Ding-a-ling-a-ling—
The shrill fire alarm blared as thick black smoke billowed from the R&D department, engulfed in raging flames. Research team members hurriedly evacuated.
Automatic sprinklers whirred overhead, dousing the flames swiftly. What remained was utter devastation: documents and blueprints lay sodden, reduced to pulpy mush; non-waterproof computers had crashed, sputtering sparks; walls and floors were charred black.
'How did this fire start?' The R&D director, still shaken, surveyed the wreckage with heart-wrenching dismay.
Security arrived promptly to inspect the scene.
'The fire spread from the workshop!'
Luo Xuan emerged, soaked through and wrapped in a blanket, his face covered in soot and grime. Supported by security guards, he was led out, his entire face charred black. His hair had been completely singed off, even his eyebrows gone, leaving him looking like a bald boiled egg—no, more like a preserved egg.
Luo Xuan shuddered at the thought. Had he not dodged swiftly and found a nearby fire extinguisher, he might have been disfigured.
He hadn't anticipated that the high-explosive ammunition's igniter was a gas. Opening the shell casing caused it to leak, igniting instantly upon contact with air. Essentially, it couldn't be opened after manufacture—it would flare up even in a vacuum.
With his skills, replication was utterly impossible.
Defeated... Luo Xuan's face twisted with bitter resignation.
'What on earth have you been up to?!' the R&D Director roared.
The security guard produced several charred casings, faintly recognisable by their fiery red base, and stated gravely, 'These are high-combustion ammunition casings. Your team has been studying high-combustion munitions.'
The R&D Director's eyes widened in fury, pointing at Luo Xuan, speechless.
Did you take my orders for a joke?!
When headquarters comes investigating, I'll be the one taking the consequnce again!
You lot are all bloody useless!
Gu Hui arrived swiftly, his tone stern. 'Explain yourself.'
The R&D Director gritted his teeth, dragging Luo Xuan forward. 'It was all his own initiative!'
Gu Hui remained expressionless. 'Do you have anything to say?'
Luo Xuan lowered his head. Had his secret research succeeded, it would have been a major achievement. But now he'd been exposed—disobeying orders and causing a fire at headquarters. As an ordinary member with no backing, he was doomed.
'I recall you were assigned to Logistics. Return there.' Gu Hui dropped the statement and turned to leave.
Luo Xuan staggered. Having defected from Logistics, he was now being shunted back—a clear demotion and suppression.
Returning to Logistics with a darkened face (in every sense), former colleagues turned away as if blind to his presence—a stark contrast to their previous fawning. The Logistics Director who'd once backed him refused even a meeting, dispatching merely a secretary to inform Luo Xuan he'd henceforth work under a junior team.
Luo Xuan felt a wave of despondency wash over him, doubting whether his choice had been wrong.
Had he not been so arrogant and narrow-minded back then, he wouldn't have lost his mind and caused all this trouble.
I was still too naive... Luo Xuan despaired.
...
Upon learning of Luo Xuan's situation from Feng Jun, Han Xiao was utterly astonished. Even he, the creator, dared not open the fully formed high-burning bullets—that chap was bloody reckless.
Bloody impressive, hats off to him.
Han Xiao soon cast the matter aside. His impression of Luo Xuan remained nothing more than a name.
Zhang Wei's Warfighter Armour arrived at his workshop, its prototype technology appearing rather crude.
[Warfighter Armour (Prototype)]
[Type: Full-Coverage Small-Scale Individual Armour]
[Quality: White]
[Base Attributes: Armour Value 682/1400, Defence 35, Power Level 86, Energy Capacity 250/250]
[Equipment Requirements: Strength 42, Stamina 48]
[Attribute Modifiers: Agility -10]
[Height: 1.95 metres]
[Weight: 370 pounds]
[Control Method: Human-operated (no chip)]
[Energy Source: Electrical]
[Combat Consumption: 5 energy/minute]
[Core Power: 125/130 Ouna]
[Skeleton Module: Spring-piston shock absorber mounts, reduces load by 65%, slightly enhances shock resistance, consumes 20% power]
[Right Arm Module: Heavy-calibre triple-barrelled machine gun (three rounds per shot), Attack Power 105–124, Rate of Fire 5 rounds/s, Maximum Rate of Fire 8 rounds/s (five-second overload), Ammo Capacity 30+120 (belt feed), Output Level 75, Power Consumption 35]
[Left Arm Module: Heavy-calibre triple-barrelled machine gun, as above]
[Right Wrist Module: Retractable Alloy Blade, Attack Power 12–15, Output Energy Level 9, Power Consumption 5]
[Leg Modules: Spring-Powered Running Device, Movement Speed +15, Activation Cost 1 Energy/Minute, Power Consumption 30]
[Auxiliary Module: Basic Thermal Imager, No Power Consumption]
[Auxiliary Module: Hexagonal Steel Heavy Shield, No Power Consumption]
[Attached Ability: Heavy Armour — Reduces 12% Physical Damage]
[Remarks: An absolute disgrace to armour design!]
Roughly made!
Xiao Han could scarcely bear to look.
First off, the abysmal power output was bad enough, but it didn't even have a chip installed! The chip is the mech's core—it loads combat programmes and assists the pilot. Without it, you can't quickly gather and process battlefield intel. No wide-area detection means relying solely on your bare eyes to spot enemies, and your vision's restricted by that helmet. How is this supposed to work? No wonder Zhang Wei was spraying bullets instead of aiming—he couldn't hit a barn door!
Then there was the propulsion system. Only the legs had rudimentary mechanical drives, lacking even an exoskeleton. Every other limb relied entirely on the pilot's own strength to move. Now he understood why Zhang Wei never used the steel shield strapped to his back—bloody hell, it was impossible to swing!
And the external armour? Rough enough to make one wince. A few large iron plates welded on haphazardly as if that constituted armour. Every inch screamed Tilius's crude pragmatism.
Even if this thing is a prototype, show some bloody respect, you bloody fool!
Xiao's mouth twitched as he scrutinised the War-Taker armour. Crossing his arms over his chest, his fingers tapped rhythmically against his forearm as various design concepts began forming in his mind.
However, modifications weren't urgent. Some ideas required learning new knowledge to fully grasp. After a cursory repair, Xiao instructed Feng Jun to return it to Zhang Wei.
Now, another matter demanded his attention. With three Sprout bases destroyed, what intelligence should he provide to Star Dragon next?
These three outposts were merely the tip of the iceberg for the Sprout organisation. No other Sprout bases existed within Star Dragon's borders. The location Xiao subsequently indicated would require Star Dragon's forces to operate beyond their national territory. Armed forces trespassing into another nation's territory constituted an open provocation of war. Though the Six Nations engaged in covert rivalry, none desired conflict at this juncture. The great wars spanning the old and new eras had severely depleted national resources. All six nations were now recuperating, healing the scars of war. Whether future hostilities might erupt remained uncertain.
Thus, cross-border operations necessitated cooperation with other nations, introducing numerous variables. His intelligence alone proved insufficient; he must accompany the expedition to handle any unforeseen contingencies.
The question remained: would the Star Dragon leadership reject his request to leave the Western Capital?
Feng Jun's call came abruptly, his tone grave.
'Xiao Han, the Sprout spies embedded in the Western Capital have begun their operation. They're tracking your movements and seem aware of your work for us.'
'I know.'
Xiao remained composed. He'd anticipated this scenario when instructing Li Yalin to use the Lightweight Power Arm.
'Rest assured, we've deployed substantial personnel nearby for round-the-clock surveillance.'
West Capital was Bureau 13's territory. Even if Sprout discovered his location, taking action against him would come at a significant cost.
Still, caution was warranted. Xiao knew Sprout possessed some exceptionally formidable psionic assassins.
He ought to prepare some weapons for self-defence.
'Get me two Mad Eagle pistols from your bureau's armoury.'
The Mad Eagle pistol, a close-quarters combat handgun, was renowned for its large-calibre power. Within thirty metres, its lethality rivalled that of a sniper rifle, though its effectiveness rapidly diminished beyond that range.
Only when paired with [Sliding Shot] could such a high-powered pistol truly offer balanced offence and defence.
Beyond pistols, he needed to craft melee weapons.
Having earned nearly 100,000 experience points over the past three days manufacturing high-combustion bullets, Xiao wasted no time. He spent 40,000 experience points to upgrade [Basic Refining] to level 5, unlocking the prerequisites for crafting titanium alloy.
He intended to upgrade his equipment.
...
Several days prior, the Leader had learned that Zero's lightweight powered arm had appeared on a Star Dragon operative. Linking this to the three military assaults on Star Dragon's satellite bases, he concluded—however implausible it seemed—that Zero had defected to Star Dragon and leaked information about the Sprout's nascent operations.
'Is this some sort of supernatural phenomenon?'
The leader struggled to comprehend it. Zero had never had access to such intelligence—how could he know the location of the organisation's secret base? He hadn't suspected Zero at all before, believing instead that a mole had infiltrated their ranks. He'd nearly executed a high-ranking member in error, incurring immense losses.
Over a month ago, Zero's defiant words echoed in his mind: 'I will destroy you all!'
Is this your only strength?
The leader clenched his fists, his gaze terrifying. 'I underestimated you. But to think you could oppose us? Pity! I refuse to believe you truly possess any significant classified intelligence!'
'Convey my orders: recruit fresh faces and drifters to investigate Zero's trail in Star Dragon. Should they yield results, the organisation shall reward them handsomely!'
The leader's tone was icy, his intent to kill unwavering.
'Should any leads surface, dispatch Nosa to deal with him.'
Nosa, ranked equal to Hela, served as an operative within the Sprout—a killer.
Each operative possessed unique specialisations. The exact number of operatives within the Sprout remained a secret, unknown even to its own members.
The leader's gaze was profound.
Did he think aligning with Star Dragon meant he could act without restraint?
How naive!