Before the story began, let's briefly introduce our protagonist.
Han Xiao was a man, through and through. The reason for his ambiguously gendered name was simple: his mother's surname was Han, and his father's was Xiao. Simple and direct, yet rich in meaning.
He was thirty, with only himself to feed. As for his looks... he was the type who, when bribed with two hundred yuan by the elementary school kid next door to pose as a relative at a parent-teacher meeting, would be warmly addressed as "big brother" by the thirty-year-old uncle sitting beside him.
Though he looked a little disheveled, he was a well-connected, moderately famous expert in the Galaxy community. His main account's ID, "This Old Man Flirts with Youthful abandon," was well known. He was at the level where casual players would look at him with admiration and envy when he strolled through a player city. In an official forum post reviewing Huaxia's top players, his entry read: "Unpredictable combat style, professional-level reactions in battle. Skilled in all five classes, especially the Mechanic Class."
Compared with other experts, whose reviews often ran two or three pages, Han Xiao's was only a single short sentence. Rumor had it that he disliked the spotlight and often turned down interviews with gaming reporters, so he had little exposure...
The truth was that whenever a reporter interviewed him, he wanted them to open with an advertisement: "Still troubled by ten straight losses in the arena? Still frustrated by getting corpse-camped in open-world PvP? A veteran Galaxy power-leveler! Gold farming, power-leveling, revenge and rank-boosting services available! Low, negotiable prices, a deal you can't lose on, honest business, scammers get lost! Contact ID..."
As it turned out, even in the parallel universe's year 2060, people still feared small ads like the plague, so Han Xiao had few visitors.
Ah, a man had to eat. Life had forced his hand.
Han Xiao was taken back to the laboratory, where his blood was drawn for testing.
The base's layout and terrain were unknown, as was the number of armed personnel. With his newbie stats and virtually no combat ability, resisting recklessly would be asking for shit. The well-trained guards in the corridor probably had the [Agent] subclass at around level 5-8, making them strong among ordinary people.
If he remembered correctly, Hila was currently an executive officer of the Germinal Organization, a Grade E Esper with an energy level above 500 Onas. Conservatively speaking, she could probably take on a thousand of him.
In Exploration Era Year 23333, a genius had devised a method of cultivating "energy," establishing the same basic theory for all cultivation systems in the universe and ushering in an entirely new era. Supers had begun to shine.
Galaxy was the stage for supers.
There were five superhuman systems in total: Esper Class, Pugilist Class, Mechanic Class, Mage Class, and Esper Class. These were Galaxy's main classes, which could be acquired by studying class knowledge books.
Classes were divided into main classes and subclasses. Only the five superhuman systems counted as main classes, while subclasses came in many varieties and required no class knowledge books.
The first test every newbie faced upon entering Galaxy was finding a class knowledge book and switching to a main class.
New characters could choose between two starts. The first was a standard start: the system provided a newbie set of three items that would never drop-clothes, pants, and shoes to keep them from running around naked-and a fixed sum of money. Players then chose from several fixed starting locations on a newbie planet, usually in different factions. The advantage of this start was its stability.
The other was a random start, which drew the new character into a special event. It could bring danger or opportunity, and Han Xiao's current situation was extremely similar to one.
Although the game had become reality, the setting was still one he knew, and he had plenty of experience to rely on. Han Xiao calmed down.
Before long, the blood test results came back.
Hila took the report from Lin Weixian, frowning slightly. "No abnormalities in his blood?"
Lin Weixian said, "The Valkyrie Solution primarily stimulates the brain. Perhaps we should cut open his skull and test his brain activity."
Crack my skull open and extract the juice? Would I even survive that? Han Xiao muttered inwardly.
Hila waved a hand to stop him. "He's the first test subject to survive the Valkyrie Experiment. Don't use destructive methods unless there's no other choice."
Han Xiao's eyes shifted. Perhaps he could make good use of that status.
Lin Weixian disagreed with Hila. It was such a shame that he couldn't freely study such excellent material.
"Then let's observe him for a while and see which abilities the Valkyrie Solution enhanced."
Hila narrowed her icy eyes. "Brainwash him first."
Brainwash?
Han Xiao's heart sank. Brainwashing was a common way to control subordinates. Players who were successfully brainwashed would automatically join the faction, but his life was real now. In the worst case, his thoughts and consciousness would truly be changed.
That was absolutely unacceptable!
The good news was that Planet Aquamarine in version 1.0 had yet to develop technology that could directly alter memories. The Germinal Organization's brainwashing method was relatively primitive, using images and sounds to torture people and "recalibrate and reset" their minds. An Intelligence score above 10 was enough to resist it.
The Valkyrie Solution had increased his Endurance potential by 1 point. Potential was a hidden attribute that affected attribute growth, and different races had different base potentials. Across the whole world of Galaxy, human potential was average, with Intelligence as their strongest natural talent, but they were originally very fragile. That 1 point of Endurance potential was highly useful to Han Xiao.
[High Concentration] increased learning and crafting speed by 10%, improving efficiency.
The 3 points of mental resistance granted by [Low-Level Mental Fortitude] were equivalent to an extra 3 Intelligence. He was still 3 Intelligence short of resisting brainwashing.
"Leveling up the Civilian class randomly increases one attribute by 1 and gives me 1 free attribute point. The chance of it going into Intelligence is too small..." Han Xiao knew himself well. Whenever he entered a game lottery in the past, he always suspected that some distant relative of his might be buried beneath the black soil of Africa. If a god was watching over him, it had to be the goddess of misfortune! By comparison, obtaining a new class was undoubtedly the safer choice.
Han Xiao couldn't move freely at the moment, but a random start couldn't possibly be a hopeless situation from the beginning. It had to give players a chance... He suddenly froze. Come to think of it, he was an NPC now and might not have the almighty system's protection. It wouldn't screw him over that badly, would it?!
"Take him for brainwashing." Hila waved a hand and left the room.
The same two stern armed guards escorted him, one on each side. The one on the left looked as though everyone owed him three hundred thousand, while the one on the right looked as if he'd been constipated for ten days. Their expressions were cast from the same mold as his elderly landlord's whenever he came to demand rent.
The group entered another room filled with numerous complex mechanical instruments.
Lin Weixian went to adjust the machines, while "Three Hundred Thousand" and "Constipation Bro" pressed Han Xiao into a chair. A row of glass bookcases stood against the wall ten meters away.
Han Xiao turned toward the bookcases. Rows of titles caught his eye: Tom's Basic Mechanical Theory, On Human and Lizard Genes, Reid's Hypothesis... They seemed to be reference books kept by the researchers.
Wait, there's a class knowledge book in there!
"Heaven never seals off all paths." Han Xiao was overjoyed.
The two guards watched him like hawks from behind. It looked as if the slightest move would bring an attack.
Han Xiao didn't hesitate for a moment. He abruptly stood and walked toward the bookcase.
The move startled the others. "Three Hundred Thousand" and "Constipation Bro" drew and aimed their guns within 0.6 seconds.
With the dark muzzles pointed at his back, Han Xiao's expression didn't change and he didn't break stride. Please don't shoot. With my health, one bullet will kill me...
The next second, Lin Weixian's voice rang out behind him. "Wait, let's see what he wants to do!"
"Three Hundred Thousand" and "Constipation Bro" hesitated, then took their fingers off their triggers.
Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. His gamble had paid off. As long as he showed no aggressive intent, his status as the "first successful test subject" was his protective charm. His unusual behavior would only be taken as an effect of the experiment.
Tom's Basic Mechanical Theory was a basic knowledge book for the Mechanic Class. It was his target. He took it from the bookcase and leafed through it.
The book was full of mechanical theory. The long passages and detailed illustrations were difficult to understand. Han Xiao patiently read for more than ten seconds before a message finally appeared on his panel.
〔You have completed a session of self-study in basic mechanical knowledge. Based on your Intelligence, [Basic Assembly] learning progress: 2.0% (High Concentration: additional +0.2%)〕
"Just as I thought." Han Xiao was delighted. Though he couldn't understand it himself, the system would automatically assess his progress and help him learn the knowledge within.
Lin Weixian watched from the side, thoroughly puzzled. The test subject seemed to be studying. Could the experiment have enhanced his learning ability?
For the sake of observation, Lin Weixian didn't stop Han Xiao.
Everyone fell silent, leaving only the rustle of turning pages.
〔[Basic Assembly] learning progress: 15% (+1.5%)... 29% (+2.9%)... 48% (+4.8%)...〕
He turned the pages faster and faster. Han Xiao kept his face impassive, but he was growing a little anxious. Every second slipping away now cost him not only time, but also his freedom.
The door opened again with a bang, and Hila walked in. She frowned at the sight. "What's going on?"
"Here's what happened..." Lin Weixian explained, including his conjecture about the Valkyrie Experiment.
"You mean his learning ability was enhanced?"
Lin Weixian said, "That's the conclusion of my preliminary observation. If you'd let me cut open his brain and test it, I could give you a more precise answer."
Han Xiao couldn't help grumbling inwardly. This old guy is so keen on cutting people's brains open. Just how much does he like eating brains?
Hila waved away Lin Weixian's request. If the test subject's brain had been enhanced, he might be more important to the organization than a trained cannon-fodder agent. He needed to be brainwashed immediately and instilled with loyalty to the organization...
She turned to Lin Weixian. "Is the brainwashing device ready?"
"It's been adjusted and is ready." Lin Weixian pointed at the instruments in the room.
Han Xiao's ears twitched. So this is where the brainwashing happens. Damn, I need to hurry even more.
Just then, the panel chimed, and new notifications appeared:
〔[Basic Assembly] progress: 90% (+10%). You have learned the basic knowledge of a mechanic. Mechanic Class knowledge tree unlocked!〕 〔You have gained a new class: [Mechanic Novice]. Energy +10, Intelligence +1, Endurance +1. Gained 2 free attribute points and 1 potential point.〕 〔You have learned the new skills [Basic Mechanical Affinity], [Simple Training], and [Basic Enhancement Modification].〕
A warm current appeared out of nowhere and traveled through his body, clearing his mind.
Unlike simply learning a skill in the game, he could now understand all the mechanical knowledge that had baffled him before. It was deeply imprinted in his mind, becoming real knowledge. The change made it almost impossible for Han Xiao to maintain his blank-faced disguise, and he was so startled that he nearly threw the book away.
So you really can learn things from the game?! What kind of joke is this? Galaxy had been operating for more than ten years. Why hadn't the Earth Federation roared across the galaxy and conquered the stars yet?!
"There must be something strange going on..." Han Xiao was stunned.
His personal panel had changed:
-- Name: Han Xiao Race: Carbon-based human (yellow) Template: NPC (countdown to version 1.0 open beta: 358 days, 10 hours, 11 minutes) Total level: 2 Experience: 0 Subclass: Civilian Lv1 (0/50) Main class: Mechanic Novice Lv1 (0/200) Health: 43/50 (sprain) Stamina: 80/80 Personal attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Endurance 5, Intelligence 4, Mystery 1, Charm 2, Luck 1 Free attribute points: 2 Energy: 10/10 [Lv1] Lv1 (10)-〔Strength +1, Dexterity +1, Endurance +1, maximum stamina +20〕 Energy level: 3-4 Grade: F (mortal) [You are 1 combat power short of a combat weakling] Talents: High Concentration-increases learning and crafting speed by 10% Low-Level Mental Fortitude-grants +3 to Will checks Skills: Basic Mechanical Affinity Lv1 (0/1000)-increases understanding of machinery Simple Repair Lv1 (0/400)-performs basic repairs on basic machinery Basic Reinforcement and Modification Lv1 (0/600)-enhances basic machinery Potential points: 1 Class knowledge tree: --Armament: Basic Assembly Lv1, 〔19 unlearned items〕 --Energy: 〔20 unlearned items〕 --Control: 〔20 unlearned items〕 Influence: 0 Legend: 0 Equipment: None --
Strength determined melee attack power and affected carrying capacity, allowing one to wear and use certain heavy equipment.
Dexterity determined movement speed, attack speed, and evasion, and also increased ranged attack power.
Endurance increased health and stamina. Each point of Endurance added 10 base health and 12 base stamina, though some talents and skills could affect this coefficient. Endurance also increased the natural recovery rate of health and stamina. All actions consumed stamina, including attacking, blocking, running, walking, swimming, and crafting... Endurance determined physical defense, which did not stack with equipment defense. There were many formulas for converting defense into damage reduction. For example, being shot while wearing metal armor and being shot in the flesh produced completely different damage reduction rates even if the panel showed the same defense. It depended on the attack method-melee, ranged, bullets, or energy-its power, one's own attributes, and equipment materials. The optical computer calculated this series of formulas, and the official website gave no explicit formula. For players, there was no need to think about it: higher defense was definitely better.
Intelligence represented the degree of brain development and determined comprehension and willpower. The higher the Intelligence, the faster skill proficiency increased, the more experience was gained, and the faster one could learn and craft. This was the Mechanic Class's main attribute and affected the quality of finished mechanical products.
Mystery was one's perception of the spiritual world. It determined the attack power of the Esper and Mage classes, much as Strength and Dexterity did for the Pugilist Class.
Charm affected the initial favorability of certain individuals and factions, and also granted discounts when trading with NPCs.
Luck affected certain checks and item drop rates.
Free attribute points were used to increase the seven attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Mystery, Charm, and Luck.
Energy was Galaxy's core attribute and the foundation of supers. It could only be increased through leveling and skills. The game described it as "biological energy extracted from cells through special cultivation methods." Possessing energy marked one's entry into the ranks of supers. Even Espers whose abilities had awakened genetically needed energy to sustain their abilities. Countless people throughout history had been drained dry by their own powers.
Whenever energy reached a certain threshold, it granted attribute bonuses. For example, 10 energy was the threshold for Energy Lv1, 50 for Lv2, and 100 for Lv3. The attributes gained at each level were not fixed and changed with main-class advancements. The higher the class tier, the greater the attribute bonuses.
Using superhuman skills generally consumed energy. Once energy fell below a level's threshold, the attribute bonuses for that level were lost.
For example, the threshold for Energy Lv1 was 10 points. Once energy fell below 10, the Energy Lv1 attribute bonuses disappeared. This meant that using skills caused one's condition to decline, affecting normal combat ability and greatly increasing the importance of combat details.
Energy recovered slowly on its own, or could be restored quickly by consuming stamina. If someone continued using energy-consuming skills after their energy ran out, stamina would be consumed at a disproportionately high rate. Once stamina was exhausted, health would begin to decrease. That was how supers drained dry by their own abilities died.
Energy level was an assessment of a character's combat power and determined a super's grade. Dr. Stuart Ona of the Federation of Light had pioneered energy-level theory, unifying all complex energy calculations under the energy-level unit called the "Ona." The calculation did not use simple addition or subtraction, but a complex functional model whose overall trend rose along a curve.
E, D, C, B, A... were the grades of supers. The energy-level threshold for Grade E was 100 Onas, and Hila was among the stronger Grade E supers.
Grade A was a dividing line, also known as Calamity Grade. Such a person could unleash a devastating disaster on a planet's surface. There were still higher grades above A, and Han Xiao had once been a powerhouse at that level. For him as he was now, however, it remained a long way off.
Even after gaining a first-tier Mechanic Class and 2 free attribute points, he could only raise his Intelligence to 6. He was still one crucial attribute point short of resisting brainwashing, and Han Xiao was somewhat frustrated.
Aside from leveling up, he had no other choice. The question was how to gain experience. Fighting monsters was clearly impossible, and he had little chance of triggering a mission.
Damn it, is there really no way?
A light suddenly flashed in Han Xiao's eyes. Perhaps he could try this.
He tossed the book aside and abruptly turned, staring fixedly at the pistol on "Three Hundred Thousand's" waist. He made his expression wooden and vacant, as if he were in a daze.
Hila frowned and swallowed the order she had been about to give. Along with everyone else, she watched Han Xiao in confusion, unsure what he intended to do.
Han Xiao tensed his muscles and deliberately made his movements look stiff. He walked toward "Three Hundred Thousand" and reached out as slowly as he could, letting everyone see what he was doing as he moved his hand toward the pistol at the guard's waist.
"Three Hundred Thousand" instinctively covered his gun. He saw that Han Xiao had no intention of snatching it, but Han Xiao simply wouldn't let go, like a child stubbornly clutching a toy he wanted.
It was also because Han Xiao had deliberately slowed his movements that "Three Hundred Thousand" hadn't drawn his gun and fired outright.
"Unload it." Hila looked interested. She wanted to see what Han Xiao was up to.
"Three Hundred Thousand" obeyed, pulling out the magazine and letting Han Xiao take the pistol.
The moment he got hold of the pistol, Han Xiao received its item information.
〔Type 73 Wasp Pistol: Quality-gray. Small-caliber portable firearm. Attack power: 28-35. Rate of fire: 1.1 rounds/s. Output energy level: 13. Components: mechanical spring, slide, firing pin, magazine (missing)...〕
[Basic Assembly] had given him extensive mechanical knowledge, and the structure of the Type 73 Wasp Pistol automatically appeared in his mind. Han Xiao instantly understood how to assemble it. Crafting in the game had been simplified by the system and only required waiting for a progress bar, but now he had to do it himself.
This was much more immersive than the game. It also confirmed to him that he had transmigrated into "a certain reality," not merely a game.
Suppressing his complicated emotions, Han Xiao awkwardly dismantled the pistol into a pile of parts, then set about putting it back together.
[Simple Repair] glowed faintly in his skill list.
In 40 seconds, the pistol was reassembled.
That speed was nothing special for an agent, even a little slow, but Hila and the others hadn't forgotten that Han Xiao had received absolutely no training. He had only read a book for ten minutes!
Everyone looked astonished!
Was this the effect of the Valkyrie Experiment?!
Lin Weixian looked excited. "What incredible learning ability! If I could study his brain, perhaps I could replicate it..."
Damn, just how obsessed are you with brains?
Han Xiao kept repeating the process of dismantling and assembling the pistol.
[You completed a mechanical assembly (basic). Perfection: 69%. Gained 28 experience.] [You completed a mechanical assembly (basic). Perfection: 73%. Gained 32 experience.]
There were many ways to gain experience in Galaxy. Besides killing monsters and completing quests, technical work and crafting were important sources of experience for the Mechanic Class. The Mechanic Class was relatively weak in combat early on and leaned toward logistics and manufacturing.
As he grew more proficient, he dismantled and assembled the pistol faster and faster, gradually cutting the time down to 20 seconds.
Hila finally came to her senses and said gravely, "Brainwash him immediately."
Just then, Han Xiao completed the final assembly, and his experience finally reached 200 points.
"Put it all into [Mechanic Novice]!"
A warm current arose, and a pleasant notification sounded in his mind.
[[Mechanic Novice] leveled up to lv2. Energy +10, intelligence +1, endurance +1. Gained 2 free attribute points. Gained 1 potential point.]
"That was close." Han Xiao relaxed and let the guard take back the pistol.