[Fusion successful. You have developed [Electromagnetic Scanning Tactical Goggles]!]
"Oh?"
Xiao Han raised an eyebrow. This wasn't what he had wanted, but it was still useful for a sniper. More precise than thermal imaging, it could scan through walls. If applied to a scope, wall penetration shots would become highly accurate.
"Try again."
[... This fusion will consume 30,000 experience.]
[Fusion successful. You have developed [Electromagnetic Pulse Jammer]!]
"This is it." Xiao Han nodded. There were many blueprints for this combination. The EMP jammer was a common one, with a high drop rate. Aside from the jammer, several other blueprints could achieve his goal. He had prepared experience for a third fusion, but this saved him a chunk.
The electromagnetic pulse jammer. A well-known device. EMP.
The desert was full of vehicles. As a sniper, controlling distance was key. An anti-vehicle jammer was essential.
He also needed some high-powered explosives, mines, and traps.
Rubbing his chin, Xiao Han's eyes lit up with a new idea.
"This time, maybe I don't need to fuse. I'll try self-creation."
Players in the past had made limited use of the self-creation function. But he could truly understand the knowledge, combine principles from existing blueprints, and create new ones. He could use his own knowledge to fill in the details. The self-creation function bypassed the long research process. Perhaps he could even develop some powerful blueprints ahead of schedule.
The core principle of high-explosive incendiary ammunition was a highly flammable gas. If compressed into a larger container, its power would increase, matching fragmentation mines.
To make a blast mine, he needed gunpowder and pellets. That meant considering how to ignite the sealed flammable gas. Xiao Han decided to layer the inside of the bomb: the flammable gas and an inert gas neutralised each other, sealed separately in one layer. A mechanism would act as a delayed trigger. When the time came, it would open automatically, releasing gas into the gunpowder and causing an explosion.
But since he was self-creating, Xiao Han thought he might as well add multiple effects to the finished product. He incorporated the principles of Heim Rounds into it.
Let's get started.
Xiao Han quickly refined his ideas and began crafting. Self-creating machinery required producing a finished product first, then determining if the self-creation was successful. For players, self-creation involved setting a design path, adding materials and parts, choosing tools, then watching a progress bar. Success was purely luck-based.
But Xiao Han was involved in every aspect of the crafting process. He could make micro-adjustments at any stage. His success rate was on a completely different level.
Soon, a metal disc mine about thirty centimetres in diameter was completed. He opened his interface and activated the self-creation assessment.
[Assessing blueprint self-creation...]
[Assessment failed.]
"It failed." Xiao Han frowned.
Failure meant the device could not achieve its intended effect or had a clear flaw.
He tested the first prototype's power at a designated site. The triggering of the flammable gas, gunpowder fragments, and poison gas was problematic. It exploded, but the power was far below expectations. He had to revise it.
Gas was very difficult to control. The slightest mistake meant starting over. He refined the device repeatedly. The Farian stronghold's weapons testing ground was left scorched black, filled with toxic gas. Even Xiao Han had to retreat, or he would take continuous damage.
Finally, after the thirteenth failure, a heavenly chime sounded from his interface.
[Assessment successful. You have developed a self-created blueprint!]
A blueprint for a new type of bomb materialised in his mind. The interface automatically recorded all the principles. Xiao Han glanced at the stats and thought for a moment. "Let's call it High-Explosive Toxic Gas Delayed Bomb... No, too bland. Toxic Burst Incendiary Mine!"
[Naming successful. You have acquired the self-created blueprint [Toxic Burst Incendiary Mine]!]
Once recognised by the interface, a self-created blueprint became a skill. He could level it up with experience and clearly understand all parameters. With a template to reference, crafting speed increased.
"Just as I thought. The self-creation function suits my situation perfectly. There's huge potential to tap." Xiao Han's eyes gleamed.
"Next, I need to craft enough of these mines."
---
Night.
Xiao Han drove to an open area. There, he set off a row of fireworks, with a delayed launch timer. Then he went to the route the Rose Arms would have to take to reach that area, set up his traps, and buried the jammer and Toxic Burst Incendiary Mines.
How did he know it was the only route?
Well... have you heard that the shortest path between two points is a straight line?
Of course, the enemy might take a detour. No loss. He just wouldn't ambush them this time. He could try again later.
The electromagnetic pulse jammer was a cylindrical device with a base. Xiao Han had built a portable model, about one metre tall, with a radiation diameter of three hundred metres. It emitted high-frequency electromagnetic wave signals, interfering with precision instruments and electronic components. Its targets included communication devices, electronically controlled instruments, detection radar, and more. It was highly effective against vehicles, disrupting their electronic control systems such as sensors and controllers, causing them to stall or malfunction.
Although Xiao Han did not think Rose Arms' vehicles were equipped with electromagnetic interference protection, he played it safe by tuning the jammer to a very high power. Unless the vehicles were completely wrapped in anti-electromagnetic metal, any gap would be enough to compromise them. The trade-off was that the jammer consumed energy at an extremely high rate. A high-energy battery costing two thousand BP coins would be drained in ten seconds. But that did not matter much. The jammer did not need to emit EMP continuously. As long as the first wave of interference was successful, the effect was the same.
After setting the trap, he parked his off-road vehicle behind a sand dune, about four hundred metres from the ambush site. Then he lay prone on the ground, aiming his Red Falcon sniper rifle, waiting patiently like a hunter.
The desert temperature dropped sharply at night. Cold winds stirred the sand. Xiao Han pulled his high-collared coat tighter and wore thick leather gloves to prevent his hands from freezing and affecting his aim.
"Boom!"
In the predetermined area, more than a dozen fireworks shot into the sky, blazing brightly against the night. They were clearly visible from over ten kilometres away.
---
"Something's happening!"
At the Rose Arms stronghold, a lookout spotted the distant fireworks and quickly reported to their leader, Luo Qing.
Luo Qing gave the order swiftly. "Dorothy, take some people to investigate. Watch out for other armed groups. If you encounter an attack, fire a distress flare immediately."
Dorothy nodded. She selected twenty mercenaries. They quickly donned their tactical gear, filling their pockets with various magazines and grenades. They set off in four desert off-road vehicles, speeding away.
At the stronghold of the Gordon mercenary organisation, their leader, Gordon, also saw the fireworks. "Send people to check it out," he said coldly. "There might be a firefight. Take everyone."
One after another, armed off-road vehicles drove out of Gordon's base.
The same scene unfolded at several other faction strongholds that could see the fireworks.
---
Rose Arms' off-road vehicles raced across the desert, tyres kicking up sand, leaving long trails behind them.
"Madam Dorothy, do you think that could be a sign of Phironia's appearance?" asked a female mercenary.
Dorothy had a fierce appearance. When she pressed her lips together, she looked like a black tiger ready to pounce. Her eyes gleamed with menace. She snorted. "Hmph. If Phironia were that easy to find, we wouldn't have wasted more than two years here. This is probably some trick again. Stay on high alert. It might be another trap set by Gordon."
"Buzz—"
As soon as she finished speaking, a strange electric crackle sounded out of nowhere. Dorothy, whose five senses were sharper than ordinary people, detected a peculiar wave spreading from nearby. At the same time, the dashboard of their vehicle sparked and crackled. All four off-road vehicles lost control, swerving drunkenly and crashing into each other. No matter how hard the drivers pressed the accelerator, the engines would not start.
"Ambush!" Dorothy was alarmed. She scanned their surroundings vigilantly.
What had disabled their vehicles? Could it be an EMP?
The mercenaries looked around frantically, but all they saw was sand under the night sky. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The desert was vast and empty. The starry sky was fully visible. A desolate night wind blew.
The Rose Arms mercenaries felt a chill run down their arms, as if a giant hand were gripping their throats. The pressure was suffocating.
"Bang!"
A Rose Arms mercenary was thrown back by a powerful impact, landing on the sand with a thud. She did not move. A gaping bloody hole in her chest was horrifying to see.
"Sniper! Take cover behind the vehicles!" Dorothy shouted in fury and alarm. She quickly called her teammates to hide behind the cars and fired a distress flare into the sky. White light illuminated the night.
The Rose Arms mercenaries felt slightly relieved. Their stronghold was close. They only needed to hold out for fifteen minutes before reinforcements arrived.
Xiao Han, lying on the sand dune, looked up at the flare and clicked his tongue. "One flare calls a thousand troops? How naive."
He switched to a high-explosive incendiary magazine and fired a shot at the spot where the Toxic Burst Incendiary Mines were buried. The bullet struck, igniting the mines hidden beneath the sand.
"Boom—"
A deafening explosion. A raging sea of fire surged upward. The other mines Xiao Han had buried detonated in a chain reaction, one after another.
The flames engulfed the four vehicles, mixed with thick toxic gas. His interface began spamming damage notifications: continuous toxin and burn damage to the enemies.
Heim Rounds were a type of poison gas ammunition, also known as "Righteous Heim Rounds." Their principle was applied to the Toxic Burst Incendiary Mines, making the effects more diverse.
Coughing and choking sounds filled the air. Dorothy felt nauseous and uncomfortable. Her ordinary teammates fared even worse, dizzy and vomiting.
If they stayed where they were, everyone would either burn to death or die from poisoning.
"What a treacherous bastard!" Dorothy fought back the rising nausea and roared, "Charge forward! The only way we survive is to kill that sniper!"