Near-Earth Orbital Aircraft

"Radar attribute: 58.8. That was the limit."

"But this time, after the attributes increased, why wasn't there a read option?"

A trace of confusion surfaced in Chen Yi's heart. As though it had noticed his question, the system provided an explanation.

[The highest attribute value exceeds the sum of all other attributes and is more than ten times the lowest attribute value, causing the Quantum Domain to become unstable. Information cannot be read!]

"..."

Looking at the explanation that had appeared before him, disappointment showed in Chen Yi's eyes.

He had originally thought he could read information on some super radar technology, but he had not expected the system to be completely without loopholes.

"Since it can't be read, I'll dismantle the radar camera and install it on a new drone."

Chen Yi opened the drone's casing and removed the radar imaging module inside, which had become much larger and fused together with the camera.

[Dismantling causes the Quantum Domain to collapse. Adjusted attributes are reduced by 80%. Subsequent information cannot be read. Adjusted consciousness wave stacking is doubled.]

[Radar Imaging: 10.8 + "48×(1-0.8)"]

"Dismantling causes the Quantum Domain to collapse, and further adjustment stacking doubles the consciousness waves."

"Looks like under normal circumstances, I can only make some high-tech products. If I want to make dazzling, absurdly high-tech products, the cost will increase exponentially."

Chen Yi looked at the radar module whose attributes had suddenly shrunk to 20.4, but he was not too disappointed.

After all, it was better to pay a small price early on and figure out the system's rules than to fall into a pit later while working on something huge.

"What a pity. The only radar module."

After thinking it over, Chen Yi still decided to keep tinkering and assemble another drone.

He installed the radar module, then added all the adjustable attributes to the radar.

Since doing it once was not enough—

Then he would do it several more times.

Boss Chen did not have much of anything right now, except consciousness waves.

The Quantum Domain boiled, and seven-colored light blossomed.

When the light faded, Chen Yi removed the twice-stacked radar module.

[Radar Imaging: 20.4 + "48×(1-0.8)"]

"Radar is one of an aircraft's core functions. Stack it one more time."

Looking at the attributes from the second adjustment, Chen Yi did not hesitate. He assembled another drone, installed the radar module, and continued adjusting and upgrading it.

The first adjustment consumed 9,600 consciousness waves.

The second adjustment consumed 19,200 consciousness waves.

The third adjustment consumed 38,400 consciousness waves.

Although the Quantum Domain collapsed and the adjusted attributes were reduced by 80% each time—

After three adjustments—

30 + "48×(1-0.8)"

The radar module in Chen Yi's hand successfully reached an attribute value of 39.6.

According to Chen Yi's conclusion—

Fifteen attribute points marked the boundary between aircraft and spacecraft, representing performance advancing from aviation into spaceflight.

With a radar at 39.6 points, even if it could not directly scan and detect the lunar surface, it would have no problem scanning and clearly seeing the rivets on satellites in space.

As for stealth fighters and their stealth designs that claimed radar cross-sections as small as a sparrow—

That would be as easy as pie.

"Keep going, keep going. Next is the engine."

Chen Yi quickly assembled a drone with no radar, only a camera. With a thought, he checked its attributes.

[Item: Fixed-wing Drone]

[Attributes: Energy x7.6, Speed x11.3, Stability x5.2, Strength x8.4, Communications x12.5, Radar Imaging x6.1, Avionics x8.7, Appearance x6.1]

[Consciousness Waves: 382661↑]

[Adjustable Attributes: 0]

[Note: This is a drone with unbalanced performance, but it can still soar through the skies!]

Since he had not installed an additional radar module, its radar imaging performance was only 6.1 this time, but the drone's stability had not been reduced.

Seven-colored light blossomed.

The drone's energy, stability, strength, communications, and other attributes plummeted wildly, while its speed attribute began to soar.

Several seconds later, the light faded.

The drone before him underwent an earth-shaking transformation.

Its originally gleaming metal casing had become rusty and mottled. The fuselage was bizarrely shaped, lacking even a hint of symmetrical stability, much less beauty.

Yet beneath that decayed, asymmetrical, ugly fuselage—

Were two huge chrysanthemum-shaped loudspeakers—no, two engine exhaust nozzles—showing off their power.

Just by looking at the horn-shaped nozzles with Laval nozzle structures, anyone knowledgeable would understand.

These were two genuine aerospace engines capable of reaching space.

[Item: Fixed-wing Drone]

[Attributes: Energy x1.6, Speed x56.3, Stability x1.2, Strength x1.4, Communications x1.5, Radar Imaging x1.1, Avionics x1.7, Appearance x1.1]

[Consciousness Waves: 373061↑]

[Adjustable Attributes: 0]

[Note: This is an aerospace engine wrapped in a decayed shell!]

"There isn't a trace of aerodynamic design in the fuselage."

"As expected, as long as the stability attribute is reduced to the minimum, speed depends entirely on the engine brute-forcing its way through."

Chen Yi studied the adjusted attributes and the fuselage layout for a while.

Finally, he removed the fuselage shell and dismantled the two engines inside.

Whoosh! Seven-colored light blossomed in his hands, and the Quantum Domain collapsed.

[Thrust: 11.3 + "45×(1-0.8)"]

"Removing the engine from the drone turns speed into thrust."

"As the absolute core of an aircraft, the engine gets four stacked adjustments. Let's make it fierce."

Chen Yi quickly assembled a drone shell, installed all sorts of modules, and forcibly crammed the two engines in his hands into it.

Because the engines' core components had changed, the newly assembled drone lost 3.1 stability points and could only be adjusted to 42 attribute points.

However, that did not affect Chen Yi's overall plan.

Seven-colored light blossomed.

When the light faded, Chen Yi removed the twice-stacked engines.

[Thrust: 20.3 + "42×(1-0.8)"]

After the third stacked adjustment, Chen Yi removed the engines.

[Thrust: 28.7 + "42×(1-0.8)"]

After the fourth stacked adjustment, he removed the engines.

[Thrust: 37.1 + "42×(1-0.8)"]

"After four stacks, 45.5 attributes."

Chen Yi examined the engines after their fourth adjustment.

After four adjustments, the entire engine seemed to have undergone a qualitative transformation, turning black and dim all over.

The engine nozzles also differed from common turbojet and rocket engines.

Their overall shape resembled flowers.

There was a horn-shaped nozzle on the outside, with a cone in the middle.

Through the engine nozzles, he could see a rotating turbine inside, with tiny holes covering the turbine.

"This feels a bit like a rotating detonation engine?"

Chen Yi recalled an engine technology that existed only in laboratories and had not yet been achieved industrially.

"Still, this new engine has its weight under good control."

Chen Yi tried lifting one engine and found it lighter than 10 kilograms of Xiaomi.

One had to know that the original engine had weighed more than 10 kilograms.

"The engine's current material probably isn't an ordinary metal. It might be related to some kind of force field or quantum material. Otherwise, that terrifying density can't be explained."

"What a pity. Modules that have been dismantled can no longer have their information read. Otherwise, I'd definitely study what material this is."

Chen Yi placed the engines back on the ground, continued assembling drones, and kept adjusting the attributes of other modules and components.

He first adjusted removable modules such as the avionics system and communications module, obtaining components with terrifying performance.

Then, using a drone as the base, he installed and replaced components within it, adjusting and improving the drone's strength and appearance.

After completing the shell adjustment, he continued installing the other components and adjusted the drone's fuel tank—its total energy capacity.

He then installed all the components he had obtained earlier into the shell: the engine modules, radar imaging module, Avionics Main Control, communications module, and so on.

There was no need to be overly particular. He only had to cram them in and tie them down.

In the end, Chen Yi obtained a drone with terrifying performance and an exquisite appearance, like a futuristic sci-fi fighter jet.

[Item: Building Block Drone]

[Attributes: Energy x29.9, Speed x45.5, Stability x5.2(-11.2), Strength x46, Communications x31.7, Radar Imaging x39.6, Avionics x36.5, Appearance x29.1]

[Consciousness Waves: 36574↑]

[Adjustable Attributes: 0]

[Note: This is a Building Block Drone assembled from numerous high-tech components. It has no structural design, negative stability, and can fall apart without even taking flight!]

"...That really is miserable."

Looking at the stability attribute that had completely turned negative, then at the drone that he had held together with tape and propped up with supports so it would not fall apart, Chen Yi revealed an awkward expression.

This drone's engines and strength had undergone four stacked adjustments, while its other attributes had undergone three stacked adjustments.

It had consumed more than 400,000 consciousness waves. Aside from energy at 29.9 attribute points, which had reached the chemical energy limit for a small aircraft like a drone, and appearance, whose initial attribute had been too low to break through 30—

Every other attribute had surpassed 30.

However, there was one thing that could not be adjusted: stability.

This was the attribute of the aircraft's internal structural design and aerodynamic layout.

Because every dismantling damaged the drone's stability, Chen Yi could only wait until every module had been installed before making a final adjustment to stability.

"Speed, stability, and strength are the drone's three core attributes.

"If the drone is to fly steadily, the three must remain roughly balanced.

"Otherwise, it will be like yesterday when the drone sprinted into space. Once the speed rose, it would not dare make even the slightest maneuver.

"This means the speed and strength attributes need to come down, while stability must be turned from negative to positive and raised.

"Same old rules.

"Reduce the highest attribute, strength, by 5 points. Reduce strength by another 5 points, radar by 3 points, avionics by 2 points, and finally appearance by another 26 points.

"Add all the reduced attributes to stability and raise it to 40."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Seven-colored light blossomed.

The modules bound in place with strips of tape began merging into the drone.

The originally crooked fuselage, which would fall apart without supports, also began to stabilize.

In the end, the drone before Chen Yi completely changed form.

[Item: Near-Earth Orbital Aircraft]

[Attributes: Energy x29.9, Speed x40.5, Stability x40, Strength x41, Communications x31.7, Radar Imaging x36.6, Avionics x34.5, Appearance x3.1]

[Consciousness Waves: 27374↑]

[Adjustable Attributes: 0]

[Note: This is an aircraft with an ordinary, even somewhat ugly appearance. But if you have mastered spaceflight and orbital maneuvering, you can use it to visit the moon.]