"Time to check out my latest gains."
After seeing off Uncle Yang, Feng Mo leaned back against his bed and opened up his interface.
With the successful construction of 23 starships over the past 20 days, the system had updated to reflect his progress.
[Task: Assemble a Starship Fleet. Requirements: One flagship, additional ships and escorts, 30/30 complete. Reward: 500 points and a customized Second-Level Perfect Gene Serum recipe.]
Feng Mo clicked to claim his rewards.
[Rewards Claimed: 500 points and a Second-Level Perfect Gene Serum recipe (Feng Mo edition).]
After skimming the recipe's details, Feng Mo frowned. He consulted his terminal and did some research, only to grow more anxious. Even after scouring the academy's internal star network, he hadn't fully resolved his concerns.
The serum required 16 main ingredients and 184 auxiliary extracts. Of these, 12 primary ingredients and all 184 auxiliary ones were available on Xianyun Prime, with some even stocked in the Feng family's inventory. Those were easy to handle. He quickly sent Uncle Yang a list, instructing him to purchase everything overnight so that he could take the materials with him when he departed.
What troubled Feng Mo were the four remaining ingredients, unavailable on Xianyun Prime. Fortunately, he found them listed on the academy's internal market. The bad news? Each of these rare components cost over a million Yunshan credits, with the total bill exceeding six million. Spending that much made his heart ache; it was enough to buy a T2-class starship or build five T2 Black Bear frigates.
After burning through a hefty sum, Feng Mo checked his finances. His remaining balance stood at just 24 million Yunshan credits. "Money just evaporates these days," he muttered. "Time to make some more."
With the ingredients taken care of, he turned his attention to the points shop. The idea of acquiring a T3 destroyer blueprint tempted him, but as he browsed through the T3 options, something else caught his eye.
[T3 Bronze Hammer-Class Industrial Starship]
Armor Strength: 145 Units
Dimensions: 2000 x 500 x 369 meters
Speed: 60 knots (space speed)
Warp Engine: Tier 3
Shield Energy: Tier 3, 100%
Weapons: 50 T3 Point Defense Laser Cannons
The Bronze Hammer was a massive vessel, several times larger than the Storm-class Battleship. It was lightly armed, with only basic defensive systems—no heavy weaponry.
As its name suggested, the industrial starship was built for construction and maintenance. With this vessel, Feng Mo could construct starships directly in space, as long as he had the necessary raw materials. The ship was highly automated, needing only a small team of skilled engineers to operate efficiently. Using it, he could reduce the construction time for a ship like the Storm from two months to six weeks.
Its greatest advantage was secrecy. The crew would only know the technical details of their specific roles, while core technologies, like engines, could remain under Feng Mo's control.
"This is a must-have," Feng Mo decided, eyes gleaming. He spent all 500 of his newly earned points to claim the blueprint.
But after calculating the construction costs, Feng Mo was stunned.
"Too expensive," he thought. The Storm-class, at 800 meters long, had cost over 11 million Yunshan credits to build. Its market price would easily exceed 50 million. But the Bronze Hammer, a 2000-meter behemoth, would cost a staggering 30 million to construct.
Feng Mo could only imagine the astronomical selling price. No wonder support ships like this were notoriously costly. Still, the investment would pay off. With the Bronze Hammer, he could construct any T4 starship except for carriers.
"I'm broke again," Feng Mo groaned, scratching his head. With only five million in emergency funds, he still needed 11 million more to build the industrial ship. "Maybe I can swindle another bet out of Jiang Wei? No, he'd be too wary now. Maybe Zhao Zhicheng is a better target?"
---
The next morning, Feng Mo collected the medicinal ingredients from Uncle Yang and boarded the Storm-class Battleship with Vice-Captain Elpan. His new task had already appeared—his mission interface always refreshed the day after completing a task.
[Task: Create the Second-Level Perfect Gene Serum and use it to advance to a Second-Level Gene Warrior. Reward: 500 points and T3 Battle Armor blueprints.]
T3 Battle Armor! An exciting prize. The armor worn by Director Liu was of this tier, and it allowed an ordinary third-level gene warrior to dominate a fourth-level one. In Liu's case, his gear let him briefly hold his own against a fifth-level gene warrior.
Feng Mo's initial excitement gave way to concern. The cost of manufacturing T3 Battle Armor was exorbitant, even higher than most T3 starships.
---
September 29th, Academy Dormitory
Feng Mo sat at a lab table, flanked by two service droids extracting the essences from his precious ingredients.
He had returned to the academy that afternoon, paying off the balance for his purchases before racing back to his dorm with two boxes of medicinal components.
On the lab bench, various flasks bubbled as the essences were distilled, refined, and filtered. Finally, a vial of thick, cerulean liquid was ready.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Mo gulped down the serum. The moment it hit his tongue, his body seized up. His face paled, and a burning sensation tore through his throat and stomach, as if he had swallowed molten lava. His skin flushed a bright, unhealthy blue, veins bulging and twisting beneath.
Muscles tensed and spasmed uncontrollably, and every fiber of his being felt like it was being scorched. The pain was excruciating.
Seeing this, the droids hurriedly carried him to the bathroom, submerging him in an ice bath. Steam rose from the freezing water as it worked to cool his overheated body. Gradually, the pain subsided, and Feng Mo's contorted features relaxed. Color returned to his cheeks, and his mind cleared.
The droids dried him off and laid him on his bed, tucking him in. His muscles were still sore and weak, but mentally, he felt sharper than ever. As a second-level gene warrior, his lifespan had increased by nearly 200 years.
His interface flashed with a notification:
[Task: Create the Second-Level Perfect Gene Serum and use it to advance to a Second-Level Gene Warrior. Reward: 500 points and T3 Battle Armor blueprints.]
Feng Mo claimed his reward.
[Rewards Claimed: 500 points and T3 Battle Armor blueprints.]
"Perfect," he thought, even as his mind turned to the costs. Constructing the armor would drai
n his coffers yet again, but the benefits were undeniable. "I need more money. A lot more."