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.
_____________________
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.
_____________________
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.
Chapter 105 - Rothschild
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
With a huge sum of money in his wallet, Han Xiao could spend extravagantly. He purchased a new batch of mechanical parts from Fabian Company.
In one day, using the skills from his job advancement, Han Xiao upgraded all his equipment and made blueprints for new items.
The Electromagnetic Hover-boots looked like a pair of metal boots. The heels and soles had a special device that could utilize the electromagnetic field to reduce surface friction. The power for which was generated by the high-energy battery inside the boots. The user could glide and coast on any type of surface, as if ice-skating, at an extremely high speed that was comparable to that of a car. The battery could supply enough energy for the boots to run at maximum power output for twenty minutes.
Han Xiao then painted the boots in silver and black stripes, and they looked stylish. Also, he conveniently added breathable knitting, a spongy cushion, and leather exterior for the boots. The boots were now comfortable for every day wear. One did not need to change into them only during battles.
Soon, the Rothschilds’ representative visited him.
In Hotel Victoria, Alphonsus was seated in the VIP lounge. He rested his hands on his knees while he waited for his guest to arrive.
As the door opened and Han Xiao walked in, Alphonsus got up and held out his hand elegantly as he said with a deep and magnetic voice, “I am Alphonsus from the Rothschild Family. I want to discuss some matters with you.”
Han Xiao went on to shake his hand. He felt Alphonsus’ thumb pressing firmly on the area between his thumb and index finger while he steadily shook for a moment. It was the type of handshake that was habitual for a person of authority, mostly used to exert dominance over the other person. This kind of handshake was easy to recognize for Han Xiao as his grandfather used to do it.
The principle was rather simple: just like how perverts would lightly scratch a girl’s hand when they shook her hand, a person of different status, job, or identity would have different habits. Handshakes would differ greatly depending on the people executing and receiving it, such as a subordinate seeking a favor from his boss, a male trying to seduce a lady, a person meeting a stranger, or two people of high-status fighting against each other.
Alphonsus was clearly not just a simple envoy. Han Xiao could already guess at the Rothschild Family’s purpose for meeting him.
As both were seated, Alphonsus said, “The assignment for Rose Militant has been on the list for nearly three years, and many assassins failed miserably. You, Mr. Black, actually completed it alone, much to my surprise.”
“You flatter me. This was just a standard operation, nothing to praise.”
Yet, your tone does not sound at all humble, Alphonsus quietly thought.
The two made some small talk before Han Xiao cut straight to the point. “Our relationship is only limited to that between a client and an assassin. Since the assignment is completed, we have no need for any further association. You clearly came to visit me for something else.”
“You are right. I am here to ask you some questions.” Alphonsus nodded. His body suddenly leaned forward, creating a hint of tension. He stared right at Han Xiao and said solemnly, “Did you visit an abandoned base in the Somar Desert?”
Alphonsus continuously observed Han Xiao’s expression and eyes whilst he spoke. He would immediately know that Han Xiao was lying if he showed any hint of hesitation. The Rothschild Family knew about the research project from the experiment diary taken from the base, and they highly valued it. If they could obtain the Felonia serum, they might be able to produce unique items from it.
Much to his surprise, Han Xiao actually took out a tube of yellow-fluorescent blood serum and place directly on the table.
“Name your price,” he said nonchalantly.
Alphonsus was startled—he did not expect Han Xiao to be so frank.
“This item is useless to me. Since you want it, you can pay to buy it.”
Alphonsus glanced at the serum. He did not worry that Han Xiao was lying to him—those who dared to scam the Rothschild Family had all died.
“How much do you want?”
“It depends on your sincerity.” Han Xiao grinned and looked unfathomable.
This attitude gave Alphonsus a headache. He had been hoping that Han Xiao did not know the value of the blood serum, but based on his behavior, it was unlikely. He hesitated for a long while before he made an honest offer, but it was not a high price considering the item’s rarity.
“One million.”
Every negotiator would always start low. Since they were all civilized gentleman, there was no such thing as killing and robbing; therefore, Alphonsus was ready to
spend a fortune on it.
Han Xiao stared at Alphonsus for a moment before he slowly moved his lips. “This price… you didn’t show any sincerity at all.”
Alphonsus was just about to prepare his negotiation speech.
“I accept.”
“This blood serum has been kept for a few dozen years, and I don’t even know if it still works. So, the value is greatly reduced, I…”
“Hold on. You agree with this price‽” Alphonsus looked shocked.
Han Xiao pushed the blood serum toward Alphonsus and smiled. “This is for making a friend.”
Alphonsus started to take a liking for Han Xiao as he had originally planned to spend a fortune on this.
He tucked away the serum and recollected himself. “The funds will be transferred to your account as soon as possible. Also, you will gain the friendship with Rothschild and myself personally.”
_____________________
You unlocked a new camp reputation!
Reputation with the Rothschild Family increased by 1,800 points
The Rothschild Family: Friendly (1,800/3,000)
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Han Xiao smiled lightly; earning reputation points with the Rothschild Family by giving up some money was a very good deal for him. He could always earn money from other places, but the opportunity to unlock a new camp would be fleeting.
Some family conglomerates and corporations existed since the Old Age. After the baptism of war, some families died out while some became even more deep-rooted, for their influence could reach every aspect of their country, including the military, politics, economics, and mafias. Rothschild was one of such families, and Han Xiao knew that he could reap many benefits. To players, this was a support-type camp. They could buy rare items and services from such camps.
The Rothschilds were one of the Dark Net Organization’s allies, and he could use their backing in the organization, which would yield him more advantages.
Without the gene-blending potion, the Felonia serum would not yield him benefits. So, he would rather sell it for some profits. Anyway, he held onto one last tube of the serum.
With another million dollars in his account, his current stash reached six million dollars. They might just be digits in his account, but to put them in context, LV 30 players in Version 1.0 were considered wealthy if they had more than twenty thousand dollars. Anything above a million dollar would be considered astronomical; only major guilds had that kind of money.
After the deal, the atmosphere became more harmonious.
“What exactly is Felonia?” Han Xiao was curious.
He was puzzled by the fact that a simple serum like this was eyed by so many different factions.
Alphonsus was in a happy mood, so he explained, “There was a country in the Somar Desert that was entangled in the wars of the Old Age. They initiated a large-scale research project called the Felonia Project. The name was taken from a legendary tale of the country, and the project involved building many military bases to conduct research in a dozen different branches of technological development. The serum was one of their research directions. ”
“It turned out to be this. I really thought there was some sort of magical ruins.” Han Xiao finally understood the whole thing.
Alphonsus chuckled. “There is no magic in this world. You thought too much.”
Han Xiao laughed and touched his chin. Planet Aquamarine should not have any magic, but why do I have a weird feeling about this?
…
In a pitch-black cavern deep underneath the earth, fine sand dropped through the gaps of the rocks occasionally.
A gush of wind that came from nowhere echoed in the cavern, as if someone was exhaling it. Faint sounds of thunder-like thumps were heard in the background.
Suddenly, six large oval-shaped lamps lit up in the dark. They were golden in color and were divided into two neat and symmetrical rows. From the look of it, each lamp’s radius was more than ten meters.
‘Large lamps’ started flashing rapidly, like eyes blinking.
Eyes.
Chapter 106 - Second-Generation Rover Robot
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Alphonsus passed his phone number to Han Xiao. “This is my number. If you need something, just give me a call.”
Han Xiao knocked on the table for a few times before he said, “It just so happen that I have a question. I want to quickly raise my rank and authorization level in the Blood Pact Society. Do you have any good suggestions for me?”
Alphonsus pondered for a moment and decided to do Han Xiao a favor. He asked a sever to bring in the Blood Pact Society’s laptop, and he opened a document to show to Han Xiao. The top of the document was clearly stamped with ‘No Unauthorized Access’.
Han Xiao’s brows furrowed as he read on.
“Internal Call-up (Not Public)
“Call-up Objective: Blood Pact Society Assassins (Dark-level and above), Contract Mercenaries (Two-star and above)
“Current Participants: 18 Assassins, 245 Mercenaries
“Assignment Location: East Stardragon, 20km North of Seagull City, River Valley Manor
“Assignment Details: Defend River Valley Manor, Protect (Redacted)”
“Internal call-up?” Han Xiao questioned.
“Only assassins of dark-level and above will receive this call-up. You are not supposed to participate in this assignment since you are only a scorpion-level assassin. However, I could give you backdoor access to this assignment, and upon completion of this assignment, you can immediately rise to dark-level. Once you arrive at the location, someone will brief you in more detail.”
With so many participants, this assignment is definitely not a small-scale battle,Han Xiao thought silently to himself.
He remembered a reward-pool quest he could do in the Seagull city that was easy and yet could yield him high rewards. It was conveniently on the way.
I will go there and take a look first, Han Xiao decided. Can’t believe I am going back to Stardragon so soon. Luckily, I will not be identified.
Han Xiao’s brows knitted together. Although he left Division 13, the relationship status between Division 13 and him did not change on his Interface. This meant that Division 13 still did not treat him as an enemy.
There was still some time before heading off. He went back to the Fabian Company base and made some machinery that he had been planning to make for some time.
_____________________
Second-Generation Rover (Combat)
Type: Robot
Grade: Dark Green
Basic Stats: 2,200/2,200, 37 Defense, 168 Power Output, 83 Max Speed, 640/640 Energy
Height: 2.1m
Weight: 300kg
Mode of Control: Low-Level Smart Chip (Programmed for automatic enemy identification)
Energy source: High-power energy pack (x4)
Energy Usage: 6/min (low output), 15/min (full output)
Power Capacity: 310/320 Ona
Brain Module: Intelligent Enemy-Seeking Firepower System (occupies 30 capacity units)
Eye Module: Electromagnetic Scanner-Scope, Obstacle-Penetrating Enemy Seeking-Vision (occupies 15 capacity units)
Arm Modules: Large-Caliber Triple-Barrel Machine Gun—70-85 Damage, 3.5 Fire Rate, 30 Magazine Capacity (+60 Belt Capacity), 75 Power Output (occupies 80 capacity units)
Skeleton Module: K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System—30 Strength (occupies 40 capacity units)
Legs Module: Triangular Wheel System and Shock-proof Suspension Frame—reduce impact of treacherous terrain, increase movement speed (occupies 15 capacity units)
Chest Module: Small-Scale Honeycomb Rocket Launcher—equipped with small-scale rockets (180-230 Damage, induces additional explosion damage), 6-round capacity (occupies 110 capacity units)
Abdomen Module: Magazine Storage—small-scale rockets x 12, additional magazine belt x 200 rounds (occupies 20 capacity uni
ts)
Skills:
– Furious Fusillade
– Titanium Armor: Reduces physical damage taken by 11%
– Self-destruct: Self-destruct to inflict 340-510 explosion damage in a 40m radius.
Note: A human-shaped tank.
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This Rover was made with much better technology; it was equipped with a smart chip, titanium armor, a high-power battery, and a firepower that was much more fearsome. Han Xiao was a lot richer compared to when he first entered the Western Capital, so he no longer needed to budget carefully. The cost of the second-generation Rover Robot was more than 20,000 dollar—already a discounted price with his more specialized skills in making machinery. It was a price that players of the same level could never afford. The second-generation Rover could be used as a mobile fort. However, it could not be used to work on an independent task as the processing chip did not possess the ability to make independent judgment and tactical analysis.
With such strong firepower, the combat Rover could provide firepower support and area strike. Even after the ammunitions were entirely consumed, the K600-type Mechanical Skeletal System would allow the Rover to have ample close-combat capability. It could charge at full speed to knock down enemies and had the ability to self-destruct.
I can now scale up the production of the Rover, but I cannot carry them around, so I should find a secret base to hide them. Although this type of Rover has great firepower, it does not allow for a quick and rapid change of battlegrounds. I can only use it for stationary battles, so its function is rather singular. The problems lie in areas of movement, core power capacity, and chip processing. I need more advance knowledge, which I have no opportunity to obtain as of now. Hmm, I still have to fight as a sniper for now. I should perfect my sniping capabilities.
As Han Xiao lacked money and the necessary technology, the idea of a robot army could not be realized yet.
The Legendary Mechanic c1-1385 Page 59