Chapter 167

  Jake had a little over 10,000 MP left. At his current level of 78, it was not much at all. His powerful body could deplete that amount of mana in just a few hours or a day, depending on how active he was. Knowing this, he spent some time searg for mana ables, using Mana Vision to locate them. After finding a few mana items and raising his mana reserves somewhat, he headed for the Los Demonios base.

  It didn’t take him long to get there. Just like the st time, he scaled the wall of a high-rise building looming above the pound. He g to the wall several floors higher than the base’s perimeter walls, having a clear view of the area down below. His Cloak was activated, rendering him pletely invisible. Initially, he hesitated to use this ability in order to serve his mana. However, he knew he o stay hidden. Moreover, as long as he remaiirely still, the ability’s mana ption wasn’t all that higher thahe Cloak was off.

  He then took his time examining the bandit base below. The usual daily routine was in full swing: workers operated various traptions while guards kept watch over the area. Some bandits milled around the base, occasionally barking at the workers to keep them in line, while others patrolled the walkways, watg the area beyond the perimeter walls, vigint for any signs of potential threats.

  Jake turned his attention to the two-story, boxy building situated at the ter of the base. With a thought, he summos stats.

  The HQ - Level 6

  So, it had indeed pleted its upgrade to Level 6. He could already see the ges it had brought about: a couple of ructures had appeared in the base that hadn’t been there before. Before expl these new additions, he chose to check the old structures and traptions first.

  He first examined several mae gun turrets mounted ochtowers that loomed over the perimeter walls. Each turret was now at Level 6. Jake also noticed that each turret was now equipped with a 360-degree camera, enabling them to s their surroundings in all dires simultaneously.

  Jake examihe rest of the old structures and partments, notig that some were in the process of being upgraded to the level, while others remai their previous level. The structures being upgraded were deactivated and not produg goods. He was fairly certain that upgrading any structure or traption required resources—and likely quite a lot of them—so it wasn’t surprising that not all structures were currently being upgraded. Each of the mae gun turrets had already been upgraded to Level 6, though, which was currently the maximum level for the base’s structures. It made sehat the bandits prioritized upgrading the turrets first, as the defense of the base was undoubtedly a top priority.

  He then focused on one of the two ructures that had appeared after the HQ’s upgrade to Level 6. This unusual structure had a spheroid shape and bore a resembo the Smelter. He summos description with a thought.

  Mana structor - Level 1

  Progress: 67%

  Jake’s curiosity iqued. What exactly was that mae? He noticed it was currently operational, trembling and humming softly while bluish wisps of smoke curled up from various small gaps and openings.

  Progress: 73%

  The progress bar was moving rapidly, indig that whatever it was in the process of creating would be finished very soon.

  Jake averted his gaze from the Mana structor to examihe sed ructure. It wasly a structure. Instead, it was a metal pedestal upon which stood peared to be a mech or exoskeleton. The inside of its body was currently empty, standing open to reveal an interior filled with leather padding. Curious, Jake checked the description of the suit.

  Power Suit - Level 3

  It seemed that after building the power suit, it had immediately been upgraded to Level 3. With the HQ at Level 6, all the structures within the base could be upgraded to the same level. It was safe to assume the power suit was no exception. However, it wasn’t in the process of being upgraded further. He couldn’t help but wonder why that was the case. Maybe the bandits simply didn’t have enough resources for an additional upgrade right now?

  He shifted his attention back to the Mana structor.

  Progress: 89%

  It was nearing pletion of whatever it was doing, and Jake was eager to see what would be produced. Whatever it was, it would clearly have something to do with mana, that much was obvious. That’s why he was eager to see the final product. After all, for him, mana was everything, serving as sustenance, fuel for his powers, and currency for acquiring new skills and abilities.

  Beside the Mana structor stood a worker, patiently waiting for the traption to finish its task.

  Progress: 94%

  A few mier, the traption pleted its task. It stopped trembling and puffing out bluish smoke. The worker moved closer to the Mana structor and pressed some buttons on the trol panel ied into its frame. A panel slid open, and a ptform extended, presenting a glowing mana crystal.

  The worker didn’t take the crystal, though. Instead, he looked around and waved over the bandit, who immediately strode to the Mana structor. The bandit the worker, said something, and picked up the mana crystal from the protruding ptform. He stashed it into the bag that hung over his shoulder, then took out several mana shards and hahem to the worker. The worker promptly put the shards onto the ptform, pushed it baside, pressed some buttons, and the cycle began again. The Mana structor started to tremble and hum once agaiing wisps of bluish smoke from various gaps and slits.

  As for the bandit, he made his way through the base and approached another worker. He took out the newly-produced mana crystal and ha to the worker, who then moved to an inactive traption nearby and ied the crystal into a slot. He pressed some buttons, and the mae began to tremble. When Jake summos description, he learhat it had just begun to undergo an upgrade to the level.

  Recycler - Level 4 (Upgrade in Progress)

  Current Status: 2% plete

  Estimated Time Remaining: 5 hours 59 minutes 54 seds

  Jake quickly grasped the situation. Upgrading a base’s structure to the level required a mana crystal. Additionally, a mana crystal was required for the traptions to fun and produce goods. None of the base’s structures or traptions accepted lesser mana items. From his experience, he khat mana crystals were the rarest type of mana items and were not easy to e by. Thus, by allowing lesser mana items to be turned into higher-quality ohe Mana structor pyed a pivotal role in the base’s overall productivity and daily operations. For survivors, it was undoubtedly a very useful mae.

  Jake was currently aware of five different types of mana items: the Mana Bead, which tained 100 MP; the Mana Marble, with 250 MP; the Mana Shard, with 500 MP; the Mana k, with 1,000 MP; and the Mana Crystal, boasting 5,000 MP. Mana beads, marbles, and shards were cssified as on rarity, mana ks as Unon, and mana crystals as Rare. Based on what he had just observed, Jake cluded that the Mana structor could transform several mana beads into a marble, several marbles into a shard, shards into a k, and finally, several ks into a crystal.

  He didn’t know if a mana crystal was the highest type of mana item. He suspected that there might be even more powerful mana ables than crystals, but he hadn’t entered a. With a mana crystal cssified as Rare, it stood to reason that there should be mana items of higher rarity, such as Legendary. He couldn’t help but wonder if the Mana structor could bine several mana crystals into higher-tier mana items or if a mana crystal was the ultimate product this mae could produce. Perhaps, the Mana structor o be upgraded to a higher level before it could transform mana crystals into superior mana items.

  Suddenly, a otioed ihe bandit base, prompting Jake to shift his focus from his thoughts back to the base to see what was happening. All the bandits abruptly stopped what they were doing and pulled out their PDAs to read something dispyed on the ss. Their expressions ged as they visibly tensed up at what they read. A few seds ter, the HQ’s door swung open, and Miller, the person in charge of this base, stepped out, apanied by three of his panions. While the trio appeared visibly uneasy, Miller seemed excited for some reason.

  Jake couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. He noticed that the guards on the walkways now stood still, their eyes darting across the streets outside the perimeter walls as their hands tightly gripped their ons. However, the base wasn’t utack. There were no mutants or other survivors anywhere near. Still, the guards appeared anxious, as if waiting for something to happen, their gazes stantly probing the area beyond the walls.

  Miller exged a few words with his three panions, then broke away to approach the power suit. He turned his back to the open suit and backed up into it, carefully fitting his legs and arms into the suit’s limbs before pg his head ihe ope. When he fully ehe power suit sealed around him, eng him entirely.

  Fully the power suit, Miller jumped from the pedestal to the ground with a solid thud, causing nearby bandits and workers to wi the noise and cast apprehensive gnces in his direiller took a few steps forward before ing to a halt, waiting for something to happen.

  What’s going on? Jake wondered.

  Just a sed ter, he discovered the ao his question.