180,000 experience—45,000 from the Black Spider mission, and the rest mostly accumulated from Han Xiao’s efforts in tirelessly crafting Retractable Knives and Highly Explosive Gunpowder. Currently, both blueprints were at Lv. 2 and Lv. 3 respectively. As they were cheap and easy to craft, they were much easier to level up in contrast to other blueprints like the Lightweight Mecha Arm, or the Rover.

A month had passed since Han Xiao arrived at the Western Capital. Since then, Han Xiao had earned an overall amount of 200,000 experience, which was equal to a third of what he had earned back in his 6-month stint with the Germinal Organization. Now, with over $1,500,000 in his possession, finances were the least of Han Xiao’s concern.

The first-class advancement was the biggest game changer as it granted the player an energy attribute.

Han Xiao lightly pressed his thumb towards his index finger. As soon as he did so, his index was enveloped by a sort of invisible air. It felt similar to a weak current, and Han Xiao could discern that it was magnetism. Magnetism was one of the attributes that a Mechanic could specialize in. Combat-wise, it was not as powerful as the destructive attributes of fire or lightning. Instead, its main use was in strengthening the Machinery Affinity of a Mechanic. It would eventually allow for automated crafting.

Energy Attributes were not limited to just the natural elements. Instead, they could be thought of more as ‘concepts’ of how each class uses energy. For example, the energy attribute for Psychics is [Spirit]. Furthermore, energy attributes could also be nurtured and changed. For example, a Pugilist who cultivated various techniques would be able to grasp the speed of wind, power of fire, or hardness of iron, etc.

[Abstract Thinking] and [Intermediate Machinery Affinity] were self-explanatory, while [Strafe] was an active defensive skill.

If Han Xiao had chosen the path of Cannonmaster, he would have gained three new skills. However, he only gained one: [Strafe], a defensive skill. Han Xiao was by no means a coward who did not dare to face the enemy head-on, but he did indeed prefer a dual-natured skill like this that could be used both offensively and defensively to other flashy and high-damage ones. Furthermore, gaining unlimited ammo, even if temporary, could prove to be useful.

[Energy Training Technique] was a common skill acquired after the first advancement.

It was a special type of ‘growth’ skill that did not have a level system. Instead, its effects could be improved through repeated usage/practice that expended experience, and each use increased the character’s energy, up until the skill’s set usage limit. The user’s energy attribute played an important part in the training effectiveness.

Most energy-related training techniques utilized such a growth system.

Energy was indeed an integral part of Superhumans. It largely decided a character’s grade and power level. The early levels of energy stages are as follows:

Lv. 1 -10

Lv. 2 – 50

Lv. 3 – 100

Lv. 4 – 200

Lv. 5 – 400

Lv. 6 – 1000

…

Not only did reaching the next energy level give each player bonus stats, there were also extra benefits that could be unlocked upon reaching certain levels.

Lv. 1 was the bare benchmark, and while Hila was only Lv. 30, her energy level had already reached 500 ouna, roughly five times more than Han Xiao’s. One of the reasons for this was the Energy Training Technique system.

Platinum Alloy was a new material-type blueprint acquired through [Advanced Material Composition]. The alloy itself was green in color, and it was well-suited for making armor due to its sturdiness. Its crafting requirement was Lv. 5 Novice Refining.

Of the 180,000 experience at hand, Han Xiao decided to spend 25,000 to reach Lv. 10 Agent. This gave him a number of stats (+2 STR, +2 DEX, +3 END, +1 CHA), as well as 1 talent point and 1 assignable stat point.

____________

Advancement detected! Delete [Civilian] Class?

Y/N

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The [Civilian] class was simply one of the default starting classes for new characters. It functioned as a tutorial class that could be deleted upon the first advancement. The experience that a player put into the [Civilian] class would be refunded upon deletion, unless the unknowing player had maxed it out.

“Delete, I guess,” mumbled Han Xiao to himself. There was nothing to lose from deleting it.

The [Civilian] class subsequently disappeared from the information window, leaving it to reflect only a max level [Agent], as well as Han Xiao’s character level of 21.

Next, Han Xiao inputted another 45,000 experience points to raise [Basic Shooting] to Lv. 10, which gave him 10% Accuracy, +2 DEX, and another talent point.

In short, Han Xiao had just spent 70,000 experience points, but he still needed to save 64,000 for the [Energy Training Technique], leaving him with… yup, give me a second…

47,000 more experience points!

“I’ll keep them for now,” muttered Han Xiao, lamenting how quickly the experience points vanished.

Fortunately for him, there was still the High-explosive Gunpowder that he had been stocking up on. It would ensure a steady stream of experience ahead.

…

When the time was up, Gu Hui promptly escorted Han Xiao back upstairs, where Feng Jun had been waiting.

Suddenly, Han Xiao remembered something.

“Oh right. I heard that it was a guy called Korat who stirred up this incident. Help me get word out that I won’t be selling anything to this person.”

Feng Jun grimaced.

“Do you think I’m a messenger or something?”

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you?”

Feng Jun opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“Fine,” he groaned.

…

“He says he’s blacklisted me?”

Korat laughed coldly, seemingly unfazed.

All along, he had only been concerned with personal gain, and he did not see how Han Xiao could ever pose a threat to him.

…

With the resolution of the incident, Han Xiao returned to the workshop, where three days went by peacefully.

Having just advanced, Han Xiao spent the time adjusting to his newly upgraded body. With his past life’s experience, he quickly got in sync and began to train with the [Energy Training Technique]. Each training expended experience points, as well as stamina. As stamina recovery rate was limited, and Han Xiao had to continue with manufacturing, he could only train up to two times a day.

____________

You have trained with [Energy Training Technique] once.

Mastery: 81%

Stamina: +3

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Training effectiveness depended on the main stat of one’s class. The main stat for Mechanics was INT, so he devoted four unassigned points into INT, raising its total to 36. Previously, Han Xiao had needed to put quite a few points into STR and END, but that was only for the purpose of escaping the Germinal facility. From now on, he could focus solely on INT.

The effectiveness of [Energy Training Technique] was divided into three stages:

+1 Stamina for lower than 40% Mastery

+2 Stamina for 40%-80% Mastery

+3 Stamina for 80% and above Mastery

Han Xiao was right on Stage 3.

As Han Xiao had no other outlet to sell the Retractable Knife for now, and a few days had already gone by, he felt that it was about time to release the gunpowder. By now, he had produced thousands of bullets.

He was just about to ring Li Ya Lin up when she beat him to it.

“Leader is out of the hospital. He’s called us up.”

…

Han Xiao found himself the last to arrive at the secret ops team meeting room, where, other than the trio, was another man. The man’s face was extremely square, and he seemed both righteous and stern. He looked extremely reliable and currently had his lips pursed.

“So, you are Han Xiao?”

The team leader’s eyes were filled with both unhappiness and caution as he examined Han Xiao.

Han Xiao was caught off guard by him. Suddenly, Li Yao tugged on his sleeve and muttered to him, “He has the final say in who can join secret ops, but since your case was special, and you had the approval from the higher ups without going through him, he’s a bit—uh—unhappy. But don’t worry. Leader might be strict, but he’s not a bad person.”

That explained things.

Han Xiao was given a second shock when he turned to look at Li Yao. Li Yao’s entire body was wrapped in bandages, and he looked very much like a giant rice dumpling, with only his eyes and mouth revealed. It was an extremely pitiful state.

“Who beat you up?” asked a bewildered Han Xiao.

Suddenly, Li Ya Lin coughed.

Li Yao looked as though he was about to say something but changed his words. “I— I fell down.”

Han Xiao gave him a weird look. His injuries were so serious, if he really fell, he must have done the ‘fall a hundred times if you’re a man’ challenge.

“Let me introduce myself,” interrupted the leader.

“I am the team’s leader, Zhang Wei,” he introduced, shocking Han Xiao a third time.

“How casual is your parents’ naming sense‽ I think only Ye Qiu or Ye Fan could be worse!”

Han Xiao’s response, for some reason, caused Zhang Wei to look confused.

“You know Ye Fan from Hai Xia’s military affairs? Middle—cough—I mean, I worked with him a few times back in the hostel.”

Heavens! There really exists someone with such a godly name? That guy’s rank must be S+!

“Anyway,” continued Zhang Wei sternly. “With your inclusion, our team is back to being a five man cell. Although your position is in the backline, I still have to say this: as your background is a complete mystery, and I don’t trust your ability yet, I will continue to observe you for now. I don’t care if it’s some high-level agent who assigned you here. If you fail to meet my expectations, I will kick you out of the squad.”