Seeking Teammates

Number One wasn't surprised at all when Julius asked. After all, he could read Julius's thoughts. However, he enjoyed teasing him, so he said:

[Oh, how did you know?]

As soon as Julius heard the answer, he felt something was off and said:

[If you can read thoughts, then you obviously knew that question was a test. But it seems you enjoy playing around, don't you? You are the system, dare to call yourself Number One, so are you the omnipotent being from earlier?]

Number One found himself increasingly fond of this person and replied:

[You're quite good, truly the candidate I chose. To show my respect, I will no longer read human thoughts from now on.]

After a while of talking, Julius had somewhat figured out Number One's personality. Therefore, he spoke very comfortably:

[I think you find reading thoughts boring, so you stopped doing it.]

Number One was very pleased that this person understood his intentions, so he said:

[Ha ha, you're right. But I wouldn't say I'm completely useless. I will follow you as an advisor. We've set a rule against sharing knowledge, so all scientific knowledge has been sealed.]

Hearing that, Julius paid attention to an important point—that there were many who could be considered equals to this being, not just one. He asked:

[Are you all playing some kind of game?]

Number One was slightly surprised and said:

[Well, you guessed it. Indeed, we are playing a game. We want to see if the person each of us chooses will become the lord of this planet.]

Julius was extremely shocked to hear this. He looked at himself and saw nothing outstanding. Besides being fairly handsome, there was nothing remarkable about him. He wasn't famous, didn't have power, and was just the child of an ordinary family. He asked:

[Why me? I don't think there's anything special about me.]

[A hero is not judged by their background. In a place where the starting point is the same, someone with ambition, determination, and calmness like you will accomplish great things. Even if you don't, it doesn't matter because I like you.]

Number One's words seemed like encouragement, which Julius didn't really need. He knew himself well. He just felt that, given his ordinary performance, others wouldn't typically rate him highly. He laughed and said:

[Ha ha ha, a hero is not judged by their background. In the old society, I didn't want to upend everything because it would make people's lives miserable. But now that everything is in chaos, what reason do I have not to pursue my ambitions?]

Number One immediately praised him:

[Very spirited, good. Keep it up like this. Even if you don't get ten Lord Rings, I believe you'll get at least one.]

Julius had the same thought, so he nodded and said:

[Alright, then we should start looking for potential members for this faction.]

Hearing this, Number One asked:

[What do you mean? I thought we should find as many people as possible?]

Julius shook his head and said:

[Right now, I want to establish a faction, but we have no foundation, no strength. I need companions capable of helping me build this faction in the future. Once the foundation is solid, people will naturally come to join us.]

Number One was very pleased with the answer and said:

[Really want to reward you for that.]

Julius shook his head and said:

[I don't need it. I want fair competition with the others. That's just what I want, nothing special.]

Number One noticed the level 9 ring and laughed:

[Ha ha, so is the Dark Hole ring fair?]

Julius immediately replied:

[Don't joke around. You gave it out randomly. I was lucky to find it, so how is that unfair?]

[You're right. From here on, everyone has the same opportunities. What they can get depends on their skills and luck. If it were someone else, they might not have chosen to climb the cliff at first, and if they climbed a tree, they could have been bitten by a snake and fallen to their death, unlike you.]

Julius nodded and continued walking towards the forest. But at this moment, unfamiliar voices echoed in his head:

[Number One, what's this level 9 ring about? Are you saying there's no cheating involved?]

[Be honest with us, did you deliberately cheat?]

[That's right, your ability to cheat is impressive. We haven't found any evidence yet, but you should confess.]

.....

Out of nowhere, Julius was bombarded by a bunch of voices that gave him a headache. However, he didn't curse because he knew very well who these people were.

Number One spoke up:

[I assure you this time it wasn't me. He got lucky, and now you're blaming me? Jealous because I found someone competent?]

The group was silent for a moment before responding:

[We'll believe you because we can't find any evidence. But if Julius finds another level 9 ring, you better watch out.]

After that, they left, and Julius asked:

[Number One, why do I get the feeling you don't have much credibility?]

Number One snorted:

[Hmph, it's all because you're too lucky. Just got here and found a level nine ring, and you're the one I chose. It's natural to be suspicious.]

Julius said:

[That's not wrong. Even I found it hard to believe, so how can others trust it? Do you have any additional information about this world? Is anything important and necessary for me right now? This shouldn't be prohibited, right?]

Number One nodded and said:

[This isn't prohibited. From what I see, there is some information that is necessary for you right now. Most of the leaves here are edible except for a few poisonous ones, which are very rare. However, they provide very little energy, so you have to consume a large quantity to make up for it. Oh, and remember to grill or boil them to disinfect them before eating. The taste isn't much different from your old world, but they can help you level up.]

Julius was as happy as if he had found gold upon hearing this information. He laughed and said:

[Ha ha ha, there's no shortage of leaves in the forest. Thanks a lot, this information is really important. This will speed up my leveling process significantly. But not everyone has the willpower to eat a bunch of charred leaves. By the way, does it cause cancer?]

Number One didn't refute him because he had once eaten them, and they weren't tasty at all. He said:

[Yes, but it doesn't matter much. Once you reach level 1, your body will return to its perfect state. Additionally, your immune system will be much stronger, so you'll be less likely to get sick or poisoned in the future. Moreover, only those with enough willpower and determination have the right to move forward. You feel the same way, don't you?]

Julius smiled, nodded, and then continued moving forward to find suitable companions to join him.