"Brother Bin, this crystal should go to you for allocation." Hu Wenliang handed the crystal to Yang Bin.
"What's there to allocate? Obviously it's for Monkey." Yang Bin smiled.
"See? I told you the boss would give it to me." Skinny Monkey happily took the crystal.
"We all knew the boss would give it to you, but the boss giving it to you is one thing - you using it on your own without asking is another. Understand?" Zhao Kun said seriously.
"I get it. I never planned to use it without asking. That's why I waited until we got back and checked with the boss first, didn't I?"
"Alright, don't make it so serious. Star Fall Squad doesn't have that many rules and regulations." Yang Bin waved it off.
"Captain, I actually think some rules are necessary. High-order crystal allocation should be your call - keeps conflicts from popping up." Fang Sijie spoke up.
"Mm." Yang Bin nodded, then looked at Skinny Monkey.
"Monkey, go ahead and advance to the Yaoguang Realm. I'm curious what your ability will become."
"On it."
Skinny Monkey sat down immediately and swallowed the crystal.
Five minutes later, he opened his eyes. His expression was... odd.
"What happened? What ability?"
"Wind element... Wind Blade!"
"That's solid. I've been on the receiving end of that one - it's strong." Chen Hao said with feeling.
"The new skill's fine. But it's my original ability - I feel like it sprouted something weird."
"What kind of weird?"
"I think... I can control animals." Skinny Monkey said, uncertain.
"!!!"
"Seriously!?"
Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto Skinny Monkey. Even Yang Bin couldn't hide his reaction. If this was real, the implications were terrifying.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but that's what it feels like."
"Should we call Little Orange over to test it?"
"That won't cause problems, right? Don't fry Little Orange's brain."
"This kind of control could easily cause mental damage. Don't use Little Orange as a test subject. Tomorrow we go out and find other Mutated Beasts to try it on." Yang Bin said.
"Yeah." Skinny Monkey nodded.
"Fuck me, I never thought this ability had that kind of potential. If I'd known, I would've fought you for it back then." Old Hei stared at Skinny Monkey, envy written all over his face.
Beast Taming. If he could control a horde of Mutated Beasts, he could wipe out an entire city with a wave of his hand. The thought alone was terrifying.
"Heh, who told you to look down on it back then?" Skinny Monkey said smugly.
"Special-type abilities are far rarer than elemental ones. Naturally, their ceiling is higher." Yang Bin said, his tone turning serious.
"I've roughly pieced some things together now."
"Abilities awakened before the Yaoguang Realm are innate abilities. They have growth potential. Every time you light a star, they evolve - either the ability itself gets stronger, or it branches into something new."
"My True Vision Eye branched into Telekinesis. Monkey's Charm branched into Beast Taming. For Zhao Kun and Chen Hao, your abilities just got a straight power boost instead."
"The abilities you choose at the Yaoguang Realm are acquired abilities. Actually, 'abilities' might be the wrong word - 'skills' is probably more accurate."
"These skills are fixed. They're attack methods, plain and simple. If I'm right, every time you light a star, you get to pick one skill. And the later the star, the stronger the options."
"I've looked at most of the Yaoguang Realm skill options. They're all basic - fireball, Wind Blade, that sort of thing. So being weak at the Yaoguang Realm doesn't mean you'll stay weak."
"In theory, everyone gets nine chances to shape their fate. Even if your first few picks are garbage, one lucky roll on a later star and you skyrocket."
"Yeah, boss, I think you're right." Everyone nodded seriously.
"Holy shit... then boss, you're gonna be a fucking god!? The rest of us are gambling on luck, but you get to choose directly! Nine times! Every single time, you pick the best skill that fits you perfectly!" Old Hei's eyes went wide, the envy practically dripping off him.
His words hit the others a beat later. One by one, they turned to Yang Bin with the same look.
"Uh... don't look at me like that. As your captain, being a bit stronger is normal, right?" Yang Bin said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Mm, fair point."
"Huh, why does it smell like something's burning?" Zhong Yuansen sniffed the air.
All eyes turned toward the kitchen.
"Ah - sorry! I got too caught up listening."
Lin Yifei snapped back to reality and bolted for the kitchen.
Everything Yang Bin had said was completely new to her. She'd been so absorbed she forgot she had food on the stove.
"Boss... her?"
Only now did the group notice there was a woman in the house.
"New team member."
"Hell yeah! Our bachelor squad finally has a female member!" The guys lit up.
"Remember - team member. Nothing else. Don't get ideas."
"Understood, understood." They all nodded, though the looks they shot Yang Bin said otherwise.
"Everyone, food's ready."
Lin Yifei carried out dish after dish, waving them over to the table.
"Sorry about earlier - I spaced out and burned one of the dishes. I'll eat that one. You guys have the rest." She looked genuinely embarrassed.
"Burned? Just toss it. Why would you eat that? We're not short on supplies here."
Yang Bin grabbed the dish and dumped it straight into the trash.
Lin Yifei could only shake her head. Star Fall Squad really was on another level.
Everyone piled around the table and dug in. The day's energy expenditure had been brutal.
"Mm... Miss Lin, your cooking's pretty good. Almost as good as the boss's." Old Hei mumbled through a full mouth.
"But real talk - did you make enough? I don't think this is gonna fill us up." Skinny Monkey, honest as always.
"Ah, sorry. Force of habit. I'll make more next time." Lin Yifei said awkwardly.
It had been over a month since the apocalypse. Supply shortages were the norm everywhere. Who could've guessed this place was swimming in resources?
"Brother Bin, when are we heading back home?" Chen Hao asked. He knew the answer might be bad news, but he needed to go back and see for himself.
"Couple days. Once everyone hits Tier 6 and I'm close to Seventh, we move out."
"You're almost Tier 7!?" Lin Yifei stared at Yang Bin.
"Why so shocked? This is Star Fall Squad. Isn't that normal?"
"......"
"Captain, what's the terrain like back home? Suitable for a base?" Fang Sijie asked.
"Mountains on all four sides. The whole county's only got three hundred thousand people. It's actually a solid fit."
"Then we set up base there?"
"That's the plan."
"But I visited two bases today and spotted a lot of problems. We can build one, but we keep the numbers small. Quality over quantity."
"More people means more problems, and resources can't keep up. What I have on hand right now can take two thousand people with zero combat ability and push them straight to Tier-4 Evolvers. So we start with around two thousand."
"When we recruit, we look at character. Not strength."
"Understood!"
"Good. Eat first. Tonight, Sijie - I've got a surprise for you."
"A surprise?"
Curiosity flickered in Fang Sijie's eyes, but anticipation won out.
"You'll find out tonight."
"Alright."