The Black Harrier Helicopter finally arrived at daybreak, bringing the leader, Hila, and a group of cleanup personnel to the place where the Test Subject Squad had been wiped out.
The leader glanced at Number One's twisted corpse and gave a displeased snort beneath his mask.
"Useless trash."
The researchers gathered the bodies of the Test Subject Squad. "They're all dead."
With his hands behind his back, the leader gazed at the distant mountain hollow. After a long silence, he said, "In the organization's name, post a bounty for Zero on the dark web. Dead or alive, one million!"
Everyone looked shocked. The Germinal Organization was a giant of the underworld, a king among its powers. It hadn't posted a bounty in at least three years. Was there any need to make such a fuss over a defecting test subject?
"You seem to be placing too much importance on him. Zero is too busy trying to escape. What harm could he do to the organization?"
"Hmph. Since he had the audacity to declare war on the organization, let him see how insignificant he is. Crush that ridiculous resolve of his completely!" the leader said coldly.
"If Zero is captured alive, use whatever means you need, whether interrogation or experimentation, and find out what caused his mutation. Even if he dies, take his body for dissection and study!"
A researcher pointed at Number One's corpse. "What should we do with these people and the books?"
The leader was about to say to throw them away when something occurred to him. "How are preparations for the Super Soldier Project going?"
"The basic theory is complete. Next come cell and animal tests. We expect to begin human trials without lasting side effects in eight months."
The leader interrupted. "Skip the cell and animal tests. Go straight to human trials."
"Uh... the risks are considerable. Only Valkyrie test subjects can withstand the modifications. Test subjects are hard to come by, and moving up the schedule will cause unnecessary losses."
The leader's tone was unreadable. "Experiments can only create cannon fodder. Hatred is what makes a true devil."
He pointed at Number One. "He's the best material. Hatred will drive him to endure the painful modifications. His hatred will be the furnace that powers him."
"I understand," the researcher said with a nod.
The leader looked at Hila. "Summon his soul."
Hila let out a long breath. A hazy gray light lit up around her hands, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop ten degrees in an instant.
Faint wails issued from the gray light around Hila's palms, like the cries of ghosts.
Number One's corpse seemed to resonate with it. Wisps of loose gray mist appeared in the air and drifted into the bleeding openings of his face, as though being absorbed.
The leader drew aside his coat and took a vial of bright red potion from his pocket. Hila's expression shifted slightly, and killing intent flashed in her eyes before she suppressed it.
The Aurora Resurrection Potion.
An extraordinarily powerful healing potion refined from her younger sister's bone marrow!
He tipped the vial, pouring the potion onto Number One's corpse. The red liquid instantly dispersed and seeped into his skin through his pores.
A miraculous change occurred. Number One's cold corpse grew warm again. His wounds healed rapidly, his lower jaw reattached, and new tissue began to grow from his severed limbs.
The sound of his heartbeat gradually grew louder.
Number One's eyes flew open. His face twisted with malice as he let out a piercing roar filled with boundless hatred, making everyone who heard it shudder.
"Zero!!!"
〔You have unlocked faction relations with the Germinal Organization!〕 〔Germinal Organization favorability decreased by 1,000.〕 〔Germinal Organization: hatred (-1,000) - [Defector]〕 〔System notification: you have triggered the A-class mission [The Seed Sleeps in the Dust]〕 〔Mission notification: freedom is priceless. For it, you willingly risked death and were ultimately rewarded with your freedom. But the Germinal Organization cannot tolerate your defection. They have posted a generous bounty, and you will face endless pursuit, living in constant fear and never knowing peace! This is a cage in disguise, a sky shrouded in gloom. There is only one way left to gain true freedom. You know what to do!〕 〔Mission notification: this is a long-term mission. The mission rewards depend on your progress in damaging the Germinal Organization, directly or indirectly. Current progress: 0%.〕 〔Note: progress is not fixed. If the Germinal Organization expands and develops, progress will decrease accordingly. This mission can be ended at any time. If progress is below 20% when you choose to end it, the mission will be considered a failure. Only progress above 20% counts as completion. Rewards depend on final progress.〕
Generally speaking, missions of B-class and above involved shifts in power on the current planet. The main event on Planet Aquamarine in version 1.0 was the conflict between the Six Nations and the Germinal Organization, and players were also divided into different factions.
As Han Xiao recalled, quite a few players had chosen to join the Germinal Organization back then, greatly aiding its development. If he wanted a substantial reward, he would be enemies with the players who would choose Germinal in the future.
The mission required Han Xiao to damage the Germinal Organization directly or indirectly. In the original timeline, the Germinal Organization had neither lost nor won, but it had indeed suffered heavy losses. He realized that there were potential competitors for this mission: the other forces hostile to the Germinal Organization. Naturally, their blows against Germinal would not count toward his mission progress.
Twenty percent damage? Didn't that mean his efforts alone had to deal Germinal a crippling blow? There was no other word for it but a trap.
Though the mission was a huge trap, Han Xiao accepted it without hesitation. He and the Germinal Organization were locked in a fight to the death, so he had no reason to refuse.
"Looks like this is my main mission for now."
The Germinal Organization was the major main-story event of Planet Aquamarine's 1.0 era. Han Xiao would remain on Planet Aquamarine until he grew stronger, so a clash between factions was unavoidable.
When creating a new character in "Galaxy," the system asked players about their preferences, such as what kind of world and class they liked. Based on their answers, it assigned new players to random beginner planets with different styles. The world of Galaxy had civilizations of all kinds, so players could always start in a world they liked: ancient, magical, urban, science fiction... Every planet had one or more main storylines.
That was part of the game's appeal. Quite a few casual players enjoyed exploring the universe and trying out different civilizations and planets.
Planet Aquamarine was one such beginner planet, an urban world with a low-tech science fiction setting, similar to Earth.
Of course, the universe and its stars remained at the core of "Galaxy." As the versions progressed, the setting as a whole would gradually open up to players.
Some mischievous players also gave prank answers when the system asked about their preferences, saying they liked things such as "horror," "the supernatural," and "hauntings." The system would indulge their twisted tastes with plenty of mischief of its own, for example, by throwing them onto a planet full of undead and ghosts, with nowhere to learn magic that could deal with them. These players generally met one of two fates: they either switched accounts or... gritted their teeth and kept playing. The latter could only hope for the best. The "Galaxy" gaming pod was immersive, and aside from the sensation of pain, the experience was extremely realistic. The registration disclaimer, which most likely no one read, clearly contained a heavy-handed clause stating that the company would not be held responsible if players experienced discomfort while playing and developed physical or mental illnesses as a result.
In fact, Han Xiao could have found a very secluded spot in the wilderness and hidden until the Germinal Organization was severely weakened. But then he would have had no way to grow stronger. Though safe, it would have been meaningless, and the players would inevitably have caught up to and surpassed him.
Following the planet's main storyline could trigger a great many missions. A turbulent era of sweeping upheaval was an excellent opportunity to grow stronger. With a clear understanding of how countless events unfolded, why would he choose to run away?
Han Xiao spent three days walking out of the forest. It lay within Stardragon's borders, and it had to be said that the Germinal Organization was truly bold to build a base in Stardragon's heartland. It understood well that the darkest place was beneath the lamp.
After leaving the forest, Han Xiao found the railway tracks and boarded a long-distance train carrying livestock to Stardragon's capital, West Capital.
The wilderness was dangerous, and with tensions simmering between the Six Nations and Germinal, they were constantly on a wartime footing. Most of the roads connecting cities had been abandoned, and the military used railways to connect the cities and transport supplies.
The beasts were formidable. Troops were stationed in every city, and checkpoints had been established. Tall, electrified wire fences were the cities' first line of defense. Generally, once the wire fences came into view, a city was not far away.
After riding the train for "free" for two days, the electrified fence finally appeared in the distance.
Han Xiao pushed aside several hens flapping and hopping on him and let out a deep breath, his gaze distant.
Stardragon, West Capital, Thirteenth Bureau, here I come!
"Cluck, cluck-"