Han Daji | Master Han has evolved his race once, optimizing his genes, so he naturally has a handsome appearance. Sometimes he is even amazed by his own good looks when he looks in the mirror. However, his charm attribute is more like affinity, affecting the initial favorability when interacting with other characters and hidden options, etc. The effects of some skills also depend on charm, such as summoning and beast-taming skills.
If you lack approachability, others may refuse to engage in deeper conversations with you.
In his previous life, the player's charm level for this quest must have met the requirements, so he didn't encounter any obstacles. With Han Xiao's rich experience, if the quest in his memory cannot be triggered according to the process, it is probably because the hidden prerequisites have not been met, and charm is a relatively common requirement.
However, Han Xiao wouldn't bother with charm. He didn't lack missions, and what good was friendliness? Strength was what mattered!
Fording, true to his reputation as a protagonist who relies on his charm, convinced Nirega with a single move. The mission wasn't difficult; all it required was to investigate the target planet. Even investigating the spaceship wreckage would complete the mission. However, achieving a high rating was not so easy. It required uncovering most of the truth behind the expedition's crash and finding the whereabouts of the missing investigators. The mission was called [Star Roaming Beast], which itself served as a clue for the player.
Finding Nirega's wife is also a way to improve his evaluation; he needs to see her alive or dead.
In the mission rewards, the monetary reward is displayed in gray and is locked by default. This means that no matter how high the rating is, there will be no extra monetary reward; Nirega only has this much money.
"I triggered this mission several years earlier than in my previous life, so the process should be somewhat different. There are many uncertainties involved, but the key points should remain the same..." Han Xiao thought to himself.
The background when the player accepted the mission in their previous life was different. At that time, Goddora headquarters had already dispatched investigation teams, and more than once, but all of them lost contact. However, some new intelligence was transmitted back before the loss of contact, saying that the planet was shrouded in a strange magnetic field that could disrupt most conventional communications. Therefore, all the landing investigation teams lost contact, and the crash marks of the spaceships could only be seen from the space station's space telescope. From this, it can be inferred that the investigation teams must have encountered other accidents before the loss of contact and landing.
Because it was a natural event, the incident did not receive much attention from the General Investigation Bureau. Headquarters was responsible for investigating events across an entire star system, with countless backlogged tasks and extremely busy. Only exceptionally important events were transferred by the AI system to human investigators for evaluation. The headquarters' event processing AI system prioritized tasks based on their importance, so this task was placed in the regular schedule. After another investigation team went missing, it was assumed all investigators were dead, and on-site exploration of the planet was halted. Instead, the astronomical observatory was tasked with studying the planet's environment first.
So the investigation was temporarily put on hold. The problem was only solved when the players arrived, since no one was more suitable for exploration than an indestructible player.
It's worth mentioning that the deputy station chief Han Xiao encountered at this time had by then been promoted to station chief, and it was still he who revealed the mission clues.
Currently, these clues that should have been known have not yet been revealed. Fortunately, Han Xiao remembers them, otherwise, going there rashly would be dangerous. He guesses that if he brings these clues back, they should also be included in the mission evaluation.
Nirega took out his communicator and sent over a series of documents, his face solemn. "These are the coordinates of that planet, and the location where the spaceship crashed. My wife's name is Laini, and this is her photo. Please find her at all costs."
"I see."
Han Xiao nodded and pulled Fording back to the hall.
After the spaceship was refueled, the stationmaster reappeared, this time indicating that the passengers should leave. Han Xiao, having obtained the mission he wanted, did not linger and led everyone onto the ship, where he informed them of the upcoming operation.
"You actually accepted a private commission? This is Goddora's internal affair. Won't Goddora have any objections if we interfere without permission?" Melos hesitated.
"That planet doesn't Goddora, who says we can't go there?"
Han Xiao shrugged and entered the planet's coordinates. It showed that it was an unnamed planet. This planet had not yet been fully investigated, so it did not have an official name in the database. This was one of the differences from his previous life.
The universe is vast, and even today, there are still many undiscovered planets. Those numbered resource planets are entered into the database after on-site investigation, and this planet is clearly an unexplored and mysterious one.
In the pitch-black universe, the spaceship spewed eerie blue flames from its tail as it sped toward its destination, accelerating to its maximum speed before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the dazzling galaxy.
A few days later.
The porthole is a gray asteroid, barren and devoid of vegetation. There are no stars nearby, so the planet cannot see the sun. The surface temperature is extremely cold, though there are some traces of Volcano activity, so it should not have reached absolute zero.
The environment of this planet is clearly unsuitable for most life forms to survive.
"Wearing protective clothing is essential; exposure to the air can cause damage to your body."
As he spoke, Han Xiao donned the Void Dragon Mechanical Suit, adjusting the internal temperature to maintain a constant level. This amount of energy consumption was negligible for the miniature portable nuclear fission reactor. Although it was nuclear-powered, the radiation was sealed off and isolated by the reactor's special outer shell. Of course, even if it leaked, with Han Xiao's current endurance, he would be able to pass the judgment with absolute certainty that the nuclear radiation would not harm him; at most, it would give him a temporary debuff that slightly reduced his attributes.
Melos, holding a spare Flying Serpent suit that Han Xiao had lent him, was stuffing himself into it, sighing, "Ah, if only I still had the General-Grade Armor my brother gave me."
Han Xiao held out his hand, expressionless. "Give it back to me if you're not going to wear it."
"Don't be so stingy." Melos chuckled and quickly put on his mecha.
Aroshia, on the other hand, does not need armor for protection; as long as she Energy Transformation, she can ignore harsh natural conditions.
For this mission, Han Xiao only called Melos and Aroshia; all the others stayed on the spaceship. They weren't strong enough, and bringing them along would only be a burden.
Because the planet's magnetic field could block communication, Han Xiao left the spaceship in outer space, agreed on a rendezvous time, and the three of them used a small spacecraft mounted on the spaceship to land on the planet.
As the spacecraft entered the edge of the atmosphere, the belly compartment opened, and a small aircraft flew out. This was the "Dragon Butterfly" Reconnaissance aircraft, the very model used by the Dragon Calm Guard. Han Xiao had learned the blueprints for this aircraft a long time ago.
After the spacecraft was released, it immediately ascended and escaped the atmosphere.
Inside the aircraft, Han Xiao sat in the pilot's seat, operating the control panel with practiced ease, while the other two sat in the passenger seats behind him.
"Let's go, the area where the Goddora expedition team crashed is just below."
The magnetic field affected the radar, but Han Xiao had already calibrated the position while on the spaceship; the destination was directly below.
With a pull of the control stick, the anti-gravity nozzles at the bottom of the aircraft glowed Glimmer, and it began to descend rapidly.
The surroundings were pitch black, making it difficult to see anything. These planets, unlit by starlight, existed like ghosts in various corners of the universe. Han Xiao switched the spacecraft's spectral observation mode, and his vision brightened, allowing him to see the surrounding environment. At the same time, the scenery under this spectral perspective was shrouded in a faint red hue.
"About six thousand meters from the ground," Melos reported.
"Hold on tight, it might be a bit bumpy from here." Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he suddenly shut down the engine and anti-gravity levitation.
call--
The aircraft suddenly lost weight and plummeted nose-first into the ground.
Melos's bladder tightened, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "What are you doing?"
Before Han Xiao could answer, the aircraft suddenly shuddered, sparks flew from its internal circuitry, and at least three-quarters of the buttons on the control panel malfunctioned.
The radiation monitoring instrument immediately sounded an alarm, and a sandstorm-like flash of light swept across the spectral screen.
"At an altitude of two to six thousand meters on this planet, there's a radiation storm that can paralyze most of a spaceship's equipment for a certain period. That's how those research teams' ships crashed. However, there's still a buffer altitude of about two thousand meters, so their shields can withstand it and they don't break into pieces on the ground," Han Xiao explained. "More advanced spaceships can withstand it, but Goddora's research ships obviously aren't equipped with very advanced equipment."
"What do we do then?" Melos exclaimed in alarm. "Aren't we trapped on this planet? And the spaceship can't get us out of there."
"Don't worry, the radiation storm weakens every now and then, and you can leave then." Han Xiao wasn't flustered at all. He remembered the mission details, and after completing it, the mission would turn into a BOSS-fighting instance. You could get Dungeon Crystal by doing daily tasks at that space station. Countless players had visited this planet; they knew it like the back of their hand.
The planet's gravity was quite high, and the spacecraft fell at a very fast speed. After a while, it passed through the radiation storm and saw the craters on the ground. The distance was rapidly closing. At this altitude, with the strength of the spacecraft's shields, the hull would definitely be able to be smashed to pieces.
Of course, all three of them had their own methods, so they definitely wouldn't die from the fall. But the aircraft was a valuable resource, and Han Xiao didn't want to give it up easily. He pressed a button, and gliders popped out from both sides of the aircraft. He switched to the neuromorphic operation mode, connecting the gliders to the neural signals of his arms, making it as flexible and free as operating his own arms.
With the propulsion engines shut down, the aircraft slowly transitioned from a descent to a glide, rapidly approaching the ground.
boom--
Finally, the aircraft landed at an angle, skimming the ground and kicking up a large cloud of dust. The shield generator was still running, and the shield flickered intermittently. The shield and the disabled propulsion engine were not the same system and operated on different principles. Although it had also been affected by the radiation storm, it had recovered a certain degree of defensive capability.
Bang bang bang...
The interior jolted for a while before finally quieting down. Aroshia rubbed her bottom; she hadn't yet Energy Transformation, and the jolting had made her bottom sore.
Han Xiao stood up, pulled the manual latch on the hatch, and with a bang, the hatch sprang open, and an extreme cold rushed in. The constant temperature inside the mecha dropped significantly in an instant before slowly rising back up.
"Air temperature, almost minus 100 degrees Celsius, relative humidity... wow, actually quite high. Looks like this planet has water."
Han Xiao stretched his limbs and took a breath of the built-in oxygen; he didn't want to run around naked in this kind of place without his mecha.
Aroshia nearly froze, and hurriedly transformed into an energy body. After reaching Grade B, her control over her powers became even more refined. Even after Energy Transformation, she maintained her human form, preserving all the details such as her facial features. Apart from her body being glowing energy, everything else remained unchanged.
"Without radar and the landing site somewhat off course, it seems we can only slowly search for the research vessel's wreckage." Melos looked around, feeling lost.
Han Xiao crouched down and touched the ground. Beneath the rough black sand lay hard rock, indicating a relatively high ground density. Then he looked up, searching for some markers in the sky.
He quickly zoomed in through the mech's view and saw the light emanating from the spaceship hovering in outer space, then pointed in that direction.
"No need to look, the target is right there."