【Devouring Progress: 80%】
Eight hours had passed, and Lin Xian was utterly drained. He sat inside the carriage of the Huanxing 7F Electric Locomotive, drenched in sweat.
This was the major drawback of Mechanical Devour—not only did it consume stamina, but it also required complete focus. Even if he reached 99%, if he stopped, all progress would be reset to zero.
That was why, without ample time and a safe environment, Lin Xian wouldn't dare attempt to devour something this massive.
Right now, after escaping from the underground city, they were on the vast snowfields. With the Soul Wave Detector and the onboard radar scanning the surroundings, they had finally secured a brief moment of respite. Seizing this crucial time, he resumed devouring.
【Devouring Progress: 95%】
Lin Xian’s hands were already trembling. He gritted his teeth—he was so close! Just a bit more, and once he succeeded, his Mechanical Heart would level up, restoring some of his stamina.
"Come on, come on! Just a little more!"
At Level 3, his Mechanical Devour was significantly faster than when he had devoured that short-haul freight locomotive. Otherwise, he would never have endured this long.
【Devouring Progress: 99%】
【Devour Successful! Mechanical Source Points +500. Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +200. Bonus Reward: Strength +30, Speed +20, Defense +30!】
【Congratulations! Mechanical Heart has leveled up to Level 3. Activating Mechanical Awakening!】
Just as the success notification rang in his ears, the light-screen in front of him went black!
Countless arcs of electricity suddenly materialized around Lin Xian. His entire body felt incredibly light, but his left hand was violently trembling. He looked down sharply—
A metallic, rotating mechanism appeared in the center of his palm for a brief moment before vanishing again.
"What the hell just happened?!"
The electric arcs crackled wildly around him. His pupils reflected a faint blue glow, and then, as if rebooting, another system screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
【Congratulations! Awakening Successful!】
【Awakened Identity: Mechanic】
【New Awakening Skill Unlocked: R&D Center】
【New Awakening Skill Unlocked: Manufacturing Plant】
【Disassembly Space Expansion Successful (Capacity: 1000 tons)】
【Strength Level Upgraded to Level 3】
【Defense Level Upgraded to Level 2】
A flood of notifications bombarded Lin Xian’s vision like a fireworks show.
The entire Huanxing 7F Electric Locomotive crumbled into dust, completely devoured.
Lin Xian lost his balance and collapsed onto the tracks.
"C-Cold! Damn, it's freezing!"
He scrambled back into the Infinite Train, slamming the door shut behind him. Only then did he let out a relieved breath.
Opening his system screen, he took a look at his upgraded Mechanical Heart.
【Mechanical Heart: Level 3 (245/5000)】
"My Mechanical Ability has finally evolved into a complete form!"
Lin Xian was ecstatic. After enduring so many hardships, he had finally achieved his first awakening. And the skills that came with it made him feel exhilarated.
"This—this is what a Mechanic is supposed to be like!"
With R&D Center, he could now upgrade blueprints automatically!
Excited, he immediately activated the skill. A research interface appeared before him, displaying a Blueprint Framework, surrounded by intricate circuit diagrams.
"Hmm… I can only pick one blueprint to research at a time."
Without hesitation, Lin Xian selected the 1130 CIWS blueprint and placed it into the R&D Center.
A red glow filled the research interface.
【High-Level Blueprint Detected. Current Mechanical Manufacturing Level: 2. Research Time Increased by 50%.】
【Select Research Focus:】
"That’s almost half a month! By the time it's done, the battlefield might have changed completely…"
Looks like the higher his Mechanical Manufacturing level, the faster his research efficiency.
Thinking about this, Lin Xian decided to test another blueprint—M556 Light Machine Gun.
【Select Research Focus:】
"Even that still takes over ten hours..."
He then tested the Blue Sky KK-93 Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier blueprint.
【Blueprint Detected. Research Duration: 6 Hours.】
"Huh, this one doesn’t have a research direction… well, let’s give it a go."
Water purification was a crucial issue. While they still had plenty of water on board, there was no sustainable recycling system in place yet. Sooner or later, they'd run out.
He originally planned to build one right away, but according to Shu Qin, the purifier’s current efficiency was mediocre, requiring boiled water for full safety.
If the R&D Center could upgrade it, he might obtain a higher-tier purifier.
【Alert: Blue Sky KK-93 Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier Blueprint is now being upgraded. Estimated Completion: 5:59:59】
The countdown timer started ticking, filling Lin Xian with anticipation.
Turning his attention to his left palm, he examined the Manufacturing Plant skill.
According to its description, this might just solve his biggest materials problem.
【Manufacturing Plant: Scan a basic material to obtain its information. Select a material from the Disassembly Space to convert.】
"Hah! So now materials have ranks?"
Opening his Disassembly Space, he noticed that all materials now had level indicators.
To test the skill, Lin Xian disassembled a bullet, extracted the smokeless gunpowder from its casing, and placed it in his palm.
Then, he activated Manufacturing Plant's Scan function.