Highsmith's body slammed into a tree, costing him 11 HP. Gritting his teeth, he swung his fist back into the tree. The chainsaw mode of the micro-gauntlet activated, bzzzzzzzz cutting straight through as wood chips flew everywhere. His speed finally dropped, making him stagger to the ground.
However, Highsmith showed no trace of delight. Instead, he stared grimly at the Reaper leader in midair.
The radiation storm had indeed shown signs of weakening, but it had not disappeared. This meant the Reaper leader had not died completely.
Among the opponent's many question marks, one of them was definitely the [Headless] trait.
Headless: Other than its radiation energy source, this mechanical biobeast has no vital organs.
"What are you standing around for? Fire!"
Highsmith's roar jolted the remaining Cable Tribe members awake, and scattered gunshots rang out at once.
Even if the opponent wasn't dead, its remaining HP couldn't exceed 200. As long as they blocked its final dying counterattack, they could definitely kill it.
Yet something completely beyond everyone's expectations happened. Relying on the bond between mates, the female Reaper suddenly appeared behind the heavily wounded one. Four biological scythes shot out like lightning and pierced its body. One by one, tiny circular holes opened along the "backs" of the biological scythes, frantically absorbing her husband's essence.
The surface of the female leader's body visibly reddened.
It was said that after mating, a female mantis would eat her mate.
It looked rather environmentally friendly.
That seemed to be what was happening here.
The radiation storm visibly vanished. Then the female leader suddenly opened its mouthparts. An unpleasant low-frequency noise emerged from its mouth, after which it left without looking back. The other three Reapers also hesitated for a moment before burrowing into the deep forest and disappearing.
Only a shriveled corpse remained, crashing heavily down from the sky.
[Mission complete. Calculating mission rewards...] [Mission descent has been issued]
Highsmith dropped onto the ground, grimacing as he stared at the string of rewards appearing on the system panel.
Experience: 9440 Basic reward 6500 +700 [17 Cable Tribe members survived] +160 [2 juvenile Reapers] +480 [4 adult Reapers] Cable Tribe Favorability (Friendly) [500/1800] Note: You are a friend of the tribe. The tribe will seriously consider your suggestions. Regional Reputation unlocked: 200 Desert Veteran Desert Veteran: As a veteran hunter, experiences of narrowly escaping death have not crushed your lofty ambitions. A mechanically forged body, a burning will to fight through mutations. Specialization Points +1 Incomplete Mechanical Puzzle [1/5]
Not easy. I finally unlocked specialization points. If I don't change classes, raising skills is probably the only way to grow stronger quickly.
Specialization points were skill points that could break through a skill's upper limit.
Without hesitation, Highsmith first maxed out [Brawling], then invested the specialization point into [Brawling].
[You have raised Brawling to Lv10] [Brawling has reached Lv10 max. Entering skill advancement state. Please choose your advanced skill—Fighter, Low-Level Gun-Fu, Killing Warrior]
Fighter was the physical-enhancement version of Brawling, following a tank route. Low-Level Gun-Fu was the technique of "becoming one with the gun," following a melee damage route. Killing Warrior, without a doubt, followed an assassination route.
Highsmith hesitated between Low-Level Gun-Fu and Killing Warrior. Gun-Fu was actually highly suited to mechanical modification. Not to mention the flashy trick of hiding a gun beneath his crotch—even ordinary modifications would let Highsmith install at least seven or eight firearm mechanisms throughout his body. He could even turn his spine into a folding machine gun.
However, although this thing's damage output was decent, its burst potential was lacking.
Moreover, humanizing firearm-based modifications would inevitably cause his mechanical modification rate to skyrocket.
He couldn't let an advanced skill affect the bigger picture.
[You have chosen the advanced skill: Darknight Warrior] [You have raised Darknight Warrior to Lv2] [You have raised Darknight Warrior to Lv3] [You have raised Darknight Warrior to Lv4] Darknight Warrior Lv4 (Advanced): When using blades, Attack +20%. Attack speed with blades increases by 18%. Blade combos have a 15% chance to inflict Bleeding. Additional states: Bloodthirst and Stealth Bloodthirst: When using blades to inflict Bleeding on an enemy, Attack increases by 5% (stacks up to ten times). Stealth: Detection chance while concealed decreases by 10%. Increases the instant-kill rate against unguarded targets.
In an instant, countless combat experiences surfaced in Highsmith's mind. In a daze, he seemed to become an ancient assassin, carrying a sharp blade and walking through the darkness. Kill after kill, powerful enemy after powerful enemy, blood danced wildly and souls trembled. Beneath the pale moonlight, the blade-tip dancer was intoxicated by the art of killing.
"Are you—"
Highsmith suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was as calm as a secluded lake, yet countless corpses seemed to be soaking in its waters.
"Ah!"
The Cable Tribe girl screamed, her mind going blank. She didn't know why, but merely meeting his eyes made her feel as though death had poured over her head like cold water.
"What's with the screaming? I only asked you to bring him some water. Did you bully her?"
Huang Yuanli looked down at Highsmith, who sat beneath the tree, hands on her hips. This was one of the few chances she had to look down at him.
The light in Highsmith's eyes withdrew, and he revealed a sunny, handsome smile. "Sorry about that. There's a lot of killing intent on me. I scared you."
The girl blushed faintly and shook her head.
She was a native as well, and was about the same height as Huang Yuanli. However, her tumor wasn't growing on her eyelid but on her forehead, making her look like Erlang Shen before opening his third eye.
She wasn't as cute as the little housewife.
Highsmith accepted the water and asked, "I only brought five or six radiation needles. They won't be enough, will they?"
"Of course not. Do you think the people of the Cable Tribe are useless? We know how to brew herbal medicine that reduces radiation. Here, what you're holding is some."
Highsmith lowered his head. The cup contained emerald-green herbal water that smelled like rotten leaves.
"Forget it. I can tell from your expression that you don't want to drink it. Come with me. Professor Han wants to see you."
Huang Yuanli led the way, with Highsmith following behind. Every Cable Tribe member they encountered along the road, man or woman, looked at Highsmith gratefully.
Without Highsmith's intervention, nine times out of ten they would all have been wiped out.
"Hey, aren't you going to react at all? Everyone's thanking you!" Huang Yuanli complained.
"Oh." Highsmith remained completely calm.
"Hmph." Huang Yuanli thought for a moment, then added quietly, "Professor Han is an elder of our tribe, and he has plenty of good things. You can also ask him about anything you're wondering about."
"But you have to be quick. Ideally, before we head back. Our Grand Elder is especially stingy. He might even go back on his word."
Huh? In Highsmith's memory, it had been that Grand Elder who told Huang Yuanli to stay in contact with him, while Professor Han had opposed the idea.
Highsmith thought for a moment, then said, "I really do have a question."
"What question?"
"Does your tribe still practice the right of first night?"
Huang Yuanli's eyes slowly widened, and the flush on her face spread from her head all the way to her neck. She suddenly bit down angrily.
"We've never practiced that, okay?!"
"Just kidding. Don't get excited, don't get excited." Highsmith shook Huang Yuanli off the back of his hand like a towel, laughing as he said, "You must be Professor Han."
"Young man, hello."
The cave was very dim, yet Professor Han's gaze was unforgettable at a glance. It seemed not to fall on the face, but to brand itself directly into the heart.
That perception... Enough to control a C-rank leader boss. He must have at least forty. Highsmith narrowed his eyes. The desert really is full of monsters. Sister Rose was like that, and this man is too.
Other than his perception, however, Professor Han was a very ordinary old man. The age spots on his face were prominent, and his energy was poor. He looked as though he might faint at any moment, and the beast hide wrapped around him was no better than anyone else's.
"Yuanli, you go outside first."
Huang Yuanli flashed Highsmith her canine teeth before leaving with a huff. After she was gone, Professor Han asked an unexpected question.
"Young man, this blade in your hand was forged by Little Sister Xiang, wasn't it?"
Highsmith froze for a moment, then drew Red Unicorn with his other hand and passed it over.
After more than half a month of use, the blade was already somewhat pitted, with parts of its edge curled over. Every strike this blade had made had landed on metal hide, some of it even thicker than steel plates. No amount of blade oil could withstand that kind of wear.
Professor Han took the blade with a nostalgic expression and said softly, "Your fighting style resembles that of some people I once knew."
"Classical mechanical hunters? You were friends with them?"
"Not friends."
Professor Han suddenly reined in his emotions and handed the blade back. His expression calm, he said, "Young man, I can pass my knowledge on to you, but I have two choices for you."
"First, I can take you back to the tribe. We have the richest scientific research materials and experimental instruments there. If you want to study this field in depth, I can teach you slowly."
"Second, I can pass this knowledge on to you right now. How much you understand will be your own concern."
Highsmith answered without hesitation, "I choose the second."
A trace of surprise flashed through Professor Han's eyes, but he still nodded. "Good. Then listen carefully. In the old civilization era, I was a researcher on a major scientific project. The project was called 'bionic technology,' and the direction of mechanical modification I studied was 'invasive neural modification'..."
[You have been taught the professional knowledge "Invasive Neural Modification Technology." Learning progress: 1%... 2%...]
It took Professor Han a full two days to finish imparting this professional knowledge.
Invasive Neural Modification Technology Lv1: Implantation and connection of dynamic neural networks.
Highsmith finally understood why the other man could control metal sparrows and even make them speak human words. It wasn't that the sparrows had become more intelligent, but that their dynamic nerves had been altered, making them shriek in the manner of "human speech."
This professional knowledge was undoubtedly extremely useful. At the very least, with it, Highsmith no longer needed the head of a human-made soldier as a brain.
He could directly modify the nervous systems of mechanical biobeasts.
And that "Human Body Application Technology" was very likely part of an advanced professional knowledge chain.
Mechanical modification and human-body application gave him a faint sense of turning machinery into carbon-based life.
As everyone knew, carbon-based civilizations and mechanical civilizations were a pair of lovers and mortal enemies.
Turning carbon-based life into machinery—turning humans into robots—was nothing unusual.
But conversely, modifying mechanical life into a humanoid civilization was hardly surprising either.
Weren't androids the best example?