Although it looked like an ordinary old chanical repair shop from the outside, this shop had quite a background…
It was related to the chanic Alliance!
But that had nothing to do with him; he was just here for its main business!
Lu Yu walked into the shop, and a thick sll of machine oil washed over him, slightly pungent.
But after a while, it was kind of intoxicating!
It made him feel like piloting a Gundam!
Just then, a timid voice sounded:
"Excuse , do you have an appointnt?"
The speaker was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, with short brown hair, wearing gloves and a mask.
She held a wrench and a screwdriver, dressed in a navy-blue long-sleeved work uniform with the four large printed words "Old Wu's Repairs."
The cuffs had been modified to be especially tight.
There were black grease stains on her face and clothes, but her silver-colored eyes held a trace of panic, suggesting a tendency toward social anxiety.
Seeing that Lu Yu didn't reply imdiately, she thought her voice had been too quiet.
'If only I had been a little louder just now…'
She tightened her grip on the wrench, the cool touch calming her down, and said loudly:
"Hello, Old Wu's Repairs operates on an appointnt system and only serves guests with appointnts. May I ask which technician you've booked?"
chanics were generally addressed as chanics, chanic masters, technicians, and so on.
Besides these, there was another term: "Grease Monkey."
Because most chanics had to deal with machine oil, they would carry a thick, pungent sll.
It was fine for them to use the term in self-deprecation, but for you to say it to their face was a provocation.
But it wasn't a huge deal, just a matter of experiencing the technicians' RPG-to-the-face, hydraulic press massage, and other services, sending you straight to the Netherworld.
Lu Yu glanced at the girl and answered, "My surna is Lu. I have an appointnt with Technician Wu!"
"Lu?"
A hint of contemplation flashed in the girl's eyes, and then she realized, nodding as she said:
"Then I know.
You're the guest with the surna Lu that Grandpa ntioned. He told to take you directly to the Machine Production Workshop when you arrived!"
Grandpa?
Lu Yu's eyebrow twitched slightly, but he didn't say much, following the little girl into the shop's interior.
Although the exterior decoration was rather old, with so of the wall paint peeling and the colors dark, the deeper one went, the more one could discover a brand-new landscape and feel.
It was a chanical decoration style!
A large number of chanical walls appeared all around.
On both sides of the path were large fields of 【Honey-Gold Flowers】, which were common in the wilds. They resembled Chinese roses, but were silver in color, with large swarms of silvery-white chanical bees dancing above them, making a "buzzing" sound.
The girl turned her head and said in a low voice, "These 【Golden Machine Bees】 love to play pranks, stinging people they don't know with their stingers. Let's go quickly while they're still gathering nectar!!"
With that, she quickened her pace, and Lu Yu followed closely behind, arriving at a large production workshop.
The girl pulled open the heavy tal door, and the sounds of cutting, hamring, welding, and more mingled inside, yet they were all drowned out by a resonant voice!
"You can't even tighten a screw properly? A machine like this would fall apart in a fight! What an imaginative child you are, I really want to fill that head of yours with a wrench!!"
"Is a hamr ant for you to knock the machine crooked? I'll knock your… forget it, I feel like you're trying to piss off early so you can inherit my Alliance credit debt!"
"Xiao Zhang is still the most sensible. He taught himself a Flash Spell with his mortal body and even ca to perform it for his teacher up close!"
The bald young man nad Xiao Zhang scratched his head in embarrassnt and said softly, "Master, this isn't a Flash Spell, I'm welding!"
"Oh, so you do know.
Then why haven't you moved it away? Are you trying to give presbyopia early?"
A series of rebukes ca from an old man in work clothes with white hair and a youthful face. Dozens of chanical tentacles extended from his back, simultaneously guiding a large number of chanic apprentices.
One after another, beast-form machines were rapidly taking shape, displaying a ferocious and cold beauty of machinery!
Lu Yu quietly watched this scene, while the girl beside him hesitated, wanting to remind her grandfather that soone had arrived.
But she was too shy to be loud!
The old man said, hating iron for not becoming steel, "Machines are the creations of us chanics; they are our children.
Is this how you treat your children?"
Soone couldn't help but mutter, "If a child misbehaves, you can still give them a couple of smacks. If a machine misbehaves, smacking it hurts your own hand, and you have to spend money to fix it, which hurts your wallet too.
Then you can't even find a girlfriend. The conclusion is, the path of a Grease Monkey is a dead end…"
Before he could finish, he was grabbed by a chanical tentacle and given a hundred spanks on the butt!
However, the joys and sorrows of people are not shared!
He was wailing, while others were laughing!
"And you lot, what are you laughing at? Practice the basic course a hundred more tis, or you're not eating today!"
The old man was so angry his beard bristled and his eyes widened.
With a group of apprentices like this, he was bound to lose a hundred years of his life sooner or later!
After speaking, he turned to Lu Yu. He had long since sensed the other's aura and said doubtfully:
"You're… what's-his-na, Lu Yu, right? You're indeed a proper young lad, with so of my flair from when I was young!"
"I'm still far too lacking compared to Master Wu!" Lu Yu said with a smile.
It wasn't flattery, but because this old man before him was a legendary figure in the chanic Alliance.
Wu Shou!
A Peak Morning Star Rank chanic.
Although his rank was quite a bit lower than the Great Abyss City Alliance's Vice President, Sikong, his status was even higher, and his comprehensive strength was such that even an ordinary Luminous Moon Monarch wouldn't dare to provoke him.
After all, chanics were famously…
Pay-to-win powerhouses!
And he was one of the Vice Presidents of the chanic Alliance, having lived for over two hundred years and witnessed the Machine King Domain's rise from nothing.
The swarm of 【Silent Skyhawk】 drones that now patrolled the entire domain and the 【Sea-Suppressing Whale】 chanical submarine fleet that suppressed the seas were all from his hands.
In addition, there was the chanical Bee Swarm Tactic, bionic dragonfly fighters, the Hundred chanical Beasts, and so on…
It could be said that he was a mobile textbook for a branch of the Pure chanical Power Faction—the chanical Bionics Discipline!
An Old Antique-level figure!
It was said that his Beast Tar talent was 【Mind into a Thousand Threads】, which allowed him to split his soul into up to a thousand parts.
It sounded amazing, but without sufficient will and powerful enough soul power, one could easily beco a lunatic from dismantling their soul.
And even if it was dismantled, a soul weakened to one-thousandth of its strength would have limited destructive power, making it quite a set of chicken ribs.
But…
The rise of chanics directly turned this talent into a top-tier one!
A single thought being weak didn't matter!
It didn't hinder piloting drones or powerful chanical creations, allowing him to exert unimaginable combat power through firepower!
Imagine, on the battlefield, Wu Shou simultaneously controlling over a thousand chanical warships, pushing each one's firepower to the limit. What a terrifying scene that would be!
The Beast Tar version of Ship-Commanding Art!
"Hmph, you young lads just love to say these pleasantries!" Wu Shou snorted coldly, putting on an unapproachable air, but Lu Yu didn't mind at all.
To him, there were only two kinds of people.
Those who could be wrested control of… pah!
Those who could be talked to, and the dead!
And so, under a stream of flattery, the corners of Wu Shou's mouth were harder to suppress than an AK's recoil.
After all, among those who could innovate chanical technology…
How many were truly old-fashioned?
Wu Shou's gaze on Lu Yu grew increasingly favorable, and he regretted in his heart why his own apprentices weren't like this kid.
Wouldn't his days be taking off then?
He had heard that the other party was a popular candidate for the Tenth Prodigy of the Borderlands.
Although he was from a grassroots origin, his talent was outrageously high…
A pity he wasn't a chanic!
"Alright, stop. I'm not the type who likes to listen to flattery!" Wu Shou waved his hand and looked at Lu Yu, saying, "That little rascal Luo Zisong has already told your purpose for coming.
But before that, I still want to know, what kind of chanical pet beast do you want for yourself?"
"Don't look at guides online. Go by your own inner thoughts.
Although machines are made of cold tal, don't treat them as inanimate objects. Only when you treat them with sincerity will they respond to you in kind!"
"I'm not sure either!" Lu Yu answered honestly.
Because he really didn't understand chanics. He couldn't just open his mouth and ask for a chanical maid, an infinite Gundam, or a star destroyer, could he?
The old man before him would probably tear him apart by hand!
"You're an honest one, kid!"
Wu Shou nodded, having gotten used to such layman remarks.
He turned to the girl beside him and said:
"Xinyue, introduce the major factions of the Machine King Domain to him!"
Wu Xinyue's eyes filled with despair. She clearly just wanted to curl up in a corner and quietly study machines.
Why was she being called on?
But her grandfather had spoken, so she had to bite the bullet and say, "Although the Machine King Domain is primarily based on machinery, it's divided into five main factions and three branch factions…"
"Get to the point, this is all common knowledge!" Wu Shou urged from the side.
Wu Xinyue rolled her eyes and continued:
"The first is the 【Pure chanical Power Faction】, also known as the Old chanist Association.
They revere the original principles of chanical dynamics and the power of the machinery itself.
Therefore, they mainly use energy sources to drive their machines, specializing in firepower suppression, chanical modification, Machine Spirit Awakening, and so on.
They revere the essence of machinery, the beauty of tal. Representative pet beasts include the Hundred chanical Beasts created by my grandfather, chanical Colossi, chanical Bee Swarms, and so on.
They can create suitable machines for specific purposes and load different firepower modules. But the downside is that it's expensive, super expensive, and it's easy to be dirt poor.
They are also not easy to carry, and require regular application of machine oil to prevent rust and increase sensitivity. Otherwise, parts need to be replaced after long battles, and my grandfather makes his money from that…"
Wu Shou was quite happy at first, but hearing the latter part made him go numb.
He'd asked her for an introduction, so why was she spilling all his secrets? What a silly child!
Lu Yu nodded; he had also heard of the great na of the Hundred chanical Beasts.
Theoretically, if a chanic was rich enough, they could completely follow the sa Dominator route as himself.
Wu Xinyue continued:
"The second is the 【Steam Machinery Faction】. They use the kinetic energy generated by steam engines combined with spiritual energy to drive machines and manipulate the power of steam.
They can instantly discharge high-temperature steam to scald approaching enemies.
There have even been cases of using large amounts of high-temperature steam to corrode machines from other factions.
It can be used for both offense and defense. Representative works include the Star-Piercer, the Steam Monarch, and so on.
Because the power of steam cos from water, the energy cost is lower than petroleum, nuclear power, or electric energy. But the downside is insufficient power, and it is limited in desert environnts…"
As Wu Xinyue spoke about machines, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she said excitedly:
"The third is the 【chanical Gu Order】.
They advocate for the weak being prey to the strong. They often mass-produce insect-form evolving machines, then lock them together.
Through constant slaughter, the machine spirits continuously tamorphose, giving birth to special Gu-form Machine Spirits, which spread a hive network similar to an insect swarm and possess terrifying learning and evolutionary abilities.
They follow the path of simulated life and natural selection.
The advantage is their extrely strong power, and their lethality is even greater after loading weapon modules. Moreover, as long as you have money, you can continuously cultivate them, even cultivating special anomalous chanical pet beasts that can surpass a Beast Tar's main pet.
As for the downsides…
The chanical pet beasts born from such slaughter possess an extrely strong desire for destruction. They need to be constantly soothed with Machine-Silencing Powder made by the Church of the Moon of Proliferation.
Otherwise, they are prone to backlash, and the probability of aberration is also higher than that of ordinary chanical pet beasts, though much lower than flesh-and-blood pet beasts!"
Hearing this, Lu Yu also looked surprised.
He felt that his understanding of the chanical factions was still too shallow.
There was even a natural selection route.
Was this still machinery?
"The fourth is the chanical Divination Faction.
This is a new faction, born only a century ago, which rose after the popularization of the internet. It relies on a powerful information flow and big data algorithms.
They are equivalent to the diviners among Beast Tars. They can make deductions through massive computational power and infinite data, even predicting the arrival of disasters by calculating factors like temperature, wind speed, and sunlight.
They can also directly deduce and divine through this computational power. Their abilities far surpass ordinary diviners, and the price of backlash can be mostly offset by replacing tal parts.
Once you encounter them in battle, it's like facing an opponent with almost distorted computational power. All your actions will be calculated to death, making it very difficult for soone of the sa rank to defeat them.
But the缺点 are also obvious. Their own combat ability is not strong, and like the Beast King System, they fear being approached.
A mature divination chanical beast needs to be fed with big data to train its algorithms, otherwise it's just chicken ribs. It's also very energy-intensive.
The representative item of this faction is the Difference Engine, and…"
"Machine Mother!"
A terrifying chanical creation with True King-rank computational power, which has intimidated countless Evil God Cults and ruled the Machine King Domain for several hundred years.
Wu Xinyue didn't say much about the origin of Machine Mother.
But Lu Yu was indeed more curious. The 【Spirit-Machine Kingdom】, which possessed so many terrifying chanical creations, must have been at least on par with a True King at its peak, right?
But how was it destroyed?
As Lu Yu pondered, Wu Xinyue didn't continue, but looked up at Wu Shou, her expression a little hesitant.
The latter rolled his eyes, signaling for her to continue.
Wu Xinyue took a deep breath, didn't exhale, and then continued:
"The fifth faction is called the 【Blood-Machine Faction】!"
Lu Yu frowned slightly.
He could tell from Wu Xinyue's tone that this faction was not simple.
The latter continued, "Blood-Machine, in full, is the Flesh-and-Blood, chanical Modification Faction.
They are dedicated to transforming flesh-and-blood lifeforms into machines.
They were originally part of the Pure chanical Power Faction, but later left due to ideological differences.
They believe that only by combining machinery and flesh and blood is there hope of creating a perfect life, thereby ascending the path to kingship and creating the first True King-rank machine.
This would lead the Machine King Domain to glory, and they call their path chanical Ascension.
The Blood-Machine Faction has combined flesh and blood with machinery and possesses the top conglorate in the Machine King Domain. They have a large number of flesh-livestock breeding grounds under their command, and they have a near-monopoly on clothing, food, and housing.
Their wealth is imnse, and their influence is extrely vast.
They have over a thousand top-tier laboratories and often conduct special experints.
The results of these experints are fed back to the Machine King Domain, forming a virtuous cycle. Therefore, as long as they don't violate the law, Machine Mother won't interfere with them.
But I don't approve of this approach!
What they do is a dual blasphemy against both machinery and flesh-and-blood lifeforms. They are trampling on life, trampling on machine spirits, and staining machinery with filth.
Due to so historical reasons, the Blood-Machine Faction and our Pure chanical Power Faction are hostile. The Old chanist Association forbids them from setting foot in the city.
We are part of the old guard, firmly believing that the path of pure machinery is the correct one."
Listening to Wu Xinyue's voice gradually change from timid to firm and forceful, one could feel the love for machinery in her heart.
Wu Shou's gaze was also deep, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
"Flesh and blood modifying machinery…"
Lu Yu looked surprised, thinking of the chanic who had ssaged him online before.
He seed to have a blood-colored mark as a prefix, which ant he should belong to the Blood-Machine Faction.
And the rat swarm he had encountered earlier had been contaminated by the Glimring Oil impurity, causing their tal bodies to grow flesh and blood.
It could transform flesh and blood into machinery.
If the whole world beca like that, wouldn't that be the ideal path of the Blood-Machine Faction?
Could it be that this incident was a leak from a Blood-Machine Faction laboratory?
"Sorry, I got too excited!"
Wu Xinyue quickly cald down, returning to her timid and submissive self, and then continued:
"As for the three branch factions, there's the chanical Battle Armor Faction, which equips pet beasts and humans with battle armor; the Gear Faction, which is dedicated to ore processing; and the newest Electromagnetic Faction.
Besides these, there are so small factions like controllable nuclear power.
However, most are still in the theoretical stage.
Once successful, they will leap to beco a top-tier faction.
Technology is the primary productive force!"
Hearing this, Lu Yu's heart surged, having seen a corner of a brilliant chanical civilization.
But he hadn't forgotten the attack by the 【Digging Gold Mouse】 before, so he took the initiative to speak, telling Wu Shou the rest of the information, except for the fact that he had a sample of the Glimring Oil impurity in his possession.
He didn't ntion the na of the Glimring Oil, only saying it was a weird black oil with near-infinite power.
After all, the Star-Piercer train had already reported the relevant intelligence, so the other party would find out soon enough. There was no need to hide it.
After Wu Xinyue heard this, her eyes were filled with horror, and she murmured:
"Grandpa, what's going on?"
"Mysterious black oil… flesh-and-blood modification… chanical modification… it even has contamination properties, and actually has infinite energy characteristics…"
Wu Shou quickly thought of the 【Glimring Oil】 they had been studying recently from the description. His expression changed, and he said in a deep voice:
"I probably understand what's going on.
I will bring this matter up at the upcoming 【Ten Thousand Machines Conference】. At that ti, the leaders of the eight factions will review it, and Machine Mother will conduct an investigation.
If it's true… I will definitely make them pay the price!"
As he spoke the last words, Wu Shou's face was contorted, his rage no longer concealable.
Wu Xinyue was also silent, seemingly frightened by the progress of the Blood-Machine Faction.
"Okay."
Lu Yu nodded.
After all, he wasn't from the Machine King Domain and wouldn't be staying long. The most he could do was give a warning.
But with Machine Mother monitoring the entire domain, especially after knowing about its divination abilities, it shouldn't lead to a major disaster!
After all, although Machine Mother's ability was divination, it was created by the Old chanist Association, so it held the greatest authority among the eight factions.
"Alright, let's not talk about this for now."
Wu Shou cut off the topic, handed over a tablet, and said calmly:
"This contains most of the sellable pet beasts from the Pure chanical Power Faction, including a partial list from the Steam, Divination, and chanical Gu Order.
You can browse it yourself, but there are no items related to the Blood-Machine Faction. If you want those, you can only go to the Blood-Machine District to buy them!"
"No need, I'm not interested in the Blood-Machine Faction," Lu Yu shook his head.
Wu Shou was also taken aback. He could see that the other party was not deliberately trying to please him.
His thoughts turned, and his serious smile relaxed as he said with a laugh:
"I almost forgot… that Imperial Black Crimson Dragon Ant of yours is practically the closest individual to a perfect life in the Blood-Machine Faction's philosophy. There's indeed no need to look at so failed products.
I'm liking you more and more, kid. But you've probably already been targeted by this group of hyenas who will stop at nothing.
So be extrely careful, and it's best to leave the Machine King Domain soon."
"Thank you for the reminder, Old Wu!" Lu Yu nodded, and then began to browse the pictures on the tablet.
The dragon-form machines, chanical colossi, chanical warships, and Gundams he had been longing for were finally here!
But after looking for a while, Lu Yu suddenly felt…
Dragons, chanical colossi, and the like were all just fleeting clouds!
What suited him was what was good!
Besides, he had enough dragons at ho. More would indeed be a bit of a waste.
His ambition was not to beco a re Dragon-type Heavenly King!
Of course, none of this was because the starting price for a dragon-form machine was fifty to sixty million Alliance Coins, and that was for the lowest configuration!
Just like a Porsche, if you buy the car directly without adding any options, you might not even get air conditioning. You'd just be buying a bare-bones car.
The feeling of driving it in sumr could only be described as invigoratingly sour!
Similarly, without installing weapon modules, sensor modules, self-repair modules, etc., a dragon-form machine was just a living target with no damn use.
Although it could generate its own spiritual energy bullets, special bullets with different effects and energy blocks all had to be purchased in the Machine King Domain. Even the machine oil for maintaining the machine spirit and strengthening the tal body was divided into three grades.
The lowest grade cost a hundred thousand a bottle, and a single maintenance session for a large chanical beast could easily require ten bottles.
A million was gone just like that!
Being a chanic was truly a money-burning profession!
But as long as you had money, you could directly construct a Morning Star-rank chanical beast.
Of course, the premise was that you could contract and command it!
After all, starting from the Morning Star Rank, the machine spirit's consciousness would beco more and more complete, having its own operational law.
The chanical Colossus was slightly cheaper, starting at forty million, but if purchased at Old Wu's Repairs, it ca with a 20% discount that included weapon installations, and five complintary maintenance sessions.
'I'm getting the vibe of buying a car at a 4S Dealership. They even throw in A/B maintenance services.
I wonder if they offer paint protection film and color change services…'
Lu Yu snarked in his heart, glancing at the leisurely Old Wu, as if seeing a thousand-year-old Gold-Swallowing Beast!
This money-making efficiency was truly ruthless!
Lu Yu decisively gave up on the top-tier chanical beasts and instead looked at tal lifeforms, similar to the Digging Gold Mouse and Machine Bone he had seen before.
They could evolve and be strengthened through chanical modification, carrying a large tonnage of firepower.
They were the first choice for most chanics, easy to raise, and suitable for building a chanical puzzle.
For example, there was the Oil Sli that could continuously produce petroleum.
Paired with a fire-type pet beast, it could show the world a once-in-a-lifeti big firework.
Or for another example, the Machine Bone Hound from the Machine Bone ecosystem.
It inherited the loyalty of canines, had a gentle personality, and possessed terrifying tracking abilities. After eating enough tal, it could evolve into a Three-Headed Machine Hound, and with modifications, it could gain the ability to release electric currents.
It was an extrely excellent chanical pet beast!
In addition, there was the chanical Flying Hawk as a sky scout, the Machine Whale that could go deep into the sea, and the chanical Flying Insect Queen that could be spread widely, and so on.
There were even so humanoid machines, bionic chanical girls, and so on…
A line of small text below stated that private customization was available, provided it didn't violate portrait rights, but you could sculpt the face yourself.
And many templates were attached!
"How lewd… oh no, what a filthy design!"
Lu Yu spent a good ten minutes critiquing them, but the more he looked, the more he frowned, unable to help but worry about the ntal state of the chanics. So of these fetishes were unacceptable even to him.
Even more exaggerated than Lilith!
There was even a chanical girl with the appearance of an Ancient God!
How on earth did they co up with this pile of bizarrely-shaped designs?
If he weren't broke, he would have taken them all ho and destroyed them!
However, Lu Yu didn't necessarily have to get a chanical beast. Suitable chanical products, such as a floating warship or a collapsible tal fortress, could also be considered.
Or, commissioning a custom set of chanical armor for his three pet beasts was also a good choice…
Clank, clank, clank!
In the gap while Lu Yu was choosing, Wu Shou controlled his chanical tentacles and quickly created a leopard-form chanical beast.
After carving a large number of rituals on its body, the characters seed to co to life, constantly wriggling and rging into the body of the machine beast, and a mysterious energy fluctuation was transmitted.
Roar!
The leopard-form machine beast's eyes gradually lit up, and soon it was as agile as a living creature, rubbing its head against Wu Shou.
It had a magical power like bringing a painted dragon to life!
"This is… the Machine Spirit Awakening Ritual!"
Seeing this scene, Lu Yu's pupils trembled, and an insane thought suddenly appeared in his mind…
A stunning concept to complete a chanical ascension through the power of Secret Food, creating a World-Afflicting Machine!
PS: A seven-thousand-word chapter.
Asking for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month. A new story arc is about to begin.
Everything the protagonist wants to do has been foreshadowed. How could a one-day stay in the Machine King Domain revolve around a major arc? The world's progress is fluid; everyone has their own plans and actions and won't stop just because the protagonist arrives.
Do you think I, your handso Black-Feathered Bird, am such a boring author with so few moves! My outline is amorphous, unobservable, and indescribable—a new-era Cthulhu. Even if it's a chanical system, it will definitely be unconventional.
There will be other pet beasts later with attributes you can't guess. As for Big Boss White Fox, there has been foreshadowing.
A seven-thousand-word chapter, asking for monthly tickets.
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