novelraw Chapter 32 Dragon Heart
Chapter 32 Dragon Heart
Xu Yang glanced at the mission description and asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"What do you think about the two of us taking on this task?"
"You trust me that much?"
"Besides you, I don't know anyone else, and we're all new here, so it's normal for us to stick together."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yang almost burst out laughing.
How come this kid is even less naive than I am? He seems a bit green on the uptake, probably because he hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life. It seems the treatment in the giant city is indeed quite good.
He then asked, "Since you want to take this mission, do you know what a Bloodthirsty Falcon is?"
Ron's eyes lit up, thinking the other party was willing to agree, and he quickly said, "It's a strange bird, about half a meter long, and it looks very ugly and bizarre."
"weird?"
"Yes, they were covered in deep red flesh, with three pairs of somewhat deformed fleshy wings." Ron recalled the image of the Bloodthirsty Falcon in his mind, "and at the tips of the wings were some—"
"Stop!" Xu Yang interrupted him directly, "I'm not going."
Hearing the description, images of churning flesh and blood flooded my mind—red flesh, deformities? Could this be related to that flesh-and-blood angel again…?
"Why?" Ron looked at him, quite puzzled.
"Psychological trauma".
"Um, well... okay then."
……
After declining the team invitation, Xu Yang started looking for suitable missions again, focusing his search on simple caravan escort and material gathering tasks.
The former mostly travels between settlements, with fixed and relatively safe routes, which also makes it easier for him to further understand the world.
The latter, being purely a resource gathering activity, rarely requires direct combat and carries less risk.
As for the tasks beyond these two, I might be able to handle them with my current abilities, but when doing things, it's always best to start with the easy ones and then move on to the difficult ones.
Therefore, I'll start with a simple task to get through this phase and also familiarize myself with my own abilities.
As one message after another scrolled by, Xu Yang's gaze finally settled:
[Number: 6819]
[Type: Escort]
[Description: The owner of the synthetic beast farm in Cluster 3, West District 102, needs to deliver a batch of synthetic meat to Cluster 9 and is recruiting 2/3 people.]
[Amount: 2000 Contribution Points]
[Time Limit: 1 days]
Contact Person: Mann White
……
Xu Yang quickly clicked "confirm" on the mission display stand and lightly touched his ID card to the stand.
[...personnel (3/3)]
The mission information then disappeared...
He then glanced at Ron beside him, who was still flipping through the list.
Interestingly, the type of mission the other party stayed for each time was either investigation, hunting, or pursuit, and most of them required entering the quarantine zone.
"Do you really like quarantine barriers that much?"
Ron just frowned, somewhat helplessly: "What can I do? The other missions are boring; they're quite tedious at first glance."
"For those missions that require entering the quarantine zone, don't you consider whether you are capable of handling them?" Xu Yang asked.
"I've considered it." Ron raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mention it before, but my training program focuses on combat. Even after leaving Haiyuan City, I haven't neglected it. These tasks won't be difficult for me."
"Wait a minute, didn't you dislike your proposal?"
Xu Yang leaned against the booth, his expression slightly strange.
Just recently, the other party said that they ran away because they didn't like the training program, but the result is that they are still following the program step by step. Isn't this a battle between the left and right brains?
Ron didn't reply immediately; his finger, which had been scrolling through the task, stopped, and he lightly tapped his identity card against the screen.
Xu Yang caught a glimpse of the information flashing by.
It seems like they're hunting down some kind of experimental subject?
Then, Ron shook his head and said, "I don't like the training program because it will keep me in Haiyuan for the rest of my life, and that's what I can't accept."
"I want to see strange and unusual things, see the world, explore the unknown, go on adventures, and discover all sorts of things. Skills are a must, and the plan just happens to give me a clear path to improvement, so of course I can continue to refer to it."
"..."
"Then...isn't the training program your reference book?"
"That's what someone who's still living in a daze asked," someone asked.
Ron was taken aback; it was the first time he had ever heard such a metaphor.
He then laughed and said, "That's really true."
Xu Yang laughed too, looking shy: "Um, I meant, could I borrow it to take a look?"
He is very interested in it now.
A reference book for life, detailing almost every aspect of daily life.
It is also a life plan focused on combat, which should cover all aspects of improving strength.
It might be of some reference value to him.
Ron, however, just looked at him with a strange expression, slightly covering his forehead.
"I can't lend this."
Why?
"It's in my head..."
……
Xu Yang ultimately did not get to see Ron's training program in person.
Because the "cultivation program" is essentially a special kind of implanted memory, a plan in one's consciousness that guides the host on what to do every day.
It sounds like...
A certain system.
Although they appear to be different from guidelines, the methods of stuffing information into consciousness are remarkably similar.
This made Xu Yang think about it for a moment.
Could it be that the guide that came with my time travel is somehow related to this "training program" or the Federation, which I still don't fully understand?
He tentatively asked, "So, what does this training program instruct you to do? After you complete what it instructs you to do, will there be any rewards or anything like that, something that's suddenly been handed to you?"
"..."
Ron looked at him strangely and said, "It's just a memory, and now that we've left the Great City, it's not entirely applicable in many places. It can only be read as a book. How could it be possible to take a physical object out of one's consciousness?"
Xu Yang smacked his lips.
It seems the so-called training program is not as advanced as his guidelines, but the origin of the guidelines...
He shook his head inwardly, no longer dwelling on the question. As long as it was useful, its specific origin was unimportant.
……
Having received the mission, the two began their respective preparations.
Necessary food, water, medicine, protective gear, and weapons...
After leaving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, Xu Yang went straight back to the reconstruction area.
First, he needed to go home to get some things; second, he was unfamiliar with the area and needed the experience of a veteran.
The original plan was to ask Lily where to buy supplies, but when they got home, the girl had disappeared and had probably gone to scavenge in the quarantine zone again.
During the red fall, scavengers were unwilling to waste a single moment.
……
But Xu Yang couldn't just wait for Lily to come back. The commission had a time limit, and it was to be carried out with the caravan. He still had to meet with the contact person that afternoon.
Maybe we'll just set off directly then.
With no time to waste, Xu Yang first returned to his residence to retrieve his previous sniper rifle, which served as his initial capital. He had originally planned to sell the energy storage module.
However, upon closer examination, the module can at least be used as a battery in the future, while the sniper rifle as a weapon becomes useless.
There's no reason why someone who can't even master sniping in a game would suddenly become a sniping master in real life.
Moreover, his mutated traits include the self-sacrifice skill, and even his current physical attributes, with high strength and agility, are all designed for close combat.
There's no need to obsess over a gun's weaknesses; instead, use it as resources to maximize its strengths—that's the best use of it.
"I need better armor. Melee weapons can be anything, and for ranged attacks, a small pistol with incendiary rounds will be just about right. But I need to sell the gun first."
Xu Yang understood the situation perfectly well.
He was unwilling to sell the gun just anywhere; with his meager savings, he couldn't afford such a waste. And with Lily gone, the best course of action was to find another experienced person.
For example... Anya?
A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
As a doctor, the other party should have no shortage of information from all kinds of patients, and they should have lived in the community for many years, so they should have a better understanding of which places are reliable.
There was another reason: he had a very good first impression of the doctor, and after chatting with him, he could tell that the doctor was a very patient and easy-going person.
……
Central Avenue, Qingting Clinic.
At the entrance, the same young man emerged from the clinic yesterday, beginning another day of the same failed confession.
Xu Yang shook his head and strode into the clinic.
His figure, holding a large sniper rifle, was so conspicuous that at first glance he looked like he was there to cause trouble.
All eyes immediately fell on him.
Anya naturally saw him too, and then walked over from one side of the waiting room, saying uncertainly:
"Mr. Xu, is something wrong with you? Has the mutation caused some kind of problem?"
"Ah, no." Xu Yang shook his head. "I'm just here to get some information."
"..."
After a few minutes.
Xu Yang left the clinic, still clutching a referral note written by the doctor in his hand:
武器（中央大街42号）、防具（中央大街43号）、货物收购兼高级货源供应商（中央大街7号）、日用品（中央大街82号）、违禁药物（重建区二街109号）
Aside from the purchase of prohibited drugs, most supplies are bought within the settlement area. While there are shops in the reconstruction zone, they are a mixed bag, making it difficult to guarantee the quality of supplies.
It's worth mentioning that Anya recommended Cole of the Secret Tower as the buyer.
To Xu Yang's surprise, according to the doctor's description, although the purchase price offered by Cole was low, it was negotiable, and there was no malicious concealment of the value of the goods or forced buying and selling. He turned out to be a pretty decent businessman.
Xu Yang wasn't worried about the merchants hiding the value of the items, but he couldn't accept forced sales. If he couldn't stand it and blew the other party out, he might have to run away overnight.
Therefore, there is a one-day interval.
Xu Yang, carrying his sniper rifle, walked into the Secret Tower again. The bodyguards sitting by the door glanced at him, and the man with silver arms slowly rolled up his sleeves.
A wisp of electric arc was wrapped around it.
"..."
Xu Yang placed the gun on the counter.
"Selling guns."
Three Types of Green Screen
[Produced by the Mechanism Prototype Association, this sniper rifle has a heavy feel but is highly accurate, and is compatible with most special types of ammunition on the market.]
[Note: Just one shot, no more.]
……
Cole glanced at the gun briefly, without conducting a detailed inspection: "Green III? Looks fine. Let's go down and check it again."
A middle-aged man emerged from behind the counter, and a bodyguard in black immediately stepped forward, picked up a gun from the counter, and together they headed towards the elevator at the end of the "general store" corridor. Xu Yang scratched his head and followed.
Step into the elevator; there are four floor buttons inside.
Xu Yang suddenly realized.
It turns out that the Secret Pagoda really is a pagoda, only it's built downwards.
……
The elevator stopped on the third basement level, and the group entered a dark yellow room.
The interior was not very clean, with all sorts of strange items, or rather, equipment, hanging on the walls. Most of them were covered in grime and some were labeled with numbers, seemingly to distinguish them.
These should all be items that Cole acquired.
Xu Yang glanced over—[Kanu's Tentacles], [Century Human Faceplate], [Venom (Pistol)]...
At the same time, the burly man with the gun at the front walked to a crystal table against the wall, put the gun on it, and a screen immediately lit up on the other side of the table, displaying some encrypted text.
Cole looked at the strange data and turned to Xu Yang, saying, "Twenty thousand. The gun is well-maintained, but that's the only price I can offer for a used one."
Xu Yang tentatively suggested a price: "Twenty-two thousand?"
"make a deal."
A rather chubby, white hand reached out, and Cole smiled.
Xu Yang grasped it expressionlessly.
What a loss!
……
With the update of his ID card account balance, Xuyang finally joined the ranks of those with tens of thousands of yuan in assets.
Beside him, Cole rubbed his hands together and said, "Young man, is there anything else you'd like to buy?"
What do you sell?
The fat man smiled wickedly: "It depends on what you want. What others have, I have; what others don't have, I also have. Our Secret Tower has everything!"
"However, this price is a little more expensive than the market price." Colby made a small pinch between his thumb and forefinger.
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow.
No wonder Anya's note included a note about a high-end supplier.
"Are there any lures or mutagens here?"
"Of course, anything available on the market can be bought here. Even if it's temporarily out of stock, you can place an order first. I get the goods directly from Jucheng," Cole said proudly, turning around and leading Xu Yang back to the elevator.
As the elevator started and then stopped, the doors opened—
The room was entirely white, with rows of neat, dark-colored metal shelves labeled with information about the goods, and glass bottles arranged on them.
Xu Yang glanced casually at a shelf, and it was full of the same kind of tempting items.
[Dragon Heart Drug Lure]
[Z-God Corporation extracts the corresponding genes from the corpses of withered dragons to create a drug-like lure. Long-term use, in conjunction with a corresponding mutagen, may result in a very small probability of acquiring the following mutations: dragon scales, breath organs, and mind control.]
[Note: If you were a dragon...]
……
"The probability is extremely low, and it's not a one-time implantation method like with flesh and blood baits; instead, it requires long-term use. Is this thing just a scam to rip people off?"
Xu Yang couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
At the same time, Cole noticed Xu Yang's gaze and eagerly introduced, "Good eye! Dragon Heart Potion, the most popular lure right now. I heard it's related to a true dragon from another world. It has three mutation traits, and I have the corresponding mutagen here. First is..."
"Wait, stop right there." Xu Yang immediately interrupted Cole. "Can you explain to me why this thing is a potion, and what's the difference between it and those flesh-and-blood lures?"
"..."
"you do not know?"
Xu Yang shook his head. He only had a general idea of what lures and mutagens were, but he didn't understand the specific differences between them.
"Please explain."