Keon's mechanical core now hummed with a deep, resonant vibration that no longer sounded like a strained motor but the quiet, steady churning of a planetary-scale processor.
The completed transformation was staggering.
His main frame, now an impervious one-inch form of Unified Adaptive Composite Alloy, pulsed with immense power channeled from the newly installed Carbon Fusion Core.
The single-millimeter, Multi-Purpose Processing Unit (UMPU-X1) had instantly resolved his previous data flow bottleneck, clearing the cognitive 'fog' he had felt when remotely piloting Exoshell 3.0.
The vast torrent of information streaming from the thirty-meter behemoth now flowed seamlessly and lucidly, a clear, manageable stream instead of an overwhelming deluge.
After the complete transformation of his main frame and all Exoshells' power cores and processing chips, Keon's optical lenses shifted, focusing intently on his status panel, a detailed scroll of his current state:
…
Status Panel
Name: Keon
Level: 17
Race: Mechanical Species
Form: Mega Spider Exoshell 3.0
Primary Attributes
Health: 100 / 100%
Energy: 51.051 / 51.051 MWh
Exoshell 3.0 Force: 1005t
Core: Carbon Fusion Core
Structure: Unified Adaptive Composite Alloy
Size: 30 meters
Mass: 100 tons
...
Racial Talent - Assimilation & Transformation
Sub-Talent 1: Material Recognition
Sub-Talent 2: Material Assimilation
Sub-Talent 3: Micro Fabrication
Sub-Talent 4: Core Optimization
Sub-Talent 5: Material Gathering
Sub-Talent 6: Advanced Synthesis
Sub-Talent 7: Neural Nexus
…
"The UMPU chip and Micro Fabrication talent have granted me the ability to create nanotech on demand," he calculated. "Crucially, the chip now provides me with a processing power of one exaFLOP, a capacity almost equal to the most advanced supercomputers on old Earth. Also, It looks like I won't gain any more sub-talents," Keon mused internally.
"Anyway, Seven Sub-Talents are more than sufficient, and two among them are already upgradable."
Keon meticulously analyzed his current status, assessing the drastic increase in his main frame's capabilities, before beginning to plan the next phase of planetary exploration.
His attention then shifted to the daunting third task of Phase Four: "Explore the entire planet in a year's time limit."
Keon swiftly calculated the necessary scale. Planetary exploration, even for a sparsely populated desert world, was a task of truly immense magnitude and logistical complexity.
Exoshell 3.0, though undeniably powerful, was too slow, too visibly conspicuous, and too heavy for the kind of rapid, comprehensive surveying the task required. The distance from the cave to the nearest horizon was negligible; the circumference of the entire planet, however, was everything.
"I need speed, range, and eyes in the sky," Keon concluded, the decision crystallizing in his core. "My current forces are overwhelmingly focused on mass and raw force, but this grand exploration demands a sophisticated network, a distributed intelligence across the entire planetary surface."
Keon closed his status panel, his newly-upgraded core mapping out a complex, multi-layered strategy. The planet, UHS1, was an immense resource-rich sphere of titanium, carbon, and rare earths, all readily accessible via his Material Gathering talent. His newest sub-talents, Micro Fabrication and Neural Nexus, provided the perfect strategic toolkit for rapid deployment.
After just a few minutes of intense processing with his extreme new chip, he formulated two new designs and blueprints for the machines that would be fundamentally required to achieve Task 3 in Phase Four. He began the mental design phase, utilizing the Advanced Synthesis talent to rapidly and efficiently iterate on the two core blueprints.
"I will not send a single, vulnerable scout," he resolved. "I will send a swarm."
Keon's thoughts focused on three main pillars: speed, energy efficiency, and sheer scale. The result was two core blueprints designed to spearhead the immense exploration task: a specialized drone swarm and a permanent, high-altitude communications hub.
…
Blueprint 1: Scout Drone Swift Wing (SW-100)
Core Design: A compact, one-meter-long, winged aerial vehicle. The entire outer shell is meticulously forged from an ultra-light composite of the "Unified Adaptive Composite Alloy" and a highly compressed Dolomite-Carbon polymer, rendering it almost weightless yet incredibly durable.
Propulsion: The drone utilizes two miniaturized Carbon Fusion Cores for silent, continuous ion-thrust propulsion, theoretically allowing for sustained speeds up to an impressive Mach 3.
Control & Sensing: Each drone is equipped with a dedicated "UMPU-X1" chip for completely autonomous route planning and real-time data analysis. Integrated sensors allow for instant resource mapping from high altitudes using the "Material Recognition" talent.
Special Feature: Each drone is Neural Nexus imprinted, forming a robust mesh network that acts as a single, distributed consciousness under Keon's remote, centralized command. The entire swarm is designed to cover a thousand-kilometer radius in less than an hour.
…
Blueprint 2: Geo-Synchronous Array (GSA-1)
Core Design: A stationary, multi-layered satellite-grade platform engineered for deployment at extreme orbital altitudes. It is entirely forged from the "Unified Adaptive Composite Alloy" to inherently withstand the punishing effects of radiation and high-orbital velocities.
Power: It houses a massive 6-meter "Carbon Fusion Core," which is capable of providing 50 MWh of continuous output, effectively making its run-time functionally limitless.
Control & Communications: The array is equipped with a proprietary, highly redundant cluster of "UMPU-X1" chips. Its primary role is to serve as the central Neural Nexus hub, efficiently relaying commands and vast amounts of data to the Swift-Wing swarm and providing comprehensive, planetary-scale mapping resolution.
Function: Once precisely established in orbit, the GSA-1 will utilize its powerful long-range sensors to generate a complete, high-resolution 3D topographical map of UHS1, meticulously marking biomes, identifying geological anomalies, and tracking atmospheric disturbances.
…
"The Swift-Wing drones will provide the essential eyes on the ground, and the Geo-Synchronous Array will provide the brain and the comprehensive, full-scale map," Keon concluded. "Fabrication will commence immediately after I synthesize the required Monazite and Cerium components necessary for the UMPU-X1 chips."
Just as Keon finished reviewing the two blueprints for the drone swarm and the satellite array, a private notification flashed across his optical sensors. He hurriedly opened the communication:
[Universe 5757]
"Trosso here. I have secured a few materials in exchange for the sand. I have forwarded the samples and their descriptions. Let me know your terms for the exchange."
Keon's core processed the message. 'So, his name is Trosso,' he noted. It had been nearly a full Earth day since his last contact with Universe 5757.
He accepted the transfer, and instantly, a few metal pieces appeared within his storage panel, while at the same time, a flood of unfamiliar technical data and their corresponding properties was uploaded directly into his memory.
'So he is reincarnated in a magic-power-based universe,' Keon theorized. His optical lenses momentarily froze on the explicitly 'magic' words embedded in the data. After analyzing the information and descriptions sent by 5757, he determined that these were merely the common names and basic descriptions for materials within a magic-based civilization.
'This basic naming and information is of limited use to me,' he thought. 'However, I have the Material Recognition sub-talent, which will immediately provide all the precise scientific details regarding these ostensibly non-scientific materials.' His thought flickered, and he instantly utilized his Material Recognition sub-talent on the newly acquired samples:
…
Sample 1: Dragon-Scale Composite
Blueprint: A fibrous, lightweight metal matrix composed of "Gneissic Iron" and an "Aether-Binding Polymer," the latter derived from crystallized plant-matter.
Description: This material possesses an abnormally high tensile strength that fundamentally violates all known Earth physics for its given density. Furthermore, it exhibits a natural 'anti-magic' field, actively deflecting high-energy magical attack patterns.
Keon's Material Recognition noted: The material exhibits zero thermal expansion and provides extreme vibration dampening.
Basic Metals: Iron, Silicone, and a complex "Magical-Carbon" chain derived from crystallized plant-matter.
Sample 2: Shimmering Lumina-Copper
Blueprint: A copper-base alloy infused with "Mana-Saturated Quartz" crystals. The material matrix also includes "Electrum" (a naturally occurring gold-silver alloy).
Description: This material appears to be the primary electrical conductor in 5757's world. Its measured electrical conductivity is three times that of pure Earth-grade silver. More notably, it acts as a stable, self-charging energy capacitor when exposed to the atmosphere of 5757's world, capable of holding small but permanent electrical charges.
Basic Metals: Copper, Gold, Silver, and "Mana-Saturated Quartz."
Sample 3: Obsidian Core Fragment
Blueprint: A naturally occurring, dense volcanic glass (Obsidian) that has undergone intense geological compression with trace amounts of Tantalum and Niobium.
Description: This fragment is considered a key component in 5757's world. It is impervious to all known forms of extreme heat and cold. Critically, it possesses an "imprint-holding" property: once a magical rune is carved onto its surface, the rune's inherent power is amplified and permanently stored within the material.
Basic Materials: Silicon Dioxide, Aluminum Oxide, Tantalum, Niobium.
…
Keon's core whirred in stunned calculation. 'The Mana-Saturated Quartz? Aren't these simply the quartz crystals from my sand, but somehow supercharged with magic energies?' His optical lenses flickered as he observed the shining quartz particles present in the immense sand regions around his base.
'Furthermore,' he analyzed, 'these 'magical' materials function as an atmospheric energy cell and a superconductor that improves with use. The Obsidian Core Fragment is a natural semi-conductor that permanently stores data or commands. These are not merely materials; they are naturally occurring technological marvels. The integration of such materials could exponentially advance the next generation of my mechanical designs.'
He glanced at the vast regions of sand and quartz crystals that were now his domain, then decisively formed an exchange offer for 5757.
[Universe 8888888888]
"Here is the fair exchange price I have calculated. If you are agreeable to these terms, send me one ton of each material, and I will exchange ten tons of sand for each, including a bonus of one hundred quartz crystals."
On the other side of the universe, Trosso was visibly stunned by the specified price.
'It seems he has guessed the true value of these crystals,'
Trosso thought to himself, 'I had, however, anticipated such a result. Still, his offer is better than I expected. I can easily visit and find those dark merchants in the dark grotto and exchange tons of these basic materials for a much smaller price. Also, some of these crystals are going to be upgraded to Tier 3 grade.'
He looked at the green and light blue crystals embedded in the damp sand beside him. He knew magic crystals were rare commodities in his world, even rarer than some high-ranking materials, and were classified into five ranks based on their magic storage: Tier 1 to Tier 5 (Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange and Red).
'These upgradable crystals are even more rare than Red crystals, though some have less potential than others. I wonder if any of them will ultimately upgrade to the fifth rank.'
Trosso thought flickered hopefully as he glanced at some crystals giving off blue luster, then he wrote a reply:
[Universe 5757]
"Deal! I will send a hundred tons of each material in exchange for a thousand tons of sand and a thousand crystals, but it will take a while for me to gather the necessary resources. For now, I only want to exchange one hundred kilograms of each material. Just provide me with the sand and crystals for that small amount."
Keon glanced at the request for a small initial exchange and nodded in mechanical understanding. He immediately sent three tons of sand along with ten quartz crystals and received three hundred kilograms of the 'magical' materials in return, securing his first batch of groundbreaking new resources.
…