Mecha Advancement Paths

Once Sparkles was soothed, the battle on the other side was also nearing its end.

Pang Shi, true to his upbringing in a major clan, kept a cool head on the spot and finally led his people to rout the Faceless Ones.

After the fierce fight, he clearly saw Xu Jiang's potential. The moment he sheathed his blade, he came over to greet him.

"This brother, I really have to thank you just now. If you hadn't dealt with that monster, we'd all have been in danger. Let me introduce myself—my name is Pang Shi. Pleased to meet you."

Xu Jiang had been wearing the dark goggles from the supply pack the whole time, so his face couldn't be seen clearly. Pang Shi could only try to build rapport and probe which rising star this was.

Xu Jiang had no intention of introducing himself either. He gave the other man a once-over—yeah, a rich guy. I love making friends with rich people.

"Don't mention it. The Spirit Domain is full of dangers; we ought to help each other."

After chatting with Pang Shi for a while, Xu Jiang felt this guy was worth knowing.

The key point was, he was loaded and wouldn't covet his stuff. He even proactively reminded Xu Jiang that powerful monsters like the Frost Giant Bull had treasure chests in their caves to open.

That was pretty bro-like.

Hearing this, Xu Jiang quickly ran into the cave and fumbled around. Sure enough, he found a silver chest, exquisitely crafted—clearly holding something good.

To thank Pang Shi for the tip, Xu Jiang decided to open the chest right in front of him, letting his new friend witness the birth of top-tier gear.

The chest opened, and three gleaming treasures appeared before him.

The first was a bottle containing blue liquid, labeled [Essence of Life]. It seemed to be some kind of alchemical material—useless to him.

The second was a small pouch holding ten gold coins. No special attributes, but it was Xu Jiang's favorite, since gold coins could be exchanged for Credit Points.

The third was a major prize: a level 15 purple shortsword, the [Minotaur's Blood Sword]. It was an excellent weapon for a Swordsman. The only pity was that Xu Jiang couldn't use it himself.

As a Mech Warrior, his combat power was naturally concentrated in his mech. With each upgrade and innovation, the bonuses from mechanical weapons would only increase.

A shortsword in his hands was no better than a kitchen knife.

Wait, a kitchen knife? That might not be so bad after all!

Xu Jiang looked at the weapon in his hand, his eyes lighting up as he muttered to himself, "A level 15 shortsword—this is exactly what I need."

The onlookers, seeing Xu Jiang pull a purple weapon, all showed envious expressions.

Levels could be trained, but equipment was something you could only hope to come across. Even Pang Shi found the [Minotaur's Blood Sword] tempting.

Although his family was wealthy, top-tier gear was still hard to come by.

Even if he bought a purple item, it would be something someone else had used, with durability heavily worn down—nothing like this pristine piece.

And he'd just heard Xu Jiang say he had a use for this weapon too?

Probably saving it for a friend, how regrettable. He'd wanted to buy it. Pang Shi shook his head helplessly...

Bang! Bang!

Pang Shi: ???

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Whew~ these horns are really tough. Pack 'em up and take 'em back—they'll sell for a good price."

Every part of the bull was valuable, especially those three things. Couldn't let them go to waste. Xu Jiang was thrifty and didn't want to miss out on any material.

But you can't use a treasured sword to chop them!

"Wait! Hold on, stop chopping! What are you doing?!" Pang Shi grabbed Xu Jiang in anguish.

"Huh? What's wrong? I'm just cutting up the materials! You want a share too?"

"I... I'm not interested in the materials. I'm saying that shortsword of yours—using it to cut horns will cost you durability!"

"Oh, is that so? But I don't have any other tools on me. What else would I use?"

"You don't, but I do! I'll find someone to help you break down the materials. Don't misuse that sword. If you don't need it, sell it to me."

If you'd said that from the start, we'd be done. Xu Jiang stowed the weapon and stood by leisurely, waiting. Since someone was willing to help, it saved him the effort.

As for the sword, though, Xu Jiang didn't agree to the deal.

He didn't really know the market yet. Better to check with Grandpa Lei about the prices first.

For the rest of the time, Xu Jiang just rested and waited for the Spirit Domain to end.

Having killed the Frost Giant Bull, his score was definitely the highest.

Pang Shi, on the other hand, had failed in his plan and was now frantically running around looking for monsters to kill, trying to boost his score as much as possible before leaving.

Xu Jiang leisurely lit a campfire, roasting some wild game while discussing his future advancement path with Qianji.

"Qianji, we've got the Spirit Seed now. What's next?"

[Reply: General, the Spirit Seed is the source of power, possessing extraordinary evolutionary force. There are now two evolution paths for you to choose from, General.]

Already? He was only level 4, and the mech's advancement path was opening up.

"What are the two paths?"

[Liquid Mech and Powered Mech.]

Listening to Qianji's description, Xu Jiang stared blankly at the campfire, lost in thought.

The choice ahead was crucial—it would determine his tactical core from now on.

Every profession had various branches and development paths. As for mechs alone, they were roughly divided into four types: Piloted Mech, Powered Mech, Liquid Mech, and Exoskeleton Mech.

Piloted Mechs were out of the question. Those things started at over ten meters tall and weighed several tons—strategic weapons, not worth considering for now.

Exoskeleton Mechs were an obsolete type, relying only on simple mechanics to provide a certain degree of strength amplification for the human body. That was Qianji's current state.

Liquid Mechs could be seen as a portable combat suit, carried on the person. With just a few button presses, the Liquid Mech could complete rapid deployment.

High flexibility, strong control, capable of executing all kinds of difficult maneuvers.

Facing the cruel outside world, a mech that could enter battle at any moment was every Mech Warrior's dream.

In contrast, Powered Mechs abandoned portability.

With the Power Reactor as the core, they provided powerful energy support.

High-power equipment like Laser Cannons and Thrusters all relied on the power core, delivering devastating firepower.

Both paths had their merits—truly a hard choice!

"Qianji, you're a mech. You should have the most say in this. Which one do you think I should pick?"

"To answer, General, I believe: take both."

Xu Jiang: ???

"Take both? You can take both?"

"Other mechs can't, because the more powerful the weapon, the stronger the power core needed to support it. But we have the Spirit Seed. It can ensure lightness while serving as the power core."

Xu Jiang felt his intelligence being trampled. If you could take both all along, why even bring it up?

Just messing with me?

Even an idiot knows taking both is best—why even deliberate?

"General, balancing both is indeed the best upgrade path, but the material requirements for upgrading will also become much higher."

Qianji patiently explained. At the root of it all: Xu Jiang had neither money nor influence.

Without money, it was hard to acquire the rare materials for dual upgrades.

Without influence, the next Spirit Seed was even more distant and uncertain.

"I can look for materials slowly, but are you saying that every future upgrade will need a Spirit Seed's support?"

"Yes, General. Once the Spirit Seed is confirmed as the power core, I will upgrade in the most perfect form. Every subsequent advancement will also require a Spirit Seed's support. Only then can I be called the strongest mech."

The resolute declaration echoed in Xu Jiang's ears.

It felt like... like someone trying to get me to spend money?

His wallet was empty, yet the beautiful, moving female general before him was tempting him with a promising future.

If it were just materials, that would be fine. The world was big—as long as he earned money, he could always buy them.

But Spirit Seeds were different.

Finding one depended entirely on luck. If someone else got there first, prying it out of their hands would be far too difficult.

"General, please give your orders."

[Congratulations, Qianji is about to begin advancement. Please choose an advancement path: A. Liquid Mech lacking firepower, B. Powered Mech lacking mobility, C. Perfect and flawless—take both.]