"Dismiss that notion. The cataclysm is a necessary catalyst. Until the Apocalypse breaches their reality, your client remains in a state of flux, and the Central Authority will refuse the connection. Furthermore, for the Company to salvage these worlds, it must harvest their renewed vitality and order. Without the trauma of absolute devastation, there can be no rebirth."
"Shielding a stable ecosystem preemptively yields zero dividends for the Company's macroscopic layout. However..." The Steward paused. "If you lay the groundwork and orchestrate the right conditions, the Central Authority will authorize a connection the absolute second the disaster strikes!"
"That is brutally cold," Su Jin muttered, tilting his head back with a heavy sigh.
"The cruelty is universal, both in the field and in the boardroom. Your colleagues are dying in the trenches every day. I've heard reports that even the apex executives are bleeding on the front lines without reprieve. To secure the multiverse's future, the board must play a grand, unforgiving game of chess. These are calculated write-offs. Necessary sacrifices."
"Right, let's shelve the existential dread for a minute," Su Jin said, forcing his anxiety down. "There is a critical logistical issue we haven't covered. How exactly do I upgrade my own specs? Am I just doing push-ups in the apocalypse?"
"Consult the Xinhuo Mark on your hand," the Steward replied, pointing at Su Jin's knuckles.
Su Jin raised his hand, inspecting the faint brand.
"Under specific parameters, that Mark will overhaul your biological foundation. The primary method is archaic: relentless, agonizing conditioning to shatter your physical and psychological limits. But the ROI on that is notoriously slow. The alternative is executing hostiles vastly superior to your current weight class. You break your limits in the crucible of near-death combat, though the mortality rate is staggeringly high."
"If you survive long enough for that Mark to plateau, your combat specs will be formidable enough to rank among the elite back at headquarters. It is a blood-soaked corporate ladder, but the promotion path is guaranteed."
"Be warned, the Mark carries a severe restriction. Any exotic flora or heavenly treasures designed to permanently boost power will be rendered entirely inert. Instead, the Mark will cannibalize the asset, converting its raw energy into an equivalent, instantaneous healing factor."
"So if I snipe a boss with poison..."
"Exploiting loopholes is void. The Mark monitors your biometrics. It knows whether you are genuinely shattering your limits in a bitter fight or simply cheating the system."
"What about local magic? Spellcasting?"
"You must acquire and drill combat techniques yourself. Fortunately, your enhanced foundation means your learning curve is practically non-existent. Furthermore, the stronger your physical baseline, the more violently your Ability will be amplified. But lectures hold no value here. The power is yours; you must tear it out of yourself."
"Can I pop back to the office mid-deployment to regroup?" Su Jin asked.
"Absolutely not! This office remains anchored to Earth. Only upon mission completion will the Central Authority extract you. However, you will appreciate this: I am authorized to spoof your digital footprint. I can call your family and friends, mimic your voice, maintain your cover story, and remotely squash any minor earthly complications."
"That is the best news I've heard all day." Su Jin smiled, a massive weight lifting off his chest.
"Speaking of extraction... every time I enter this nexus, it's a blinding flash of golden light. What happens if a civilian sees me drop in? Won't materializing out of thin air in a new world blow my cover instantly?"
"A non-issue. The Central Authority deploys a localized cognitive filter. As long as you do not actively behave like an anomaly, the indigenous population will subconsciously rationalize your sudden presence."
The Steward checked his watch, his cadence accelerating into a rapid-fire clip. "Two minutes to insertion. Brace yourself, and do not rely on your previous metrics. This is a new board."
"Your target possesses a unique Fate Pattern, making them an ideal conduit for the Company. That does not mean they are a competent asset. The multiverse is flooded with variables. Some clients will follow orders. Some are incompetent liabilities. Some will actively try to murder you. If you get lucky and draw a supreme powerhouse, they might sense the existential threat and forge the connection themselves without your intervention."
"Your previous client was of acceptable stock, and you executed one strategy flawlessly!"
"Which was?"
"Your mandate is to save the client to establish the connection, but you are never just saving an individual. You are saving a demographic. One man cannot save a dying world!" the Steward barked. "To lock the connection and alter the Fate Pattern, you need more than the client's latent talent. You need a secure perimeter, stable infrastructure, and the collective willpower of a surviving populace."
"In simpler terms: right time, right place, right people! You must synthesize all three to close the contract."
The luminous extraction gate slowly spiraled open. As he spoke, the Steward reached into his own chest, ripped out a pulsing orb of light, and chucked it at Su Jin.
Su Jin looked down at the glowing mass sinking into his chest. The Steward’s voice turned urgent. "That asset is highly classified and absurdly lethal. Figure out the trigger yourself. The Central Authority will aggressively purge it from your system the second this deployment ends. Do not rely on past data! Every reality plays by different rules. If you find yourself backed into a corner, invoke the wisdom of your ancestors!"
Su Jin stood up, stepping toward the swirling portal. "What wisdom?!"
"If you can't win, drop to your knees and beg! You can bleed your pride in the field, as long as you survive to clock in back home!" the Steward roared.
Su Jin threw up a middle finger, his silhouette dissolving into the blinding light.
....
A suffocating wave of unwashed bodies and raw sewage assaulted his sinuses.
Su Jin snapped his eyes open, violently shaking his head to clear the teleportation vertigo. As his vision focused, the realization hit him like a physical blow: he was standing in the middle of a packed, dirt-paved street.
He was drowning in a sea of people wearing coarse, woven tunics. Half of them looked like they hadn't seen a bar of soap in a decade.
Crack! Pop-pop-pop! Deafening explosions rattled his eardrums.
The mob was crushing forward, celebrating something with strings of loud firecrackers.
Glancing down, Su Jin realized his sleek tactical gear had been visually replaced by a rough, peasant-style burlap robe.
The Heavenly Evolution Cloak had done its job. To the eye, he was a local, though against his skin, he could still feel the reassuring, heavy weave of his modern combat suit.
He craned his neck, surveying the architecture. The main avenue was broad and linear, flanked by vermilion-lacquered wooden structures. Intricate eaves arched toward the sky, complete with carved window lattices.
Crimson clay tiles blanketed the roofs, reflecting the harsh sunlight like a sea of fire. Red paper lanterns swayed lazily from the alley entrances.
An ancient era? A primitive, dynastic world?
Su Jin chewed the inside of his cheek, a cold dread pooling in his gut.
He knew this was his second deployment. He thought he was mentally braced. But being violently shoved back into the Dark Ages was a staggering system shock.
The lack of modern infrastructure and the impending cultural whiplash were going to be absolute nightmares. Thank god the extraction timer was generous this time.
Priority one: Locate the VIP. Lock onto the client, diagnose the apocalyptic threat, and draft a survival perimeter.
Switching into PM mode, Su Jin shoved his way through the sweaty mob, scanning the horizon.
....
"My son! Today you march to war. Every day beyond these walls is a day spent in the meat grinder!" Shen Yuan declared, slapping a heavy, scarred hand onto his son's armored shoulder.
Outside the towering gates of the Zhenguo Estate, Shen Yufeng stood clad in gleaming battle armor, projecting the aura of a peerless young general.
Phalanxes of heavily armored soldiers formed a steel barricade, holding back the roaring crowds. In the center of the cleared plaza crouched a massive, terrifying beast with leathery wings folded against its back.
The creature snorted, blowing hot exhaust into the dirt, its predatory eyes occasionally flicking toward Shen Yufeng.
"You carry not just the Emperor's mandate, but the iron legacy of the Shen bloodline... Look at the thousands who have gathered to witness your departure. Do not fail me!"
"Rest easy, Father. I will not tarnish our name," Shen Yufeng replied. He cast a sweeping gaze over the cheering masses, then pivoted and strode toward the Wind Demon Kirin.
Vaulting into the saddle, Shen Yufeng yanked the reins. The beast roared, its wings snapping open with a concussive boom as it launched itself straight into the clouds, vanishing into the upper atmosphere!
The civilian mob went absolutely feral, shrieking in awe as a fresh volley of firecrackers detonated like artillery fire.
"Aaaahhhhhhh!"
"Glory to the Young Master!" "A true hero of the realm!"
Su Jin gripped his own hair, his facial features contorting into a mask of pure, unadulterated horror.
He stared in absolute despair at the tiny red speck shrinking in the sky until it was completely gone. The professional corporate facade shattered. He finally broke, joining the roaring crowd with a screech of pure, agonizing frustration.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
They have flying monsters?!
The client just flew away! The VIP is gone!"