Chapter 462 - 436: [Temporary Storage Area for Unfinished and Defective Products]

Chapter 462: Chapter 436: [Temporary Storage Area for Unfinished and Defective Products]

As the gilded words finally froze in place, it was as if a final shackle had been shattered.

Roland’s eyes flew open. Deep within his pupils, countless miniature stars seemed to be born and die in an instant, crisscrossed by flowing veins of energy.

’My Power and Agility Attributes rose by a full fifteen points. That’s even more than the Attribute Bonus I received when I became a [Knight], one of the Extraordinary Professions. And that’s not all...’

He slowly raised his right hand and gazed at his palm.

An unprecedented sense of control, like gentle, flowing water, permeated every corner of his consciousness.

With a mere thought.

HUMMM!

A layer of Fighting Spirit Gauze Clothing, so condensed it seemed solid and shimmered with a blood-red luster, instantly covered his body.

This was no longer a simple adhesion of energy, but a second skin extending from his very body. With a mere thought, the clothing’s thickness, hardness, and even its energy attributes would subtly adjust.

He could feel that the defensive power of this gauze clothing was in no way inferior to his [Dragon Scale Armor].

His thoughts shifted again.

The Fighting Spirit Gauze Clothing covering his body suddenly converged, retracting into him like a receding tide.

But the next moment, he made a gripping motion with his right hand, and an Energy Longsword—formed entirely from highly compressed Fighting Spirit, its details so clear it seemed solid—instantly materialized in his grasp.

Around the blade, the air shimmered and distorted from the highly concentrated energy, emitting a low hum.

This was no fleeting play of light and shadow, but a true, solid creation of energy possessing real cutting and destructive power.

This application of Fighting Spirit was a world apart from before, when he could barely manage to adhere it to his blade.

But he wasn’t finished yet.

Roland gently lifted his left hand. Without drawing on his own Magic Power, the [Source Law Engine] issued a "forced command" to the stagnant magic in the air, and a small, hot flame began to dance merrily on his fingertips.

Its stability and response speed even surpassed what he could achieve before with Tress’s assistance.

At this moment, he himself was the best possible magic power coordinator.

A deeper sensation came from the "harmony" of the powers within his body.

Before this, the wildness of his Dragon Race Bloodline, the ferocity of his Fighting Spirit, and the Magic Power that he had to laboriously channel through his Keel, while not clashing, had always operated independently within him.

But now, under the coordination of the [Source Law Engine]’s grand and precise "rhythm," these three completely different powers seemed to have been brought into a magnificent symphony by an invisible conductor.

They still retained their individual characteristics, but could now resonate perfectly when needed, unleashing a power far greater than the sum of their parts.

He felt as if he had become an absolute master of Energy.

A single thought could determine the form, nature, and intensity of his power.

Immense power coursed endlessly through his body, yet there was no longer the slightest hint of sluggishness or violence—only the smooth obedience of a limb and a powerful, "all-powerful" confidence.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the eternally pulsating [Source Law Engine] within him that brought infinite possibilities. A liberating feeling of breaking through his shackles and stepping into a whole new world washed over him.

His strength now, compared to before he entered these ruins, had taken a qualitative leap.

If he were to face the Rusted Knight Order again, he wouldn’t even need to use any of his Traits. With just this newfound control over his power, he could crush them with ease.

Moreover, Roland could clearly feel that the buff from the [Source Law Engine]—a Trait mutated by the Adaptive Base Plate—was not a one-time boost.

Instead, it would continue to improve as his own strength grew.

This...

This was a true cornerstone on the path to the pinnacle!

Roland couldn’t help but feel a sincere admiration for its creator.

’Just a small base plate, and it can cause such an earth-shattering change after being integrated... The "Adaptive Resonance Protocol" truly lives up to its name.’

At this thought, Roland’s eyes filled with a yearning for that lost era.

’To understand and apply the use of Magic Power and Energy Harmony to such a sublime level... just what kind of brilliant and magnificent era was the "Crystal Era"?’

’And since the researchers at the Seventh Observation Station could create a miracle like the "Adaptive Base Plate," then...’

A thought naturally surfaced.

’Do other areas of this Observation Station hold creations of equal, or even greater, wonder?’

The thought made his heart burn with excitement.

Roland once again scanned the empty "Bottom Protocol Hall." After confirming there was nothing of value left besides the wreckage of destroyed Mechanical Bodies and empty platforms, he turned and walked out without hesitation.

Back in the corridor, Roland unfolded the heavy "Seventh Observation Station Structural Diagram."

His gaze swept quickly over the map’s complex network, finally locking onto several areas marked as high-clearance or important research facilities.

The exploration that followed became a test of both power and patience.

Many corridors and doorways were completely blocked by millennia of accumulated silt and sand, or by collapsed metal components from structural deformation.

In the past, Roland might have had to spend a great deal of time finding a detour or giving up.

But now...

He stood before an obstacle made of a mixture of twisted metal and solidified earth, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Without any overt movement, blood-red Fighting Spirit instantly converged on his right fist like an interwoven spiral. Under the exquisite coordination of the [Source Law Engine], it achieved a perfect balance and amplification with the [Giant Dragon Bloodline] in his body.

RUMBLE!

He threw a punch, but there was no earth-shattering explosion.

But amid a dull thud, the solid barrier crumbled and shattered in an instant, like a cookie struck by an invisible sledgehammer. A path wide enough to pass through was forcefully blasted open.

The flying debris was easily deflected by an invisible Energy Field around his body as it drew near.

And so, relying on the immense power and exquisite control over Energy granted by the [Source Law Engine], Roland pushed deeper into the ancient ruin. He advanced step by step towards the areas marked on his map, moving through the silent, age-old structure in a manner that was almost brutish, yet highly efficient.

「Time passed quietly during his excavation and exploration.」

THUD!

With another dull thud, the last Giant Stone blocking the path was pulverized by Roland’s power-infused kick.

He let out a long breath, dusted himself off, and looked at the newly cleared passage before him, comparing it again to the map in his hand.

’It seems this is the last major area marked on the map...’

His gaze fell on a prominent note on the diagram.

[Completed Product Storage Vault].

Recalling his search through the massive ruins so far, Roland couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

Aside from the books in the Central Data Library and the Adaptive Base Plate in the Bottom Protocol Hall, his gains in other areas had been meager.

Many workshops and storage rooms were completely empty.

From the remaining traces, it seemed the Observation Station had suffered some sudden calamity in the ancient past. The researchers had hastily gathered most of the important materials and evacuated, leaving only these ruins, frozen in time.

This also meant that in the areas marked as [Materials Pre-processing Center] and [Precision Workshop], he had failed to find the special materials and dedicated tools needed to forge the "Entropy Ash Core." This cast a faint shadow of disappointment over his high expectations.

’I hope this final [Completed Product Storage Vault] won’t have me leaving empty-handed.’

Gazing at the forcefully opened passage before him, Roland stepped forward, clinging to his last shred of hope.

Unlike the other areas of the ruin, the vault’s defenses were clearly much tighter.

He had just stepped into the corridor leading to the main vault when a piercing alarm once again tore through the silence.

Instantly, hidden compartments slid open on both sides of the corridor, revealing several hovering "drones" that resembled metal honeycombs riddled with firing ports. Rotating energy turrets also emerged from the ceiling and floor.

What’s more, four even heavier-built Magical Guide Structures, wielding giant Tower Shields and unfamiliar blades, strode out from hidden chambers with heavy steps, their scarlet electronic eyes instantly locking onto the intruder.

Before obtaining the [Source Law Engine], if faced with such a dense web of firepower and clearly more advanced Mechanical Bodies in such a narrow space, Roland would have likely been in for a tough fight. He might have even needed to make a temporary retreat.

But now...

Facing the torrent of energy beams and the charging Magical Guide Structures with their giant blades, Roland didn’t even draw his Moonlight Longsword. He simply raised his right hand calmly.

HUMMM!

A solid-looking, dark-gold Fighting Spirit Barrier instantly unfolded before him. All the incoming energy beams struck the barrier, causing only ripples before they were annihilated.

At the same time, he made a gripping motion with his left hand. Immense Dragon Power, mixed with Magic Power refined by the [Source Law Engine], transformed into several invisible yet tangible shockwaves that slammed into the Energy Cores on the chests of the four heavy Magical Guide Structures like sledgehammers.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Four dull thuds sounded almost simultaneously, and the forward charge of the Magical Guide Structures came to an abrupt halt.

Their chest plates visibly caved in, and the grating sound of shattering components came from within. The red light in their eyes flickered a few times before extinguishing completely, turning them into true scrap metal.

As for the drones and turrets, a few solid Fighting Spirit Blades that Roland casually flung out precisely severed their energy lines or shattered their cores, sending them crashing to the ground, crackling with electric sparks.

The entire process took but a few moments.

His expression unchanged, Roland stepped over the debris-strewn floor and arrived at the metal gate.

He did the same as before, pressing both palms against the gate as the [Source Law Engine] supplied an endless stream of immense force.

SCREEECH—RUMBLE!

With a teeth-grinding screech of twisting metal and a shower of light from shattering Runes, he forced the gate open with brute strength.

But the scene behind the gate made Roland freeze.

It was completely different from the scene he had imagined—rows of neatly arranged finished devices, glowing with light. Instead, the inside of the storage vault was an utter mess.

Shelving units were toppled over, many of them already empty.

The floor was littered with shattered containers, broken tools, and metal fragments of unrecognizable origin.

There were clear scrapes and Energy burns on the walls.

This didn’t look like a place the researchers had packed up before evacuating. It looked more like...

...it had been looted.

’Was it the Rusted Knight Order? Or some other, unknown explorers?’

A question rose in Roland’s mind, only to be immediately replaced by a greater one.

’No, the defensive facilities outside were intact. How did they get in and loot the place without triggering the alarms, or pass through those heavy defenses unscathed after triggering them?’

Filled with this wariness and confusion, Roland stepped cautiously into the mess.

He carefully searched every corner and checked every toppled shelf, but the results were disheartening.

Almost everything that might have been valuable had been taken or destroyed, leaving behind nothing but true garbage and fragments.

Shaking his head slightly, Roland continued deeper inside.

After walking several hundred paces, he finally reached the core area of the vault.

And there, his gaze was drawn to the only row of metal shelves that remained intact, standing neatly in place.

Unlike the Chaos in the other areas, this row of shelves held a scattered assortment of several dozen items—various tools, parts, or strange creations of unknown purpose.

A flash of surprise crossed Roland’s eyes.

’These items look completely undamaged. Why did the looters spare this area alone?’

With this in mind, he slowly approached.

He saw a slanted sign next to the shelf, made of a crystal-like material. Clear, ancient script was written on it.

[Temporary Storage Area for Unfinished and Defective Products]

[Pending Reprocessing]

’Unfinished... defective... products?’

Roland murmured these few words, his brow furrowed slightly.

Could it be that his final, most anticipated discovery was just a pile of what the ancients considered failures... a pile of...

...junk?