The Legendary Mechanic, page 327
Han Xiao approved of her decision. While Hila had great potential, her current strength could not keep up with him. If she trained under the Dragon Emperor, it should be extremely beneficial to unearthing her potential. She would then be able to grow rapidly and help him when the time came.
In the past month, the construction of his base had largely been completed. The players worked tirelessly day and night and remodeled the Sanctuary into a Main City.
The Main City region was a region within the inner region of the city. New cable lines were laid, and the energy core of the Sanctuary had also been changed into a stable galactic level reactor. The abundant energy source was directed into the protective shield that covered the entire Main City and the Electromagnetic Rail Cannon that was deployed in a six-sided star formation.
After days of laborious work, a portion of the Main City had been demarcated as the ‘Black Star Second Base’. Surrounding the Main City were the seven subsidiary cities constructed for the refugees. The size of the subsidiary cities was far larger than the Main City, and this region was named ‘Black Phantom Sanctuary’. The second base was far more technologically advanced than Planet Aquamarine, and it was impenetrable to any organization on Planet Aquamarine. Even if the Six Nations attacked together, they would not be able to do anything to the base.
The city plan was extremely obvious. It separated the city into the Black Star base, which was the inner city, and the refugees’ outer city. This was the preliminary form of the Black Star Mercenary Group’s base on Planet Aquamarine.
Because Han Xiao had sufficient funds, the majority of the base’s facility had been bought. The advantage of spending money was that it saved a great deal of time. Han Xiao also constructed another two assembly lines during his free time. One was an electromagnetic firearm with a decent strength for the players, and the other was a low-grade energy shield. Both were suitable for the players at their current level.
While the first base also had the assembly line for those two pieces of equipment, it was important for the second base to have some production as well to ensure that the goods would not be out of stock.
Currently, most of the players were above level 60 and had gone through the first Race Evolution. The players had begun leveling, which resulted in Han Xiao’s harvest of experience points being lowered. However, the wallets of the players had also became fatter. Enas had gradually begun to replace the local currency.
Other than Frenzied Sword and the others, the players also began to have some spare cash, and a small portion of the players had begun purchasing the goods in the faction store. In the past month, Han Xiao had received 380,000 Enas from the sale of his low-grade machinery.
While the total expenditure of the players was far lower than that of the experts who followed him into the galaxy, it was still a good start.
Taking away the expenditure used to construct the base, Han Xiao still had 4.8 million Enas left in savings.
Apart from those two events, the situation on Planet Aquamarine had been stable over the past month, and the storm in Godora did not seem to have affected Planet Aquamarine.
The second phase of the Mutation Disaster was slowly brought under control, and the mission progress of the Main Storyline mission rapidly increased. It seemed as though everything was getting better, but Han Xiao knew that this was only the calm before the storm.
Then, the change finally came.
Godora had come up with the antidote!
…
Nagakin escorted the antidote over in secret and immediately came to find Han Xiao.
“Black Star, the research department created an antidote based on the sample that you provided. Planet Aquamarine is one of the regions chosen to test the antidote.”
Nagakin took out his communicator and displayed a confidential document on the screen. Information on the antidote was recorded in the document, and he sent it over to Han Xiao to take a look.
After briefly glancing through it, Han Xiao’s eyes lit up. “Two types of antidote?”
“Yes, the research department discovered the modus operandi of the Mutation Source and detected a radioactive reaction in the Mutation Source’s ability. Thus, the first antidote that they created is a type of machine. It is able to disrupt the energy waves of the Mutation Source within a certain region and reduce the radioactive reaction of the Mutation Source. This will reduce the hormonal reaction of the infected individuals during their outbreak, which allows the infected individuals to control their actions during the outbreak of the virus. It can be understood as weakening the control that the Mutation Source has over the infected individuals.”
Han Xiao nodded. “This way, as long as we can install this machine, all the infected individuals within a certain radius won’t need the suppressant.”
The production of the suppressant was not able to satisfy the needs of the refugees. Furthermore, the suppressant could only be given to an individual, but Godora’s disruptor was able to suppress the virus within a fixed range, which was far more efficient. It could be said to resolve the present difficulty that they were facing.
“The second antidote is a type of injection, and its effect is to break down the molecular structure of the Mutation Source,” Nagakin said in a deep voice. “As long as it is injected into the Mutation Source, we will be able to destroy the Mutation Source!”
The picture on the information was a tube containing a white gel-like substance.
“Indeed…” Han Xiao’s eyes turned solemn.
The Mutation Source was capable of absorbing energy, and the majority of attacks had limited effectiveness. Its life force was extremely stubborn, and as long as it was not destroyed completely, it would be able to grow again. This injection was its nemesis, and it was able to destroy the internal balance of the Mutation Source and create a chain reaction to destroy its molecular structure from within.
The second antidote was the way to solve the problem at its roots!
In his previous life, the Mutation Source had grown to a considerably powerful level, and it had been able to convert its stored energy into combat strength. The players had worked together with the Godorans and fought the Mutation Source like they were fighting a Boss. While there was only a single opponent, the Mutation Source had been able to control a large number of infected beasts, and the scale of that battle had been extremely large.
Because of Han Xiao’s influence, the final battle was brought forward by a year, and the strength of the Mutation Source was far from his previous life. This meant that the difficulty of the [Mutation Disaster] mission had dropped greatly!
“This means that our mission is to find the Mutation Source on Planet Aquamarine. However, this is like finding a needle in a haystack. Do you have any other ideas?” Han Xiao asked.
“Yes! Apart from the two antidotes, the research department also created a detector to detect the Mutation Source’s energy waves! As long as the Mutation Source is within two thousand meters for more than ten seconds, the detector will be able to lock onto the location of the Mutation Source. Jeez, time is limited, and the research department was only able to create such a detector.”
Nagakin took out a palm sized detector that looked like a radioactive detector.
Han Xiao took the detector and mused, “While it is only able to lock onto its target within two thousand meters, it is still much better than searching blindly. Eh? The structure of this detector seems very simple.”
“Yes, after understanding the workings of the Mutation Source, it was extremely easy to create this detector. The cost is not too high.”
Han Xiao’s eyes lit up, and he caught the scent of a new business opportunity. “That’s great! Get the research department to send me the blueprint. I shall create detectors in bulk and issue them to the Inhumans. Then, I will get them to spread out across the entire planet to carry out a large-scale search!”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to send out a spaceship?” Nagakin asked with doubt.
“Not necessarily.” Han Xiao shook his head. “The detector only reacts within two thousand meters, and it can be seen as a sphere with a two-thousand-meter radius. With an increase in altitude, the detection radius will decrease. At an altitude of two thousand meters, only the tip of the sphere will be left. The spaceship will have to fly at a very low altitude for the detector to be effective. Furthermore, the detector will only be able to lock onto the Mutation Source after ten seconds, so the spaceship has to continue flying at a low altitude. And don’t forget that the Mutation Source is able to move.
“In comparison, why not gather manpower to perform a search on the ground? Apart from the Inhumans, the army of the Six Nations can also help. Only then can we ensure that not a single region will be missed.”
Nagakin was stunned for a moment. He felt as though something was wrong but also felt as though Han Xiao’s words made sense. Thus, he nodded and said, “Then let’s just do as you’ve said.”
Han Xiao revealed a smile as he heard that.
All this while, the Sanctuary and Godora could only react passively to the Mutation Disaster and were completely helpless before the Mutation Source. This time, everything was different.
With those three new items, Godora could finally go on the offensive and end the Mutation Disaster!
I’ve been waiting for this day! Han Xiao’s eyes glowed sharply.
…
Two days later, the Sanctuary and Six Nations had completed their setup of the equipment to suppress the Mutation Source. They had finally broken free from their reliance on the suppressant, and the most recent virus outbreak proved the effectiveness of the equipment.
While the infected individuals would still have the various different emotions, their rationality would prevail. Those who had a stronger will would be able to suppress the impulse that they felt during the outbreak of the virus.
Furthermore, a strong will was the current specialty of the Planet Aquamarine citizens, who were currently going through a disaster.
The refugees finally had a sense of security and no longer lived in fear. While the Mutation Disaster had not been completely resolved, the citizens of Planet Aquamarine finally saw the hope of overcoming the Mutation Disaster.
The happiest individual was naturally Emerald Grass. She no longer had to work overtime to grow the raw materials of the suppressant and could relax.
After relaxing, Emerald Grass could finally see the bright smile on the faces of the refugees. At the same time, those smiles seemed to tug on her heartstrings, and she could finally see how many lives she had saved through her actions.
Such a feeling made her feel extremely special and warm.
Bennett and the leaders of the Six Nations could also heave a sigh of relief. They did not know of the fact that Han Xiao was the one who had provided the sample and thought that everything was a result of Godora’s effort. As such, they all expressed their gratitude to Nagakin and the other members of the disaster relief squad.
This made Nagakin feel extremely awkward. The person with the greatest merit was a member of Planet Aquamarine, but all of them had actually run over to thank him!
However, he still made sure to keep Han Xiao’s actions a secret.
In the eyes of the players, the storyline was not that complicated at all. They only knew that Godora had suddenly developed a piece of equipment to suppress the virus, which caused the difficulty of the Main Storyline Mission to fall greatly.
At this moment, the Black Star Mercenary Group suddenly issued a mission that attracted the attention of all the players.
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[Mutation Source]
Mission Introduction: The Mutation Disaster is the source of the calamity, and the unknown fate of the planet has caused everyone to live in fear. Finally, the day that everyone has been waiting for has arrived. Black Star found the method to solve the Mutation Disaster at its roots, and we need your help.
Mission Requirements: You will be placed in a random location on Planet Aquamarine. You are to use the detector to find the location of the Mutation Source on Planet Aquamarine and inform the Black Star Mercenary Group.
Mission Reward: 1,050,000 Experience, 10,000 Enas, +1500 Black Star Mercenary Group Favorability, Sunil NCO Class armor x1
Note: This mission will affect the progress of [Mutation Disaster] Main Storyline Mission and greatly increase the mission progress of [Mutation Disaster].
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“My goodness! The reward of this mission is so high!”
“10,000 Enas‽ Oh my goodness!”
“We are still able to affect the Main Storyline Mission progress? It seems like this is a very important mission!”
“Is this a sign that the Mutation Disaster storyline is about to end?”
This mission set off huge waves on the Planet Aquamarine forum, and all the players were immediately fired up!
At the players’ current level, the reward of this mission was truly too high!
The total reward that Han Xiao could give out grew rapidly together with the strength and size of his mercenary group!
The million or so experience points were already stunning, but this was not the main point. The main point was the 10,000 Enas that were akin to more than a hundred daily missions!
Not just that, the Favorability points of the Black Star Mercenary Group were also extremely valuable, and there was even NCO Class armor. This was equipment that the players who had followed Black Star into the galaxy were wearing! All the players had long been extremely envious!
Such plentiful reward had truly excited all the players.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the mission with the highest reward that they had even seen.
Practical rewards were far more useful than a long mission introduction. The players all charged into the Black Star Mercenary Group base to accept the reward, and the door almost burst apart.
Very quickly, players found out that the [Mutation Source] mission required a special device that could be bought in the faction store. This time, everyone could purchase this equipment.
The players all opened the faction store excitedly to find their target. Very quickly, the introduction of the equipment entered their eyes.
_____________
Mutation Source Detector: You will be able to lock onto the position of the Mutation Source if you are within two thousand meters from it for ten seconds.
Price: 3 Enas
Chapter 558. Fight for Time |
It had only been a short time since the players began earning Enas, and their funds were limited. The players who could afford to buy equipment from Han Xiao were relatively rich.
However, regardless of how small their savings were, taking out three Enas was no problem at all. Many of the players did not have enough money to buy equipment, but they would definitely be able to afford the ‘cheap’ detector. Those poor players were Han Xiao’s targets. Even if they could not afford a nine-course meal that cost thousands, they would be able to afford a simple bowl of soup that cost a few dollars.
Han Xiao intentionally set the reward of the mission to be extremely high to create the possibility effect in all of the players. This was just like buying a lottery ticket. When Nagakin described the detector to him, Han Xiao had already sensed the great opportunity.
While he could choose to provide the detector for free and issue it to the players automatically when they accepted the mission, what was the point of doing so? With the opportunity to make money being presented before him, how could he not seize the opportunity to harvest the players? The Great Mechanic Han would have let himself down if he did not do so.
The mission reward was a full 10,000 Enas. However, as long as enough players accepted the mission, not only would he be able to recover his costs, it would be possible for him to make a profit of over a thousand percent!
Three Enas was not much, but the players did not know that the cost of the materials was actually very low. As long as he had the blueprint, the detector could be completed with the most ordinary materials. In truth, this price was already ridiculously high, and it was almost akin to making profits without any cost! Han Xiao was extremely clear that this situation was necessary. As long as he kept the core technology in his hands and monopolized the knowledge, making money was an extremely easy affair. This money-making method was one that would be effective even at the national and civilization level.
Ordinarily speaking, even if the players could afford the 3 Enas, they would not buy such an item because the cost of the detector was far too low. However, the current situation was completely different. Because the detector was a mission essential, the detector suddenly seemed much more valuable. Using 3 Enas in exchange for a chance to earn 10,000 Enas seemed extremely worth it.
Everyone knew that the chance was slim, but many of them wanted to try their luck. Before truly experiencing failure, they all had that trace of hope in their hearts and felt that they might be the lucky one.
To the players, they only had to pay a small price, and there was no price for them to pay if they failed. Under such circumstances, many players were naturally willing to take the gamble.
Phillip quickly handled all of the payments, and the stock of detectors depleted rapidly. Han Xiao could see the balance in his account increasing rapidly.
5 million… 5.2 million… 5.4 million…
It only began slowing down after 5.4 million Enas.
“I earned about 600,000, which means about 200,000 players bought the detector. Hmm, the stock of the detectors should be depleted soon, but the production process of the detector is extremely simple, so the assembly line can start anytime.”
Making use of the temptation of 10,000 Enas to get back so much more in profit. The margin was truly too good, and after eating this fat piece of meat, Han Xiao felt completely content. He already had enough to repay the debt. Of course, it was impossible for him to repay it now as he could use the money to grow more money.
