Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 43 - 033. Roaming in the Forbidden Zone (Part 1)_2

Chapter 43: 033. Roaming in the Forbidden Zone (Part 1)_2

In "Starry Abyss," there existed many powerful secondary professions, some of which sounded quite impressive and mysterious, such as the [Collector], the [Emperor], and the [Scholar].

However, these professions had no combat capabilities; they only provided significant status and attribute bonuses but couldn’t help you ascend to extraordinary levels.

Li Aozi had gone to the extreme in his previous life; he abandoned all secondary professions and invested all resources into his main profession, the [Meteor Fall Master].

As a result, his combat power was incredibly high, standing out among players. This playstyle was not uncommon and was known as the "Extreme Path."

However, the Extreme Path had many severe issues:

Firstly, it had singular attributes, making it easy to counter in professional arenas.

Secondly, the combat method was fixed; tactics couldn’t make breakthroughs and had to rely on teammates to alleviate pressure.

Most critically, players of the Extreme Path could only serve as the team’s core, consuming the resources of six people. Once the core was broken, the entire team was doomed.

Such a cost was not acceptable to clubs that valued stability and victory in matches. Behind the clubs was capital, which couldn’t afford to lose huge profit margins for a bit of entertainment.

According to common sense, solo professions could generally follow the Extreme Path. The [Meteor Fall Master] was no exception; not only Li Aozi, but almost all Meteor Fall Masters followed the Extreme Path.

However, as an ace Meteor Fall Master, Li Aozi knew this profession wasn’t just suitable for the Extreme Path; ordinary players could barely avoid confinement with this path.

"I want to make the [Meteor Fall Master] widespread. I must establish good rapport with the player base and lower the entry barrier as much as possible--even if no players join later, I don’t want the number of Meteor Fall Masters to be too small."

Population determined the loudness of the voice. If the Meteor Fall Master community became too small, others would dare to scorn their authority.

Few people meant it would be hard to have new blood and wouldn’t spur development and innovation--especially since the Meteor Fall Master’s abilities often involved star shifts and cosmic changes; such enormous macro matters had inherently slow innovation and development.

Without more Meteor Fall Masters contributing to actual combat, sharing experiences, and maintaining basic legacies, this professional faction would have no future.

"I truly can’t go the Extreme Path; for future development, I must become a relatively versatile individual, so I must follow the All-Aspect Flow."

Li Aozi thought:

"Speaking of which, this woman’s ability is not bad, Omicron rating. Unfortunately, it’s only ’Spontaneous Combustion.’ If it were Ignition, Thermal Energy Manipulation, or Temperature Reverse Transfer, the potential would be much higher."

Flame and high temperatures had always been the main force in combat. Discharge abilities were common, and Discharge Arcana were even more ubiquitous; they were everywhere, but discharge abilities rated Zeta or higher were very few.

Abilities involving flame, high temperatures, and molecular motion started at least from the Lambda rating. These abilities had very high potential, immense destructive power, and were very rare.

Flame Arcana naturally had purification attributes. They were very popular on both magic-side and techno-side planets, had a wide range of applications, and anyone wishing to become a senior blacksmith had to master Flame or Temperature Arcana.

Discharge Arcana was too common, and the human body inherently had weak discharge capabilities. Low-level Discharge Arcana were generally not as effective as mechanical technology...

And discharge Arcana more powerful than technological constructs--those were at least Omega level, if not approaching Omega level.

The benefit was that it was easy to find work, and to the natives, mastering electricity was almost a god-like symbol.

Li Aozi had little interest in Discharge Arcana. He had a target Arcana far more potent than any Discharge Arcana.

No, rather, that Arcana was the ancestor of all Discharge Arcana.

But when it came to output capacity, player calculations showed that high-temperature Arcana came out on top.

The main reason was that high temperatures caused sustained damage...

"Speaking of which, my mutated [Power Pod] could hold four Arcana."

Li Aozi’s mind moved:

"Qiu Ran has no combat capabilities. Taking the Spontaneous Combustion ability from her shouldn’t be too difficult."

Gravity’s forced capture and control were strong against ordinary targets, and that was his basis for challenging higher levels. But Li Aozi currently lacked finishing abilities, which severely impacted his experience gain.

And Qiu Ran’s ability... Spontaneous Combustion’s sustained damage was very suitable for combining with gravity to create widespread damage.

Quite fitting...

Li Aozi looked at Qiu Ran, a simple and honest repair worker, with a somewhat affectionate gaze.

Qiu Ran, a coarse individual who hadn’t received much education, had a very gentle temperament. Despite Anna’s nagging for half a day, she listened very patiently.

"The Sikkim Settlement resides midway up a mountain. They hollowed out half of the mountain; the interior is complex and has a population of 400 people. There’s no unified leader; it’s all wanderers from the outer world."

Qiu Ran slowly repeated and analyzed:

"So as long as we get there, no one will care about our lives. There’s no order; everything relies on self-awareness. No one will cooperate with our actions, but there also might not be anyone conspiring with the White Fang Guild. All the wanderers are self-absorbed, focused only on their own safety--can I understand it this way?"

"...You could say that."

Doctor Anna adjusted her glasses and said:

"People from the outer world are suffering from the Four Nations’ monopoly on resources. So you’d better not show signs of being civilized; make yourselves look pitiful. You don’t have much supply to begin with; Li Aozi insisted on leaving some behind for fuel. By this estimation, you can’t support yourselves in the outer world for three days. Just get the medical equipment and hurry back."

"I have a question."

Not waiting for Anna to respond, Qiu Ran asked:

"Today, I found that Asha, Luo Fan, Qiu Ming... those physician friends are missing. Were they also taken by the White Fang Guild bandits?"

"What are you implying?"

"It’s not about what I’m implying, Miss Anna." Qiu Ran’s big eyes stared at her: "They’re our people. They were taken; we have an obligation to rescue them..."

"That’s impossible; stop thinking about it. It’s unrealistic."

Anna shook her head:

"You don’t have the resources or capabilities to accomplish these tasks. Their lives... we can’t save them."

"Mingji Humanity Rescue saves so many people but can’t protect the lives of our own? That doesn’t make any sense."

Qiu Ran said:

"Anyway, I think we should try."

Simultaneously, Li Aozi’s task list updated.

[You have triggered a side quest: "Distinct Love and Hate"]

[Type]: Rescue Hostage/Challenge

[Time Limit]: 47 hours and 56 minutes (countdown)

[Mission Difficulty]: B

[Introduction]:

Mingji Humanity might not be a great organization, but the medical staff who worked day and night to monitor and care for you were genuinely sincere.

They spent countless efforts saving the lives and health of people like you.

Now, it’s your turn to save their lives.

[Progress]: 0/14

[Settlement Conditions]:

1: Rescue at least six kidnapped medical personnel safely. (mandatory)

2: Escort the hostages out of danger, ensuring no harm for at least 30 minutes; no one can hit zero health points while escaping. (optional)

3: An eye for an eye--eliminate as many White Fang Guild bandits as possible; each bandit killed grants an additional 20% experience. (challenge)

4: Complete Settlement Condition 1 within 24 hours for an extra reward. (challenge)

5: Kill 5 White Fang Guild bandits using a vehicle. (challenge)

6: Infiltrate the White Fang Guild camp without being detected. (challenge)

[Mission Rewards]:

Completing the mandatory condition grants the base reward: 5 free attribute points.

Each challenge completed rewards +1 main attribute and 600 experience points.

[Special Note]: White Fang Guild bandits might harm hostages at any time.