[SSS Rating: You may receive a 40% boost to all attributes!]

[As you are the first player to undergo rating and grading, a server-wide announcement will be made!]

In an instant, John felt his strength surge by a large margin.

The SSS rating directly granted him a 40% bonus to his attributes.

Stacked together with his two upgraded SSS-grade talents, his damage had now reached a level far beyond what current players could even imagine.

[Server-wide Announcement: Congratulations to the Zone 5 player for becoming the first player to receive an SSS rating!]

[Special reward: This player has obtained qualification for the All-Race Battlefield Vanguard Tournament!]

Hearing another server-wide announcement ring out, the players from the other zones had already gotten used to it.

[Lucius] (Zone 2, Thunder Guild): "As expected, it’s Big Boss John again. Every single server-wide announcement has something to do with him."

[Rose] (Zone 3, Death Guild): "Come to think of it, has any other zone ever gotten a server-wide announcement on its own?"

[Luke] (Zone 2, Thunder Guild): "This is terrifying. What is this SSS rating thing now?"

[Keith] (Zone 3, Death Guild): "I just checked the bloodline tab. It seems to be evaluated based on how you use your bloodline and the grade of your bloodline talent."

[Michael] (Zone 2, Thunder Guild): "No wonder Big Boss John could get an SSS rating, then. With his performance just now, plus his already terrifying talent grade, I’d find it strange if he didn’t receive that rating."

[Lucifer] (Zone 3, Death Guild): "I’m already prepared to lie flat. Maybe we can be like the Zone 4 players after the merge and just wait for Big Boss John to carry us!"

...

[Congratulations, player. You have obtained qualification for the All-Race Battlefield Vanguard Tournament!]

Following the notification, John curiously opened the newly appeared All-Race Battlefield Vanguard Tournament interface.

[All-Race Battlefield Vanguard Tournament]

[Type]: Special Event Dungeon

[Opening Time]: 12 hours later

[Introduction]: Before the All-Race Battlefield officially opens, the major races will usually send out a group of elite members from within their race to serve as vanguards and enter the battlefield to gather intelligence.

The vanguards of each race will engage in combat or hunting against one another. For every vanguard of another race killed, points will be awarded.

In the end, the rankings will be determined based on points, and those rankings will decide the final number of soldiers each race may send into the battlefield.

Because of this, the tournament is also known as the battle that determines the starting height of a race’s destiny!

Those chosen to serve as the vanguards of their respective races are all outstanding elites without exception.

[Special Rule]: All vanguards must not exceed Level 300!

...

After reading all the descriptions related to the tournament, John came to a realization.

"So this is the prerequisite quest for the All-Race Battlefield storyline.

Judging from this introduction, it seems serving as a vanguard can bring unexpected benefits?"

However, after studying it for quite a while, John still could not figure out where those benefits were.

Even the points, which were the only visible ranking indicator, seemed to offer a final reward that merely allowed the human race to send a larger number of people into the All-Race Battlefield.

To John, no matter how many humans entered the All-Race Battlefield, it had nothing to do with him.

After all, it would not bring him any actual benefits.

"Could this be some thankless, exhausting job?"

John frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with the reward issued by the system.

But who would have thought that in the very next moment, a golden notification box would pop up before his eyes?

[Honored human vanguard warrior, the king of the Eaglecrest Empire wishes to invite you into the royal palace for an audience!]

[Note]: You may refuse this invitation. If you agree, please proceed to the royal palace before entering the vanguard battlefield!

...

"The king wants to see me?"

When John saw this notification, he raised his eyebrows.

He keenly sensed that there might be some benefits to gain from this.

Immediately, he used his Pass Permit and arrived at Eaglecrest Main City.

Compared to the last time he came here, there were not many commoners lining the streets to welcome him this time.

However, a red carpet led straight into the depths of the royal palace.

A carriage stopped in front of John.

The knight beside it bowed respectfully and said, "Lord Vanguard Warrior, the king has been waiting inside for quite some time."

John nodded slightly and boarded the carriage.

The carriage traveled straight into the depths of the royal palace.

But when John got off, he discovered that the palace before him was completely different from the one where he had met the king last time.

This royal palace was built atop a towering mountain.

A cold wind howled, blowing against his face.

"Looks like this carriage must be some kind of teleportation tool. It brought me straight up here."

John raised his head and looked toward the flag hanging above the palace.

A sentence was written on it in Eaglecrest script:

All that has been watched over is remembered here.

Out of curiosity, John cast a Detection spell at it.

The next moment, information about this special royal palace appeared before John.

[Valhalla]

[Type]: Special Structure

[Introduction]: This place records the deeds of all heroic spirits who have accomplished magnificent feats since the founding of the Eaglecrest Empire.

One peerless human powerhouse after another once left their legends here.

The heroic spirits of the peerless human powerhouses will accompany every warrior who steps into this place for the first time in battle.

...

"Even Valhalla has appeared."

John was somewhat shocked.

He had not expected a Special Structure like Valhalla to appear so soon.

Anyone qualified to enter Valhalla was, without exception, a peerless powerhouse of the human race.

He had not expected the ancient king to actually live here as well, and even invite him to this place.

Just then, the palace suddenly trembled.

The ground beneath John’s feet actually moved on its own, carrying him toward the depths of the palace.

[You have received Valhalla’s recognition and are about to enter!]

Before John could react, the ground beneath him suddenly teleported him away.

...

When he came back to his senses, he found that he was already inside the palace.

On both sides of the palace hung enormous portraits and statues!

They depicted the supreme powerhouses of the human race throughout the generations.

And on the throne at the highest point of the palace—

the king had changed into casual clothes, clearly having waited here for a long time.

He turned to look over, then walked down step by step and said, "Warrior, we meet again."

John was just about to salute.

But the king suddenly said, "In this place, I am not the king. I am merely the tomb keeper of these many heroic spirits.

There is no need for worldly etiquette. You and I may address each other as equals.

Just call me Tomb Keeper."

John did not stand on ceremony either. He nodded and said, "Very well, Tomb Keeper. May I ask why you summoned me this time?

Could it be related to this All-Race Battlefield tournament?"

The king smiled and said, "Correct. It is precisely because of this matter that I summoned you here.

As the only vanguard of our human race in this tournament, the duty and pressure you must bear are both immense.

Before you head to the All-Race Battlefield, there are a few things I must first tell you."

John accepted this humbly.

"Please speak."

The king continued, "On the All-Race Battlefield, our human race has always been the humble and weak side.

In every tournament, without exception, the vanguards of our human race have always ranked near the bottom, and have all been murdered within it."

Those two short sentences caused a chill to rise in John’s heart.