Chapter 224: Renewable Resource

Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Renewable Resource

’She really likes this stuff, so...’

’Instead of waiting for the system to hand it out after every instance, I should be proactive!’

’I’ll have the waiter study it and figure out exactly how it’s made.’

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t asking for mass production; she’d be perfectly content with just one every two days.

Before the survivors could even recover from the blissful taste of the little bread, the system announced the Evaluation criteria for this instance.

[This instance is a wave-based defense mission!]

[Evaluation criteria are as follows: F- for completing the instance, E- for holding out until the fifth wave, D- for holding out until the sixth wave, C- for finding clues to the reinforcements and completing the instance, B- for finding reinforcements and holding out until the fourth wave!]

It was being mysterious again, not specifying the criteria for A-level and S-Class Evaluations.

But it was easy enough to guess.

’A-level is probably finding reinforcements and holding out until the fifth wave.’

’And S-Class would be the sixth wave?’

’But...’

Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze fell on the requirement for a D-level rating.

’If you don’t find reinforcements, you can only get a D-level Evaluation even if you hold out until the sixth wave?’

She wasn’t the only one who found it strange; the Zone channel was already in an uproar over it.

"Wait! My brain can’t process this! D-level is holding out till the sixth wave? But C-level is just finding reinforcements to clear the instance?"

"So you’re telling me I can fight tooth and nail to survive the sixth wave in the outpost, and my Evaluation will still be worse than someone who found reinforcements early and bailed?"

"What kind of bullshit standard is this?! It’s not fair! Finding reinforcements is obviously the easy way out. The real skill is in toughing it out!"

"Yeah! Did the system get it backward? Holding out until the sixth wave is obviously harder!"

"Those monsters in the later waves aren’t even something humans can fight! If we hadn’t saved our Clear Kill uses, who could possibly make it to the sixth wave?! And the Evaluation is this low?!"

"Heh, did the monsters knock a few screws loose for you guys up there? Finding reinforcements is a hidden objective. Do you understand what ’hidden’ means? How could the difficulty and value be the same?"

"The system’s message is obvious: brains over brawn. Being able to find reinforcements is a skill, got it?"

"The system never forced you to hold out to the bitter end. It’s obvious that A-level and S-Class are reserved for the badasses who both find reinforcements *and* survive into the later waves!"

They had been arguing in the Zone channel for a while now, but what made this time different was that the system actually responded.

[A large number of survivors have been detected questioning the Evaluation criteria for this instance. A unified explanation will now be provided.]

The cold system prompt sounded without warning, instantly silencing all the arguments in the Zone channel.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the "official" explanation.

[The core theme of this instance is choice and survival intelligence.]

[Holding out against the waves demonstrates survival ability. Finding reinforcements demonstrates exploration, analysis, and decision-making abilities.]

[Successfully finding reinforcements means breaking the stalemate early and fundamentally resolving the outpost’s crisis. Its strategic value is higher than simply prolonging resistance. Therefore, Evaluation Levels based on acquiring reinforcements are given a higher rating.]

[The Evaluation criteria are correct. All survivors are advised to take this as a lesson and weigh strength against intellect more comprehensively in future challenges.]

The system’s voice faded, and the Zone channel fell into a brief, dead silence.

That explanation... was like throwing a ladle of cold water into a wok of boiling oil.

A few seconds later, a new explosion of messages flooded the screen:

"...I’m impressed. The system itself is schooling us."

"Got it. No more mindless brute force from now on. Gotta use our brains to find a way out."

"So, does this mean those who stubbornly held out until the sixth wave without finding reinforcements basically chose the worst strategy?"

"System: I’m on the fifth level, you’re all on the first."

"I get it now! Next time, I’m definitely looking for the hidden objective first!"

"This lesson came at a high price, though. So many people had to get a D-level Evaluation to learn it..."

"A lesson learned in blood and tears... I know for next time. Find an escape route first, then think about fighting it out."

"So if Master Blacktiger still got an S this time, does that mean he both found reinforcements *and* fought his way to the sixth wave? What kind of god is he!"

"Master: I want it all.jpg"

’Yes, I want it all.’

A smile touched Seraphina Sinclair’s lips as she opened her group chat and glanced at it. There were only a dozen or so people left.

’These were the launch-day elites, yet the death rate was over fifty percent. And that’s not even counting the survivors who started without any advantages.’

’Just how high is the overall death rate?’

As Seraphina Sinclair wondered this, she reopened the Zone channel to look at the number of survivors.

334/10,000.

The cold numbers were like a poison-tipped icicle, plunging deep into Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes.

The smile on her face froze instantly, shattering into invisible dust.

Her mind seemed to pause for a second, refusing to process this absurd information.

...’How many?’

She even blinked instinctively, wondering if it was a display error from the system, or if she was hallucinating from savoring the memory of the little bread too much.

The number didn’t change.

Stark and bloody.

Ten thousand living people had crowded the Zone channel, arguing, complaining, sharing intel, encouraging each other...

Not long ago, this place had been bustling with the noise of life.

Now, only three hundred and thirty-four remained.

Not half, not sixty or seventy percent, but... a 96.6% death rate!

And it had been less than three weeks.

’At this rate, our entire Zone will be wiped out, won’t it?’

Seraphina Sinclair’s thoughts were interrupted by a new panel that popped up, showing the number of people who received each Evaluation for this instance.

[Based on the above criteria, the distribution of Evaluation results for the official instance in Drakonia Greater Zone 3, Zone 888 is as follows:]

[F-level Evaluation: 211 people!]

[E-level Evaluation: 48 people!]

[D-level Evaluation: 29 people!]

"How many? Twenty-nine?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I can’t believe so many people held out until the sixth wave."

"Isn’t that too many? You think the system made a mistake?"

Seraphina Sinclair also found it odd.

The monsters in the later waves were E-level or even E+, but that didn’t mean the earlier waves were easy to deal with.

Seraphina Sinclair had her runes, and her two teammates each had their own items, which was how they managed to get through.

’So how did these people manage it?’

Her question was answered soon enough.

"What’s so hard to believe? One Sunflower can use Clear Kill twice, plus your own use, that’s five Clear Kills in total. Is it really that hard to hold out until the sixth wave?"

"Holy shit??? King Yama would get up and offer you his throne!"

"So that’s how they did it? I was just wondering why the numbers for these Evaluations weren’t multiples of three, since this instance used three-person teams. Turns out they got their Evaluations by sacrificing their teammates?"

"So? Isn’t that how these instances work? Aren’t teammates just a type of renewable resource? If you can use them, why wouldn’t you?"

’A renewable resource?’

Seraphina Sinclair stared at those words for a long time, until the system announced the numbers for the remaining Evaluations.

The number of people with a C-level Evaluation was even higher than the D-level one—a full 36 people!