As compared to the massive destruction-grade battleship production line, producing a few bottles of gene potions did not seem like much.
However, Brian looked at the energy crystals that were disappearing into the clearing and sighed.
"Sigh, the energy consumption of gene potion is indeed very high. Just ten bottles of the gene potion cost 20,000 standard Model Galaxy units of energy crystals."
"In other words, a bottle of the gene potion costs 2,000 standard units of energy crystals."
"If I want to build a small-scale army of 10,000 genetic soldiers, assuming that each soldier consumes one bottle of the gene potion, it will cost 20 million standard units of energy crystals."
Brian didn't even dare to imagine how many energy crystals would be consumed by a million genetic warriors.
After all, one million genetic warriors would require at least two billion standard units of energy crystals.
This was an astronomical figure.
Even if he searched through the entire Region 15 in the Model Galaxy, he might not be able to gather two billion standard units of energy crystals.
After all, not every planet produced energy crystals.
Most importantly, energy crystals were also the energy source for interstellar battleships.
If they were all used to produce gene potion, how could they propel their battleships?
If they didn't have battleships and only relied on the physical bodies of their soldiers to fight, would they still be a technological civilization?
Brian had a headache.
He rested his chin on his left wrist to ease his tension.
Then, he asked Number One a question.
"Number One, do you know of any good methods to create energy crystals? It seems like it's difficult to sustain the energy consumption demands of a technological civilization by just plundering the energy crystals of other planets."
Number One replied to him respectfully.
"Some planets have energy lodes. Through several complex processes including mining, smelting, and compression, only then will standard units of energy crystals be produced."
Brian asked another question. "Does Planet Helka have such energy lodes?"
Number One looked depressed.
"We originally had energy lodes. However, they have already been mined by those greedy Bhutlerians. Furthermore, their mining methods were completely violent and they did not consider the regeneration of the lodes. Thus, there are currently no suitable energy lodes on Planet Helka. We can only go to other planets to mine energy lodes."
Brian sighed heavily.
"There's nothing we can do about it. We can only postpone the plan to create genetic warriors."
Brian felt very helpless.
There were more than 10 million standard units of energy crystals on Planet Helka.
However, most of these energy crystals came from Planet Terra.
Furthermore, these energy crystals would be used to construct destruction-grade battleships and drive these battleships during battle.
Thus, he could not use these energy crystals.
Brian would absolutely never spend beyond his means.
"Number One, contact Number Two and ask him to see if there are any other energy lodes on Planet Terra. If there are any, hurry up and mine them. However, if there aren't any, ask him not to force it. After all, ensuring the safety of Planet Terra is our main mission."
"Yes!"
…
When darkness fell, a group of experts wearing white coats and blue masks appeared in the underground base.
With their help, Brian safely consumed a bottle of the gene potion.
After the experts took measurements, they realized that Brian's stats far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Someone even asserted that in the future, Brian could grow into a lifeform that was above Level 15.
"Above Level 15? The effects of the potion are much better than described in the information. Perhaps it's because I'm a planet overlord."
Level 15 was only one level away from Level 14, but there was a world of difference between the levels.
The former could travel through the galaxy with their physical body, while a Level 14 lifeform could only hide on a planet with an atmosphere.
After taking the gene potion, Brian did not immediately experience an exaggerated transformation like the warriors who took the potion in movies.
However, Brian could clearly feel his muscles tightening and his heart beating harder.
After stepping out of the nutrition cabin, Brian was only wearing a pair of dark-colored underwear.
Number One was waiting outside the cabin. She only heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Brian's beautiful muscles.
Number One did not mind that Brian still had some nutrient solution on his body. Instead, she rushed towards Brian and hugged him tightly.
After that, Number One helped Brian to wipe his body with a towel.
After changing his clothes, Brian asked the medical expert beside the nutrition cabin.
"How strong am I now?"
The expert said respectfully.
"The genes in the Overlord's body have been strengthened. Based on the level of your body, you are now a Level 11 lifeform."
"Level 11?"
Brian was somewhat shocked.
He was a Level 11 lifeform, one level higher than Taylor.
The overlord of Planet Las had cultivated for over a year, but was only a Level 10 lifeform.
Meanwhile, Brian had surpassed Taylor by one level just after consuming a bottle of the gene potion.
Even though this was only the level of his body and did not represent his actual combat power, it was enough to show how powerful the gene potion was.
This was the charm of technology.
Brian was very pleased.
On the other hand, he had even more questions in his heart.
Who exactly created this potion from Earth?
The stronger the potion, the more frightened Brian became.
It was a deep sense of powerlessness.
He could only produce technological architecture, but he could not create technology himself.
If a bottle of this potion was already so powerful, then how powerful was the civilization of the potion maker?
Brian started to worry about the problems his civilization would face when it developed into the later stages.
It was true that the advancement of technological civilizations was extremely fast in the early stages.
However…
When they reached the later stages, the advantages of magical civilizations or other cultivation civilizations would be revealed.
This was the simplest example.
When Ryan's Planet Malygos had Level 30 lifeforms in the later stages…
… Brian's current gene potion might not be able to produce a Level 30 warrior at that time.
When technological civilizations developed to the later stages, quality was much more important than quantity.
To put it bluntly, it was just like the difference between a handgun and a nuclear weapon.
The power of tens of thousands of pistols could not compare to that of a nuclear bomb.
Pistols could only be used in small-scale battles. They were not even useful in modern warfare.
However, nuclear bombs could instantly destroy a city!
The only thing that Brian could do now was to collect as many resources as possible.
Then, he would expand the advantage of his technological civilization.
After that, he would search for cultivation techniques or technological designs that had powerful effects like the gene potion.
Brian spoke to the expert next to the nutrition cabin.
"Make more of these nutrition cabins. In the future, when there are sufficient energy resources, they will be used in large quantities.
"Yes, my Overlord. I promise to complete the mission."
…
A few days later, Number Two sent a message back from Planet Terra.
Number Two reported that their fleet and the upper echelons of Planet Terra had searched the entire planet.
However, they did not discover any new crystal lodes.
Just like Planet Helka, when Planet Terra was colonized by Planet Bhutler, most of the energy lodes on the planet had been exploited.
Thus, the mines that were left behind on Planet Terra were the remnants of the mines that the Bhutlerians had mined.
Number Two's report greatly disappointed Brian.