Zai Zong in Full Divine Gear

Ouch—Ouch—Ouch—Ouch—Ouch—

Gears roll, friction creates a symphony.

The massive, heavy metal door slowly slid open to both sides.

"What the hell is this?!"

Outside the door, Zai Zong, holding Level 3 Keycard, stared in disbelief at what was inside the metal door.

In front of him was a giant sheet metal device, about 10 meters wide, covered with gears and conveyor belts.

It appears to be some kind of industrial machinery.

However, it is covered in rust and has lost its original metallic luster.

It consists of three huge box-shaped mechanical parts, one in the left, one in the middle, and one in the right, connected by a cylindrical pipe running through them.

The box-shaped compartment on the left is 3 meters high and has a door.

There's also a sign above that says 'Input'.

It is about the size of a church confessional.

The container on the right is the same shape as the one on the left, also a 3-meter-high compartment with a door. Only the sign above it has been changed to 'Output'.

The central box-shaped compartment has no door. Its size is similar to the box-shaped compartments on the left and right, but it serves as the control panel.

It's just too big; it occupies about the size of an 18-square-meter room!

What is this?

"Is this broken machine also an anomaly? Zayin-class. Then it shouldn't be too dangerous."

Zai Zong glanced at the metal plaque on the wall, which was carved with some kind of craftsmanship.

Above, the basic information about this strange device is clearly written.

Project ID: Z-FBC-0914

[Project Level: Zayin]

[Project Warning: Due to the unique nature of this anomaly, only personnel with a doctoral degree or higher are currently permitted to conduct experimental operations on it, and two safety personnel must be present at all times. Live biological experiments are strictly prohibited! Especially the use of ' Ultra-Fine Processing ' on live organisms!]

After watching, Zai Zong walked into the control room and closed the door behind him with the key card.

With a series of sharp, grating sounds, the heavy mechanical door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Now, in the control room, which is about 10 meters in size, only he and the huge, cold metal machine in front of him remain.

This thing can help me.

The game's protagonist suddenly blurted out a line.

Zai Zong understood that, for the protagonist with foresight, he had already seen a great deal in the previous 1000 experiences.

When the protagonist is unaware of the danger posed by many anomalous entities, he will always utter a line or two to make the players aware of the peril.

And now, if the protagonist says that this machine, which looks broken, old, and rusty, can help him, then it must be true!

So, Zai Zong began to examine this strange machine.

At the center of the control panel is a recessed metal panel.

Above it, there is a dial and a knob with an arrow pointing in the direction.

The area around the knob has five settings: 'rough machining', 'semi-rough machining', '1:1 machining', 'finish machining', and ' Ultra-Fine Processing '.

Obviously, the first step is quite simple.

You need to align the arrow on the knob with one of the five gear positions and then press the button.

What about the button?

Zai Zong's gaze shifted downwards.

Below the knob is a spring-loaded mechanism, similar to that on a music box.

So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this spring is the 'button'.

"Holy crap, a clockwork toy? What era is this from?"

Zai Zong looked at the huge and cold metal machine in front of him. Its parts, conveyor belts, and gears made it look ancient and old, as if it were a relic of the Industrial Revolution, covered in rust.

"Hey guys, remember the document my cousin found when she was attacked by that Flesh Beast? It said something about something turning into a pretty little box after being refined, with two control levels! The little box can turn people into Flesh Beast."

"Let me check the document, wait a minute."

As he spoke, Zai Zong entered the collection interface and found the file he had picked up earlier in the document section.

"Got it! Z/A-FBC-0427, a product refined from Z-FBC-0500. It glows and has healing effects. However, continuous exposure to the light will cause the cells to evolve into highly intelligent Flesh Beast."

"My goodness! I was lucky enough to find a 0500 pill before, and now I've come across this processing equipment. Can I directly create a second Z/A-FBC-0427?"

"Forget it, this thing is a bit useless, and I don't want to turn into a monster."

Zai Zong shook his head and gave up on the idea.

"Turn into a monster... Ugh. That monster is terrifying!"

Sitting on the bed, Huan Huan looked disgusted, still shaken by the eerie smile she'd seen in the shadows.

"You're still young, of course you'll be scared if it kills you. Look at your cousin, I'm a seasoned veteran. I've died so many times, but I still dominate the game with my righteous spirit. Go back tomorrow and practice for a few years, and you'll be a master."

"Pah! Mind your own business!"

After flashing a carefree smile, Zai Zong began searching for relevant introductory documents in the control room.

Soon, he saw it on the wooden crate in the corner.

Upon picking it up, I found there were two documents in total.

One document is an introduction to the anomaly, and the other is the experimental record.

The Zai Zong started by reading the document explaining the anomaly.

The brief summary above states:

This is a ' Universal Converter '.

Its function is to process all things in the world.

Whether you put in organic or inorganic materials, this converter can process them randomly.

The quality and usefulness of the processed product depend entirely on the five settings mentioned above, and have nothing to do with the product itself.

Even a pile of garbage can be processed and transformed into items you can't even imagine.

Even without putting anything inside, as long as a person touches the input chamber and imagines something in their mind, it can be transformed, turning the 'imagination' into a 'real object'.

However, that person will suffer serious consequences, the consequences of which are ■■■■.

There are five settings, with the worst being rough processing, which is somewhat like disassembly.

For example, a piece of steel can be processed and transformed into a pile of steel blocks.

Semi-rough processing is only slightly better than rough processing.

1:1 processing is used to convert similar items.

For example, a brand A mobile phone can be transformed into a brand B mobile phone. A white mouse can be transformed into a brown mouse.

Refinement is basically the upgrading or evolution of an item.

For example, a Tamagotchi electronic pet can transform into a small, intelligent dog made of metal and plastic, capable of answering basic right-or-wrong questions.

Ultra-Fine Processing (indescribable)

After reading the document, Zai Zong was excited.

He put down the document, looked at the rusty, dilapidated machine in front of him, and looked eager to try it out.

"Wow, that's amazing! I want to try it too! Let me check the experimental documentation first."

As he spoke, he began to look at the second experimental record document.

The above is a record of the process by a researcher named Romi during an experiment.

The first item he experimented with was one kilogram of sawdust.

After selecting rough machining, thick black smoke billowed from the output chamber, startling him and making him think there was a malfunction.

The result was simply that the sawdust was converted into thick smoke after it burned out.

Note: 'As I expected, the result was pretty much what I predicted.' - Dr. Romy

——

The object of his second experiment was imagination.

So he arranged for a D-Class Personnel to stand at the entrance of the input warehouse.

Touch the metal exterior and close your eyes to imagine an incandescent light bulb.

Then select 1:1 conversion.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be a glass oil lamp with a metal core!

However, the D-Class Personnel eventually also [was injured/died] and required emergency treatment.

Note: 'It turns out this device can read minds and create matter. Hopefully he survives.' - Dr. Romy

——

His third experiment was a photograph of a statue called W-FBC-0173.

After selecting the fine-tuning option, a photo of W-FBC-0096 was obtained.

Note: 'Holy shit!' - Dr. Romy (last words)

Note 2: 'The remains (the remaining parts) of Researcher Romy's body have been disposed of; some say his death was "divine intervention." - Dr. Burke'

Zai Zong:???????

This concludes the document.

Although no one knows what happened, Researcher Romy died, and the fourth experiment was canceled.

Since there's no Ultra-Fine Processing content, Zai Zong is currently full of question marks.

"What kind of new anomaly is 0096? How come the researcher who got the photo of it died? And it seems like he died a very gruesome death."

After putting down the document, Zai Zong once again examined the enormous mechanical equipment in front of him.

"Is it really that amazing? Come on, everyone, it's my turn. I'll test the effects of this anomaly for you."

"Hopefully the production team can really make it 'transform everything'."

As he spoke, he opened his backpack.

Inside were some items he had collected.

A wallet containing two coins, and also contains level 1, level 2, and Level 3 Keycard.

One Z-FBC-0500-1 universal pill.

A damaged Mask.

A Walkie-Talkie that has run out of power.

A Night Vision Goggles that has run out of power.

An S-NAV 300 navigator that has run out of power.

It's practically a pile of scrap metal!

The Zai Zong in tears.

Aside from the key cards and that panacea that could instantly restore one's virility, everything else was just taking up space in my backpack.

Especially for devices that have run out of power, there's simply no way of knowing where the battery is.

So Zai Zong decided to start by taking advantage of these props.

So first, there's this 300 navigation device.

As he spoke, he took the electronic map out of his backpack, then went to the input bay and put it down.

At the same time, I saved a file, just in case.

After all, he still needs this thing.

Then, upon arriving at the central console and preparing to operate it, I was surprised to discover...

This enormous sheet metal device isn't powered by electricity; it operates entirely from gears and conveyor belts!

Holy crap?

Can this really work?!

With a skeptical attitude, Zai Zong turned the middle knob to ' Ultra-Fine Processing '.

Then I wound the spring below the knob to the right a few turns.

Accompanied by a creaking sound like a music box spinning, the entire sheet metal device suddenly began to vibrate.

The commotion was so loud that Zai Zong, who hurriedly moved away.

The door to the input compartment on the left slowly closed.

Immediately afterwards, the entire device emitted a loud rumbling noise, making Zai Zong stare wide-eyed, fearing it would explode at any moment!

But soon, within seconds, the commotion subsided and eventually returned to calm.

Meanwhile, the door to the output compartment on the right slowly opened. Thick steam and smoke billowed out, spreading all around.

Zai Zong moistened his lips, stood still for a few seconds, and only after confirming that nothing strange had appeared did he cautiously step forward.

The output chamber remained completely still.

He craned his neck to look inside from a distance.

But I didn't see anything strange. All I saw was an electronic device lying quietly inside.

It was the electronic map he had thrown in!

Zai Zong hurriedly went inside, picked it up, looked at it, and pressed the switch.

Their eyes widened in surprise!

This electronic map has become a machine with unlimited power!

On the screen, a top-down view of the map also appeared, with a blue dot in the center representing it.

But these are all very ordinary and common.

What he truly couldn't believe was that the electronic navigation device had become a smart device!

Above, a series of reminders were displayed.

'The S-NAV, the ultimate navigator, is at your service.'

'Warning: The presence of the benevolent W-FBC-0049 ' Plague Doctor ' has been detected. Specific location has been marked.'

'Warning: An aggressive statue, W-FBC-0173, has been detected. Its location has been marked.'

'Warning: The presence of the retaliatory W-FBC-0096 ' Shy Guy ' has been detected, with its exact location marked.'

'Warning: The presence of the extremely malicious 'A-FBC-0106' "Terror Elder" has been detected, and its exact location has been marked.'

'Warning: The presence of the camouflaged A-FBC-1048 'Teddy Bear Maker' has been detected. Specific location has been marked.'

'Warning, detected.'

On the electronic screen, one red dot after another appeared, and they were all moving slowly.

The little Zai Zong dumbfounded.

"Holy crap! This is incredible! It's practically real-time GPS location tracking!"

"So 0096's nickname is ' The Shy Guy,' huh? But what exactly is it capable of killing someone with just a photo? Retaliation... what's this all about?"

"My goodness, this is like a swarm of hellish demons! Luckily, these anomalies are far away from me, so I'm not worried."

At this time, the red dots on the electronic map are scattered.

Anything that extends beyond the screen is displayed in meters (m).

For example, A-FBC-0106 ' The Terror Elder ' is 1984m away.

"Alright! Let's give it our all and give everything on me the Ultra-Fine Processing!"

Zai Zong excitedly arrived at the input chamber, threw the damaged Mask inside, and obtained a super Mask with unlimited filters, doubled vision range, reduced blinking frequency, and faster breathing and stamina recovery.

Drop a level 1 key card in and you get a Level 4 Keycard.

"Holy crap! Level 4 Keycard! Wow! You can do that?! If I throw in a level 2 card, won't it turn into a level 5 card?"

True to his word, Zai Zong threw in another Level 2 Keycard, and after Ultra-Fine Processing, the result was a credit card with unlimited credit limit.

Zai Zong:

"What's the use of this? I don't believe in this nonsense!"

So he saved the game on the spot and put a Level 3 Keycard in.

The result was an upgrade blueprint for a Level 3 Combination Lock, with a note on it.

'This blueprint can modify all the Level 3 locks in the Control Bureau to be openable only with Level 3 Keycard.' - Dr. 0914

"Blanching? You can do that?"

Zai Zong saved the game again, then threw in a Level 4 Keycard, an unlimited credit card, and an upgrade blueprint, and then did some Ultra-Fine Processing.

Immediately, he got a Level 5 Keycard as he wished!

At this, Zai Zong his face turned into a chrysanthemum.

"Hehehehehe—"

Sitting on the bed, Huanhuan looked at her Huan Huan and couldn't help but think of the stalker who appeared in the movie she had secretly watched at home a while ago.

That's how that pervert laughed too.

For a moment, she got goosebumps all over her body and showed a disgusted expression.

After obtaining the Level 5 Keycard, Zai Zong felt satisfied.

Next, he threw in Night Vision Goggles, and after Ultra-Fine Processing, they were transformed into devices capable of automatically detecting the nearest threatening anomalies! They could also access electronic data about the anomalies anytime, anywhere, essentially acting as a portable database!

"This is incredible! This mechanical anomaly is absolutely amazing! I'd love to go in and Ultra-Fine Processing myself!"

"Wait... maybe I can?"

At this moment, a bold idea arose in Zai Zong's mind.