Chapter 270: My Team Does Not Need Trash

"Third place, Pan Ma. Fourth place, Lei Yi..."

Almost everyone who emerged immediately shifted their gaze to Su Mu. Seeing his neat clothes and the complete absence of injuries, their eyes widened in profound shock.

Taking first place wasn't what was daunting; taking first place unscathed was. The implications were self-evident.

Anyone who made the top ten was an outstanding figure at their tier, possessing absolute confidence in their own strength. That very confidence was why everyone believed they could seize first place.

But after seeing Su Mu in first place and Lin Lingling in second, they couldn't help but doubt themselves.

This self-doubt was normal. Everyone present was the top expert of their respective city at this tier. But on a national scale, they quickly realized that while they might be geniuses, there was always a greater genius.

After the top ten emerged, the rest trickled out mostly in small groups. The vast majority were covered in injuries, and some even needed their teammates' support just to walk.

It wasn't long before Su Mu spotted an acquaintance in the crowd: King Chi's avatar, Su Qing.

Su Qing mingled with the crowd as she stepped out, staring straight ahead without sparing a single glance in Su Mu's direction. Sometimes, though, deliberate avoidance only revealed how much someone cared.

Taking advantage of the large crowd, Su Qing stole a quick glance at Su Mu in the first-place seat, wondering if he would notice that she had deliberately come out this late.

In truth, taking a spot in the top ten would have been effortless for her. Setting aside Su Mu and his cheat-like abilities, not even Lin Lingling could necessarily match her. She had originally aimed for first place, but Su Mu had derailed everything halfway through, and she had even lost a bet to him.

So she had deliberately delayed her exit just to forfeit the captaincy rights of the top ten. Her reasoning was simple: she wanted to join Su Mu's team, but she was afraid he would see right through her intentions.

Aside from Su Qing, Su Mu noticed more familiar faces. There was Yan Wu, who had appeared last after being carried to the finish line; the reticent Wen Xuan, who also hailed from Star City; Lan He, who had survived experiencing the Thousand Illusions of Fleeting Life; and even Lin Nanxing, who had made it out alive despite having his legs broken earlier.

"The assessment has concluded. The ten captains will now select their members. Selection priority is determined by rank. Captain of the First Squad, Su Mu, make your choice." Sikong Zhen's voice overpowered the venue. As a trace of a Gold powerhouse's aura leaked out, the entire space instantly fell silent.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Su Mu slowly stood up. He appraised the participants, almost all of whom were sporting injuries, while they curiously studied him in return.

As the most outstanding figure to emerge from a crowd of Silver Grade Nightmare Apostles, he certainly attracted enough attention.

Those who didn't know him quietly guessed just how powerful he might be, while the Nightmare Apostles who had taken the test with him earlier wore expressions of pure shock.

They vividly remembered that during the initial training ground tests, both Su Mu's strength and his nightmare survival count had been dead last among everyone present: Silver 1, three times.

It was precisely this striking record, combined with his noble-like appearance, that had left such a deep impression on them. They just never dreamed that this dead-last existence would clear the dungeon in first place today.

At this moment, Sikong Zhen spoke again. "Captains have the right to choose their members, but the members also have the right to refuse. The Empire's goal is to forge ten powerful, mutually trusting teams. Su Mu, begin."

Su Mu nodded and smiled at the crowd. "Some of you here know me, and some don't. Before I select my members, I will give a brief self-introduction. I am Su Mu, Silver 1."

The moment the words "Silver 1" came out, the Nightmare Apostles who had never met him erupted into an uproar. Disbelief filled their faces, and some began to whisper among themselves.

"Silver 1?! Are you kidding me? A Silver 1 took first place? I'm a Silver 3 and I couldn't even scrape into the top ten."

"Did he cheat? He must have known the correct route in advance to get first place."

"Bullshit. Don't you see a Gold powerhouse supervising us? Do you think he could cheat right under a Gold powerhouse's nose? Besides, there are so many nightmare monsters in the dungeon, and every Mithril Token was guarded. Even if he knew the route in advance, how did he get a Mithril Token?"

"Looking at him, he might be the illegitimate son of a noble. If he has the massive backing of a family behind him, getting first place isn't impossible."

As the crowd buzzed with discussion, Su Mu's smile remained unchanged. He parted his lips. "Quiet."

His single word carried an invisible weight, instantly plunging the entire venue into dead silence.

Sikong Zhen frowned slightly and looked at Su Mu. Just now, even he had felt an urge to keep his mouth shut. Though it was faint, he had undeniably been affected.

A mental-type Transcendent? he thought. He really does have some skill. It seems getting first place wasn't entirely based on luck.

Feeling the deathly stillness of the venue, the crowd was horrified. They had all realized something.

"Next, I will announce my selection rule. The rule is very simple. There is only one, and that is... my team does not need trash."

Su Mu spoke at a slow, methodical pace. His tone was exceedingly gentle, but the content of his words was arrogant to the extreme.

"Those who feel they are not trash and are willing to join my team, please raise your hand."

The venue remained quiet. The crowd exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions wavering as they weighed their options. Upon entering the perilous Nightmare World, choosing a good captain was naturally of utmost importance. Logically, they should be fighting to raise their hands at an invitation from the first-place winner. However, this first-place winner was only a Silver 1, which inevitably caused them to hesitate.

Right at this moment, Yan Wu was the first to raise his hand.

"Captain Su, I am willing to join your team!" His voice was loud and resolute, as if he had already set his sights entirely on Su Mu.

The crowd cast sideways glances at him, growing even more hesitant.

"Very well, count you in." Yan Wu was instantly overjoyed. He hurriedly ran onto the stage and stood behind Su Mu.

"Mr. Su, I am willing to join too!" Lin Nanxing raised his hand excitedly. If Su Mu hadn't appeared earlier, he would have undoubtedly died. He wanted to repay that favor, and he was also one of the few who had witnessed Su Mu's true strength.

"Count me in!"

"I'll join Mr. Su too!"

Hands shot up one after another!

Several more people raised their hands. Strikingly, these were Zhou Hui and the others who had spectated the clash between Su Mu and Su Qing.

Others might not be clear on Su Mu's strength, but they knew it all too well. They didn't even believe he was merely Silver 1; he had definitely used some method to hide his true power.

Seeing these enthusiastic volunteers, the rest of the crowd was stunned. What was going on? Were people really fighting over a spot on a Silver 1's team? And looking at their eager expressions, they were terrified that Su Mu might reject them.

The crowd wasn't stupid. They immediately realized there was more to this than met the eye. Perhaps these people had interacted with Su Mu in the dungeon and witnessed his strength firsthand.

Some of those who had been wavering finally began to raise their hands. They didn't care about the Silver 1 rank anymore. He was first place, after all—that was an indisputable fact.

It was worth noting that most of those raising their hands were Silver 1s. These people knew very well that their own strength was lacking. It was highly likely that none of the ten captains would want them, resulting in their elimination.

Now that the first-place captain was offering a chance, no matter what happened, it was far better than failing the selection.