Chapter 122 Curiosity

The slave market was being demolished and rebuilt. Han Xiao showed the construction team his logistics department ID, successfully entering the underground corridor and arriving at the cell where Aroshia had once been imprisoned. He looked around, knocking and tapping, but found nothing unusual.

Before him, Dragon Tamer had already explored the cell, but had also found nothing.

Aroshia stood outside the door, watching. Suddenly, she asked, "Why do you want to take me away?"

Han Xiao was speechless. He couldn't very well say it was a mission requirement, so he simply said, "I'm curious about you."

"Curious…" Aroshia murmured, "What does that feel like?"

Han Xiao said, "Curiosity is a desire for knowledge. For example, if ordinary people lose their memory, they want to know who they were before. It's a type of desire."

"Desire… I don't seem to have that kind of thing. Is that very special?" Aroshia shook her head.

"Well, generally speaking, most of those without desires are artificial intelligences. Not needing to eat or excrete is a characteristic of energy beings." Han Xiao sized Aroshia up. "But you're neither. You simply don't have the most basic material needs, but that doesn't necessarily mean you don't have any desires at all. Isn't there anything you want?"

Aroshia thought carefully. "It doesn't seem like it."

"Are you sure? The fact that you asked me means you're curious about what 'desire' is." Han Xiao said, "Without desire, there's no life. Desire is the sensation of experiencing survival. It can be said to be the motivation behind all life's actions, so your life form seems very strange."

Aroshia tilted her head, thinking. "Is your desire to guide me in developing my inner energy also a desire of your own?"

Han Xiao honestly said, "I want you to become stronger and become my fighting force." He had figured out some ways to deal with Aroshia. There was no need for concealment, just directly stating his intentions.

Aroshia still had an indifferent attitude. "I will not die, so why should I become stronger? Being strong or weak is meaningless… Well, I should say, existence itself is meaningless."

Han Xiao thought for a moment. "But if you die, your memory will be reset again, and you will forget this short-term memory. The you that is reborn may not be the 'you' of now. Once reborn, you will have to start all over again, repeating this kind of thinking, wasting the same amount of time to have the current results. Becoming stronger can allow you to avoid rebirth and prevent being killed by others or disasters."

After a pause, Han Xiao said, "As for the so-called meaning… you don't need food or excretion to survive, so you can't experience survival. For an existence like you, if you space out, one day and one year are just fleeting moments. Since that's the case, why not actively find something to do and give your life meaning?"

"Is that so…" Aroshia murmured for a while, then nodded. "Thank you. It was pleasant talking with you. No one has ever said so much to me before." In the past three years, outsiders only had two impressions of her: one was a cosmic spectacle, and the other was a slave who couldn't run away. No one had ever treated her as a normal individual to communicate with.

"You're welcome. It was just a casual chat."

The cell didn't offer any clues, so Han Xiao had no choice but to stop and casually chat with Aroshia, waiting for the impending deadline to see what would happen.

Time passed by, minute by minute, crossing the last minute, and the change happened silently.

Aroshia was still standing outside the door, not returning to the cell. She took a few steps back, then looked down to observe her body. Nothing abnormal happened. Then, she retreated further and further away.

[【Distant Guest】 has been completed]

[You have gained 1,800,000 experience]

Han Xiao was shocked. His eyebrows almost flew off.

He had barely done anything, and the cosmic spectacle that even Dragon Tamer couldn't crack had been eliminated just like that. It definitely wasn't that simple! Han Xiao remembered that there was still an unknown reward for this mission. He looked at the panel and found that the reward was actually another new mission.

[You have triggered hidden quest chain (A-Grade): [Reboot]]

[Quest Introduction: Aroshia is a special life form, and she contains a great secret. Keeping her by your side, one day, this secret will actively come to you.]

[Hint: This quest is a chain quest. The next stage will only be opened after completing the previous stage.]

[First Stage Quest: Teach Aroshia, assist her in awakening her abilities, control the energy in her body, and reach Grade B.]

[Reward: 5,200,000 experience, Random Reward x1, Rista's favorability +5]

[Failure Condition: Aroshia dies]

"A-grade hidden quest chain, a quest chain!" Han Xiao was shocked. This was generally the configuration for large main storyline events.

There was no information about this plot in his previous life, which meant that no one had triggered Aroshia's storyline. This was an unknown event, and he was even more convinced that Aroshia was not simple. The name of the mission was "Reboot." What was the implication? Also, who was this Rista person?

"I seem to be able to leave." Aroshia was puzzled. "What did you do to me?"

"…I don't know either." Han Xiao said helplessly, "In any case, this is a good thing."

…

Two days later.

The high-level executives of the three major mercenary groups arrived late in Dragon Tamer. Jenny met with them, accepted their apologies, and finally released the teams of Goya, Perth, and Fasereni, who had been imprisoned for many days.

As soon as these people were freed, they immediately surrounded Han Xiao, praising him incessantly.

The high-level executives of the three legions contacted Han Xiao, their attitudes extremely friendly. All the mercenaries could sense the high-level executives' emphasis on Han Xiao. This operation showed the team's ability, and they also had the background of Dragon Tamer. Even the three major legions did not dare to underestimate them.

After everyone was free, they immediately prepared to leave Dragon Tamer, return to hand in the mission, and return the Silver Spirits to their impatient employers. Han Xiao had been waiting until now in order to hitch a ride with them.

On the day of departure, Jenny, Weysand, and Haire all came to see them off.

The entire pier was shocked. The thugs from all over the place were uncertain, sizing up Han Xiao, who was exchanging greetings with the three of them, and quietly inquired about the name of the Black Star Mercenary Group. For the three departments of Dragon Tamer to see him off together, his status here was definitely not low.

The mercenaries who knew the truth were even more surprised. Han Xiao had only joined Dragon Tamer for about half a month. He had established a place for himself in Dragon Tamer so quickly. The three managers personally saw him off. He had a lot of face. The high-level executives of the three major legions had only seen Jenny alone.

"His Excellency Dragon Emperor allows you to become a field force. You are now a field officer, and your force is our Dragon Tamer's armed force outside. I hope you can grow quickly."

Jenny's tone was formal. She took out a special communicator and handed it to Han Xiao. "This communicator can directly contact Ames, but I remind you, if there is no need, it is best not to disturb her."

Being able to directly contact Ames? This little thing was equivalent to a nuclear bomb launcher!

Han Xiao kept it close to his body.

Haire walked (crawled) over and said regretfully, "You are a good mechanic. You're leaving, and my workload is increasing again. This gift is for you."

Looking down, Haire's arthropods handed over an alloy box. Han Xiao opened it and his eyes immediately lit up.

Inside was a portable small nuclear fusion reactor. Using controllable nuclear fission technology, a stable nuclear fusion reactor was something that could only be manufactured with advanced energy knowledge. Energy knowledge was even more strictly restricted than compression technology, and he couldn't manufacture it for the time being. Now that he had the reactor, he could automatically generate energy by adding materials, which could be used as the energy core of the mech, and the mech's power would be upgraded to a new level.

"Thanks," Han Xiao said with a happy face, nodding his thanks.

After Haire walked away, Weysand leaned over and said with a smile, "Haire is a bit ugly. At first, I thought he was very ugly, but after getting in touch with him for a long time, I got used to it. He has a good personality."

Han Xiao glanced at him. "Ames probably thinks the same of you. If your appearance isn't good enough, make up for it with your personality."

Weysand's face immediately collapsed.

"Don't change the subject. Did you bring a gift?"

"Nope."

"Farewell." Han Xiao cupped his fist and turned to board the spaceship.

"Hey, is the treatment so different!" Weysand looked indignant on the dock.

Whoosh—

Airflow ejected, and the spaceship took off.

The Dragon Tamer floating island moved away from sight. There were four more people when they left than when they came: the Volga brothers, who were fast asleep on one side, and Aroshia, who was staring blankly at the universe outside the porthole.

Joining the Dragon Emperor's camp had its advantages and disadvantages. For the time being, the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages. Not only did he gain new blueprints and new materials, but his expertise had also undergone new evolutions. The most inestimable gain from this operation should be the Secret Message Bead. The greater the risk, the greater the value contained.

…

Because Dragon Tamer had drifted to the Feivin star system, it took less than a day for the spaceship to return to the barren planet where the employer was stationed.

As soon as they landed, the Silver Spirits couldn't wait to return to the main force, escaping from death and were very excited.

After the employer calmed down, they fulfilled their promise and began to distribute the employment rewards.

"Finally got it, the last two pieces of compression technology." Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. He had taken on this unfamiliar mission for these two pieces of knowledge, and it had almost cost him his life. Finally, it was time to reap the rewards.