Chapter 18
"I don't need to go for conscription," Lin Yuan repeated.
Lin Yuan's original plan was to visit the Evolver Association, register, and then, as an evolver, reject conscription. However, everything became simpler after he was promoted to a second-level citizen.
Among the three methods the Goddess of Wisdom provided to exempt from conscription, both Evolvers and second-level citizens had the privilege to refuse conscription.
"Little Yuan, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Mother Lin Qiong didn't show any joy on her face but expressed worry.
Forced conscription was no trivial matter; it wasn't something one could refuse just by wanting to. In Lin Qiong's eyes, Lin Yuan might have experienced some kind of shock, leading to a mental disorder, causing him to speak incoherently.
"I'm fine," Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "I should be an Evolver now. Don't believe me? Watch."
Lin Yuan raised his right hand and pushed it towards the living room.
Several meters away, the ceramic bowl placed on the dining table turned into pieces.
"Ah?"
Seeing this unexpected scene, Lin Qiong widened her eyes.Faced with such a fantastical sight, Lin Qiong's heart suddenly started to race.
"Really an evolver?"
Lin Qiong muttered to herself.
Ordinary people couldn't do such things unless they were those mythical evolvers.
"Old Lin, Old Lin, wake up quickly."
Thinking of this, Lin Qiong hurriedly ran out to report the good news to her husband, Lin Shou Cheng.
A moment later, Lin Yuan sat at the dining table.
Father Lin Shou Cheng and Mother Lin Qiong sat upright, examining Lin Yuan from top to bottom.
It seemed like the first time they truly recognized their own son.
Especially Lin Shou Cheng, who was wracking his brain over the conscription issue. Even though the hope wasn't high, watching his son being sent to fight against other races was something he couldn't accept no matter what.
But Lin Shou Cheng could never have dreamed that the matter would be resolved in another way.
Lin Yuan had become an evolver.
According to the regulations of human civilization, even an unranked evolver had the right to refuse conscription.
"How did you become an evolver?" Father Lin Shou Cheng couldn't help asking.
There were many ways to become an evolver, but most required a substantial cost, either in terms of money or other aspects. Lin Yuan was just an ordinary student; where could he find the resources?
"I woke up this morning and found that I had become one," Lin Yuan pondered for a moment and casually gave an explanation. He certainly couldn't reveal the Gateway of the Myriad Realms. It was his biggest secret, something he couldn't share with anyone, not even his closest family.
"It can't be an Awakening-type evolver, can it?" Father Lin Shou Cheng enthusiastically speculated.
Evolvers were divided into two types: Unique and General. Among them, the Unique category had many subtypes, and Awakening-type evolvers were one of them.
Awakening-type evolvers had evolution factors in their bloodline, which might not manifest for their entire lives or could suddenly appear one day.
According to Lin Yuan's description, his son seemed to resemble an Awakening-type evolver.
"My old Lin family must have had a powerful evolver ancestor; otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for evolution factors to be passed down?" Father Lin Shou Cheng was quite pleased.
Mother Lin Qiong immediately became unhappy, pushing Lin Shou Cheng, "Why can't it be the evolution factors from my side?"
The tone of their conversation became noticeably more relaxed.
Regardless of whether it was from one side or the other, the evolution factors in Lin Yuan meant that he had become an evolver, and the upcoming forced conscription had nothing to do with him.
Of course, after being exempted from forced conscription, the conditions set by the government earlier were naturally canceled.
However, compared to his son becoming an evolver, these conditions were insignificant. Lin Yuan, once exposed to the circle of evolvers, could at least soar through the ranks effortlessly, benefiting not only himself but also those around him.
Canglan Star's virtual world.
Central Square Area.
Everyone appearing here was without exception second-level citizens or evolvers. Ordinary citizens didn't even have access to the virtual world, let alone entering this area.
Among the seven regions of the virtual world, the Central Square Area was the liveliest, dominated by the monumental Canglan Evolutionary Ranking.
Countless evolvers and higher-level citizens looked up to it.
"You've just become evolvers and entered this virtual world; first, you need to understand the significance of the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking."
In a corner of the Central Square Area, a middle-aged woman with black-framed glasses was spreading knowledge to several young men and women.
"The Canglan Evolutionary Ranking contains the hundred most powerful evolutionary paths in the history of Canglan Star, some of which have even shone brightly in other star domains."
"You must remember that these hundred evolutionary paths have undergone the test of the ages and are a monument to us evolvers, unchangeable."
The middle-aged woman with black-framed glasses quickly spoke.
The young men and women nearby nodded repeatedly.
They weren't foolish; they naturally understood the value of the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking.
"Alright."
The middle-aged woman with black-framed glasses nodded slightly.
This time, no one stood up to refute her words arrogantly.
"Next..."
The middle-aged woman with black-framed glasses was about to continue speaking when a young woman below suddenly opened her mouth.
"Sister Ruan, it changed, the ranking changed."
The young woman with a baby face stuttered.
"Are your eyes playing tricks on you? How could the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking change?"
The woman with black-framed glasses frowned slightly.
The Canglan Evolutionary Ranking contained the hundred most powerful evolutionary paths in the history of Canglan Star over nearly a million years. It was inconceivable for it to change.
"Uh..."
The woman with black-framed glasses squinted.
The young woman had mentioned that the ranking had changed.
"Blood Evolutionary Path."
The woman with black-framed glasses first looked at the 'Blood' evolutionary path, which was ranked one hundred.
"Is it really gone?"
The woman with black-framed glasses felt a bit uneasy.
The 'Blood' evolutionary path, originally ranked one hundred, had disappeared, replaced by the evolutionary path that was previously ranked ninety-nine.
"Path of Martial Arts Evolution."
The woman with black-framed glasses quickly looked upward, realizing that the 'newcomer' was ranked ninety-three.
"So, this evolutionary path made its way onto the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking?"
The woman with black-framed glasses took a deep breath, waves of turmoil surging within her. The fact that the Martial Arts Evolutionary Path had made its way onto the ranking proved the potential of this evolutionary path. What shocked the woman was the question of which influential figure had developed this particular path.
"Something big is about to happen," she thought to herself.
Changes in the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking were inevitably going to attract the attention of various forces on Canglan Star. For instance, the evolvers who practiced the now-removed Blood Evolutionary Path were probably going crazy.
The change in the Canglan Evolutionary Ranking quickly caught the attention of others in the square.
"It's amazing! I remember the last change in the ranking was around five hundred and sixty years ago."
"Who could have developed the Martial Arts Evolutionary Path? Dr. Chen? Or Director Shi?"
"I'm not sure. Dr. Chen is my relative, and I haven't heard that he's been researching new evolutionary paths recently."
"Has anyone tried the Martial Arts Evolutionary Path?"
Numerous evolvers, as well as second-level and higher citizens, engaged in lively discussions. They wanted to know who had developed the Martial Arts Evolutionary Path, but unfortunately, the citizen number was hidden, and no one knew.
Lin Yuan was unaware of this because he had uploaded the Martial Arts Evolutionary Path, causing a hurricane-like disturbance in the virtual world.
At the moment, he was browsing the marketplace, intending to purchase some nutritional fluids to quickly recover his strength.
The so-called marketplace was an official shopping platform established by human civilization. The variety of goods available was extensive, and the prices were fair, given the official endorsement.
As a second-level citizen, Lin Yuan's access to the marketplace featured mostly restricted items.
Genetic elixirs, which ordinary citizens could never access, were also available, and they were priced at one million credits per bottle.
"Advanced Nutrient Fluid?"
Lin Yuan quickly searched and focused on the 'Advanced Nutrient Fluid.'
'Nutrient Fluid' was one of the essential supplies for space explorers, significantly replenishing their energy expenditure.
Nutrient fluids were categorized as low-level, mid-level, and high-level. A low-level nutrient fluid contained enough energy to sustain an ordinary person's consumption for a month. This meant that by consuming a low-level nutrient fluid, a normal person could survive for a month without eating or drinking.
Mid-level and high-level nutrient fluids were mainly used for certain giant or alien creatures, as their energy content was too overwhelming for ordinary humans to endure.