Chapter 373: Second Awakening, the Blackstar Forge!
Empty.
The thunderous roar of machinery grew louder in Lin Xian's ears. His vision was engulfed in darkness—he couldn't see the light screen of the Heart of Machinery, nor anything else. It was as if he were no longer in the train loading factory, but had instead entered a vast, boundless void.
His ears rang incessantly, and the ionization in the air made his skin tingle. At last, the Heart of Machinery's prompt rang out.
[Mechanical Source Node calibration complete. Awakening Heart of Machinery.]
[Awakening complete. You are now: Mechanical Overlord.]
[You have obtained: Transfer Manufacturing and Blackstar Forge.]
[Integrating decomposition space, fabrication plant, and research center...]
[Running diagnostics on Blackstar Forge.]
VROOOOM—
A low engine hum rose into a piercing screech. Suddenly, a massive circular ring lit up within the darkness. The light revealed a colossal structure resembling a mechanical engine. Blue and red energy veins spread outward, illuminating the space. Lin Xian's pupils contracted—he realized he was now standing in a limitless cavern of black stone. In front of him, the gigantic construct looked like an interstellar tunnel.
"What the hell is this?"
The engine roared around him. Fog thick as soup blanketed the area, stretching on endlessly. Lin Xian stomped on the ground beneath him—it felt real. It was like he'd truly stepped into some strange dimension, yet there was no pain. It felt just like that state of consciousness connection he had with Chu Yan.
He pulled up the light screen of the Heart of Machinery, only to find that everything had changed.
The decomposition space, fabrication plant, and research center were all gone. His passive mechanical traits had vanished too, replaced by a much more complex interface.
[Current Heart of Machinery Level: LV.6 (20/50000)]
[Mechanical Awakening]: Mechanical Overlord
Mechanical Devour: 6 (100/5000) – Boosts devour efficiency
Mechanical Fabrication: 5 (1660/3000) – Boosts construction efficiency
Special Skills:
Energon Cannon [Amplified]
AT Force Field [Amplified]
Hyperstring Reactor Phase Halo [Amplified]
Blink (Rare) (Level 3)
Magnetic Shockwave (Rare) (Level 1)
Graviton Lens (Legendary) (Level 2 – 50%)
More importantly, the original decomposition space, fabrication plant, and research center had all been consolidated into a new large UI interface titled [Blackstar Forge]. It contained material data, research options, and five empty construction queues ready to be assigned.
"Construction queues?" Chu Yan furrowed her brow. I turned and looked at the enormous mechanical tunnel behind me, and something clicked. I stepped backward into the passage. The moment I willed it, my entire being was pulled into the gigantic tunnel.
Time and space distorted around me. Soon, an increasingly complex mechanical micro-world unfolded behind my eyes.
It felt like I had entered the interior of a microscopic machine. Every direction I looked, tens of thousands of mechanical components operated noisily on the metallic ceiling, orbiting like stars along fixed paths. The tunnel spun like a cosmic pendulum, with centrifugal forces flinging parts and materials into floating conveyor tracks, only to be caught precisely at computational junctions.
Chu Yan watched as five glowing fabrication pathways emerged. I immediately tried uploading the blueprint for the Thunderhawk 2000 Combat Drone into one of them. Instantly, the screen behind me updated:
[Fabrication Queue 1: Thunderhawk 2000 Combat Drone x1]
Whirrrr—
Right then, Lin Xian looked up as an entire construction line above him whirred to life. Lights flickered, machines buzzed. Various materials shot down the conveyor belts. At the front, countless mechanical arms fired lasers, mimicking holographic 3D printing. In a blink, the metal frame of the drone was complete. Then a swarm of micro-drones began weaving an electronic neural net, inside and out, layer by layer in perfect sequence. It was almost artistic.
In less than ten minutes, a brand-new Thunderhawk 2000 Combat Drone hovered before Lin Xian, while Fabrication Queue 1 reset to zero.
"As expected! This is the fabrication space of my Heart of Machinery!"
Eyes gleaming, Lin Xian couldn't contain the excitement in his racing heart. This was the first time he truly felt the power of automation from the Heart of Machinery.
"So this Blackstar Forge... it's like a massive automated factory! And I get five build queues? That means I can build five things at once!"
"Is it because my Mechanical Fabrication skill is at Level 5?"
Wasting no time, Lin Xian assigned different blueprints to each of the five queues: a Thunderstorm Magnetic Drone, a Doombringer Kamikaze Drone, a Cryo-Burst 166 Liquid Nitrogen Freezer, a Steel Rain Hypersonic Kinetic Drone, and a Iron Curtain Defense Drone.
He activated them all simultaneously to see if his guess was right.
Whirrr! Whirrr! Whirrr!
All five queues sprang into action at once. The automated assembly lines engaged, materials from the old decomposition and fabrication systems instantly rerouted into a unified operation. The components flowed like blood through the queues, and soon, five distinct drones took shape midair.
Lin Xian glanced at the progress bars. All five queues were running in parallel, each with a precise countdown. The Iron Curtain was the fastest to complete, while the others took longer due to higher tech complexity. But he didn't need to intervene at all. He even changed the Steel Rain's quantity to X99, and it still worked flawlessly.
But when he tried to set it to X999, a warning popped up:
[Insufficient materials. Unable to initiate fabrication of "Steel Rain" x999.]
"This is a full-blown automated industrial line now—maybe even beyond that. From raw materials to finished product, all in one."
"And… what even is this space?"
What confused Lin Xian the most was this realistic fabrication dimension. For the first time, he was witnessing the Heart of Machinery's complete manufacturing process.
He willed himself out, and the engine tunnel reversed at lightspeed. Lin Xian gasped for breath—he was suddenly back in the loading factory of the Ringstar Train. The place was empty, littered only with debris from the train he had devoured earlier.
"Where are the drones I just built?"
Frowning, he opened the light screen again. To his shock, all six drones he had constructed were neatly stored under [Blackstar Forge > Completed Fabrications].
"No way..."
His heart pounded. Disbelieving, he raised a hand to release them.
Suddenly, a loud ion pulse erupted. The Hyperstring Reactor Phase Halo behind him flared up like a nuclear avatar. Above him, space twisted and a massive mechanical gate appeared out of nowhere—slowly creaking open.
VROOOOM—
Six drones shot out at high speed and hovered before him.
"Holy sh*t!" Lin Xian stared at the drones, then at the otherworldly gate behind him as it closed like a portal from another dimension. He was dumbfounded.
[Blackstar Forge: Activates an automated factory. Upload a blueprint to begin material prep and engineering. Number of queues is based on Mechanical Fabrication level. Completed builds are stored in the Blackstar Forge Inventory. Capacity: 1 billion cubic meters.]
"One billion cubic meters?! That's enough to hold a hundred kilometer-class cruisers! That's insane!"
"So what does Transfer Manufacturing do?"
He eagerly opened the skill description:
[Transfer Manufacturing: Transfer mechanical constructs into the Blackstar Forge. Allows upgrades, modifications, and repairs using advanced blueprints.]
"Holy crap!!"
"You mean I can drag machines into the forge? With that much space, I could literally throw the entire Skydome Interstellar Train in there for an overhaul!"
"Mechanical Overlord? This is beyond broken!"
Lin Xian looked down at his hands. This awakening had completely redefined everything. He no longer had to sit around for manual builds. He could multitask with automated queues. And most crucially, all of it happened in a massive alternate space that only he could access. Plus, he could transfer external machines into the Blackstar Forge!
That sparked a wild idea in his mind.
He dashed out, brought in a Doomsday Train from a small convoy into the loading factory. Making sure no one was around, he raised his hand to activate Transfer Manufacturing, aiming to pull the ten-car steel train into the Blackstar Forge.
CRUNCH!
As his thoughts aligned, the Hyperstring Reactor Phase Halo behind him lit up again. The massive gate reappeared, and a surge of electromagnetic force rolled out like a deep-space tide. Lin Xian could see the massive structure of the Blackstar Forge slowly spinning within.
The Doomsday Train lit up with arcing electricity. The Blackstar Forge, like a mechanical beast from the cosmic abyss, began swallowing the train whole.
At the same time, Lin Xian felt his strength draining rapidly—as if the Graviton Lens had been forcibly triggered. He trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat pouring, his body weakening fast. But he couldn't stop the process. He could only watch helplessly as the train entered, one car after another.
Time stretched like eternity.
Blinding arcs of electricity lit the factory. It felt like an energy storm had breached the veil between worlds. All nearby electronics flickered in chaos.
Finally, when the last car disappeared into the forge, Lin Xian collapsed to the floor, gasping hard. His body was drenched in sweat, his vision blurry.
BOOM!
Transfer complete. The mechanical gate of the Blackstar Forge slowly closed. The lightning died down. Dust settled. Silence returned.
Lin Xian slumped against the floor, panting. The process was far more taxing and dangerous than he'd expected.
Still, he was glad he tested it. The Doomsday Train was just the right size—he barely managed to handle it. If he'd tried a larger construct and things had gone wrong halfway...
He didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
After that false alarm, Lin Xian immediately entered the Black Star Forge. The scene shifted, and he once again appeared within that massive mechanical star. The Doomsday Train from earlier now floated motionlessly in midair as if gravity had disappeared. Over a dozen railcars twisted and coiled in space, awaiting Lin Xian''s command.
At that moment, Lin Xian realized he could now manipulate the train that had been transported in. He imported the standard hull blueprint for the Skyrail Train that Jian Xuwei had given him into the Black Star Forge. This time, he could directly initiate a build sequence to convert the Doomsday Train into a standard hull carriage.
【Confirm: Initiate Construction Sequence 1 to begin building a "Standard Hull Carriage." Estimated build time: 16 days.】
【Tip: Increasing mechanical engineering level and using multiple construction sequences will reduce build time.】
"Sixteen days? What if I start all five build sequences at once?"
【Confirm: Initiate Construction Sequences 1 through 5 to begin building a "Standard Hull Carriage." Estimated build time: 3.2 days.】
"Knew it…"
Staring at the holographic screen, Chu Yan suddenly frowned. I had a strange feeling—the Doomsday Train wasn't just being converted into a standard carriage. It felt more like it was being disassembled and rebuilt from scratch. Could it be that the Black Star Forge's build sequence couldn't support mechanical devouring?
With that in mind, I immediately tried to backtrack—and I was right! A mechanical devouring sequence had appeared in the build options!
【Confirm: Initiate automated mechanical devouring of "Target Unit 1." Estimated devouring time: 5 hours.】
"Just as I thought!" Chu Yan's expression lit up with excitement. "If I run all five sequences at once, this massive multi-car train could be devoured in just one hour!"
"Exactly."
So without any hesitation, Chu Yan triggered all five sequences simultaneously to begin the devouring process. In no time, five production lines inside the colossal mechanical star lit up, countless robotic arms extended, and beams of light sliced and disassembled. That massive Doomsday Train began breaking down right in front of Lin Xian's eyes.
At that moment, Chu Yan's consciousness returned from the White Star Forge. She stood in the now-empty space, breathing deeply, her thoughts racing.
She'd just managed to transfer a small mechanical unit into the White Star Forge. Not only could she upgrade, repair, or modify it—she could even have it devoured. That didn't just save a lot of time and boost efficiency, the real issue was how dangerous it was.
But this kind of transfer-based manufacturing clearly wasn't something to use lightly. It nearly drained all her energy. Trying to rely on this method for large-scale devouring and disassembly wasn't realistic. It was clearly intended for upgrading or creating crucial equipment.
"But… in a pinch, I could… use this to extract some large equipment..."
Lin Xian was panting, face pale. He really hated how this function forcibly extracted his energy. It left him completely passive and drained, both physically and mentally.
He glanced at the time—it was already 4 PM. An entire day had passed. He had no idea if any news had come from Dawn City or Shingetsu Shingi. While he'd locked himself up in the workshop, time had slipped away.
So Lin Xian dragged his exhausted body out of the factory, still feeling euphoric over his newly awakened ability. He planned to find Shingetsu Shingi and Jian Xuwei—but he could barely stay on his feet.
"Captain Lin."
"Captain?"
"Captain Lin, are you okay?"
All along the path, members of the United Train looked at him with concern. Lin Xian just shook his head and kept scanning for someone.
That's when a familiar face appeared from the crowd.
It was Chen Sixuan.
Seeing Lin Xian's condition, her face filled with shock and concern.
"Lin Xian!"
"Professor Chen…"
Lin Xian let out a long sigh—then everything went black. He collapsed straight into Chen Sixuan's arms.
Leaning against her, he wore a faint smile and murmured softly:
"I'm a Mechanical Lord now… this power is amazing… I'm going to upgrade the Infinity… to Skyrail Class…"
"What did you say?"
Chen Sixuan couldn't make out his mumbling. When she saw how pale he was, she realized—he'd already passed out.
"You finally went to sleep."
The words sounded odd, but Lin Xian knew he hadn't misheard. He opened his eyes and found himself in a bright, spacious conference room—clean and tidy.
Scanning the room, he spotted a striking figure leaning against the wall. She had long grayish-white hair tied in a ponytail, energy veins glowing faintly across her armored bodysuit. Even without focusing, Lin Xian knew—he was once again mentally linked to Chu Yan.
To be honest, he didn't like this feeling. It gave him a constant sense of being exposed or controlled. Still, he had no way to stop it and stayed alert.
Their mental link wasn't constant. Under normal sleep, it wouldn't trigger. It usually only happened when Lin Xian was mentally unstable or unconscious.
But he consoled himself: at least these links with Chu Yan often came with useful intel—so maybe it wasn't all bad.
"Judging from what you just said, you were waiting for me?"
Lin Xian focused, and the surroundings came into sharper view. On one wall of the conference room, a crimson phoenix emblem shimmered brilliantly, making it clear to Lin Xian: Chu Yan was definitely in Phoenix Society territory.
Chu Yan turned to him, her expression serious. "This time, you guessed right. I was waiting for you."
"What's going on?"
"After our last meeting, I gave it a lot of thought. Whether out of personal responsibility or for the sake of the organization, I felt it was my duty to report our mental link to HQ."
Lin Xian frowned. "Is this going to be a problem?"
"Not really. It just means my mission parameters have been adjusted. For me, that is."
"I was obviously asking about me." Lin Xian looked exasperated. "Are your North American Joint Alliance or Phoenix Society planning to investigate me?"
"You don't have to worry."
Chu Yan looked at him calmly. "We have no hostility toward you. In fact, Phoenix Society holds you in very high regard. That's why I'm waiting for you here."
"What do you mean?"
Chu Yan glanced in another direction. Lin Xian's expression shifted. He turned quickly.
Only then did he realize—there was someone else in the room besides Chu Yan.
A woman who appeared to be in her fifties sat at the head of the table. She wore a gray suit, her short hair sharp like a blade. Though time had left marks on her face, her eyes were like stars—dignified and steady. She seemed both present and distant, as if she were pinpointing Lin Xian's position through Chu Yan's words. She offered a gentle smile, like a stern yet wise university professor.
"Hello, Lin Xian. I'm Ye Lan, Supreme Commander of Phoenix Society. Sorry for reaching out in this manner."
Lin Xian's expression gradually turned serious. Chu Yan came over, pulled out the chair to his left, and sat down.
"Professor Ye wants to use our mental link to communicate with you," Chu Yan explained.
Commander.
That title instantly made Lin Xian feel more respectful toward the woman. He glanced from Ye Lan to Chu Yan.
"You're doing the interpreting?"
"Relay," Chu Yan replied calmly. "Only I can hear what you say."
"Fine."
Lin Xian exhaled. Despite this being a mental link, the atmosphere felt strangely heavy under the bright light.
Ye Lan seemed to anticipate his reaction. She said evenly, "Don't be nervous. In your past collaborations with Phoenix Society, you demonstrated exceptional intellect and leadership. We chose to contact you because, in this crisis facing human civilization, we consider you a trusted ally—someone who can stand with us."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Commander Ye."
"Before Doomsday, Professor Ye was a leading expert in micro-particle physics at Star City University, and also the chairwoman of the Federal Council for Science and Technological Advancement. You can also address her as Professor Ye," Chu Yan stated formally.
A complicated look passed through Lin Xian's eyes. After a pause, he said, "Alright, then please relay this: My previous cooperation with Phoenix Society was based on survival, not nobility. I don't pretend to be wise or self-sacrificing. But I'm honored to be trusted by Phoenix Society."
Chu Yan remained expressionless as she conveyed his words word for word.
Ye Lan smiled gently and replied, "Survival is instinct, not shame. Every living thing shares it. But what has allowed human civilization to survive for millennia is cooperation and unity. That's the essence of civilization. In these dire times, survival may be instinct—but unity is a choice. And you made that choice back at Yubei Skyport, didn't you?"
Lin Xian stayed silent for a while before letting out a long sigh. "Alright. I'm not one for preachy slogans about saving the world, and I don't buy into the whole 'with great power comes great responsibility' thing. But in principle, I support Phoenix Society. From my own perspective and values, I recognize the work you're doing globally. So if there's anything I can do to help, just say the word."
Ye Lan looked toward Lin Xian's invisible presence—the only two people in the room, yet a third was listening.
"Captain Lin, the Star Abyss is on the verge of major upheaval. On behalf of Phoenix Society, I hope you'll join our upcoming operation targeting Dawn City and the Crimson World…"
"The Purge Initiative!"