Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"Those fools," Helen frowned tightly, feeling equally infuriated. However, there was an existing limitation before her.

"The current biomass storage isn't enough for the production of artificial humans you need, and this is a problem I also find difficult to solve."

The technological component of the production line allowed for the rapid mass production of soldiers, but there were other restrictions.

Rapid production required a substantial amount of biomass to provide nutrients, and the artificial humans produced were living beings indistinguishable from natural humans, requiring the same materials for sustenance of life.

The city was certainly large, and it had no trouble supporting countless "tens of thousands."

But the city was already sustaining countless "tens of thousands," and the sudden addition of another "ten thousand" might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

To support these suddenly increased "ten thousand," Bai E must come up with a solution himself.

"Lacking biomass?"

Bai E was stunned and then, "looking" at the piles of meat stacked in his explosion rate warehouse, a bold idea sprang to mind.

This idea, fleshed out quickly, could even kill two birds with one stone by making all the people in the city believe in the brainwashing effects Helen had previously applied to him, thereby truly starting to trust him.

"I'll find a way for this," Bai E said ponderously, "Also, there's another thing that I'm sure you've already noticed."

Helen had already mentioned that the mecha combat blade she used in the battle at the Black Rock District Hive had come into her possession.

Others might not know the secret of the blade, but she certainly would.

She hadn't said anything, probably waiting for him to take the initiative.

Since it was already a known secret, it was better to be proactive and reveal it, "The mecha combat blade I used contains a technological system that the city doesn't currently have."

Power-type weapons.

Or, to be more precise, force field-type weapons.

The efficacy of the power swords and shields from the Mechanoids was quite impressive, and Bai E, having used them personally, coveted such technology even more than Helen, who regarded any new cutting-edge technology as her lifeblood.

"You're finally willing to tell me," Helen's gaze at Bai E burst into a visibly joyful smile, "The armor used by the Mechanical Court is also produced in collaboration with our Scientific Research Institute. I've been involved with their high-frequency cutting weapons, too, but their weapons shatter upon contact with the Sovereign's bone blades. I suspect there must be some other special augmentation to the blade you used."

Helen was also a Spiritual Energy user and had a basic understanding of some commonly accepted knowledge within the field of Spiritual Energy.

Indeed, Spiritual Energy could conjure all sorts of special augmentations, but first, the user must have a certain understanding of the technology being used.

In other words, the technology must truly exist in the world and be known to the user.

Using Spiritual Energy to forcibly apply the concept of "invincibility" was certainly another way to achieve such enhancement, but that would be a pure Spiritual Energy confrontation.

For Bai E's Power Sword to match up to the Sovereign's bone blade, his level of Spiritual Energy would have to be on par with that of the Sovereign's first.

What kind of existence was the Sovereign?

The ultimate BOSS of the battlefield, who integrated the collective Spiritual Energy of all the bugs within a hive. If Bai E had that kind of overwhelming Spiritual Energy, his real performance on the battlefield would probably be much more exaggerated than the Sovereign's.

So, Bai E's combat blade being able to counter the Sovereign's bone blade definitely meant he either grasped or was aware of some weapon enhancement form different from high-frequency cutting!

To earn Bai E's trust, Helen never pressed him.

She believed that as long as she showed enough sincerity, this completely self-enclosed artificial human warrior would sooner or later reveal his entirely vulnerable side to her.

Right now, it was finally time for her to see the payoff.

"Hmm," Bai E nodded, affirming Helen's guess, "I've clashed several times with those Mechanoids who inherited the technology of the Golden Age. In the midst of combat, the mecha I piloted seemed to sense their technological forms, transmitting to me some vague notions akin to 'mumbling' through the link of Spiritual Energy—even though I don't quite understand the detailed specifics of those technologies, I could use them directly with the assistance of the mecha."

Bai E had indeed upgraded the core technology of the Power Weapon—the Force Field Generator—to level 3.

However, the blueprint for the Dynamic Source Sword had many other technical details and knowledge that were difficult to reproduce quickly with my own knowledge reserves alone.

Why not find someone to collaborate with? I could provide the key technology, and leave the rest, the minor details, to Helen to handle.

"Perhaps we can try to reverse-engineer it?" Helen's eyes lit up.

I could deduce the nature from the performance, while Bai E had a vague understanding which could help ensure the direction of my research was generally correct.

As long as we worked together, we could rediscover the lost technologies of the Golden Age, one by one.

Even humans today covet some of the technologies used by the smart machinery.

"That's exactly my point. If we could mass-produce those weapons, or even just equip some elite warriors with them, it would greatly enhance our combat capability."

"But we can't activate that weapon..." Helen stared at Bai E with longing.

Privately, they had conducted countless studies on that blade, and if it weren't for Helen's intervention, some insanely obsessed researchers would have already dismantled the sword for study.

The laboratories in the city could already synthesize and mold sixteen-element alloys, so how could they not understand a typical alloy sword?

Even if it was an enchanted sword.

"Only I... and Rose can activate it."

Bai E, seizing the opportunity, added an extra slot.

There might be a lot of miscellaneous matters bothering me later, and if Helen wanted to research, she could ask Rose for assistance.

After all, anyone I authorized could unleash the true power of the Star-devouring Blade.

"Good!" Helen was thrilled.

High-Frequency Cutting had already been proven to be a promising approach and had been used on a small scale in high-end combat units similar to the Mechanical Court, but why would humans ever complain about having too few points on their technology tree?

If the new power weapons proved to be cheaper to produce, more powerful, or could work in conjunction with High-Frequency Cutting, they would undoubtedly offer more options in terms of cost, variability, or upper limits of combat capability.

"Where's the weapon? I'll call Rose now, and we can go over together."

"All right! I'll have someone bring it right over."

The sword had been transported to the Scientific Research Institute early in the morning, where more precise equipment was available. Sadly, faced with a weapon that appeared ordinary when unactivated, even Helen was at a loss.

...

Inside the exclusive hangar of the Scientific Research Institute, Bai E and Rose exchanged glances and, after a long time, joined hands to start the mecha once again.

"I knew you would come back."

Bai E solemnly entrusted the hilt of the Star-devouring Blade to Rose, reminding her with a smile, "Feel this power; it will be our greatest weapon against the Bug Race."

The moment the hilt was bestowed, Rose's eyes suddenly widened.

The empowerment from the rules made her feel an instant, blood-deep familiarity with the blade in her hands, as if, even through the transmission of the mecha, she had an intuitive sense of control.

"Try it." Bai E, sitting in the adjacent pilot's seat, handed over most of the mecha's piloting permissions to Rose.

With a simple control command, Rose was still able to manage on her own.

Facing a target made of single-element alloy that had risen before her, the blue-and-white mecha raised the sword high...

And then slashed down fiercely!