Three thousand non-graded herbs were all the Quicksand Gang had, and they belonged to Jiang Li now. Most of them were ten years old, but there were also herbs that were twenty, thirty and ninety years old.
At the Chief's compound, as a large white light flashed, the three thousand non-graded herbs all disappeared and were converted into energy points. A notice appeared before Jiang Li.
"Conversion successful. Received 4520 energy points."
He opened the virtual window. The total number of energy points increased from 894 to 5414 points.
"More than five thousand energy points." Jiang Li was thrilled. He first opened the "Mech Types" window and unlocked the "Intel Mech."
"Intel Mech unlocked."
"Make one Intel Mech."
Jiang Li controlled the Dominator Panel.
Swish! A virtual window popped up with a human figure on it. Countless light dots started to fill the figure.
A minute later, the mech was completed and the virtual human figure became realistic.
"Master, I'm Intel Mech XX01."
The Intel Mech came up. He was a twenty-year-old man and looked cold. He was wearing a military uniform and he gave Jiang Li a formal salute.
"Okay." Jiang Li nodded and looked at the equipment the Intel Mech had. He didn't have any weapons. He only had some kind of "wireless radio station" with an antenna in the middle on his back.
"Mech Type: Intel Mech"
"Level: Early stage of level one"
"No.: XX01"
"Skills: Level-one elementary wireless communication technology"
"Equipment: Level-one elementary wireless communication device"
"Characteristics: A mechanical creation that isn't afraid of dying, can't feel pain and is extremely loyal. It stops functioning only if its heart is broken or 90% of its body is destroyed. After it dies, it can be recycled for half of the energy points of the cost."
"Condition to Reach the Next Level: 20 energy points"
"Intel Mech XX01, tell me about yourself," Jiang Li said.
"Yes, Master," XX01 replied. "Intel Meches don't have strong combat power. We're mainly responsible for military communications and we ensure real-time intelligence transmission within the army. Since I'm at the early stage of level one right now, I can only communicate with words. There is no limit on the communication distance. As there's no 'army base station' yet, all the communications are carried out through the game system, the 'Legendary Mech Army' and one energy point will be used each time. As I reach higher levels, I'll gradually unlock all kinds of ways to communicate. Report completed."
"Hm." Jiang Li nodded and mumbled, "Intel Meches are actually 'signallers.' Although they aren't good at fighting, they're pretty strong and are comparable to the weakest Martial Artists of the same level. During the day, people from the government office said that I'm in contact with the Monsters. I feel like there's some kind of conspiracy here. I guess someone's planning something behind it, but it's not that easy to frame me."
In fact Jiang Li even thought that someone superior in Yongan City might be working with the Monsters. Otherwise, people from the government office wouldn't have come. And yet Jiang Li didn't have any evidence or clues, so he had no idea where to start.
"It's not like I don't have any clues at all." Jiang Li pondered and murmured, "I can start from Zhang Ling. And Stone Village."
Jiang Li mumbled, "With the Intel Mech, I'll be able to communicate with the others at a distance. By then, I'll only need to send some meches to Stone Village, while I give them commands from the city."
"Upgrade the Intel Mech."
Jiang Li controlled the Dominator Panel.
Swish! Light flashed on the Intel Mech and he was upgraded to the perfected stage of level one in just a few seconds. 140 energy points were used.
"Mech Type: Intel Mech"
"Level: Perfected stage of level one"
"No.: XX01"
"Skills: Level-one ultimate wireless communication technology"
"Equipment: Level-one ultimate wireless communication device"
"Characteristics: A mechanical creation that isn't afraid of dying, can't feel pain and is extremely loyal. It stops functioning only if its heart is broken or 90% of its body is destroyed. After it dies, it can be recycled for half of the energy points of the cost."
"Condition to Reach the Next Level: One level-two Soul Tinder, 100 energy points"
The Intel Mech didn't look much different, but the black box on his back shrank several times and became something like a tablet. It was also promoted from a Recruit to a Sergeant.
Intel Meches of early-stage level one could only communicate with words, mid-stage Intel Meches could use their voice to communicate, peak-stage Intel Meches could deliver pictures, while perfected-stage Intel Meches could make videos.
"Make twenty Combat Meches, twenty Cold Weapon Meches, twenty Firearm Meches and five Intel Meches."
Jiang Li used 650 energy points again to make sixty five meches. He now had a total of 120 meches. He could already form a full company.
Swish! A virtual window popped up and a virtual human figure appeared.
A minute later the meches were completed. There were sixty five more meches in front of Jiang Li. They lined up and saluted Jiang Li.
"Greetings, Master!" the meches shouted.
"Hm." Jiang Li smiled and nodded.
"Upgrade the five Intel Meches to the perfected stage of level one."
Swish! Swish!
Light flashed on the five Intel Meches and they were upgraded in a few seconds. Jiang Li used 700 energy points.
"There are 3914 energy points left." Jiang Li looked at the remaining energy points and used another 160 points. "Upgrade Wang Long and Wang Yan to the perfected stage of level one."
Swish! Swish!
Wang Long and Wang Yan were guarding the entrance of the compound. Light flashed on their body and they reached the perfected stage of level one. All of their cold weapons had been unlocked.
"Among all 120 meches, there are two perfected-stage Combat Meches, three perfected-stage Cold Weapon Meches and one perfected-stage Firearm Mech. I have 3754 energy points left, so I can upgrade twenty six more meches to the perfected stage. And yet, I must also leave enough points for refilling the bullets of the Firearm Meches and for repairing the damaged meches." Jiang Li analyzed. "So, I can only upgrade twenty meches."
"Upgrade six Combat Meches, five Cold Weapon Meches and nine Firearm Meches." Jiang Li made a decision after pondering for a while.
The Firearm Meches were much more powerful than the Cold Weapon Meches and Combat Meches, especially when dealing with a large number of enemies. If the Monsters were really attacking the city, the Firearm Meches could be very useful and might even be able to turn the tides.
And yet Jiang Li had never met the Monsters before, so he didn't know what exactly they were like.
"I must move faster. I'll send a group of meches to Stone Village tomorrow." Jiang Li thought.
A few seconds later, all the meches were upgraded. Jiang Li used 2800 energy points so there were 954 points left, which would be enough for supporting the fights.