Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 109 The Concept of Establishing a Combat Power Assessment System

In fact, Lin Yi thought that after taking a photo with the Thunder Dragon at the opening ceremony, everyone should have considerable confidence in their abilities.

However, he now realizes that he had misunderstood.

His exquisite control over source energy and the power of rules contained within it would be astonishing to anyone knowledgeable, such as a true Star Core level expert. They would have no doubt that he could single-handedly defeat a mid-level Abyss Beast leader.

However, no.

"Unfortunately, the allure was wasted on the blind."

Lin Yi thought to himself with a touch of self-deprecation.

"On this planet today, let alone a star core, there isn't even a second star dust level."

"In their eyes, my Thunder Dragon may have a good visual effect, but in terms of pure energy intensity, it is probably not as intuitive as a heavy bomb or a ballistic missile, and they may even think that it is not as impactful as the instantaneous destruction of that 'small steel ball'."

Humanity's most powerful existing firepower, such as ballistic missiles, is indeed not very effective against mid-level abyssal beast leaders, and it is difficult to achieve a one-hit kill.

Given the concerns of the higher-ups, adopting such a conservative insurance strategy is, from their perspective, reasonable and even a responsible approach.

"That's fine."

Lin Yi made up his mind, "Since language and simple demonstrations are not enough to explain the problem, let's use the most direct and brutal method to give them a little bit of source energy shock."

"This will put their minds at ease, so they won't have to expend resources and make a big fuss over threats of this level in the future."

Thinking this to himself, Lin Yi didn't show it on his face at all. He simply nodded to Liu Qiying in a calm tone.

"I see."

Then, Lin Yi changed the subject and inquired about the target information: "What is the specific situation of the target leader this time?"

Seeing that Lin Yi did not object to the General Staff's approach, Liu Qiying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained.

"The target is a lizard-like Abyss Beast leader located in the stadium. Its energy level is as high as 54900, and it is enormous, estimated to be over fifty meters tall. Its distinctive feature is that it possesses extremely thick biological armor, with extremely high physical defense, making it difficult for conventional heavy weapons to penetrate."

"At the same time, it can spew out extremely hot, corrosive flames from its mouth, with a long range and tremendous power. Based on our previous battles with leaders of the same level, it should also possess a certain degree of intelligence and know how to command its subordinate abyssal beasts."

"In addition, it is guarded by four elite-level abyssal beasts, each with a source energy level of around 20000 points. They appear to be agile hunters. There are also a large number of low-level abyssal beasts active around the stadium."

"Lizards, with thick armor."

Lin Yi pondered for a moment, then pressed on, "How far is its exact location from the factory area where the equipment is located?"

"The leader usually occupies the center of the stadium, about 3 kilometers away from the core equipment storage point of the factory area."

Liu Qiying accurately reported the data: "Because the distance is too close, the factory area is completely within its vigilance range. Given its explosive speed, it can arrive very quickly if there is any major disturbance in the factory area."

"Therefore, the plan must be to kill the leader first, and then transfer the equipment; the order cannot be reversed."

Lin Yi nodded to indicate that he understood.

Then, he casually tapped his knee with his fingers, a playful smile on his face.

"54900."

Lin Yi repeated the number in a low voice, then looked up at Liu Qiying, his tone slightly teasing.

"That does sound quite scary. No wonder the General Staff is worried."

Liu Qiying was taken aback, not fully understanding Lin Yi's meaning.

Lin Yi continued slowly, "No wonder the General Staff felt the need to make such a big show of things just to be safe, given my current apparent source energy level of 3100, which I claim could kill this Abyss Beast leader with a source energy value of 54900 in one strike."

"After all, the Black Flame Abyss Tiger that I killed with small steel balls last time only had a source energy value of 17900. This one has a source energy value of more than three times that, and even the four elite guards next to it have source energy fluctuations of more than 20000."

"Tsk tsk. The difference seems quite significant."

A hint of embarrassment immediately appeared on Liu Qiying's face.

Lin Yi's words directly revealed the underlying unease and even apprehension behind the General Staff's elaborate mobilization.

Liu Qiying quickly explained, "Chief Instructor, please don't misunderstand, the General Staff absolutely did not mean to distrust you! It's just..."

He hesitated for a moment, then smiled wryly, "That's just how our General Staff Operations Bureau has always been. We strive for stability in everything we do, and we must make the worst-case scenario plan and be fully prepared. Especially for you, we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."

Liu Qiying's tone was very sincere, even a little anxious.

Lin Yi waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care.

"No explanation needed, I understand. This is perfectly understandable."

"Actually, this situation is mainly my own fault. After all, I hadn't explained in detail how much the 'rules' could actually amplify the destructive power."

"Therefore, it is normal to feel instinctively worried when faced with such a huge numerical gap."

"In the past, I mainly felt that it wouldn't make much of a difference to say it."

As Lin Yi spoke, he changed the subject, his gaze falling on Liu Qiying: "However, you have now entered the realm of Source Energy, which means you have embarked on this path. Advancing to the Stardust level is just around the corner. I can now explain the importance of the rules to you in advance, so that you can have a general idea."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiying's spirits immediately lifted.

However, he did not immediately ask Lin Yi to begin explaining. Instead, after hesitating for a moment, he requested:

"Chief Instructor, what you said is very important. May I write it down? Captain Ren Nuo couldn't come this time due to a shortage of crew members, so I will temporarily take on the task of recording the images and important information for this operation."

"Yes, it's good to write it down."

Lin Yi nodded in agreement.

Then, after organizing his thoughts, he explained in the simplest and most understandable way possible:

"If we compare the cultivation of source energy to a person's growth process, then the 'source energy level' or the total amount of source energy is equivalent to the person's 'strength'. With greater strength, one naturally has a clear advantage."

“And ‘rules’…” Lin Yi paused, searching for a suitable metaphor, “simply put, they can be seen as ‘weapons’, or the ultimate embodiment of ‘methods and techniques’ for the application of power.”

"When two people who don't know how to use the rules fight, it's like two strong men fighting each other bare-handed. It's a contest of who has more strength and who has better fighting skills. At this time, the level of source energy can largely determine the outcome." "But if one side has already grasped the basics and can use the rules, then the situation is completely different."

"Like when I'm about to deal with this abyss beast."

Lin Yi pointed to himself, then pointed in the direction of the stadium.

“Essentially, I was like a primary school student with a loaded gun, trying to attack a muscular adult man.”

"To kill this burly man, all I need is the slightest bit of force required to pull the trigger. The kinetic energy and disruptive power of a pistol bullet far exceed what a flesh-and-blood body can withstand with just its source energy."

The metaphor was so vivid that Liu Qiying suddenly understood.

It turned out to be the case.

Rules can be seen as a "weapon" that can bridge huge energy level gaps.

This explains why Chief Instructor Lin, despite having a "low" energy level, possesses such terrifying combat power.

Seeing the longing and understanding on Liu Qiying's face, Lin Yi smiled, and fearing he might misunderstand, added:
"However, this statement depends on the context. It doesn't mean that as long as you understand the rules, you can ignore all differences in energy sources and gain an absolute advantage."

"If you've only just grasped the rules and are at the very basic level, your understanding is very superficial. Well, using the same analogy, it's like a child holding only a small-caliber, weak pistol, trying to hunt a tough-skinned rhinoceros."

"As you can imagine, the bullets might not even be able to penetrate the rhinoceros's thick hide, and instead, they might provoke it and bring you to your death."

"so."

Lin Yi emphasized, "The total amount of energy source is equally important; it is the foundation and the carrier. Rules are the amplifier, but the amplifier itself also needs sufficient 'input power' to produce a terrifying effect."

"The basic strength is too weak. Even with the support of rules, the absolute destructive power output may not be enough."

Liu Qiying nodded earnestly, making sure to remember these words.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yi simply provided a more intuitive standard.

In this way, the General Staff can also use his description, combined with the source energy value, to initially construct a combat power assessment system for source energy cultivators.

In this way, a preliminary combat power assessment can be conducted for other Stardust-level beings who may comprehend the rules in the future.

"Based on my experience, for energy cultivators, the rules only require a basic understanding."

"Well, it's roughly equivalent to grasping the most superficial 1% of a certain rule, which is the threshold of the Star Core level, and it can bring a very considerable boost."

"It can achieve about ten times the effect of a basic energy attack."

"That's why, when my source energy was around 2000, I was able to kill that abyss beast with 17900 source energy in one hit. My equivalent attack power at that time was about 20000, which was enough to cause a crushing effect."

"A tenfold increase?!"

This time, Liu Qiying finally couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

This increase rate is terrifying; no wonder there's such a huge gap between those who have mastered the rules and those who haven't at the Stardust level.

But then he suddenly realized something, his expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, "But Chief Instructor, your source energy level is 3100. Even with a tenfold increase, the equivalent attack power is only 31000. Could it be that you..."

Liu Qiying suddenly thought of something and stared blankly at Lin Yi.

Seeing the slight change in Liu Qiying's expression, Lin Yi knew that she had already guessed the general idea.

He nodded, admitting it directly.

"The tenfold increase I mentioned earlier is just the starting point."

Lin Yi's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"The understanding of the rules deepens over time, and as the level of understanding increases, the amplification factor of the source energy will also become higher and higher."

He paused, then continued, "To give you an example that isn't entirely precise but will help you understand, once you grasp the basics of the rules and reach about 1% comprehension, you can gain an amplitude of about 10 times."

"But after that, for every 1% increase in understanding the rules, the amplification factor against source energy attacks will roughly double."

Liu Qiying immediately began to calculate in her mind.

Lin Yi didn't wait for him to finish calculating. He patted him on the shoulder and revealed the answer: "As for me, my current understanding of the rules is about 12%."

Liu Qiying was suddenly stunned, her brain seemingly freezing for a second.

12%?

According to the algorithm the head instructor just mentioned, 1% is 10 times, and the increase doubles for every subsequent 1% increase.
So 2% is 11 times? 3% is 12 times?
No! The head instructor said "double," and this wording needs to be clarified.
Liu Qiying felt like her CPU was about to burn out.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Lin Yi smiled and gave the answer directly: "Don't bother calculating. A rough estimate is about 22 times the amplitude."

22 times!
Liu Qiying instantly arrived at the result: 3100 source energy points × 22 times the amplitude = equivalent attack power of 68200!

68200! !! !!

This number far exceeds the target Abyss Beast leader's 54900 source energy value. As for the four elite guards beside it, they are even less significant.

Crush!

This is an absolute and overwhelming advantage!
So it turns out that Chief Instructor Lin's strength has reached such an unbelievable level. The source energy level he has revealed is just the tip of the iceberg. His understanding of the rules is the huge mountain hidden beneath the surface!

Seeing Liu Qiying's "So you're this twisted?" expression, Lin Yi smiled meaningfully: "Now, you can rest assured, right?"

He paused, turned his gaze to the window, and spoke with a hint of deeper meaning.

"Of course, I'm just saying this for now. You can write it down properly later."

"Because I discovered that once my understanding of rules breaks through 10%, the power I can unleash is a whole new world."

"So, what I just told you might no longer be applicable to me now."

(End of this chapter)