The [USS Ghost's Treasure Chest] yielded two items: another handwritten booklet and a silver-gray drone the size of a tablet.
[Ghost's Sniper Notes]
Type: Skill Book
Quality: F (Purple)
Description: Upon use, automatically master the [Tranquil Shot] skill, significantly increasing accuracy with ranged weapons while stationary.
[USS Micro Reconnaissance Drone]
Type: Item
Quality: F (Blue)
Level: Lv1
Description: A tactical reconnaissance drone issued by Umbrella Corporation to USS squads. Maximum remote control range without satellite signal: 10km. Equipped with infrared thermography and night vision. Capable of automated tracking and pursuit filming of locked targets.
Roy couldn't help but smack his lips. Balancer treasure chests really deliver, he thought. Opening one guarantees at least a purple item. No wonder so many players last life were obsessed with farming those Balancers.
The [USS Ninja's Treasure Chest] held a technologically advanced black combat bodysuit.
[USS Combat Armor - Prototype Type 1]
Type: Armor
Quality: F (Purple)
Level: Lv1
Durability: 80
Skill 1: Bulletproof (Passive) – Negates an additional 10 points of firearm damage. Reduces kinetic impact by 50% when residual damage is lower than the armor's base durability.
Skill 2: Antitoxin (Passive) – Automatically deploys a gas mask upon detecting hazardous concentrations of biological or chemical toxins.
Description: An experimental standard armor developed by Umbrella Corporation for USS close-combat specialists. Utilizes special biomaterials to maximize defense while ensuring flexibility.
"Hell yes!" Roy burst out, unable to resist punching the air. While the items from the first three chests pleased him, this [USS Combat Armor - Prototype Type 1] was an absolute, unexpected jackpot. Forget the impressive base stats boosted by its purple quality – the real prize was the [Bulletproof] skill.
A saying echoed among Illusionary players: "Veterans fear the blade, rookies fear the gun." In the early, low-level stages, firearms were brutally overpowering against new players lacking good gear. Getting caught in heavy gunfire or targeted by a sniper usually meant instant death. This phase was the toughest grind for all newcomers. Without extraordinary luck or finds, things only started improving once their Constitution attribute hit 500 (unlocking the [Stone Body] skill) or their Spirit attribute reached 500 (unlocking [Superior Instinct]).
While Roy currently feared death least of all, having armor specifically designed to counter bullets meant he could drastically reduce how often he needed to play his [Death Refactor] trump card. To avoid any awkward delays in an emergency, Roy stripped off his old white-tier [Fortune City Security Uniform] and immediately donned the sleek [USS Combat Armor - Prototype Type 1], stowing the obsolete gear in his storage space.
"Let's see what other surprises these chests hold…" A grin spread across Roy's face as he pulled the [USS Four-Eyes's Treasure Chest] from his storage space.
The familiar soft purple glow faded, revealing a needle-less injector filled with a bright red, transparent liquid.
[Mutated T-Virus Booster]
Type: Drug
Quality: F (Purple)
Description: One of Umbrella Corporation's T-virus booster series. Significantly enhances T-virus infected organisms for a short duration. Post-enhancement, subjects have a 99% probability of suffering genetic collapse.
Roy stared at the description, momentarily speechless. That's it? he thought incredulously. Where's the damn controller? Without a control mechanism, this [Mutated T-Virus Booster] was essentially an indiscriminate bomb. Its tactical value was near zero, useful only for causing chaos in very specific scenarios. And if luck turned against him, it could easily backfire disastrously. Shaking his head, he stored the frustratingly incomplete booster. Only one chest left.
He casually opened the final [USS Wolf Mother's Treasure Chest], expecting little. What happened next stunned him. A blinding flash of golden light erupted from the chest! As the radiance faded, Roy found himself holding a black manual emblazoned with the Umbrella Corporation logo.
[USS Bio-Enhanced Special Forces Training Manual]
Type: Manual (Cultivation Technique)
Quality: F (Gold)
Level: Lv1
Skill 1: Modified Soldier (Passive) – Constitution +20, Spirit +20.
Skill 2: Genetic Enhancement (Passive) – Healing Speed +20%.
Skill 3: Elite Operative (Passive) – Fire Rate +30%, Accuracy +10% when using firearms.
Description: A customized training regimen developed by Umbrella Corporation for its elite forces. Due to the high failure rate of the required genetic modification procedures, this program is currently only in limited trial use within the USS.
Roy stood frozen, the golden manual heavy in his hand. Shock rooted him to the spot. Gold tier? From a chest? he thought, bewildered. I thought only quest rewards gave gold items! He pondered for a long moment before a theory crystallized. Eliminating the entire USS squad likely wasn't just the escape condition; it was also a high-difficulty hidden quest. Only by killing all six members would this final chest yield the gold item. Otherwise, like the others, it would have capped out at purple.
"A cultivation manual…" Roy murmured, the sheer value sinking in. A player's strength in the Illusionary Realm was built on two pillars: Base Attributes and Equipment Attributes. Equipment Attributes were the easiest to inflate – swap in better gear, upgrade existing pieces, and stats could skyrocket overnight. Newbies often chased that illusory power spike. Veterans knew better. That kind of "strength" was fragile, like a child wielding a knife against an unarmed adult. How much of an item's potential you unlocked depended entirely on your Base Attributes. And Base Attributes were the grind. Players had only three reliable ways to boost them:
Ranking Up: Each rank increase granted fixed bonuses to Constitution and Spirit – the primary method for most players.
Bloodlines & Professions: Special bloodlines or professions acquired within the Illusions offered attribute bonuses based on their innate potential.
Manuals & Items: Item bonuses were straightforward. Manuals – cultivation techniques like this one – were essentially specialized equipment slots dedicated to boosting Base Attributes. The beauty was their flexibility. Unlike a bloodline, you could swap them out whenever you found a superior technique.
Regarding readers concerned about the protagonist becoming overpowered too quickly and the story losing tension later – don't worry. This novel has a meticulously planned outline. The protagonist's golden finger, the [Neo-Human] (Ajin) bloodline, wasn't chosen lightly. Extensive charts, analysis, and comparisons were done before settling on it. A closer look reveals it's powerful in potential, but not inherently broken.
Let's break it down:
Neo-Human (Passive: Spirit +100%): Many bloodlines offer significant attribute modifiers. Think Hulk: Spirit -90%, Constitution +200%. Compared to that, is +100% Spirit truly game-breaking?
Death Refactor (Active): This is likely the most controversial ability. In a purely realistic, modern setting? Yes, it would be broken. But is this setting purely realistic modern? Anyone familiar with the Ajin source material knows [Death Refactor] has critical weaknesses. Reactivation takes time after "death." Crucially, it offers zero protection against non-lethal threats like anesthesia or incapacitating injuries. If immobilized or subjected to sustained bodily destruction, Roy wouldn't die... but he wouldn't be truly functional either. Hence his extreme caution in hiding this bloodline – discovery risks specific countermeasures.
Black Ghost (Summon): Okay, this leans towards overpowered in concept. In the original, it's like an invisible, immortal bodyguard acting independently. To balance it here, a significant nerf was applied: Roy must consciously control it. This creates a major vulnerability – he can't act effectively himself while using the Ghost. It's a powerful tool, but one that leaves him exposed.
So, looking at the whole package – situational immortality with exploitable weaknesses, a potent Spirit boost countered by fragility, and a powerful summon that requires full concentration – does the [Neo-Human] bloodline still seem overwhelmingly unfair? Remember, raw power isn't the only measure of a good story. Saitama started One Punch Man maxed out, and that story thrives. Trust in the author's control over the narrative.