Chapter 5: You're a Player Too?
The next morning, I was awakened early by guards and donned a non-stat puncture-resistant combat suit. I then headed to the cafeteria for a meal, where I saw many other "test subjects" like myself.
Everyone remained silent, with only the clatter of knives and forks against trays filling the air. The atmosphere was stifling beyond description.
"You."
Instructor Lakuri appeared, pointed a finger at me, and said, "Subject 033, you useless scrap, come with me."
"Yes, Instructor."
I replied in a dull, mechanical tone. The other test subjects cast sympathetic glances my way, but no one spoke.
After breakfast, a guard escorted me to the training grounds. I wasn't alone; there were a dozen other subjects. It was only then that I noticed the "X033" printed on my suit—evidently my designation among the subjects.
"Today, you begin marksmanship training."
Instructor Lakuri stood with his hands behind his back, sneering. "The Death Mine does not harbor dead weight. There will be an assessment at the end of every day. The top ten trainees will be selected for advancement into the Vanguard, with potential opportunities to join the Gray Bug Battle Group and be trained as Power Armor warriors. However, the bottom ten will be eliminated. You know full well what that entails!"
The group trembled.
As for me, I felt a spark of excitement. Finally, I could get my hands on a gun!
"Take it!"
An instructor tossed a pistol toward me. "Try aiming and firing. Stay steady, don't rush."
"Understood."
I picked up the pistol, feeling an inexplicable thrill. I disengaged the safety and began to aim.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
After three consecutive shots, a prompt flickered before my eyes.
[Would you like to learn the skill "Basic Marksmanship" (C-Rank)?]
I had been waiting for this.
Without hesitation, I added the Basic Marksmanship icon to my skill panel, consuming one skill point. Unfortunately, I lacked the skill experience to level it up further for now. Even so, having just learned Level 1 Basic Marksmanship, a wealth of experience and insights surged into my mind. I no longer felt like a novice; I felt a subtle, newfound rapport with the weapon—this was, perhaps, the advantage of being a player.
...
By dusk, after a full day of training, the assessment began.
Over sixty people participated. With my Level 1 Basic Marksmanship, I could have easily placed in the top ten, but I chose not to. Instead, I kept my score in the middle of the pack—avoiding selection for the Vanguard while staying safe from elimination. That was the best path.
That night, all the test subjects were taken to a large hall to learn about firearm assembly and maintenance. This was exactly what I wanted; the skill experience gained from stripping and assembling a rifle was far greater than that from a radio!
I began to frantically farm skill experience.
Four days flew by.
By now, the experience gained from disassembling firearms had reached a staggering 120,000 points!
It was just enough to raise Basic Maintenance, Basic Marksmanship, and Throwing Techniques all to Level 10.
After a series of flashes, the three skills hit their maximum level. Basic Maintenance and Throwing Techniques each granted an additional 3 points to Agility and Strength, while upgrading Basic Marksmanship from Level 1 to 10 provided a total of 6 Agility points.
With this, my combat power rating climbed once more.
[Chasing Shadow] (Main Class Unlocked)
Level: 4
Attack: 10-23
Defense: 5
Health: 400
Critical Hit: 0
Charisma: 0
Essence/Psionic Power: Not yet awakened
Comprehensive Combat Power Rating: 40
Potential Point Distribution: Strength 18 / Agility 12 / Spirit 0 / Stamina 0
Achievements: 0
...
Agility is a mandatory attribute for sword-based super-martial classes. High Agility means increased attack speed and accuracy, and it is also closely tied to movement speed. In PvP, if a sword-based class lacks high Agility, they would likely be obliterated by Psionicists or Gunners before even getting close enough to touch them.
In "Star Abyss," there are eight major classes: Super Martial Artist, Psionicist, Star-Speaker, Light Priest, Dark Priest, Gunner, Shadow Assassin, and Gene Warrior.
Super Martial Artists are further subdivided into specializations like swordsmanship, hammer mastery, and marksmanship. All of them rely on an "Essence Furnace" to generate a constant flow of power.
In the world of Star Abyss, the atmospheric composition is slightly different from Earth's: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide, 0.94% rare gases, and 0.03% Essence!
Essence is prevalent on this planet, known as the "Mother Planet" by the Star Maple Federation and the Red Dragon Kingdom. It is one of the planet's power sources. Once one awakens an Essence Furnace, they can convert the Essence in the air into internal energy—a power similar to "ancient martial arts" that is highly sought after.
Psionicists, on the other hand, rely on a Spirit Furnace. They are quite rare; once awakened, they can unleash superhuman power, not unlike mages.
The Star-Speaker is a branch of the Psionicist class—a hidden profession that was ridiculously overpowered during the internal beta test.
Light Priests and Dark Priests originate from the theology of the Star Abyss world. This world features advanced technology alongside the existence of gods. Naturally, these aren't the gentle, robe-wearing priests holding crosses that people typically imagine. In Star Abyss, priests are warriors clad in heavy power armor, wielding swords to slaughter demons. They are anything but gentle.
The Gunner class is open to anyone and is the only profession that can enhance the power of firearms. For most players, the damage output of a bullet is fixed by the quality of the gun, but Gunners are different; they can enhance firearm power through skills like Weapon Charging or Evil Frenzy, making them an indispensable part of any team.
Shadow Assassins are usually played by those who have awakened a Spirit Furnace, as the class requires drawing power from the Subspace. It is very mysterious, but I have little interest—they are too fragile and cannot wear power armor. After all, surviving in the Star Abyss is the most important thing.
As for Gene Warriors, most players avoid them. Becoming a top-tier Gene Warrior requires not only undergoing various genetic mutation procedures but also drastically modifying one's body to adapt to powerful power armor. Having various neural sensors implanted is considered mild; some Gene Warriors even have their reproductive organs removed.
Based on the internal beta introductions, the Gene Warrior class sounded horrifying, so I certainly wouldn't consider it.
A man can be weak, but he cannot be without his "little brother"!
...
"Subject X033!"
A booming voice jolted me from my thoughts. It was Instructor Lakuri. His gaze was icy as he said, "Come. Five days have passed; your body can now handle the second dose of Pandora Solution."
Again?
I narrowed my eyes. This time, I didn't feel much panic; in fact, I was rather looking forward to it.
Soon after, I was strapped tightly to a hospital bed, and a medical worker injected the second dose of Pandora Solution into my arm. This time, it felt different; a searing, burning pain radiated through my limb.
After being wheeled into a small room, my body began to change, surging like fire and tide!
Before long, lines of text flickered before my eyes:
[Pandora Solution beginning to take effect!]
[Your genes have officially begun to mutate!]
[You may choose between Directed Mutation or Free Mutation!]
...
Sure enough, it was exactly the same!
My heart hammered against my ribs. The same choice was laid out before me: play it safe and take a B-Rank evolution skill, or roll the dice to see if I could land a god-tier genetic mutation?
"Damn it, I'm going for it..."
"Since when does a gambler always lose? Since when does a child always cry?"
The next moment, I confirmed my choice for Free Mutation.
Suddenly, a mysterious power surged within me, like a gentle, nourishing rain, permeating my entire body. Even my skin began to glow with a subtle luster.
Soon, a chime sounded in my ears.
[Congratulations, you have obtained the S-Rank genetic enhancement skill "Bio-Optical Camouflage": Skin cells can distort light to achieve optical invisibility. Lasts 12 seconds per use, 60-second cooldown.]
"Buzz~~~"
In an instant, my mind went blank!
An incredible skill! To achieve true optical invisibility—this was on par with the Shadow Assassin's "Shadow Veil" skill. It was a stealth-type ability, and it didn't even reduce movement speed. In fact, it might be even more useful than the Shadow Assassin's stealth!
I was ecstatic!
A moment later, I calmed down. No, I absolutely could not let Instructor Lakuri find out about this. If he did, he would surely drag me into the concentration camp and turn me into a member of the Dark Tide. I had no desire to join such a deranged organization!
Even if I were to be electrocuted or die of pain, I would not trigger my combat state; I would never reveal this S-Rank genetic enhancement skill!
As expected, I was soon wheeled into the "electroshock therapy" room.
"It failed again?!"
Instructor Lakuri was furious. "Subject 033, you useless trash, you've wasted two doses of Pandora Solution on me! If it weren't for the fact that your assessment scores have been passable these past few days, I would have dragged you off to be turned into fertilizer!"
"Instructor, I didn't want this to happen..."
"Shut up! Shock him!"
"Yes, Instructor!"
An intense electric current coursed through my body. I convulsed in agony, my mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, but I bit my teeth shut, repeatedly rejecting the system's request to enter combat mode.
Before long, I was sent back to my room, covered in scars, and soon drifted into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
...
In the afternoon, training resumed.
Today's training was melee combat. I was assigned a training sword without any stats. After a few bouts with the melee combat instructor, a prompt popped up.
[Would you like to learn the skill "Basic Swordsmanship" (C-Rank)?]
Finally!
I was overjoyed. Basic Swordsmanship is the foundational skill for sword-based Super Martial Artists. Learning it would significantly boost sword damage and provide various combat techniques—a true signature move for this class.
Unfortunately, I was only at Level 4 and lacked the skill points to learn it immediately. I added it to my "Reserved Skills" list, intending to confirm it the moment I had enough points.
...
After finishing my sword practice, we returned to marksmanship training, with the test subjects huddled together to fire at targets.
"Hey, brother 033!"
Suddenly, a delicate-looking test subject in a combat suit walked over and lowered his voice. "You're that player, Chasing Shadow, right?"