allendalepharm Chapter 33 Preparation
Chapter 33 Preparation
The Secret Pagoda has three underground levels.
Cole smacked his lips, looked Xu Yang up and down, and then spoke:
"Well... in essence, they are all pretty much the same. The only difference is that one is surgical implantation and the other is multiple oral administrations. In the end, they are all used in conjunction with mutagens to enter the genetic memory."
He stepped forward and picked up a bottle of medicine: "Take the Dragon Heart Medicine for example. This bottle is a week's supply. After taking four bottles and a month later, combined with the selected mutagen, it will enter the genetic memory."
"Just by entering, what's the probability of getting a mutation?" Xu Yang raised an eyebrow.
"It depends on the individual. With so many genetic memories, combined with a mutagen, everyone has a different dream. Some are simple, some are difficult, and maybe some will get a mutation on the first try."
At this point, he changed the subject: "And the key point is, it's safe. After the flesh and blood lure is implanted into the body, you either gain special characteristics or you gain nothing, and you may even end up with a lot of injuries. Then you'll have to buy gene stabilizers."
"But using drugs to lure animals is much less troublesome. Even if it fails, it won't have any impact, and the enhancement to the body is real."
Xu Yang was taken aback, and hesitated before asking, "What do you mean? You mean that even if you fail to acquire a special ability, you can still improve your physical attributes?"
"Of course." Cole's lips curled into a slight smile as he waved the Dragon Heart Potion in his hand. "Young man, words are no proof, why don't you give it a try?"
"How much?"
"One bottle costs 18,000, but new users get a discount, so I'll charge you 10,000."
"..."
"I'll definitely do it next time."
Xu Yang shook his head secretly.
That tiny bottle costs 10,000, but entering the gene memory once consumes four bottles, plus the corresponding mutagen, meaning that strengthening the body once costs more than 40,000.
Keep in mind that one contribution point can buy two protein rations, so this potion is too expensive.
Moreover, judging from the extremely low probability described in its description, it is probably difficult to obtain mutated characteristics. This thing may just be made to enhance physical attributes.
But all in all, this is not something I can understand right now.
Xu Yang withdrew his gaze and quickly left.
"There are cheaper options too, sigh, sigh, aren't we going to look at them anymore...?"
Cole's voice came from behind.
……
Next up are armor and weapons.
Walking along Central Avenue, number 42 is the weapon shop Battle Melody, and next to it, number 43 is the armor shop Composite Clothing Shop.
Xu Yang looked at the latter, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Feng Yue, whom I met in the parking lot before, mentioned that the clothing store he and his father ran was called Fuhe Yifang (Composite Clothing Store).
I never expected that a clothing store would also sell protective gear.
He shook his head and chuckled, then went inside.
First, you're greeted by plastic mannequins dressed in various styles of clothing, followed by camouflage and gray-black bulletproof vests and combat uniforms.
The attributes of armor are constantly increasing.
At the very back row, there were numerous suits of armor, not only in medieval style but also in futuristic style. There stood something that looked like Iron Man, only with a black exterior.
Xu Yang looked around.
The huge shop was deserted.
Just as he was wondering, the jet-black Iron Man armor opposite him suddenly moved, and a voice came from under the helmet: "Xu Yang? I think I'm not mistaken."
"Feng...Yue?"
Iron Man's helmet was removed.
She revealed a somewhat androgynous face with golden eyes and short black hair; if it were any longer, she might be mistaken for a woman.
"Did you come here to chat, or... um... to take care of something serious?" he asked with a smile, holding his helmet in one hand.
Xu Yang waved the ID card in his hand: "We won't talk today. I'm going out on a mission and I need sturdy... clothes, preferably some protection, and a shield."
"Okay." Knowing the other party was there on serious business, Feng Yue didn't waste any time and asked directly, "What's the budget?"
"Around ten thousand."
Feng Yue nodded and led Xu Yang past rows of armor and clothing, finally stopping next to a black trench coat.
A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Yang's eyes.
Trench coats and sturdiness seem to be completely unrelated.
The other person gently lifted the part covered by the trench coat—
【Cushioning Liner】
[A black energy-absorbing lining with a surface densely covered in hexagonal honeycomb patterns; its special material and structure are sufficient to withstand and disperse most impacts.]
[Note: Hit me harder, didn't you eat?]
……
Feng Yue tapped the seemingly thin lining, but barely heard a sound; the impact seemed to have been absorbed.
"This is called 'Cushioner,' made of multi-layered memory polymer composite ceramic fiber. It has excellent shock absorption and does not affect movement. I'll give you 8,000, plus the windbreaker, that'll make it 10,000."
"A trench coat costs two thousand?" Xu Yang asked doubtfully.
"They are bulletproof, and both of these items have undergone three material innovation processes, making them more durable than those with only two material innovations."
Xu Yang blinked: "Materials innovation?"
"The clothes are just more durable."
Xu Yang touched the slightly metallic feel of the trench coat's material and continued, "What if the coat still gets damaged in the end?"
"Then let's get it repaired. But if the intensity of battles you encounter is usually high," Feng Yue smiled, patting his Iron Man-like armor, "then I suggest you go all the way and get mine."
"..."
"I'll choose a shield instead."
Limited by his financial situation, Xu Yang had no choice but to settle for second best.
His gaze swept over the last row, past the armor and shields, comparing them left and right, finally settling on—
【Eagle-shaped Shield】
[Made from treated steel and Kaya alloy, the slight imbalance in the fusion ratio has reduced its power absorption capacity, but made it more robust and durable.]
[Note: Failed...]
……
Xu Yang, carrying an eagle-shaped shield, walked out of the Black Mountain Clothing store.
Since it was a failed product, I got it for the price of a regular steel shield, but its material is even more durable, so I guess I got a bargain.
The shield, along with the trench coat and lining, cost a total of 11,000 contribution points.
Standing on the street.
He looked toward the weapons shop—War Melody—right next to the clothing store.
Xu Yang didn't actually have any good ideas about weapon selection.
On the one hand, there's still a crowbar at home, which has no other drawbacks except that it's a bit shaky.
Another reason is that he doesn't know what weapon suits him best. He hasn't systematically learned any weapons, so he might not be as comfortable with his bare hands.
With a sigh, he still went into the shop.
……
The melody of war.
The highly regarded weapon shop in Settlement 3 sells weapons ranging from steel short swords to bio-tech firearms. Most people can find something they like here, and the shop also offers limited repair services, which can be done for a small amount of contribution points.
Its reputation has always been good.
Surprisingly, as the owner of a weapons shop, Gehman Tassen was far from tall and strong; he was rather thin, with a mohawk, a serious face, and an electronic eye in his left eye socket.
Gehrman looked at the unfamiliar young man at the counter and asked, "What kind of weapon do you need?"
"Uh... I don't know, can you recommend one?"
A hint of embarrassment crossed Gehrman's serious face: "Tell me your requirements first, I can't guarantee I can find one you like."
Xu Yang scratched his head: "Close combat, easy to carry, and preferably small in size. Can we use slashing, blunt force, and thrusting attacks?"
"..."
Gehman looked at Xu Yang in silence.
Even the latter thought that this request was probably impossible to meet.
Suddenly, the other person turned around and left, went to the weapon rack, took a pair of what looked like long gloves, and placed them on the counter.
【Iron Heart Blade】
[A meticulously crafted wearable weapon, comprising gloves and wrist guards. The gloves contain a built-in sensor that allows a sharp blade to be ejected from the wrist guards at any time.]
[Note: Come on, let's shake hands.]
……
"This should meet your requirements. The gloves can be used as boxing gloves, and the blade can pop out from above the wrist." Gehrman pushed the blade forward. "Give it a try."
Xu Yang put it on his hand, and it felt very comfortable to be wrapped in. It was not bulky, and it only bulged slightly on his wrist. It did not feel heavy. A ring of cold metal was inlaid at the knuckles.
He clenched his fist, vaguely feeling a tense mechanism, and his wrist bent downwards—
bass!
A broad, thick blade, almost touching the back of the hand, suddenly shot out, with a blood groove drawn in the middle, and its length exceeded the fist by more than 20 centimeters.
Xu Yang's eyelids twitched, and a scene suddenly flashed into his mind.
After punching the enemy in the forehead, the blade instantly sprang out, shattering the bone and creating a bleeding ball.
cruel.
Xu Yang gently loosened his grip, and the blade instantly retracted. When he clenched his fist again, the blade showed no sign of springing back.
"It is controllable. There is a mechanism inside that is like a string or a net. The tactile sensation is very strange. Unless it is actively triggered, the blade will not pop out."
Xu Yang nodded to himself.
With only one question remaining, he looked at his boss: "Is this thing sturdy? It seems to have a rather complex structure. Could it suddenly break down while we're fighting it?"
Gehrman simply stated calmly, "I won't ruin my own reputation."
"A complex structure does not mean instability; this is a weapon technology of powered armor that has been proven by history."
"Tsk." Xu Yang clicked his tongue. "How much do you want?"
"Ten thousand contribution points, plus one free upgrade."
"It can be upgraded?"
"Of course, the alloy on the blade and gloves can be remelted and replaced. If you can find better materials in the future, I can remodel it for you."
"So...can we negotiate the price?"
Gehmann just watched him silently...
Xu Yang took a deep breath and handed over his ID card.
……
After leaving the weapons shop.
Xu Yang spent another thousand contribution points to buy several small bottles, some easy-to-carry dried meat, a backpack, and finally a black bracelet at a daily necessities store.
While the previous military backpacks could hold a lot of things, they were too big and bulky. Missions are not about scavenging; a lightweight and convenient backpack is obviously more suitable for the needs.
The wristband is for easy communication. There are no mobile phones in the gathering place, only wristbands. It is directly linked to the identity card. Calls and information viewing are done on the built-in holographic projection.
Xu Yang had only been wearing the bracelet for a short time when it vibrated. The caller was Mann White, the contact person for the escort mission.
"Damn it, why can't I get through to this person?"
"It's connected now..."
"..."
"Meet at 2 PM on the wall at the exit of the assembly point and depart."
beep.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Yang glanced at his bracelet.
12: 17.
Time was a little tight, so he rushed back to the reconstruction area; there were still two things he hadn't taken care of.
The first is medicine, and the second is the storage of goods.
Back in the brick hut, he took out the glass bottle he had bought earlier, used his dagger to cut open the Heart of Thorns and added blood to it. The [Regeneration] property was best used when necessary, and healing potions were still something he needed to have on hand.
After finishing the medicine, he carried his military backpack to the end of the reconstruction area.
A place where you can store your belongings.
Asylum.
This is a specialty industry in the reconstruction area, which arose due to the lack of public security management. Contribution points are paid based on the quantity and duration of the stored items.
Passing through a dusty gray metal door, there was a long, narrow room. On both sides were densely packed boxes, neatly arranged and each with its own number, like some kind of coffin. At the end, there seemed to be other, more spacious rooms.
A plump woman dressed in work clothes sat in front of the counter, next to something that looked like a quality inspection channel.
……
drop.
The fat woman raised her head and smiled eerily, "Storing corpse remains is not allowed in principle."
"In principle?"
……
In the end, Xu Yang entered his identity information and personally put the backpack into the safe.
The Heart of Thorns, initially identified as a corpse's remains, passed mechanical inspection with the help of human ingenuity.
The principle is worth 100 contribution points.
The safe door closed tightly, making a barely perceptible sound.
Click.
The preparations are now complete.
……
Back in the cabin, Xu Yang first took a shower.
After washing it, I put on the black trench coat and lining; the clothes fit perfectly.
He then slung the shield over his shoulder, his hands adorned with brand-new spikes. The spikes had grooves at the wrists, into which bracelets could be easily inserted, clearly a deliberate design choice.
Standing in front of the mirror, he looked at the person in the mirror and had a strange feeling in his heart.
Fully armed.
However, the task requiring 2,000 contribution points seems unworthy of the 20,000 equipment points; the preparations are excessive.
He couldn't help but chuckle, touching his slightly prickly chin, and frowned slightly at the corner of his eye: "I'll shave after this mission."
……
Afternoon, 13:30.
The exit of the gathering place, gray walls.
Three large transport trucks were parked on the side of the road, with people sitting in the driver's seat. Xu Yang, fully armed, leaned against one of the trucks, the shield on his back gleaming slightly in the midday sun.
At the entrance of the nearby guard post, several burly men in black were chatting with a curly-haired man.
The man was wearing a clean uniform, was somewhat overweight, had a goatee, and looked to be in his thirties.
Mann White.
He is not only the liaison, but also the owner of the synthetic beast breeding farm in this mission.
Besides him and Xu Yang, there was a slightly shorter, dark-skinned man who was unremarkable and easily overlooked in a crowd.
【Humanity】
[A physically healthy adult male, whose life experiences of over thirty years hadn't made him stand out like this, except for the calluses on his hands from years of manual labor.]
[Note: I work the land.]
……
An ordinary person without mutations or plugins.
Perhaps because Xu Yang had encountered so many strange people before, this ordinary person suddenly seemed quite novel to him; who knows, there might be more to come later.
After all, the three-person escort team was still missing one person.
He glanced at the bracelet—
13: 47.
Finally, on the road ahead, a tall man carrying a bag was walking towards them.
Xu Yang narrowed his eyes.