Chapter 104 - Strengthened Life
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The trip to Somar Desert was concluded.
The allocated time for the quest was fifteen days, but Han Xiao took only six days to complete it.
As Fabian Company’s carrier aircraft landed in Morning Wind City’s airport, Han Xiao rushed to Hotel Victoria without a break to complete his quest at the Blood Pact Society’s floor.
The server quickly reported it to the higher management level. Soon, the person in-charge came to receive Han Xiao.
In a private VIP lounge, Han Xiao was leaning comfortable on the sofa as he waited for the person in-charge to confirm his quest details.
On an unknown floor, a Dark Net recorder opened the bounty page for the Rose Militant and updated the activity log.
“688.4.1, Code Name – Mr. Black (Scorpion)
“Date: 688.4.7
“Assignment completed.”
This report was sent to the database, so at the same time, all assassins of the Blood Pact Society received a text message about the removal of the Rose Militant assignment.
...
“Mr. Black, your bounty assignment has been verified. We will immediately transfer the funds into your account.”
Ding!
Han Xiao looked at the computer—his Dark Net account had just received three million dollars, which amounted to five million dollars in his account. He realized that the rate of profit from doing bounty hunter assignments was way faster than making machinery.
It was a killing.
In the old days, this assignment was completed by a fifteen-member team, so the profit was divided equally between everyone. This time, Han Xiao took the profit alone, making it a colossal windfall.
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You have completed the quest [Bounty Hunter (Rose Militant)].
You gained 15,000 EXP.
Hidden Quest Requirement: ‘Discover the Felonia Plan’ completed. You gained 25,000 additional EXP; you gained a special reward [Mid-grade gene-blending potion (4.37% Low Concentration) x 1
Reputation with the Blood Pack Society increased by 550 points. Currently Neutral (550/1000) – [Scorpion-level Assassin]
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Han Xiao’s eyes shimmered. Gene-blending potion was a very powerful game item—it was chiefly used to reduce the failure and mutation rate of biochemicals!
Biochemicals were a common type of drug for increasing character stats, but any use of biochemicals came with inherently risks, which included the possibility of a decrease in stat points and malignant mutations. Additionally, different biochemicals would have conflicts that resulted in further side effects. Gene-blending potion could remove these inherent risks of biochemicals to a certain degree.
No wonder. If I did not risk going into the abandoned base and discover the Felonia Serum, this special reward would not have been useful.
Han Xiao suddenly understood the crux of the matter. The rewards of this quest were linked closely to his actions. This potion was the extra reward for exploring the place, and Subject 002 was akin to a mini-boss that guarded the blood serum.
His cautiousness during the exploration helped him avoid many more difficult barriers. The footsteps of the pilgrims were secretly hinting the player in the correct direction. If he had ignored the hint and walked in the opposite direction, he would have been surrounded and attacked by a bunch of test subjects and Desert Necro-worms.
If he feared the monster and moved to the left side, he would have missed discovering the blood serum.
And if he had moved to the right side while using a torch, he would have triggered the battle with Subject 002 at the first gate. The small passageway would not have allowed him to evade and move forward properly. He was highly likely to have retreated.
Lastly, if he had continued exploring greedily after getting the blood serum, he would have suffered the same consequences as the first scenario.
The reward was really a pleasant surprise; Han Xiao could not wait to research it. After submitting the assignment, he got up and was about to leave. However, the person in-charge suddenly said, “Mir. Black. May I ask you to stay in the Morning Wing City for two days? An important guest wants to meet with you.”
“Important guest?” Han Xiao was puzzled.
“An emissary from the Rothschild family, the client for the Rose Militant assignment. He hopes to meet up with you.”
Could it be to do with Felonia? Han Xiao’s eyes flashed before he said, “Please inform him that I will be glad to meet up with him.”
The person in-charge was delighted. “Alright then.”
Han Xiao left Hotel Victoria and went back to Antonio’s base. He immediately entered his temporary workshop and took out the Felonia serum and the gene-blending Potion.
The Felonia serum had a yellow fluorescence. It was sealed nicely and thus did not go bad after so many years.
The gene-blending potion was as dense as mercury, and it had little shiny star-like sparkles that made it glitter.
To use or not to use? That was the question.
The Felonia serum was a secret game item that he had never seen before this. The gene-blending potion would greatly reduce the risk of using it, so it was rather safe.
After Han Xiao calculated his chance of success, he decided to roll the dice. With the help of the gene-blending potion, even if the serum failed, he would not become like the muscular and ugly-looking test subjects.
He took out a syringe and a catheter. He then poked the syringe into the vein on his arm, injecting the gene-blending potion first.
A cool and refreshing sensation was carried by his blood circulation and distributed throughout his body. He felt as if he had just taken a refreshing bite of ice-cream in the blazing summer heat. His mind was simultaneously calmed. The gene-blending potion was not harmful to the body, and if it was not activated by a biochemical, its effect would gradually disappear.
Han Xiao took a deep breadth before he started injecting the blood serum. The fluorescent serum passed through the catheter and entered his bloodstream.
The feeling of his body swelling was instantly felt!
“Hiss...” Han Xiao gritted his teeth. He was spasming due to the overwhelming pain he felt throughout his entire body. He felt as if the interior of his body had been blown up into a paste—bones smashed into ashes, blood vessels broken apart, and muscles melted. The insufferable pain hit his brain without a stop, and he almost fainted!
‘Real’ players had only needed to rely on progress bars for using in-game items and making machinery. Therefore, the maximum pain they could feel was limited.
But Han Xiao had to experience the pain in reality!
Of course, being able to experience the reality was more advantageous to him. He had already gained a lot of benefits from it. True pain was just the required cost of the deal.
After some unknown amount of time, the overwhelming pain gradually subsided. Han Xiao’s eyes were filled with blood vessels, and he exhaled a heavy heap of murky air. He felt his nerves had suffered a horrifying torture.
He took a look at his body and was glad to find that it did not change. He did not become a muscular monster. It was still the same old handsome-looking body.
He did not have the energy to read his interface during the process, but now that it was over, he realized that it was flooded with lines and lines of information.
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You used a Felonia Blood Serum (Incomplete).
Mutation Progress: 12%.
Mutation succeeded! (Failure rate was reduced by Gene-blending Potion)
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You used a Felonia Blood Serum (Incomplete).
Mutation Progress: 46%; Mutation succeeded!
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You used a Felonia Blood Serum (Incomplete).
Mutation Progress: 73%; Mutation succeeded!
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You used a Felonia Blood Serum (Incomplete).
Mutation Progress: 100%.
Mutation Completed! Compatibility: Good
You gained 3 Strength and 5 Endurance!
You gained the ability [Basic Strengthen Life]!
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Han Xiao was dumbfounded. He glanced at his stat board with a look of disbelief as the new ability [Basic Strengthen Life] appeared.
I possess a Molding ability! Han Xiao was utterly shocked.
There was a special type of ability called a Molding ability. As far as he knew, he had not heard about any ‘real’ player obtaining this type of ability as it belonged exclusively to NPCs and Bosses, and it had very powerful effects. It was even rare for NPCs to have it.
Just by looking at its effects, one would immediately realize how powerful this type of ability was. [Basic Strengthen Life] would turn Endurance into extra Health Points with a conversion ratio of 1 to 15. This meant that with the 60 Endurance Points that Han Xiao had right now, he instantly gained 990 more Health Points to reach more than 2000 Health Points, almost doubling his existing HP.
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Furthermore, the effect of this ability would increase as his Endurance increased further, providing him even more HP.
Han Xiao was only LV 30, and his HP had broken the 2,000 mark. The LV 38 Pugilist Pan Kuang did not even have as much HP as him.
If a ‘real’ player used the Felonia serum, they would probably only gain stat points, without the Molding ability.
This ability, my magnetic armor, and all the future mechanical armors will together make my tank ability so powerful that my enemies will vomit from trying to kill me.
Han Xiao was pleasantly surprised; he was very satisfied with the new ability as it gave him additional insurance.
He had benefited greatly from this quest.
From quest rewards, rewards from killing the enemies, and rewards from producing machinery during his free time, he had accumulated over 700,000 EXP on his interface!
He then counted the number of blueprints he had—19—just one more away from finishing the job advancement quest. Han Xiao contemplated for a moment and decided to produce some equipment that would boost his movement speed.
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Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?
(Lv. 4 Basic Electromagnetism + Lv. 4 Basic Energy Theory + Lv. 4 Basic Mechanical Engineering + Lv. 2 Basic Bio-engineering)
This fusion will cost you 20,000 EXP!
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The range of blueprints he would get from this fusion was quite large. Han Xiao was uncertain whether he would get the equipment he wanted or not. He prepared himself to fuse three times, and if he did not succeed after three attempts, he would try to invent it by himself.
On his third try, Han Xiao obtained the blueprint for the item that he needed—the Skating Shoes.
Han Xiao scratched his head. He had saved the time needed to invent the shoes by himself by successfully obtaining the desired blueprint on the third try, but one of the two other blueprints was a totally useless blueprint. He was not sure whether he should consider himself lucky or unlucky.
The Skating Shoes, also known as the Electromagnetic Hover-boots, could be worn by an individual or armed on a small robot, and they could greatly enhance movement speed without hindering evading capability.
The other two blueprints were named Swarm and Heart, respectively.
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You have completed your Job Advancement Quest.
Job advancement successful!
You gained a new job [Mechanic (Trainee)]
+50 Energy, +1 DEX, +4 INT; +1 END, + 3 Unassign Stats, +1 Talent Point
You learned [Meticulous Repairs]!
You learned [Medium Enhancement]!
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Repair and Enhancement, the two core skills of a Mechanic, had finally evolved.
Mechanic (Trainee) was the third stage of a Mechanic’s job, but the EXP required to reach Lv.1 was not much since the job had a maximum level of 15.
Han Xiao gained three stat points at once.
His total level was at 34, and as usual, he threw all the stat points gained into Intelligence.
Han Xiao still had some leftover EXP. He thought for a moment before he decided to upgrade [Continuous Gliding Shots]. This skill had helped him numerous times, and Mechanics lacked battle skills, so every single active skill was important to them. Additionally, he was not in a rush to upgrade [Overload] as its Lv.1 effect was powerful enough for now.
[Continuous Gliding Shots] was raised to Lv.4, and its effect was strengthened. However, at the same time, it would consume 8 Energy. Han Xiao now had close to 900 Energy, more than enough to spend on this skill.
He had once again spent all his EXP.
He had spent a large sum of EXP in exchange for an improvement in his fighting capability. His character’s bare Energy Rank exceeded the 500 mark, and when he coordinated with his machinery, it would reach up to 700. He could now beat Pan Kuang easily if they were to fight again without the help of Norsa’s Character Summoning Card.