Chapter 231 - 196: A Rare Moment of Peace, Upgrading Equipment, Artificial Level Armor and Firearms

The Administrative District Legion stationed in Lelag World also kept its word.

Every component Agate requested was provided, fulfilling his needs to the utmost.

However, this was most likely out of respect for the Mechanical Order, rather than a sudden change in their objectives.

After all, the Punisher ship was the property of the Mechanical Order. Even with the Grand Governor’s endorsement, the Vengeance Angel Squad was only borrowing it, not owning it.

Three days of rest and refitting was an incredibly precious commodity for an Imperial Knight.

A Knight who could enjoy the same treatment as Reinhardt—three years of quiet cultivation on Iberian World—was, while not unheard of, exceedingly rare.

For an Imperial Knight, daily life was either fighting to the death on the battlefield or being on the way to one.

Although the war between the Imperial Administrative Region and Grand Lord Kles had seen a major defeat, the two sides had not called a truce. Battles large and small were breaking out at all times.

Furthermore, rebellions by local Governors, invasions from the Void Realm, and rampant cults... scenarios like these were simply countless within the Imperial Administrative Region.

Reinhardt and his squad had only been docked at Lelag’s orbital port for two days, yet they had already received no fewer than twenty distress calls on the Radiant Beacon’s general channel.

During this time, the Fiery Sun Legion stationed on Lelag would periodically dispatch Knight squads to support regions engulfed in war and rebellion.

In the Old Empire Era before the Great Rebellion, compared to the Radiant Empire’s boundless territory of a million worlds, the million-strong Imperial Knight Legion was but a drop in the ocean.

To the mortals of countless worlds, war was a distant concept; they might go their entire lives without ever seeing a single Imperial Knight.

Even if war broke out, it would be handled by the Imperial Infantry Corps and the local Defense Army.

In other words, for a mortal to see a living Imperial Knight in their lifetime was both a blessing and a curse.

Because the arrival of Imperial Knights on a battlefield usually meant the regional situation had spiraled completely out of control.

And so, these frequent distress calls, along with the Fiery Sun Legion’s high-frequency deployment of tactical squads, suggested that the external situation facing the Imperial Administrative Region had likely reached a critical stage.

Demon invasions, once exceedingly rare, had become increasingly frequent in the era after the Great Rebellion.

Lelag Orbital Port.

Maintenance Bay.

Agate’s red robes were soaked with oil and grime, but he didn’t stop working for even a moment.

The rest of the squad, who should have been resting in the standard lounge, were also forced to stay here every day due to the negotiations with the Flame Legion, ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

He heard Reinhardt and Irenia making small talk about Wizard’s Secret Treasures.

And when their conversation turned to the body of Warlord Nico and that damaged Spiritual Artisan Level skeletal structure...

Agate, who had been working in silence, suddenly turned and interjected, "Back then in the Tomb Treasure Vault, I never got the chance to share my intel. How did you know his weakness?"

Agate held a wrench and a ratchet in his hands, while his six mechanical arms continued to tirelessly repair the damage on the Punisher. His mechanical eye, emitting a faint blue glow, stared silently at Reinhardt.

’At the time, I’d wanted to tell Reinhardt that Nico wasn’t in full control of the skeletal structure; rather, his body was being controlled by the Wizard’s Secret Treasure. Because the Body Technique Memory within the Secret Treasure was pre-programmed, all of Warlord Nico’s attacks would uncontrollably target the enemy’s weakest defensive point—Reinhardt’s head, which wasn’t protected by a Full Coverage Helmet. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to say it before the enemy’s fist pierced through my heart and lungs. By the time I woke up again, Nico was already a corpse, and Irenia had implanted the Ancient Black Box in my chest.’

Reinhardt was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He had been trying to meditate with his eyes closed, but Irenia kept chatting with him about matters concerning Grillers World.

If it had been any other topic, the external noise wouldn’t have disturbed him.

Until the conversation turned to Frostfire Fortress and the burial of the fallen members of the Steel Knight Order...

And so, the two, who were not well-acquainted to begin with, began to chat idly.

Hearing Agate’s question, Reinhardt didn’t hesitate to praise the Technician Soldier’s courage, saying, "Even though you didn’t get to finish, the intelligence you provided was still crucial."

"Because it helped me confirm a theory I had: Warlord Nico’s Body Techniques, every single one of his attacks, followed a predictable, formulaic path."

The maintenance bay was enormous. Even the massive Punisher Ship, docked inside, looked like a small toy spaceship.

The clatter of mechanical cranes at work mingled with the crisp clang of metal on metal.

On the floor, engine oil flowed along drainage channels, and the air was thick with the smell of industrial pollution.

Not far away, Manon and Matthias, unable to sit still, were sparring with their Knight’s Broadswords. Raphael sat on the floor, took out the Angel Holy Scripture he never went anywhere without, and began to write and sketch.

Through the massive window behind Reinhardt was the dark, deep expanse of the cosmos, and the azure Lelag Planet.

Agate didn’t press the matter further and turned back to his work.

Though it was just a casual chat during a brief lull in the action, he was still inwardly amazed by Reinhardt’s combat intuition. ’So incredibly sharp.’

He recalled witnessing Reinhardt’s Power Armor evolving on its own. ’Hmm... perhaps it was a sign, a blessing from the God of All Machines.’

After chatting with Irenia, Reinhardt learned for the first time that Wizard’s Secret Treasures... or rather, all Extraordinary Creations, were also divided into different levels.

His Power Armor, for instance, was considered Fortress Level by Imperial standards, with extremely strong defensive capabilities.

But within the grander system of Extraordinary Creations, it didn’t even meet the threshold for the most basic Artificial Level. In Irenia’s words, millions of years ago in the Wizard Civilization, this level of Power Armor was only worn by mine slaves.

His war axe, the Black Cutter, however, did meet the standard for Furnace Cast Level.

And Nico’s trump card, which had let him stand tall in the Extraordinary World, was once nothing more than a standard-issue creation for the armies of the Wizard Civilization.

A suit of Spiritual Artisan Level Power Armor, even when worn by a mortal, could grant them the Extraordinary Power of a Four-star Earth Military Rank.

Spiritual Artisan Level...

Reinhardt glanced down at the Power Armor covering his right hand.

Faint blue system text flashed before his eyes and vanished.

[Use all upgrade components.]

[Currently possessed: Armor Upgrade Components x2, Weapon Upgrade Components x3.]

[Notice: After using all upgrade components, your Power Armor and firearm (unnamed) will reach the Artificial Level, and the Imperial Technology upgrade tree will be unlocked.

These instances of Imperial Technology will be unique.]

[Please name your Power Armor and firearm to complete the upgrade.]

Reinhardt thought for a moment.

[Avenger Armor, Slaughter.]