The blood test results came back quickly.
Freya scanned the data she’d received from Dr. Aris Thorne, her brows furrowed in concentration.
“No abnormalities detected?”
“Chimera’s primary effects are on the brain. A proper assessment requires us to open up his skull.”
Cut my head open? Lin Fan reeled internally. They want to cut my goddamn head open?
Freya dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.
“He is the only subject who has ever survived the experiment. That option is off the table for now.”
A flicker of hope sparked in Lin Fan. His unique status, it seemed, had its advantages.
Dr. Aris Thorne was clearly displeased by Freya’s decision, but he didn’t press the issue.
“In that case, we will simply observe him for the time being. See if any other changes manifest.”
“Proceed with the brainwashing,” Freya ordered suddenly.
Lin Fan’s heart sank. Brainwashing. A common method of ensuring loyalty. In the game, a brainwashed character simply became an ally of the faction, but this was real. Losing his very sense of self was the absolute worst-case scenario.
The only good news was that memory-altering technology on this planet was still rudimentary. The organization’s methods were primitive, relying on sensory stimuli to recondition the subject. A character with at least ten points in Intelligence would be completely immune.
Chimera had granted him a +1 boost to his Endurance growth potential. Growth potential was an innate stat that determined how quickly an attribute improved. Different races had different starting potentials, and in the world of Starlight, humans generally had a mediocre growth rate. They did, however, boast the highest potential for Intelligence. Since they also had the lowest Health, that single point in Endurance growth potential was a welcome bonus.
[Concentration] gave him a 10% increase in mastery and crafting speeds, as well as their success rates.
[Low Level Willpower] gave him three points of Willpower, which substituted for three points of Intelligence. That meant he was still three points short of surviving the brainwash.
Leveling up the Civilian class will boost a random stat by one and give me one unassigned stat point... but the chance of it landing on Intelligence is minuscule...
Lin Fan knew better than to rely on luck. In fact, he’d always suspected he was cursed. If any deity smiled upon him, it was the goddess of disaster. Rather than trusting to chance, finding a way to learn a new class was a far more reliable plan.
Although he couldn't move freely, there had to be a way. This was a scenario, wasn't it?
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
If I’m an NPC... the system should have protections in place for me... right?
“Take him,” Freya commanded.
Lin Fan was yanked away again, this time brought to another room.
He immediately noticed a bookshelf lining one of the walls.
They were all reference books.
Wait, that’s a class book! Lin Fan’s mind raced.
Ignoring the two guards behind him, Lin Fan rose to his feet and walked toward the shelf.
His sudden movement startled everyone. Instantly, two guns were trained on him.
Lin Fan steeled his nerves and continued his steady approach.
You’d better not fire, he prayed. I’m a valuable test subject!
“Hold your fire!” Dr. Aris Thorne shouted suddenly. “Let’s see what he’s up to.”
The two guards hesitantly lowered their weapons.
Lin Fan let out a silent sigh of relief. He'd bet everything on his value as their sole success.
This was the book that had caught his eye. He pulled it from the shelf and began flipping through the pages.
The text was a dense jungle of long paragraphs and complex diagrams, incomprehensible to Lin Fan, but he forced himself to focus, patiently scanning the words. After about twenty seconds, the interface lit up.
_____________________
You have completed one session of self-learning in basic machinery knowledge!
[Basic Assembly] has progressed by 2.0% (based on your Intelligence).
(+0.2% from Concentration)
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Just as I thought! Lin Fan rejoiced internally. He couldn’t understand a word of the book, but the system’s automated mastery allowed him to absorb the knowledge directly.
Dr. Aris Thorne’s curiosity was piqued. The test subject appeared to be… learning.
He gestured for Lin Fan to continue, eager to observe more.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the whisper of turning pages.
_____________________
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Lin Fan’s reading speed increased, but so did the pressure. Every second that ticked by could be his last.
When Freya entered the room, the sight of Lin Fan reading made her frown.
Dr. Aris Thorne quickly began to explain what had transpired.
“You’re saying his learning ability has been strengthened?”
“That is my initial conclusion. If you allow me to open his head for a thorough assessment, I can provide a more complete answer.”
Lin Fan flinched. Just how obsessed is this bastard with brains?
Freya considered this. If his brain has been enhanced, he could be more valuable than we initially thought...
“Is the brainwashing apparatus ready?” she asked.
“Preparations are complete.”
Damn it! I have to be faster! Lin Fan thought frantically.
Suddenly, a soft chime sounded as a notification lit up his interface.
_____________________
Progress rate: 90% (+10%)
You have learned basic knowledge of Machinery, unlocking the Mechanic talent tree!
You have unlocked a new profession: [Mechanic (Novice)]
STR +10, INT +1, END +1
You have gained 2 stat points.
You have gained 1 talent point.
You have acquired new skills: [Mechanic Affinity], [Basic Maintenance], [Basic Enhancement]
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A strange warmth surged through Lin Fan’s body. To his astonishment, he realized he could now actually comprehend the book's contents.
I can gain real knowledge from the game system? Are you kidding me? Starlight was in service for over a decade! How come the Terran Alliance hasn’t conquered the Veridian Expanse yet?
The ‘Character Information Interface’ had updated as well:
_____________________
Name: Lin Fan
Race: Human/Carbon-based (Yellow)
Model: NPC (countdown to Genesis War launch: 358 days 10 hours 11 minutes)
Main Class: Mechanic (Novice) – Lv. 1 (0/200)
Sub-class: Civilian – Lv. 1 (0/50)
Health: 43/50 (injured)
Level: 2
Attributes: 3 STR, 3 DEX, 5 END, 4 INT, 1 MYS , 2 CHA, 1 LUK
Energy: 10/10 [Lv. 1]
Energy Rank: 1
Grade: F [Mortal]
[You still lack the combat strength to take on 5 lowly thugs.]
Talents:
– Concentration: +10% to mastery and crafting speeds
– Lesser Willpower: +3 to focus
Class Skills:
– Mechanic Affinity: Lv 1 (0/1000) – Increases mastery of engineering
– Basic Maintenance: Lv 1 (0/400) – Able to perform simple maintenance
– Basic Enhancement: Lv 1 (0/600) – Able to enhance machinery
Knowledge Tree:
– Arms: Basic Assembly Lv 1 [19 talents not learnt]
– Energy: [20 talents not learnt]
– Control: [20 talents not learnt]
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Strength improved melee damage and was a requirement for some heavy equipment.
Dexterity improved movement speed, attack speed, and evasion, and it gave a bonus to ranged attacks.
Endurance increased Health and Energy; one point gave 10 HP and 10 Stamina. It also affected certain abilities and increased recovery rates.
All actions depleted Stamina, from attacking and blocking to running and crafting.
Endurance also contributed to physical defense, which was calculated using many complex formulas. For example, two characters with identical defense stats would take different amounts of damage from a bullet if one wasn't wearing metal armor.
Other factors like Energy, range, bullet type, and equipment material were all taken into consideration by the game’s quantum computer servers. It was impossible for players to perfectly optimize defense, but more was always better.
Intelligence affected growth rates and Willpower. A character with higher Intelligence could master skills faster. It also increased mastery and crafting speeds and could affect the quality of a Mechanic’s creations, making it their most important stat.
Mystery governed a character’s talent for supernatural powers, affecting psionics and magic much like Strength or Dexterity affected physical abilities.
Charm was useful for improving relationships with NPCs and Factions, sometimes even earning discounts from vendors.
Luck affected judgment calls and item drop rates.
These were the seven main attributes.
Then there was Energy, a core component that functioned as ‘Mana’ for superpowers. Described as ‘a manifestation of the dormant power in living cells,’ it could only be increased through leveling or specific skills and was a requirement for unlocking superpowers and latent awakenings.
A character also received bonus stats based on their Energy level. Level 1 Energy was reached at 10 points, Level 2 at 50, and Level 3 at 100. Each level gave random stats based on the character’s class, with higher-level classes benefiting more. The bonus was retroactive.
Energy was also a resource for superpowers. If a character’s remaining Energy dropped below a tier’s threshold, the corresponding stat bonuses were temporarily lost. For example, the Level 1 bonus would disappear when Energy dropped below 10 points. This fatigued the character, affecting their combat ability and making resource management crucial.
Energy recovered automatically, but slowly. Stamina could be used for faster recovery or as a substitute fuel for abilities. If both were depleted, Health could be used instead—a careless mistake that led many players to suck themselves dry and die.
A character’s grade reflected their combat strength. The standard unit of measurement was the Volts. Superhumans were graded from E to A.
Anya E-grade superhuman, like the current Freya, possessed 100 Volts.
A Celestial-class superhuman was grade A, capable of planetary-scale destruction.
Of course, grade A wasn't the limit. Lin Fan knew this well, having transcended it himself. But that was then, and this was now.
Unlocking the Mechanic class had given him two unassigned stat points, but he still needed one more point in Intelligence to survive the brainwashing.
Apart from leveling up, there was no other way. How was he supposed to gain experience? He couldn't hunt monsters or complete quests.
Damn it, is there no other way?
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
He tossed the book aside. His gaze fixed on the handgun holstered at a guard’s waist, his expression now eerily blank.
Freya frowned but didn't act. Everyone watched to see what Lin Fan would do next.
Lin Fan walked toward the guard with a stiff, unnatural gait. He reached for the holstered pistol with a slow, deliberate movement, making his intentions impossible to misinterpret.
The guard instinctively drew his weapon, tightening his grip, though he didn't fire, as Lin Fan wasn't trying to snatch it.
“Unload the gun and give it to him,” Freya ordered, keen to understand his motives.
The guard complied, ejecting the magazine and clearing the chamber.
The moment the gun was in his hands, information appeared on Lin Fan’s interface.
_____________________
You have acquired [73-Vespa (Small Caliber Handgun)]
Grade: Common
Damage: 28-35
Fire Rate: 1.1/s
Magazine Capacity: 7
Power Output: 13
Details: Anya outdated model, but reliable and easy to maintain.
Key components: Spring, Slide, Firing pin, Magazine (missing)
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[Basic Assembly] automatically gave Lin Fan knowledge about many types of machines. The blueprints for a 73-Vespa materialized in his mind.
Instantly, he understood its inner workings. In the game, he would have simply needed to ‘learn’ the blueprint, but here, he had to apply a more technical understanding.
The cold, solid weight of the metal felt far more real than any in-game asset, confirming his deepest suspicion: this was no game. He had been transported to a new reality.
Lin Fan began to strip the handgun and then reassemble it.
The skill icon for [Basic Assembly] lit up.
He finished the task in forty seconds.
To a specialist, forty seconds was nothing. But Lin Fan was a complete novice who had spent less than ten minutes with a book.
Everyone was shocked.
Is this the effect of Chimera?
Dr. Aris Thorne’s voice was laced with excitement. “Such learning prowess! If I can analyze his brain, perhaps I can recreate…”
Nexus Gambit to hell! How obsessed are you with brains?
Lin Fan ignored him and repeated the process, disassembling and reassembling the handgun.
_____________________
You have succeeded at an Assembly (Basic)
69% perfection rate, 28 exp gained
You have succeeded at an Assembly (Basic)
73% perfection rate, 32 exp gained
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There were many ways to gain experience in Starlight. Besides quests and combat, skills and crafting were two key sources for a Mechanic.
Lin Fan repeated the task again and again, his hands moving with increasing speed and confidence. Soon, he could complete the task in a mere twenty seconds.
“Proceed with the brainwashing now,” Freya ordered suddenly.
It was just enough. He had accumulated exactly 200 experience points.
Just in time. Use all experience to level up Class: [Mechanic]!
_____________________
[Mechanic (Novice)] has leveled up.
Intelligence +1, Endurance +1
You have gained 2 stat points
You have gained 1 talent point
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Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief.