"Based on the scientific knowledge in my mind, I can create almost all beginning-stage blueprints. However, advanced designs will demand mastery in multiple fields. Without deep research, I won't be able to push beyond basic scientific knowledge."
Keon's thoughts sharpened as he studied the glowing blueprint of CHC-1. The vastness of scientific knowledge stretched before him, a new frontier to conquer. Then he turned, his mechanical frame clanking as he walked toward the scattered piles of elemental blocks.
"First things first: upgrade the exoskeleton. Advanced tech can wait." His immediate survival, his escape from this subterranean prison, took precedence over grander ambitions.
He appeared beside the heaps one after another, absorbing and assimilating them, upgrading piece by piece the shell he was equipping now. The process was a symphony of mechanical precision, his limbs moving with practiced efficiency.
The process began with the eight skeletal legs. He reforged their frames into sleek and resilient titanium armor ribbing layered over them. Metal particles and magnetite flowed into shape, becoming micro-motors with titanium housing for strength.
Eight optical lenses took form, all identical to the original lenses on his original frame; they were wired into delicate monazite sensors, extending his perception.
Finally, the outer shell sealed over, with fused silica plates forming insulation, joints, and locks. The entire exoskeleton's outer structure came together with mechanical precision, a testament to his engineering prowess.
Next, he wove the internal structure: pipes, circuits, copper veins of wiring, and golden induction pads embedded at each leg socket. These pads were the nervous nodes, the bridges of command. With them, Keon could connect his core to the exoskeleton's power source, freely exchanging energy. His tiny spider body would no longer be separate; he could draw strength from the machine as if it were flesh and command every movement without crawling inside and tugging at controls as before.
Time passed slowly, and the upgrades finally finished.
Hiss!!!
With a hissing sound, the external hatch opened, revealing a chamber of smooth metallic and crystalline veins. Keon climbed out from the chamber and looked at the gleaming dark silver frame.
After observing its outer structure, he once again lowered himself inside, his eight legs locking seamlessly into the induction pads. The hatch was sealed with a mechanical click, a final, decisive sound.
The next moment, the frame shuddered, and motors whirred to life. All eight titanium legs shifted in perfect unison, hoisting the spider exoskeleton upright. Eight optical sensors blinked across its main part, each feeding into Keon's perception, expanding his world.
"My perspective… it changed. This is the true gift of the mechanical species. Anything I attach to becomes a part of my original frame. Just like this exoskeleton, it is my original body now. My size just grew from one inch to one foot."
His lenses flickered, adjusting to the widened field of view. He moved, tested, and walked, checking the energy feedback and reaction. A surge of exhilaration... a purely human emotion... pulsed through his core.
"There is really no difference in operation from my original body… except for the perspective shift and more powerful force."
As the thought settled, a notification pierced his vision.
[The force has reached 15 kilograms.]
[Force > 50g - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 2!]
[Free Attribute Points + 2]
[Force > 100g - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 3!]
[Free Attribute Points + 3]
[Force > 500g - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 4!]
[Free Attribute Points + 4]
[Force > 1kg - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 5!]
[Free Attribute Points + 5]
[Sub Talent: Core Optimization (Unlocked)]
[Force > 5kg - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 6!]
[Free Attribute Points + 6]
[Force > 10kg - Level Up!]
[Congratulations for reaching Level 7!]
[Free Attribute Points + 7]
…
"I leveled up? Why…?" For a moment, Keon froze, staring at the notification in a daze. Then clarity struck his core.
"Of course. I'm a mechanical species now. Anything I attach to becomes part of my physical body. This exoskeleton and its additional forces... the system recognizes it as mine."
But another question surfaced immediately, thinking about the previous mechanical exoskeleton before the upgrade. "But why didn't my force value increase with Exoskeleton One?"
He searched through memories, comparing and analyzing the difference between both exoskeletons.
"The first exoskeleton frame… It was purely mechanical. I wasn't integrated into it. I controlled it like an external machine. Probably, that's why the system never counted it as part of me."
He felt his guess was correct, and then he summoned the glowing status panel.
…
[Status Panel]
Name: Keon
Level: 7
Race: Mechanical Species
Form: Spider Exoshell One (Enhanced)
...
Primary Attributes
Health: 100 / 100%
Energy: 550 / 550Wh (500Wh + 50Wh)
(50W × 11h)
Core: CHC
Structure: Composite Metal
Main Frame Force: 25 gram (Locked)
Exoshell 1.0 Force: 15 kilogram
Size: 1 ft
Mass: 3 kg
Mobility: Moderate
Durability: Moderate
Agility: Low
...
Racial Talent - Assimilation & Transformation
Sub-Talent 1: Material Recognition
Automatically identifies properties of scanned substances.
Sub-Talent 2: Material Assimilation
Assimilate materials to create, modify, upgrade, and process the machines.
Sub-Talent 3: Reforge
Repair or reconfigure damaged components using assimilated matter.
Sub-Talent 4: Core Optimization
Optimize, modify, and enhance the main core using assimilated matter.
Sub-Talent 5: Material Gathering
(Requires Level 10)
Sub-Talent 6: Advanced Synthesis
(Requires Level 15)
…
Growth Statistics
Free Attribute Points: 27
Assimilation Capacity: 1.5 kilograms/min
Load Capacity: 1.5 kilogram
Next Level Requirement: Force > 50 kilogram
…
"Now this… this is a real leap. Core optimization means I can rewrite my internals, reshape myself, and even alter my form. That was impossible before."
His gaze fell to the glowing number: twenty-seven free attribute points.
"Twenty-seven attributes. I didn't expect each next level would provide me plus one attribute point. Anyway, all these free attribute points will be used for my original frame, not the exoskeletons."
He looked at the force of his original one-inch frame: 25.25 grams, which was locked because of docking. Without hesitation, he used the free attribute points on his force.
An electric surge coursed through his original frame. His miniature frame components vibrated. Circuits aligned inside, internal plates strengthened, his core and components optimizing themselves at blinding speed.
[Twenty-Five free attributes added.]
[Force increased by 25 gram]
[Physical functionality increased by +2.48%]
[Energy consumption reduced by -2.48%]
[Attribute Addition Failed]
[Warning: Structure and components limit reached.]
Every moment, he could feel himself changing and evolving, a profound transformation at the very essence of his being.
"Again, the carbon steel and my main components reached their limit. Anyway, this is the correct path. Amplify my strength with exoskeleton upgrades, level up, and then pour the rewards back into my original frame. Step by step, both will ascend together."
A musing thought flashed in his mind, then he opened the main frame status panel separately.
…
Form: Spider Bot (Main Frame)
Core: Carbon Cell
Primary Attributes
Health: 100 / 100%
Energy: 51 / 51 Wh (50Wh + 2.58%)
Force: 52g (50 grams + 2.58%)
Mass: 9.5g
Size: One inch
Load Capacity: 5g
Remaining Free attribute: 2
…
"My one-inch frame now carries more force. Maybe in the future, my main frame will even surpass the force of this Exoskeleton 1.0, which will be no less than a scientific miracle."
He thought intriguingly and then dismissed the panel, sensors flicking back toward the remaining element heaps.
"I only used three kilograms of materials to build this exoskeleton. With the rest, I'll forge a more powerful exoskeleton than this Exoshell One, then I will use other machines to get myself out of this cave."
Ideas spun rapidly: Exoskeleton 2.0, drilling rigs, tunneling machines, and aerial scouts. His core flickered with varieties of machine names…
But before he could choose, a voice thundered in his mind… not heard by ears, but carved into his soul.
…
[Announcement: The First Phase of the Competition Is Over]
[First Phase Task: Survive until Half the Population Remains - Completed]
[Reward: One Basic Redemption Coin
Note: Trade basic items at no cost]
[Remaining Population: 4,444,444,444 (Half)]
[Second Phase Task: Survive until Half the Population Remains - Incomplete]
…
Keon froze in place, looking at the sudden notification on the panel in front of him.
"Half the population wiped out… in just one day?" A chilling realization, a stark reminder of the brutal reality of this "game."
His sensors dimmed, focusing narrowly on the coin reward.
"This coin is valuable. One chance to trade for anything without cost. Although it's just basic items like raw materials and tools, it's still a good reward. But can the coin itself be traded?"
A questioning thought popped in his core, then without wasting a second, he pulled up the world communication channel.
…