Stepping outside the house, Cheng Yu chose a nearby spot to deploy the Steel Main City.
As Cheng Yu mentally confirmed its construction, a rectangular Steel Main City rose from the ground, its design reminiscent of Gothic architecture.
The system introduced it to him.
"The Steel Main City is the core of the legion. Without it, no other buildings can be deployed. According to the information Big Sis provided, each legion encampment can only have one Steel Main City."
Cheng Yu said,
"Open the legion panel. Let me see the Steel Main City's information."
"Understood."
RXT Destroyer command interface Building: Steel Main City Function: Core of the legion; core component of the Titan vehicle Production: Basic Unit (50 kilograms of steel, 1 unit of energy)
The word "energy" suddenly reminded Cheng Yu that he still had an Organic Fuel Energy Generator he hadn't built.
He placed two Organic Fuel Energy Generators near the Steel Main City. Once Cheng Yu confirmed the construction, two Gothic-style steel towers rose from the ground.
Cheng Yu thought to himself, I suppose this must have been the architectural style on Big Sis's planet.
Then he asked the system, "Judging by its name, this energy generator needs organic matter to produce energy, right?"
"Yes. You can put organic matter directly into the energy generator."
Cheng Yu nodded. Organic matter? That was the last thing a forest lacked.
He walked up to a large tree and punched straight through its trunk, snapping it in half. Then he hoisted it onto his shoulder and tossed it directly into the energy generator.
The red light on the energy generator flashed, then stopped a few seconds later. Cheng Yu checked the panel. One large tree had provided him with over twenty units of energy.
He nodded in satisfaction and gave an order.
"Produce as many Basic Units as possible."
A few minutes later, he examined the beetle-like Basic Units. They were about eighty centimeters long, with eight barbed mechanical insect legs. Their backs were covered by large beetle-like shells, while their heads sported a pair of large pincers and spiral mouthparts. Their eyes glowed green.
The system explained,
"As their designation suggests, they are the foundation of the legion. Those large pincers can harvest any solid organic matter and minerals, while their mouthparts harvest liquid and gaseous organic matter. Their heads also convert harvested organic matter into life matter."
"Their backs serve as small storage compartments. At full capacity, they can carry 100 units of energy material or 100 kilograms of minerals."
"They also retain surplus energy while harvesting, so they need no additional energy to sustain themselves."
Cheng Yu clicked his tongue.
"These really are the perfect workers."
As he ordered all the Basic Units to collect energy resources, Cheng Yu deployed the Model 0-1 Factory a short distance away.
Once the Model 0-1 Factory was built, Cheng Yu opened its introduction page.
RXT Destroyer command interface Building: Model 0-1 Factory Function: Manufacturing facility for all Model 0-1 weapons of the legion Production: Purger Series 0-1 Model (200 kilograms of steel, 1 unit of energy / 5 days) Not yet unlocked: Guardian Series, Defender Series, Raider Series, Assault Series, Destroyer Series, Infiltrator Series...
Looking at the remaining steel, Cheng Yu told the system,
"Give me another ten thousand tonnes of steel. No, exchange all the five-thousand-odd currency I have left over for steel."
Cheng Yu figured he would use this steel for now. He refused to believe this world had no iron deposits or anything of the sort.
The 595,000 tonnes of steel he received for 5,950 currency should at least get him through the early stages.
Then he gave another order. "Produce Purifier 0-1 units."
When the first Purger rolled off the production line, Cheng Yu examined the spider-shaped Purifier 0-1.
The system introduced it to him.
"The Purger Model 0-1 Series is one of the legion's most basic classes of purely melee war machines. Its eight bladed legs, each fifty centimeters long, can instantly sever a log two meters thick. Its rear is equipped with a spiral drill thirty centimeters in diameter, capable of easily piercing steel armor five millimeters thick within two seconds."
Cheng Yu clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. A warrior race indeed."
The system continued,
"They are called Purgers because this series focuses so heavily on lethality against organic life that it neglects mobility. After all, organic life on most planets isn't particularly fast." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu asked,
How fast can they move?
The system answered, "Eighty kilometers per hour."
Cheng Yu frowned.
That's not slow. That's over a kilometer a minute. Any infantry that runs into them is dead, and given enough time, cavalry would end up just as dead.
The system replied,
"That is relative to the other series. Don't forget, Big Sis and her people stopped fighting opponents like the infantry and cavalry you know about a long time ago."
Understanding dawned on Cheng Yu.
True. Let me see how strong they are. Show me their status panels.
Basic Unit: (Excluded from rating) Purger Model 0-1 Series: (Excluded from rating)
Cheng Yu frowned and asked,
They're both excluded from the rating?
The system answered,
"Yes, but don't forget that level ratings do not represent actual combat strength. You would certainly be no match for more than five Purifier 0-1 units."
"That is merely the result of my calculations."
Cheng Yu shrugged, unconcerned. In this world, he was the man behind the scenes. Once he was done with this world, he could take his time leveling up.
Next, Cheng Yu placed eight more energy generators and ordered Purifier 0-1 units and Basic Units to be produced at a ratio of one to two. He also organized squads of twenty Purifier 0-1 units and fifty Basic Units to harvest resources and search for iron deposits.
After making these arrangements, Cheng Yu returned to his house.
As he entered, the big shot teased Miss Puppet.
"Well? How does it feel to make a comeback?"
Miss Puppet replied as calmly as ever,
"It feels like a lifetime has passed. Thank you for your mercy, Your Eminence."
Yog shook his head, then looked at Cheng Yu with a smile.
"Once your Steel Main City reaches level two, let's move into it. This house looks rather out of place among your base buildings."
Cheng Yu nodded. He had been thinking the same thing ever since the main city was built, but he hadn't dared suggest it before the big shot spoke up. (・ε・｀)
The next day, Cheng Yu opened the door and saw robots swarming back and forth.
He asked the system,
How many do we have now?
The system answered straightforwardly.
Purger Model 0-1 Series: 3,513 units Basic Units: 7,045 units
Cheng Yu ordered production of Basic Units to be suspended at twenty thousand, and production of Purifier 0-1 units to stop at thirty thousand.
The system replied,
"Understood. Also, we discovered a small coal deposit one hundred kilometers from here. For safety and concealment, I have already ordered the Basic Units to stop harvesting trees and mine coal instead. According to estimates, that deposit can provide us with approximately 3.5 million units of energy."
Cheng Yu nodded.
Good work.
Then Cheng Yu asked,
What do we need to upgrade the main city to level two?
The system replied,
"Ten thousand tonnes of steel and ten thousand units of energy."
Do we have enough energy in reserve?
"Don't worry. Our current energy reserves are around three hundred thousand units."
Cheng Yu smiled.
"Good. Upgrade the main city."
Amid a clanging of steel, another tier rose beneath the original main city, larger than the first.
Cheng Yu grumbled inwardly, Does another tier grow out of the ground every time it levels up? After seven or eight upgrades, wouldn't it turn into a pyramid?
The system piped up to answer,
"You actually guessed right. The main city's final form does look quite similar to a pyramid."
Cheng Yu shrugged. He only had basic permissions and basic troop types right now. What was the point of dreaming about pyramids?
Let me see what the upgraded main city can do.
"Understood. One moment."
RXT Destroyer command interface Building: Steel Main City (Level 2) Function: Core of the legion; core component of the Titan vehicle Production: Basic Unit (50 kilograms of steel, 1 unit of energy); production can be doubled Armament: Six 60 mm energy autocannons for defense Unlocked facility: Research Institute
Cheng Yu nodded. Right, it had gained defensive autocannons, but not much else had changed. Still, he could now unlock the Research Institute.
What mattered most in a strategy game? Climbing the tech tree, of course.
Deploy the Research Institute.
Cheng Yu gave the order.
"Insufficient space."
The system replied.
Cheng Yu froze. The site he'd chosen was plenty big! He promptly ordered several hundred Basic Units to cut down the trees around the intended Research Institute site.
About an hour later, Cheng Yu asked,
"Is there enough space now?"
"Barely."
Cheng Yu nodded.
"Deploy the Research Institute."
"Holy shit! Holy shit! It's huge!" Cheng Yu exclaimed.
The Research Institute resembled a circular UFO, with a radius of almost one hundred meters. The entire facility occupied more than 31,400 square meters.
The system spoke up.
"The Third Calamity's greatest strength isn't its weapons, but its technology. If the main city is the legion's body, then the Research Institute is its soul."
Cheng Yu nodded in agreement.
The system added,
"Also, now that the Research Institute has been deployed, we only have fifty thousand tonnes of steel left."
Cheng Yu's mouth fell wide open. (￣口￣)
He hurriedly said,
"Didn't I exchange for over five hundred and ninety thousand tonnes of steel?"
The system replied,
"The Research Institute alone used over four hundred thousand tonnes of steel."
"Uh, fine. I'll go inside and see whether this Research Institute is worth all that money."
Once inside, Cheng Yu felt like a country bumpkin wandering through a palace. The lower, disk-shaped level housed technology for computer calculations and information repositories. The hemisphere on top, several times smaller, was the actual cutting-edge research center that required scientific personnel.
Here, he saw designs and proposed improvements for the other weapon series.
After coming out, Cheng Yu shook his head.
"Damn, you really do get what you pay for. Fair enough."
Cheng Yu spoke to the system inwardly.
We're changing the orders, System.
"I know. Would you like me to recommend a plan?" (oﾟωﾟo)
Cheng Yu paused, then said,
Go ahead.
"Produce five thousand Purger Model 0-1 Series units and ten thousand Basic Units, then deploy factories for the other models."
Cheng Yu froze.
Did you read my mind? How else would you know what I was thinking? (￢‸￢)?
"Hehe, take a guess." (oﾟωﾟo)
Cheng Yu ignored it. Right, time to deploy the Model 0-2 Factory.
The Model 0-2 Factory looked very similar to the Model 0-1 Factory, but there were differences. The Model 0-2 Factory had several additional cylindrical iron pillars with patterns on them.
Once it was deployed, Cheng Yu said inwardly,
System, come online.
"Got it. Take a look for yourself.
RXZ Destroyer command interface Building: Model 0-2 Factory Production: Purger Series 0-2 Series (300 kilograms of steel, 1 energy unit\5 days, 10 energy units) Not yet unlocked: Guardian Series, Defender series, Raider series, Assault series, Destroyer series, Infiltrator series...
"Huh?" Cheng Yu frowned.
Why is there another 10 energy units listed after this series?
"Why not produce one and find out?" ┐(─__─)┌
Cheng Yu had originally thought the Purifier 0-2 would be much like the Model 0-1.
Who knew they would look like this? Their upper bodies were much like a human's, except they had no heads. Their torsos had six mechanical arms, with eight small round holes in each of the four upper and lower arms. Each of the two middle arms had a dark, hollow opening.
Their lower bodies were much like the Model 0-1's, except they only had two bladed legs. Those blades reached eighty centimeters in length, and there was no longer a drill at the tail.
System, aren't you going to give me an introduction? →_→
"Ahem, allow me to formally introduce this series' main source of planetary ground firepower. I'll skip the rest. See those six mechanical arms? The four upper and lower arms have thirty-two gun barrels in total, capable of firing 320 Thermal Ray Projectiles in one second. The two middle arms can fire a Thermal Cannon once every five seconds, with an effective kill radius of up to six meters."
"As for those 10 energy units, that's what it takes to fully replenish a Purifier 0-2 after it goes all-out with its firepower. At full output, a Model 0-2 can fire 6,400 Thermal Ray Projectiles and ten Thermal Cannon shots."
With an odd expression, Cheng Yu asked,
Is this 0-2 a burst-damage model?
"No. Once you unlock the Model 0-3, it'll be capable of sustained combat. I can tell you this: the Purger series' Models 0-1, 0-3, and 0-4 all exist to support the Model 0-2. If you don't believe me, try out its firepower." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu pointed at a rock and told the Model 0-2,
"Fire one Thermal Ray Projectile."
The Model 0-2 raised one of its upper arms and fired a Thermal Ray Projectile at the rock ahead.
A white speck of light flashed past.
After a sharp hiss, Cheng Yu walked over to the rock.
There was a finger-width hole in it, and the surrounding stone had begun to melt.
Once the rock had cooled enough, Cheng Yu took a thin twig and probed the hole. He pulled it out and checked the length. The hole was about forty centimeters deep.
He returned to the Model 0-2, pointed at the rock again, and said,
"This time, fire a Thermal Cannon."
Whoosh-boom!
A ball of white light the size of an adult's fist slammed straight into the rock.
Cheng Yu went over to look. Nothing remained but a pool of lava five meters across, surrounded by scorched ground.
Cheng Yu clicked his tongue in amazement and thought to himself,
These are just two models from the Purger series. What would it look like once I had all the other series produced?
At that moment, Cheng Yu felt that steamrolling the world might no longer be all that difficult.
Something called ambition sprouted in his heart. After all, the words "conquer the world" were far too tempting for any man.
Before you continue