Our trip to the Somar Desert has come to an end.
The task had a 15-day time limit, but Han Xiao completed it in just six days.
Farrian's transport plane landed at Morning Wind City Airport. Han Xiao rushed to the Vitalia Hotel and went to the Blood Pact Union floor to hand over the mission.
The waiter quickly reported this, and the person in charge came to greet them personally.
In a private VIP meeting room, Han Xiao leaned back on the sofa, waiting for the person in charge to confirm the mission details.
On a certain floor, Dark Net clerk opened the Rose Armed Forces ' bounty page and wrote down the latest information.
"688.4.1, Code Name - Mr. Black (Net) [Objective Completed]"
Time: 688.4.7
"Task cancelled."
This information was sent to the database, and at the same time, all the assassins of the Blood Pact Union received a text message notification that the bounty on Rose Armed Forces had been cancelled.
"Mr. Black, your bounty mission has been verified and we will transfer the reward to your account immediately."
Ding~ Han Xiao checked his computer. His Dark Net account had increased by three million, and his savings were over five million. He realized that doing bounties was really fast money-making, even faster than manufacturing machinery. It was incredibly profitable. Back then, the player who completed the Rose Armed Forces mission was apparently a fifteen-person team, with each person sharing the reward. Han Xiao, however, completed it alone and made a fortune.
[You have completed [Bounty Hunter) ], and you have gained 150,000 experience points.]
[Hidden Requirement: "Feronya Project Discovery" is complete. You have gained 250,000 extra experience points and a special reward: [Intermediate Gene Harmonization Agent (4.37% low concentration)] x1]
[Blood Pact Union favorability increased by 550 points, currently neutral (550/1000) - [Scorpion-level Assassin]]
Han Xiao's eyes lit up. Gene Harmonization Agent are unconventional game items; their function is to reduce the failure rate and mutation rate of using biochemical agents!
Biochemical agents are a common type of drug that increases attributes, but all biochemical agents carry risks. There is a chance of decreasing attributes, causing malignant mutations, and biochemical agents can also conflict with each other. Gene Harmonization Agent can mitigate the shortcomings of biochemical agents to some extent.
"I see. If I hadn't risked entering the abandoned base and found the Feronia Serum, this unknown reward wouldn't have been useful."
Han Xiao understood the connection: the reward was linked to his actions; it was an extra reward for exploration, and the Test Subject 002 was like a mini-boss guarding the serum.
His cautious approach during exploration allowed him to avoid many challenging obstacles. The pilgrims' footprints served as a guide; ignoring the guidance and heading in the opposite direction would result in an attack by a horde of test subjects and Desert Corpse Worm.
If you choose the left path at the fork in the road because you're afraid of monsters, you'll miss out on the serum.
If you enter the right side with a flashlight, you will trigger a battle with Test Subject 002 at the first doorway. The narrow space of the corridor makes it impossible to dodge or move forward, so you can only exit the passage.
If you become greedy after obtaining the serum and want to continue exploring, the consequences will be as stated in point one.
This reward was a truly unexpected surprise. Han Xiao couldn't wait to examine it. After handing in the task, he was about to get up and leave when the person in charge suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Black, are you able to stay in Morning Wind City for the next couple of days? A distinguished guest wishes to see you."
"Distinguished guest?" Han Xiao asked, puzzled.
"An envoy from the Chaisrod Family, the employer of the Rose Armed Forces Bounty mission, wishes to meet with you."
Could it be because of Feronya? Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he said, "Please tell him that I would be happy to meet him."
The person in charge was delighted, "Okay."
After leaving the Vitalia Hotel, Han Xiao returned to Antonov's base, went straight to the workshop temporarily assigned to him, and took out a vial of Feronia Serum and a low-concentration Gene Harmonization Agent as a mission reward.
Feronia Serum serum is yellow and fluorescent, and because it was well-sealed, it has not spoiled even after decades of storage.
The low-concentration Gene Harmonization Agent, with its shimmering, silvery specks in the solution, is as viscous as mercury.
To use or not to use? That is the question.
Feronia Serum is a hidden item he hasn't used, but the intermediate Gene Harmonization Agent can significantly reduce the risk and is very reliable.
Han Xiao calculated the success rate and the gains and losses, and finally decided to do it. With the Gene Harmonization Agent, even if the serum failed, he wouldn't turn into a muscle-bound test subject.
The syringe and catheter were taken out and inserted into a vein in the arm. The gene Gene Harmonization Agent was first injected. A cool sensation flowed through the body along the bloodstream, feeling as refreshing as eating a bite of ice cream on a hot summer day, even calming the mind. The Gene Harmonization Agent was harmless to the body and would gradually dissipate and evaporate if not activated by biochemical agents.
Han Xiao took a deep breath and began injecting Feronia Serum; the fluorescent agent entered his bloodstream through the catheter.
A feeling of expansion exploded within my body!
"Hiss--" Han Xiao gritted his teeth, his whole body convulsing uncontrollably in pain. He felt as if his body had exploded into a paste, his bones were being crushed, his tendons were being torn apart, and his flesh was melting. Inhuman pain assaulted his brain again and again, almost causing him to faint!
Players experience loading bars when using items or crafting machines, and while the pain level has a limit, they have to go through it all in real life!
Of course, for him, the truth is far more beneficial than harmful; he has already gained many advantages from it, while the absolute sensory experience is a cost he must bear.
After an unknown amount of time, the excruciating pain slowly subsided like the receding tide. Han Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, and he exhaled a heavy breath, feeling as if his nerves had been brutally ravaged.
He looked down at his body. Thankfully, he hadn't turned into a muscle-bound blob; he was still the same as before, still as handsome as ever.
I didn't have time to check the panel earlier, and only now do I realize that the screen is flooded with messages.
[You used Feronia Serum), fusion progress 12%, mutation check triggered... check passed!] (Gene Harmonization Agent reduces failure rate)
[You used Feronia Serum), fusion progress 46%, mutation check triggered... check passed!]
[You used Feronia Serum), fusion progress 73%, mutation check triggered... check passed!]
[You used Feronia Serum), fusion progress 100%, fusion complete! Compatibility: Excellent]
[You gain 3 Strength and 5 Stamina!]
[You have gained the feat [Low-Level Tough Life]!]
Han Xiao was shocked, his face filled with disbelief, as he looked at his attribute panel and saw a new specialization: [Low-Level Tough Life].
"This thing is a template specialty!" Han Xiao exclaimed in surprise.
There is a special type of feat called a template feat. At least to his knowledge, he has never heard of any player obtaining a template feat. This is exclusive to NPCs and bosses, has extremely powerful effects, and is very rare even for NPCs.
Just by looking at the effects, you'll know how powerful it is. [Low-Level Tough Life] adds extra life points converted from stamina at a ratio of 1:15. That means he now has 66 stamina points, which is equivalent to an immediate extra 990 life points. His health has almost doubled, just over 2,000!
Moreover, this effect is accompanied by an increase in stamina, continuously providing additional health.
He was level 30 with over 2,000 HP, more than even the level 38 martial artist Pan Kuang.
"Could it be because my template is an NPC?" Han Xiao guessed. He could even issue quests to players, so it seemed not impossible for him to have template expertise.
If a player uses Feronia Serum, they should only receive attribute point bonuses and not awaken any special skills.
"This specialty, combined with my Magnetically Controlled Armor and all sorts of future mechanical armor, will be so tough it'll make enemies sick of them!"
Han Xiao was pleasantly surprised and very satisfied with this expertise, as it significantly improved his personal safety.
This mission was very rewarding. The mission rewards, enemy kill rewards, and crafting rewards during downtime have accumulated to over 700,000 experience points on my panel!
After counting the blueprints, there were nineteen in total. He only needed one more to complete the job change quest. Han Xiao thought for a moment and decided to get the equipment that would increase his movement speed.
[Whether to perform knowledge fusion (Basic Electromagnetic Principles lv4, Basic Energy Theory lv3, Basic Mechanical Engineering lv4, Basic Bionics lv2), this will consume 20,000 experience points]
There are quite a few blueprints for this combination, Han Xiao isn't sure if he can get the equipment he wants. He plans to fuse them three times, and if he doesn't get it after three tries, he'll try creating it himself.
On the third attempt, he created something that met his requirements—skateboard shoes.
Han Xiao scratched his head. One of the first two blueprints was a completely useless blueprint. He couldn't say whether he was lucky or unlucky. Merging the blueprints saved him time from creating his own.
Skateboard shoes, also known as Electromagnetic Levitation Power Boots, are a type of mobility equipment that can be used alone or mounted on a small personal mech. They can greatly increase movement speed without hindering dodging ability.
Another coincidence led to the discovery of two blueprints, one referred to as the Bee Swarm and the other as the heart.
[You have completed the job change quest.]
[Job change successful! You have obtained the new Tu Shu profession [Apprentice Mechanic], with Strength +50, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +4, 3 free attribute points, and 1 potential point.]
[You've grasped the essence of [Fine Repair]!]
[You have mastered [Intermediate Enhancement Modification]!]
The two core Mechanic Class skills, Repair and Enhancement, have finally evolved.
The Apprentice Mechanic is the third-tier profession in the Mechanic Class. The basic experience required to upgrade to LV1 is not very high, as this is a profession with a level cap of 15.
Han Xiao was promoted three levels in a row.
Total level 34, all attribute points are allocated to Intelligence as usual.
With some experience left, Han Xiao thought for a moment and decided to upgrade [Sliding Continuous Fire]. This skill had helped him many times, and the Mechanic Class was lacking in combat skills, so every active skill was important. He wasn't in a hurry to upgrade Overload; level one was already powerful enough.
[Sliding Continuous Fire] has been upgraded to level four, and its effect is stronger. At the same time, the energy consumption has reached eight points. Han Xiao now has nearly nine hundred energy, which is very abundant and can fully support the consumption.
My experience points were completely depleted once again.
His vast experience translates into combat power; his personal ability level exceeds 500, and with the help of machinery, it can approach 700. With his current strength, he could easily defeat Pan Kuang in a one-on-one fight without needing Nosa's illusion character card.