce's pupils constricted. "And if it's not completed?"

"Even worse," Wei Ming said expressionlessly. "Abandoning a mission results in a 100-point deduction. A double penalty."

"What about Two-Star Missions?"

"Released every quarter, with only three completion slots. First place rewards 300 points, second 250, and third 200. Finishing fourth results in a 200-point deduction, and abandoning it costs 400 points."

"three-star missions are annual bounties with only one completion slot. The reward... depends on the mission difficulty, but it's usually between 800 and 1500 points, often with extra resources. If you finish second, the equivalent points are deducted; if you abandon it, double that is deducted."

Qin Ce took a deep breath.

He suddenly understood why the competition in the Elite Class was so fierce—it wasn't a simple matter of "the more you do, the more you get," but a precise game of strategy.

"So," Wei Ming looked at him, "as a captain, you have to consider far more than just 'can we complete the mission.' Instead..."

He counted them off on his fingers.

"First, mission difficulty assessment. Can you do it? How long will it take?"

"Second, competitive landscape analysis. Are other teams interested in this mission? Which teams might take it? What is their strength? What are their usual tactics?"

"Third, time window prediction. From accepting the mission to departing, traveling, fighting, and returning—how long does the whole process take? When will other teams likely finish?"

"Fourth, intelligence interference. Sometimes, you need to intentionally leak false information to mislead competitors into taking other missions; other times, you have to hide your true objective."

"Fifth, resource allocation. How many people are in your squad? How many missions can you push simultaneously? The status of Pet Beasts, supplies, special items, logistics... all of this must be factored in."

"None of this is simple."

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