Survival of the Nation: My luck was a tiny bit worse.

It was as if time itself stood still at that moment.

"We really did it."

Then came a relieved voice from General Ou, "We...killed a lord."

Leng Ruolan took several deep breaths before saying, "Ivan, you came just in time. Those last three tendons wouldn't have been possible without you."

Ivan paused for a moment, then grinned—

That smile didn't seem like that of a tough guy who had been working in restricted areas for a month; it was more like the simple, honest smile of a new recruit who had just completed his first mission and was being praised by his superior.

"So, did I pass the onboarding assessment?"

"..."

Leng Ruolan remained silent.

"Ahem, well... it's approved."

Seeing the words fall to the ground, Boss Ou quickly gave him a thumbs up, "From today onwards, you are an official member of the Dragon Kingdom camp. Go back and have Brother Chen give you an employee badge."

"They even have employee badges?"

"It's carved from wood, with your name engraved on it. Alexander and Maxim each had one before, so you'll definitely get one too."

I was just kidding, neither of them actually did it.

Ivan actually nodded. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Don't mention it."

Leng Ruolan set the helicopter's automatic return route, handed the control stick back to Chen Hao, and then closed her eyes on the back of the chair.

"Surviving in the forbidden area is the greatest skill. You survived, and even helped us kill the lord—you have every right to take this badge."

Ivan's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he quickly thanked Leng Ruolan.

Just as Ou Yun was dozing off, Chen Hao in the driver's seat suddenly whispered, "Brother, if Captain Leng said that, do we really need to get employee badges?"

"..."

*

On the way back, the atmosphere in the cabin was much more relaxed than on the way there.

The North and South groups were sleeping in the back row, covering their noses with their tails.

Its activity level today was no less than that of a full hunt, from restraining the guardian to attracting the tentacles' firepower, it was working hard the whole time.

Ivan was carefully reviewing the details of the battle that had just taken place.

While discussing autonomous driving, Chen Hao offered three suggestions for improving the way he used the pincer hammer. Ivan listened attentively, nodding and jotting down notes from time to time.

Of course, Chen Hao's notebook wasn't idle either—especially while Ou Yun and his group were frantically grinding monsters below, he was also frantically making notes in his notebook:

The core pulsation frequency, the regeneration speed of the tentacles, and the time window for collapse—each of these is invaluable first-hand information!

Ou Yun, on the other hand, was unusually serious for once.

He leaned against the cabin wall, holding the Abyss Sword in his hand, feeling the warm pulse emanating from the blade.

This sword is different from the one before.

It used to be just a weapon.

Sharp, durable, and deals double damage to abyssal creatures—but it is, of course, still a weapon at its core.

It seems to have come back to life now.

The patterns on the sword flickered as if breathing—even in sync with his heartbeat.

He could even sense the sword's "emotions"—though they weren't quite emotions; it was a very strange feeling.

It's a bit like seeing someone who looks a lot like someone you know in a huge crowd, but you're too afraid to go up and confirm it.

However, one thing is certain about Europe –

It is very satisfying.

It had a big meal.

It seems like I have a bit of indigestion...

Seeing his expression, Leng Ruolan asked, "Big brother, what are you daydreaming about?"

"I am communicating with my sword."

"Um?"

"Yes, it told me it was full and thanked me for the meal."

"Did you just get hit on the head by a tentacle?"

"Very clear-headed, really."

Ou Yun raised his sword, the patterns on its blade gleaming softly in the setting sun.

"Look, it's glowing."

"It used to glow."

"It's different. It was cold before, but it's warm now."

"..."

Leng Ruolan glanced back at him, then silently turned back.

She thought that after experiencing a major battle in the forbidden area, a person's mind would inevitably be a little abnormal... right?

She herself had a similar hallucination when she had just defeated her first Abyssal Bone Demon—at that time, she felt that her sword was talking to her.

Later I realized I was just too tired.

But President Ou still seemed oblivious, continuing to talk to Leng Ruolan.

"Hey, look! It really flashes! Look! It's the same frequency as my breathing!"

"Look, Captain Leng! It just emitted a purple light! It must be from absorbing abyssal energy!"

"Captain Leng, look—"

"Shut up!"

*

It was already evening when we returned to the camp.

When the helicopter landed, everyone in the camp rushed to the square.

Allen, leaning on his trekking pole, limped ahead, followed closely by his Pakistani brothers.

Even the giant tortoise crawled out of the river bend, stretching out its long head and looking this way.

Leng Ruolan was the first to jump off the helicopter.

But the moment she stepped onto the ground, she suddenly felt weak and almost collapsed—her adrenaline had surged so high during takeoff that she only felt it now that she had relaxed.

"How was it?! Did you win?!"

Allen's voice was filled with barely suppressed anticipation.

Ivan stepped out of the cabin and gave him a thumbs up.

Allen paused for a moment, then clenched his fist and swung it hard, almost causing himself to fall to the ground.

Hassan reacted quickly, helping him up and patting him on the back.

"They did it! They really did it!"

The news quickly spread throughout the entire camp.

Everyone crowded around the square, asking questions about the details of the battle.

Ou Yun was quite straightforward; he simply stuck the Abyss Sword next to the campfire for everyone to see for themselves.

The red light on the sword was particularly striking under the glow of the campfire, the flowing patterns were deeper than before, and the core fragment embedded in the hilt was even brighter.

No explanation was needed; everyone could sense the qualitative change that had occurred in the sword.

"It really has become stronger."

Chen Hao squatted down next to the sword and carefully examined the texture of the blade with a magnifying glass.

"It's not a simple increase in strength. Its internal structure underwent a kind of... evolutionary reorganization after absorbing the Lord's Core? The sword blade used to be forged, but now it's more like it grew out of the ground."

"Did it grow out?"

The onlookers scratched their heads. "Brother Chen, what you're saying is giving me goosebumps."

"It means exactly what it says. This sword is alive in a certain way. It can self-repair, actively absorb abyssal energy, and even adjust its output and weight according to the wielder's condition."

Chen Hao adjusted his glasses. "If I'm not mistaken, it can now be called—well, let's call it a growth-type artifact for now!"

Everyone exclaimed in unison, "A magical artifact?"

"That's right! The equipment from the forbidden area comes in many different levels."

Chen Hao was very satisfied with everyone's reaction and support—even though the person in question, President Ou, had already gone to sleep in his hammock.

"The highest level we've seen before is purple. But the characteristics this sword is exhibiting clearly go beyond the scope of purple equipment."

"It can grow, it can evolve, and it can resonate with its owner—I think only legendary equipment has these characteristics."