The Legendary Mechanic

by <unknown>

He felt that he needed a way to increase his quota. Levelling up was not an option at the moment, so he had to go for organizations and legendary points. There was no need to think about these at the moment.

  Wind Chaser and Dragon Tail were normal pro players, and they didn’t have a very good battle record in my previous life. I shall observe for now.

  Han Xiao was strict in choosing his spare tires. He was not going to choose every pro player.

  …

  Fanatics and Nine Gates posted about their players buying the referral letter on the forums, which was a promotion of themselves to increase their fame within the players. The huge amount of money that they had spent attracted many players’ attention, and they were all amazed at what they had done.

  Han Xiao’s face also showed up indirectly because of the advertisement from these two clubs. The clubs that followed after would also mimic the same actions so that they did not lag behind. Han Xiao guessed that his face would probably appear many times on the forums.

  Without stopping, Han Xiao came to the last novice village in the Western Continent. As he was harvesting experience, there were other pro players that used the funds from their guild to exchange for a chance to accept the missions. Normal players could only watch and envy from the sidelines.

  Another mission in the Western Continent was also accepted by a pro player. Han Xiao could finally relax and happily sell his abilities, at the same time paying attention to the forums and the Dark Net.

  “Hmm? New episode of ‘Galaxy Times’. Titled… Creation of the Professional League?”

  Han Xiao felt wide awake. He had always paid a lot of attention to this show, so he clicked in immediately.

  “Hello players,” the male host greeted, “this is Galaxy Times, dedicated to sharing first-hand game information. Your gaming career is our top priority.”

  “Spring, I have been quite anxious recently,” the female host commented.

  “What’s wrong, Autumn?”

  “I fell in love with a man. He doesn’t speak much, and he’s so handsome, but he’s never looked at me seriously and never talks to me.”

  “Don’t worry, I think you two suit each other very well.”

  Female host was surprised. “Really?”

  “Of course, he’s handsome and cool, you’re short and ugly, how suitable.”

  “…”

  It was the awkward opening joke again. The style felt very nostalgic to Han Xiao.

  The screen was filled with comments.

  A lot of players watched Galaxy Times. In less than a month after beginning, they had already become the go-to show for the players. After all, they had the official background, so they had a lot of first-hand information.

  They chatted for a while to bring up the atmosphere. Then, the male host said, “Alright, let us get back to our main topic. In today’s show, we will be digging deep into the most popular topic—Inhuman Phenomenon—the news from pro players, and we also invited Li Ge to be our guest. Be sure to stay.”

  The contents of the show were interesting as always. They started off by going through the progress of players in all various planets while giving some comments on the level leaderboard.

  “Currently, the highest-level players are already closing to level 20. Level 20 will be the first class advancement, so I wonder who will receive this honor. The first player to receive a class advancement will be recorded in the books of gaming history as a milestone.”

  “As everyone can clearly see, the players on the top of the leaderboards are mostly not pro players. The Japanese players have the highest number of players on the list; as everyone knows, their base camp planet is the Lonnie Planet, where technology and magic coexist. They are at the peak period of the civilization, which is very suitable for getting missions and levelling up. There are also quite a number of players from France and America while there are not many from China. Oh, I see someone I know. Maple Moon, do you guys remember? Not long after the official launch, she received more than 100,000 experience points, which was from the first prize pool mission the players have seen.”

  “Speaking of the Black Phantom, from the beginning of the game till now, he has been the center of attention for the players in Planet Aquamarine, and recently, something has happened again. He continuously appeared in novice villages to give out guidance and rewards, and not long ago, he showed another main storyline mission, but it had a prior requirement of buying an item that was priced at an outrageous amount of 250,000 Aquamarine dollars! If players from other planets want to know how much this means, please move to the currency exchange panel, and look at how many resources can be purchased with 250,000 Aquamarine dollars.

  Players from other planets envied Planet Aquamarine. Why did they not have such a great novice guider?

  Chapter 197. Responses from All Sides (1) |

  The male host changed the topic. “Recently, an event has raised wide discussion among the players. The NPCs in the game have expressed extreme curiosity over the unique characteristics of players. Every planet has witnessed different reactions and labelled this phenomenon differently, such as Chosen Ones, Inhumans, Genius Phenomenon, which was very exciting and surprising. It’s like NPCs have their individual minds and are not as rigid as NPCs in other games.”

  “If every NPC has an individual mind of their own, the amount of computation needed will be extremely high, but Galaxy is using the latest light speed computers. Its limit is unknown,” the female host said.

  Players wrote their speculations in the comments. The fact that NPCs seemingly had their own intelligence and interacted as freely as a person would in the real world was very new and exciting.

  The hosts read from their scripts. They talked about the situations on various planets and made some speculations.

  From the players’ perspective, they only knew the NPCs attitude toward them and not the responses from the organizations, but Han Xiao did. Recently, the information on the Dark Net had almost all been about the contact with Inhumans. The rapid increase in the number of players had given a lot of pressure to the organizations.

  All the organizations agreed that, if the number of Inhumans grew continuously without a limit, it would bring endless potential dangers and subversively impact the current social construct, but they could not find a way to suppress that growth at all.

  Luckily, Inhumans were weak and easy to control.

  The organizations in Planet Aquamarine had yet to notice that the strength of players was growing at a very fast pace. Before they were LV 20, their power was still in the category of normal humans.

  Han Xiao shook his head. When the level of the players is high, these organizations are going to be really shocked.

  The topic of the Inhuman Phenomenon had ended. The male host said, “… we have invited Li Ge to join us today. Good to see you, Li Ge.”

  Li Ge, the god tier player that ranked second in China, sat between the hosts with a smile on his face.

  Galaxy Times frequently invited highly skilled players for an interview and discussion, so the female host asked Li Ge what his view on the Inhuman Phenomenon was.

  “I think this is part of the game’s plot, to give the players a feeling that it is real. When I was playing, I kept having the misconceptions that I was in a real world, and I think that is what the developers want us to experience. As a unique character in a real world, everything that occurs required improvisation, and there will almost never be any repeated events. It’s all new and exciting. I have high hopes for what Galaxy can achieve in the future.”

  “Talking about the future of the game,” the male host said, “our channel has received first-hand news that the international esports association has confirmed that they will be hosting the first ever pro league, and they have also informed the countries to host competitions. What is your view on this?”

  “I would say that it means I have yet to lose my job.” Li Ge laughed. “On a serious note, strong esports clubs have all stepped in
to Galaxy. They will definitely be preparing for it, and I think it will be a great fight. Hopefully, I can lead China to a good result.”

  The comments exploded again. The players were very excited about the creation of pro leagues. It was going to be a big event. There were also other comments like “Li Ge is so handsome!” and “Love you hubby” that came from the female fans.

  “The competition has been established, and pro players will have to quickly prepare for it. Do you have any advice or tips that you can share with us?

  Li Ge thought for a while and said, “We pro players have to distribute the experience points logically in our abilities in a way that suits our strengths best. Therefore, we stick to a steady pace and won’t rush our levels so that we can familiarize ourselves with the controls in every level and improve our skills, which is why there are almost no pro players in the level leaderboards. Oh, there are a few from Japan. Well, as you know, they like to show off,” he mocked lightly.

  “We pro players will grab every opportunity to become stronger. Black Phantom in our Planet Aquamarine has become very famous recently. I think I’m going to try my luck too… but that’s if he returns to the Southern Continent.” Li Ge sighed.

  The rest of the show was mostly chitchat.

  After he watched finish the show, Han Xiao thought, Pro leagues are going to start soon. All the clubs will be preparing themselves and not wasting any time. My customers should be increasing.

  Li Ge—a god-tiered player that ranked second in China, someone whose status was so much higher than Han Xiao in his previous life that Han Xiao was not even qualified enough to be in contact with him—had said that he would come to find him.

  But now, Han Xiao had the power to choose if he wanted him to be one of his spare tires.

  Li Ge… I’ll have to think about it.

  …

  Frenzied Sword and Bun-hit-dog did missions in Black Pine. It was not a place for high-level players. The missions were difficult, but Frenzied Sword was a pro player after all. With his skills and the equipment that he had received from Han Xiao, he was having a good time and grew rapidly.

  Through the missions in Black Pine, Frenzied Sword had received new equipment and new abilities, but these things could not fill his heart. Instead, he felt empty inside.

  When he thought of Han Xiao, his heart would be filled with desire.

  Only by following Han Xiao could he understand the true meaning of life, and the missions in Black Pine paled in comparison

  “When will he return…”

  Frenzied Sword was melancholic.

  Outside the isolation zone in Black Pine, Lu Cheng was talking to Frenzied Sword. “Honestly, you have surprised me. You actually suppressed the plague.”

  Frenzied Sword was upset. Bun-hit-dog pulled him to the side, and only then did he come back to focus.

  “Hmm, yeah,” he replied perfunctorily

  In the beginning, when Black Phantom had left the two of them to deal with the plague, Lu Cheng did not take it seriously at all, but not long after, he realized that these two people really could be of huge help. The characteristic of them being able to revive meant that they were unafraid of the infection and could do many things the researchers did not dare to.

  The plague in the colony stopped spreading with the help from the duo, and the lightly infected patients were already cured. The number of people in the isolation zone had visibly reduced.

  Lu Cheng has always been surprised by the characteristics of Inhumans. He had told the people of Green Valley Ville to research these ‘homeless wanderers’. He contacted his friends from other organizations and knew that the Inhumans phenomenon was happening everywhere in the world. As the Inhumans’ area of activity started to grow, even the Six Nations could not keep the secret from the civilians.

  As the level of players increased, players from novice villages started to explore the map slowly. Many left Green Valley Ville, and some of them came to Black Pine.

  Lu Cheng did as Han Xiao taught him to, which was to treat the Inhumans like mercenaries. He noticed that Han Xiao had surprisingly pointed him down the right path.

  “Er… rewards?” Bun-hit-dog reminded the distracted Lu Cheng.

  Frenzied Sword glared at Bun-hit-dog.

  During the mission, he had done almost everything. Bun-hit-dog had just spent the whole time recording from the side like a boss, and yet he had the guts to ask for rewards.

  Lu Cheng laughed and told his subordinates to pass the agreed rewards to the duo.

  Frenzied Sword carefully read the details of the pieces of equipment that he had received. With the creation of the pro league, he had felt more pressure, so he improved on his skills as much as he could during his free time.

  But Bun-hit-dog did not care. He browsed through the forums, then suddenly, he said, “There’s news about Black Phantom. He can give out main storyline missions… how come he never brought it up to us? We triggered his hidden storyline, so why aren’t we getting at least the same treatment?”

  Frenzied Sword’s expression tightened, and he said in a low voice, “When he returns, he will definitely give the main storyline missions to us too.”

  “Where did that confidence come from?” Bun-hit-dog questioned.

  “I…” Frenzied Sword was at a loss for words. He was rather anxious, but he comforted himself with a firm expression and said, “I believe in him!”

  Chapter 198. Responses from All Sides (2) |

  In a military base in Stardragon, many players crowded around as if attending a mini fair on a bright, sunny day.

  Stardragon’s approach toward the players was gentle. They held many internal meetings and tried to command the players. They realized that other than some Inhumans being mentally ill, they were capable of normal communication. They decided to put the players together as a special division and made them serve the military.

  This military base was specially created for the players. Commanders from Stardragon gave out missions, and many players were opening stalls and grouping up—the whole area seemed to be prospering.

  Impacted by Han Xiao, many players chose to join the Stardragon, including Maple Moon.

  Fighting and killing was not Maple Moon’s style; she liked to collect materials and build machines then sell them to other players. Many players liked coming to her for supplies and repairs, so Maple Moon could easily find a team when doing her missions.

  Maple Moon was just a casual player. The time that she spent online was less than other players. Plus, she preferred to enjoy the game more than doing missions all the time, so she wasted a lot of time by doing that.

  Even so, with the prize pool rewards that she had received from Han Xiao, she still surpassed most of the players and became one of the players on the level leaderboard.

  Maple Moon looked at her experience bar and excitement showed on her face.

  Almost level 20. I will be able to find Black Phantom very soon.

  …

  A piercing cold wind blew across the wasteland with thin snow. Together with the ground, they created a view filled with gray and white.

  In a wasteland on the Northern Continent, a player with an animal skin coat slowing trekked across in the cold wind. On the horizon behind him was the novice village that he had left from.

  With blood scabs on his fists, seven dead Frost Wolf bodies lay one hundred meters behind him.

  Frost Wolves were a common predator in the Northern Continent. Their level was around 10, so players at the time had less than a 20% chance of winning under the siege of seven Frost Wolves, but there were only a few shallow scratches on this player.

  The ID above the player’s head was ‘Hao Tian’, which was clearly an old ID.

  Hao Tian—a famous pro player, a pillar of the Long Sky club, and a veteran in the pro scene—had used this ID for many years.

  There were many esports clubs in China, but only a few were considered top tier, such as Guild of Gods, Long Sky, Dynasty
, Fried Eggplants with Fish… Yes, that club was called Fried Eggplants with Fish, and their mortal enemy was the Kimchi Club in Korea.

  Hao Tian suddenly received a ranged communication request from Li Ge, so he stopped and accepted.

  “Hmm?” This greeting clearly conveyed the fact that Hao Tian did not like to talk too much.

  “Have you heard that the Esports Association has confirmed the creation of Galaxy Pro Competitions?” Li Ge asked.

  “Oh.”

  “What class did you change to.”

  “Pugilist.”

  “I’m an Esper,” Li Ge said. “Level up quickly. The situation of the Chinese players is not looking good. I need help from people to fight top clubs from other countries.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Hao Tian did not give face at all, and he hung up.

  Both were top players; their styles were very different.

  Hao Tian had been in the pro scene for many years. He had steadily trained and climbed up to where he was. He did not like to talk, did not like to manage public image—all he did was shine in the competitions.

  Li Ge was very passionate about managing his image. He often went to shows, so he had countless more fans than Hao Tian. Plus, he was handsome, so he had many female fans. Li Ge was the type of player that was talented enough to surpass other players without much hard work.

  Every pro player had their own talent, and Li Ge was full of talents.

  Some people are just that talented.

  Many people admired Li Ge, and many envied him. Hao Tian was not one of those. He had known Li Ge for a very long time. Li Ge was just someone who succeeded in the same industry as him and nothing more; he did not care for other factors.

  Li Ge was his old rival. Hao Tian lost to him many times, and in order to reach a higher place in Galaxy, he spent almost all of his time strengthening his in-game character. He did not want to miss any opportunity.

  He opened the forum as was his habit, then saw the posts about Black Phantom giving out main storyline missions.

  He suddenly stopped walking and turned back around toward the novice village.