Chapter 30: Super Soldier Serum
[You have earned 1 Skill Point for achieving your first S-Rank evaluation.]
[Congratulations on completing the simulation. New maps and game elements have been unlocked.]
[Your current alignment is: Lawful Neutral.]
[Please select your rewards.]
[1. Randomly obtain three skills and specialties acquired during the simulation.]
[2. Randomly obtain three items acquired during the simulation.]
So alignment is a new factor... I guess my alignment will change with each simulation and affect the next one.
When Zhou Ning saw the rewards, his eyes lit up. He never expected to get an S-Rank on this completion, and the rewards were incredibly generous. Not only did he get 29 Time Travel Coins, but he also received a Skill Point.
However, the choice was difficult. The "Legendary Vampire" template he'd used was free, but its power surpassed even the God of Gamblers and Outrageous Gangster templates. Choosing to draw skills would almost guarantee he'd get one of the vampire's expert- or master-level abilities.
On the other hand, the item pool contained the Super Soldier Serum, which he desperately wanted.
After much consideration, Zhou Ning chose the second option.
[You have selected Option 2.]
[You have obtained the Epic item: Super Soldier Serum.]
[You have obtained the Epic item: Phoenix No. 1.]
[You have obtained the Rare item: Broken Infinity Gauntlet.]
[Super Soldier Serum (Epic)]: A serum diluted to 30% concentration. Can be injected directly to enhance the user's metabolism and all other bodily functions, unlocking their full potential.
[Phoenix No. 1 (Epic)]: A battle suit created by Tony Stark of the Earth-83716 universe. It lacks thermal weaponry but is equipped with numerous other functions.
[Broken Infinity Gauntlet (Rare)]: A gauntlet that was broken after its user snapped their fingers.
"I finally got it! The Super Soldier Serum!" Zhou Ning was ecstatic. Getting the Phoenix No. 1 suit on top of that was an unexpected bonus.
He opened his inventory and took out the serum. It was a five-milliliter syringe filled with a pale yellow liquid, flecked with tiny black particles.
According to the simulator, it shouldn't kill me. Even if the injection fails, the worst that can happen is I end up with a face like the Red Skull.
What's there to be afraid of? I've never gotten by on my looks anyway!
He took the syringe, found a vein in his arm, and slowly injected the contents into his bloodstream.
A searing pain suddenly exploded through his body.
"Hiss—"
Zhou Ning clenched his teeth as an unbearable agony erupted from every cell. It felt as if he'd been hit by a dump truck. His body was being torn apart, and his bones seemed to be snapping one by one. The pain was so intense he nearly blacked out.
He didn't know how long he'd been in agony before the pain finally began to subside. Zhou Ning took a ragged breath, feeling completely drained.
Looking at his information panel again, he saw that it was flooded with notifications.
[You have used Super Soldier Serum (30% concentration). Fusion progress 48%. No vita-ray radiation... Serum has been absorbed!]
[You have used Super Soldier Serum (30% concentration). Fusion progress 77%. No vita-ray radiation... Serum has been absorbed!]
[You have used Super Soldier Serum (30% concentration). Fusion progress 100%. Fusion complete! Compatibility: Perfect.]
[You have gained Strength +10, Agility +10, Stamina +10, Spirit +5.]
[You have gained the Specialty: [Superb Physique].]
"Superb Physique?"
Zhou Ning stared for a moment, then looked at his attribute panel in disbelief. Sure enough, a new specialty was listed: [Superb Physique].
Is this... an Elite Specialty? Zhou Ning was shocked.
In the game Apocalypse, there was a special category of abilities called Elite Specialties. They were exclusive to elite-template NPCs and bosses, were generally very powerful, and were rare even among elites.
His new [Superb Physique] specialty increased his main attribute bonus by 0.35 per level. In other words, for every three levels he gained, he would receive an extra main attribute point. Based on the 60-level cap of the game's first expansion, that meant he could gain 20 more main attribute points than other players—an incredible advantage.
For example, his main profession was Student (Level 1), while his secondary professions were Linguist (Level 2) and Alchemist Apprentice (Level 1). Each level in Linguist granted him one point of Spirit—its main attribute—and one free attribute point. With the new specialty, that point of Spirit was now boosted to 1.35.
It was that powerful.
For Zhou Ning, this specialty guaranteed his future growth potential. He might even be able to compete with the legendary NPCs one day.
His panel now read:
Name: Zhou Ning / Wayne Stewell
Race: Human
Template: Elite NPC [Open Beta Countdown: 45 days, 12 hours, 22 minutes]
Level: 3
Occupation: Student/Teaching Assistant [1/10]
Secondary Occupation: Linguist [2/10] / Alchemy Apprentice [1/10]
Force Affinity: 0
Arcane Affinity: 0
Talents: Tony Stark (Purple), Gun Fu: Deadly Rhythm (Blue)
Attributes: Strength 20, Agility 23, Stamina 18, Will 9, Spirit 15, Charm 99
Health: 180/180
Stamina: 196/196
Willpower: 9/9
Mana: 0
Life Skills: Alchemy (Intermediate), Mysticism (Intermediate), Precision Machinery (Expert), Gambling (Advanced)
General Skills: English Proficiency (Expert), Pickpocketing (Intermediate), Marksmanship (Basic), Pickup Artistry (Expert), Ripple Breathing (Basic), Mozambique Drill (Basic), CAR Marksmanship (Basic), Ripple Shot (Basic), Rapid Pursuit (Basic)
(Remaining skills omitted.)
Awesome! My template even changed to Elite NPC. Based on the description, I should be on par with a standard "extraordinary" individual from the start of the game.
This time jump was definitely worth it. The serum was one thing, but the other highlight was the Phoenix No. 1.
This reward was a genuine surprise. After all, what man doesn't dream of having his own battle suit?
After making sure the door was locked, Zhou Ning selected Phoenix No. 1 in his inventory and chose to equip it.
Almost instantly, a golden-red battle suit materialized around him. The helmet, arm guards, torso, back, and leg plates all fastened into place, fitting him perfectly.
His combat power rating instantly soared to 995—a fivefold increase!
It looks great, and it's powerful, but it's way too flashy... No wonder Tony designs his own stuff. Only he could pull off this aesthetic.
The helmet was a half-cowl with two fin-like ears on the sides, leaving his mouth and jaw exposed. It was equipped with night vision and thermal imaging. The uniform itself offered good protection and was fireproof, impact-resistant, and cut-resistant.
The gloves had adhesive properties that would make climbing a breeze. The arm guards featured more than ten buttons, though he had no idea what they did yet. He didn't dare test them in his room for fear of launching some hidden projectile.
His utility belt held ropes, cutters, breathing apparatus, and even a pair of throwing knives.
The cape was clearly custom-made; when powered, it could unfold into a pair of wings, presumably for short-distance flight or gliding.
Basically, it's like a slightly less functional Batsuit, but it's still really damn cool!
This suit will be my ultimate trump card. I'll just need to find time to change the color scheme; it's way too conspicuous.
After admiring himself in the mirror for a long time, Zhou Ning reluctantly put the Phoenix suit away and checked his other notifications.
[Player has achieved a perfect completion of "Infinite Warfare." You have been granted one additional chance to retain a talent in the real world. Would you like to proceed? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
[Draw complete. You have obtained the Blue Talent: [Athletic Genius].]
[Athletic Genius (Blue)]: You possess exceptional athletic abilities.
Zhou Ning was a little disappointed not to have drawn one of the purple talents, but the sight of notification icons glowing on his achievement and task bars quickly distracted him.
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