The raw materials for titanium-platinum alloy consist of several rare earth elements, making it rather costly. Xiao Han spent a considerable sum to procure sufficient raw materials. Xiao synthesised the titanium-platinum alloy, crafting a folding combat knife and a lightweight powered arm. Their attributes surpassed previous iterations, with the folding combat knife even attaining green quality.
[Folding Titanium-Platinum Combat Knife]
[Quality: Green]
[Base Attributes: Attack 24~28, Durability 355/355]
[Attribute Bonus: Agility +3]
[Length: 0.77 metres]
[Weight: 8.7 pounds]
[Additional Effect: Folding – Blade retracts into hilt]
[Additional Effect: Impact Resistance – Infused with trace amounts of titanium alloy for enhanced durability and wear resistance]
[Note: This blade may be employed as a shield.]
Titanium alloy possesses exceptional toughness and impact resistance, yielding remarkable durability that renders it ideal for armour construction.
The following day.
Feng Jun delivered two Mad Eagle pistols. Their barrels were longer than standard handguns. Xiao test-fired several rounds. Within thirty metres, the bullets possessed kinetic energy comparable to a sniper rifle, blowing large holes through the head of a mannequin target. The recoil was immense; the sights drifted upwards with the slightest carelessness. However, with his strength, he could master these formidable weapons.
To counter potential assassination attempts, Xiao carried both Mad Eagle pistols and his folding Titanium Blade at all times. His clothing featured concealed pockets for six magazines: two high-velocity rounds and four standard magazines. The Mad Eagle's magazine capacity was only eight rounds. For the standard magazines, Xiao selected steel-core bullets, offering superior penetration at close range – perfectly suited for the Mad Eagle.
Xiao glanced at his interface. After advancing, he retained roughly 100,000 experience points. Factoring in recent gains from manufacturing high-explosive rounds, and deducting the levelling requirements for [Basic Refinement] and the consumption of [Qi Refining Technique], he still held nearly 200,000 experience points.
In his previous life, it was widely held that levelling up one's primary profession after the first advancement was an inefficient use of resources. Players between levels 20 and 30 during that period typically held back on character levelling, instead investing experience into skills to enhance their actual combat effectiveness.
Regardless of the version of Stellaris Legend, the 20-30 level range was a hotbed for open-world PvP. Upon reaching level 20, characters gained rudimentary combat prowess. With exceptionally satisfying combat mechanics and relatively light death penalties at this stage, countless players sought out PvP thrills within this level bracket. They laboured to learn skills and enhance combat effectiveness, gradually propagating the notion that level-holding was the more profitable strategy.
It wasn't until the system broadcast the ID of the first player to hit the level 60 cap in Version 1.0 that everyone realised with a jolt: that bloody bastard was the very chap who'd first peddled this levelling-down nonsense?!
Bloody hell!
Shameless old rogue!
Xiao had no intention of grinding. His immunity to level caps granted him a massive advantage. Any excess experience points remained wasted unless converted into combat power. He promptly burned through 180,000 XP, leaping three levels in one go.
[[Mechanic Apprentice]Leveled Up: Stamina +30, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +3. Gained 3 Free Attribute Points and 1 Potential Point!] x3
[Qi Refinement Technique] Practised 10 times over recent days, yielding an additional 30 Qi points.
Xiao's Qi reached 280 points, meeting the requirements for Level 4 and unlocking new tiered attribute bonuses.
[Qi Lv4 (200) — Strength +3, Agility +4, Endurance +5, Intelligence +4, Maximum Stamina +150, Mechanical Power +4%, Crafting Speed +4%]
Total Power bonuses: Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +14, Intelligence +8, Maximum Stamina +320, Mechanical Quality and Manufacturing Speed +10%. This nearly equates to one-third of his base attributes, proving immensely beneficial.
Mechanics rely on machinery for combat, so boosting Intelligence is undoubtedly wise. Initially, Xiao prioritised Strength and Stamina to bolster his health pool while escaping the laboratory. Now that such urgency has passed, he channels all 9 free attribute points into Intelligence, reaching a staggering 58 points. This substantially enhances both the speed and quality of his machine crafting, alongside the destructive power of his mechanical creations.
Mechanic Apprentice Lv4, total level 24, combat power reaching 160 Ouna.
'At this rate of development, by the time open beta launches, my strength will surpass the first wave of players by several tiers. Players likely won't reach my level anytime soon...'
Xiao mused inwardly. Players needed time to level up; in the short term, their paths would scarcely cross his.
Suddenly, the interface prompt sounded in his mind.
Glancing at the content, he froze.
[Detected closed beta launch. Retrieving data... Data acquisition complete. Closed beta duration: 12 days]
'Closed beta?!'
Han Xiao was both astonished and perplexed.
How could I have forgotten this!
Xiao vaguely recalled that in his previous life, there had been a two-day closed beta event where the in-game time ratio to real-world time was 6:1, equating to twelve days within the game.
Stellaris Legend was managed by the latest generation of AI, entirely devoid of human intervention. The closed beta served solely as a test run, hence its brevity and limited slots—a mere thirty thousand in total. These were largely snapped up by major guilds and professional clubs, with the remaining spots allocated by lottery among millions of applicants. Back then, Xiao's luck had run dry, and he hadn't made the cut.
According to his recollection, the closed beta occurred one week prior to the public launch. Converted to in-game time, that should only amount to a little over a month. Yet his own public launch countdown still showed over 130 days remaining!
A previously unnoticed conjecture surfaced in Xiao's mind:
'Could it be that when players aren't present, real-world time bears no relation to in-game time? Yes, that must be it. Each version update only spans a couple of days in reality, yet in the Stellaris Legend, it spans years!'
This was undoubtedly good news. With each version update, he gained extra development time compared to players. But it seemed... he might start worrying about his lifespan. Xiao stroked his chin, feeling the prickly stubble that had grown since arriving in the Blue Planet over half a year ago.
Xiao suddenly recalled one of the most controversial updates from years past—[The Chosen Ones]. Players unanimously deemed it the most senseless update ever. Unlike other updates marked by disasters or major events, this one was utterly harmonious, lacking any theme whatsoever. It seemed completely mismatched with its name, as if merely allowing players to explore freely, leaving everyone utterly baffled.
[NPC Template Function Unlocked!]
[Player Forum Unlocked!]
Two new prompts appeared, startling Xiao Han.
'NPC functionality? Not a single word of explanation?'
After staring at the screen for ages, only the solitary interface prompt hovered before his eyes. It seemed he'd have to figure this out himself. Connecting the dots, he reasoned he must possess NPC capabilities towards players—like assigning quests, selling goods, or teaching skills.
With thirty thousand beta testers spread across a dozen beginner planets, each hosting roughly one to two thousand players, it wouldn't affect the grand scheme in the slightest.
The beta was merely an appetiser; the true chaos would begin when the masses descended upon the public launch.
For Xiao, however, the beta presented a golden opportunity to validate his hypotheses. Simply interacting with players would allow him to test the practical applications of NPC functionality.
Another prompt, [Player Forum], was a feature Han Xiao knew well. This built-in official forum served as a pastime for players awaiting resurrection after death, and Xiao was no exception.
'I hadn't anticipated the forum unlocking for me. It must only become accessible when players arrive, synchronising real-world time with in-game time. That's why it's only unlocked now.'
The forum's entry point sat in the panel's corner. Clicking it revealed the familiar forum interface, currently devoid of posts and utterly empty.
He glanced at the account in the top-right corner, which displayed "Guest". The registration option remained greyed out.
Xiao Han curiously clicked [Register], only to receive an unexpected prompt.
[Detecting game pod neural link... No player detected. Registration unavailable.]
Xiao froze, then realised: the official forum stipulated that only players who entered the game pod could register and post. Visitors could only browse, preventing trolls from polluting the forum environment. To post or reply, one had to purchase a game pod.
As the saying goes, the market determines everything. When the cost becomes too high, trolls become extinct. The official forum environment was relatively harmonious, with clear skies and pure waters.
'Seems I'll never register a forum account,' Xiao mused, undaunted. Activating the forum had been an unexpected bonus; at least he could still read player posts and track their movements.
Moreover, Han Xiao harboured a lingering question: did his real-world self truly exist? To resolve this, he must vigilantly monitor the forum, watching for his former ID to surface—though he acknowledged the possibility it might have changed.
'Now that players have appeared, it'd be best to find an opportunity to make contact.'
Xiao's eyes flashed.
...
'Nickname: Mad Blade, Raging Sword!'
'Standard start selected. Character creation complete. Race: Carbon-based Human (Yellow).'
'Based on your preferences, beginner planet assigned: Blue Planet.'
'Randomising novice spawn location... Randomisation complete! Initial point: Mount Capricorn Settlement, coordinates (24.152, 182.644)'
'Initiating spawn, please wait...'