The real difficulty in producing the robots was procuring raw materials for the embodied technology. Without those exact materials, the items couldn't take physical form or be copied into reality.
Most raw materials on Earth were already controlled by nations, big organizations, or even small groups.
Sphera wasn't going to steal them—even though she could. And she didn't want to buy them with money: first, she didn't have real-world currency, and second, using game-world money would disrupt the game economy.
So Sphera decided to send puppets to search for materials—not just on Earth's remote mountains and oceans, but also in space.
She began building a spacecraft for asteroid and space mining, plus a powerful invisible satellite to monitor Earth, using the remaining materials from the hidden island and its surroundings.
Those materials were now exhausted, so Sphera had to look outside.
Once she gathered enough, she would deliver more robots to the Concords.
Not only India Concord had received robots and AIs—other Concords had too.
But they were shocked by the storage ring. They wondered what level of technology the game company had reached. Some even began fearing the company—or the mysterious owner behind it.
India's alliance called an urgent meeting to discuss the game company. The other three leaders were nervous and anxious about its power.
But Mordan remained calm. He knew the game company had a powerful owner from his own country. He had already seen far more terrifying things, so he wasn't nervous.
He comforted the others, saying: "The game company hasn't done anything wrong. They haven't forced us even with their overwhelming technology. They're not hungry for power. We should not disturb them."
The other three leaders nodded, convinced by Mordan's reasoning. They agreed to follow his lead and leave the game company alone.
But other nations were thinking differently.
***
In Dark Haven Fortress, Sanya received the technology promised by Ellie—along with some extras—placed neatly on her bed.
One of them was the embodied technology.
It arrived inside a special fist-sized sphere. The technology itself was the size of a large living room—compact, circular, sealed with smooth black obsidian walls and faint silver-blue veins that pulsed slowly like breathing arteries.
The floor was a single polished star-crystal slab, reflecting dim constellations.
At the center stood a slender white-jade pillar, two meters tall, with a hollow core where the game item would be placed for conversion.
Sphera had specially requested this sphere from Sacral Clone (who was building the new fortress). The sphere contained the entire technology. Sanya could use it from outside—just command Ellie, and Ellie would connect directly to the sphere and work inside.
Finished items could also be stored within the sphere.
This method didn't work with normal storage rings—Ellie couldn't connect properly due to the compressed space inside. But the special sphere made it possible.
Sanya also received a storage ring containing hundreds of small rings—devices that worked like phones and more (identical to the ones Jina and Ruyi wore on the hidden island).
She distributed the rings, now named Lumen Rings by Sphera, to everyone inside the fortress.
Just as she finished, a hologram of Ellie appeared above her own Lumen Ring.
Sanya asked, "What is it, Ellie? Why did you come?"
Sanya wondered why Ellie had come again.
Previously, Ellie had informed her that the auction of the Tortoise breathing technique had ended.
She had earned 0.5 trillion game points from the sale.
Even though it was an enormous amount, Sanya wasn't surprised at all.
She knew that for big nations like Freedom Union, this sum wasn't overwhelming.
They could pay it once and secure their own breathing technique.
So they would definitely go all in—pouring everything they had into the bid if needed.
Ellie replied, "Sect Leader, new members have arrived. There are ten in total. I want your permission to let them enter the library pavilion and select a cultivation system and martial techniques."
Sanya nodded calmly. "You have my permission."
Ellie wasn't finished. She said, "Sect Leader, can they access the items in the library for free?"
Hearing this, Sanya began thinking. She hadn't considered it until now. Should she give everything for free? Or make them earn items through sect contribution points?
She decided quickly.
Sanya said to Ellie, "You can let them access the cultivation system for free—but only the first two stages. If they want more, they must use sect contribution points earned from tasks, not game points."
"As for martial techniques, let them access mortal martial techniques for free. They can also select two real martial techniques for free. After that, they must use contribution points to buy more."
Ellie nodded in understanding and vanished to make the arrangements.
On the other hand, Sanya began thinking about the embodied technology. Which game item should she turn into reality first?
She decided to start with her outfit—the very first one she had made in the game.
She needed raw materials like Silk-Thread, Dyes, Emberbark, and silver and gold for accesories.
She didn't have those in the fortress, so she asked some puppets to go to the surface and buy them from markets.
The puppets left immediately.
Sanya sat down, waiting patiently.
Soon, the materials would arrive.
Then she could finally bring her game outfit into the real world.