Inside The Black Mist

On the black uniform of the officer, a crescent moon and traveler's emblems were embedded, undoubtedly a Night Walker.

As Tianyang saw him, that person also reacted and saluted him. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. Private Yanbing, Night Walker, reporting!"

The man named Yanbing looked older than Tianyang but seemed like an ordinary person, not an Ascender.

Tianyang was still embarrassed as he was called "Sir," but also a little thrilled. "At ease. A mission from higher-ups?"

Yanbing, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, looked like an enthusiastic worker. He put a silver-gray mechanical armor box at Tianyang's feet and said, "This is the equipment assigned to you. And this…" He handed over a communication device. "Commander Lin Yang asked me to hand it to you personally and informed me he would contact you later. As for the status of a mission, I'm not sure."

He then took out a communication device and handed it to Tianyang solemnly.

Tianyang received it and nodded. "Thank you for sending this over."

Yanbing stood up straight and saluted. "It's my honor to serve you!"

He smiled and left.

Tianyang picked up the armor box and entered his room.

As soon as he put the things on his bed, the communication device rang and a request came through.

After accepting it, Lin Yang's image appeared on the screen.

"Have you received a sealed armor box as well?"

Lin Yang was holding a dispatch board and seemed to be in the middle of some work.

Tianyang replied loudly, "Yes, sir!"

Lin Yang put down the dispatch board and said calmly, "Currently, I don't know your abilities and expertise, so I have only provided you with standard equipment. Use it for now. After a while, we will adjust it according to your performance in missions. Alternatively, you can order equipment from the fortress' weapons merchant, with the cost split between you and the military."

"Oh, and one more thing. I have to tell you first. During tomorrow's electronic eye surgery, they will install a recorder in your electronic eye to collect your level data. In return, a special allowance will be given to you with the base salary each month. I'm not sure how much it is, but it should be substantial."

Tianyang said happily, "Thank you, sir!"

Lin Yang shook his head. "Don't thank me. You deserve it. Finally, you have a mission. I will send the details to your communication device soon. That's all." Tianyang saluted, and the communication ended.

Putting down the communicator, the young man opened the armored box. Inside were several foldable compartments, each containing a sword, a gun, a set of armor, and a Night Walker uniform.

The electronic screen on the box gave detailed descriptions of every piece of standard equipment used by Ascenders.

First was the sword, named the "High Vibrational Particle Sword," which could cut objects on a molecular level. The sword was made of a special metal from the 78th Inverse Universe, which was durable and resistant to wear and tear. The scabbard was mainly black, with a subtle yellow anti-slip design on the handle. It was extremely sharp, and Tianyang liked it.

Next was a gun, which was smaller than the Attacker rifle that the Collection Team had been using. The weapon was called the "Assault Star Rifle," but its power far exceeded that of the Attacker.

Star Energy was a high-purity energy body obtained from the Pillar of Star through decomposition and processing. Diluting it produced a luminescent gas, termed as "Star Essence," which, when ingested, could enhance Ascenders' abilities, serving as a stimulant.

Star Essence could also be stored in gas magazines and used as bullets for the Star Energy Gun. For example, an essence magazine could sustain more than 500 shots than the Assault rifle. The gun also came with a long-range sight and a foldable three-point gun mount. Switching the firing mode to sniper mode allowed it to be used as a sniper rifle. However, it was still inferior to professional sniper equipment.

As for the Assault armor, it was made of a special composite that included some Pillar of Star fragments. Even so, the armor could effectively defend against attacks from dark creatures, especially those with contamination and invasion profiles.

The armor was equipped with a multi-functional belt containing a portable tool kit, an energy pack, and high-calorie food, allowing Ascenders to survive alone in the Inverse Universe for a period of time.

From this equipment, it was evident that the fortress attached great importance to Ascenders. Even ordinary soldiers, including Storm and other armies that also fought in the Inverse Universe, were not equipped with equipment made from the Pillar of Star.

The last item was the uniform. The Night Walker uniform consisted of a black high-necked long coat with a double-breasted twisted button design. There was a silver military emblem adorned on the chest and black and silver epaulets on the shoulders, with a star badge denoting the rank of Second Lieutenant. This was the lowest military rank for every Ascender in the fortress.

Tianyang excitedly put on the uniform and found that it fitted him perfectly. Some special designs made it possible to move freely while wearing them. The special fabric used in the uniform made it less prone to wear and tear.

Of course, even if it did wear, he could apply for a replacement. Night Walker had a certain amount of financial subsidy for this.

Suddenly, there was a sound of the door opening outside; it seemed that his mother had returned. Tianyang quickly took off the uniform so that Nanfei wouldn't be unhappy if she saw it.

He hid the mechanical armor box under the bed and carefully opened the door, and sure enough, it was his mother.

She was carrying a bag and took out packages of dried vegetables from it; apparently, she just came back from the market on the other side of Shadow Street.

Tianyang took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom. "Mom, you're back?"

Nanfei didn't even look up. "Hmm, just wait a bit. I'll make dinner for you now."

Tianyang called out, "Mom, I have something to tell you."

He wanted to apologize, but Nanfei seemed to want to avoid the subject. "Let's talk about it later. It's late now, and I'm hungry. Aren't you?"

After that, she headed to the kitchen.

After dinner, Nanfei left again, saying that she had to work at the bar.

Helplessly, Tianyang had to return to his room. He received a file on his communication device, apparently a mission briefing.

Night Walker was going to retrieve the Pillar of Star that Tianyang discovered, and Ling Feng ordered Tianyang to report to the transfer platform the day after tomorrow. At that time, he would temporarily join the Raven Squad as a guide.

The basic compensation for this mission was 200 contribution points, with additional rewards based on his specific performance during the mission.

The briefing also included the profile of the Raven Squad leader, a man with deep eyes, a beard, and a haggard face. Tianyang hoped that this leader named Han Shu would be an easy person to get along with.