Chapter 954: Lu Xun: Every Tank Has a Heart of a DPS

Chapter 954: Lu Xun: Every Tank Harbors the Heart of a Damage Dealer

In the cabin's grand hall, numerous guards sat or stood, their gazes converging on the holographic screen at the center. On the display, Heiber was swatted deep into the planet's core by the Mechanical Deity, and the very next moment, the world erupted in a cataclysmic explosion. This was an ultra-high-definition combat recording captured by the interstellar media present, now playing on a loop, complete with immersive sound effects.

Even though it was his second time witnessing this scene, Hadaway couldn't suppress his awe, murmuring, "When on earth will I ever reach such a realm..."

"Maybe in your next life?" a guard beside him snickered. This man was also an early joiner and a Calamity Grade, a close drinking buddy of Hadaway.

"With your ability, even if you reach Beyond A Grade, I doubt you'd possess such devastating power," Aurora said, shaking her head.

Someone nearby chimed in with a tease, "His ability is only good for taking hits. By the time he reaches Beyond A Grade, he might just become the most beloved punching bag among his peers."

"Hmph, you're just jealous," Hadaway grumbled in displeasure at the remark.

"Heh, seriously, even if you break through your limits and reach Beyond A Grade, you won't be as durable as Lord Black Star, and you lack his versatile offensive arsenal... I think you'll go down as the weakest Beyond A Grade in history."

Hadaway pondered this and felt his future darken instantly. Losing his spirit, he slumped onto the sofa in a lazy sprawl, his entire being turning into a salted fish.

"Don't worry about such things," Fardin smiled gently, reaching out to squeeze Hadaway's shoulder. "Who knows, you might never reach Beyond A Grade at all."

Hadaway rolled his eyes and retorted in annoyance, "That's Morning Star talking, not you. Don't go mimicking the Vice Commander for no reason."

As the group chatted, the cabin door slid open with a soft hiss. Everyone turned to see Han Xiao striding in.

"Greetings, Commander!"

Many hurriedly stood up and saluted, their eyes fixed on Han Xiao with burning fervor.

Having just watched the live broadcast of the entire battle, Black Star seemed even more formidable and enigmatic in their minds. As his strength grew, so did their reverence for Han Xiao.

"Everyone's here," Han Xiao nodded, glancing at the recording on the holographic screen with an amused smile. "Haven't you seen this already? Why are you still watching the replay?"

"It's all to admire your heroic figure once more!" Hadaway sidled up, his face brimming with sycophantic eagerness.

He had originally joined the Black Star Army merely for trade, but after witnessing Black Star's potential time and again, he now served Han Xiao with absolute sincerity.

After this battle, everyone knew Black Star had officially become the strongest in the Broken Star Ring. "Strongest in the Star Field" was no mere empty title; the prestige, influence, and aura it brought were incalculable.

Only a Beyond A Grade who defeated all other powerhouses in the same star field could claim this title. In the Broken Star Ring, although Black Star had been strong before, to the public, he had the substance but not the name, and people would always compare him to the Conqueror.

Now that he possessed both substance and name, the majority of ordinary interstellar citizens finally acknowledged his status as the "Strongest in the Star Field."

Seeing the boundless prospects, Hadaway wished he could cling to Black Star's thigh and never let go, gladly enduring Han Xiao's loving beatings every single day.

Seeing this, Han Xiao's gaze turned peculiar.

He remembered that before joining him, Hadaway had quite a bit of swagger. How had he ended up like this...

Could my personal charm really be that immense?

Shaking his head, Han Xiao offered a few words of encouragement to the group before approaching Fardin. Just as he was about to lay hands on him, Fardin darted away like a startled fawn.

"W-wait a moment, I'm Morning Star right now!"

Han Xiao paused, lowering his hands, and chuckled, "It's fine, no rush. I'll wait for you to switch back."

Morning Star hastily retreated into the depths of his mind. Fardin's consciousness came back online, his demeanor as refreshing as a spring breeze, though his face was full of helplessness.

In the past, Fardin had been somewhat resistant to being touched, but now he had simply resigned himself to his fate.

After so many incidents, even he began to wonder if he truly possessed extraordinary luck...

Seeing this, Han Xiao happily stepped forward and rubbed him thoroughly, only then leaving with a handful of blessed luck, feeling thoroughly sanctified.

Returning to his room, Han Xiao eagerly opened his interface and chose to settle the quest.

The reward included a character card of Heiber, as if Fardin's luck had exploded. The ability on the character card was none other than [Ultimate Path: Cellular Overlimit]. Although it had only one use, the mechanism of the character card meant there were no lingering side effects.

The experience reward was the standard for a Beyond A Grade boss quest. Two to three billion experience points slightly replenished his increasingly depleted experience pool.

As for the two points of Universal Prestige from the previous quest, they did not appear this time, indicating that the prestige reward was a one-time thing. However, due to the impact of this event, he still gained an extra point of new prestige.

[Universal Prestige: Premier Powerhouse of the Broken Star Ring — You have stood at the pinnacle of a star field, and the entire universe will sing of your might.]

This prestige is clearly something players can never get... Han Xiao muttered inwardly.

After settling these rewards, it was time for the ultimate reward: drawing an ability!

[You have received a reward: Draw one ability (Skill/Perk) from Heiber.]

[Notice: Heiber is a Martial Master. The effects of some drawable abilities have been automatically adjusted according to your class.]

[Randomly drawing... Draw complete.]

[Please choose one of the following five abilities as your reward:]

[1. [Berserk Qi Force] - Skill: Qi Force attack damage +110%, consumption +50%, duration 10s, cooldown 75s.]

[2. [Ultimate Path: Cellular Overlimit] - Skill: Unleash cellular limits and extract your own potential. You will temporarily burst forth with a higher tier of combat power, lasting from hours to days. After use, you will gain a "Weakness" state for one month, and level/skill upgrade costs will permanently increase by 7%.]

[3. [Close-Quarters Killer] - Perk: Melee attack and melee attack speed +40%, all melee skill levels +2.]

[4. [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction] - Perk: When subjected to any type of attack, after calculating normal resistances, a fixed 7,500 points of actual damage are reduced. The remaining damage then calculates lower-priority resistance perks. This perk pairs with "Low-Tier Damage Immunity"; if you possess the "Low-Tier Damage Immunity" series of perks, the fixed damage reduction value becomes the threshold of "Low-Tier Damage Immunity."]

[5. [Combo Critical] - Skill: When you perform consecutive hits on a target, the critical rate and critical damage increase with the number of hits, stacking up to a maximum of 75% critical rate and 350% critical damage. The state lasts for 5s, cooldown 80s.]

Glancing over them, Han Xiao was slightly pleased. Rubbing Fardin really made a difference; quite a few good items had dropped.

However, the more good things there were, the harder it was to choose.

Han Xiao thought for a moment and first eliminated [Berserk Qi Force]. This skill boosted pure Qi Force damage. Although his mechanical force could also deal damage, it was too low, and he never used it that way. This skill was most suitable for a Martial Master's detached waves, offering him very little benefit.

[Ultimate Path: Cellular Overlimit] was indeed a good skill for bursting power, but the side effects made one recoil. This wasn't a time-limited drawback like an Evolution Cube; permanently increasing experience costs just sounded painful. Even though it was only 7% at a time, it could stack infinitely.

And as for the effect... just look at Heiber. If you couldn't beat someone before, you still couldn't beat them, and you might just get beaten for a longer time. Just thinking about it was heartbreaking.

This ability wasn't very meaningful for a Mechanic who didn't rely much on his physical body. Rather than a temporary burst, Han Xiao preferred to prepare a larger mechanical army before battle. Moreover, he had just obtained a side-effect-free character card, so he could perfectly pass on this skill.

[Close-Quarters Killer] was most suitable for Martial Masters and Mechanical Fighters. Although it was useful for him, it wasn't crucial.

As for [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction], this was undoubtedly a template perk. Although a fixed reduction of 7,500 points didn't seem like much, that was only when judged from the perspective of a Beyond A Grade. If a Calamity Grade had this perk, reducing 7,500 every time, it would add up, raising their damage resistance by at least two or three tiers.

If a B Grade or C Grade obtained it... it would basically make them an immortal existence among their peers. Players encountering this type of boss would simply despair.

This ability paired with the "Low-Tier Damage Immunity" series. Heiber possessed a [Legendary Low-Tier Damage Immunity] perk, making him completely immune to attacks with actual damage below 16,000. But that didn't mean [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction] became useless.

The normal rule for low-damage immunity is that damage below the threshold is directly immune, while attacks above 16,000 are unaffected... However, with [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction] added, the effect becomes that attacks above 16,000 must also have 16,000 actual damage subtracted, before calculating lower-priority resistance perks... This is the result of the two pairing up, raising the threshold of reduction.

But now he could only draw one of them, so the effect would be somewhat discounted. Actually, what Han Xiao really wanted was the [Super Toughness] perk on Heiber. That was the true secret to Heiber's extreme durability, and it had a lower priority. In other words, Heiber's damage reduction sequence was as follows:

—First, a layer of reduction from Beyond A Grade protective Qi Force, then a layer of reduction from the physical body's normal resistance, yielding the actual damage value. Next, subtract the 16,000 points of fixed damage reduction, and finally calculate the massive reduction from [Super Toughness]. According to rough calculations, tens of thousands of theoretical damage would ultimately be reduced to two or three digits. Rock solid.

The last one, [Combo Critical], was extremely suitable for him. The number of consecutive hits from a concentrated mechanical army barrage was a joy that Martial Masters could never imagine. It could absolutely max out the critical rate in the shortest time, steadily adding massive output.

"So torn..."

Han Xiao scratched his hair, pondered for a while, and finally made his choice.

[You have obtained [Legendary Fixed Damage Reduction]!]

Master Lu said it well: every tank harbors the heart of a damage dealer. He really wanted to choose [Combo Critical]...

But, having finally drawn a template perk, it would be too wasteful to let it go!

His own resistance wasn't low to begin with, coupled with a despairingly fast health regeneration rate, and now adding fixed damage reduction...

That sour and refreshing feeling, just thinking about it was terrifying.

I'm afraid I'm going all the way down the path of a tank, but I really want to deal damage! Han Xiao felt a profound sense of frustration.

Having sorted through his rewards, Han Xiao exhaled a breath, steadied his mind, closed the interface, and fell into deep thought over the repercussions of this battle.

Earning the title of the strongest being in the galaxy would help revitalize the Black Star Legion's operations in the Broken Star Ring, while simultaneously attracting a fresh wave of talent.

The decline in the War Domain's influence would not hinder the Infinite Consortium's investments; they remained his primary rivals. However, this incident would make the War Domain's expansion more difficult, indirectly striking a blow against his adversaries.

As for the Empire, since they had refrained from intervening before, it signified tacit approval... Little Bully must have been wounded quite deeply by me this time.

"Now, the construction and development of the Shining World is the top priority. I estimate that for a long time to come, the three Universal Civilizations will not erupt into open conflict. This way, I will have a sufficiently stable external environment to develop the Mechanical Civilization and the Black Spirit Clan, and begin building the secondary dimensional factories..."

Han Xiao mused in silence. Long ago, he had set the tone for the version updates over the coming decades: to advance with steady, deliberate steps and fortify his own foundations.

...

As Black Star and the War Domain departed, the onlookers present gradually dispersed. Spies from the Shining World and the Virtual Spirit were the first to upload the combat footage. It was not long before this recording reached the hands of the high command, prompting the leadership of the two Universal Civilizations to convene an emergency meeting specifically to discuss the matter.

"Everyone has seen the footage. What are your thoughts?"

In the high-command conference room of the Shining Federation, Grand President Badel cast his gaze around the assembled Council of Elders and high-ranking officials, asking slowly.

The Chief Council Elder tapped his cane, his voice raspy as he spoke: "Regardless of the reasons, it is now an established fact that Black Star possesses the strength of a peak Beyond Grade A. The Crimson Dynasty will welcome its fourth supreme pillar of national defense, which is highly disadvantageous for us."

"Indeed," another high official said with a solemn expression, his voice deep and grave. "Moreover, Black Star is far too young and will serve the Empire for a very long time. He is also the most troublesome Virtual Mechanic. Given time, he might very well rise to the level of Manison. We are gradually losing our advantage in Beyond Grade A combat power."

"What worries me is when Black Star's next growth spurt will occur."

Someone frowned deeply. "We once believed he would remain in seclusion for decades, but now it has proven to be a flawed judgment... Every time we assume he needs a long period of tempering to further enhance his strength, the facts prove us wrong."

Hearing this, the crowd fell into a somewhat heavy silence.

Facing an opponent like Han Xiao, who repeatedly shattered the laws of reason, everyone felt the pressure.

"In that case, the strategy regarding the Evolver Totem will need to be adjusted accordingly," the Chief Council Elder said slowly.

"Well said," Badel mused. "I must consult with the Virtual Spirit Church."

...

The highly anticipated duel had come to an end, but over the following half-month, the fervor surrounding the event did not wane; instead, it continued to surge.

Countless interstellar media outlets looped the combat footage across channels in every star system, placing special emphasis on magnifying the process of the Bully being beaten.

With the media's dissemination, even interstellar citizens who had no interest in the duel were now treated to the "valiant figure" of the Bully. Now, even those who were previously unaware of the Bully's defeat knew all about it.

A Beyond Grade A being getting beaten—what a delightful spectacle. This incident quickly became the talk of the town for countless interstellar citizens during their leisure time.

In the eyes of most people in other star regions, the Bully was a relatively unfamiliar Beyond Grade A. Now, Heber had boosted his presence by getting beaten, achieving a massive surge in fame.

Rumors circulated that after the battle, Heber went home and shut himself away, locking himself in his room so that even his subordinates could not see him.

The matter spread like wildfire, and a special group also took notice of the Mechanical God displayed by Black Star.

The Mechanical Cult!