"The off-road vehicle before you is a modified AGX911 produced by Messerschmitt. Four-wheel drive, external suspension, plenty of power. There's enough fuel inside to let you race for two thousand kilometers."
Doctor Anna led Li Aoz and Nomi into the underground garage. The maintenance staff moved aside, revealing a modified off-road vehicle that radiated a wild aura.
"Whoa!"
Nomi's eyes lit up. "I like it!"
Li Aoz tapped the headlights. There was no sand left in the gaps, confirming that it had been assembled from parts within Nethermark.
After looking it over, Li Aoz opened the rear compartment and said:
"Unload some supplies and replace them with fuel cans."
"Are you sure? This vehicle can travel two thousand kilometers on a full tank—"
"You don't understand." Li Aoz shook his head. "Gasoline has other uses."
Nomi shot him a glance and casually opened the driver's side door.
"Yo!"
Someone was already in the driver's seat. A woman around twenty-four or twenty-five was adjusting something inside. She turned and smiled at Nomi. "You're Li Aoz? I thought you were a man."
"Hey." Nomi turned to Anna. "Who's this woman? Didn't we agree it would just be the two of us chasing them?"
Anna was unconcerned.
"ZX-101, you are still under intensive care observation. By classification, Mr. Li Aoz is also subject to separate quarantine management. You were not supposed to be permitted to take field assignments, but the circumstances are special now. We need your strength, and we ask that you cooperate with our duties as well. Miss Qiu Ran will be responsible for monitoring your personal safety and health."
The red-haired woman chuckled. She looked simple and honest, like a plain rural woman.
"Tch!"
Nomi muttered:
"Call it surveillance if you want. You make it sound so high-minded, but who knows what you're really up to behind the scenes."
Li Aoz did not mind. He stepped forward and shook Miss Qiu Ran's hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Qiu Ran. I'm Li Aoz, and this is Nomi. We'll need your help on the coming mission, so I hope we can count on you."
"You're too polite, too polite."
Qiu Ran burst into hearty laughter, looking rather down-to-earth. Her features were gentle and approachable, and after meeting those green eyes, it was difficult to feel any dislike toward her.
Notice: Qiu Ran has joined your party The Team Module has been unlocked. You may view party member information here. Name: Qiu Ran Race: Carbon-based Lifeform—New Generation Homo Sapiens—Frostplate Citizen Gender: Biological Female Age: 24 Template: Ordinary Neutral NPC (Maximum Health +10%) Faction: Nethermark Humanity Total Level: Lv.15—Main Class: Lv.0 Civilian—Secondary Class: Lv.15 [Maintenance Worker] Health: 150/150 (Healthy) Aura Value: 120/120 Attributes: Strength—9 Dexterity—7 Constitution—14 Charisma—12 Willpower—5 Talent: Racial Talent: Teamwork—New Generation Homo Sapiens possess exceptionally strong teamwork abilities. When you are in a party, experience gains increase by 50%. This effect ends after leaving the party. (Active: Current gain: 3.375) Specialty: Skilled Worker—You are highly proficient in maintenance and assembly. Even robots would have to think twice before competing with you in repairs. When repairing or assembling mechanical constructs, speed increases by 120%. Aoneng: [Natural Ignition: Contact]—You possess the ability to alter and create oxidative heat generation to a certain extent. The essence of flame is combustion. When combustible material undergoes intense, rapid oxidation with oxygen, it causes a fire, and you can accelerate that oxidation. Honestly, no one would want you as an enemy, because being slowly burned alive hurts far more than most other ways of dying. However, this ability does not make you immune to fire damage. Those who create fires often do not meet good ends. Hopefully, you will be no exception. Rating: Omicron Range: Centered on the palm, 15 centimeters forward Current Development Level: Contact Level. At this development level, Aoneng consumption rate—100% Owned Skills: Mechanical Repair, Emergency Handling, Vehicle Enhancement, Advanced Vehicle Mastery, Basic Mechanics, Overspeed Disassembly Tier: Mediocre Person
"Average attributes. Only her constitution and charisma are decent, and she isn't even in a combat class."
Li Aoz glanced over the attributes without paying much attention.
Having no main class was basically the same as having no combat power. The six major main class systems were the foundation for stepping into the extraordinary.
"Since there are no issues, I'll explain the target and precautions for this mission..."
Anna put on a convincing show. She carefully introduced the White Fang Gang's background and strength, as well as the population, power structure, and rules of the Wanderers' settlement.
However, Li Aoz had spent two entire versions in the Outland. He could walk from the Church of Sera to Devil Valley with his eyes closed, then head to Ashen Graveyard to farm chests for basic materials and raise the Light Energy levels of his equipment... It was practically like clocking in for work.
Nomi cared even less. As a Rose Army soldier, she had been raised on the icy blades and snowy swords of the Outland. She was distracted too, staring at ants on the ground.
Li Aoz's attention was mainly focused on Qiu Ran.
The fact that she had no main class caught his attention. It made Li Aoz realize that he had indeed overlooked certain matters, such as secondary classes and development.
There were many powerful secondary classes in Star Abyss. Some even sounded stylish and mysterious, such as Collector, Emperor, and Scholar.
But those classes had no combat power at all. They only provided prominent status and bonus attributes; they could not help someone step into the extraordinary.
Li Aoz had been extremely radical in his previous life. He had abandoned every secondary class and invested all his resources into his main class, Starcaller.
As a result, his combat power had been absurdly high, making him stand out among players. This style of play was common and known as the "Extreme Path Build."
However, the Extreme Path Build had many serious problems:
First, its attributes were too one-dimensional, making it easy to counter and suppress in professional competition.
Second, its playstyle was fixed. There was no room for tactical breakthroughs, so players could only rely on teammates to help whenever possible and ease the pressure.
Most importantly, Extreme Path players could only serve as the core of a team. One person consumed the resources of six. Once the core was broken, the entire team was doomed.
Clubs that valued stability and victory could not accept such a price. Capital stood behind those clubs, and capital would never sacrifice enormous profit prospects for a little entertainment value.
Under normal circumstances, solo classes could basically all take the Extreme Path Build, and Starcaller was no exception. It was not just Li Aoz. Virtually every Starcaller followed the Extreme Path Build.
However, as a Master Player of Starcaller, Li Aoz knew that this class was not merely suited to the Extreme Path Build. Rather, ordinary players taking that route were only barely avoiding suffering too badly.
If I want Starcaller to flourish, I must build a good reputation among casual players and lower the barrier as much as possible—even if no players arrive in the future, I don't want Starcallers to be too few in number.
Numbers determined how loud a voice could be. Once the Starcaller population became too small, people would dare to scorn their authority.
Too few people also meant it would be difficult to bring in fresh blood or develop new ideas—and Starcaller abilities often involved vast macroscopic matters like stellar transformations and cosmic cycles, so innovation was already relatively slow.
If more Starcallers did not enter actual combat, exchange insights, and maintain basic inheritance, then such a class faction would have no future.
I really can't take the Extreme Path Build. For future development, I need to become relatively versatile. That means I can only take the All-Phenomena Build.
Li Aoz thought, That said, this woman's ability isn't bad. Omicron rating. Unfortunately, it's only Natural Ignition. If it were abilities like Ignition, Thermal Operation, or Temperature Reverse Transmission, both the floor and ceiling would be high.
Flames and high temperatures had always been combat mainstays. Electrokinetic abilities were nothing unusual, and Electrokinetic Aura was common as dirt, found everywhere. Yet electrokinetic abilities that could reach Zeta rating or above were exceedingly rare.
Abilities involving flame, high temperatures, and molecular motion, on the other hand, started at Lambda rating at minimum. Their ceilings were too high, their destructive power too great, and most importantly, they were extremely rare.
Flame Aura came with purification properties, making it highly sought after on both Magic Side and Tech Side planets. Its applications were broad, and anyone aspiring to become an advanced blacksmith generally had to master Flame Aura or Temperature-based Aura.
Electrokinetic Aoneng was far too common, and the human body itself naturally produced weak electrical discharges. Low-level electrokinetic Aoneng... was generally less useful than Mechanical Technology.
And electrokinetic Aoneng stronger than Mechanical Technology constructs—those were basically either Omega or close to Omega-class.
The advantage was that it was very easy to find work, and to natives, wielding lightning was nearly a symbol of divinity.
Li Aoz had little interest in electrokinetic Aoneng. One of his target Aoneng was far more powerful than any electrokinetic Aoneng.
No, it would be more accurate to say that Aoneng was the ancestor of all electrokinetic Aoneng.
But in terms of damage output, player calculations still showed that high-temperature Aoneng held the edge.
The main reason was that high temperatures dealt damage over time...
Come to think of it, my mutated Ability Pod can hold four Aoneng.
Li Aoz's thoughts shifted. Qiu Ran has little combat power. It probably won't be difficult to obtain Natural Ignition from her.
Gravity's forced capture and control were powerful against ordinary targets and were also what allowed him to challenge opponents above his level. But Li Aoz currently lacked finishing power, which seriously affected his experience gains.
And Qiu Ran's ability... The damage over time created by Natural Ignition was very suitable for combining with gravity to inflict wide-area damage.
It was a good fit...
Li Aoz looked at Qiu Ran, the simple and honest maintenance worker, and his gaze became somewhat warmer.
Qiu Ran was a straightforward ordinary woman with little education. She had a good temper. Anna had been lecturing beside her for quite a while, but she had listened attentively to it all.
"The Sikkim Settlement is located halfway up the mountain. They hollowed out half the mountain, and the interior is intricately connected. Its population is as high as four hundred. There is no unified leader; they are all Wanderers from the Outland."
Qiu Ran slowly repeated the information, then analyzed it:
"So once we get there, no one will care whether we live or die. There's no order there, and everyone relies on self-discipline. No one will cooperate with our operation, but not everyone will necessarily be in league with the White Fang Gang either. Every Wanderer is looking out for themselves and focused only on their own safety—is that a fair understanding?"
"...That is more or less correct."
Doctor Anna adjusted her glasses and said:
"The Outland People have suffered under the Four Nations' monopoly over resources, so you should avoid displaying the traits of civilized people. Make yourselves look more miserable, act more pitiful—your supplies are already limited, and Li Aoz insisted on exchanging some of them for fuel. At this rate, you won't be able to last three days in the Outland. Once you obtain the medical equipment, return immediately."
"I have a question."
Without waiting for Anna to respond, Qiu Ran asked first, "Today, I noticed that Asha, Luo Fan, Qiu Ming... those doctor friends were gone. Were they also taken by White Fang Gang thugs?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's not about what I'm trying to say, Ms. Anna." Qiu Ran's large eyes locked onto her. "They're our people. They were kidnapped. We have an obligation to rescue them..."
"That's impossible. Don't think about it. It isn't realistic."
Anna shook her head. "Your resources and abilities are insufficient to accomplish that. Their lives... There is no way for us to save them."
"Nethermark Humanity saves so many people, yet it cannot even protect the lives and safety of its own members. I don't think that can be justified."
Qiu Ran said, "No matter what, I think we should try."
At the same time, the mission list before Li Aoz changed.
You have triggered the Side Quest: "Clear Grudges" Type: Hostage Rescue / Challenge Time Limit: 47 hours 56 minutes (countdown in progress) Mission Difficulty: B Description: Nethermark Humanity may not be a particularly good organization, but the medical personnel who devoted themselves to patients and stayed up late monitoring them have shown you sincere care these past several days. They once expended countless efforts to save the lives and health of people like you. Now, it is your turn to save their lives. Progress: 0/14 Completion Conditions: 1: Rescue at least 6 of the kidnapped medical personnel and ensure their safety. (Required) 2: Escort the hostages out of danger and keep them from being harmed for at least 30 minutes. No one may have their health reduced to zero during the escape. (Optional) 3: Blood for blood, tooth for tooth—eliminate as many White Fang Gang thugs as possible. Each thug killed grants an additional 20% experience reward. (Challenge) 4: If Completion Condition One is fulfilled within 24 hours, you will receive an additional reward. (Challenge) 5: Kill 5 White Fang Gang thugs using a vehicle. (Challenge) 6: Infiltrate the White Fang Gang camp without being discovered at any point. (Challenge) Mission Reward: Complete the required condition to receive the base reward: 5 free attribute points. For every challenge completed, Primary Attribute +1 and 600 experience points. Special Warning: White Fang Gang thugs may harm the hostages at any time.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
Before you continue