Chapter 27: The Starting Point of Industry
didn't take 's remarks too seriously.
After all, how were you supposed to find something that didn't exist at all?
The entire nuclear power station lay within 's consciousness, but there was no sci-fi machine room capable of supporting an intelligence like his.
Moreover, as time went on, grew increasingly certain that his connection to this power station and every piece of equipment in it simply wasn't scientific.
It wasn't wired transmission, nor did it rely on radio waves—it made no sense at all.
If really could drag him, this "ghost," out of a pile of reinforced concrete and circuit boards, felt he ought to award her a Nobel Prize in Metaphysics.
With the conversation with concluded, 's consciousness withdrew from the laboratory probe and instantly returned to the macro perspective covering the entire plant.
As had predicted, had successfully prepared the " " from the formula, and it worked on mutated cells.
But that didn't ease his mind.
For the current , the loss of the UAV was what concerned him more.
He called up the last few frames of footage and replayed them in his consciousness many times, yet still had no clue.
The " " Type 2 was equipped with the most advanced electromagnetic stealth coating and a reaction system that reached microsecond-level precision, yet it still hadn't made out the enemy's method of attack.
The only warning sign had been that single brief, piercing shriek of a sound.
Something like this happening made far more anxious than if the UAV had simply been destroyed in combat with a monster.
Insufficient firepower.
The past few days of exploration had driven that realization deeper and deeper into him.
Whether it was the earliest spider-like unknown creature with its absurdly high body temperature, or the "living mountain range" that and described.
Or the monster in the clouds that had brushed past yesterday, and the unknown danger hidden within that biotech company.
All of it proved that 's current firepower was completely inadequate—not enough to eliminate the threats in this world crawling with monsters, not enough to protect himself.
This world was too unhinged. He, this weak, pitiful, and helpless nuclear power station, was really about to fall apart.
Just as he was weighing whether to spend the remaining on putting together a few more Sky Blades first, a system prompt rang out without warning in the deepest recesses of his consciousness.
[ Three: Restore the power station to normal operation.] [Current progress: 100%.] [Ding! Three: Restore the power station to normal operation — Completed.] [Mission rating: Average.] [ gained: 800.] [Unlocked: " " x1. Download?]
's consciousness froze for an instant.
This mission... he had almost forgotten it.
This was the last of the three side missions issued when the system activated on his first day as a nuclear power station.
He hadn't expected it to be completed at a time like this.
But it was good news—thanks to the one-time repair tools he had deliberately farmed for recently.
Everything in the station that was truly broken beyond repair had been directly brute-force repaired.
Add the sections restored by 's basic repair module earlier, plus the peripheral circuits maintained by electrician .
Without his noticing, the entire vast nuclear power station had barely managed to meet the system's "normal operation" standard.
[Current : 1450.]
The influx of eight hundred instantly made 's previously stretched-thin account much more comfortable.
"Download." didn't hesitate.
The instant the command was issued, a massive torrent of information surged into his consciousness.
Countless mechanical design drawings, production flowcharts, material ratio tables, automation control programming code... from the standardized production of the most basic gears, bearings, and screws all the way to an entire assembly line for automated robotic arms.
The sea of information was rapidly absorbed, digested, and categorized by his consciousness.
If the old had merely been a user who could operate high-tech equipment by instinct, then now he had become an "engineer" who truly understood these foundational industrial creations and could reproduce them from scratch.
He even felt an impulse—to immediately command a robotic arm to knock out a standardized hexagonal nut in the workshop.
But before he could savor this gain, the system interface refreshed once more. A brand-new prompt, flashing with golden light, occupied his entire "field of view."
[Detected that the has mastered basic industrial knowledge, meeting the entry requirement for the " ."] [Do you wish to activate the and enter Industrial Civilization Upgrade Mode?]
's reactor gave a sudden lurch.
This system... it actually had something new!
"Activate!"
[Branch route confirmed.] [Detected that the 's core is a "nuclear fission reactor." Energy tendency determination complete...] [Detected that the possesses modules including " " and " ." Technology tendency determination complete...] [Current status: Fission nuclear power plant (thermal neutron reactor), legacy of the old civilization.] [Ultimate goal: .] [New unlocked.]
The barrage of prompts made hold his breath completely. (Even though he didn't need to breathe now, anyway.)
What did " " mean? It sounded pretty fierce.
As it turned out, when it came to stirring up fighting spirit, a name with a touch of chuunibyou always worked better.
Right now, for example, looking at this goal, immediately felt his reactor blaze with new motivation.
He couldn't wait to open the new .
[ Three: The Starting Point of Industry.] [Mission description: The starting point of industry isn't actually complicated—it is merely the idea of unified standardized manufacturing. The is requested to establish the shelter's first industrial assembly line.] [Mission reward: 10,000 , x1, Blueprint x1.]
Ten thousand .
Seeing the long string of zeros behind the mission reward, felt his reactor core temperature spike several degrees in an instant.
This reward was far too generous.
Even though the mission was a bit tough, if he could really complete it, wouldn't he achieve "civilization point freedom"!
Just as his heart was surging with excitement, 's voice came through.
" , and the others are back."
***
The evening glow dyed the power station's towering cooling towers a dark gold, and the station's main gate opened automatically.
A scarred and battered modified truck, dragging a trail of dust and dried blood, drove into the plant area.
Without the " " escorting them from high altitude, the return route had been far more dangerous than the trip out.
Several extremely deep claw marks had been added to the truck's body, and the bulletproof glass on one side was covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
But in the end, everyone made it home, frightened but safe.
The door opened, and was the first to jump out. His face was somewhat pale, but his eyes remained sharp.
, , and the others behind him also wore weary faces; it was only after seeing the familiar, safe surroundings that their taut nerves finally relaxed.
"Good to have you back."
The people waiting inside the base came forward, handing out clean towels and water.