Capítulo 133: Preparations Before Leaving
You have created an exoskeleton mechanical device. Experience points: +300. Additional experience points: +300.]
[You have upgraded. Your level has reached fifty-four.]
[You have created Sun's Ode, a Gold-level Beehive, a Powerful Recovery Potion, and a large amount of Alchemical Poison. Experience points: +50,000. Skill points: +1. Additional experience points: +50,000.]
Bai Yi surveyed the laboratory, filled with exoskeleton mechanical devices, and let out a long sigh of relief.
In thirty days, he had produced only two thousand sets of exoskeleton devices. The rest would have to wait; it was too much for one person to equip ten thousand individuals. Moreover, the experience points gained from manufacturing had diminished due to the sheer volume of similar equipment.
This didn't surprise him. He had researched it. The experience points he'd received were enhanced by the training of his magical power. Without the panel, he would still gain experience from crafting, even if it wasn't displayed.
The panel's plug-in for the boss template was substantial. Unlike players, NPCs didn't give him the impression that this was merely a game. There was a genuine sense of accomplishment in leveling up.
[Contact the Armament Department and ask them to move the exoskeleton machines and report the changes over the past month.]
Zero: [Message sent. Please wait for the report.]
The retreat against the White Plague had been prolonged, requiring over sixty pieces of gold-level exoskeleton equipment daily—a demanding pace that left him needing rest.
If he continued at this rate, it would take half a year to equip everyone. He had a premonition that the impending battle against the evil spirit in Nanling City could not be delayed. Thus, he planned to head there first and return afterward. If necessary, he could expand the Transformation Legion to include another two thousand members, limiting the Mechanical Legion to two thousand.
[Changes in Tobu Castle.]
Wonders have arrived. The Ministry of Finance has requisitioned their work. On average, 70,000 wonders are operating in Dongwu City, rapidly filling the expansive outer city. Their few comments suggest they have received a large-scale construction task from a certain force.
At the auction a year ago, Mr. Sabo's products, including critical potions and absolute filth, faced after-sales issues. Those who consumed the critical potions experienced glowing heads and strange soul sounds, which affected others' moods. This side effect can only be resolved by a mid-level gold mage. Exhausted from lack of support, the affected individuals protested in vain.
The number of successfully transformed flesh-and-blood legions has surpassed 3,000, with a failure rate of only 1%. Death compensation has been disbursed, slightly damaging your reputation, but the powerful effects of the transformation have not sparked widespread discussion.
The construction of the inner city is nearing completion, with wealthy businessmen and residents eagerly building their homes. Dongwu City is experiencing unprecedented prosperity.
Plans are underway to build 40 schools, contracted to builders, which are expected to be completed by next spring.
Dongwu City has more than 4 million poor individuals and nearly 2 million extraordinary people, officially becoming the most populous city in Dawn. The combat strength of the legion has also become the strongest due to the transformations.
Mr. Sabo has ordered 200 launch silos from the Timon family, currently being installed with professional assistance and expected to be operational by next spring.
Summary: On January 1, 1538, of the Dawn Calendar, Tobu City will stabilize and become the leading city in economy, population, potential, military, and education—excluding the top-tier powerhouses.
Bai Yi marveled at this development. In just ten months since Sabo took charge, he had transformed a mediocre city into a top-tier one. While this had some impact on the economies of surrounding cities, it was a historic achievement—no one had surpassed Sabo's progress in the 1538 years since Dawn's founding.
Beep beep.
"Boss, some people from the Armaments Department are here, saying it's by your order."
Bai Yi snapped back to reality as a worker bee flew out, and the mechanical door opened, allowing soldiers to march in.
"Move all of these to the Transformation Corps. Have the Transformers finish the current transformations and wait. Also, have the Armaments Department transfer all the transformed weapons over there. I'll show you how to transform these items."
"Yes, sir." The soldiers quickly began moving the equipment. Bai Yi had five space rings, each holding 100 cubic meters, but aside from his frequently used one, the others were full, with a thousand exoskeleton devices still left.
Even when inactive, these devices were bulky, and the soldiers handled them with care.
Once everything was moved, Bai Yi exited the laboratory. Outside, he saw Irene and Luo Ning sharing a stall, with queues of people waiting for treatments or fortune-telling.
Both had slightly leveled up from their continuous work, enhancing their experience, magical power, and mental strength.
Not wanting to disturb them, Bai Yi made his way toward the outer city.
A few tiny raindrops began to fall from the sky, prompting some vendors to open their large umbrellas. The cool, slightly damp air was refreshing for the extraordinary individuals around.
Bai Yi checked the time; it was already late October. With a few more rains, winter would soon arrive. A year had passed swiftly.
He hailed a taxi and drove to the transformation site.
The Wucheng Army was stationed near the entrances of the four city gates, with the Storm Legion by the east gate, the Apocalypse Legion in the inner city, and the Transformation Legion positioned near the inner city's west wall. This legion primarily provided support and acted as a vanguard, necessary closer to the inner city for protection.
After about twenty minutes, Bai Yi arrived at the transformed military camp. He placed a gold coin on the passenger seat, exited the vehicle, and walked in.
In the past twenty minutes, five transformations had been completed, with no failures—fortunate, considering the previous thirty soldiers had struggled due to the inexperience of the five alchemists. However, with AI assistance, their mistakes had diminished.
While failures were unavoidable, the goal of keeping the failure rate below 1% was now achievable.
Outside the transformation room, one thousand exoskeleton machines were lined up, guarded by transformed soldiers.
Bai Yi entered the transformation room and noted the increased number of transformers. Among the five hundred alchemists, only one hundred were specialized in transformations. This selection was likely intentional by the Armament Department. Among the seventy-two new arrivals, there were two silver-level transformation engineers, with the rest at least mid-bronze level.
Bai Yi approached the two silver transformation masters. "Have you prepared the equipment you've received?"
They nodded, admiration evident in their eyes. The other engineers also showcased scanners, mobile devices, and advanced mechanical headsets.
Bai Yi instructed, "Take everything with you. An AI clone will integrate with your equipment shortly. From now on, any silver-level engineer can complete transformations independently."
"Those below silver level who haven't advanced in six months will be removed from the reform team. Rad will oversee this."
"Yes, Lord Mayor," Rad responded respectfully.
Bai Yi then turned to a human of upper bronze level and gestured for him to step forward. Excitement shone in the man's eyes as he eagerly approached the test bench.
"I've only produced two thousand exoskeleton devices. The Mechanical Legion will tentatively consist of two thousand transformed soldiers. Others can wait a bit longer, or opt for flesh-and-blood transformations," Bai Yi explained, addressing the Magath brothers assisting him.
"The most challenging transformation is the exoskeleton or direct mechanization of flesh and blood. I chose the exoskeleton due to its simpler installation and lower technical requirements."
Bai Yi assessed the human's strength.
Bang!
The man's excitement faltered as he lost consciousness.
"This transformation requires connecting the exoskeleton to his nervous system and bones. The rest involves equipping weapons into the mechanical device."
Bai Yi retrieved a black cube, about thirty centimeters in size, and cut into the man's back with a scalpel, exposing the spine. Blood spilled forth, filling the air with its metallic scent.
Bai Yi and the alchemists remained unfazed; transformation was inherently a bloody process.
He activated the exoskeleton mechanism, causing a steel skeleton to envelop the man's body. Gradually, it formed a protective layer, resembling sleek armor.
Bai Yi extended his mental power, connecting the fine wires of the exoskeleton to the man's brain. As the device integrated seamlessly, it aligned perfectly with the human skeleton.
He sprinkled recovery potion over the area, allowing the soldier's flesh to heal rapidly around the connections, merging them so effectively that awakening would only feel peculiar, not painful.
"The key to this transformation lies in the nervous system connections, requiring precise control of mental and magical power. Typically, any silver-level transformer can manage this."
Just then, the Armament Department sent in additional equipment.
Bai Yi used his mental power to rouse the human, who began to arm himself while still bloodied and disoriented.
He first attached the left-hand Gatling gun. As the soldier gripped the specialized handle, the exoskeleton seamlessly integrated with his arm.
A belt of bullets, capable of holding up to 50,000 armor-piercing rounds, wrapped around his waist. This ammunition would sustain one soldier for about twenty minutes of combat.
With the White Plague enhancing firing rate but focusing on power, one bullet could potentially eliminate an upper-bronze opponent, while multiple rounds might breach even a silver-level mage's defenses.
This was the Gatling gun's limit, but its rate of forty-one rounds per second was impressive compared to standard firearms.
In his right hand, the soldier received a newly developed sniper rifle—less powerful than the Barrett but still a silver-level weapon with a slight threat to gold-tier foes.
Additionally, he was outfitted with a small missile launcher on his back, a grenade launcher on his shoulder, thrusters at his rear, and a laser weapon atop his head, transforming him into a walking artillery platform.
"Is everyone clear on the standard configurations?" Bai Yi asked. He mentally commanded: [Synchronize the transformation process just now to all AI clones.]
Zero: [All connected. Syncing now.]
"No questions, it's a clear transformation," Rad replied promptly. This was significantly simpler than flesh-and-blood transformations. If he could produce the exoskeleton device, he could carry out these transformations with ease.
"Excellent. Your AIs are synced. You can handle the remaining transformations independently, prioritizing mechanical modifications. For flesh-and-blood transformations, focus on strength-based races."
With that, Bai Yi exited the room.
While mechanical and flesh-and-blood modifications were not entirely incompatible, combining them posed challenges. Achieving compatibility required modifying machinery within biological structures and carried a high risk of rejection.
The core of mechanical transformation relied on machinery, maintaining consistent force and speed. Exceeding these limits could lead to mechanical failure, paralyzing the exoskeleton.
Thus, the most effective approach was to select the weakest soldiers for mechanical transformations.
Historically, races like orcs and dwarves boasted superior physical combat capabilities compared to humans of equivalent levels. The mages were organized into separate corps, and divine magicians were scarce in Dawn. The Alchemist Corps focused on logistics, while the Armament Department managed equipment.
Consequently, the reformed legion comprised 60% warriors and 40% assassins, with no magical professions represented.
The rain intensified as Bai Yi observed the darkening sky. Ignoring the curious glances from players, he climbed into the Legion's vehicle and returned to the pharmacy.
Once inside the laboratory, he prepared for his journey to Nanling City.
When he emerged again, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. The shop was empty, and it was time to close.
Irene and Luo Ning were primarily exercising their skills rather than engaging in serious work, needing their masters' guidance in the morning and evening.
"Boss," Luo Ning called out hesitantly.
Irene, exhausted, rested her head on her arms, gazing at Bai Yi with weary eyes, her pointed ears drooping.
Bai Yi, noting Irene's condition, gently asked, "What's wrong?"
"Boss, are you going on a long journey?" Luo Ning inquired, concern evident in her voice. She sensed that this journey might not be smooth and was reluctant to see him go.
"Yeah, is there an issue?" Bai Yi replied, puzzled.
"Um..."
Buzz
A powerful surge of energy suddenly erupted into the sky, overwhelming all of Dongwu City.
Luo Ning's eyes widened. "Boss, someone wants to cause trouble for you!"
Estado de energía semanal
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