The shuttle swiftly reached its terminus, and Renyu found himself standing within a pillar of pure white light. Above the pillar lay the passage from whence he had come; he now stood at the bottom of the shaft at the shuttle's exit. All his senses returned. He looked up towards the ceiling—at the very centre of that dazzling white light, a profoundly dark dot hung motionless. It was the entrance to the world he had just left, distant beyond measure.

  Renyu withdrew his reluctant gaze and turned towards the edge of the pillar. As he passed through a wall of light, the blinding whiteness abruptly dissipated, revealing an open plaza. He spun back to see the pillar behind him visibly contracting and thinning. In the blink of an eye, the beam that had descended from the plaza's vaulted ceiling vanished without a trace.

  At that moment, a light screen unfolded before Renyu, accompanied by the timely voice of the guidance system: ‘Welcome back to the Evolution Battlefield upon completing your mission. First, congratulations—having fought four eras beyond your military rank during this mission, your mission score will receive an additional bonus. Based on the system's evaluation of your mission metrics, this mission will be judged fairly and reasonably.’

  Renyu already harboured a hunch regarding the score. The very next second, that hunch was confirmed—the light screen erupted with dazzling celebratory fireworks, and a striking ‘100’ leapt into view. This perfect score was both unexpected and entirely fitting. After all, as a Second Lieutenant, he had played a decisive role in a Major's critical promotion mission to Lieutenant Colonel, even intersecting with the Lieutenant Colonel's retirement mission. By standard criteria, spanning four eras and securing victory already warranted substantial bonus points, let alone having reached the threshold of the Electric Era.

  The crux now lay in the reward for a perfect score. Which of the three ultimate items would be bestowed: Immortal Glory, Banner of the Leader (Grand Leader), or the Crown of Succession?

  Yet the Evolution System's assessment of victory was never fixed or singular.

  The guidance system slowly displayed a commentary upon the light screen: "When you first entered the battlefield, your words carried conviction; you walked the walk, upholding your promises consistently for two decades. You transformed that initial pledge from an ethereal concept into an undeniable reality within this plane. Twenty years ago, no one believed the character you described could exist; when you departed, that character had become an indelible truth within that world."

  A sword, pure as jade and crystalline as water, materialised upon the light screen. Approximately 56 centimetres in length, it eschewed the slender form of Western blades, instead embodying the classic silhouette of a Spring and Autumn period bronze sword. It possessed no fuller; the transition from spine to edge was seamless, forming a flawless cutting edge. Most striking was its substance—though archaic in form, it was not forged from metal.

  As the sword gradually transformed from a two-dimensional projection into a three-dimensional object, Renyu could not resist reaching out to touch it. He had assumed it was merely an illusion, yet his fingertips encountered a tangible, icy coldness—hard, smooth, and undeniably real. The light screen promptly displayed the sword's detailed specifications:

  "Sword of Truth, maximum-grade reward item. This is a standard-use item, not a single-use consumable. Its structure features a titanium alloy skeleton (with varying alloy ratios across sections; 3D imagery indicates additional elements including zirconium, molybdenum, and chromium), overlaid with successive layers of aluminium oxide ceramic, silicon carbide ceramic, and silicon nitride ceramic."

  As the description unfolded, the 3D display first revealed a model of the sword showcasing its lattice-like skeletal framework. The hilt and tang are clearly visible as a single straight metal bar, from which densely packed latticework extends, forming an exquisitely hollowed-out sword frame. Subsequently, over four hundred factor models of the three materials appear. The first layer envelops the sword's central axis, followed by successive layers that gradually fill the originally hollow sections, ultimately forming a complete sword.

  The guidance system continued: "This blade embodies 'reality”. When a Combat Evolution Officer confirms its use within a mission plane, it manifests tangibly within that world, conforming entirely to that plane's physical and chemical laws. It can be destroyed, broken, worn down, and capable of severing real-world objects. Upon the user's departure from the plane, the artefact returns with them, while the sword's body is left behind in the mission world and remains tangibly present until it undergoes natural degradation. The wielder may summon this blade from the system at any time within the Evolution Battlefield."

  At first glance, the sword appeared merely a superior cutting tool. Yet Renyu remained composed—he knew a perfect-score artefact could never be so simple. Indeed, the guidance system's subsequent explanation revealed the blade's true worth:

  “Truth” is this sword's most potent and sole attribute. When the user actively triggers this attribute, an “Absolute Reality” domain forms within a 500-metre radius centred on them. Within this domain, all Combat Evolution Officers' talents become nullified—including the user's own talents. Should the user encounter another officer's talent effects while wielding this sword, the “Reality” attribute triggers passively, counteracting those effects. This passive effect may be terminated upon the user's confirmation."

  Renyu sucked in a sharp breath and pressed urgently, ‘My talent is “Soft Force Field”. If I extensively use materials processed by my talent in a mission world, wouldn't this sword's activation instantly destroy vast quantities of machinery?’

  The system voice patiently explained, ‘There exists a judgment mechanism concerning 'Truth”. Truth refers to objects that intelligent life within the mission plane can comprehend and acknowledge. If items treated by your talent are extensively used, touched, and modified by numerous intelligent beings of that plane, they cease to be influenced solely by you. The Sword of Truth will recognise these items as genuinely existing within that world.’

  ‘For instance,’ the system continued, "if an officer wielding a flame-based talent directly attacks you with fire, the Sword of Reality would deem it 'unreal' because the mechanism forming that flame cannot be explained by the existing knowledge of this plane's inhabitants. However, if that officer uses fire to smelt ore into steel, which is then forged into an item by local craftsmen, although the officer is one influencing factor, the Sword of Truth will recognise these items as real because beings from this plane participated in the creation process."

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  Upon hearing this, Renyu's suspended heart finally settled. This signified that the artefact still perfectly adhered to Evolution Battlefield's fundamental principle of “not directly interfering with plane life”.

  He silently calculated: as long as he acted cautiously within the mission world, processed raw materials using his talents, and then handed them over to native plane inhabitants for refinement and use, the resulting products would pass the “Sword of Truth's” authenticity judgment. Though this sword could not suppress other evolution artefacts, its ability alone to counter others' talents fully warranted a perfect score.

  To test this theory, Renyu exchanged a piece of granite through the evolution system (as he had not yet accepted Zhao Weiguo's commission, only ordinary stone was available). Employing his talent, he compressed the rock into a malleable paste, then inserted the Sword of Truth to shape it into a stone scabbard. Upon completion, he immediately activated the Sword's truth effect—the stone scabbard instantly shattered, scattering fragments across the ground as though violently crushed by some immense force.

  ‘It works splendidly!’ Renyu exclaimed, admiring the porcelain-white blade. He carefully stowed the sword within the light screen, where it transformed into an icon in his inventory. After swiftly testing the item's effects in a corner of the Evolution Plaza, he tucked it away with satisfaction. Throughout the entire process, no one had noticed his actions.

  Now came the reckoning of gains. Though this mission had earned full marks and represented a high-difficulty task for a Major advancing to Lieutenant Colonel (albeit one where Lieutenant Colonel Mingges' retirement mission had elevated Sea Song Republic's late-stage technological level to the Electrical Age), the Evolution System still classified this mission's era as the Steam Age.

  Within the Evolution Battlefield's reward system, the Steam Age constituted the fifth tier (with the Stone Age being the first). The base reward for Purple Gold in the Stone Age is 10 to the power of zero, equating to one unit. In contrast, the base reward for the Steam Age is 10 to the power of four, amounting to ten thousand units. Having achieved a perfect score in this mission, Renyu ultimately received one tonne of Purple Gold. It should be noted that an ordinary Lieutenant Colonel typically earns only eight or nine hundred kilograms of Purple Gold per mission. Even a Lieutenant Colonel like Mingges, who had accumulated wealth through multiple missions, possessed no more than several dozen tonnes of Purple Gold in total.

  Yet the true bulk of his wealth did not stem from mission rewards—but from the compensation the Evolution System was compelled to pay for illegally disclosing Renyu's information. Mingus had expended eleven tonnes of Purple Gold to inquire about two aspects of Renyu's identity, and the System repaid Renyu tenfold, amounting to a staggering one hundred and ten tonnes.

  Renyu's current fortune now rivals the entire savings of a seasoned Colonel. This indirectly corroborates the staggering sum Marshall expended during the inaugural mission—over twenty tonnes of purple gold—to secure Andrew's allegiance.

  Yet for Renyu now, wealth holds secondary importance. The Evolution System presents him with a pivotal choice: whether to advance immediately.

  "In light of your exceptional performance during this mission, you may now elect to advance to the rank of Reserve Lieutenant," the guidance system suggested.

  Renyu swiftly reviewed the system data, meticulously studying the promotion regulations. According to the Evolution Battlefield's standard promotion framework, the progression points for warrant officers were clearly defined: promotion from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant triggered automatically upon completing the fifth mission cycle; promotion from First Lieutenant to Captain occurred at the tenth cycle; and promotion from Captain to Major was achieved at the twentieth cycle. Upon reaching the field officer stage, promotion assessments automatically occur every twentieth mission cycle.

  However, the system also provides a special pathway: officers achieving an exceptionally high rating of 98 points or above in a single mission may advance early. Officers may opt to defer promotion, but from the fifth mission cycle onwards, each delayed cycle doubles the difficulty of the subsequent mission.

  The archives of Evolution Battlefield document numerous case studies. One Second Lieutenant deliberately avoided promotion assessments from the fifth cycle onwards, ultimately perishing during the Major promotion assessment in the twentieth cycle. In truth, from the sixteenth cycle, he had become increasingly overwhelmed, merely hiding in corners until missions concluded before being retrieved by Evolution Battlefield.

  Zhao Weiguo's situation illustrates a choice. Progressing normally, he should have faced his Lieutenant Colonel promotion assessment during the fortieth mission cycle. Yet he employed the precious ‘Thorn Barrier’ item to delay advancement. Even so, by the forty-second cycle, mission difficulty had surpassed Lieutenant Colonel level. Without Renyu's timely intervention, he too would likely have perished.

  As for Mingges, this was his eightieth mission cycle. He should have faced the promotion assessment for colonel, but he sought to evade it by requesting retirement.

  Renyu scrutinised the promotion compensation mechanism displayed by the system. Indeed, earlier promotions meant fewer attribute points per mission, seemingly unfair to officers advancing prematurely. To address this, Evolution Battlefield devised an ingenious compensation system—increasing the maximum conscript quota.

  Officers completing novice missions who were promoted to lieutenant before the fifth mission cycle gained a 50% increase to their conscript quota cap for each cycle advanced early, relative to the lieutenant baseline. This compensation scale adjusts with officer rank: promotion to Captain before the tenth mission cycle grants a 50% increase to the Captain's standard conscript quota; promotion to Major before the twentieth cycle grants a 30% increase per cycle beyond the Major's baseline.

  Base values for each rank: Second Lieutenant's standard conscript quota is 300; First Lieutenant's standard quota is 900; Captain's standard quota is 3000.

  Should Renyu opt to advance to Lieutenant now, he would be advancing four mission cycles early. His conscript quota would receive a 50%*4=200% increase. Combined with the standard Lieutenant quota, his maximum conscript quota would be: 900 + 900*200% — reaching a staggering 2,700. This quota ceiling remains fixed until the tenth task cycle.

  Should he only advance to Captain in the tenth cycle, his conscription quota would align with that of an ordinary Captain. However, if he were promoted to Captain after completing the second task cycle, his conscription quota ceiling would soar to a staggering: (10-2) × 50% × 3000 + 3000 = 15,000 men. This quota will persist until the twentieth mission cycle.

  This compensation mechanism is ingeniously designed. Much like evaluating child prodigies: if a three-year-old achieves primary school standards, we bestow the title ‘prodigy’; yet if that child remains in Year 6 at fourteen, we no longer apply the ‘prodigy’ benchmark. Evolution Battlefield similarly adheres to this dynamic evaluation system—only officers who consistently advance of schedule can sustain their corresponding compensation.

  After careful deliberation, Renyu made his decision—he chose to immediately advance to reserve lieutenant. That additional 200% troop capacity cap would prove crucial for his forthcoming endeavours.

  The stone axe emblem on his chest transformed in a flash of light into a bronze sword emblem.