Chapter 7: Preparation

Han Feng’s private villa stood in the outskirts of Lin Shade City. As a security level 0.3 low-security star system, property prices in the Soltes system were not high. Where garden villas in high-security systems ranked 0.5 to 1.0 cost millions or even tens of millions in star coins, here one could buy such a home for a mere few hundred thousand, or even tens of thousands.

Of course, most of the time, you had to fend for yourself.

The police might not arrive at a violent crime scene for several hours after the incident. Low living costs and poor law enforcement made these remote, low-security systems a haven for the poor, underground deals, violent gangs, and bounty hunters. The security was poor, but not so dire as the lawless chaos of the Star Sea, a pirate paradise and nest of evil.

On her way home yesterday, Ye Tianyi had bought a clean set of clothes. After a satisfying hot shower, she found an unused guest room on the second floor and slept soundly.

It was now eight in the morning, and the sky was overcast.

Han Feng was curled up on the sofa in the downstairs living room, reviewing the changes in his system panel.

The recent battle with the Barley Pirate Crew had brought him a considerable amount of experience; his personal level had risen to seven. As with all games, the lower the level, the less experience needed to level up, so progression was quick.

His current base panel looked like this:

Name: Han Feng
Level: 7 (10%)
Strength: 80
Speed: 50
Constitution: 70
Psionic: 0
Attribute points to allocate: 1400
Basic Training: Intermediate Swordsmanship (Proficiency 15/50000) (Increases melee weapon attack power and speed by 30%)
Intermediate Firearms Training (Proficiency 1/50000) (Increases ranged weapon attack power, shooting speed, and accuracy by 30%)
Intermediate Martial Arts Training (Proficiency 3/50000) (Increases strength, speed, stamina, and combat ability by 30%)

Beginner Psionic Training (Not achieved), Proficiency (0/5000)
Card: Kenshin Himura
Skill Points: 7
Skill Tree: Not learned

Personal levels could be increased by accumulating experience in battle. Each level granted 200 free attribute points, which could be distributed as desired. The four basic trainings could be improved through battle or practice; reaching 5000 proficiency achieved beginner level, accumulating 20000 more led to intermediate, and another 50000 was needed for advanced.

Fortunately, his predecessor had left a solid foundation; all three basic trainings were already at intermediate, saving much trouble and providing substantial bonuses.

Since he couldn’t predict what cards he might draw or what abilities their characters might possess, Han Feng couldn’t decide where to focus his growth.

In the face of uncertainty, balance was best.

He added 350 points each to strength, speed, constitution, and psionic.

The surge in attributes made him feel invigorated, as if his body had been strengthened on all fronts.

With his base stats, the bonuses from the Kenshin Himura card, and the 30% boost from intermediate martial arts, his total panel now showed: Strength: 905, Speed: 976, Constitution: 862, Psionic: 490.

These stats had nearly doubled compared to his battle with the Barley Pirate Crew!

Han Feng eagerly anticipated reaching level ten, unlocking his second card slot, and wondered what heights his power would reach.

The million-star coin bounty for killing Barley had already arrived in his account, but he wasn’t ready to spend it on card draws just yet.

Firstly, he was still only level seven and hadn’t unlocked the second card slot. Even if he drew a new character, it couldn’t be equipped, so there’d be no substantial improvement.

Secondly, the system had notified him: with 6000 diamonds, he could purchase a starter pack, which included a four-star card as a bonus!

With his strength greatly improved, he could always hunt a few more pirates to earn recharge funds. So Han Feng decided to save up and get the 6000-diamond pack in one go.

As for skill points, currently known sources were leveling up (one per level) and completing certain tasks for rewards.

In his previous life, the game had no traditional character levels; only when a character’s main skill points reached certain thresholds would they ascend their superhuman class (E/D/C/B/A/S/SS/SSS). Acquiring skill points meant completing various tasks—the harder the task, the richer the reward.

Back then, as a top professional player, he’d only managed to max both his main profession (psionic) and his secondary (martial arts) through immense skill and dedication. Across the entire server, he was the sole achiever; others were lucky to max out just their main skill tree.

Now, with the card system merged with the “Star Extreme” system, he had traditional character levels capped at fifty. Each level granted a guaranteed skill point. In terms of the old game, it meant he’d always have fifty more skill points than anyone else.

He wasn’t ready to use these skill points yet. He understood their value well and would only spend them when necessary, whether for martial skills or other abilities, weighing each choice carefully.

Closing the system panel with a contented mood, Han Feng stood and stretched before walking to the liquor cabinet.

He twisted the base of a Remy Martin VSOP bottle twice, causing the cabinet and entire wall to rotate, revealing a two-meter-wide door.

He stepped through into a fifty-square-meter secret room, its walls and shelves lined with every kind of weapon imaginable.

Handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns, grenades, landmines—everything was here, from projectile to laser guns, and even an anti-ship laser cannon!

All manner of cold and hot weapons exuded a deadly chill; this was Han Feng’s private arsenal.

As a bounty hunter, he was adept at using all sorts of weapons.

Han Feng knew his enemies would soon arrive, and he had to be prepared before they came.

It was clear that the Barley Pirate Crew had been waiting for reinforcements in that abandoned factory. Though Soltes was a low-security system with few garrison troops and police, it still had some presence, so pirates hadn’t grown bold enough to fly their ships brazenly into the atmosphere.

If someone was coming to rescue, they’d surely notice the crew’s demise and track him down—it was only a matter of time.

Last night, after returning, he’d spent hours setting up more than a hundred booby traps around the villa. Some had been laid before, some were newly placed, since suburban villas often attracted “visitors.”

Better safe than sorry, so the first thing he did upon returning home was to reinforce the perimeter with traps, activate the infrared alarms and surveillance cameras. If an enemy entered the alert zone, his personal light-brain would be notified instantly.

He stored the guns seized from the pirates in a cabinet labeled “Needs Maintenance,” then took down an M131A4 sniper rifle manufactured in the United States of Meireken.

This enhanced sniper rifle was modeled after the legendary Barrett M82A1, the king of snipers, with a maximum range of three thousand meters. Not only was its range longer and power greater, but its recoil was minimal, ensuring comfort and accuracy.

After loading the magazine, Han Feng grabbed two familiar handguns and tucked them into his holsters at his waist. With his alloy greatsword strapped to his back, and the sniper rifle shouldered, he left the secret room.