Chapter 1 The Valkyrie Experiment

The Valkyrie Laboratory’s surface-level disguise was an abandoned farm, with barren fields and dilapidated huts. An electrified barbed-wire fence enclosed the farm, with only one gate, surrounded by an endless forest dotted with shattered architectural ruins.

This area used to be a small city in the old civilization era of Aquamarine Star, now abandoned.

Decades ago, Aquamarine Star integrated with interstellar forces, acquired universally common knowledge, and entered a new era of civilization. The social environment underwent drastic changes, and many cities were abandoned, creating a unique post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

A Black Harrier helicopter landed on the abandoned farm. Six fully armed black-clad agents stepped off the aircraft, wearing uniform black visors, their faces stern, radiating a cold-blooded aura that kept strangers away.

"Night Owl Third Squad, I am the captain, code-named 'Silver Blade.' I am here under orders to transfer the Valkyrie experimental team."

Silver Blade's tone was as cold and hard as stone.

Hela smoothed the long hair blown by the rotor winds and said indifferently, "Whatever. There are SUVs in the garage. I'm requisitioning the helicopter, so don't waste my time."

Number One, leading the nine experimental team members, stood before Silver Blade, head held high, chest out, and declared, "Experimental Subject Number One, reporting to the officer!"

Silver Blade remained impassive. "Come with us."

"Yes!" Number One was flushed with excitement; training at headquarters was the ultimate honor in his eyes.

The Night Owl squad and the experimental team went to the garage, pulled back the camouflage jungle green tarpaulins, revealing several high-horsepower bulletproof SUVs. The two squads drove away through the only gate, disappearing into the forest.

Hela boarded the helicopter and took off.

Suddenly, she felt uneasy, a sense of foreboding.

"Strange, it feels like I've overlooked something," Hela frowned.

Today was the day the leader had approved for her to visit her sister, so Hela didn't dwell on it.

...

Mechanical Modification Room.

Attaching the last hinge, Han Xiao put down the wrench and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Before him was a hollow exoskeletal mechanical arm, resembling a large silver alloy arm guard. The outer armor was made of manganese steel alloy, which was strong and tough, suitable for forging into weapons and armor. To reduce weight and absorb shock, the inside of the power arm used light metal as a frame. All parts were milled by the modification room's lathe. The Germination's workshops and equipment were advanced, and the parts were precisely fitted together. These metal materials were readily available. Although the base had reduced his materials quota for the mechanical modification room, it wasn't difficult to find some good metals.

It was built with his left arm as a reference. His left hand could fit perfectly into the mechanical arm for control, and flicking a finger could activate the hinge switch. The power came from a small engine and air pump hidden in the core of the power arm, heavily protected by armor, which could provide great strength.

The blueprints contained all the manufacturing details, coupled with Han Xiao's own experience, from grinding and machining to final assembly, the process went smoothly.

From Han Xiao's ahead-of-his-time perspective, the control system and power system of this light power arm were relatively backward, and the materials used were also very ordinary. But for now, this was the best weapon he could build. In the early stages, it was excellent equipment, which could increase the chance of a successful escape by at least twenty percent.

Moreover, he found that personal manufacturing, although much more difficult than the game's loading bar, also provided room for free play. The advantages far outweighed the disadvantages.

[Light Power Arm (Left)]

[Quality: White]

[Basic Parameters: Attack 35~58, Defense 13~17, Power Level 38, Durability 270/270]

[Equipment Requirements: Strength 25]

[Attribute Bonus: Speed -3]

[Length: 51 cm (Elbow + Forearm + Palm)]

[Weight: 14.7 lbs]

[Additional Effect: Extra +10 Strength Judgment]

Equipment levels are divided from low to high: Gray - Common, White - Ordinary, Green - Good, Blue - Excellent, Purple - Very Good, Pink - Rare, Orange - Legendary.

The panel prompted him that he had completed his first manufacturing, earning 3,000 experience points. The reward for creative technical work was more generous than assembly and reinforcement.

Han Xiao's current strength was twenty-one points, so he spent four free attribute points to increase his strength to meet the equipment requirements.

During his spare time on the lathe, Han Xiao used [Simple Enhancement Modification] to modify a Type 73 Wasp pistol, with an attack of 38~47, which was more powerful than the ordinary version. This was the first weapon he had fully enhanced, and of course, he would keep the good stuff for himself. As long as he had bullets, this gun could unleash its power. Han Xiao also used the scraps from making the power arm to grind a tactical dagger, the blade of which was mixed with tungsten steel, making it very sharp, with an additional 10 points of melee attack. There was no point in not using the materials.

Due to Han Xiao's long period of low profile, no one was observing him twenty-four hours a day. Han Xiao was the only mechanical logistics personnel in the base. To be cautious, he first manufactured each part and then welded and assembled them. The guards who occasionally glanced at the surveillance screen couldn't tell what Han Xiao was building, and they thought he was repairing guns as usual, so the process went smoothly and he wasn't discovered.

Han Xiao hid the light power arm and the enhanced Wasp pistol. The inventory was a real weight, not an alternate dimension. Since the equipment was too conspicuous, he couldn't carry it with him.

He hid the dagger in his waist, walked out of the room, and went to the cafeteria on the first underground floor.

When they had nothing to do, most of the agents would play cards here to pass the time. Much of his intelligence came from the daily conversations of this group of agents. Everyone talked without avoiding him, which gave him the opportunity to gather information.

Sure enough, playing dumb was a wise choice.

"I really envy Hela for being able to leave the lab. Being stuck in this crappy place every day is killing me."

"She's an executive of the organization, her status is much higher than ours."

"Hela's face and figure... If I could play with her for one night, I'd be willing to live three years less."

"Kid, are you new here? The last person who dared to provoke Hela didn't even have a strand of hair left. What do you think she became an executive for?"

"You mean... she's a superpower user?"

"Hmph, of course."

Han Xiao's eyes flashed. Not having to face Hela head-on was really good news. He had no confidence in beating Hela.

He stood up and left the cafeteria without attracting attention.

Every corridor had surveillance cameras. To escape, he had to clear the surveillance room first.

The surveillance room was on the third underground floor. Han Xiao pretended to wander aimlessly, approaching the surveillance room. The armed guards he encountered along the way ignored him.

Two armed guards stood at the entrance of the surveillance room, and there would be two guards on duty inside the room, which meant he had to quickly and silently kill four guards. It wouldn't be easy, but he had practiced it in his mind thousands of times and wasn't nervous at all.

There was a surveillance camera at the corner of the surveillance room's corridor. Seeing that no one was around, Han Xiao took out the soft bread left over from breakfast, soaked it in saliva in his mouth into a ball, and with a flick of his hand, stuck it on the surveillance camera lens, blocking the picture - without advanced hacking equipment, he had to use this old method.

After waiting for three seconds, no one came out of the surveillance room. Han Xiao was sure. He had overheard the guard on duty complaining to his colleagues last time and learned the inside story: the base had never encountered danger, so the guards on duty didn't take it seriously and were all slacking off.

Han Xiao steadied himself and came to the door of the surveillance room, where two armed guards reached out to stop him.

"No admittance to idlers."

"This is Zero, there's no use talking to him, just drive him away."

The guard on the left nodded and reached out to push Han Xiao's shoulder. Just when the two of them were completely unprepared, Han Xiao moved!

He grabbed the left guard's wrist, and his other hand drew the tactical dagger from his waist with lightning speed, inserting it from the right guard's jaw, directly piercing the brain. The dull feeling of the blade stabbing into flesh was clearly transmitted to his wrist along the handle!

The right guard's expression froze on his face, and he didn't make a sound, dying instantly.

Han Xiao released the dagger and his arm circled back, the left guard hadn't had time to react, and his head was grabbed by Han Xiao and held in his arms, forming a cross-neck lock posture. As a trained security guard, the guard knew how fatal this posture was, and frantically tried to pry open Han Xiao's arm.

The next second, Han Xiao twisted hard, and with a crack, the person in his arms stopped struggling.

Ending two lives in less than a second!

[You have hit a fatal weak point! Normal attack converted to fatal attack!]

The light blue damage values of "-162" and "-171" popped out of the two men's heads. The damage of a fatal attack was the target's maximum health.

[You have killed a Germination Organization Armed Guard, gaining 360 experience points] x2

Grabbing the corpses and letting them fall silently, Han Xiao took a deep breath. He had actually rehearsed the sharp and concise killings just now countless times in his mind.

Killing people didn't make him uncomfortable. He was secretly shocked, had he become a pervert because he had been too depressed lately? In his previous life, the largest animal he had killed was probably the timid rodents in his old home in the countryside, but now killing people felt no different. He felt that he urgently needed psychological treatment...

The panel prompted him to obtain the information of the two. Agent level 7, strength 10, endurance 15, health around 150. This was the strength level of most of the armed guards in the laboratory. Individual health had slight differences due to physical condition.

[You have obtained 4 pistol magazines.]

Han Xiao searched the corpses of the two and found four Wasp pistol magazines. He sheathed the dagger back in his palm, and quietly pushed open the door to the surveillance room.

The fluorescent blue light of dozens of surveillance screens illuminated the room. Han Xiao saw a scene that stunned him.

He saw that the guards on duty, "Thirty Thousand" and "Constipation Bro", were intimately embracing, their lips only an inch away from touching. Hearing the sound of the door opening, they turned their heads in panic, and the three were immediately embarrassed, the atmosphere was stiff.

Han Xiao was dumbfounded, a mouthful of old blood stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.

Eye-searing!