Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 175 The Motor Oil Guy

The night passed quickly.

The next day, when Duncan went out, Bert, who was meditating in his room not far away, suddenly opened his eyes. His perception was very strong, far exceeding that of ordinary people, and he immediately followed him out impatiently.

The tantric practitioner, who appeared to be a druid, eagerly asked, "What's your decision?"

Looking at the other person's eager gaze, Duncan returned the Earth Codex and shook his head, saying, "I'm afraid I'm not suited for the path of Tantric Buddhism."

Upon hearing this, the man immediately became anxious and lowered his voice, saying, "Impossible!"

“You are an absolute genius, one in a million, and the most suitable person to practice the esoteric Buddhist path.”

"Because you possess an innate, primal magic."

Primal magic?

Is the other party referring to the dragon bloodline engraved on Duncan?

indeed.

Unlike his first human form, Duncan's third human form, after being inscribed with the dragon's bloodline, immediately possessed a small portion of mana at the start. Dragons are the embodiment of magic, and after the dragon's bloodline is fully transformed, one would likely possess a mana bar approaching that of a level 3-5 wizard.

Others have to work hard to meditate and cultivate, and even awaken their magic through rituals, while Duncan can learn them immediately and can use some rituals directly.

This is still because Duncan consumed too much Legend Points to give birth to offspring in World One. Now that his human form has been promoted to an Immortal Hero, he will continue to gain Legend Points over time. Some of these Legend Points will be converted into Divinity, and some will be converted into Legend Points currency. To put it in a game-like way, he already had a well-developed gold mine with him when he left the starting village.

There are no special skills or abilities that need to be inscribed afterward, so Duncan can continuously strengthen his soul. His mana bar is truly that of a genius, one in a million. Duncan's current spellcasting ability is at least equivalent to the mana level of a cultist who has cultivated for ten years.

But Duncan was thinking that the gods of the old era had all been suppressed.

As esoteric practitioners who serve other gods, how powerful can they be?

Can ordinary magic compare to firearms and cannons?

Not to mention, the Mechanicus can also launch nuclear bombs. Since they have nuclear bombs, they can manufacture most modern weapons. How many of those mystical era spells can compare?

Based on Duncan's current understanding of technological capabilities, the Mechanicus can construct colossal hives, collect faith power, and deploy facilities in planetary orbits. Their magical heritage from the Mystic Age is likely far superior. The Earth Codex contains much supernatural knowledge, such as controlling animals and transforming plants, but against a modernly armed Mechanicus army, your summoned animals would probably be riddled with bullets.

Of all the extraordinary abilities recorded above, the most useful is probably the ability to survive.

In terms of combat effectiveness, it has long been outdated by the times.

Bert reached out and took the Earth's Secret Codex, staring intently at Duncan before him, and said sincerely, "Would you like to reconsider?"

"If you'd like to join us, I'll personally officiate your promotion ceremony."

As he spoke, he raised his palm, and each of his fingers transformed into the skin of a tree. This was a very useful ability in the Mystic Age. With enhanced tree skin, ordinary swords and blades could hardly harm them. Even in the Enlightenment era, early matchlock guns could provide protection, but later they became less effective as the power of firearms increased. At least stone skin was needed to block them head-on.

Bert possessed a trace of divine grace, coupled with the blessing of the natural ritual. At this moment, even the flesh and bones of his hands had become plant-like. He slowly said, "As long as you complete the ascension ritual, you will receive the first divine grace from the Earth Mother Goddess."

"No matter how harsh the natural environment, you can find a way to survive."

The first advancement ritual in the Earth Codex is 'survival of the fittest'.

There are two branches: animal and plant. Those with talent can learn both. It belongs to the category of transformation ability. Duncan has read it carefully and feels that it is quite similar to the spellcasting ability of druids. However, this world has developed for so many years, and many abilities have changed quite a bit.

Bert didn't mention combat strength either, because it was obvious that none of the cults were as strong as the Mechanicus.

Some cultists who spent over ten years cultivating their fireballs couldn't even compare to the modified flamethrowers made by apprentices of the Cult of Machines in an afternoon. They were the truly pathetic ones. Their entry-level electric claws, acid, and icy touches were only about as powerful as touching a high-powered stun gun. A large refrigeration unit could output more power than them.

Unless you've reached the mid-to-late stages of cultivation, these abilities are basically negligible; you might as well just take a gun and start shooting.

Duncan was about to refuse.

Suddenly, footsteps came from not far away, and then Tasia appeared. This tall and voluptuous woman, who was a motorist, glanced at Bert across from her and her expression changed slightly before she hurried over.

It was obviously me who came first!
How can someone still steal my business even when things are like this?

Seeing Tasia walking aggressively towards him, Bert's expression changed. He immediately put away the Earth Codex and even swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Secret followers naturally need to act in secret.

If he were to openly preach and be discovered by the Cult of the Machine God, he might be expelled or exiled.

In order to adapt to the changing times, modern Tantric practitioners generally follow an elite path, do not develop secular beliefs, do not preach openly, and rely entirely on talented individuals to pass on the sect.

Tasia walked over and put her arm around Duncan's shoulder, resting her heavy breasts on the boy's shoulders. This woman was really tall; she was even wearing high boots today, making her look almost 1.85 meters tall. The third human host was thin and weak, and when she put her arm around him, he looked like a child.

She looked at Bert in front of her, her expression a half-smile, and asked, "And this gentleman is?"

They're trying to steal her business?

District F46 has just begun its immigration process, with only a few hundred thousand people at the moment. In the future, the population will increase to more than 500,000. She is preparing to make a big splash and open up a new chapter for herself.

This is a period when many forces have not yet divided up their territories, so those who seize the initiative will be able to establish themselves more quickly later.

Do you understand first come first served?
Bert caught a whiff of the faint smell of engine oil on her body, which she had deliberately masked with perfume. His gaze lingered on her full breasts for a moment, and he seemed to be deep in thought. No wonder he couldn't persuade Duncan. The members of the Cult of Machines had no sense of martial ethics and even tried to seduce such a hot-blooded young man with their beauty.

Who can bear this?

He prejudicially assumed Tasia was a member of the Cult of Machines because the smell of the sacred mechanical oil was too strong for him. As a cultist on the natural side, his sense of smell was far more acute than the average person, and no matter how much she tried to conceal it, she couldn't hide the smell of the mechanical oil.

Duncan seemed to notice the change in Bert's expression, and slid off Tasia's arm, saying casually, "A friend."

He wasn't quite used to the other person's overly familiar manner.

Do we know each other well?
We've only met two or three times. There's no need for us to put our arms around each other right away, making it seem like we're very close. If the other party hadn't been hostile, Duncan would have instinctively retaliated.

And the smell of engine oil on you is pungent!
Bert glanced at Duncan, nodded slightly, and turned to walk towards his room. He disliked dealing with oil-loving people; the mere smell of oil on them made him extremely uncomfortable. For a naturalist like him, living in a concrete jungle was a tragedy in itself. If he had no other choice but to find people to carry on his faith, he would have preferred to stay in the desolate, harsh, radiation-ridden desert.

In the mystical age, some of these extraordinary individuals, including fundamentalists, didn't even use metal.

Bert is a Tantric lineage that has been gradually refined over time. He is an excellent marksman, capable of turning his ten fingers into vines in an instant, and at his limit, he can control ten guns to fire simultaneously.

Many spells from the mystical era have been abandoned; by the time you finish chanting the incantation and casting the spell, the enemy has already emptied a magazine of bullets.

Tantric practitioners seek efficiency, instantaneity, and secrecy.

Tasia watched Bert's departing figure, then leaned close to Duncan's ear and whispered, "Sectists? A branch of the Natural Church?"

"They are nothing but remnants of the old era."

"His strength isn't that great."

The woman raised an eyebrow and said, "Cooperating with them is not as good as finding some skilled mercenaries."

"Moreover, they have always been resistant to technology." "They believe that nature will be destroyed by the misuse of technology, and it's good enough if these people don't cause trouble."

Duncan raised his hand and pushed the other woman's arm away. The woman's breasts felt strangely heavy on his shoulders. Although Tasia's skin was smooth and fair, it felt greasy.

how to say?

Do you know the skincare products women used in their past lives? Duncan thinks Tasia might have been using engine oil as a skincare cream!

Moreover, her skin was so smooth it looked like it had been waxed, polished, and hair removed.

Although this woman bears the mark of the resistance, the power she possesses is likely from the Mechanicus lineage. Even her sweat has a sticky, oily texture; it looks like sweat, but when you touch it, it feels like lubricant.

This is from the inside out; the body's functions are already different from those of ordinary people.

Duncan glanced at her indifferently and said, "What do you want now?"

Tasia didn't seem to care about his cold attitude. She shrugged, crossed her arms, and asked suspiciously, "Didn't you come to us for a collaboration?"

"He asked you to preach to him?"

"Don't believe him! Tantric practitioners have no future."

"Their own tradition is almost broken."

"of course."

"If you plan to do tricks or magic tricks in the future, you can learn from them."

Tasia's attitude was quite contemptuous. The motorist had always looked down on cultists because many of them were just good at magic tricks. The arcs of electricity they could conjure at their fingertips were no match for the buzzing of a stun gun.

Duncan remained unmoved and said calmly to the woman in front of him, "Could you squat down first?"

Tasia looked puzzled, but still squatted down and looked up at him, asking in confusion, "Why are you making me squat down?"

Duncan looked down at her and said calmly, "I'm not used to talking to people with my head tilted back."

Doesn't the emperor of the empire have any dignity?

Tasia looked somewhat speechless, but she sat down anyway and said with a grin, "It's okay, you'll grow taller in the future."

"How have things been going with our collaboration?"

Duncan nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "We can give it a try."

"but."

"You at least have to show me your strength first."

strength?

Tasia crossed her arms under her chest and lifted them slightly, instantly revealing her immense strength; her tank top was almost bursting out of shape.

Duncan's eye twitched slightly; he hadn't encountered someone like this in a long time.

Even Anya wasn't as wild as her.

Noticing the change in Duncan's expression, Tasia also gradually became serious and slowly said, "I have prepared more than ten people, all of them are skilled, and all the necessary tools are also prepared."

"Once the Mechanicus's protectors withdraw, we will be able to explore the underground ruins."

"Furthermore, we are also trying to obtain a legal license."

"With the Trail Blazers license, everything else becomes much easier."

The Trail Blazers license is similar to a mercenary status.

There aren't many adventure stories in the underground nests. Everyone goes out to risk their lives just to make money. Having an officially recognized identity also makes it easier to sell off supplies later.

Duncan looked at the woman before him and slowly said, "Were you once a mechanical priest?"

Tasia was quite surprised, but nodded readily and said, "Yes."

"However, he was expelled from the church."

No wonder she smelled like a motorist.

Duncan asked curiously, "Expelled from the church? Why?"

Tasia, seemingly to gain Duncan's trust, thought for a moment and said, "I come from District D36, where the Angels of Insight are mainly served."

"My mechanical mentor is a motor enthusiast obsessed with human modification."

"He wanted to insert a tube into me, remove my spine, and install some strange things."

“But I refused.”

"So I was stripped of my identity and expelled from the Cult of the Insightful."

Seeing Duncan's slightly puzzled expression, Tasia asked curiously, "Have you always lived in the parish of the Steel Angels?"

"No wonder!"

"Those who serve steel-cast angels are more normal."

"Although they are rather rigid, they are obsessed with cultivating their bodies into machines, rather than using external forces to modify them."

From Tasia, Duncan learned some things about the other parishes.

The followers of the Steel Angels belong to the combat training school. They don't care so much about the computational power of machines. Their goal is to train the human body into a machine, to develop a body of steel and iron, and finally to merge the whole person with the power of the mechanical god.

Those top members of the Steel Casting Cult are called 'Constructors'. Although they look human, they are actually life forms of mechanical constructs.

As for the Insightful Cult, they revere computing power and pursue technological monopoly. They require large amounts of memory and capacity, which the human body simply cannot meet. Therefore, they had to start mechanical modification very early on, first by implanting data segment interfaces, and then by gradually removing flesh and organs from the body and implanting more mechanical bodies and prosthetic limbs.

Ultimately, after their brains are also replaced with machines, they will be given a new name: 'Alpha' Apostles.

Among the many sects of the Mechanicus, the sect of the Steel Angels is considered an outlier.

But they are very capable.

The followers of the Steel Angels are powerful and experienced in combat, and are somewhat like living regenerated metal. Although their computing power is not as great as other sects, they can later train to become humanoid Gundams. In secret conflicts with other mechanical sects, the followers of the Steel Angels rarely suffer losses.

………………

(End of this chapter)