--[Settlement in progress...] --[Killed 12 Facehuggers, gained a total of 600 reward points.] --[Killed 27 Xenomorph Larvae, gained a total of 2,700 reward points.] --[Killed 16 Adult Xenomorphs, gained a total of 4,800 reward points.] --[Killed the Xenomorph Queen, gained 3,000 reward points and 1 C-rank side story.] --[Killed the Predalien, gained 3,500 reward points and 1 C-rank side story.] --[Rescued victims of the Xenomorph disaster, gained 2,000 reward points and 1 C-rank side story.] --[Defeated the elite Yautja, 'Wolf,' gained 4,000 reward points and 2 C-rank side stories.] --[Completed the basic intelligence briefing, gained 200 reward points.] --[Completed main mission: Survive for six hours. Gained 1,000 reward points.] --[Killed 1 Reincarnator from the same team. Deducted 1,000 reward points.] --[Reincarnator Si Ming currently possesses 20,800 reward points and 5 C-rank side stories. Of these, 3 C-rank side stories may be automatically combined into 1 B-rank side story.]
A voice sounded beside his ear, and his vision gradually focused through the haze. Si Ming's senses flowed through his body. Still maintaining his Gene Lock activation, he could now clearly perceive how strength moved through every action he made.
The Gene Lock was the Progenitor Reincarnators' greatest reliance, their strongest comeback tool. Anyone who considered themselves human could activate it. It consumed no resources and did not conflict with most power systems. Even the most basic First Stage allowed one to perfectly control every movement of one's body upon activation. It could turn an ordinary city youth whose only practical combat experience was killing chickens into a cold-blooded killer tempered through decades of training in an instant.
And now, that power was in Si Ming's hands.
"I thought I'd have to put in quite a bit of work before obtaining this power."
He clenched his fist, and Battle Qi surged through his body. The cycle it formed was more perfect, and it responded to his control as naturally as an arm or finger. Within just one or two simple breaths, the wounds on his arm and chest visibly began repairing themselves.
Power...
Si Ming slowly exhaled.
He was still floating within the pillar of light that marked his return, and aside from him, the returning individuals included...
Si Ming turned his head.
Within the range of his sight, he did not see a second descending pillar of light.
"Just me? I clearly remember there was still someone on the helicopter—"
When he boarded the helicopter, he had seen Yumie reduced to a blurred mass of flesh and blood, and had pulled her along in passing. He was certain that when the main mission was completed, she had still been breathing, her heart had still been beating, and she had still reacted to external stimuli. But now...
"Erased for negative points?"
"Did she leak the Reincarnation World's secrets, or attack someone else?"
Either was possible.
But neither mattered.
Si Ming did not care how that little fatty had died, nor did he care whether Yumie—whose name he did not actually know—had died from leaking secrets. In any case, they had both left a terrible impression on him. If saving them had required anything more than lending a hand, he might even have watched those idiotic fools die without doing a thing.
He waited quietly within the pillar of light for a while longer, until maintaining the Gene Lock began to make his mind feel heavily burdened. He had already prepared himself for the backlash of opening the lock for the first time. Then, in the next moment—
—It closed.
The First Stage of the Gene Lock deactivated.
His muscles and nerves suddenly erupted with aching numbness, and dizziness spread through his head. Then...
It lasted several seconds.
Si Ming raised an eyebrow slightly. Other than the sense of loss caused by the reduced precision of his control after closing the Gene Lock, he felt nothing at all.
...That was it?
That was the backlash from activating the Gene Lock?
There was no unbearable pain or itching, no muscle spasms or sweat pouring like rain. The slight discomfort vanished, and strength once again filled his arms.
That could only mean one thing.
"...It seems my talent is better than I expected. Is it because my physical attributes overlapped?"
That was possible. Before arriving in the Reincarnation World, Si Ming had experienced countless brutal battles in that nameless otherworld, and several of those crises had been more dangerous than his fight with Wolf. Yet his Gene Lock had not opened in advance back then.
He thought for a moment—then stopped thinking about it. He raised his head and connected with the Main God through his mind. The worlds available for return immediately appeared on his retina as a light screen. The first was the AVP setting, which cost 10 reward points per day to return to. The second was the Origin World, which required a D-rank side story to unlock and cost 50 reward points for every day of return.
The Origin World—the real world.
Perhaps he could return to his homeland, but he did not hold much hope for it.
—Not yet.
Si Ming was not one of those typical transmigrators who desperately missed home. He was in no hurry to return to his homeland or his second homeland. After all, those who wished to return usually had someone important waiting for them. But Si Ming had long since ceased to have that kind of concern.
He considered it.
"Main God, full-body restoration."
A brilliant pillar of light descended, washing over and cleansing his flesh. It was not just the injuries on his arm and chest; hidden dangers and old wounds within his body were also purified beneath the radiant light. His body seemed to have become several pounds lighter, and his breathing became much smoother.
Thirty-five reward points were consumed.
Si Ming then turned his head toward the edge of the Main God Plaza—twenty ownerless radiant doorways stood there. A faint weariness surfaced in both his body and mind.
This place was safe.
He needed some rest.
He casually chose a door and touched its handle. When he stepped through, a simply decorated one-room rental apartment appeared beyond the radiant doorway.
A familiar feeling.
His fingers brushed across the hard table and bed.
Several remittance receipt slips lay scattered across the table, while a small harmonica rested beside them.
He sat down with his back against the load-bearing wall. The harmonica was as clean and familiar as ever. Si Ming gently picked it up, placed it to his lips, and began to play in a steady rhythm.
Fighting was interesting. Sometimes, when he made a move, he could imagine casually smashing the heads of people he never wanted to see again with his fists or weapons.
And now, he was no longer limited to merely imagining it.
So he did not miss his homeland.
There was no need to.
When Si Ming returned to the Main God Plaza, exactly eight hours had passed. Not a minute more, not a second less. His body and mind had both received sufficient rest. His attention was highly focused, and his thoughts were nimble and smooth.
The trivial matters had been handled. Next, he needed to prepare himself and ensure that no unpleasant accidents would occur on the next battlefield—returning to the AVP world to train, adjust, master the techniques of activating the Gene Lock, and adapt to the enhancements he would purchase were all natural steps. But what exactly he should buy required careful consideration.
"Main God, display my physical attributes."
A light screen descended.
Si Ming's initial values formed an exceptionally impressive list due to his physical overlap and Battle Qi tempering.
Muscle Strength: 272
Reaction Speed: 321
Cellular Vitality: 285
Intelligence: 301
Mental Strength: 297
Immunity: 288
His six attributes were relatively balanced. Judging by the numbers, they were indeed at the level an ordinary person could attain after receiving a C-rank enhancement. Among them, his agility-related parameter was relatively high, and the data related to spellcaster professions was unexpectedly strong as well.
Then...
"The first thing I can determine is that I need basic armor and a weapon. At this stage, high-tech weapons offer better value—power armor, laser cannons... No, firearms don't need side-story items. A melee weapon capable of dealing with ghosts and the like would be more effective."
One thing was certain: the main mission of the next world would definitely be easier than the AVP sequel he had just completed. That was because Si Ming had been a newcomer with zero enhancements, while the other newcomers and veterans had all died in the previous world.
This could practically be considered a team wipe. The East Sea Team's overall evaluation would certainly be dragged straight to the bottom. Perhaps Si Ming's personal evaluation would be adjusted due to his gains of over twenty thousand reward points, but the overall rating would definitely tend toward reduction.
It was highly likely to be another sci-fi horror world similar to Xenomorph, though a lower-difficulty modern horror setting was also quite possible—something like Scream or Texas Chainsaw, non-supernatural horror films. The chances of encountering high-difficulty ghost worlds such as Ju-On, One Missed Call, or Sadako were almost zero. Still, some unusual accident could not be ruled out.
Therefore...
"It needs to be easy to disguise."
Si Ming selected an entry and placed it on his exchange list.
--[Nanosuit—Origin: the 'Crysis' setting. Possesses three modes: armor, strength, and stealth. It can replenish energy by absorbing organic matter and through photosynthesis-like reactions. Under the Nanosuit's protection, its wearer can resist a certain degree of external damage from kinetic force, extreme heat, strong acid, Fallout, and more. It possesses combat assistance and detection systems, and can greatly enhance combat power according to the wearer's physical constitution.] --[Exchanging for this item requires 1 C-rank side story and 3,000 reward points. An additional payment of 500 reward points can equip it with anti-electromagnetic pulse components, greatly increasing its resistance to electronic hacking.]
It was quite good equipment and highly compatible with the stealth veil mode of Night Battle Qi. If he wore a half-ton lump of steel instead, Si Ming was not confident that he could still sneak, leap, and move quickly while wearing it—he was not some bizarre space Batman.
"Next is the weapon."
He had plenty of reward points. As long as he did not seek infinite ammunition, he could naturally buy high-tech killing equipment such as laser cannons and pulse rifles. But personally, Si Ming still preferred having a greatsword in his hands.
He found it quickly.
--[Profaned Greatsword—Origin: the 'Dark Souls' setting. A ritual sword imbued with the flames of sin. Its flames arise from the darkness within the human heart and are thus highly compatible with dark-element energy. When the user infuses it with the power of darkness, special flames will ignite along the blade and spread onto the guilty. Especially effective against spiritual bodies and vengeful souls.] --[Exchanging for this item requires 1 C-rank side story and 4,000 reward points.]
It was fairly good. He had always been fond of swords that could burst into flame. This could be considered fulfilling a dream from long ago. At the very least, it would have some positive effect on his state of mind.
Thus, only an improvement to his bloodline slot remained. And without question, Si Ming had almost no interest in buying composite enhancements to piece together combination techniques.
"A B-rank energy pool is definitely stronger than a combination of two C-rank bloodlines, and my greatest advantage right now is that I started with C-rank Night Battle Qi. Since I currently have no obvious shortcomings, continuing to extend my strengths is also a suitable path!"
There was nothing to hesitate over. In the Reincarnation World, Battle Qi was roughly on the same tier as internal energy. D, C, and B-rank internal energy essentially corresponded directly to beginner, intermediate, and advanced internal energy. Battle Qi was naturally much the same.
Compatibility was not an issue at this stage. Enhancement entries related to Battle Qi immediately appeared before Si Ming's eyes.
--[Advanced Battle Qi—Origin: 'General Fantasy.' A pure Battle Qi enhancement. It will provide the user with a complete Battle Qi vortex and Battle Qi circulation. The exchanger's cellular vitality and muscle strength will both increase greatly as a result. Includes the skill 'Battle Qi Release' and is mutually compatible with most 'Qi' systems.] --[Exchanging for this enhancement requires 1 B-rank side story and 5,000 reward points. The exchanger must also possess at least a C-rank Battle Qi foundation.] --[Reincarnator Si Ming does not meet the prerequisite requirements for this enhancement!]
Si Ming twisted his neck.
"...Huh?"
Before you continue