Looking at his remaining army, Cheng Yu felt a little sentimental. He had become the leader of a faction so quickly. Not bad. Keep it up.
As for that gorilla, the Conductor said it had run away when the Beast Lord appeared. In the end, these cold machines were more dependable.
Once he was done reflecting, Cheng Yu looked at the achievement before him and opened the system panel.
Congratulations to the host for earning an achievement. Ruler of the Monster Forest (Bronze, three stars): You have successfully conquered the Monster Forest. Even the Beast Lord died under your firepower. You have taken your first step toward steamrolling the world. Congratulations, congratulations!
Cheng Yu then spoke inwardly.
Convert it into currency.
Host: Cheng Yu (Black Iron, three stars) Ability: Heart-Bewitching Spell (Black Iron, three stars) Equipped title: The Kid Watched by the Big Shot (Epic) Title: The Kid Watched by the Big Shot (Epic). Ability effects: ... (click to expand) Equipment: None Achievements: None Currency: 680,000 Items held: Carbon-Based Virus (Black Iron, two stars), Big Shot's Aura (Epic) ×5 Evaluation: You now barely qualify as a scrub. Although you relied on outside help, Black Iron is still Black Iron (lol). Keep working hard.
Cheng Yu nodded slightly. Not bad-it had added sixty thousand to his currency. He would save it for now. The Infinite Technique and Mad Song were still waiting for him.
Then the Conductor came to his room to report.
"Reporting, Commander. I have compiled our casualties from this battle and the resources we surveyed. I have already sent you the report."
Cheng Yu nodded, and the system automatically opened the report.
Legion battle statistics Basic Units: 28,196 units remaining, 1,814 units lost Purifier 0-1: 57,235 units remaining, 22,765 units lost Purifier 0-2: 27,353 units remaining, 2,647 units lost Purger 0-3: 4,916 units remaining, 84 units lost
Cheng Yu froze. He had not expected the 0-3 series to have lost only eighty-four units.
The next report displayed the following.
Total surveyed mineral energy resources: 56,120,000 units Total surveyed iron and steel resources: 11,980,000 tonnes
Cheng Yu's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said,
"Come on, let's keep climbing the tech tree."
Upon arriving at the Research Institute, Cheng Yu said,
"Upgrade to level-three technology."
"No can do, dear. Please upgrade your main city first." 乁( ˙ ω˙乁)
Cheng Yu's face darkened.
Then why didn't you tell me earlier?
"Hehe." (oﾟωﾟo)
Cheng Yu shook his head. This bootlicker did not pull this crap when it came to serious business, but normally, it loved acting up. Things had been better when he could scare it with the Big Shot. Ever since the Big Shot seemed ready to take it seriously last time, he could no longer use that threat so casually.
Whatever. Having another goofball around to shoot the breeze with isn't so bad.
Arriving at the main city, he said softly, "Upgrade the main city."
RXT Destroyer command interface Building: Steel Main City (level three) Function: The legion's core; a core component of the Titan mount Production: Basic Unit (50 kilograms of steel, 1 energy unit); production can be doubled Configuration: Six defensive 60 mm energy autocannons, defensive energy shield Unlocked facilities: Resource Converter, Satellite Launchpad
Sure enough, another level grew beneath it. Huh? Looking at the two newly unlocked facilities, Cheng Yu asked,
System, the usual.
"The Resource Converter: unit types and buildings have increasingly demanding special requirements, and the materials they need are becoming more varied. This thing solves your need for other metal resources. As for the Satellite Launchpad, I won't bother explaining. You already know."
Cheng Yu understood, then deployed the Resource Converter. It was roughly rectangular, with a large opening on each of its two broad faces. Presumably, one was the entrance and the other the exit.
After a moment's thought, Cheng Yu picked up a steel ingot smelted by a Basic Unit and tossed it in. A screen on the machine flashed with images of various metals. Cheng Yu casually selected a golden metal, and a little while later, a gold ingot emerged from the other end, only three-quarters the size of the original steel ingot.
Cheng Yu thought it looked like gold, and the system popped up to answer.
"Stop guessing. It is gold."
Cheng Yu raised an eyebrow, then tossed the gold into his System Space.
Next, he deployed the Satellite Launchpad. After a glance, Cheng Yu felt it looked much like the ones he had seen on television before transmigrating, so he did not test it. He knew perfectly well what it did. From now on, he could have a comprehensive map.
Then he went to the Research Institute.
"Upgrade to level-three technology."
A short while later, Cheng Yu asked, "Well? Any new features?"
The system said,
"I think you'd be better off looking at the panel."
Cheng Yu spread his hands and said,
"Then let me see it."
Facility: Research Institute (technology level three) Function: Research technology (currently no use) Production: Wise Unit Z Series Unlocked facilities: Model 0-4 Factory, Model 0-5 Factory, Short-Range Space Jump Gate, Omni-Type Energy Architecture Machine
"Holy shit! A Spatial Jump Gate? Isn't that some seriously advanced tech?"
The system replied,
"It really is that advanced. Once the Research Institute reaches technology level three, planetary warfare has pretty much entered its late stage, so naturally, every aspect has to be considered. But don't expect another upgrade anytime soon." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu nodded in understanding, then deployed the Model 0-4 Factory and Model 0-5 Factory first.
Looking at the two new factories before him, the overall style remained unchanged. The Model 0-4 Factory had noticeably thicker pillars than the 0-3 factory. The difference with the 0-5 was much more obvious: it looked like a 0-1 factory with a pair of mechanical wings added over its exit.
Cheng Yu opened the interface, which displayed the following.
RXZ Destroyer command interface Building: Model 0-4 Factory Production: Purger series, Model 0-4 (50 tonnes of tungsten-steel alloy [200 tonnes of steel], 20 energy units/day, 10 tonnes of tungsten-steel alloy) Not yet unlocked: Guardian Series, Defender series, Raider series, Assault series, Destroyer series, Infiltrator series...
Seeing that the 0-4 series required two hundred tonnes of steel, Cheng Yu gave the order with anticipation.
"Produce one Purger Model 0-4."
An hour passed.
Looking at the enormous twenty-meter-tall machine before him, Cheng Yu could only marvel.
The lower body of the Purger 0-4 resembled a rhinoceros, with four metal legs two meters thick and moving metal structures resembling treads at the front.
Its upper body resembled a human's. Two of its hands were shaped like huge curved blades with very sharp tips, their shape closer to the blade of a scythe. A row of small holes ran along each blade. Rather than sharp, Cheng Yu would have described the pair as heavy and massive.
Of its other two hands, one resembled a cannon barrel. The other? A five-meter-long drill.
The system volunteered an explanation.
"As you can see, the Purger Model 0-4 is a siege-class multipurpose weapon. Its lower body was designed to provide additional mobility and adapt to multiple types of terrain.
"Those eight-meter curved blades were designed for breaching fortifications and combating large creatures. During a siege, they can be used as hammers. Their pointed tips were designed to stab into large creatures.
"The small holes along the blades discharge three different streams depending on the opponent: molten streams, freezing particle streams, and high-energy electron streams-in other words, nuclear radiation.
"The cannon-shaped arm has a diameter of 1,800 millimeters. After charging for thirty seconds, it can fire a tungsten-alloy shell weighing 500 kilograms. The 0-4 can carry twenty tungsten-alloy warheads. I won't explain the drill-shaped arm. You can see what it does.
"Its eyes and mouth also fire laser beams with the same properties as the three streams it can discharge, although the mouth fires them in the form of a combined cannon blast."
"As I said, the 0-4 also supports the 0-2. Depending on the enemy, the 0-4 can establish an interference network within a five-hundred-meter radius, allowing the 0-2 units inside it to change the nature of their firepower."
Looking at the machine before him, Cheng Yu sighed in wonder.
"I wonder who'll become the first victim of this guy's anti-large-creature capabilities."
There was no helping it. The design was simply too brutal. An eight-meter blade stabbing into your body was not even the end of it-it would spray molten streams and barbecue you from the inside. Or turn your insides into a refrigerator?
Or it could just fire a five-hundred-kilogram solid tungsten-alloy shell straight at the target. Damn.
Next, Cheng Yu deployed the Model 0-5 Factory and opened its interface.
RXZ Destroyer command interface Building: Model 0-5 Factory Production: Purger series, Model 0-5 (1,000 tonnes of tungsten-steel alloy [4,000 tonnes of steel], 300 energy units/day, 300 tonnes of steel) Not yet unlocked: Guardian Series, Defender series, Raider series, Assault series, Destroyer series, Infiltrator series...
Cheng Yu rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Four thousand tonnes of steel? And another three hundred tonnes of steel consumed? You're sure you're not messing with me?
Cheng Yu immediately gave the order.
"Manufacture one Purger 0-5."
The system popped up and said,
"Sorry, dear. If you want to manufacture a Purger 0-5 in a short time, you'll need three Model 0-5 Factories. You've seen the resource consumption and workload." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Cheng Yu gritted his teeth and deployed three more Model 0-5 Factories.
At last, Cheng Yu finally saw the 0-5 model, and he had to admit that this thing deserved its enormous steel cost.
It resembled a bat with its wings spread, ninety meters long with a staggering two-hundred-meter wingspan, its entire body pitch-black.
"The Purger Model 0-5 is our only aerospace combat unit. Its wings can launch three hundred Shuttle Fighters. Each Shuttle Fighter can fire a piercing beam from one end and an explosive beam from the other.
"It can also reach outer space and carry out suicide bombardments against the surface with its Shuttle Fighters, or annihilate targets with an air-to-ground rain of lasers.
"It comes equipped with an Overclocked Organic Sonic Destruction Device and an energy barrier. It is the aerial overlord of the Purger series in planetary warfare."
Cheng Yu felt that ever since he had begun unlocking more unit types, his tongue had never stopped wagging. He could not help it. What did professionalism look like? This was professionalism. They said they targeted organic life, and every aspect of their design did exactly that.
After marveling at the 0-5, Cheng Yu ordered the deployment of the Omni-Type Energy Architecture Machine.
The system spoke up.
"Deployment here is not recommended."
Cheng Yu asked,
Why?
The system replied,
"The Omni-Type Energy Architecture Machine does exactly what its name suggests: it can convert any energy source into energy. But inside a planet, I recommend deploying it within a suitable magnetic field to obtain a stable energy source."
Understanding dawned on Cheng Yu, and he asked, Then is there a suitable magnetic field within our current territory?
"There is. Let's go. I've already marked the location."
Arriving at a tall mountain in the Monster Forest, Cheng Yu asked, Right here?
"Yes, right here. By my estimates, this location can provide us with around three hundred thousand energy units per day in total."
Cheng Yu nodded, then began deploying the Omni-Type Energy Architecture Machine. It had a huge base topped by two parallel metal pillars over ten meters tall.
Green and blue luminous mist swirled between the two metal pillars.
Cheng Yu kept marveling.
"Advanced tech. Absolutely insane tech. I really can't figure out how a pile of metal can produce something like this."
The system said,
"Why do you think even the Big Shot praised them as a super mechanical civilization?" ( ¬､¬)
Cheng Yu's face darkened.
Can't I marvel a little? (╬￣皿￣)
"No, I just wanted to make fun of you." (oﾟωﾟo)
Motherfucker! Come out! Get out here and fight me! (╬￣皿￣)凸
"All right, all right. Come on, I'll show you the main attraction this time."
Looking at four metal rods, each two meters long, Cheng Yu asked in confusion,
"This is your main attraction?"
The system replied,
"That's right. This is the Short-Range Space Jump Gate. Stick two of those metal rods into the ground, and a space-jump area will form between them, linking with the two rods at another location to enable spatial jumps."
"However, spatial transport has two restrictions. First, the traveler must belong to the legion. Second, after placing two metal rods at one end, the difference in spacing between those rods and the pair at the other end must remain within 0.1 millimeters."
Cheng Yu nodded. It truly deserved to be the main attraction. Distance would no longer hinder his large-scale legion operations. It was about time to begin conquering this world.
Before you continue