Chapter 910: [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering]

Chapter 910 [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering]

The metal bulkheads of the vessel were riddled with scratches and pits, exposed energy conduits sparking intermittently as they had been torn open. The ship’s interior bore the scars of a brutal engagement—flames licked the walls, and the deck was littered with the shattered remains of its crew.

A squad of interstellar warriors clad in full-body armor moved through the wreckage, rifles in hand, checking the corpses for survivors before putting them down with cold efficiency.

The fallen were Rock Sprites, an ancient mammalian race with tawny, coarse skin and an average height of three meters. Their thick fur bristled with strength, their bodies as hard as stone despite their flesh-and-blood nature. Masters of rare mineral and metal detection, they belonged to the powerful civilization known as the Star Spirit Sea. Yet these soldiers bore the insignia of their homeland, marking them as official forces of the Star Spirit Sea’s government—now annihilated in full.

At the ship’s far end loomed a massive metallic storage door, its interior stacked with rows of Evolution Totems. A figure, likely the raid leader, stood before the sealed door, deploying a circular device designed to bypass security locks onto the control panel. A high-pitched *beep-beep* echoed through the chamber.

*Whirr.* In an instant, the storage door exploded open with a thunderous groan, its locks disengaging as it swung wide.

The raid leader strode inside, taking in the sight of hundreds of neatly arranged Totems.

“The goods are in hand. Let’s inventory them and move them back to our ship,” he said, nodding approvingly before signaling his subordinates to begin loading.

The Rock Sprites had procured these Totems from the Black Star Legion, and word of the transaction had leaked. The raiders had lain in wait, targeting the shipment. The escort fleet protecting the convoy had been wiped out—teams bold enough to ambush a Star Spirit Sea task force were no minor players.

These raiders were interstellar mercenaries, but their methods differed from the norm. Mercenaries typically fell into three categories: registered professionals under the Mercenary Alliance, such as the Black Star Legion; unregistered freelancers operating without licenses; and the most nefarious of all—black-market contractors who took illicit jobs.

“Black jobs” referred to crimes violating interstellar law: piracy, kidnapping, assassination of officials, planetary extermination, espionage, and even inciting wars. These mercenaries were criminals themselves, and most in their line of work were already fugitives.

The raiders in question were black-market operatives, and their organization was among the largest in the universe: the Blood Gold Syndicate.

A cross-galaxy enterprise, the Syndicate operated primarily in the Star Spirit Sea, the Ancient Wastes, and the Old Galaxy. Their bases and ships were shrouded in secrecy, their operations conducted with quiet precision. Though their exact scale remained unknown, their reach across three star domains marked them as a colossal force—and one of the highest echelons of the interstellar black market.

Wherever trade restrictions arose, so too did black markets, growing into vast networks. These markets stratified by scope: planetary, galactic, or stellar. The highest tier, the Interstellar Black Market, claimed jurisdiction over nearly all domains, its name so innocuous that the uninformed might mistake it for a mere term.

Not all black-market groups answered to this apex organization, just as minor thugs unaware of the giants mingling in international society might never realize the scale of their rivals.

The Interstellar Black Market was immense, its operations spanning the cosmos. Civilizations seeking technologies barred by elite factions found desperate means to acquire them, turning a blind eye to the market’s existence or even offering protection. It also served as a clandestine meeting ground for criminals, a vast underworld.

Not all criminals existed to sow chaos; many sought profit, requiring order and reputation. Thus, the Interstellar Black Market’s leadership emerged—forged from mercenaries, intelligence networks, smugglers, and manufacturers of contraband. The Blood Gold Syndicate was among these rulers, a titanic predator ruling the shadows.

The Fallen Ark was not a market leader. Its members, though criminal, adhered to a code of order, clashing with the chaotic evil of other factions. After the Ark’s collapse, the Blood Gold Syndicate absorbed countless fugitives, offering them new purpose.

A subordinate approached the leader, watching his men haul the Totems aboard. A grin spread across his face.

“The Evolution Totems are fetching a fortune on the black market. I’ve heard many civilizations are secretly purchasing them. If we sell this batch, we could make a killing.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. This is our job—deliver the goods. If you steal from the shipment, you’re signing your own death warrant,” the leader replied, shaking his head.

Over the past year and a half, the Evolution Totem trade had stabilized. Some civilizations allied with the radiant and spectral factions had no choice but to resort to underhanded means, while major interstellar conglomerates, having watched for so long, had finally begun acting.

No one forgot the Black Star Legion’s track record—their heists were too difficult to replicate. These powers, seeking easier gains, had turned their sights on the convoys transporting the Totems, watching every shipment with hungry intent.

Such actions violated the Galactic Code, prompting black-market mercenaries like the Blood Gold Syndicate to intervene. Now, Evolution Totems were unsellable on the black market, their value soaring beyond reach. The raiders had seized the Rock Sprites’ cargo, destroyed their ships, and vanished into the void.

Similar scenes had played out across the cosmos in recent months.

…

The shattered rings of a dying star, the Black Star Legion’s headquarters.

“Another client for Evolution Totems ambushed on the way?”

In the Legion’s command office, Han Xiao shut down his gaming forum and fixed his gaze on Wei Ya’s holographic projection. His brow furrowed.

“Yes. Thirteen Star System civilizations have been robbed so far, thousands of Totems now scattered across the black market.”

“Where did these attacks occur?”

“The Star Spirit Sea. The perpetrators’ identities remain unknown, though initial analysis suggests they’re linked to the same force behind previous heists.”

Han Xiao rubbed his jaw. “Keep an eye on the black market. If the Totems don’t resurface there within a while, it was the black-market mercenaries—they’ll have sold them to their clients.”

“Sir, should we take action?”

“Not my responsibility. If they didn’t protect their purchase, that’s their problem. Unless they hired my Mechanical Division, in which case…” He waved dismissively. “What do the Rock Sprites want?”

“They’re asking for another shipment.”

“Another shipment? They’re supposed to be buying, not demanding!”

“They claim they know the Totems are cheap to produce and don’t want to overpay, insisting we provide them again. You know how straightforward the Rock Sprites can be.” Wei Ya sighed, shrugging.

“Tell them I don’t offer insurance. If they want more, they’ll have to purchase it. Free replacements aren’t an option—it’s a matter of principle.”

Han Xiao shook his head. Granting such requests could open a Pandora’s box—civilizations might feign theft to demand compensation, and he refused to operate at a loss.

Still, such incidents were unavoidable. Some civilizations secretly colluded with rival factions, faking thefts to indirectly procure Totems from those unfriendly to the Empire.

Han Xiao, however, saw no issue. The more Totems stolen, the more he sold. A broader market meant greater reach—and even pressure relief. After all, Totems only functioned when charged, so his interests remained intact. The Empire bore the real burden, not him. As long as the Black Star Legion’s leadership wasn’t directly targeted, he could tolerate the chaos.

“Understood. I’ll inform them.”

Wei Ya deactivated the hologram.

Han Xiao exhaled, leaning back in his chair, lost in thought.

For a year and a half, the Black Star Legion had grown steadily, consolidating its operations and expanding its reach. His leadership style had matured, mirroring a craftsman’s dedication—his core remained focused on innovation, while his forces executed missions, accumulating rewards to fuel random task settlements, which in turn granted access to task resolution cards.

His experience had deepened. He allocated some upgrade blueprints and skill points to elevate his Ultimate Knowledge to Level 5, securing the fifth Ultimate Knowledge: *Ultimate Mechanical Engineering*.

This discipline enhanced manufacturing efficiency and production line power, unlocking countless combinable blueprints. It granted him the specialization *Ultimate Craftsman* and the skill *Inspiration Creation*.

*Ultimate Craftsman* was straightforward yet potent: manufactured constructs gained 25–30% better base stats and 300–500% faster production—ideal for mass-producing troops.

*Inspiration Creation*, however, was dormant. Its activation required *Ultimate Mechanical Engineering* to reach Level 5. When triggered, it allowed the random fusion of unlimited blueprint combinations into new, refined, or merged designs, with customizable traits like attack or defense focus. More reliable than freeform creation, it guaranteed marketable results.

The skill consumed vast experience. For players unable to alter blueprints independently, it was divine—yet for Han Xiao, who could refine them, its utility was limited. Still, it wasn’t useless. Crucially, it carried a slim chance to generate blueprints for Universe-tier mechanical constructs—the sole path for mechanics to forge golden-level equipment.

Han Xiao already possessed two Universe-tier artifacts. More was welcome, though generating such blueprints was no lottery. Unlike randomized blueprint gambling, there were no fixed combinations, and even identical pairings yielded unpredictable results.

In a past life, some players had luckily synthesized Universe-tier blueprints, but two problems plagued them: the combinations were never publicly shared, and even with the blueprint, no mechanic had actually produced golden-grade gear. The prerequisites were too stringent—below S-Rank, manufacturing was nearly impossible, and players couldn’t meet the requirements.

*Inspiration Creation* remained dormant in Han Xiao’s mind. First, he needed to max out *Ultimate Mechanical Engineering*, requiring too many potential points. Second, while he had the experience to attempt synthesizing Universe-tier blueprints, other areas lacked experience. He couldn’t afford to waste resources during the upcoming version update, needing to stockpile reserves. Without hitting the jackpot on Universe-tier blueprints, investing in the skill would be futile.

Over the past year and a half, the Great Northern War had stabilized, its outcome clear. The Pioneer Faction neared victory, though player attention had shifted to the upcoming Third Professional League.

Player numbers had surged, inflating the league’s popularity. Like the second season, it featured nine divisions, with schedules adjusted. Preliminary matches and qualifiers began six months prior, granting ample time for qualifiers and allowing more players to participate. This also ensured final roster selections and wildcard entries before the main event.

Han Xiao had watched qualifier videos on the forum earlier, marveling at some players’ antics, basking in today’s dose of comedic joy.

And during the official tournament, alongside the arena battles, team clashes, individual duels, and team survival matches, three new special combat formats were to be introduced.

The first was the flag-capture and point-control race, a massive chaotic brawl involving multiple teams where every player enjoyed infinite resurrections, with victory ultimately determined by accumulated points.

The second was the team dungeon race, where multiple squads entered the exact same instance, competing fiercely to complete the objectives set by the tournament organizers to secure points.

The third was the dungeon survival battle which, true to its name, was a grueling test of how long each side could endure (suffer) within the instance—a format players in his past life had colloquially dubbed the "bladder-bursting match."

The combat formats for this season's league had grown far richer, the organizers aiming to heighten both competitiveness and entertainment value by introducing two dungeon-based formats to draw in a larger crowd of PVE players.

The preseason matches meant for team conditioning had also been moved up; once the secondary leagues and qualifiers concluded, the regular season would immediately kick off the entire league, followed in swift succession by the divisional regular season, the international all-star match, the divisional finals, the international regular season, and the international grand finals, with the breaks between international and divisional play remaining just as punishingly brief as the previous season, keeping the schedule tightly packed.

The rules for this iteration of the league were also vastly more detailed than the past two terms, featuring a newly appended "Banned Items List" where, entirely to the expectation of Mechanic Great Han, the [Black Star Army Badge: Evolution] sat proudly at the very top!

The Army players themselves felt indifferent, as the badge was universally accessible to them all and thus nothing special in their eyes, yet the clubs from other star clusters breathed a massive sigh of relief—the piece of equipment was simply absurdly overpowered, and if every single player from the Shattered Star Ring had one, they might as well just forfeit on the spot!

Han Xiao, however, suspected the reason went beyond mere balance; it was highly likely that the post-mutation appearance was simply too bloody and hideous, liable to frighten the fragile onlookers and running entirely counter to the organizers' original intent of drawing in a broader audience...

Being ugly meant having no rights, a truth that reigned supreme after all.

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(This is yesterday's chapter, there is still another tonight)