by <unknown>
“Authorizing… Authorization approved.
“Assignment Info Updated.
“688.4.1, Code Name – Mr. Black (Scorpion-level) [Awaiting results].”
….
At the same time, Han Xiao triggered the corresponding quest.
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You have triggered C-level quest [Bounty Hunter (The Rose Militant)]!
Quest Information: The Somar Desert is filled with many factions, including Wanderers and hired militants… but how did a desolated land like this attract so many powerful factions? Perhaps it has something to do with certain incidents in the past. You should explore this land.
Quest Requirement: Kill all members of The Rose Militant. Time limit: 15 days
Quest Reward: 15,000 EXP
Special Reward: 25,000 EXP, unknown reward
Chapter 92. Pilgrims |
“I need to use your cargo plane,” Han Xiao said to Antonio. They were in a base camp of the Fabian company.
Antonio was slightly shocked.
“We only use the military cargo plane for large scale transactions. Even if you are a Black-Gold VIP, you are still required to pay the stipulated charges,” Antonio stuttered.
“Ok, got it.”
“Well, how many guys you want to transport. When will they leave?”
“Just myself. I’m leaving immediately.”
Antonio’s chubby face was shaking like waves of water. He paused for quite a while and eventually said, “What a waste.”
The military cargo plane was able to reach the destination in around a day’s time. There was a simple garage available on the plane, and Han Xiao was able to create new machinery and gain experience during the trip on the plane.
“A trip by the plane cost $50,000. Are you serious?”
“When can I board the plane?” Han Xiao took out a large stash of cash from his briefcase that contained a hundred thousand dollars.
“One hour.”
The Fabian Organization rented a stretch of runway at the Morning Wind City’s airport. There were a couple of large olive-green cargo planes parked. Han Xiao brought along all his gear and materials and boarded one of the planes. Soon, he could sense the vibrations. The plane started to accelerate and took off into the clouds.
Once the plane regained its stability in the skies after the take-off, Han Xiao was able to start his creations.
…
The glaring sun was shining brightly on the endless desert. The yellow sand was heated to a temperature unbearable for the human body.
A group of twenty was trudging through the desert.
They were clad in torn and tattered gray robes. Their robes had not been cleaned for god knew how long. Their robes were drenched in sweat, releasing a disgusting stench, and they stuck to their wet bodies. They lips were cracking, and their eyes draped down. Their fatigue was evident from the look on their faces. They were moving shakily, and it was as if they were going to collapse at any moment. The horses that they brought along also looked sick and skinny.
The Somar desert had once had an oasis. The country was rich, and its citizens lived happily. But after a war, the entire country had perished. The oasis had been destroyed by the battles and blended into the surrounding desert. The people walking in desert were the citizens of the country that had vanished.
A legend of the old nation said that ruins of over a million years old were hidden deep in the Somar desert. Beneath the ruins, there was a hidden treasure that held the power to control the entire desert!
In the wars that happened decades ago, the desert had undergone a series of abnormal changes. The sand behaved like water and transformed into a whirlpool. The whirlpool moved around the desert as if it was being controlled by someone. The whirlpool then vanished after seven days. The records of the eerie incident disappeared with the destruction of the country. Many citizens of the old nation believed that the treasure could revive their country, and they searched long and hard for it.
The Wanderers active along the border of the Somar desert were also known also as the pilgrims.
That group of twenty was the last batch of pilgrims.
“The ruins of Felonia, the power of the magic, they are sure to exist,” the eldest of the pilgrims mumbled to himself.
…
A fleet of vehicles returned to the desert to defend the boundaries.
“Dorothy! Nothing again this trip?” Luo Qing, the chief of the Rose Militants, questioned.
“This time, we searched in sectors E4, E5, and D4. There are still no signs of Felonia,” Dorothy replied with frustration. She was a strong black lady. Her face was disfigured by a long scar that looked like a centipede. Her strong muscular arms had tattoos that were hard to see due to her dark complexion.
Rose Militant was a mercenary organization made up entirely of female members. They were active in the Somar desert and had been searching for Felonia for years.
There were two trainers in the organization. The other trainer, nicknamed Ghostly Fox, was a petite white lady and a brilliant assassin.
“In this search, our members came into contact with the Coutonians. Wen Li and Cecil died in battle.”
All the returning members of the militia suffered from injuries. Their bulletproof vests had many holes, and the ceramic tiles housed in the vests were also shattered.
Luo Qing gave a cold glance and said, “Be more careful in the next search. The Coutonians are funded by the Rothschild family, who have always wanted to wipe us out.”
All the military groups active in the Somar desert had their sponsors. They all had the mission of finding Felonia. Therefore, battles between the different groups were very common. Most mercenary soldiers had at least ten lives on their hands. They were all ruthless individuals.
…
Han Xiao felt a shake in the plane. The huge force pressed his body hard on the seat. Gradually, that force pushing him disappeared.
“The plane has landed,” the pilot shouted through the speakers.
Han Xiao brought his briefcase down, and he could feel a wave of heat once he alighted from the plane.
The landing site was a warehouse surround by barbed wire. There were many militias patrolling the area. It was the branch of the Fabian organization in the Somar desert. The Fabian organization was a global arms-dealing organization that had branches everywhere for more convenient business dealings.
“Welcome to Somar desert.” Antonio descended from the plane. His white shirt was stretched tightly by his fat body. The chunk of meat could be seen clearly as if he was topless.
“Why did you follow?”
“Haha, the chief in charge of the Somar branch was killed in a recent battle. Therefore, I am here to take care of some administrative matters. Also, it has been a long while since I travelled.”
Han Xiao nodded. He was not shy at all and asked, “I need a map indicating the different military groups that are active. Also, can you lend me a desert jeep?”
“I’ll get someone to make the arrangements.”
Somar desert spanned a large area. Even if he drove the jeep continuously without sleeping and followed the correct route, he would need at least ten day to travel across the desert. Since it was hard to navigate through a desert, a radar was definitely required to accurately tell the direction. Furthermore, there were many military groups active in the region.
Han Xiao felt confused as he could not understand what the different groups of forces were fighting for in the barren terrain.
“To find Felonia.”
“What’s that?” Han Xiao was very curious. He did not have any recollection about that word. It was probably a hidden mission that had not been activated in his past life.
Antonio yawned. “I am equally clueless.”
Han Xiao realized that Antonio was trying to hide something from him. He raised his brows, collected his gear, and walked toward to jeep without saying another word. He was ready to check out the active areas of Rose Mi
litant.
“Bon voyage.” Antonio waved lazily at Han Xiao to bid farewell.
Han Xiao drove the jeep into the desert through an opening in the barbed wires.
…
Through the information on the radar, Han Xiao managed to reach a location, quite a distance away from the area occupied by Rose Militant, where he could observe the activities of the member of the organization using a telescope.
The campsite of Rose Militant was heavily guarded. It had concrete walls and barbed wire on the walls. The metal gate was the sole entrance and exit to the base.
Within the base, there was a tall sentry post. The sentry guard on the post observed the surroundings while the sentry post was also equipped with a huge search light that would be switched on at night.
Han Xiao came to a conclusion—unless he could burrow into the sand and dig a tunnel into the base, it was almost impossible for him to infiltrate the base.
Furthermore, Rose Militant consisted only of women. They had big breasts and perky asses. Han Xiao had a perky ass, but he could not squeeze out any breasts. Even if he could disguise himself as a woman, it was highly likely that he would be discovered.
The infiltration was bound to fail.
Han Xiao glanced at the weapons on the sentry post. There were several grenade launchers and dozens of heavy machine guns in addition to the tough concrete walls encircling the base.
An assault of the base was also bound to fail.
It seems like the only way to achieve success for the mission is to lure the snake out. I need to employ traps in my upcoming battles. I need to create some new items, Han Xiao thought to himself as he left.
He started his journey back to the Somar headquarters of the Fabian company. He wanted to ask Antonio if he could use the garage.
There were still seven remaining potential points. He raised [Basic Electromagnetism] to level four and [Basic Spatial Sensing] to level three, using a total of four points.
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Do you wish to proceed with talent fusion?
(Lv. 4 Basic Electromagnetism + Lv. 3 Basic Energy Theory + Lv. 3 Basic Spatial Sensing)
This fusion will cost you 15,000 EXP!
Chapter 93. Ambush |
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Fusion
Success!
Congratulations, you have discovered [Electromagnetic Combat Scanning Visor]!
̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄
Oh?
Han Xiao raised his eyebrows. The product from the fusion was not what he had anticipated. However, the visor was of great use to a sniper since it offered greater accuracy compared to using the thermo-scope. The new visor enabled vision through the internal compartment of concrete walls. If it was mounted onto the scope, it would allow for more accurate shots through the concrete walls at the stipulated target.
Let me try it again.
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…
This fusion will cost you 30,000 EXP!
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Fusion
Success!
Congratulations, you have discovered [Electromagnetic Pulse Interference Machine]!
̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄
That’s the one. Han Xiao nodded.
The EMP Interference Machine was a common blueprint. It was very likely to appear, and other than the EMP Interference Machine, there were a couple of other machinery blueprints that could meet his expectations. In fact, he had actually set aside sufficient EXP for a third fusion. However, he was no longer required to use the additional EXP and could save it for future tasks.
The powers of the EMP Interference Machine were known far and wide.
There was no shortage of vehicles available in the desert. However, since Han Xiao was a sniper, maintaining the distance between the target was of the utmost importance, and he needed to have some distractions for vehicles if they approached.
He was still short of some highly destructive explosives, mines, and traps.
He touched his chin, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He had a new idea.
I guess I can try creating the items and skip the fusion process!
Previously, the players could hardly utilize self-creation skills. However, they were able to absorb the knowledge from the other blueprints and fuse their knowledge and the information from the other blueprints together to create new ones. They were able use their knowledge gained to add on to the details of their concepts. Through self-creation, they were able to skip the arduous research and development process of the new machinery, and they could even create powerful new machinery ahead of the expected progression.
The core concept behind the highly explosive rounds was flammable gas. By compressing flammable gas into a container, its power would be escalated to an extent that was no lesser than the Mines of Shattering Shards.
Since he needed to create an explosive mine, he needed additional gunpowder and ball bearings. He started to consider the use of flammable gas.
He decided to split the explosive round into different sections. The flammable gas became less reactive upon coming into contact with the atmospheric gases, and they were sealed up. There was a switch in the round that also acted as a timer. Once the time was up, the switch would click, and as the flammable gases came into contact with the gunpowder, an explosion would be triggered.
Since he was going to utilize his prototyping skills, Han Xiao felt that it was a good opportunity to increase the power of his product by equipping it with additional effects. Therefore, he decided to incorporate the theory behind the Hayme bullet into his new creation.
Han Xiao quickly finalized the blueprint in his mind and started crafting the new equipment with his hands. A prototype was required to be tested in order to determine whether the new creation was a success or not. Most players employed the creation process—they merely set the blueprint and selected the materials and tools required. They did not participate in the manufacturing process, and the success of the creation depended a lot on luck.
However, Han Xiao was involved in every phase of the production process, including the hands-on manufacturing. Hence, he was able to fine tune the steps in each stage of the production, and that greatly increased the success rate of his creation.
After a while, a circular mine with a thirty-millimeter diameter emerged from Han Xiao’s production. He operated the interface and did an automatic scan to determine if his creation was successful.
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Scanning to determine success of product…
Failure!
̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄
It failed? Han Xiao raised his brows and frowned.
The reason behind the failure had to be due to the fact that the mechanical components were unable to attain the projected effects, or there were some obvious loopholes.
He found a spot to test out the power of his new creation, and he discovered that the ignition process involving the highly flammable gas, gunpowder, and the poisonous gas was awry. Although an explosion still took place, the damage caused was far below what was projected, and modifications were required.
The gases were very hard to control. A slight mistake meant that the entire process had to be repeated and modifications of the mechanical parts had to be made. The weapons-testing area of the Fabian Organization’s camp was completed charred, and venomous gases were everywhere. Han Xiao had to vacate the ground, else he would suffer continuous deductions of his HP.
Finally, after thirteen failures, an angelic line emerged on the interface.
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Success!
You have successfully created a new prototype blueprint!
̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄
A new explosive’s blueprint emerged in his mind, and the inter
face recorded all the theories behind the machinery. After witnessing the effects of this new weapon, Han Xiao whispered, “It’s too conventional to call the explosive the Highly-Flammable, Poisonous, Delayed-Explosion Mine. I shall call the mine ‘Flaming Poison’.”
_____________
The naming is successful.
You have gained the blueprint of the new creation [Flaming Poison Mine]!
̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄
After the newly-created blueprint was recognized by the interface, the usage of the explosive became a skill, and EXP could be utilized to increase the level of the explosive. Furthermore, the various requirements to create the explosive were also recorded on the interface, and by referring to the interface during the creation process, the manufacturing of the explosive could take place at a faster rate.
Han Xiao’s eyes lit up brightly. Indeed, just as I expected, the self-creation blueprints can meet my needs for adaptable weapons during battle situations, and there is a huge potential in this area that has yet to be unraveled.
The next step will be to create a sufficient inventory of explosives.
…
Night soon fell.
Han Xiao drove his jeep into an empty and spacious sector. He then arranged rows of fireworks on the ground and put them on delayed ignition. After that, he prepared the Flaming Venoms and EMP Interference Machine along the path that Rose Militant had to take in order to reach the specified sector.
How did Han Xiao predict the route that Rose Militant would take?
It was based on the shortest distance between the two points.
Obviously, one could not eliminate the possibility that the enemy would take a longer path instead of the predicted one. However, it was not much of a worry as there was always another opportunity to ambush the enemy.
The EMP Interference Machine was a circular piece of equipment with a base. Han Xiao had created a portable version with a height of merely one meter and a radiation radius of 300 meters that released high frequency wave signals. The machine could interfere with the abilities of other precision electronics such as communication devices, remotely-controlled electronics, and search radars. It was especially effective against vehicles and could paralyze their communications, signal receptors, controllers, and even their movements.
