"Judging by the scale, it's probably a village or town that's been attacked. It's safer in the state capital," one customer remarked.

"Safe my foot! If it weren't for the lack of high-level beasts around Huizhou, the city's guard force wouldn't even be enough to be a snack for the beasts. The safest place is the Imperial City," another retorted.

"Look at yourself, dreaming of the Imperial City," another laughed, and the other diners joined in. Chen Mo listened to their conversation, watched the departing convoy, downed the remaining half-bowl of water, and stood up to leave with the old man.

On the second floor of the state capital's administration building, the old man was handling business while Chen Mo read the policy announcements on the wall: any group of fifty or more people could apply to establish a provisional village in undeveloped areas. If the village was still in existence and maintained at least fifty people after three months, it would be officially recognized and receive state aid.

Chen Mo found a seat and picked up a newspaper. Most of it was about a newly promoted female knight who had heroically slain a level-four beast. He wasn't interested in the exaggerated stories but focused on a list hidden in a corner of the paper.

"Hey, young man, you like the knight too? I heard her team completed an A+ mission. She even killed a level-four Flaming Scorpion and escaped unscathed, earning her promotion," said a burly man with a giant sword strapped to his back.

"Brother, can you tell me about knights?" Chen Mo asked, handing the newspaper to the man, who quickly found the relevant article.

"Kid, knights are a title given by the state to those who reach a certain level of strength. But the state only categorizes high combat power into squire, knight, general, marquis, and duke. Do you know why?" the man asked, clearly excited. Chen Mo shook his head.

"Because combat power below knight level is too influenced by external factors. A long time ago, the state also categorized lower combat power. Guess what happened? Hahaha, challenging higher levels became common, so they eventually scrapped it under pressure. Isn't that funny?" the man laughed heartily. Chen Mo, finding him too talkative, excused himself.

"Brother, my grandpa is calling me. I need to go."

"Go ahead, don’t mind me. Why doesn't this newspaper have pictures? They say the knight is a beauty, but there's no picture," the man grumbled as Chen Mo quickly left.

The staff was registering the old man's paperwork. "Everything looks good. Here’s your multifunction terminal. You can get other aid materials on the fourth floor. You have an awakening slot for the provisional village, which you can use on the sixth floor," the staff said, handing the terminal over. The old man signaled Chen Mo to take it and head upstairs.

On the sixth floor, only a few people were waiting for their awakening, all in their thirties or forties, their exposed skin showing various scars. Chen Mo approached an empty counter, placed the terminal on it, and was greeted by a kind-looking woman with a delicate face and light makeup, named Bai Zhi.

Bai Zhi looked at the terminal and asked, "Is it you who needs the awakening?"

Chen Mo nodded. Bai Zhi verified the information and then stood up. "Follow me."

Chen Mo followed her into a room with a circular platform. Bai Zhi instructed him to sit in the center and wait for the formation to activate before leaving.

White light began to emanate from the platform, and the engravings grew clearer. As the two beams of light formed a circle around the edge of the formation, Chen Mo felt a hot, expanding energy flowing from his limbs through his blood. He clenched his fists, trying to resist the internal pain, but his strength was no match for the overwhelming sensation. Gritting his teeth, he vowed not to scream.

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he continued to struggle. The energy reached his heart, intensifying the throbbing. The pounding grew faster and stronger, threatening to burst his chest. The suffocating sensation became unbearable, but as the four streams of energy converged in his heart and moved towards his head, the pressure eased.

Chen Mo took deep breaths, encouraging himself to endure. The energy seemed to lose its intensity as it moved to his head, finally dissipating in his right eye. He felt relieved and noticed a new awareness of his body's energy flow and could vaguely see floating particles of light with his right eye. Standing up, he tested his movements, finding himself faster and stronger.

Bai Zhi returned with a box. "This might be your first time. Just relax and don't move. I'll handle the rest," she said, placing three ores around the platform. After a few minutes with no reaction, Bai Zhi raised her hand over one, which glowed faintly green, indicating energy. She then placed the ore in Chen Mo's hand, but nothing happened.

Perplexed, Bai Zhi furrowed her brows. She had seen many awakenings and even those with the lowest affinity could usually draw some energy. Chen Mo's lack of response left her with two possible conclusions.