Bonus Chapter for reaching 300 Powerstones. We have reached a 1000 collections already!!!!
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The faint shouts of Cadian warriors echoed through the air as they began boarding the Leviathan Command Vehicle. On Zeke's HUD, the "Invasion Progress Bar" was steadily depleting as the battle outside turned in their favor.
Following the directions squeezed out of the traitor earlier, Zeke headed toward the command cabin. As he rounded a corridor, he ran headlong into a squad of Cadian soldiers moving forward in a tactical search pattern.
"Who goes there?!" the lead soldier barked, his reflexes sharp as he instantly leveled his Lasgun.
Before Zeke could explain he was an ally, the sergeant caught sight of Zeke's Iron Armor Set. A look of realization washed over his face. He raised his left hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons.
"He's one of us!" the sergeant called out before turning to Zeke. "You must be the one Sergeant Victor mentioned over the vox, right?"
I'm getting famous, Zeke thought, nodding as he got down to business. "That's me. By the way, do you have a way to contact Sergeant Victor?"
The sergeant motioned for a vox-caster specialist carrying a heavy radio backpack to step forward. "The Void Shields are down; the radio signals are clear now." He tuned the frequency and handed the handset to Zeke.
After a burst of static, Sergeant Victor's familiar, gravelly voice came through: "This is Victor. Sector C cleared. Pushing toward Sector D."
"Sergeant Victor, it's Zeke," Zeke said, getting straight to the point. "You know me—I'm a blunt man, so I'll say it plainly." He intentionally mimicked Victor's previous phrasing. "I'm the one who took out the Void Shields."
"No wonder," Victor's tone became solemn. "You've performed a great service, Zeke. On behalf of—"
"Save the pleasantries, Sergeant," Zeke interrupted. "You know what I'm looking for."
"I've already spoken with Lord Castellan Creed," Victor replied. "The warehouses at Tyrok Bastion were mostly pillaged by the traitors, but there are still leftovers. We can clear out a portion of those supplies for you today."
Finally, Zeke thought, Victor is being reliable for once.
"Also," Victor continued, "Lord Castellan Creed wishes to meet with you personally."
"Understood." Zeke ended the call and handed the handset back to the vox-man.
Without another word, he turned and strode deeper into the Leviathan. The corridors behind him had already been swept by follow-up Cadian squads; aside from traitor corpses and scorched bulkheads, the path was clear. Zeke went into Sprinting Mode, weaving through the complex internal structure.
Soon, he reached a fork in the road. Before him was a staircase leading upward. According to the traitor, the commander's luxury cabin lay above. However, next to those stairs was a set of steps leading downward.
The entrance was cordoned off with striking yellow-and-black hazard tape. A metal sign was bolted to the wall:
[MAINTENANCE ACCESS]
[STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO ALL EXCEPT CERTIFIED TECH-PRIESTS/MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL!]
[HEAT-RESISTANT SUITS MANDATORY]
"Strictly prohibited?" Zeke's foot, which had been set toward the luxury cabin, paused. The more he was told to stay out, the more he wanted to see what was inside.
–
Zeke stepped over the hazard tape and descended the stairs. At the bottom stood a heavy, airtight iron door reinforced with thick chains. Seeing how well-guarded it was, Zeke pulled out his Iron Pickaxe and smashed through.
A wave of blistering heat hit him instantly. Behind the door lay a different world. He stood on a suspended walkway made of welded steel plates, with no guardrails on either side. To his left and right were massive mechanical components: Alloy gears as thick as tree trunks ground together with rhythmic clanks, Hydraulic pistons hissed, venting white steam with every stroke, a chaotic web of cables, steam pipes, and cooling pumps filled the space.
Zeke walked deeper along the narrow path. The temperature rose steadily, but compared to the Nether, this was nothing he couldn't handle. Eventually, the walkway opened up into a spacious metal platform.
Rows of storage lockers lined the platform, their surfaces covered in cryptic labels. Zeke pulled one open—it contained only a few metallic scraps that clattered against each other. He opened several more, but most were empty.
In the center of the platform sat a heavy metal Worktable. Tools were scattered across its surface, and a maintenance worker lay face-down across the bench, long dead. One of his hands was still stretched forward, as if trying to reach for something in his final moments.
Zeke moved the cold corpse aside. Hidden beneath was an Alloy Gear. Surrounding it were various tools: giant wrenches, hydraulic hammers, and precision screwdrivers.
Suddenly, floating text appeared over the gear: [Hold to Ponder]
This is... Create mod!
Zeke took a step forward. A "Thinking Progress Bar" appeared, and a sensation of his consciousness being accelerated and pulled away washed over him.
80%... 95%... 100%
The world changed. The metal gear on the table vanished, replaced by a void-black space independent of reality. In the center, the gear stood upright, rotating silently.
One, two, three... more gears of various sizes materialized, interlocking with the central one. Basic mechanical components began to assemble themselves. Within seconds, a sophisticated Speed Controller gearbox was complete and running.
[Mod Unlocked: Create]
[You can now explore the mysteries of mechanics and assemble automated facilities.]
It didn't stop there. As Zeke's thoughts shifted, the gears in the black space morphed and expanded: Gears drove circular saw blades, forming the blueprint for an Automated Tree Farm. Intricate sowers and harvesters formed a Fully Automated Farm. A massive machine of drills and conveyor belts pushed forward, devouring rock—a Tunnel Bore for high-efficiency mining.
–
Zeke stood frozen before the maintenance bench, his hand still outstretched. He was stunned, his mind overwhelmed by the sudden influx of mechanical knowledge. Time ticked by.
"Hey, look! Someone smashed the door open? Stay sharp!"
Two Cadian soldiers tasked with mopping up stragglers entered the maintenance tunnel, weapons raised. They quickly spotted Zeke standing motionless at the end of the platform.
"Is that someone at the end of the walkway?" the younger soldier whispered, aiming his Lasgun.
"That's him," the veteran behind him replied, recognizing Zeke. "He's the one whose Milk saved my life earlier."
"Why is he just standing there like a statue?"
"Who cares?" The veteran pulled his comrade's arm. "Every Genius have their own way of thinking. Let's move."
The two quietly retreated, leaving the sweltering room.
"Gah—!"
Zeke let out a sharp gasp, finally catching the breath he'd been holding. He shook his head vigorously. After a long moment of "pondering," he had come to a realization: the Create Mod looked difficult, and it was actually difficult to execute.
He pocketed the gear and sighed. He wasn't exactly a master engineer yet. Better to leave the professional work to the professionals, he thought.
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