The total rewards obtained by Team 1 from the Gundam SEED world were as follows: 5 Construction Opportunities, 6 Enhancement Opportunities, 11 Skill Draw Opportunities, 11 Skill Enhancement Opportunities, 1 Small Resource Pack, and 5 Extra Large Resource Packs.
Team 2's rewards from the Gundam W world were: 5 Construction Opportunities, 3 Enhancement Opportunities, 5 Skill Draw Opportunities, 4 Skill Enhancement Opportunities, and 3 Tiny Resource Packs.
Grand Total: 10 Construction Opportunities, 9 Enhancement Opportunities, 16 Skill Draw Opportunities, 15 Skill Enhancement Opportunities, 3 Tiny Resource Packs, 1 Small Resource Pack, and 5 Extra Large Resource Packs.
Flit's prediction had been correct—this haul was exceptionally generous. The five Extra Large Resource Packs alone were a godsend for the resource-starved Prometheus Fortress. Based on previous resource pack yields, they could roughly estimate how much an Extra Large Pack would provide.
If projections held true, this windfall might finally unlock the most coveted technology—the original GN Drive.
The Construction and Enhancement Opportunities were solid, exceeding expectations and offering more options than anticipated.
As for the abundant Skill Draw and Enhancement Opportunities—these were the icing on the cake. While skills became less impactful as one grew stronger...
"Mephis, can I use Skill Enhancement Opportunities to raise my piloting to A-rank?"
[No.]
"Why not? Isn't piloting considered a skill?"
[The leap from B-rank to A-rank represents a fundamental transformation. To be blunt, it's an evolution of life essence. Every A-rank pilot must meet requirements beyond mere technical proficiency.]
"What requirements?"
[Bloodline. Talent.]
"Bloodline and talent?"
[Correct. For instance, the Innovator trait you possess is one such bloodline. However, merely having the bloodline isn't enough—it must be developed to A-rank standards...]
"Wait! Why wasn't I informed about bloodline tiers? My status screen shows nothing!"
[Insufficient Permissions.]
"...And talent?" Damn these permission restrictions!
[When any pilot reaches the B-rank threshold, they gain a chance to awaken a talent. These awakenings are shaped by flight habits, personality, combat style, and numerous other factors—making each pilot's talent unique. You currently stand at the B-rank threshold, lacking only this awakening.]
"...So my piloting skills and bloodline already qualify?"
[...Affirmative.]
For the first time, Yang Hui detected a flicker of expression on Mephis's face—just the slightest twitch at the corner of her eye, but enough to reveal that Mephis might not be the pure artificial intelligence he'd assumed.
Still, with Mephis's temperament, direct questioning would yield nothing. Probing her true nature seemed unnecessary regardless—whatever secrets she held, she remained their ally. And Yang Hui would never employ underhanded tactics against a comrade.
Moreover, Yang Hui believed that as they grew stronger step by step and gained higher permissions, they would naturally uncover Mephis's true identity.
"What about S-rank?" The advancement conditions for A-rank were already clear. To be honest, the transformation of life's essence truly surprised Yang Hui. So what about the highest rank, S? What kind of existence would that be?
[Insufficient Permissions.]
Well, that was the expected answer.
"So all upgradable skills, except piloting, can be used for enhancement?"
[Yes.]
"Understood, thanks."
[...] Mephis fell silent for a second before disappearing. But before vanishing, Yang Hui clearly saw the faint blush on the holographic face!
This wasn't Yang Hui testing boundaries—he had genuinely thanked her on reflex. Yet, it unexpectedly brought him another pleasant surprise.
The rest was time for the decision-making group. Yang Hui, Sumeragi, Wang Liu Mei, Flit, Jehart, Argreus (who had rushed over from the Gundam AGE world), and the newly joined Creuset and Durandal began discussing how to use the Construction Opportunities and Enhancement Opportunities.
After about an hour of deliberation, they ultimately decided to stick to a cautious approach. The Central Hall would only be upgraded once, with the remaining Construction and Enhancement Opportunities reserved for other areas.
The Prometheus Fortress was their true headquarters, and it was still in a damaged state. Even if they aimed for higher permissions, they needed to lay a solid foundation first.
For instance, what good would upgrading the Research Zone and Production Zone do now? Higher-tier technologies required more resources to unlock and produce. With just two Mining Zones yielding meager returns—using GN Drives as a benchmark—they'd probably only manage to produce a handful of screws.
Thus, heavy investment in the Mining Zones was essential. They spent four Construction Opportunities to build four new Mining Zones and four Enhancement Opportunities to upgrade all four to Lv.2, bringing the total to six Lv.2 Mining Zones.
Next, the Research Zone was upgraded twice, reaching Lv.5.
The Production Zone was upgraded three times, reaching Lv.4.
They also constructed two new Residential Zones, one Trading Zone, one Military Zone, and one Port.
The current state of the Prometheus Fortress was as follows:
Central Hall (Unique): Lv.3
Research Zone (Unique): Lv.5
Production Zone (Unique): Lv.4
Mining Zones x6: Lv.2
Residential Zones x3: Lv.1
Entertainment Zone x1: Lv.1
Trading Zone x1: Lv.1
Military Zone x1: Lv.1
Port x1: Lv.1
[Central Hall level increased. Permission level raised to Lv.1. Squad function unlocked. Direct subordinate squad count +1. Random member selection for squads has been canceled. The Commander may now form three squads to be dispatched to three different worlds for mandatory missions. Each squad has a maximum of 10 members. Mission world selection rules have been updated to randomly pick two worlds, with the three squads having allocation rights over the three worlds.
Side Quests unlocked. Restricted Quest function unlocked.]
The heavy upgrades to the Research and Production Zones were also necessary. Even if they lacked sufficient resources for unlocking and production now, knowing what new technologies higher-tier research could offer would help them better plan their future path.
The decision to construct two Residential Zones was due to the Gundam SEED world bringing in a large fixed population, making one Residential Zone insufficient.
The Trading Zone was established because connecting two worlds allowed the framework for inter-world trade to begin.
As for the Military Zone and Port, they currently served no purpose for Prometheus Fortress. However, Creuset suggested taking advantage of the ample rewards to build one of each, as these were the last two untouched zones. Even if they had no immediate use, it would help them gather early intelligence on these areas.
It must be said that this decision was wise, as the two new zones provided them with much information and speculation.
For example, the Military Zone—also called the Armament Zone or Defense Zone—could not only station permanent troops but also housed various fortress defense facilities such as Beam Cannons, Missile Launchers, and Field Shields.
These were just the basics. Beyond them lay numerous locked technologies shrouded in darkness. Unlocking these technologies would be done in the Research Institute rather than requiring separate production in the Production Zone—simply clicking to construct them in the Military Zone would suffice.
The Port, on the other hand, was a docking area for fleets. Currently, it was small, with only a handful of berths. However, as it was upgraded, its scale would expand to accommodate countless fleets.
The appearance of the Military Zone and Port led them to speculate that as the Central Hall's level increased and their permissions expanded, they might no longer be limited to merely traveling to mission worlds. Instead, they might engage in various battles in the void with Prometheus Fortress as their core—against the enemies recorded in the database.
"Good thing we didn't rush things."
Yang Hui and the others were relieved they hadn't acted recklessly. Otherwise, given their current strength, they truly wouldn't have been able to handle incoming enemies.
What? Why was this speculation rather than a direct question to Mephis?
The answer, as always: [Insufficient Permissions.]
However, with the Research Institute reaching Lv.5, they obtained another crucial piece of information—once the Research Institute reached Lv.5, it could no longer be upgraded further unless the Central Hall also reached Lv.5 and underwent an advancement.
"It seems Level 5 is a threshold. After advancement, it will be a leap forward—for us and for Prometheus Fortress," Sumeragi remarked.
"But the danger will be equally great. I feel that if we aren't prepared for this threshold… we might face an unprecedented crisis," Yang Hui said.
"Undoubtedly. In the data you provided, isn't there a distinction between Real Type and Super Type?"
In an extremely short time, Creuset and Durandal had skimmed through most of the database. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to join the decision-making discussions without any knowledge.
Aside from focusing on enemy intelligence like the festum, they paid special attention to the so-called Super Type.
Yang Hui had recorded some Super Type data based on his memories. To be honest… the festum belonged to the Super Type—and were undoubtedly among its highest tiers.
There are other Super Types too—Mobile Suits with giant energy blades capable of splitting galaxies, those wielding all sorts of superpowers, output that increases infinitely with the volume of battle cries, even magic and time stops... What kind of monsters are these? Can science even explain them properly?
"Hmm, we're currently in the Real Type category, but as for Super Types... If I'm not mistaken, once we advance, we'll start encountering Super Type entities."
"But we won't immediately face the top-tier ones. It should be low-difficulty worlds that don't completely exceed Real Type but still involve Super Type elements," Sumeragi speculated.
"Even so, they'll definitely be easier than the missions we're facing now."
"That's why we absolutely mustn't rush things. Super Type worlds are extremely unpredictable. A mission might appear simple at first glance, but some sudden complication could drastically increase its difficulty."
"Exactly! To use gaming terms, we're currently in the beginner protection phase. Laying a solid foundation is crucial—only then can we progress further in the future!"
"And there are those two newly unlocked features too—Side Quests and Restricted Quests, right? It seems that as our permissions expand, so do our avenues for rewards. Isn't that correct, Miss Mephis?"