The Purpose

"You're welcome." Santai's voice carried a hint of a smile. "It was just a small effort. You fought beautifully in that battle; the data models almost fried Southern Dipper's servers."

As soon as she finished speaking, the figure sitting bolt upright opened his mouth.

A calm, waveless male voice without any emotional fluctuation echoed in the round-table conference hall.

"Santai, please refrain from using hyperbole. The server load remains within the safe threshold."

Although no dissatisfaction could be heard in his tone, one could clearly sense his defensiveness.

"Sorry about that, shouldn't have doubted your models." Santai looked around and asked curiously, "Where is Kongchen? Is he late? He's actually late?"

"Kongchen had an impromptu mission, and Boss Zero Sum is occupied," said a suddenly illuminated holographic figure, his voice that of a mature man. "I will be hosting this meeting. Greetings to all newcomers and veterans, I am Beidou."

Chen Guan cast his gaze toward the figure named Beidou.

Beidou.

Chen Guan silently repeated the codename in his mind.

The second-in-command of the Source Return Group, someone who was at least at the eleventh tier even at his weakest.

White Tiger's strength was unquestionable; what kind of person could overpower him?

Since Beidou's identity was clear, the other silent person was undoubtedly Long Ao.

Chen Guan shifted his gaze over.

He could feel that even through an impenetrable layer of fog, Beidou's eyes fell on him and the other newcomer.

"Welcome to the group, you two." Beidou's voice was steady and emotionless, possessing just a sliver more warmth than Southern Dipper's, making it sound less mechanical. "Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, from today onwards, you are members of the Source Return Group. I apologize; due to certain circumstances, this meeting—though not quite a face-to-face one—was delayed for quite some time."

Chen Guan remained silent, but the other holographic figure gave a muffled response. "Mhm."

It was indeed Long Ao's voice.

"During this period, I have prepared ability assessments and potential predictions for both of you, mapping out your subsequent growth paths." Beidou spoke at a moderate pace.

"Southern Dipper, the data."

"Received."

That bolt-upright figure, Southern Dipper, spoke.

A pale blue light screen materialized above the round table in front of him, with countless data streams cascading down like a waterfall.

"Vermilion Bird, aptitude rating: one hundred percent."

Southern Dipper paused for a moment before continuing his analysis in a flat, straightforward tone.

"To save time, skipping the fluff. Summary: a flawless piece of uncut jade, but requires meticulous carving. Growth time is to be determined; won't be of any use in the short term."

The figure in Long Ao's direction visibly twitched, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately held back.

Everyone present was a ruthless monster; he had to endure it.

Southern Dipper's screen shifted and the data refreshed. This time, the target changed to Chen Guan.

"Codename: Black Tortoise, aptitude rating: zero percent."

Zero?

This word caused a ripple of reaction among everyone present, except for White Tiger.

Santai's swaying hologram froze, and Beidou's gentle gaze shifted.

"Explain." Beidou's voice remained calm.

"Potential cannot be modeled," Southern Dipper answered promptly. "Black Tortoise's combat data contains massive logical faults. According to Santai's records, he sustained lethal damage far exceeding his own threshold multiple times, yet his vital signs did not vanish; instead, he recovered to peak condition within a short period."

"The rest of his combat data is even more bizarre. Therefore, based on my database, there are three possible explanations."

"One, he possesses a top-tier superpower. Two, he carries a rule-level life-preserving artifact. Three, he is not human."

"Lastly, this final rating of zero percent originated from Boss Zero Sum."

A brief silence descended upon the conference table.

Chen Guan's heart remained as still as water. Southern Dipper's analysis was highly precise, but it was ultimately blocked by the barrier of worlds.

He would never be able to account for the system, an otherworldly anomaly.

As for saying he wasn't human, that didn't seem entirely wrong either. He was an alt-account avatar; he truly wasn't human.

"Ahem." A soft cough broke the silence. It was White Tiger.

He spoke lazily, with a hint of teasing, "Southern Dipper, you need to fix this habit of yours. Stop treating your colleagues like experimental materials and secretly insulting them. Our Source Return Group doesn't care about origins; as long as you can fight, that's all that matters. Right, Beidou?"

Beidou didn't respond immediately; he seemed to be pondering.

After a moment, he finally spoke, "Southern Dipper, continue."

Southern Dipper, entirely unfazed, continued, "Summary: an extremely dangerous and highly efficient executioner. Adept at utilizing all available resources, including himself. It is recommended not to interfere with his direction moving forward, allowing him to grow freely. We only need to provide intelligence and logistical support."

Upon hearing this evaluation, even Santai let out a light, breezy whistle.

"Whoa, Southern Dipper, you actually gave someone such a high evaluation? Even I didn't get that back in the day."

"It is a matter of fact. You possess top-tier growth potential but lack the necessary qualities. Excessive empathy is your fatal flaw," Southern Dipper stated concisely.

Santai pursed her lips, wanting to retort but not knowing where to begin.

Southern Dipper was right.

She knew it herself; whether in her past identity or her current one, her overly abundant emotions were a burden.

"Um..." A voice drew the attention of the entire room.

It came from Long Ao.

He continued, "What is an aptitude rating?"

Chen Guan wanted to give Long Ao a thumbs-up; he had wanted to ask the same question.

"Simply put, you can understand it as compatibility. The fact that we are sitting here today is mostly due to destiny."

"You might find it hard to believe, but I had already noticed you as early as when you were born. I just never intervened in your growth until Jiangcheng, when you needed our assistance."

Beidou didn't keep them in suspense.

Someone like Chen Guan, with a flat zero percent, was indeed rare. This meant he originally had absolutely no connection to Black Tortoise, which was a first.

White Tiger interjected, "Of course, only someone like you with a hundred percent perfect compatibility gets this kind of treatment. People like me with low aptitude ratings, nobody cares about."

Santai nodded in deep agreement. "Vermilion Bird, kid, your big sis here is also perfectly compatible. If I didn't happen to like the ideals here, I wouldn't have joined even if they set a trap for me."

"This... Miss Santai, you just mentioned, your ideals are..."

This was what Long Ao had never been able to figure out: what exactly were these powerful eccentrics with vastly different personalities gathering together to do.