Chapter 67
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Sci-Fi Notebook Trade
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「Johnson's Listed Item: Sci-Fi Notebook x1」
I accepted the trade request without much thought, but I never imagined that a Sci-Fi Notebook would be on the table right from the start.
And of all people, in a trade with Johnson.
'Jackpot.' Well, the Sci-Fi Notebook wasn't in my hands yet. If he didn't like the item I offered, he could just cancel it.
No, he might even cut off trades entirely going forward. Losing trades with Johnson would mean losing trades with his entire party.
'He's shown that much sincerity, so I can't afford to mess this up.'
What could I offer to satisfy him? As I scanned the workshop, my eyes landed on a scrap of parchment tucked into the bookshelf.
What was this again? I tilted my head and reached out to touch it.
「Blueprint: MJ Machine Gun」
It was the MJ Machine Gun blueprint I'd gotten on my first day at the munitions factory. It had a Gunner restriction, so I couldn't use it and just stuck it there...
Might as well make it now.
I decided to hand the MJ Machine Gun blueprint over to Queen. I could do it myself, but for a basic blueprint analysis—and not even a rare one—Queen was faster than me.
I murmured "Queen" into the air, and a hologram of an East Asian woman materialized smoothly. I held out the blueprint to her expressionless face.
"Analyze it."
「Analysis will take 1 minute and 26 seconds.」
Only 1 minute 26 seconds? The blueprint must not be that complex. Once the time was up, Queen projected the analyzed blueprint data as a hologram.
I followed the detailed breakdown and started fabricating the parts.
I created an aluminum alloy with Metal Generation, then shaped the parts with Metal Transformation. At level 9 Metal Transformation, making parts was a breeze.
It was just a simple matter of spending AP. I finished the MJ Machine Gun in no time. Then, I applied Metal Reinforcement to the completed gun.
「MJ Machine Gun」
Durability: 41/41
Attack Power: 65~195
Description: An enhanced MJ Machine Gun crafted by Mechanic Park Si-hyun. Overall performance has been improved over the standard model.
Restriction: Gunner
It wasn't some hidden item with insane stats, but it was one hell of a gun. If not for the Gunner restriction, I might've wanted it for myself.
I listed the enhanced MJ Machine Gun on the exchange.
「Your Listed Item: MJ Machine Gun x1」
「Accept the trade?」
「Trade accepted.」
I'd worried he might reject it, but luckily, Johnson accepted.
「Johnson has accepted the trade.」
The trade was complete. As the MJ Machine Gun vanished, a Sci-Fi Notebook appeared on the exchange. I picked it up.
「Acquired Sci-Fi Notebook x1.」
"Let's check it out."
At Zixuan's urging, I opened the notebook and looked inside. The drawing depicted a massive robot hoisting up a huge zombie.
'This...'
She peeked at the picture and tilted her head.
"Isn't that a Tyrant? Must be one heck of a robot."
"The zombie in the drawing isn't a Tyrant, but... yeah, it's an incredibly powerful robot. It's called Goliath."
Goliath. A special robot formed by combining three standard android robots.
A fun one. Depending on which android robots you combine, its performance and even name change.
'This could... stop a Tyrant.'
Goliath: Heraldes, born from three combat android robots. Its power is beyond what you'd expect from a Scenario 2 robot.
Equip it with proper firearms, and it could go toe-to-toe with a Tyrant without getting overwhelmed.
Of course, it had a fatal flaw, but with Zixuan and me supporting it, we could cover that... I activated Blueprint Synthesis on the Sci-Fi Notebook.
「Acquired Blueprint: Goliath x1.」
I grinned with satisfaction as I pulled up the Goliath blueprint on my smartwatch.
"Whoa!"
An MJ Machine Gun burst out of the box Johnson was holding. The party members watching had their eyes go wide. A massive machine gun emerging from that tiny box...
What the hell kind of item is that?
Regardless of their thoughts, Johnson picked up the MJ Machine Gun with a pleased expression. He'd used plenty of guns before, but this was the first one whose design he truly loved.
A subtle glow emanated from the long slit.
Johnson's face lit up even more as he checked the MJ Machine Gun's info.
'I should pay Park Si-hyun a visit sometime.'
He didn't want the trades to end after this one. Items a Mechanic needed weren't useful to his party.
Handing over unneeded items in exchange for a stable supply of guns and ammo was a win-win.
Not just through the exchange, but bulk trades in the real world wouldn't be bad either.
Having scored an unexpected gain through the exchange, I headed next to the sewage treatment plant.
To check with my own eyes if M01, which I'd deployed there, was doing its job properly. Despite the time passed, the M01 I'd sent to the sewage treatment plant was still hard at work.
"Progress report?"
I asked M01, and Queen's voice came through the speaker.
「26% remaining until sewage treatment plant reactivation.」
In other words, 74% complete. Much faster than I'd expected.
Queen had mentioned that M01 spent every moment except battery recharges on the reactivation work.
I'd ordered it, but... was it a bit harsh? In human terms, it was like nonstop labor outside of meal times.
If robots had rights—or whatever you'd call them—it'd probably sue me as an exploitative employer.
I shook off the random thought with a head shake and approached M01.
「Work Android Robot - M01」
Durability: 80/120
Mounted Firearm: None
Mounted Tool: None
Connected AI: Queen
Description: A work android robot crafted by Mechanic Park Si-hyun, leveraging his deep understanding of androids. Incorporating knowledge from the Mysterious Data Module, it can substitute for most human labor.
While it could be used for combat if armed, its efficiency would be low since it was built for work. Accumulated work data has boosted current task efficiency by 33%.
Durability reduced due to ongoing work.
I used Machine Repair on M01. Its durability filled up instantly.
The briefly paused M01 resumed its vigorous movements.
I pitched in beside M01 to help with the sewage treatment plant reactivation. With only 26% left, I figured I'd just finish it off. Clean water in the shelter was crucial, and besides, I'd need to redeploy M01 soon anyway.
After two days of work, I got the sewage treatment plant back online. The pumps forcefully drew up water. Shelter Apocalypse's drinking and agricultural water issues were now solved.
Food problems resolved, followed by water.
"Good job."
「Queen merely did what was expected.」
I patted M01's head proudly, feeling the hard texture.
「...」
Queen showed no reaction at first... then an 'emoticon' of a blushing face appeared on M01's gauge panel. Had watching romantic comedies lately sparked some emotional overflow?
Amused by Queen's response, I kept petting M01's head. On another note, had I even added emoticon functions to the work android?
I decided to expand the shelter to cover the entire industrial zone. The expansion didn't take long. Most zombies on the island—formerly the industrial zone—had been cleared.
All I needed to do was erect barriers and electrified fences on the empty land.
Naturally, I needed twice as many Sentry Guns to defend the expanded shelter. Still, with M01 helping this time, things went smoothly.
Truth be told, M01's work speed was still slow compared to mine.
It could make one while I made ten. But better than nothing, so I teamed up with M01 to steadily produce Sentry Guns.
Meanwhile, the residents expanded the farmlands using the farming equipment I'd made. They plowed with tractors, spread fertilizer, and sowed seeds.
Under Professor Alex's direction, they even built greenhouses to prepare for the weather.
They'd asked my permission, but now Professor Alex and the others were finding their own tasks. The shelter was starting to run smoothly on its own without my direct involvement.
That was right when Professor Alex requested a private meeting.
"I believe we need to decentralize power in the shelter. Ah, don't take it the wrong way. It's not that I'm dissatisfied with you and Zixuan holding absolute power... It's about preparing for when you're not here."
Professor Alex handed me a notebook he'd filled with his dense handwriting, trying to persuade me. Man, his passion was impressive as ever.
"Looking back at what I've seen of you, there will surely be times when you go out alone or with Zixuan. What if zombies—or that Tyrant you encountered last time—attack in the meantime?"
He took a sip of water and continued.
"I think flexible responses would be impossible. If everyone relies solely on you and Zixuan."
"You're right."
"As you know, our faction is largely divided into four groups: Shelter A, Shelter B, Shelter C, and the Scavengers... Shelter D joined recently, so let's leave them out. My personal recommendation: how about Emily, Pedro, Jason, and Maria as sub-leaders?"
I nodded.
I hadn't thought it through as specifically as Professor Alex, but with more outings for leveling, it was time to decentralize power.
Emily, Pedro, Jason, Maria.
They were already acting as group leaders among the survivors. They could handle sub-leader roles.
So I called them in and proposed it, but everyone except Maria refused.
Reasons varied.
Emily said with a bored look, "Me, take on something that annoying?"
Pedro replied with an indignant expression, "I have no intention of betraying my leader."
Jason declared, "One leader is enough," showing strong trust in me.
But I forced the sub-leader roles on them anyway. Their abilities had been proven through past events. There was no one else suitable.
Then, a message appeared.
「Power decentralization within the shelter improves residents' coping abilities.」
「Residents will not panic easily even in desperate situations.」
「Power Decentralization」
- Residents' coping ability +1
With that, the shelter's internal affairs were sorted for the time being.