Chapter 976: Director Han (Revised)

Chapter 976: Director Han (Revised)

"It actually triggered. It's a designated learning-type quest; I thought it would be a random ability draw..."

Seeing the details of the quest, Han Xiao's eyes flickered, a glint of pleasant surprise crossing his gaze.

This quest type mirrored a mercenary contract. In his past life, when players accepted missions from certain NPCs, they could negotiate tangible rewards, such as monetary sums, skill acquisition, or item drops. There was a life class known as the [Lobbyist], boasting a suite of eloquence skills and specializations designed to boost the success rate of negotiations with NPCs, functioning much like the player's personal reputation.

However, quests for designated character abilities had an exceedingly low drop rate and relied on sheer luck; more often than not, the triggered reward was a random ability draw.

Han Xiao was merely drawing upon the experience of players from his past life, attempting to use rhetoric to influence the post-generation rewards, without any absolute certainty of triggering an ability-draw quest.

In his calculations, he had anticipated, at best, a random ability draw, never expecting such a fortuitous surprise.

"In that case, there's no need to leave it to chance."

Han Xiao instantly felt at ease, letting out a long sigh of relief.

He had assumed the reward would be, at most, a random ability draw, and fearing he might fail to draw the Perfect Mechanical Sense in a single attempt, he had prepared numerous "scripts" for Nilo, intending to run through them repeatedly if the first try fell short.

But with a designated-type quest in hand, there was no need to put Nilo through the wringer any longer.

At that moment, a sudden conjecture struck Han Xiao, and his expression instantly turned peculiar.

—Could it be that my receiving this quest is also the doing of Nilo's high-tier luck aura? It got everything sorted out in one fell swoop, sparing me from screwing him over further, which means Nilo won't have to endure the even more brutal "scripts" down the line? It doesn't seem entirely impossible!

"Terrifying, truly terrifying..."

Han Xiao's mouth twitched, at a loss for what expression to wear.

In truth, this instance had slightly deviated from his script. Originally, Han Xiao had intended for Nilo to be driven to the brink of despair and cry out for his help, but he hadn't expected the kid to be quite the fighter, shielded by a protagonist's halo, stubbornly carving a bloody path through the fray, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and escaping on his own, nearly upending Han Xiao's grand design.

Had he not made double preparations, faking a signal and dragging the kid's little sweetheart into the mess as well, Nilo might never have come to him for help, rendering all that effort utterly futile.

As various thoughts flitted through his mind, Han Xiao came back to his senses. Seeing Nilo still waiting nervously on the line, he couldn't help but offer a faint smile:

"Alright, the pact is sealed. Leave everything to me."

Nilo nodded fervently, wiping away his tears, and couldn't help but ask, "Godfather, when can you get here? I'm afraid if it takes too long, Mia will..."

He was unaware that Han Xiao's mechanical army was concealed within the fleet, assuming that Han Xiao's offer of help meant rescuing Mia after the fact, with no idea how many days it might take, and thus worried that Mia would suffer the enemy's abuse in the interim.

Hearing this, Han Xiao suppressed a chuckle, casting him a meaningful look before saying lightly, "Rest easy. It won't take long."

With that, he severed the connection, harboring no intention of explaining himself to Nilo.

Exhaling a breath, Han Xiao found himself in high spirits. He shifted his perspective back to his Sovereign avatar, currently on the battlefield, and gave a nod.

"It's time to make our move."

……

"Ugh, where is this place..."

Mia's mind was a hazy fog, her eyelids leaden and heavy. Struggling to pry her eyes open just a fraction, the scene before her leaped into view.

Five meters ahead stood a transparent pane of nano-glass. Beyond it, several Kundu soldiers were looking in her direction, whispering and conferring as if discussing something, but the glass sealed away all sound, leaving her in absolute silence.

A profound exhaustion permeated her every fiber, her body entirely beyond her control, pinned down as if by sleep paralysis; moving even a single finger was an agonizing struggle. It seemed some immensely potent sedative had been injected into her veins. She could distinctly feel her body strapped to some apparatus, her limbs rendered utterly immobile.

"What happened to me? Why am I here..." Mia racked her brain, struggling to recall what had transpired just before she lost consciousness.

Her mind felt as though it were filled with lead, her thoughts agonizingly sluggish. Fragmented shards of memory slowly surfaced in her consciousness. It took a full dozen seconds of hazy contemplation before the sequence of events finally clicked into place.

—She had followed her squad into the wilderness to investigate an anomalous signal. Out in the open expanse, they were ambushed by several enemy ships that materialized without warning. The entire squad was caught completely off guard, and she was struck by the blast of several ship cannons, suffering grievous wounds. She collapsed, stripped of all combat capability. Her brain reeling from the concussive force, she had grown dazed, and the final blurred image seared into her mind before the darkness took her was that of a Kundu soldier approaching and crouching right before her eyes. After that, there was only oblivion.

"So I've been captured by the enemy? What about the others..."

Mia's heart leaped. She tried to turn her head, only to find it locked in place. She could only strain to roll her eyes, casting a peripheral glance to the side, where she spotted a row of restraint apparatuses. All her teammates were secured within them, the majority still lost in unconsciousness.

Just then, a faint, familiar voice drifted from the adjacent restraint.

"Mia, you're awake?"

Mia hurriedly shifted her gaze and recognized the captain of their squad. "Captain," she gasped in astonishment, "you were captured too?"

"I was powerless against the warships, but the enemy didn't kill us. They took us all alive."

"Thank goodness everyone is alive," Mia breathed, a measure of relief washing over her.

"Heh..." The captain offered a bitter smile. "You're wrong. Falling into the hands of these fiends, death might have been the kinder fate."

"Why?" Mia asked, her mind still clouded, the question slipping out instinctively.

"Think about it—why would the enemy take us alive? If my guess is right, they see us as nothing more than research subjects. What awaits us is a future of inhumane dissections and experiments. Every inch of our flesh and blood will be reduced to their raw material. Compared to such agony, death is a mere trifle." The captain's voice was steeped in despair. "Everyone else is struggling just to survive; no one is coming to save us."

Hearing this, a profound chill seized Mia.

Though she was an Awakened, she was still just a teenager in her late teens; how could she possibly endure such a harrowing ordeal.

At that moment, Nilo's figure involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Her heart gave a painful throb, and her face drained of all color.

"I'm sorry... I'm going to break my promise. I can't walk this path with you anymore..."

A mist of tears gathered in Mia's eyes. She lowered her lashes, and the tears spilled over, tracing two glistening paths down her fair cheeks.

Just then, the door hissed open. Several Kundu soldiers strode in, retrieving syringes from a nearby cabinet as they advanced toward the two conscious captives.

Though they spoke no words, their movements made their intent clear to Mia: they meant to anesthetize them, to plunge them back into unconsciousness.

Mia yearned to make a desperate stand, but every cell in her body had fallen dormant, leaving her utterly devoid of strength.

She could only watch helplessly as the soldiers closed in, her wide eyes brimming with sheer despair.

BOOM!!

At that very instant, a violent tremor ripped through the entire starship, nearly throwing the Kundu soldiers off their feet.

Before Mia could even process the shock, her vision blurred. The living Kundu soldiers from a second ago were instantly reduced to pulverized corpses plastered against the bulkhead. A mechanical warrior materialized before her as if by teleportation—or rather, it was moving so unfathomably fast that her eyes could barely track it.

Clack, clack...

The next moment, the mechanical warrior crushed the restraining apparatuses binding Mia and the others, producing vials of Aurora serum to swiftly inject each captive.

Vitality surged through them all, restoring them to their peak condition in an instant. They flexed their limbs, their faces alight with the euphoric relief of snatching life from the jaws of death.

Every gaze snapped to the mechanical warrior, eyes wide with a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment. They had never imagined that salvation would arrive in such a hopeless abyss.

Mia's emotions swung wildly. She remained stunned for several long seconds before finally coming to her senses. Staring fixedly at the mechanical warrior, she couldn't help but stammer, "W-who are you? Are you from the Legion too?"

"What, you don't recognize me?" The mechanical warrior emitted Han Xiao's hearty laughter. "I am Black Star."

Everyone's eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

The Legion Commander himself had come to rescue them?!

How could he possibly be here?!

Mia's jaw dropped. Suddenly, a realization dawned on her, and she felt she had uncovered the truth.

—For a figure of Black Star's stature to appear here so abruptly, there could only be one explanation... he had been secretly watching over and protecting Nilo all along!

The others quickly caught on as well, overwhelmed by the sheer relief of their narrow escape... they were incredibly fortunate to be stationed in the same unit as a well-connected fellow like Nilo. Otherwise, such a miraculous turn of events would have been impossible; at least half their lives belonged to him now.

"Alright, my mechanical army has already secured the battlefield. Follow me."

The mechanical warrior controlled by Han Xiao waved a hand, quelling the crowd's excited murmurs. After a brief pause, he reached out and patted Mia's shoulder, saying slowly:

"Once the war is over, have Nilo bring you to me. I'll introduce you to a few Catastrophe-level martial artists and have them take you on as their disciple."

Mia's eyes flew wide open in sheer disbelief. She stood frozen for a long moment before the realization finally struck her—Black Star was offering her the chance to become the disciple of a Calamity Grade. Instantly, she was electrified with excitement.

Her heart swelled with a mixture of exhilaration and overwhelming gratitude. She could scarcely fathom that Black Star would single her out for such favor, and she nodded eagerly, bobbing her head like a pecking chick.

"Yes, yes! Thank you so much, Lord Black Star!"

"It is nothing. I simply believe you possess the potential to reach the Calamity Grade."

Han Xiao smiled, then turned to glance at the other squad members present. After a brief second of contemplation, he spoke, "As for the rest of you, report to Melos once you return. I will have him elevate your legion privileges. You may receive promotions, form new squads, or select new positions. Material rewards will not be lacking, either."

Never had they imagined that being captured could yield such benefits... The crowd exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with pleasant surprise.

...

Outside the floating base, the mechanical forces that had been lying in ambush suddenly bared their fangs.

With overwhelmingly superior strength, the entire base was left with no room for resistance. It was instantly breached by a virtual invasion, all armed forces dismantled, and the whole facility fell under Han Xiao's control.

Whether soldiers or officers of the Kunder race, they all plummeted from paradise to the abyss, reduced to prisoners of war.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the invisible mechanical forces finally revealed themselves, plunging fiercely into the fray. Under the astonished gazes of the legionnaires, they swept away and annihilated every single enemy warship.

Nilo and his group were still fleeing when a mechanical detachment suddenly materialized ahead, opening fire toward the rear.

Everyone hastily looked back, only to see energy beams streak past their ship, effortlessly piercing through the several Kunder warships in hot pursuit.

Boom, boom, boom!!

Flares of fire erupted as the pursuing ships exploded from the inside out, bursting into fireworks across the sky.

Witnessing this spectacle, Nilo was instantly stunned.

How could they arrive so quickly?!

Speak of the godfather, and the godfather appears—it had only been a minute or two since he called for help!

At that moment, he suddenly recalled the meaningful look in Han Xiao's eyes when the communication was cut off, and everything clicked into place.

—Although Godfather wanted me to train alone, he had actually been dispatching troops to secretly protect me all along. These mechanical forces were likely hidden within the fleet, ready to intervene only at moments of true crisis.

So that call just now was merely to teach me a lesson?

"Godfather... he has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Realizing Han Xiao's profound intentions, Nilo was deeply moved. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he silently formed an assessment of Han Xiao's character...

—Which happened to be the exact opposite of the Great Mechanic Han's true nature.

Even Nilo's thoughts had been calculated by Han Xiao; the progression of events was unfolding entirely according to the script of the Great Director Han.

The entire battlefield was under the control of Han Xiao's mechanical forces. This small to medium-sized Kunder fleet could not possibly stir up any real trouble. Han Xiao's forces swiftly concluded the battle, ordered all legionnaires to land and assemble, and then brought Mia and the others back.

Seeing Mia safe and sound, Nilo's taut nerves suddenly relaxed. He let out a long breath of relief, a comforting smile breaking across his face.

"Thank goodness, you're alright."

The first thing Mia saw was Nilo. She trotted over to him, intending to give him a hug, but feeling shy with so many people around, she merely raised her fist and lightly tapped the armor on his chest, whispering, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it back."

Nilo broke into a smile. "I told you I would protect you."

Seeing his goofy grin, Mia couldn't help but want to contradict him, muttering, "It was clearly Lord Black Star who protected me."

"Ahem." Han Xiao cleared his throat beside them, interrupting their banter. "I've brought your people back. Be more careful next time. Your luck won't hold out every time, and I won't always be here to protect you."

"I understand." Nilo turned around, his expression turning solemn as he formally thanked Han Xiao. "Thank you. I will bear today's lesson in mind. I will never act recklessly again, and I promise you, I will not waste my talent."

Han Xiao smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze to the other legionnaires present. Giving a slight nod, he spoke slowly:

"Although I intervened in the battle, regardless of anything else, you have captured so many Kunder prisoners. I will not steal your credit. Take these prisoners back, and afterward, seek out Melos. He will arrange extra compensation for you."

This time, in order to let Nilo cross his tribulation, the accompanying legionnaires had also been factored into Han Xiao's calculations. Han Xiao had long prepared compensation for this, and in this regard, he was never stingy. Whenever he utilized others, if they were his own people, he would provide recompense, ensuring mutual benefit—from Bennett to Godora, from the Purple Crystal Civilization to the Crimson Empire, this had always been his modus operandi, unchanged to this day.

The invisible mechanical forces had been monitoring the battle the entire time. A thrilling yet safe battle, exchanged for the opportunity of promotions, pay raises, and becoming officers—it was a rather good bargain, and Han Xiao was the one who profited the most.

After a few hasty words of consolation, Han Xiao had no interest in staying to watch Nilo and Mia flirt. He immediately withdrew his consciousness, switching his perspective back to his main body.

"Finally got it done!"

Exhaling a breath, Han Xiao suppressed his excitement, eager to settle the quest.

[[Nilo's Request] Completed!]

[Reward obtained: Designated learning of one of Nilo's abilities (Skill/Proficiency)]

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

A list of abilities popped up on the panel, detailing all of Nilo's skills and proficiencies one by one.

Han Xiao was thoroughly familiar with Nilo's abilities. Taking a quick glance, he noted that among so many options, two proficiencies held the highest priority for extraction: [Perfect Mechanical Sense] and [Advanced Aura of Luck].

There was only one designated ability to extract. Between these two, [Perfect Mechanical Sense] was an absolute necessity for Han Xiao. It was one of the top-tier template proficiencies for the Mechanic class, possessed by virtually every legitimate Super A Mechanic.

As for [Advanced Aura of Luck], he certainly wanted it too, but its priority had to be pushed back. After all, this ability offered no help in combat and would indirectly weaken his own "Journey to the Underworld Together: Luck Attribute Exclusive Version" skill.

Moreover, his base luck attribute was just a tiny bit low, so the effect of this ability would be limited. He was even worried that if his own luck became too high, it would be harder to draw quest settlement cards.

Besides, with a safety net to fall back on, Han Xiao's need for luck was not that pressing.

[Perfect Mechanical Sense] was the planned target, and he achieved his goal in one go. Han Xiao was quite satisfied with this efficiency. To reward Nilo, he decided to temporarily spare him from experiencing any pain.

As for [Advanced Aura of Luck], he would find another opportunity to arrange it for him later... Han Xiao stroked his chin.

Putting away his devilish thoughts, Han Xiao steadied his mind and selected the target on the interface.

The next moment, a fierce surge of mechanical current cascaded from his brain!

[Selection Complete!]

[Your proficiency [Basic Mechanical Sense] has disappeared]

[You have obtained [Perfect Mechanical Sense]!]