After Xiao Qi left, the Silver Moon Observatory seemed a little quieter.
The electronic voice that used to ring in her mind from time to time, full of mischief and instigation, had disappeared; in its place was the "small ball" terminal deep within her consciousness, warm, calm, and pulsing with the stability of a stellar core.
It floated there silently, representing the end of a period of companionship and symbolizing the beginning of a more independent phase.
Artoria did not immediately check that "farewell gift."
First, she carefully placed the "star dome" king sword on the sword rack that Hexi had specially crafted for her, which possessed energy-nourishing and concealment functions.
Then, together with Minerva, she completed the day's energy guidance exercises and reviewed several summaries of cutting-edge theories on Dark Energy and matter conversion left behind by Hexi.
Not until night fell, when Minerva's projection appeared increasingly hazy and beautiful under the starlight, and the observatory was filled only with the subtle hum of energy flow and the faint, elusive fragrance of star flowers, did Artoria take a deep breath and sink her mind deep into her consciousness.
There, in addition to the light mass representing her own soul, the brilliant band of light representing her soul link with Minerva, and the newly appeared mental imprint of the "star dome" king sword, was the warm "small ball" terminal left by Xiao Qi.
Beside the terminal, there was now an additional three-dimensional "package" emitting a soft white light, possessing an exceptionally complex and precise structure.
This "package" was not a physical object, but a highly compressed and encrypted collection of information, whose structure itself contained technology that surpassed some of the conventional information processing methods of the current Super God Universe.
Artoria attempted to touch and parse it using the knowledge Hexi had taught her, only to find that it was like a drop of water merging into the ocean; her parsing request was easily accepted.
Then, a massive torrent of brand-new information, which faintly resonated with her existing knowledge system on certain underlying logic, rushed into her consciousness!
There was no pain, only a sense of sudden enlightenment, a shock and realization as if pushing open a door to a brand-new World.
This was not a simple data packet; this was a legacy, a branch of cutting-edge technology from a powerful Universe known for "Mechanical Ascension" and "One-Man Army"!
Its core source was clearly marked—the "Super Gene Mechanic" Universe, a partially adapted and streamlined version of the protagonist Han Xiao's mechanical technology system!
Artoria "saw" countless breathtakingly intricate mechanical structural diagrams, from nano-scale repair robots to Planet-scale strategic fortresses; she "felt" various inconceivable energy conduction and conversion formulas capable of efficiently transforming Dark Energy, stellar energy, and even void radiation into mechanical kinetic energy and shields; she "understood" the cutting-edge neural link and artificial intelligence auxiliary technologies for frequency-splitting consciousness and multi-threaded control of massive mechanical units; and she even glimpsed a magnificent path of deeply integrating individual life with mechanical creations, ultimately achieving "Mechanical Immortality" and "One Person is a Civilization"!
What particularly thrilled her was that this legacy seemed to have undergone some kind of "adaptive adjustment," creating an extremely subtle coupling with certain fundamental rules of the Super God Universe, especially the concept of the "Dark Plane"!
The legacy pointed out that in the Super God Universe, an individual's "Dark Plane" could be regarded as a highly private and stable "personal server" or "portable sub-space," which is the core for storing data, running gene engines, and driving Super Gene.
And Han Xiao's mechanical technology, especially the parts regarding "consciousness offloading," "remote control," and "matrix networks," were simply extended applications tailored for the "Dark Plane"!
Imagine: using one's own Dark Plane as the core server to build an exclusive, highly secure mechanical command and control network.
Taking massive mechanical units—whether micro-reconnaissance robots, powerful mechanical combat soldiers, or auxiliary platforms with various functions—as terminal nodes of this network.
Connecting and commanding them through special encrypted information streams.
As long as the Dark Plane does not collapse and the consciousness does not dissipate, this mechanical legion will always obey one person, moving as easily as an arm moves a finger, integrating offense and defense!
Truly achieving a one-man army, capable of holding off ten thousand!
"This... this is too incredible..." Artoria's consciousness was immersed in this vast ocean of knowledge, almost forgetting the passage of time.
This legacy was not stiffly instilled, but presented in a guiding and inspiring form, showing her core principles, key technological paths, and countless case experiences of failure and success.
It respected her existing knowledge system and cleverly integrated it with mechanical technology, pointing out a development path exclusive to her, possessing both the characteristics of the Super God Universe and the essence of a mechanic.
After an unknown amount of time, Artoria slowly "woke up," her eyes still lingering with shock and ecstatic light.
She stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the quiet observatory, countless sparks of inspiration splashing in her mind, almost overflowing.
"Minerva! Minerva!" She called out excitedly through the soul link.
"I'm here. You... seem very excited? Is it that 'gift'?" Minerva's projection appeared; she could clearly feel the surging joy and eagerness in Artoria's soul.
"It's more than just excitement! It's... it's seeing brand-new possibilities!" Artoria gestured excitedly, trying to describe the magnificent blueprint in words, "It's what Xiao Qi left for me... a path! A path that is very suitable for me, and also very suitable for our current situation!"
She shared the core concepts of the "Mechanic Legacy" with Minerva as concisely as possible, especially the possibility of combining it with the Dark Plane and becoming a one-man army.
Although many technical details were difficult to convey in words, Minerva was connected to her soul and could intuitively feel the extraordinariness of the legacy and its broad prospects.
"Using the Dark Plane as a base to build your own mechanical legion..." Minerva repeated softly, light also igniting in her azure eyes, "This is indeed... very suitable. You have the knowledge foundation provided by the Angels, you have Teacher Hexi's guidance, and now you have a clear technical direction... More importantly, this Universe does not lack resources."
"Yes! Resources!" Artoria nodded vigorously, her excitement slightly subsiding as rationality began to return, "A one-man army means massive resource investment. Materials, energy, manufacturing equipment, maintenance systems... Although the Angels certainly don't lack them, we cannot take them for granted. Especially since my identity is sensitive right now, and holding 'star dome,' I cannot rely on them blindly."
She quickly planned in her mind: "First, I need a starting point. A starting point that proves the value of this technology while also laying the foundation for us. This starting point has two goals."
She looked at Minerva's projection, her eyes gentle and firm: "First, to build a 'body' for you that can move freely in the real World and perfectly carry your consciousness! The legacy left by Xiao Qi contains cutting-edge concepts about the combination of high-dimensional information life and physical matter. Although it's just a direction, combined with the Sacred Coding knowledge Teacher Hexi gave me, as well as the Angels' biological and material technology, I am confident to try! Even if it's just a simple carrier in the beginning, being able to let you 'come out' briefly to see the real World and touch real flowers, that would be good! Moreover, the legacy emphasizes that even if this 'offloaded body' is damaged, as long as your core consciousness is within our soul link and under the protection of my Dark Plane, there will be no real danger, at most losing a portion of data and the perception of that body."
Minerva's projection trembled slightly; although it was only light and shadow, Artoria could feel the huge palpitation and expectation coming from the depths of her soul.
A real body that could touch the World... This was a desire buried deep in her heart since she was born, which she dared not speak of.
"Second," Artoria's gaze became sharp, "Arm myself. Not relying on the protection of 'star dome,' but strength that truly belongs to me. I need to build the first batch of 'mechanical units' that belong to me. They don't need to be many, they don't need to be strong, but they must be completely designed by me and controlled by me, serving as a way to verify technology, accumulate experience, and also as a trump card that can be used at critical moments."
"But where will the resources come from?" Minerva asked the key question. She knew Artoria did not want to rely too much on the Angels.
"Contribution, in exchange for resources." Artoria had long planned this, her eyes flashing with the light of wisdom, "I cannot take things for free, but I can exchange knowledge and technology. Teacher Hexi opened up part of the basic permissions of the Sky-based Computing Cluster and a large database to me, which in itself is an invaluable investment. Now, it is time for me to give back."
She walked to the main console of the observatory, brought up the communication interface left by Hexi, and began to organize her thoughts.
"The legacy left by Xiao Qi is profound and vast, but there are a few directions that I can digest at the moment and combine with the existing technology of the Super God Universe to create breakthroughs: First is the miniaturization and stabilization of high-efficiency energy cores, which may provide inspiration for the Angels' individual equipment, especially the energy endurance of the new generation standard Flame Sword; second is the miniaturization design idea for detection and interference devices targeting specific energy spectrums; third is the concept of outer armor coating based on new material science, possessing self-repair and energy adaptability..."
Artoria listed the ideas from the inheritance—those that were relatively basic, yet happened to be capable of patching or optimizing certain current technical shortcomings of the Angel.
She knew very well that throwing out core strategic-level technologies like "One-man Army" directly was foolish, but using these "scraps" or "new ideas" to exchange for startup resources was reasonable and could better demonstrate her value.
"I will organize these into a preliminary technical proposal and feasibility report to submit to Teacher Hexi. I don't ask for many rare resources; as long as I can obtain some basic experimental materials, access to a secure small workshop, and a small amount of additional computing power from the Sky-based Computing Cluster during non-core hours, that will be enough."
Artoria explained to Minerva, "With a starting point, we can slowly accumulate, using the primary mechanical units we manufacture to execute some low-risk tasks in exchange for more resources, developing like a snowball."
"Most importantly," Artoria grasped Minerva's illusory hand—though she couldn't truly touch it, the soul link allowed them to feel each other's determination—"the materials to build a body for you will be exchanged with resources I earn myself, or with valuable technologies I design that benefit the Angel. This is our own business, and we must complete it in our own way."
Minerva's projection gazed at Artoria. In those eyes composed of light and shadow, it seemed as if stars were rotating and gentle tides were surging. She nodded gently; a thousand words were left unspoken.
She got to work immediately. For the next period, Artoria entered a state of nearly forgetting to eat and sleep.
During the day, she followed Hexi to learn the Angel's cutting-edge technology, especially materials science, energy science, genetic engineering, and the application of Sacred Coding; at night, she immersed herself in the inheritance left by Xiao Qi, thirstily absorbing the knowledge of a mechanic and attempting to fuse and deduce it with what she had learned during the day.
She regarded that "parting gift" as top secret and did not mention it to anyone, including Hexi. It was not a lack of trust, but because it involved the existence of the system and her own greatest trump card.
She simply organized her "bursts of inspiration" and "new ideas generated by combining otherworldly knowledge with Angel technology" into reports that were logically rigorous, data-rich, and even contained preliminary design sketches, submitting them to Hexi regularly.
At first, Hexi only flipped through these reports with the mindset of encouraging her student and seeing what kind of whimsical ideas she might have. But soon, this Heavenly Base King was attracted by the ideas in the reports, which were from tricky angles yet pointed directly at certain current technical bottlenecks or potential optimization directions.
"Using the principle of resonant circuits to optimize the energy circulation path of the Sacred Coding inside the Flame Sword, increasing the instantaneous energy output peak by 15%? Interesting..."
"Designing a miniature interference generator that can be mounted on the armor of patrolling Angels, targeting the Dark Energy fluctuation frequency bands commonly used by low-level demons under Morgana, with low cost and suitable for large-scale deployment? This idea... is very practical."
"A self-healing coating that simulates biological texture, based on a composite of Dark Iron and Zero Element? Although it is only a theoretical model, the direction is worth exploring in depth..."
The more Hexi read, the more surprised she became. Some of these ideas proposed by Artoria seemed whimsical, but the underlying logic was exceptionally solid, clearly having undergone careful deliberation and extensive deduction.
More importantly, these ideas coincided with certain directions she was currently researching and even provided completely new angles for solutions. This could no longer be explained by simple "inspiration"; it was as if... she had another complete, profound knowledge system that complemented Angel technology as a backup!
Hexi did not ask further. She respected her student's secrets, especially since this student had already deeply bound herself to the star dome and the future of the Angel. She simply increased her support without making a fuss.
Soon, Artoria obtained what she wanted: access to a small, well-equipped, cutting-edge laboratory located in the lower level of the Silver Moon Observatory; an encrypted interface that could call upon 5% of the non-core computing power of the Sky-based Computing Cluster; and a long list of materials that covered almost all non-strategic controlled materials of the Angel Civilization. Furthermore, under the name of "prepaid research project funds," Hexi directly approved a sum of startup resource points that would make any high-level guardian Angel jealous!
"Your ideas are very valuable and worth investing in," Hexi said nonchalantly. "Go ahead and do it. If you encounter problems, you can come and ask me at any time. If materials are insufficient or there are special requirements, submit a report, and I will approve it."
No excessive questioning, only unreserved support. This trust caused a warm current to surge in Artoria's heart and further solidified her determination to achieve results.
With resources in place and permissions opened, Artoria's "Mechanical Heart" finally began to beat strongly.
She first used that 5% of computing power, combined with the mechanical design logic from the inheritance and the Angel's material database, to begin frenzied modeling, simulation, and optimization. The first target she wanted to design was not a weapon or combat armor, but the "first-generation body prototype" prepared for Minerva, capable of safely carrying her consciousness and possessing basic mobility!
This process was difficult and tedious. She needed to find a biocompatible material that could conduct energy well, stably carry the consciousness of an information lifeform, and possess sufficient strength and plasticity.
She needed to design complex soul connection and stabilization circuits to ensure that Minerva's consciousness could be safely "downloaded" and "uploaded," avoiding any damage. She needed to build a basic energy core and movement system to allow this body to move. She also needed to consider appearance, tactile sensation, and even simulated "vital signs"...
Countless days and nights, Artoria soaked in the laboratory, discussing, modifying, and trial-and-erroring with Minerva's projection. Hexi would occasionally come to "inspect," and seeing those exquisite design drawings that were so different from Angel technology, a glimmer of amazement and inquiry would always flash in her eyes. However, she never interfered, only occasionally giving finishing touches on the most critical technical difficulties.
Finally, after consuming nearly half of the startup resources, undergoing seventeen major structural adjustments, and hundreds of material replacement tests, a body—flowing with soft pale silver and light blue light throughout, with beautiful and smooth lines, as if fused from the finest jade and active metal—lay quietly in the production pod in the center of the laboratory.
It was not a purely mechanical creation, but a "bio-mechanical composite" that integrated biological tissue cultivation technology, bionic neural materials, micro-energy matrices, and the core—a soul connection core personally engraved by Artoria, which fused the stable structure of Sacred Coding with the mechanic's consciousness anchoring technology.
Its face referenced the outline of Minerva's projection but was more exquisite and gentle. Its eyes were closed tightly, and its chest rose and fell slightly with the pulsing of the built-in energy core, as if it were a sleeping elf.
"Minerva... are you ready?" Artoria stood beside the production pod, holding a special connector that was homologous to the star dome king sword and used to stabilize and guide soul fluctuations, her voice trembling slightly due to nervousness and anticipation.
Minerva's projection floated to the side, her eyes composed of light and shadow gazing deeply at the body in the pod, then looking at Artoria. What was transmitted through the soul link was unparalleled trust and excitement.
"Mm." She nodded gently, her illusory figure turning into a stream of light, actively diving into the connector in Artoria's hand.
Artoria took a deep breath and carefully connected the connector to the reserved port on the back of the body's neck. Pale golden light lit up from the connector, flowing along the complex circuits into every corner of the body. Inside the production pod, the nutrient solution boiled slightly, and the fingers of the body twitched gently.
Artoria held her breath, watching without blinking.
Finally, after a few seconds that felt as long as a century, those eyes that had been tightly closed opened slowly, trembling.
What eyes those were! They were no longer the azure light of a projection, but real eyes with the texture of life, like the purest starry sky. A trace of newborn-like confusion first flashed in the eyes, then the focus quickly condensed, looking at Artoria, who was so nervous she could barely breathe.
Then, those eyes curved up, as if filled with the starlight and tenderness of the entire Universe.
The pod cover slid open slowly.
A fair, slightly cool, yet incredibly real hand reached out from the pod, somewhat awkwardly and tentatively, and gently grasped Artoria's fist, which was clenched due to tension.
Real touch. Warm, with the touch of vitality.
"Artoria..." A voice that was somewhat dry yet incredibly familiar, filled with indescribable excitement, came from the mouth of that body. It was a bit rusty, but every word was clear.
Artoria's tears gushed out instantly. She held that hand tightly in return, feeling that real sense of existence, choking with sobs, yet blooming with the brightest smile.
"Welcome... to the real World, Minerva."
The legend that belonged to them, forged by knowledge and mechanics, truly began at this moment. And their journey of climbing the technology tree and forging the star dome body had just begun.
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