Volume 4, Chapter 58 – Born in the Rain
Volume 4, Chapter 58 – Born in the Rain
Name: Anran
Age: 16
Level: 20
HP: 1,675/1,675
Stamina: 1,360/1,450
Six Attributes: Strength 48, Agility 57, Endurance 65, Intelligence 83, Spirit 30, Charm 10
Free Attribute Points: 3
Skill Points: 18
Anran’s current status panel had changed quite a bit compared to before, especially with the substantial increase in her Intelligence.
However, after allocating her attribute points, she had accumulated plenty of skill points that she had barely used.
Among the skills Anran currently possessed, the more useful active skills included Basic Mechanical Enhancement Lv. 3, Basic Scouting Lv. 4, Backstab Lv. 3, Precision Shooting Lv. 3, and Mechanical Interference Lv. 4. As for her other higher-level utility skills, the main one was Basic Programming Lv. 6.
Most skills had a maximum level of 10. Their proficiency could be increased through repeated use, or they could be actively upgraded by investing personal EXP or skill points.
For the time being, Anran had no intention of raising the levels of these skills. Considering that she would very likely have to face Heloise directly, she chose to unlock several more active skills to improve her combat capabilities.
Basic Mechanic skill tree.
She spent 5 skill points to unlock the active skill [Basic Load Charging Lv. 1]: When activated, it instantly recharges purple-grade or lower equipment by 20 units. Cooldown: 24 hours. Stamina cost: 300.
Twenty units of energy was equivalent to one-third of the exoskeleton armor’s energy capacity. The 300-point stamina cost was something she needed to keep in mind. If she used it at the wrong moment, she could instantly lose the ability to resist and be left at anyone’s mercy.
She spent 4 skill points to unlock the active skill [Rapid Repair Lv. 1]: When activated, it restores 10 points of armor durability to purple-grade or lower equipment. Cooldown: 60 minutes. Stamina cost: 200.
She still had 1,700 EXP left. She invested 1,600 to raise Basic Load Charging to Lv. 3. Its cost remained unchanged, its cooldown fell to 22 hours, and it now recharged 23 units. Rapid Repair rose to Lv. 2. Its cost also remained unchanged, its cooldown fell to 55 minutes, and it now restored 11 points of armor durability.
That was about enough for now.
After carefully reviewing all her attributes and equipment slots, Anran closed the panel.
She traveled east from Twinmoon City to the coastal city of Saintel Port. Then, through Nine Songs’ connections, Anran finally boarded a cargo ship bound for the Tabus Western Continent, where Trade Station No. 1 was located.
Winter had already begun. The bleak, cold wind blew against her seemingly thin body, yet Anran did not feel chilled. As for Aila, who stood beside her, she was even less likely to feel anything of the sort.
As long as the temperature was not extreme enough to affect her movements, it was nothing more than a number to Aila.
“Young lady, what are you two going to the Tabus Western Continent for?”
At that moment, on the forward deck of the cargo ship, a weather-beaten middle-aged man walked over to the railing and struck up a conversation with Anran.
The ship had been at sea for some time, and there was still another week before it reached its destination.
The journey had been calm and uneventful. With nothing else to do, the middle-aged man wanted to chat with Anran.
The people their cargo ships carried were all passengers with connections, not to mention that he had just seen the emblem of Nine Songs.
“To save the world.” Anran used a hand to smooth back a strand of hair that the sea breeze kept blowing across her forehead.
“Cough…”
The man swallowed an entire mouthful of wind and nearly suffered an oral explosion. Slip of the tongue; he nearly exploded into profanity.
Save the world?
Save the world, my ass.
The girl looked so fresh and pretty. Why did she like spouting such nonsense?
The man gave an awkward laugh. “You’re joking, young lady. The world may be at war, but overall, life is still manageable.”
“Oh.” Anran did not even turn around.
“Ahem. Are you going there to visit relatives?” he continued.
“No.”
“Then you’re going on vacation?”
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“No.”
Who the hell would travel to the Southern Hemisphere for a vacation and squeeze onto a cargo ship with them?
“…”
“Are you going to see your boyfriend, then?” the man asked tentatively.
“I don’t like men, thank you.”
“…”
The man looked at Anran suspiciously. Realizing that the conversation did not seem capable of continuing, he changed targets and turned to Aila.
He refused to believe he could not get anything out of them today!
“Little miss, what are you two going to the Tabus Western Continent for?”
“Big Sister said we’re going to save the world!” Aila replied with a straight face.
“…”
The man nearly coughed up blood.
Both girls had a bad case of adolescent delusions. No matter how charming they looked, he could not afford to deal with them.
If he was bored, why not go fantasize instead? Even that would be more interesting than talking to these two.
The man returned to the cabin to fantasize about becoming rich.
Hearing his footsteps gradually fade into the wind, Anran stretched.
Another week. This was unbearably dull.
If she had an aircraft of her own, she would not have to go through all this trouble.
Poverty was to blame for everything.
Once she crushed Morningstar, she would strike it rich if she could find their treasury.
Out on the boundless sea, the only places where she could move around were the deck and the inner cabin. The scenery was the same every day. There was no internet, no television, and even the mobile signal had disappeared completely.
The only entertainment left was watching the sea, watching videos, and browsing the forums.
Umm…
The videos were the ones Adrian had provided.
Of course, Anran ultimately did not watch them. Those videos were only suitable as an occasional change of pace. If she treated them as everyday entertainment, she might lose control halfway through and pounce on Aila.
As for the forums, most of the posts were nonsense. There was even something like a female NPC Charm ranking. The only useful information was probably the scattered news from the main battlefront.
“The cold-faced delusional girl on the deck and her little sister.”
A rumor like that began circulating privately around the cargo ship.
After that, Anran noticed people coming up to strike up conversations with her from time to time.
Ten points of Charm really was powerful.
Anran could not help sighing in amazement.
She felt that if she raised her Charm a little more and debuted as an idol, she would probably make money much faster than she could as a Mechanic at her current stage.
Of course, things would certainly be different in the later stages. Once a Mechanic fully developed, the money from selling a single ship would be enough to leave most idols and celebrities in despair.
“Hey, I heard you’re going to save the world. Can you tell me what’s wrong with it?”
A young man in a sailor’s uniform leaned against the railing.
“You actually believed something I said offhand?” Anran replied.
“…”
He was stunned.
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All the lines the young man had prepared were instantly thrown into the trash. Damn it, he had imagined many possibilities, but this was the one thing he had never expected. What was he supposed to do next?
The young man stood there bewildered, unable either to continue or retreat.
“Forget it. Let me ask you a question.” Anran turned to look at him.
“G-Go ahead.”
Having already lost the initiative, the young man had completely forgotten his original intention of flirting with her.
“Do you know a place called Trade Station No. 1?”
“I do, I do. My hometown is in that state capital. I even hauled cargo there last year.” The young man nodded repeatedly.
Oh?
That was an unexpected bonus.
She had originally planned to gather information about Trade Station No. 1 after disembarking. She might as well ask him now.
“Actually, I can draw you a map,” the young man said.
“You can do that?”
“When I have nothing to do on the ship, I like to sketch things. I’m a decent artist, I suppose.”
“Then I’ll have to trouble you.” Anran nodded.
The young man left with an awkward smile.
Before boarding the ship, Anran had already looked up information about Trade Station No. 1.
It was a massive trading station where spacecraft hovered.
It was divided into three major zones.
The largest was the hovering zone, followed by the rest area in the center and the perimeter defenses surrounding the entire station.
In most descriptions, Trade Station No. 1 was portrayed as a gigantic structure hundreds of meters tall, but that was actually only its hovering zone.
A heavy, black aesthetic defined this hastily constructed trading station.
Compared with the fairly bustling Trade Station No. 2, travelers were rarely seen at Trade Station No. 1.
At this time of year, summer had only just begun in the Southern Hemisphere.
Anran waited on the deck for nearly half a day before the young man who had approached her earlier returned.
He held a large sheet of white paper in his hands.
“Here. It’s finished.”
Anran took the paper.
It contained both a floor plan of Trade Station No. 1 and a sketch of its silhouette as seen from below.
Every zone had been marked, though the floor plan looked somewhat rough.
The silhouette sketch was the truly detailed one.
A tall tower stood in the middle of the soaring hovering zone. Four L-shaped arms extended outward from the tower, with numerous enormous metal structures spanning the gaps between them. It looked like a colossal steel beast standing upright.
“Thank you.” Anran blinked, then added, “Let me give you a warning. It would be best not to go near Trade Station No. 1 for the next two months.”
“Huh?” The young man’s eyes widened. “Why do you say that?”
“Something will probably happen. If you still want to stay alive and well, just trust me.”
Seeing that Anran had no intention of saying more, the young man scratched the back of his head and could only leave.
Anran did not know what would happen either.
But how could any place with Morningstar in it remain peaceful?
What worried her now was whether something might already have happened during the days she had spent aboard the ship.
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With that concern weighing on her, Aila noticed that Anran had been in a poor mood recently. Life aboard the ship was simply too inconvenient, Aila thought. Even when she ate, she had to hide in the cabin and do so secretly.
Four days later, the cargo ship docked safely at Vio Port.
Anran’s off-road vehicle and luggage were unloaded first. After thanking the captain, Anran drove away. Trade Station No. 1 was still more than a thousand kilometers from Vio Port, but she did not head there immediately. First, she switched on her phone and checked her call history. Most of the calls were from Orange-Flavored Candy.
She could pass on those for the moment. Next were calls from Feilian. When he failed to reach her, he had sent her a text message.
The Tabus Western Continent had entered its rainy season, severely hampering the movements of Nine Songs’ personnel. The people sent to investigate Morningstar had transmitted a nine-second video before they were killed. In addition, New Metropolis had suffered a terrorist attack. The Morningstar army, trapped in a desperate situation, had actually blown up a dam on the battlefield. The Security Department was severely understaffed, forcing several mobile units in the Southern Hemisphere to redeploy to the Canyon Continent. This left the higher-ups deeply uneasy.
Feilian had described recent events in simple terms, but the main thing he wanted to discuss was that video.
Anran had received it as well.
Amid the pouring rain, the first thing that came into view was an abandoned building. The person filming then entered the structure, and a shocking scene suddenly filled the screen.
Dried blood covered the walls, as though some monster had rampaged through the place.
Just as the person filming was about to walk deeper into the darkness, the video ended.
Walls covered in blood, with deep scratches and claw marks as well?
Why did this look like a scene from a horror novel?
Ghost-type races might exist in this game, but they should not appear on No. 1886.
That did not conform to healthy game progression!
“Captain, do you know where that video was recorded?” Anran asked directly after calling Feilian.
“We don’t know the exact location, but the video was transmitted four days ago. A second team was sent over and found the place after being out of contact for a day, but the video link broke off again just after it connected.”
“The first group was sent out seven days ago. Even assuming the maximum, they only traveled for a little over two days. It shouldn’t be too far from Trade Station No. 1.”
“So you don’t even know whether Morningstar did it?” Anran frowned, realizing that the situation was not simple.
“That’s right. But since we can’t rule out the possibility that Morningstar was responsible, the higher-ups can only investigate from that angle. We’ve also lost track of Heloise. Everyone is completely baffled right now.” Feilian sighed.
Damn it.
The war movie had suddenly turned into a mystery thriller.
Things that required brainpower were far more troublesome than things that required force.
People talked about unraveling clues strand by strand, but they had not even found a loose thread yet. What the hell were they supposed to unravel?
“Morningstar’s people definitely won’t be able to sit still. They’ll expose themselves eventually,” Anran said. “No matter how they struggle, and no matter how much trouble they cause the Security Department, given the current situation, they will lose in the end. To achieve their objective, they are bound to reveal themselves at some point.”
“That’s true, but the higher-ups are under too much pressure. We can only do everything we can. By the way, Anran, where are you now?”
“Vio Port.”
“If you need any help, you can look for Rodney. He came from Nine Songs’ Twinmoon City branch and is now in Lunga Town near Trade Station No. 1. I’ll text you his contact information in a moment.”
“Thank you.”
What a headache.
“Triggered [Faction Affiliation Quest] [Born in the Rain]. Accept?”
[Faction Affiliation Quest] [Story Quest] [Born in the Rain]:
Quest Description: The missing Nine Songs agents transmitted a mysterious nine-second video. What exactly is hidden behind this unusual video that appeared at such an unusual time? Go uncover its mysteries! Uncover Story Fragment ×1.
Quest Rewards:
- ???’s favorability +30
- 50,000 Free EXP
- Rainveil Set ×1
- Passive Skill: Mental Barrier
Quest Rank: B-A
Repeatability: Unique
“A Story Quest?”
Anran froze when she saw the label.
This was the second Story Quest she had encountered.
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The previous Story Quest had involved listening to Eudora explain Aila’s secret. That quest had been simple. She only needed to experience a section of the story, so the rewards had not been very substantial. But this quest was extremely difficult, offered extremely generous rewards, and was also a Faction Affiliation Quest. Did that mean she was supposed to uncover Morningstar’s secrets?
The designers had created rich histories for every faction and every important character. Naturally, they hoped someone would uncover all the material they had painstakingly designed.
Anran thought of herself.
She probably had an even richer backstory, enough to make a side story out of. The scene of her being “executed” was still displayed on the player login screen.
In the future, there would surely be a hidden quest revealing her true identity as well.
Then which NPC did the “???” in this quest refer to?
After accepting the quest, Anran took Aila and headed for Lunga Town. She needed to find Rodney and learn more about the situation.
…
“Creak.”
Terisa pushed open the half-closed door of the tavern and walked inside.
Every time he finished a transport run, he came to this old tavern on Wuge Street and sat for a while.
He would look at the proprietress and ease the stifling boredom in his heart.
This routine had continued for more than three years.
As an old regular, he was recognized the moment he stepped through the door.
“Hey, Terisa. Long time no see.”
“Just get back from the Canyon Continent?”
Someone raised a large mug toward him.
“How was the voyage?”
“Ah, don’t mention it.” Terisa found a table and sat down. When he looked up, he saw the proprietress. She nodded to him, then automatically began preparing his usual drink.
“The Canyon Continent is a complete mess right now. The shipping business has taken a huge hit. If this continues, those of us who make our living at sea will end up starving.”
“Hey, you still have it pretty good. A sailor I know went to the western coast of the Canyon Continent last month. No one’s heard from him since.”
“The war should be ending soon, right? From what I can see, Morningstar won’t last much longer.”
“Luckily, nothing major has happened here. Haha, the Tabus Western Continent is still the best.”
Terisa accepted the glass and thanked the proprietress. “By the way, something amusing happened. On the return trip, we carried two exceptionally pretty young girls…”
“Pretty women?” Someone immediately gave a suggestive laugh.
“Don’t interrupt. Let me finish.” Terisa took a long drink and began, “@#￥#@￥&.”
…
“Save the world? Hahaha!”
“I think there’s something wrong with her head. She needs me to save her properly, hehe.”
…
“Don’t go near Trade Station No. 1? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Is something major going to happen in the next two months?”
“The rainy season is here. Maybe you’ll get struck by lightning if you go there? Hahahaha!”
“She made it sound so mysterious. It almost seems real.”
“I don’t really believe it either.” Terisa shook his head and looked toward the proprietress. A married woman. Ah, bitter liquor went down his throat, and pain filled his heart. His head was already growing hazy. “But her warning was unnecessary anyway. Who would go to the trade station for no reason? If you accidentally provoke someone you can’t afford to offend, you’re finished.”
Terisa merely said it, and everyone else merely listened. Those who had something to laugh at laughed, and those with something to lament lamented.
However, no one noticed the rough-skinned, dark-complexioned man sitting in the corner. He had been quietly drinking high-proof liquor while listening to Terisa’s conversation with the others.
Only when Terisa stood up to pay and staggered outside did the man rise as well. He slapped a banknote onto the counter, picked up his long-handled umbrella, and hurried out.