Black Spider? That's a minor boss-level foe.
Normally, a mission like this should be rated D-tier difficulty, with standard rewards starting at over 30,000 EXP.
Stellaris Legend's mission system is incredibly detailed. Even when multiple player squads accept the same mission, each member's requirements vary slightly based on their level and role, granting different rewards accordingly.
Some commercial players dislike monster hunting, specializing instead in crafting or logistics. When joining a party for quests, their difficulty and rewards are scaled down. For instance, in monster-hunting quests, the frontline combatants with the heaviest responsibilities receive the highest rewards, followed by healers and support roles. Logistics players who tag along for experience gain the least, reducing the incentive for wealthy players to hire studios to farm experience for them.
In his previous life, Xiao had despised this system, leading to his power-leveling business being quite slow. Instead, his most popular service was helping people seek revenge, honing his PvP skills to perfection.
Xiao is facing this exact situation. The reason for his reduced rewards was clearly because he served as backup in this operation, avoiding direct combat with the Black Spider. Quest rewards were directly tied to difficulty.
"Ah well, it's a bit less, but at least it's better than no experience at all."
Xiao could only console himself this way, at least gaining another source of experience.
Based on his understanding of Black Spider, this mission was essentially a free 5,000 experience points. Li Yalin's Secret Service squad could defeat Black Spider with their eyes closed. What truly concerned him was the special reward.
No deep thought was needed. Xiao knew exactly what the hidden requirement was—just as Lin Yao had said, apprehend Black Spider.
Black Spider's psychic abilities were notoriously troublesome. Capturing him was ten times harder than defeating him. Moreover, no one knew he was a psychic until after the public beta version of SL, when his abilities were exposed. However, Xiao knew Black Spider's power's Achilles' heel.
The system was an inanimate entity, judging the gap between opponents solely based on stats. It deemed his chances of fulfilling the hidden requirement slim.
If the squad followed his lead, he was 80% confident they could capture Black Spider.
"Worth a shot," Xiao thought to himself.
Li Yalin remained fixated on the Light Power Arm. "How much would it cost to order one? How long for delivery?"
"20,000 per Light Power Arm. 10,000 upfront. You supply the materials, I handle manufacturing. Pickup in two days."
Li Yalin's face fell. That was nearly his monthly salary. Still, she decided to buy it—they needed it tonight, and there was no time to wait. Reluctantly, she asked, "Do you have any other ready-made machinery?"
Xiao considered it. He didn't want to reveal the high-combustion bullets just yet, so he pulled out the folding combat knife instead. Its 10 cm black metal handle drew the attention of the other three.
"What's the point of this?" Li Yalin asked doubtfully.
Xiao smiled faintly. His finger pressed a tiny mechanism on the handle, and with a sharp flick, sections of blade shot out like whips from the hilt. Instantly, it transformed into a nearly 70 cm, black alloy blade, its edge razor-sharp and menacing.
"This is called a folding combat knife."
Li Yalin's eyes lit up. She'd chosen the baton as her weapon precisely for its portability, yet the folding knife surpassed it—not only more concealed but also more potent. She reached out to touch it, but Xiao pulled it away.
"1,000 per piece."
Xiao chuckled. The folding combat knife only cost him about 300 to produce. Not asking for 2,000 was already pretty fair.
"You cheapskate! You're so stingy!" Li Yalin fumed, pulling out her wallet and handing over a thousand note. Only then did Xiao give her the knife, explaining its operation in detail. She immediately became fascinated, playing with it endlessly.
Lambert suddenly spoke up, "I'd like to order ten. Could you scale them down to about 30cm?"
Business just walked in the door! Xiao perked up and nodded. "No problem."
"I need them before tonight's operation."
"Done. As long as the materials are ready."
The initial shaping and polishing of the folding combat knives could be done in bulk using stamping lathes, making it highly efficient.
Lin Yao hesitated. " I'd like to buy one for self-defense too."
Xiao was somewhat surprised. The folding combat knife was beginner gear—how could it be so favored by agents?
He didn't know that due to the R&D department's chronic neglect, Bureau 13 agents were practically starving for new equipment. Though the folding knife's technology was simple, for agents, only portable, covert gear could adapt to complex missions.
Agents typically carried daggers for close combat. Consider this: if you encountered agents from another faction and they drew a dagger just over 10 cm long, while you drew a blade nearly a meter long—that significant length advantage instantly gave you the upper hand in intimidation. It worked on the same principle as men comparing sizes in a bathroom stall.
All materials were supplied by Lambert and Lin Yao. Xiao borrowed the Logistics Department's private workshop, equipped with advanced machinery that significantly reduced the manufacturing time for the folding combat knives. Before the nighttime operation, Xiao had already mass-produced eleven custom folding combat knives, successfully completing them ahead of schedule.
With an investment of 11,000 Blue Planet Coins, he covered only the technical costs and gained substantial manufacturing experience—roughly 8,000 experience points—making a small profit.
This reinforced his conviction that private orders from Bureau 13 agents represented a potentially massive market.
Li Yalin and her two teammates took the equipment and set out to pursue the Black Spider, while Xiao remained at the covert operations division to oversee logistics and organize the mission details sent by the intelligence department.
The pinhole cameras and micro earpieces worn by his three teammates were linked to three computer screens in front of Han Xiao. Images and audio were synchronized, allowing him to see everything Li Yalin and the others experienced. His duty was to monitor the situation at all times, issuing prompts and commands—essentially acting as their commander.
Of course, as a newcomer, Xiao faced skepticism from Li Yalin and her team. Though they didn't voice it, they didn't fully trust his judgment. This mission's low difficulty level was intended to test the team's cohesion, hence assigning Xiao as commander. Yet expecting absolute obedience was unrealistic. All three were experienced operatives with their own instincts; Xiao's directives served merely as reference points.
Xiao remained unfazed. Setting aside his prior experience leading fifty-man raids, his intelligence advantage alone made him well-suited for the role.
Black Spider, a psychic-type superhuman, proved exceptionally troublesome. Players had ranked him among the "Tier 1.0 Most Difficult Bosses to Kill on Blue Planet."
...
Night fell, the stars twinkling overhead.
The slum district lay in Sector 8. Unlike the bustling city centers, this area reeked of decay. Roofless shacks huddled together, their makeshift shelters of scrap metal and canvas creating narrow, cramped alleys. Patches of wet laundry hung from balconies, and garbage littered the streets uncollected. Drug dealers, addicts, thugs, and vagrants inhabited this cesspool of filth, where law and order were nonexistent. Intelligence indicated Black Spider was hiding here.
Li Yalin and her two companions were fully armed. Though Lin Yao was a hacker, she had received firearms training and possessed combat capability.
They moved silently through the sewage-filled alleys. Streetlights flickered erratically due to unstable voltage, casting an eerie glow over the deserted streets.