Chapter 1007: Mixed Feelings
At this moment—
Media around the world began competing to report.
Especially stories about Ling Zhan were heavily featured and promoted.
The Allied Legions urgently needed to establish Ling Zhan as a world hero.
Though in truth, it wasn't about establishing it—
Because Ling Zhan truly was a world hero in the final demon-slaying war.
According to the original battle plan, it would have taken at least half a year to conquer the Heavenly Demon Capital.
And even longer to take the Ten Thousand Demons Fortress.
Meanwhile, the Ten Thousand Demons Abyss would've finished refining the planetary core in about a year and a half.
In short—
If things had followed the expected path, the campaign would have dragged on for at least a year.
A battle teetering on the edge of danger.
Yet Ling Zhan compressed that entire timeline into just one month.
That alone made him worthy of the title "World Hero."
Anyone with eyes and a working brain knew that title wasn't hype—it was well-deserved.
But Ling Zhan preferred to stay low-key.
He personally didn't want to be praised and paraded around.
But he had no choice.
The authorities gave their reasoning—
Now that the campaign was won, the world's Professionals and citizens needed to know who their hero was.
Choosing the wrong person would spark chaos.
Only Ling Zhan would be accepted without dispute.
So Ling Zhan could only accept it.
Of course—
He didn't accept a single media interview.
First, because he hated dealing with the press.
Second, the system had finally issued his quest rewards.
Ding!!
[Final demon-slaying campaign successfully completed!]
[Congratulations, Host! You ranked first on the merit leaderboard and are recognized as the most outstanding contributor and performer!]
[You personally slew top-tier Demon Sovereigns: Crimson Phoenix, Frost, Ten Thousand Swords, Judgement, Plague, Abyss, Xuanming, and Spirit Sky!]
[Detected: You received the Divine Dragon Medal, the military's highest honor...]
[Detected: You earned the title of "World Hero"...]
[Your quest rewards have been multiplied by 1000%!]
[Distributing system quest rewards now...]
......
Ling Zhan had a mountain of achievements this time.
The system broadcast continued in his mind for quite a while.
Ding!!
[Reward 1: All your talents have been upgraded to SSS-grade!]
[Reward 2: All your equipment has been upgraded to Nine-Star Sacred Artifacts!]
[Reward 3: You have obtained a new SSS-grade talent: "Time Controller"!]
[Reward 4: Your level has been increased from 180 to 200!]
[Reward 5: You have received five Supreme Beast-God Boundary-Breaking Pills!]
[Reward 6: You have received 1000 SSS-grade rare material choice packs!]
......
Six rewards!
Each one extremely precious!
But what pleased Ling Zhan most—
Were the upgrades to his talents, gear, and level.
And the acquisition of the new SSS-grade talent.
Notably—
The "Almighty" talent being upgraded to SSS boosted all of his skills to SSS level!
His overall power skyrocketed!
His base 60E stats surged to 1000E after reaching level 200!
As for the new talent—
[Time Controller (SSS): Allows full control over time upon activation.]
A short and direct description.
But don't underestimate it.
Its terrifying potential isn't shown in the text.
Just imagine—
You can accelerate someone's aging.
Or rewind a person to their younger self.
Or freeze an enemy's skill cooldowns indefinitely.
Then you'll grasp how broken this talent is.
As for the 1000 material packs, they got him thinking about upgrading his Shapeshifter weapon again.
But the top priority now was preparing for ascension.
"Not bad..."
Ling Zhan was very satisfied with the rewards.
In addition—
After receiving the rewards—
He had to attend the decoration ceremony.
After all, it was the military's highest honor.
The leaders of all nations in the Allied Legions attended the event solemnly.
Ling Zhan stood calmly atop the main stage.
Below—
Thousands of soldiers looked up at him in awe and reverence.
Not a sound in the crowd.
Nation leaders came up one by one to shake his hand and speak with him.
And solemnly signed their names on the Divine Dragon Medal accord using special soul-contract pens.
This affirmed their recognition of the medal.
With world leaders backing it, not even the internet trolls dared question it.
The medal bore the image of a soaring divine dragon.
Besides Ling Zhan receiving the medal—
Other exceptional battlefield performers were honored too.
Best Support, Best Controller, Best Tank, etc., each got a matching medal.
Best Tank received the "Valor Medal."
Best Controller got the "Wisdom Medal."
Best Support received the "Devotion Medal."
And more.
Of course—
Everyone attending quickly noticed the highest-honored non-specialist had somehow reached level 200.
"Such a fast level-up..."
Others spend a lifetime just reaching the threshold of level 200.
But for Ling Zhan, it seemed to take just a few months.
No—
Without this demon-slaying war, he might've leveled up even faster.
He could've focused solely on clearing ultra-difficulty top-tier dungeons.
This guy not only slaughtered on the battlefield—he hit level 200 too.
Absolutely terrifying.
Many veterans present had been grinding for years and were still only around level 190.
"Congratulations, Ling Zhan!"
"Looking back... I can't help but feel emotional."
At this moment—
Sword God Liu Huanran, the Star-Slaying Blade, also arrived.
He looked deeply moved.
He first met Ling Zhan during the National Freshmen Exchange Tournament.
Back then, Ling Zhan was only level 20-something—calm in demeanor but still youthful in face.
Who would've thought, just a few short years later—
He had become someone even Liu had to look up to.
Scenes from that tournament felt like they happened just yesterday.
As for Adasim—
He lost the bet.
Originally, Ling Zhan wanted him to kneel and call him 'grandpa.'
But considering that Adasim had also shed blood and sweat for the world's peace—
Ling Zhan let it go in exchange for a divine artifact.
He was now mature and composed.
No longer so petty.
Also—
Ling Zhan was naturally asked about his plans.
And he gave a clear answer.
"Ascend to the Upper Realm!"
His voice was firm—
Full of anticipation and longing.