Chapter 16: Picking Equipment

Fang Tianhe’s word of praise confused many people. After all, the fact that Lin Xinghai possessed a Special Physique was known only to a select few.

But this word of praise from Fang Tianhe undoubtedly sent a signal to all the members of the Mercenary Corps.

He thought very highly of Lin Xinghai!

Roger was happy for Lin Xinghai when he saw this, and he proceeded to introduce the others one by one.

"This is our beautiful vice corps leader, Shen Han."

"This is the leader of Squad Two, Wu Yan."

"This is the leader of Squad Three, Xu Haishui."

Following Roger’s introductions, Lin Xinghai greeted them one by one.

Shen Han, the vice corps leader, was indeed a beauty. Her looks even rivaled Liu Miaomiao’s.

However, she had an extremely cold aura, the kind that warned strangers to keep their distance. When faced with Lin Xinghai, she simply nodded, which served as her greeting.

The leader of Squad Two, Wu Yan, was also a burly man, even more solidly built than Fang Tianhe. Standing there, he looked like a small mountain.

As for Xu Haishui, the leader of Squad Three, there was nothing particularly special about his appearance. If there was one thing, it would be his eyes—they were like a wolf’s.

"Time is a bit tight for this mission. Since everyone’s here, let’s head out now!" Fang Tianhe said. He used his wrist-mounted computer to make the humanoid Mecha he had named "Heaven-Sundering" crouch and settle into one of the Armored Vehicles.

Shen Han also used her wrist-mounted computer to guide another Mecha, an ice-blue one named "Celestial Frost," into a different Armored Vehicle.

Seeing this, the other Mercenaries quickly assembled. Then, under the leadership of their squad leaders, they all boarded the Armored Vehicles.

Lin Xinghai was temporarily assigned to Roger’s first squad, so he followed him into the first Armored Vehicle.

The first squad’s overall strength was slightly higher than the other two, so they had a few small privileges.

For example, the Armored Vehicle they were riding in didn’t contain a Mecha, so it was quite spacious.

After they boarded the Armored Vehicle, Roger introduced Lin Xinghai to his squad members.

When Roger announced that Lin Xinghai’s Genetic Assessment was B Level, looks of envy appeared on every member’s face.

"Looks like our Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps will soon have another expert," the vice-captain, Xu Hao, praised.

"That’s still a ways off. For now, I’ll be in your care," Lin Xinghai replied humbly.

’Even the weakest members in this vehicle are the Optimized. On this mission, I’ll have to rely on them to charge ahead and protect me. I definitely can’t afford to be impolite.’

Lin Xinghai’s attitude was humble, showing no arrogance despite his great talent. The other members’ attitudes immediately warmed, and many of them struck up conversations with him.

Lin Xinghai naturally welcomed the attention, chatting with them while subtly fishing for information.

He soon learned that a B Level Genetic Assessment was incredibly rare. In the entire Mercenary Corps, only the leader and vice-leader had achieved it.

Forget B Level—even a C Level Genetic Assessment was considered excellent. The average Mercenary’s assessment was only D Level.

As they talked, the convoy started up, taking a massive elevator out of the Star Shield Shelter.

However, once they left the Star Shield Shelter, Lin Xinghai noticed the atmosphere inside the vehicle change rapidly. Everyone gradually fell silent, their expressions turning serious.

They were either staring out the observation windows at the world outside or wiping down their weapons.

"Come on, let me get you geared up first," Roger said, walking over to the wall near the front of the vehicle. He opened a hidden compartment and performed an iris scan. The entire wall panel then slid open, revealing a weapon rack.

The top shelf of the rack held a row of assorted melee weapons, the middle held various models of Firearms, and the bottom shelf held Combat Suits.

"Judging by your build, this size 75 should fit you," Roger said, picking up a brand-new Combat Suit and handing it over.

Lin Xinghai took it and found the Combat Suit was incredibly light, yet the fabric was remarkably tough. He tried ripping it with his 20 points of Power, but it didn’t even fray.

"The Combat Suit is made of a special fabric. It can withstand the Sharp Claws and bites of ordinary Zombies. Of course, it will still get damaged if it’s attacked too much, and it doesn’t offer much protection against blunt-force trauma."

"And this thing," Roger said, casually tossing over a syringe filled with a red liquid. "You have to keep it on you at all times."

"What’s this?" Lin Xinghai asked.

"Antitoxic Serum. If you get scratched or bitten by a Zombie, you must inject it within 10 minutes, or you’ll turn into a Zombie too."

"Oh right, the Antitoxic Serum is only effective for an hour. Once it wears off, getting bitten will still infect you. If you’re unlucky, you might have to inject it several times over the course of a day’s mission."

"The first dose of Antitoxic Serum is free. If you need more later, you’ll have to buy them with your own Points. They’re 100 Points a pop," Roger said.

"Got it," Lin Xinghai replied. He quickly put on the Combat Suit and secured the Antitoxic Serum on his person. ’This is a lifesaver.’

"As for weapons, what’s your preference? Go ahead and pick one. You can choose one melee weapon and one firearm," Roger said, gesturing to the gear on the weapon rack.

Lin Xinghai’s gaze, of course, first fell on the Firearms. There were three types of Firearms here: pistols, rifles, and sniper rifles.

’Although I have my own ideas, it’s probably best to get a professional’s opinion on this.’

"Brother Jie, what kind of firearm do you think would suit me best?" Lin Xinghai asked humbly.

"You little brat," Roger grumbled. "It’s ’Brother Jie’ when you need something, and ’Old Luo’ when you don’t." He then answered, "Actually, you should choose your weapons based on where your Attributes are focused."

"For example, if you’re a Strength Type, you should pick a large melee weapon like a Great Saber or a Giant Axe to play to your strengths."

"In that case, a compact Hand Cannon would be a good choice for your firearm. It’s easy to carry and packs a huge punch," Roger said, pointing to a pistol.

"Uh! Wait, you call this thing a Hand Cannon?" Lin Xinghai couldn’t help but interrupt.

’Although this pistol’s muzzle was more than twice the size of a normal one’s, there’s no way it could be called a Hand Cannon!’