*Chapter 11: Enhancement (Part 1)*

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Everyone had witnessed the disappearance of the guide with their own eyes... Death was always a heavy topic, especially for those who had already died once. They understood just how precious life really was.

As they spoke, Kouga moved forward and stood beneath the glowing sphere. There were twenty unclaimed portals, and he casually chose one, placing his hand on it. His mind began to fill with thoughts of what he wanted for his new home.

He envisioned the 44th Training Ground of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Forest of Death, towering ancient trees, streams, hills, scattered high towers, and traditional Oriental buildings for rest and living.

The roof was adorned with multicolored glazed tiles, and the pillars, beams, and gates featured chiwen (mythical dragon-like creatures) designs. The courtyard had statues of various figures, deities, birds, beasts, flowers, and insects.

One notable feature was that Kouga, using his captain’s authority, managed to score an upgrade—modifying the environment to have three times the normal Earth gravity at no extra cost.

After completing everything, he removed his hand from the light door and turned to his teammates, speaking seriously:

"Also, I know you all have questions in your hearts, but before we discuss anything important, it’s just as necessary to relax and loosen up a bit. Go ahead and create your own private spaces."

"Relax your body and mind, reflect on your current situation, and make a simple plan for the future. But it's best not to exchange anything impulsively."

"Remember, I’m not here for some cruel exploitation. I’m not going to drain my teammates dry—I just want us to support each other and go farther together."

"Your resources—keep them for your own enhancements."

With those words, he stepped through the light curtain.

Just before he disappeared, Kouga glanced at Tang Tian. This young man had begged him in the trial pyramid to help him out, even offering half of his main storyline rewards.

In reality, it had just been a casual act of kindness; there was no need to take those words too seriously.

After all, in the space of the Reincarnation Team under the Lord God, having reliable and strong teammates was much better for survival than going solo.

“Seven newcomers, three dead. The four of us left—the survival rate is already high. If the captain hadn’t killed the Alien Queen, even fewer would’ve made it out alive.”

The muscular Emile spoke in a deep voice, stating a fact. His message was clear—there was no point dwelling on the fact that Kouga acted alone at the start of the trial, seemingly abandoning the rookies.

In the cruel world of reincarnation, expecting the strong to play babysitter was nothing but a dream!

In a sense, Kouga had done enough. At least he had acted decisively, lowering the difficulty of what was already a beginner-friendly mission, thereby improving the overall survival rate.

Later, he had even looked after temporary teammates.

"If it weren’t for the boss... I’d probably be dead in that trial," Tang Tian said, still shaken. Then, curiosity got the better of him. "I almost forgot to ask—when the Predator activated its self-destruct, you guys weren’t even there. How did you know to escape?"

"It was the guide, that sickly woman. She used some ability to send me a warning, saying we had to leave the underground within ten minutes, or we’d die," Emile answered gravely.

Next to him, the black man Old Bill, who had been saved by Emile, nodded in agreement. "It’s a shame she disappeared. She was a good person."

“Maybe she was just a tool for the Lord God’s will,” said Haida, an Arab woman with pale blue eyes. Her cold words instantly killed the conversation. She placed her hand on a light door, mimicking Kouga, and began constructing her own private space in her mind.

Before long, the hall returned to silence, with only the glowing orb floating there endlessly.

“Lord God, list all my current rewards.”

Lying on top of a high tower, Kouga looked out over the Forest of Death. He silently endured the three-times Earth gravity while continuing to connect with the glowing orb outside.

Soon, a response came.

He didn’t even have to leave his private space to check the plaza—a small convenience.

*[Captain of the Sand Team, Kouga: Currently holding a total of 1B3C side storylines and 11,347 reward points.]*

That was a lot of points.

Still, if only there were some A-rank side stories, that would be even better. Someone always wants more than they have.

Thanks to an additional hint granted by his captain’s privileges, Kouga was well aware that his current situation was near-perfect, largely due to the Lord God lowering the difficulty because the Sand Team had been wiped out before.

Moreover, as captain, Kouga had quick access to everything the Lord God had available for him to exchange—ninjutsu, weapons, gene serums, and anything else that could strengthen his combat abilities. These options aligned with his Uchiha bloodline.

This ensured that neither he nor his teammates would waste any reward points or side stories on less-than-ideal exchanges.

Additionally, the captain had the authority to learn about the next world a day after a mission ended. This allowed the Sand Team to prepare, research, and make targeted enhancements, significantly increasing their survival odds.

Lastly, Kouga had uncovered a few secrets:

Like the original series, there were a total of 17 Reincarnation Teams in this space, named after ancient continents:

Zhongzhou, South Flame Continent, North Flame Continent, South Ice Continent, North Ice Continent, East America, West America, East Sea Team, West Sea Team, North Sea Team, Indian Continent, Forest Continent, Sand Team… and two special teams.

The Demon Team and the Celestial Team.

Just like in the original, the Demon Team was composed of genetically enhanced clones, taken from the best genes of all teams. Their moral compass was notably absent…

The Celestial Team, however, had changed slightly.

At least, when Kouga became the captain, the Lord God hadn’t asked him whether he wanted to leave the Sand Team and join the Celestial Team.

"Gene lock... Maybe it depends on how it’s unlocked? Some people unlock it on their own, while I relied on external forces."

He whispered to himself as he stared at the distant forest, his voice echoing off the tower.

The permanent enhancement from the Lord God had helped Kouga achieve the fusion of spirit and body, yin and yang, and mind and consciousness, bringing his awareness into harmony with his body.

This naturally allowed him to unlock the first-stage gene lock, strengthening his physical power and resistance.

Some doubts had been resolved.

But many still remained.

Fortunately, Kouga wasn’t one to overthink. The events happening to him confirmed one thing:

As he grew stronger, the truth would eventually reveal itself. Instead of wasting energy on endless speculation, it was better to focus on becoming stronger and surviving!

So…

—Lord God, list all Uchiha-compatible bloodline enhancements.

Exclude those with low growth potential!

Exclude all enhancements above B-level!

Exclude anything that would make me lose my human form!

Rank them from highest to lowest and send the results to my mind.

(End of chapter)