我在教室被强了好爽

However, a new technological path was forged nonetheless.

The Hidden Stars Badge is but one example, with other artificial equipment following suit in enchantments, inscriptions, enhancements, and modifications.

Yet, the mainstream of equipment still predominantly comes from dungeon drops, as, at equivalent levels, the attributes enhanced by dungeon-dropped equipment are substantially stronger.

The advantage of custom-made equipment lies in its mass production capability, divergent development paths, and suitability for different users, making it difficult to declare a clear superior between the two.

Shaking his head, John cast aside the myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind.

Securing his equipment, he exited the logistics department and took the elevator back to the lobby on the first floor, intent on delving into how to undertake missions.

Exiting the headquarters, John inevitably encountered the bespectacled receptionist again.

Her face instantly flushed as if about to drip with water, her mind seemingly wandering into unknown territories.

Feeling the scorching gaze of the receptionist on his back, John felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation, prompting him to quicken his pace.

It wasn\'t until he had left the Hidden Stars headquarters that he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

John mused, "It seems being too handsome and excellent isn\'t always a good thing."

A passing elderly man gave John a peculiar look, thinking to himself how conceited the youth of today seemed.

However, upon getting a clearer view of John\'s face, he had a moment of realization.

Indeed, the young man had every right to be vain.

Afterward, John returned to the Wilton Hotel.

Once back in his room, he eagerly accessed the Hidden Stars terminal platform.

The reason he rushed to the Hidden Stars headquarters was to acquire his badge and start undertaking missions to earn merit points.

With the Star Cluster Academy assessment yet to begin, this was the perfect opportunity to familiarize himself with the process and prepare for the future.

With a thought, a pale blue light flickered on the silvery-white Hidden Stars badge.

Instantly, a translucent virtual interface appeared before him.

[Identity verification successful. Welcome to the Hidden Stars terminal platform!]

[Please enter your code name!]

John hesitated, remembering that he had jumped directly from an apprentice member to a silver-tier without having the chance to choose a code name.

Not wanting to waste time pondering over a code name, he randomly typed one into the prompt.

[Black Robe]

Lucas would probably rest in peace knowing this code name was being used by him, John mused to himself.

After clicking confirm, the virtual screen transitioned to an exceedingly simple interface that resembled those ordinary websites from the old era, devoid of any fancy embellishments.

It contained merely four sections: mission, merit points, communication, personal.

John clicked on the mission area.

Immediately, the screen flashed, and a neatly arranged list of missions appeared before him, ready for selection.

[Mission]: Eliminate the Red-Eyed Bee (C-level)

[Description]: A nest of Red-Eyed Bees has appeared on the rooftop of the Summit Building located in the central third ring. There have already been two fatalities. Upon inspection by staff, a lv47 Red-Eyed Bee Queen has been confirmed to be present. The building\'s populace has been evacuated. It is recommended that water-based silver-level members address this situation.

[Bonus]: 1950 merit points

…

[Mission]: The Trail of Gabriel Miller (A-level)

[Description]: Recently, traces of "Gabriel Miller" were spotted in "Black Street" outside the third ring. This individual is one of the twelve Red Robe High Priests of the Necromancy Sect, a lv79 cataclysmic-level necromancer, extremely dangerous. He has already been gravely injured by the Judicators. Chief captains are advised to apprehend him.

[Bonus]: 12500 merit points

…

[Mission]: The Nighttime Murderer (B-level)

[Description]: A month ago, an unidentified murderer emerged in the Imperial Capital. Within half a month, this killer has committed 12 consecutive crimes within the inner, middle, and outer nine rings of the Imperial Capital, brutally murdering 14 prostitutes. Hidden Stars dispatched three diamond-tier members to investigate; all three vanished on the same day and remain missing.

After reassessment, the murderer is believed to be at least a transcendent-tier awakener. Thus, this case has been upgraded to a B-level task, and gold-level members are advised to investigate.

[Bonus]: 7200 merit points

…

[Mission]: The Immortality Organization (A-level)

[Description]: Six months ago, an illegal organ trafficking organization named "Immortality" suddenly appeared in the Federal\'s underground market. They have been murdering individuals across various safe zones within the Federal, harvesting organs to transport to the Imperial Capital for use by terminally ill wealthy individuals. The known victims tally up to 3201.

Their operations are incredibly secretive, and the identities of their organization\'s members remain unknown. Platinum-level members are advised to investigate.

[Bonus]: 18000 merit points

…

John scrutinized each mission with serious attention, only to find, rather dishearteningly, that there were few he was eligible for.

This predicament was largely due to his lower rank; many tasks on the platform required diamond-tier or even supreme-tier membership for participation.

Despite his confidence in his abilities, John knew better than to believe he could contend with diamond-tier powerhouses.

Sighing in resignation and just about to give up, a mission caught his eye from the corner of his gaze.

[Mission]: The Missing Tycoon\'s Daughter (D-level)

[Description]: Grace Rothschild, daughter of Nicholas Rothschild, the CEO of Life Pharma Group, disappeared without a trace three days ago, leaving no clues behind. Nicholas Rothschild seeks to hire a few silver-level members for the investigation.

[Recommended Reward]: 30 million federal coins

…

The last few words sparked John\'s interest.

The mission seemed straightforward, and his rank met the requirement.

Most importantly, the reward was in federal coins!

Without much hesitation, John accepted the task.

With time on his hands, undertaking a mission seemed like a productive endeavor.

Completing it would net him over twenty million federal coins, and even failure would not result in any loss to him.

Upon clicking to accept the mission, a notification of "Mission Successfully Accepted" popped up on the interface.

John then noticed that three other people, all silver-badge members of Hidden Stars, had also accepted the same mission.

He didn\'t mind.

Since the rewards were distributed individually, not shared, the presence of a thousand other participants wouldn\'t affect him, as long as it didn\'t cut into his earnings.

Not long after John had accepted the mission, his phone rang with an unknown number.

Upon answering, he was greeted by the slightly anxious voice of a middle-aged man.

The man spoke urgently, "May I speak with Lord Black Robe, who has accepted the mission? I am Nicholas Rothschild. I wonder if you could come over as soon as possible. My daughter has been missing for three days, and we really can\'t afford any delay."

"Alright, I\'ll be there immediately," John understood the man\'s anxiety and concern, knowing well that with his daughter missing for three days, every second of delay increased her peril.

The caller quickly provided John with the meeting address.

Hanging up, John stepped out of the Wilton Hotel and found a secluded alley to activate the "Faceless" skill on his Hidden Stars Badge.

A faint white glow passed, and a silver-white mask appeared on John\'s face.

Then, he donned a black hooded robe, pulled the hood down, and covered his face with black cloth.

John hailed a taxi outside and gave the driver Nicholas Rothschild\'s address.

The taxi headed straight towards the inner third ring of the Imperial Capital.

The city\'s zoning was similar to other cities, with the wealthy and powerful residing in the inner city, growing more affluent towards the center.

Unlike other cities, however, the Imperial Capital further divided its three major areas into nine ring districts, namely the inner three rings, the middle three rings, and the outer three rings.

These nine rings represented nine different social classes, ranging from the lowest cheap laborers in the outer three rings to the officials and tycoons in the inner three rings, and up to the top echelons of power in the core areas, illustrating a clear division of class.

The ordinary citizens of the Federation long to become awakeners not just for the power it brings but more so for the status it accords.

Because regardless of the talent or class awakened to, success signifies a leap in social class.

The upper echelons of this world have long been ossified, with virtually no chance for ordinary folks to break into the higher strata of society despite their efforts.

Becoming an awakener represents the only shortcut for commoners to climb the social ladder, without exception.

As evening descended, the sky of the Imperial Capital, artificially recreated to mimic the vistas of a bygone era, darkened.

The taxi continued along the floating ring road, its journey illuminated by the dazzling neon lights of the city.

The buildings grew taller and more opulent, and the streets became busier with pedestrians.