Reynolds glanced at Ron, his tone tinged with envy.
Then, Reynolds led Ron to the other side of the lounge.
There, a distinctly different group of people was gathered.
They were sturdy in build, well-equipped, each exuding a dangerous aura.
The most notable aspect was that almost everyone bore visible traces of mutation.
Some had eyes transformed into reptilian vertical pupils, some had skin with a metallic sheen, while others had arms sprouting scales or bone spurs.
"Those are members of the exploration team, the true core force of the observation station."
Reynolds’ tone turned complex:
"They almost entirely support Cassandra’s ’Conquest Faction’ philosophy, advocating proactive action, bold exploration, acquiring more resources and power.
Within the observation station, they enjoy higher status, more resource allocation, and greater voice and influence."
"The exploration team’s level division follows the classification of bloodline levels, but without higher levels of Sun Ring and Moon Ring, there are only four levels."
Reynolds explained in detail:
"Copper Ring Level is the basic explorer, mainly responsible for routine patrols and sample collection in the first three floors of the Abyss.
This level of members, though not extremely risky, still faces threats from various low-level Abyssal Creatures."
He pointed to a man whose left arm was clearly more robust than the right:
"Silver Ring Level is the backbone force, qualified to enter the fourth to fifth floors of the Abyss to perform tasks.
This level begins to contact truly dangerous Abyss environments, with significantly rising mortality rates."
"Golden Ring Level is the elite members, capable of venturing into the sixth floor or even deeper regions."
Reynolds pointed to a figure almost unrecognizable as human:
"That one is ’the Ripper’ Marcus, who once survived alone on the Seventh Floor for three months. But look at his current state..."
Ron carefully observed the person referred to as Marcus, noticing fundamental changes in the structure of his body.
His limbs were unusually elongated, with sharp bone spurs protruding at the joints.
His face was also extremely incongruous, with a prominent jaw, sharp teeth, and deeply sunken eyes.
"The cost of the Abyss is always heavy," Reynolds sighed:
"Even the best explorers cannot completely avoid the erosion of pollution. What the strong can do is merely control the degree of erosion within an acceptable range."
"As for Star Ring Level..."
Reynolds paused, his tone becoming exceptionally heavy:
"That is the captain level, with only three people in the entire observation station reaching this level.
Each of them is capable of exploring the deep layers of the Abyss, that is, the seventh layer and below, and even able to avoid the Apostle’s pursuit."
"The exploration team has established a completely different evaluation system from the traditional academic field,"
Reynolds continued, a clear sense of disapproval in his tone:
"They completely disregard traditional academic achievements, solely using practical combat capability and survival ability as criteria."
He took out a detailed assessment form from his pocket, densely listing various indicators:
"First is the ’Survival Index’, which assesses a person’s survival capability in the Abyss environment.
This includes resistance to pollution, adaptability in extreme environments, emergency response to sudden dangers, and more."
"Secondly, is the ’Combat Rating’, mainly observing the efficiency in killing Abyssal Creatures.
They have a complicated scoring system, where killing different levels of Abyssal Creatures can earn corresponding scores.
A Third Floor ’Corrosion Worm’ is worth 1 point, while a Seventh Floor ’Nautilus Dragon’ is worth 5000 points."
Ron noticed some specific data on the form, finding the precision of this scoring system astonishing.
Scores are set not only by the danger level of Abyssal Creatures but adjusted based on killing methods, time taken, whether completed independently, and other factors.
"Then there’s the ’Adaptability Test’," Reynolds continued to introduce:
"This test requires candidates to stay in different levels of the Abyss for a specified time, observing changes in their physical and mental states.
The standard for passing the test isn’t zero pollution... that’s nearly impossible, but rather pollution controlled within manageable scope, with no significant signs of rational loss appearing."
He flipped to another page of the form:
"Lastly is the ’Leadership Potential’ test, evaluating the ability to command a team in combat.
This test is usually conducted in the real Abyss environment, where candidates need to lead a team to complete specified tasks, with survival rate and task completion being part of the score."
Ron carefully studied the evaluation system, discovering that it truly embodied the cruel principle of "survival of the fittest."
Any traditional sense of academic achievement, paper publications, theoretical innovations, teaching abilities, etc., hold no value here.
The only recognized attribute is the pure combat power shown in the extreme environment of the Abyss.
"Although this evaluation method is brutal, it also has its rationality," Reynolds had to admit:
"In the Abyss, a brilliant paper cannot save your life, but a sharp sword can.
From a purely practical standpoint, the exploration team’s evaluation system indeed better suits the actual needs here."
But his tone became worried:
"The problem is, this way of thinking is spreading through the entire School Alliance.
More and more people are starting to believe that traditional academic research is a ’useless Ivory Tower game’, and only conquest and plunder can lead to true progress."
Ron silently noted this information, beginning to devise his survival strategy in this complex environment.