My Tribrid System: More than a Monster

Chapter 173

”Also. This expedition is not totally about hunting beasts.”

The Aspirants all edged forward eagerly, wondering what other objectives could potentially assist them in climbing the ranks.

Not everyone present was well-versed in the art of combat.

The stronger Aspirants had naturally gravitated toward one another, forming elite squads and leaving the less powerful teens to forge partnerships among themselves.

With these monsters consolidated into the same groups, it would be difficult for the average student to ascend the leaderboard.

However, with this sudden plot twist from the instructor, many were inwardly praying that the new criteria would favor them, hoping that luck might finally shine upon their endeavors.

”Yes. This is not strictly about beast hunting, and that’s because of one crucial factor; the world we are entering is a Tier 3, partially conquered planet.”

Ray quickly began going over what he knew about Gates—or more accurately, what he had been taught by the instructors during his short time at the Corps.

As it turned out, his knowledge of Gates was still somewhat limited, but he did understand the implications of a partially conquered world.

It was a planet that could be considered relatively safe in certain zones but remained filled with unknown perils the military had yet to categorize.

Such a place could have human outposts inhabiting it, but it had not been fully explored enough to deem it secure for civilian civilization to suddenly encroach upon the wilderness.

That was right... Sony had mentioned something regarding this during a lecture.

Alcatraz, although the new home to humanity after Earth was devastated, did not house every surviving human.

Some who couldn’t afford the steep cost of living within any of the three massive Walls were forced to reside on various beast planets under humanity’s control.

Contrary to Ray’s initial assumptions, these worlds were not only beneficial to mankind because of their natural resources, but they were also highly prized by the Aberrants.

Aside from fighting one another to prove which race was superior, the two factions were constantly at each other’s throats for control of these planets.

While not always escalating into a full-blown war, there were frequent skirmishes over territory and wealth.

Now that he thought about it, his family hadn’t been that poor to begin with.

If they had been able to afford a life in Wall Rose while others were cast out into dangerous frontier worlds, it meant his parents had worked hard to provide security.

’Sigh... if only Wall Rose hadn’t been destroyed. But come to think of it, how did the wall even fall?

How did the Aberrants manage to attack Alcatraz without immediate consequences? Had they been lying in wait on the super-continent for years? Or does humanity have a traitor feeding these aliens classified information?’

So many questions weighed on him, yet so few answers were available.

”... Since it is a partially conquered planet, we don’t possess as much data as we should, and unfortunately, the military is currently so preoccupied that they are unable to spare enough men to totally explore the terrain. That is why you are here,” the bulky instructor continued, picking up where Sony had left off.

”Those bracelets on your wrists do more than just attribute points to your squad after a kill. They also help track and record the details of whatever you encounter. All you have to do is perform a scan.

Scan a beast to register information about its physiology and behavior, which will in turn be relayed back to the military database.

Furthermore... There are dangerous flora we don’t know about yet. You can scan the plants—well, the ones that look suspicious, anyway. Scan them for additional points too.”

Sony cut in to clarify the rules,

”Also, note that any scanned plant or beast already registered in the system cannot be scanned again for credit.

This means if one squad has already logged a specific creature or plant type, another squad will not receive points for scanning that same species.”

The bulky instructor also butted in, adding a final point to the briefing,

”For defeating a beast, you get five points, while scanning a plant or possibly beasts earns two points. You can also earn points for doing both; scanning and defeating a beast. Lastly; the points could differ per beast.”

Sony chimed in,

”Which means the points for killing an awakened rank beast will differ—it could be lower than for an advanced ranked beast. Aside from that, those bracelets are connected to these.”

The two instructors pulled out much sleeker-looking bracelets, which they immediately fastened onto their own wrists.

”... Unless we will it, your bracelets won’t activate, so there will be no premature scanning until we are ready to begin the expedition. Also, our bracelets have a feature to call for help from the Captain here, who will be accompanying us on this journey to keep us safe.”

’Huh? I thought they said a Sergeant would be accompanying us? Why then did they choose a Captain instead?’ Ray pondered inwardly as he stared at Jake, who remained motionless while listening to the instructors ramble on.

A few seconds of intense mumbling among the Aspirants followed as they discussed and pondered the expedition they were about to participate in.

The weaker squads were more than satisfied with the scanning mechanic.

It offered a safe way of earning points without throwing themselves directly in front of a deadly beast.

”I think that’s about all for that,” the bulky instructor with a mohawk cut uttered before turning toward the anchor behind them.

”... Aspirants!” Captain Jake finally shouted aloud, his voice carrying across the whole hall and causing the teens to quiet down instantly.

”It is time. Line up accordingly and hold the shoulders of whoever is in front of you so you don’t get transported to a different area from your peers. We will be transporting you all to the military shelter on this planet.”

He paused for a second while scanning the students as they hastened to line up in an orderly fashion.

Doing as he asked, they reached out and gripped the shoulders of those in front of them, forming long, connected chains of people.

Tapping a series of numbers on the side of the anchor, a swirling vortex suddenly consumed the empty space within the square object.

A deep orange glow reflected back at the Aspirants, causing the majority of the group to gulp loudly in anticipation.

Jake stood directly in front of the gate with a neutral, unwavering expression on his face.

”It’s time... time to head over to Planet Palatine!”

’Well, here we go.’ Ray gulped while trying to steady his rapidly beating heart.