Master Han has a total of twenty-three specializations, while Reynold has only six fewer, giving him a total of seventeen specializations. This number is almost twice that of the other three Grade B freelance mercenaries!
Characters with high potential will frequently acquire new specializations as they level up.
Currently, the officer with the most specializations in the Black Star Army is Melos, with fifteen specializations. His strength has increased considerably since he first joined the group a few years ago.
When Han Xiao recruited him, he only had twelve specializations.
In terms of the quality of specializations, Fording and Harmon are the best, both having template specializations.
Fording's High-Level Lucky Halo amazing; anyone who uses it knows how incredible it is.
Harmon's [War God's Tenacity] and [Desperate Body] combined with his Low-Level Lucky Halo as a protagonist-type character are equivalent to having an invincible health cheat + unlimited Berserk, making him extremely powerful.
Template expertise is the standard that distinguishes normal people, elites, and bosses. Han Xiao was pleasantly surprised to find that Reynold in front of him also had a template expertise.
[Perfect Mechanical Sense]: Total Mechanical Affinity x1.4, including base stats, passive skill bonuses, and featory bonuses. This effect directly affects the total value.
[When using Mechanical Force enhanced machine, its quality is temporarily increased by 1-2 tiers, up to a maximum of pink rare quality.]
[All Mechanic Class active skills have a default effect of +4 to level, which can exceed the skill level cap.]
[--In your senses, every machine is a world of ecological balance]
"That's his specialty!"
Han Xiao's eyes lit up.
In the past, a player posted on the forum, listing all the template specializations of the characters in Galaxy. Some specializations are class-specific templates. [Perfect Mechanical Sense] is Mechanic Class specialization, and it is one of the top templates, possessing three abilities from the same system.
The total Mechanical Affinity can be increased by a factor of 1.4, which is a very powerful effect.
Mechanical Affinity is the core ability of the Mechanic Class, used to enhance the power of machines. If a mechanic has a total of 500% Mechanical Affinity from all his specialties and skills, then the bonus from [Perfect Mechanical Sense] will be 500% multiplied by 1.4, making the Mechanical Affinity 700%!
This bonus rule is the same as the Calamity Grade feat [Extraordinary Power], which directly increases the total value. This means that the stronger the base stats, the stronger the bonus, and the greater the effect as the level increases.
[Perfect Mechanical Sense] The other two effects are also very useful. The mechanical quality is temporarily improved, which is equivalent to strengthening the basic attributes of the mechanical equipment. In layman's terms, even a tattered gray piece of equipment can perform as well as a green piece of equipment in his hands.
The final effect is that the level of Mechanic Class active skills is increased by 4, ignoring the skill level cap, which means that a level 10 [Mechanical Force Surge] can have the effect of a level 14 skill.
Possessing this expertise can be described as a Mechanic Class genius who appears once every x years, where "x" is greater than one hundred.
High rank, strong expertise, B+ grade... Reynold is the strongest person he has ever recruited.
This is a high-quality wild leek!
"Are you a mechanic?"
"Yes." Reynold nodded.
"You are very strong, even stronger than all my subordinates."
Han Xiao took it seriously and asked Phillip to pull up Reynold's mercenary resume. After glancing at it, he frowned slightly.
"The data shows that you have seven years of mercenary experience, having worked for five small mercenary groups. You first operated in the Heidegger Star System and only recently came to the Garton Star System. With your strength, you are capable of serving as a high-ranking officer in a large mercenary group. Why have you been working in small mercenary groups all this time?"
After saying that, he stared at Reynold, his eyes questioning.
Reynold's tone was serious. "Large mercenary groups are too comfortable. I need more dangerous training to raise my awareness."
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you want to join my ranks? I also have a large mercenary group."
"I've honed my skills enough; now I need to reflect, learn more, and strive for even greater heights."
Reynold answered with a serious expression and methodical manner, his attitude not at all perfunctory, but rather overly earnest.
"You mean, you want to reach the Calamity Grade?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Reynold nodded steadily, adding, "That's why I'm here."
As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly and said respectfully:
"We are both mechanics, but you have already stepped into the realm of Calamity Grade. To me, you are a pioneer on this path, while I am still exploring. Therefore... I want to learn from you, and for that, I am willing to serve you."
So that's how it is; that's his real motivation for joining...
Han Xiao suddenly realized that it wasn't the Black Star Army's treatment that attracted Reynold, but rather his own strength.
This guy is a B+ rank and wants to move up to Grade A, so he came to me, an existing Grade A mechanic, to ask for my advice and become my student. His motivation is perfectly reasonable; the accomplished should be my teacher, there's nothing wrong with that.
Among the Five Superpower Systems, mechanics and mages are the most humble and eager to learn. Exchanging knowledge is the norm for these two professions. Han Xiao understands Reynold's behavior very well, just like players seeking out others to learn skills.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing..." Han Xiao pondered. Reynold had great potential, and after being recruited, the Black Star Army would have one more elite officer.
His only apprentice is Sylvia, so having Reynold as an additional student wouldn't be a problem. Her Calamity Grade strength and knowledge are more than enough to teach Reynold.
As for Reynold's promotion to Grade A, that depends mainly on his individual potential. Since Reynold has [Perfect Mechanical Sense], his advancement to the Calamity Grade is practically a done deal; it's just that Reynold himself doesn't know it yet.
Han Xiao quickly made up his mind and nodded, "I can provide you with guidance, but you'll need to sign a longer-term contract."
"Of course." Reynold nodded seriously. He believed in the principle that you reap what you sow, and Black Star was much easier to talk to than he had expected.
"Since you're a mechanic... how about this, you'll be in charge of logistics. You'll temporarily manage the workshops, factories, and production lines in the base. Adding production lines, routine maintenance, repairs, and technical adjustments will all be your tasks. You can gather some manpower."
Appointing Reynold to oversee the workshop and factory is a good fit for his expertise. With his abilities, the machinery he manufactures is sufficient to meet the needs of players and will also have a market.
Moreover, Reynold is also skilled in building production lines and has extensive knowledge of blueprints, making him the only member who can assist him on the manufacturing level!
In this way, the work of building new production lines can be handed over to Reynold, Han Xiao will not have to personally handle it every time. Based on the needs of hundreds of thousands of players, he can save at least one or two months each year to do other things!
After all, an individual's output is limited, making the establishment of the Logistics Department imperative.
"I'm fine."
This position suits Reynold perfectly; he currently only wants to focus on his spiritual practice and doesn't want to go out and fight.
After all applicants completed the tests, Phillip signed contracts with the new mercenaries and then registered them with the Mercenary Alliance. Only then were these new mercenaries officially considered to have joined the Black Star Army.
Han Xiao clapped his hands. Apart from a few exceptional talents, he instructed Phillip to assign positions to the new mercenaries and had Sylvia and some veteran mercenaries mentor them. In two days, these new recruits would officially begin their duties.
This recruitment brought in several thousand new recruits, bringing the Black Star Army's NPC mercenaries to around eight thousand, a several-fold increase.
Compared to the player base, the number of NPC mercenaries is still small, making explosive growth difficult. They can only be recruited continuously, attracting talented individuals and accumulating them slowly.
The biggest gain this time was Reynold. Even Han Xiao couldn't help but be tempted by the [Perfect Mechanical Sense] template. If he could obtain this specialty, he would not only be incredibly muscular, but his strength would be enhanced in every aspect!
Unfortunately, there's currently no way to obtain this template feat. Reynold isn't an enemy, and even if he were, he might not be able to draw the [Perfect Template].
However, Han Xiao had plenty of patience.
Two days later, the newly joined mercenaries had all begun their respective tasks.
The training camp at Number One Base was also officially established.
More than a thousand unsuccessful applicants became the first batch of students, Borick, as the only instructor at present, officially took office.
On the first day, he was so exhausted that he almost vomited blood.
Training mercenaries isn't just about talking; it requires hands-on combat experience. A single misstep can lead to injury. With one person responsible for training over a thousand, Borick's workload was truly heartbreaking. He had no time for anything else, and by the end of the day, he was practically falling apart.
The thought of having to continue this high-intensity work the next day made Borick's legs cramp.
However, after the first day of training, Han Xiao deliberately came over and gave Porick a pep talk, Borick immediately perked up as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
Han Xiao's attitude gave him a false impression. Borick thought that Black Star had noticed his performance and that he had been given this special job as soon as he joined the group, which meant that Black Star valued him.
After all, among all the applicants, only he and the mechanic named Reynold received special treatment.
Perhaps Black Star is testing his abilities.
As long as you complete the instructor's tasks and prove yourself, you may be accepted by Black Star and promoted to a senior officer!
Only after becoming a high-ranking officer can one monitor the Black Star Army's intelligence flow.
With this in mind, Borick decided to grit his teeth and persevere, refusing to seek an assistant and completing the instructor's task independently. Only in this way could he prove his abilities to the greatest extent and improve his image in Black Star's eyes!
"That's really dedicated..."
Inside the room, Han Xiao, in his Chaos Body form, monitored Borick's actions and couldn't help but sigh.
As expected, those with ulterior motives are the most useful.
After dispelling his Chaos Body and regaining his human form, Han Xiao straightened his clothes, left the room, and went to the base's mechanical modification room, where Reynold and Sylvia were already waiting.
Today is a day for classes.
Sylvia was used to Han Xiao giving her private lessons, but today there was someone else sharing her teacher, which made her feel awkward. She would occasionally glance at Reynold, feeling a strange sense of hostility.
Reynold, however, stared straight at Han Xiao without glancing to the side, his expression quite serious.
Starting today, I will be learning from Black Star. This is an opportunity he earned by trading a five-year contract, and he values it very much.
Standing before the two, Han Xiao glanced at them, thought for a moment, and said, "Your strengths are far too different. Reynold, I'll teach you first. Sylvia, you can watch from the sidelines."
The difference in strength between the two is too great. What is too profound for Sylvia is merely the basics in Reynold's eyes, and naturally cannot be taught together with the book.
As soon as she finished speaking, Sylvia's eyes widened in shock. The teacher was actually teaching the new student first...
She felt a surge of resentment and glared at Reynold, only to find that he didn't even look at her. She could only puff out her cheeks and sulk.
Leading Reynold and a sulking Sylvia aside, Han Xiao cleared his throat, preparing to begin his lesson. Just then, Reynold swiftly pulled a pen and a small notebook from his pocket.
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Record the course content." Reynold said seriously, quickly jotting down the two sentences of conversation.
Han Xiao glanced at it, his lips twitching slightly. "There's no need to write down the content of our casual conversation..."
No, omitting anything would be disrespectful to you.
"Wouldn't it be better to use video recording...?"
"No, for a mechanic, mastering every detail is also a form of training."
Without saying a word, Reynold quickly jotted down the conversation, even drawing out Han Xiao's expression as he spoke. The mechanic's hand speed was undoubtedly superb; he finished recording almost as soon as Han Xiao finished speaking.
'This is too rigid, more like a mechanic than me...'
Han Xiao had a general understanding of his new partner's personality, and his lips twitched before he officially began the lesson.
It was called teaching, but it was more like sharing knowledge. What Reynold really lacked was High-End Knowledge. After all, he had a hard time saving money and didn't have the connections that Han Xiao did. So Han Xiao slowly explained High-End Knowledge.
Since Reynold isn't a player, he can't learn overnight; he has to learn gradually.
Reynold listened intently, his pen never stopping, while Sylvia beside him was completely bewildered; the knowledge was too advanced for her to understand.
Gritting her teeth, Sylvia forced herself to focus and memorize the material. Reynold's appearance made her feel a sense of crisis; she didn't want to be left far behind.
After teaching Reynold, Han Xiao then taught Sylvia.
Reynold did not leave early, but stayed to the side to listen. Even though what Sylvia was learning was too superficial for him, he did not show any impatience and listened very attentively.
Time slowly passed.
Han Xiao finally stopped talking, checked the time, announced the end of class, and then hurriedly left, eager to continue building his machines.
Only Sylvia and Reynold remained in the room, staring at each other blankly.
"Well, if there's anything you don't understand, I can teach you."
There's plenty of time ahead, Reynold felt it was important to cultivate a good relationship with Black Star's apprentice, so he gave what he considered a friendly smile.
However, he rarely smiled, and his smile always looked ferocious.
"Who needs you to teach me?" Sylvia rolled her eyes and couldn't help but say, "You're a newbie, you should call me senior sister, understand!"
Reynold frowned immediately.
Oh no, is he angry...? Sylvia's heart skipped a beat when she saw this, and she immediately regretted it. Reynold could easily crush her with one hand; he was stronger than Melos.
Asking such a powerful being to bow down to a superhuman who barely reaches the Grade C would probably be considered an insult.
However, Reynold hesitated for a moment, then nodded, his tone serious, "Senior sister."
"Oh, you really called out?" Sylvia was taken aback, her expression awkward and her tone unnatural. "I was just joking with you."
"No, you're right. I've been thinking about it. Since I'm a newcomer, it's my duty to call you 'senior sister.' I apologize for my rudeness earlier. Thank you for reminding me."
Reynold showed no displeasure; his expression was serious, and his tone remained earnest, as if he were about to start a debate.
Sylvia's face stiffened, somewhat unable to bear Reynold's overly serious manner, and she said with an awkward smile, "No, no need to be so serious, just call me by my name."
"No, I must call you senior sister, otherwise it would be too impolite." Reynold's tone was solemn, and he even lowered his head to show his respect.
Sylvia felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't take it anymore. She quickly grabbed her books and ran away as fast as she could.
After interviewing the mercenaries, Han Xiao devoted almost all his time to upgrading his own combat machinery.
"Finally finished!"
Ten days later, Han Xiao's excited voice rang out in the dedicated mechanical modification room.