'This much metal should be enough for building Exoskeleton One. Also, I have to visit the trading platform to see if there is any special listing, as I saw such a category a few minutes ago.'
Keon's thoughts flashed as he watched the few kilogram dark iron blocks before him. Each tiny block was just five grams in weight. It took a few hours to gather iron particles from the sand and then assimilate them into the shape of a tiny block based on his load capacity.
At the same time, he increased his coal stockpile to a few hundred grams in these hours.
The path to his new form, though arduous, was becoming clearer with each calculated step. He opened the trading interface, and instantly, the listings appeared before his vision.
…
[Trading Platform]
Raw Materials
Wood/Coal: 1000 Wh/kg
Iron: 500 Wh/kg
Soil / Sand / Rock: 250 Wh/kg
Tools
Ironwood Heavy Hammer: 7500 Wh/unit
Ironwood Axe: 5000 Wh/unit
Ironwood Bow: 5000 Wh/unit
Ironwood Arrow: 5000 Wh/Bundle (10 units)
Wooden Bow: 2500 Wh/unit
Wood Rock Arrow: 2500 Wh/Bundle (10 units)
Rock Spear: 1000 Wh/unit
Special Items
Genesis Liquid: 5,000,000 Wh/drop
Dragon Scale: 10,00,000 Wh/scale
Flame Stone: 500,000 Wh/unit
…
A flash of surprise crossed his mind as he noticed the special items.
'Dragon Scale? Flame Stone? Genesis Liquid? These things are really fantastical, far above the cold logic of engineering. It seems some players had already been born in apex; it's their way of revealing their existence.'
After a brief glance, he ignored them; none of them were useful for a mechanical being like him at this stage, nor could he afford them now. His focus remained on the tangible, the materials that could build his escape.
After looking at the metal blocks he gathered from the sand around him, his expression became thoughtful.
'I have already gathered three kg of iron, which is enough to build Exoskeleton One.'
He then walked forward and climbed onto one iron piece.
'Next, I'll assimilate the metal and reshape it into the exoskeleton shell I just designed.'
He thoughtfully projected the blueprint in his mind. The exoskeleton was shaped similarly to his original spider form but over a foot in size, roughly twelve times larger than his current one-inch frame. It was a vision of power, a promise of freedom.
"Material Assimilation!"
Instantly, liquid metal began flowing through his eight legs, wrapping his body in layers. Slowly, it morphed into a hardened outer shell, identical in shape to his original form. The process was demanding, a drain on his rapidly diminishing energy reserves.
After a while, a red notification suddenly flashed in his vision:
[Warning: Your energy is critically low. Please cease any operation to avoid entering deep sleep.]
Keon quickly halted the assimilation process. A jolt of alarm, a primal fear of incapacitation, ran through his core.
A six-inch, dual-ring-shaped metal spider shell remained on the ground, its legs incomplete. The back plate of the shell slowly slid open, and Keon crawled out, his tiny form a stark contrast to the half-built behemoth.
'Six inches is the optimal frame size to control the legs. Since I don't have magnets, copper, or other vital materials to build a proper autonomous shell, I'll have to manage with this half-functional junk, for now.'
The self-deprecating thought was a familiar echo of his human cynicism.
He examined the shell beneath his feet before crawling down toward the coal heap. He began assimilating the hydrocarbon layers from the coal, slowly restoring his energy, a painstaking process of survival.
A few hours passed. Keon repeated the cycle of restoration and assimilation a few more times until he finally completed the exoskeleton structure.
He projected the blueprint once more and began matching the internal mechanical system; there were no motors or electronic parts, only gears, pulleys, and thin rods interconnected inside the shell. Everything was mechanical, operated manually through his legs.
Eventually, a one-foot-long mechanical spider began crawling across the ground. Its main body was six inches, with eight jointed legs, each six inches long. Keon moved it with a little struggle and slowly got used to it after memorizing all the internal mechanical operations.
'Though it's not that extremely hard to operate, the energy consumption is massive. I can replenish my energy for now, but this heavy operation will wear my joints down fast.'
He monitored his energy levels and structural status while running the shell. He basically felt the mechanical exoshell, although useful, was a failure, as its operation was damaging his components. A wave of frustration, a very human emotion, buzzed through his core.
'I need new blueprints and must search for more suitable materials. Also, I should leave this cave soon and find a more favorable environment.'
Mapping the cave with his sensors, he estimated it to be around thirty meters wide and forty-five meters long.
'Staying here and building a base isn't a bad idea... but I'm worried about collapse. If the ceiling caves in, I'll be buried, and that's the end.' His thought lingered as he surveyed the cave. Sand mounds littered the space, and in many areas, the sand was too deep for his pointed legs to traverse.
'Seems like this cave is under a sandy surface, possibly a desert. I'll know once I get outside.'
Keon examined every corner, even testing the walls by tapping them and analyzing the sound wave feedback. He soon identified a troubling fact.
'The walls are dense with solid stones and crystals; there are no hollow spaces to tunnel through. I can't reach the roof either. I'll need drills, motors, and advanced tech, but just iron and coal in my possession aren't enough.'
His gaze drifted toward the sand mounds again. An idea sparked through his core, a flash of ingenuity born of desperation.
'Even if I can't separate fine particles from the sand, someone in other universes probably can. I should hire someone with the right talent, ask them to extract quartz, gold, copper, and magnets. Even process the titanium and other rare trace particles into raw materials.'
Keon opened the universal chat and scrolled through the latest messages. Ignoring the noise, he typed:
[Universe 8888888888]
"Hi, I have a lot of resource-rich sand. I'm looking for someone who can extract particles and process various materials from it. If you have a relevant talent, message me. I'll offer fair compensation."
Almost immediately, replies began to flood in, a testament to the desperation and opportunism of the other reincarnated souls.
[Universe 8990]
"I have a suitable talent for your task. We can discuss compensation. Contact me privately."
[Universe 667778888]
"I can extract gold from sand. Message me if you're interested."
[Universe 5757]
"I can do it, but I'll need a lot of sand as payment. Is that acceptable?"
…
Keon was startled by the quick response and then reviewed the replies carefully. He ignored the gold-only specialist and replied to both 5757 and 8990, his mechanical mind calculating the best strategic move.
"The sand I have is rich in quartz, gold, iron, copper, magnets, and other metal traces. I want you to extract and process as much as possible. I'll trade you anything reasonable in return."
Their responses soon followed.
[Universe 8990]
"I'll do it, but I'll only trade you 20% of the metal I extract, gold, iron, copper, or whatever. You can have 100% of the magnet and quartz. I don't need those."
[Universe 5757]
"I want half of the sand as compensation. I'll provide you with resources extracted from the other half."
Keon went quiet, analyzing the differences between the two deals.
'8990 is focused on metals; his talent likely aligns with metal. But, his price is too high. While 5757 wants the sand itself, which is puzzling.'
He thought and typed a question to 5757 curiously.
"I know it's odd to ask, but… why do you need so much sand?"
After a moment, [Universe 5757] replied:
"I eat it. It's my food source. I can control and process it with my talent."
Keon was stunned. 'Seriously? He eats sand? That's unexpected. Still, I'll go with 5757. 8990 may be useful later as his metal affinity overlaps with mine. For now, 5757 is the best option.'
He moved to the sandpile and selected the Trade option.
[Do you want to trade 1 ton of sand for 500 kg of extracted materials? Y/N]
Keon calmly pressed Y. The moment he did, a large section of sand vanished from the ground, leaving a hollow square in its place.
'This system is really convenient… I could use this to remove sand, stone, or debris blocking my path.'
A bold idea flickered in his mind looking at the small hollow section in front of him; then he crushed the idea.
'No… I shouldn't transfer large amounts of sand and hollow the space carelessly. I'll take it slow, even if it takes time to reach the surface.'
…