The Mortal Evolution

Just as Hao-Yun was about to sprint to another portal, a rare fluctuation occurred in the Large System Screen.

Kzzzrk... Krrzzk... KZZZRRK...

[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT]

[Primary Civilization Task Completed]

[Nation: Huaxia (China)

[Task: Complex Terraform Protocol Deployment]

[Reward: Global Leaderboards]

[World Leaderboard is Now Active]

[The top 100 strongest individuals who have changed their Jobs across the planet will now be live ranked on the System Global Leaderboards]

[Reward: Soulflux Prism]

[All nations have received a single Soulflux Prism. This artifact can measure the exact power of any individual.]

"Global Leaderboards... Won't my current powers be exposed?"

"Anyways, I can't do much in it, let's see where I currently stand."

[Global Leaderboards are live]

[1. Orion Vance.

 Nation: USA

 Evaluation Rank: SSS

 Job: Voltic Juggernaut (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 4000 ]

[2. Xiao Ren.

 Nation: China

 Evaluation Rank: SSS

 Job: Heavenpiercer(Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3990 ]

[3. Maria Lovelace.

 Nation: United Kingdom

 Evaluation Rank: SSS

 Job: Chronoseer (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3,800 ]

[4. Raul Santoro.

 Nation: Brazil

 Evaluation Rank: SS 

 Job: Iron Monarch (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3,728 ]

[5. Arav Sen.

 Nation: India.

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Phantom Tempest (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3680 ]

[6. Emma Voss.

 Nation: USA

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Starborn Warden (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3500 ]

[7. Celeste Duval.

 Nation: France.

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Phantom Arcanist (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3367 ]

[8. Ishikawa Satoru.

 Nation: Japan.

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Spiritblade Samurai. (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3210 ]

[9. Choi Sang-min.

 Nation: South Korea.

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Starforged Shadow Monk (Mythic)

 Overall Power: 3169 ]

[10. Wu Sheng.

 Nation: China.

 Evaluation Rank: SS

 Job: Beast Sovereign (Legendary)

 Overall Power: 2987 ]

***

"Park Evelyn is not among the Top 10?"

"Where is she?"

[14. Park Evelyn.

 Nation: South Korea.

 Evaluation Rank: S

 Job: Void Empress (Legendary)

 Overall Power: 2507 ]

"Thank god! She isn't too low in the rank. Wait... Why am I thanking god for her?"

"Wait a minute, why am I thinking about her when I didn't even appear in the list?"

"Am I some kind of ghost?"

"This overall strength is the sum of every stat, right? Then where am I?"

"My stats are in 4 digits, yet I'm nowhere to be seen on the Top 10?"

"System, are you playing favorites now, or are my stats fake?"

[Host, your passive skill 'Cloak Identity' is in effect. Your private information won't be leaked unless you tell someone.]

"So, it's not like I'm not strong enough, right?"

"Wow... What a great skill I have."

"I am now one of those Hidden Experts from novels who keep low-key and come out only in an emergency."

"The feeling of being such a person is really amazing... It's like the world is in an illusion that these people are strongest, but they don't even know where I stand."

"No-no-no.. Stop Hao-Yun, stop. You can't just get arrogant, others might have similar skills to this, and not to mention, these powers are provided to me by Bifis, I can't just get blind over it."

"Let's continue where I left."

"Hmm... this portal should be good. Let's head there."

Hao-Yun sprinted at his full speed. It created a strong wind gust wherever he passed through.

In no time, he reached the portal. The guards there instantly recognized him with his badge and didn't question anything.

However, just when he was about to enter the portal, a group of other people came out. Hao-Yun was confused.

"Why did they come out?"

"Excuse me, guys. Why did you come out of the portal? Did you complete your expedition?"

"Who are you to probe into us?"

"Ahem-Ahem, Squad No. 34, he is the Honorary Commander, Mr. Hao-Yun. his status is way above your Squad Leader."

"Phooo... What? I'm... I'm so sorry for my insolence, Commander."

"Y-You wanted to know why we came out, right?"

"O-Our Exploration wasn't finished, but we found a Mineral Mine site in the world connected to this portal."

"We were just on our way to report to our senior and give these Minerals."

"You found a Mineral?"

"Yes, we did, here take a look at this... It's a stone formed out of bonded Minerals."

The stone was yellowish; it had large pores all around its surface, but it wasn't heavy at all. Suddenly, Hao-Yun had another good idea. But he didn't know whether it would really work or not. Still, he decided to give it a single try.

"Did any of you bring extra Minerals like this, like for a souvenir or just to keep it?"

***

"A.... mm.... Actually..."

"Don't worry, I'm not here to scold you. Just tell me, it might be beneficial to you if you answer honestly."

"Commander, look at this girl here, she brought a bag full of Minerals. How can someone do such a criminal activity when the nation's future is at risk?"

"She must be a smuggler of this new era. I think we should punish her."

"Punish her!"

"Yeah-Yeah, punish her."

"She deserves Punishment."

"Stop it... Sir, please don't listen to them." A boy and a girl, who looked like her friend, came out to defend her.

"Sir, she didn't know it was a crime. Her little sister likes to collect weird-shaped stones, so she brought some of them for her."

"Hmm... What's your name?"

"E-Eu...Eun-Chae... Sir..."

"Hmm, So Eun-Chae, how many Mineral Stones did you bring here?"

"F-F-F... around 40, sir..."

"Around 40. Do you need them for anything else?"

"N-N-No, sir... I don't need them for anything else..."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Y-Yes sir..."

"Then, let me announce your punishment."

"Serves her right..." Thought another girl, standing at the end of the Squad.

"Sir, I'm their Squad Leader. This girl really didn't know it was a crime. Can you please just let her go this time?"

"We request you, too, sir. Just let her go this time."

"No, I can't do that?"

"Eun-Chae, meet me at the government office in 2 hours with every single thing you brought from that world, and we'll decide your punishment there."

"Sir... please... don't do that!"

Hao-Yun didn't listen to their plea and vanished from their eyes. He visited many portals around Seoul and asked their guards if any Squad had just returned or was about to return.

He managed to find two people like Eun-Chae and told them to meet him in the government office. No one knew what he was plotting. They were simply scared about what was going to happen to them now.

2 hours later. In the government office, Hao-Yun had made all the arrangements. Some of the officials were wondering what he wants to do now.

Soon, the three people came along with their Squad Leaders, and Eun-Chae's friends also accompanied her. The officials learned about what was happening and were surprised.

"Eun-Chae, come inside."

Hao-Yun called out for her from his temporary office. But, not only her Squad Leader, but her friends also came in as well. They didn't want something unfair to happen to her.

"I didn't call any of you, did I?"

"Y-You didn't, sir, but we came, please let us be here."

"Very well, then, let me ask you, Eun-Chae, do you trust your friends and Squad Leader?"

"Y-Y-Yes, sir, I trust them."

"Then, let's move to the second question: Did you also kill some Monsters on your way?"

"Yes, sir... I killed around 10 Monsters."

"Did you bring their core as well?"

"Yes, sir... I brought them."

"Hmm, then as for my last question, how many mineral stones do you need for your sister?"

"Aa.... around 3 will do, sir."

"3 huh? You brought a total of 40 stones, so the remaining 37 stones plus the 10 Monster cores. A total of 47 items."

"It's time to announce your punishment, Ms. Eun-Chae."

"Sir, please wait and think over it, don't punish her, sir, please..."

The Squad Leader and Eun-Chae's friends once again begin pleading for her; they didn't want to see anything worse happen to her. In their eyes, she was already doing a lot by working day and night for her single mother and little sister. But if something happened, they were worried she wouldn't be able to handle it.

The three officials standing there were also eager to see what punishment Hao-Yun was trying to give her for what crime. They didn't want to interrupt him without knowing what he was actually thinking.

What if they stopped him and he got angry? The three know there was a power gap between them. 

Suddenly, one of Eun-Chae's friends, Kang Joon-seok, decided to do something rash.

He used his powers and skills to charge at Hao-Yun in anger. These were the early signs that the peaceful era had ended. Now, no matter who the person is, if they are not strong, then they are just prey to the strong people.

However, this time, Kang-Joon-seok chose the wrong person. The Squad Leader, Eun-Chae, and her second friend, Yuna, wanted to stop him. But before they could, Hao-Yun released the aura he was suppressing all the time.

Silent...

The whole building froze; the people outside the room and on the other floors didn't know what was happening; all they felt was fear.

The situation was worse inside the room. The three officials knelt on the ground instinctively. They didn't know Hao-Yun was this powerful.

The Squad Leader, Eun-Chae, and Yuna took a few steps back and bumped into the wall, while Kang-Joon-seok, who was closest to Hao-Yun, fainted right away.