Chapter 1 The Lingering Scent

The heavy metallic odor lingered in the room, the air still thick with the heat of high-temperature smelting.

Han Xiao was used to the smell. He retrieved the last piece of machinery from the rapid cooling tank, turned it into a compression orb, and placed it on the table.

A row of compression orbs, all containing the new generation of machinery, lined the alloy table before him.

The new generation of machinery, created using his Grade A Mechanic abilities, surpassed his Grade B equipment in technology, stats, function, and power. They replaced the old equipment and became his standard combat weapons.

The old equipment could no longer keep up with battles at the Calamity Grade level and had been relegated to the ranks of backup weapons, moving from the front line to the second line.

This time, Han Xiao had completely overhauled his equipment, the largest scale upgrade to date.

The original battle mode remained unchanged: a single-soldier style centered on mecha, combined with a Local Tyrant (rich player) krypton gold legion style. Han Xiao strengthened the mechanical weapons of this system.

*Tzz*—

A flash of electricity activated some of the compression orbs with *xi* energy. After a series of mechanical movements, thirty-six new-generation floating shuttles hovered and moved around Han Xiao.

The new-generation floating shuttle set, mechanical model [dt-03 Type Nano-Deformation Floating Guard], was named "The Watch Protocol."

Compared to the previous generation Halo Array, the Watch Protocol had many changes. First, the floating shuttle's shape changed from a spindle-shaped shuttle to a diamond-shaped shuttle with sharper edges. The color also changed from white to dark red, and the edge lines were made of Keel Alloy's brilliant gold.

In terms of functionality, the most significant change was the energy source. Each floating shuttle was equipped with an ultra-miniaturized plasma arc reactor, utilizing controllable cold nuclear fusion. The energy was abundant, the radioactivity was extremely low, the output power ceiling was high, and the power could be easily adjusted with extreme controllability. The equipment quality was deep purple.

Han Xiao now possessed high-end energy-related knowledge, [High-Energy Mastery] and [High-Energy Weaponization Application]. Before creating the new generation of machinery, he leveled up the blueprints of these machines to the max, earning some Potential Points. He spent 21 Potential Points, combined with his original reserves, to upgrade these two skills to Lv5 and Lv4, respectively.

Therefore, he already possessed excellent technology in the field of energy.

This time, strengthening the equipment and reforming the energy core was a major goal. Most of the machinery was converted to controllable nuclear fusion energy.

Nuclear fusion reactors also had different blueprints. The plasma arc reactor was one of Han Xiao's highest-level energy core blueprints. The technology could be summarized as energizing the interior to form a magnetic field, heating the plasma within, and promoting a nuclear fusion reaction. It was efficient, clean, and controllable.

The cutting-edge knowledge above high-end energy knowledge was the study of more powerful and unstable antimatter energy and psionic energy. Generally speaking, only star cluster-level civilizations possessed cutting-edge knowledge. Han Xiao could only obtain high-end knowledge at the moment.

Han Xiao had no intention of planning for cutting-edge knowledge in the short term. He had changed his class to Virtual Mechanic, and the Potential Point costs for armed and energy-based cutting-edge knowledge would triple. His current Potential Point reserve only had 2 points left.

With a slight flash of *xi* energy, Han Xiao manipulated the Watch Protocol, gradually testing each function.

First was the most basic artillery power. He had Phillip activate the weapon testing module in the mechanical modification room. An alloy wall rose from the ground.

*Hum*—

The golden edges of the floating shuttles surged with azure energy, and then the tips of the edges suddenly unfolded, turning into a circular caliber cannon muzzle. An azure laser shot out, easily penetrating the alloy wall and leaving a through hole.

"The penetrating power is very strong..."

Han Xiao nodded secretly. Although the panel introduced the weapon's attack power, it was always his habit to test it himself. Then he switched the power form and tested burst, assassination, control, and full power types in succession.

Because the energy was efficient and controllable, it possessed a variety of attack methods.

Han Xiao also tested the shield function of the Watch Protocol. Unlike the Halo Array's woven shields, the Watch Protocol could form a shield with a single floating shuttle, and the shield value was very high.

The most convenient feature of the Watch Protocol was its nano-deformation ability. They could combine with each other to become larger-caliber floating cannons or large shields, or they could become handheld giant cannons. Even in combat mode, the Watch Protocol could be nano-deformed and integrated into the Mad Ape Armor. Each floating shuttle's ultra-miniaturized plasma arc reactor could continuously power the mecha, making it widely applicable.

"As expected of a Grade A Mechanic's super-powered weapon."

Without the need for other machinery, Han Xiao believed that he could defeat Melos with this Watch Protocol alone.

Satisfied, he deactivated the floating shuttles and activated another pile of compression orbs.

This time, it was the mechanical giant hands that unfolded, with the energy core updated and all functions significantly improved.

The mechanical giant hand had always been a multi-functional piece of equipment, a type of exo-armor. It could slap, its fingertips or palms could release ion cannons, it could also turn into a compression orb hidden in the hands and feet, striking enemies and then unfolding to perform combo moves. It could also turn into an electromagnetic latch to control targets, or become various tools to change the terrain, or assist itself in creating giant machines. It was a versatile tool.

Han Xiao also added new functions to the mechanical giant hands. The mechanical giant hands could combine with each other to become a Tathagata Palm covering tens or even hundreds of meters.

They could also combine to become a flying vehicle. Although the Mad Ape had interstellar navigation functions, it was single-soldier equipment. The flying vehicle formed by the mechanical giant hands could carry a small team.

Speaking of flying vehicles, Han Xiao had also researched an important piece of machinery.

[Short-Range Warp Engine]!

This blueprint came from a combination of [Elementary Space Technology], [Advanced Detection Technology], [Advanced Application of Quantum Entanglement], and [Interstellar Navigation Technology].

Different from the large warp engines of interstellar spaceships, short-range warp engines were mainly used for single-soldier equipment or small flying vehicles.

Of course, although it was called short-range, this was only relative to large warp engines, not truly short.

Warp engines also had limitations, namely the long coordinate guidance time. The guidance time for short-range warp engines was 12 seconds, during which they could not move or be interrupted, otherwise the coordinates would deviate, and it would be very dangerous.

The minimum cooldown time was two minutes.

The Glorious Federation's microsecond warp technology in the Blacklight Stealth was very high-end, and Han Xiao could not achieve it yet.

Even so, this device was still very useful and could be used for large-scale strategic transfers or traveling.

Han Xiao had already added short-range warp engines to the Mad Ape and some flying vehicles, and the effect was great, equivalent to a mechanical version of Hextech Flash.

As for the burden brought by single-soldier warp, to Han Xiao, it wasn't even a tickle.

As a Void species, his spatial resistance was very high.

In addition to strengthening single-soldier equipment, the mechanical legion also underwent significant reforms.

First, the original four legion numbers were restored, numbered 001—[Beast Mech Guard], 002—[Assault Artillery Corps], 003—[G-1 Iron Legion], 101 elite unit—[Oathkeeper Guard]. At the same time, Han Xiao slightly increased the scale of these legions.

On this basis, Han Xiao added two new numbered legions.

Numbered 004—[G-2 Heavy Armored Iron Cavalry]!

This was a unit composed of six hundred heavy armored mechanical soldiers, with a giant physique, equipped with high-speed propulsion vehicles, charging like iron cavalry. They possessed extremely strong impact and could easily break through the formation of an army. These heavy armored iron cavalry mainly focused on close combat, equipped with high-heat cutting, high-speed drills, spiral saw blades, and other killing weapons, capable of stirring up a bloody storm.

Numbered 005—[Micro-Cube Troop]!

A special unit composed of one thousand five hundred miniature mechanical soldiers. This type of mechanical soldier was called the "Cube Robot," only about the size of a normal human palm, but small and perfectly formed, possessing very high single-soldier combat qualities. This small-sized unit could exert miraculous effects in certain occasions, which was also Han Xiao's original intention in creating this legion.

This unit also had another function. The Cube Robot's blueprint came from [Ultra-Nano Power] and also possessed nano-deformation functions. They could combine with each other to form larger mechanical soldiers. It could also be understood that each Cube Robot was a part of a large mechanical soldier, and these parts could move freely and recombine to form at the right time.

Currently, statistics showed that the scale of the mechanical legion had reached twenty thousand, and new mechanical soldiers were being produced in the workshop every day, and the number was still rising.

The extra mechanical soldiers were directly incorporated into legions with different numbers or used as backups.

In addition, the weapons of all mechanical soldiers were also updated, and close combat weapons added vibration converters, high-pressure cutting knives, and so on.

New long-range weapons included plasma cannons, thermomelt cannons, and radiation guns. This aspect of strengthening was also reflected in the turret stream. Han Xiao manufactured new types of turrets.

The ammunition and explosives were also reformed, adding vacuum oxygen extraction bombs, space distortion bombs, thermonuclear mines, small-yield nuclear grenades, orbital sniper bullets, and other new types of ammunition.

In addition to the original combat mode, Han Xiao also added two new tactics.

The first was a strong-control style of play.

Han Xiao fused a blueprint for electromagnetic superconductor microparticles, about the size of rice grains. He manufactured a lot of them and placed them in front of him, like a black sand pile.

The superconductor microparticles contained strong magnetism and could be controlled by electromagnetic *xi* energy.

This set of equipment was also known as the "Strong Adsorption Electromagnetic Swamp." When used, the superconductor microparticles were like a black torrent, carrying extremely strong electromagnetic force. Once they contacted the target, the superconductor microparticles would wrap around it and release a huge adsorption force, making it difficult for the target to move.

The longer the control time, the wider the coverage of the superconductor microparticles, the more difficult it was for the target to break free. Moreover, through the manipulation of *xi* energy, the Strong Adsorption Electromagnetic Swamp also had the function of shaping and could be transformed into various shapes. This weapon was like a swamp that actively captured targets, and also like a materialized magnetic field.

This was a powerful control equipment, lacking lethality. Han Xiao's inspiration came from Ash, and that guy's combat style of controlling carbon microparticles inspired him. The Strong Adsorption Electromagnetic Swamp also controlled microparticles and looked quite similar to Ash.

The second new combat mode was a very cheap tactic.

In his previous life, players called this playstyle a strategic support stream.

A few months ago, DarkStar attacked Aquamarine Star, using its main gun to strike him from outer space, which was strategic support.

The essence of this mode was to summon missiles to wash the ground, summon space-based weapons to strike, summon fleets to fire salvos... equivalent to an upgraded version of the firepower coverage stream.

In short, playing like a hooligan!

Legion flow crushed most mechanical systems streams, but only two streams were the most troublesome opponents of legion flow.

One was the virtual intrusion stream—which was the Virtual Mechanic that Han Xiao had changed his class to.

And the other was the strategic support stream.

Han Xiao put down all the compression orbs and looked to the other side of the modification room.

There stood a giant machine.

It was an orbital strike cannon!