"It actually happened! And it's a task with a specific learning type. I thought it would be a random ability selection..."
Upon seeing the details of the mission, Han Xiao's eyes flickered, a hint of surprise flashing across them.
This type of task is similar to hiring. In the previous life, when players accepted tasks from certain NPCs, they could negotiate substantial rewards with them, such as monetary amounts, skill learning, item rewards, and so on. There was a profession called [Persuader], which possessed skills and expertise in the field of eloquence. Its purpose was to increase the success rate of communication with NPCs, with an effect similar to that of a player's personal reputation.
However, the probability of a task that requires learning a character's ability is extremely low, and it depends on luck. Most of the time, the reward is a randomly drawn ability.
Han Xiao was merely trying to influence the rewards after the task was generated by using his words, based on his experience as a player from his previous life. He was not 100% certain that he could generate a task that involved drawing abilities.
He had expected the most random ability-drawing tasks to appear, but there was an unexpected surprise.
"That way, we don't need to rely on luck."
Han Xiao immediately felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought the reward would be a random draw, and worried that he wouldn't get the Perfect Mechanical Sense in one or two tries, so he prepared many "scripts" for Nero, planning to try a few more times if he didn't get it the first time.
However, with a specific type of task available, there's no need to bother with Nero anymore.
At this moment, Han Xiao suddenly had a guess, and his expression immediately turned strange.
--Could it be that I got this mission because of Nero's High-Level Lucky Halo? He got it all done for me in one go, so I won't have to keep messing with him. That way, Nero won't have to go through the even more brutal "script" later on? It doesn't seem impossible!
"Terrifying, terrifying..."
Han Xiao's lips twitched, unsure of what expression to make.
Actually, this time it deviated slightly from his script. Originally, Han Xiao wanted Nero to be in dire straits and call for help, but he didn't expect that this kid was quite capable in combat and had the protagonist's halo to protect him. He fought his way out and escaped on his own, almost disrupting Han Xiao's plan.
If I hadn't made two preparations and created a false signal, luring this kid's lover into the mess as well, Nero might not have even come to me for help; otherwise, all my efforts would have been in vain.
Various thoughts flashed through Han Xiao's mind. He saw that Nero was still waiting anxiously online, and couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Alright, the agreement is settled, leave everything to me."
Nero nodded repeatedly, wiping away his tears, and couldn't help but ask, "Godfather, when can you come? I'm afraid if it takes too long, Mia will..."
He was unaware that Han Xiao's mechanized forces were hidden within the fleet. He assumed that Han Xiao's offer of help meant rescuing Mia afterward, which would take many days, and he worried that Mia would suffer mistreatment from the enemy during that time.
Hearing this, Han Xiao suppressed a laugh, gave him a meaningful look, and said calmly, "Don't worry, it won't be long."
After saying that, he hung up the call without offering any explanation to Nero.
Exhaling a breath, Han Xiao felt pleased and switched back to the perspective of his Dominion clone on the battlefield, nodding.
"We can get started now."
"Hmm, where am I...?"
Mia's mind was a complete blank, her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and she struggled to open her eyes halfway open. The scene before her eyes came into view.
Five meters in front of her was a transparent glass window made of nanomaterials. Several Kunde Race soldiers stood in the window, looking at her and whispering to each other, but the window blocked out the sound, and she couldn't hear anything.
She was utterly exhausted, her body was out of control, like she was being paralyzed by a ghost. Moving even a finger was incredibly difficult, as if she had been injected with some kind of extremely potent sedative. She could clearly feel her body being fixed to some device, unable to move her limbs.
"What happened to me? Why am I here...?" Mia racked her brains, trying to recall what she had experienced before losing consciousness.
Her brain felt like it was filled with lead, her thoughts were incredibly sluggish, and fragmented memories slowly surfaced in her mind. It took her more than ten seconds to recall the cause and effect.
--She followed her squad to check for unusual signals in the wilderness. In the open field, they encountered several enemy ships that suddenly appeared. The entire squad was caught off guard, and she was hit by several naval gunshots, seriously wounded, and fell to the ground, unable to fight. Her brain was impacted, and she was in a daze. The last blurry image she saw before she completely lost consciousness was that the Kunde Race soldiers approached and squatted down in front of her. After that, she knew nothing.
"So I've been captured by the enemy? What about the others...?"
Mia was startled and tried to turn her head, but her head was also fixed in place. She could only try to move her eyes and glance to the side, where she saw a row of restraint devices. All her teammates were restrained, and most of them were still unconscious.
Just then, a weak but familiar voice rang out from the other side.
"Mia, you're awake?"
Mia quickly glanced over and saw it was her squad leader. She exclaimed in surprise, "Captain, you've been captured too?"
"I couldn't fight the warships, but the enemy didn't kill us; they captured us all."
"It's good that everyone's alive." Mia breathed a sigh of relief.
"Heh..." The captain gave a bitter laugh, "You're wrong. It might be better for us to die than to fall into the hands of these enemies."
"Why?" Mia asked instinctively, still feeling groggy.
"Think about it, why would the enemy capture us alive? If I'm not mistaken, they're probably using us as research material. What awaits us in the future is all sorts of inhumane dissections and experiments. Every inch of our flesh and blood will become experimental material for the enemy. Compared to this suffering, death is nothing." The captain's tone was desperate. "The others are too busy to save themselves; no one can save us."
Upon hearing this, Mia felt a chill run down her spine.
Although she was a superhuman, she was still just a teenager and had never experienced such a desperate situation.
At that moment, the image of Nero involuntarily appeared in her mind, and she felt a pang of pain in her heart, her face turning ashen.
"I'm sorry... I might have to break my promise and not be able to continue this journey with you..."
Mia's eyes welled up with tears, she lowered her gaze, and tears streamed down her beautiful face, leaving two tear tracks.
At that moment, the door opened, and several Kunde Race soldiers walked in, took syringes from a nearby cabinet, and approached the two who had just woken up.
Although the other party didn't speak, Mia knew from their actions that the enemy intended to anesthetize them and prevent them from regaining consciousness.
Mia wanted to fight to the death, but all the cells in her body were dormant, and she couldn't muster any strength.
She could only watch helplessly as the Kunde Race soldiers approached her, her wide eyes filled with despair.
Boom!!
Just then, a powerful tremor shook the entire spaceship, nearly knocking several Kunde Race soldiers to the ground.
Before Mia could react, everything went blurry. The Kunde Race soldiers who were alive just a moment ago had suddenly turned into corpses slammed against the wall and turned into pancakes. A mechanical soldier appeared in front of her as if by teleportation... In reality, the speed was too fast for her to see clearly.
Karakara...
The next moment, the mecha soldier crushed the device binding Mia and the others, and quickly injected each of them with the Aurora Potion.
Everyone perked up, quickly regaining their peak condition. They groped their bodies, their faces beaming with the joy of surviving a close call.
All eyes turned to the mechanical warrior, their expressions a mixture of surprise and doubt. They hadn't expected anyone to come to their rescue in such a desperate situation.
Mia's emotions fluctuated wildly. She was stunned for several seconds before she came to her senses, staring intently at the mechanical soldier, and couldn't help but ask, "Who... who are you? Are you also from the Legion?"
"What, don't you recognize me?" the Han Xiao soldier chuckled, "I'm Black Star."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
The legion commander himself rescued us?!
How did he end up here?!
Mia opened her mouth wide, then suddenly realized that she had guessed the truth.
--The sudden appearance of someone of Black Star's caliber here can only mean one thing... that he has been secretly protecting Nero all along!
The others also realized what had happened and felt a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal... Luckily, they were assigned to the same unit as someone with connections like Nero, otherwise this turn of events would not have happened; at least half of their lives were saved by Nero.
"Alright, my mechanized forces have taken over the battlefield. Follow me."
Han Xiao, controlling a mechanical soldier, waved his hand to calm the excited crowd down. After thinking for a moment, he reached out and patted Mia on the shoulder, saying slowly:
"After the war, have Nero bring you to me. I'll introduce you to some Calamity Grade martial artists and have them take you as their student."
Mia's eyes widened in disbelief. She stood there stunned for a while before realizing that Han Xiao had given her the opportunity to become a disciple of Calamity Grade expert, and she was immediately thrilled.
She was both excited and flattered, unable to believe that she would receive such special treatment from Black Star. She nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.
"Yes, yes, thank you so much, Lord Black Star!"
"It's nothing, I just think you have the potential to become Calamity Grade being."
Han Xiao smiled, then turned to look at the other team members present. After a moment's thought, he said, "And you guys, when you get back, you can report to Melos. I'll have him raise your legion privileges. You can get promoted, form new teams, or choose new positions. You won't be shortchanged on material rewards either."
Unexpectedly, being caught would bring such benefits... The group exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise.
Outside the floating base, the mechanical troops that had been lying in wait suddenly bared their fangs.
With overwhelming power, the entire base had no chance to resist and was instantly invaded by the virtual system. All armed forces were dismantled, and the entire base fell under Han Xiao's control.
Whether they were soldiers or officers of the Kunde Race, they all fell from heaven to the abyss and became prisoners.
Meanwhile, the invisible mechanical forces finally appeared on the battlefield, joining the fray and utterly destroying all of the enemy's warships under the astonished gazes of the legion's warriors.
While Nero and his group were still fleeing, a mechanical unit suddenly appeared in front of them and opened fire on them.
Everyone hurriedly turned around to look, only to see the beam of light sweep past their spaceship, easily piercing through the several Kunde Race warships chasing behind them.
Rumble rumble rumble!!
Flames erupted, and all the spaceships Pursuit them exploded from the inside out, turning into fireworks in the sky.
Upon seeing this, Nero was stunned.
How could they have arrived so quickly?!
"Say 'godfather,' and he's here!" Only a minute or two had passed since they asked for help!
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the meaningful look in Han Xiao's eyes when he hung up the call, and it dawned on him.
Although my godfather wanted me to train on my own, he actually kept sending troops to secretly protect me. These mechanized troops were probably hidden within the army, and they would come to my aid when things got really critical.
So the call just now was just to lecture me?
"Godfather... he has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."
Realizing Han Xiao's "good intentions," Nero was moved, wiped away the tears in his eyes, and silently made an assessment of Han Xiao's character...
--This is exactly the opposite of what Master Han truly is.
Han Xiao had even anticipated Nero's thoughts, and everything was progressing exactly according to Director Han's script.
The entire battlefield was under the control of Han Xiao's mechanical forces. This small to medium-sized fleet of the Kunde Race couldn't cause any trouble at all. Han Xiao's mechanical forces quickly ended the battle, ordered all legion soldiers to land and assemble, and then sent Mia and the others back.
Seeing that Mia was safe and sound, Nero's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, he breathed a long sigh of relief, and revealed a relieved smile.
"Thank goodness, you're alright."
Mia spotted Nero immediately and ran up to him. She wanted to hug him, but seeing so many people around, she felt a little embarrassed. Instead, she gently punched Nero's chest armor with her fist and whispered, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it back."
Nero smiled. "I told you I would protect you."
Seeing his silly grin, Mia couldn't help but want to argue with him, muttering, "It was Lord Black Star who protected me."
"Ahem." Han Xiao coughed lightly, interrupting their conversation. "I've saved him, but be more careful next time. Your luck won't always be this good, and I won't be able to protect you forever."
"I understand." Nero turned around, his face serious, and solemnly thanked Han Xiao. "Thank you. I will remember today's lesson and will never act rashly again. I promise you, I will not waste my talent."
Han Xiao smiled and nodded, then turned to look at the other legion warriors present, nodded slightly, and slowly said:
"Although I intervened in the battle, you captured so Kunde Race prisoners. I won't steal your credit. Send these prisoners back, and go find Melos afterwards. He will arrange extra rewards for you."
This time, in order to help Nero "transcend the tribulation," the group of legion warriors traveling with him were also within Han Xiao's sphere of influence. Han Xiao had already prepared compensation for this, and he wouldn't be stingy in this regard. When he used someone, if that person was one of his own, Han Xiao would give a return, a mutually beneficial arrangement—from Bennett to Goddora to the Amethyst Civilization to the Crimson Dynasty, he had always maintained this style, and it had never changed.
The invisible mechanical troops monitored the entire battle. A close call resulted in a promotion, a raise, and a chance to become a manager. It was a pretty good deal, and Han Xiao was the one who profited the most.
After offering a few hasty words of comfort, Han Xiao had no interest in staying to watch Nero and Mia flirt, so he immediately withdrew his consciousness and switched his focus back to his main body.
"Finally done!"
Letting out a breath, Han Xiao suppressed his excitement, eager to settle the task.
[Nero's Request] has been fulfilled!
[You have received the reward: Learn one of Nero's abilities (skills/features)]
Please choose one of the following abilities as a reward:
A list of abilities popped up on the panel, listing all of Nero's skills and specialties.
Han Xiao knew Nero's abilities perfectly well. After glancing at them, he noticed that among all the abilities, two specializations had the highest priority for extraction: [Perfect Mechanical Sense] and [High-Level Lucky Halo].
There is only one ability to be selected. Between these two abilities, Han Xiao has a strong need for [Perfect Mechanical Sense]. This is a top-tier template specialty in the Mechanic Class, and basically every serious Beyond Grade A Mechanic possesses it.
He did want the [High-Level Lucky Halo], but it would be a lower priority. After all, this ability didn't help his combat power and would indirectly weaken his "Together to the Underworld - Lucky Attribute Dedicated Version" skill.
Moreover, his base luck attribute is a little low, so this ability has limited effect. He's also worried that if his luck is higher, it will be even harder to draw the Mission Settlement Card.
Besides, with Ding Ke to touch, Han Xiao's need for luck isn't that urgent.
[Perfect Mechanical Sense] was the goal of the plan, and it was achieved in one go. Han Xiao was very satisfied with the efficiency. In order to reward Nero, he decided to temporarily stop making Nero feel pain.
As for the [High-Level Lucky Halo], let's arrange it for him another time... Han Xiao stroked his chin.
Putting aside his devilish thoughts, Han Xiao steadied himself and selected his target on the interface.
The next moment, a powerful surge of Mechanical Force current coursed through my brain!
[Selection complete!]
[Your specialty [Basic Mechanical Sense] has disappeared]
[You have achieved [Perfect Mechanical Sense]!]