Chapter 298 Thirty Seconds

The players created a small commotion, whispering to each other.

"I haven't seen any other plot characters above level sixty."

"Still extremely lethal, the danger level hasn't changed, but was he above level sixty before? Doesn't seem like it."

"According to his story, Black Phantom wasn't strong at first either, suddenly grew and became the mastermind, blew up Germination. That's the special characteristic of a plot protagonist, right?"

"Black Phantom's combat strength is definitely Boss-level, just don't know where he ranks on Aquamarine Star."

The impression Han Xiao left on the players was already quite formidable, his actual combat strength always a mystery. During the players' growth, occasionally seeing Han Xiao's combat footage would always stir curiosity. Now that they'd reached max level, they still couldn't see his specific stats. And Han Xiao was about to display his combat strength, against professional players no less, allowing them to clearly see the difference between themselves and him. This curiosity was once again aroused like a craving, making them itch with anticipation.

"Surviving thirty seconds shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Most of the players, including the selection participants, thought so. Although Han Xiao's level was unknown, based on previous combat footage and the fact that he was a Version 1.0 character, they concluded:

—Han Xiao is strong, but not excessively so. The gap between the players and him must have narrowed significantly compared to the beginning. Don't forget, they are players, leveling up very quickly.

The first player selected for testing, with the ID "Fallen Leaf," stepped forward confidently.

The surrounding players immediately scattered, clearing a space. Fighting in the main city would normally reduce faction relations, but since Han Xiao had chosen this location, it definitely wasn't a problem.

A multitude of eyes stared intently at the center, holding their breath.

"Let's begin," Han Xiao reminded.

Fallen Leaf immediately adopted a stance, on high alert.

Buzz—

Four Sonic Spheres were instantly launched, flying in a dizzying crisscross pattern. The configuration was two Armor-Piercing, one Shock, and one Scan. The Scan Sphere deployed an amplifying field, the Shock Sphere controlled Fallen Leaf, and the two Armor-Piercing Spheres simultaneously released sonic waves for penetration.

A piercing sonic boom exploded!

Fallen Leaf's health instantly plummeted, stunned in place.

Bang bang bang!

Six small trap turrets, set up beforehand, suddenly emerged from the surrounding open ground, firing rapidly. Spent casings rained to the ground. The extremely fast rate of fire meant a deluge of bullets hit Fallen Leaf head-on, sending him flying backward. He crashed to the ground, pinned down and bombarded by the continuous stream of bullets.

Fallen Leaf's body flashed with energy, as he used several skills. However, he was unable to stand up under the barrage of bullets. The Sonic Spheres applied attacks from the side, various stun, severe injury, and other negative status effects appearing on the screen, rendering him unable to move.

His health plummeted to the brink of death in the blink of an eye. The torrential offensive suddenly ceased as if it had never happened. The scene fell silent.

"You didn't pass the test," Han Xiao said in a calm tone.

Fallen Leaf was stunned. He hadn't even recovered when it was all over.

The crowd gaped, expressions of shock on their faces.

It had only been about five seconds! A max-level professional player was utterly defenseless, nearly instantly killed!

No flashy moves could be executed, it was a complete and utter beatdown.

A complete suppression of combat strength!

The most shocking thing to the players was that Han Xiao, from beginning to end, maintained a single posture, standing motionless!

"Are Mechanics really this powerful? Are we even playing the same class?!"

"He didn't even move, how is he controlling all those weapons?"

"His combat strength is too outrageous for Version 1.0. Could it be that Aquamarine Star can no longer contain him, so he's going to the interstellar stage?"

"Previous footage showed that Black Phantom has many more combat methods, he hasn't even used his full strength!"

"The damage is ridiculously high, if we were fighting this Boss, I don't know if a fifty-man raid would be enough to take him down..."

The same question surfaced in the players' minds for the second time, but with a completely different feeling.

—Just what level is Black Phantom?!

From the very beginning of the public beta, players had encountered Han Xiao in their newbie days. They had thought that after leveling up so much, the gap between them and Black Phantom should have narrowed. But in the end, they realized... Old Man Han will always be Old Man Han!!

Turning to see the players' blank expressions, Han Xiao knew he had achieved the desired effect: refreshing his image in the players' minds, preventing them from becoming arrogant and thinking he was no longer a threat.

Although the players were at max level, their specialties, attributes, and skills were too scarce. In simple terms, they lacked template bonuses. The Great Technician Han was currently level seventy, stuck at the class advancement requirement, and hadn't chosen a secondary class yet. But crossing the level sixty watershed was equivalent to a difference of an entire version. Adding the Boss template, his specialties, skills, and energy, along with a three or fourfold increase in the power of his machinery, the damage he dealt was unbelievable in the players' eyes.

The average health of a level sixty player was just over three thousand, and their resistances were generally poor, making them too fragile for him.

Moreover, Han Xiao's Sonic Spheres had also been upgraded to purple quality, with very high attack power. The Sonic Spheres themselves were very rare equipment in Version 1.0, an independent tactical system, with high damage and strong control.

The faces of the professional players froze.

Li Ge opened his mouth. He had thought it would take a long time, but he realized he was wrong. Black Phantom was eliminating candidates as fast as loneliness!

The selection participants no longer felt at ease, faced with a formidable enemy. Then, hearing Han Xiao call out the next name, a wave of anxiety washed over them.

The tests continued. These players were incredibly cautious, skirmishing and kiting, completely unwilling to confront him head-on. Once they were targeted by Han Xiao's attacks, no one could withstand ten seconds. Everyone adopted a cowardly style, only hoping to drag out the thirty seconds.

More and more spectators gathered, some posting live footage on the forums.

Accustomed to the players' dazzling performances, the professional players, who had been high-spirited and popular a few days ago, were now being humiliated. The players were immediately shocked. Then, they experienced a sense of novelty.

When else would they ever see professional players lined up to be abused? Seeing experts being thoroughly humiliated was incredibly exciting. More and more people paid attention, watching with relish.

Han Xiao's power was also witnessed by the vast majority of players, and the shared posts sparked fierce discussions, debating Han Xiao's strength. The happiest were the Mechanic players. The Mechanic class had performed poorly in the league, making them feel bad. However, Han Xiao had brought new hope to the Mechanic class!

—So, we're this strong when we grow up! You're the lighthouse illuminating the path forward!

Han Xiao created a hot topic, and the players extracted amusement from it. The serious selection was being taken in an unserious direction. However, only celebrities could enjoy this kind of treatment. Funny players brought much joy, and the creativity of the masses was endless. The players' imaginations had no limits, and all sorts of sensational titles appeared.

"Black Phantom: Survive Thirty Seconds if You're a Man!"

"Shocking! Professional Players Can't Last Thirty Seconds Due to Staying Up Late!"

"How to Last Thirty Seconds: Professional Players Have a Trick!"

When it came to stirring up trouble, the players were professionals!

"Thirty Seconds" became a meme. "Seconds" was parodied into a unit of combat strength to quantify the strength of professional players. The few players who passed the test were exaggeratedly praised as the legendary "Thirty Second Warriors."

...

It wasn't until evening that Han Xiao stopped the selection and went back to rest. After he left, the players who had watched the excitement for most of the day gradually dispersed. The mission deadline was five days, and today was only the first day. The remaining candidates were preoccupied and returned to think about their tactics in advance.

Han Xiao returned to the outside of his house. Just as he was about to open the door, he suddenly stopped, remembering something, and went to Kuang Dao's room instead.

Pushing the door open, the four of them were chatting and joking in the room. Seeing Han Xiao enter, they immediately stood up, their faces full of curiosity.

Black Phantom usually didn't come to them for no reason, only when he was issuing missions or giving benefits.

Thinking of the events of the morning, the four of them had a vague guess and a look of anticipation appeared on their faces.

As followers of Black Phantom, they had always enjoyed special treatment. Could it be that this time as well...

Han Xiao chuckled and said, "You are all my friends. I am about to leave this planet and go to a wider world. I am giving you a choice, are you willing to come with me?"

Just look at this treatment!!

Others could only learn from the mission description that he was about to go to the interstellar stage, but Han Xiao was telling them personally, without hiding anything. They also had the qualification to skip the test directly! What a humanitarian concern!

"I am willing!" Kuang Dao replied immediately, his face full of excitement.