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Chapter 354 Losing Both the Wife and the Army! The Upgrade Dilemma of the New Power Armor Shield! (Please Subscribe)

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In the modern world, inside rows of rooms.

On the light screen, the real-time data stream refreshed like a waterfall, and the curves representing the changes in Zhao and others' bodies steadily rose in a heart-stopping manner.

Lin Li leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping the table unconsciously. When he saw that the research team behind him had broken down and quantified Old Dai Rui's "teaching experience" in just a few hours and generated a preliminary scientific training model, his tapping stopped.

"The difference between having a teacher and not having a teacher can be this huge—"

This is no longer a matter of speed.

This is like the difference between riding a rocket and walking.

With a slight thought, the outline of a fluffy cat, visible only to him, appeared out of thin air and lazily flicked its tail.

"Laplace's Demon, you're not being fair," Lin Li said, his tone tinged with resentment at being tricked. "The book you sold me was a censored version, wasn't it? You hid all the key information from me?"

Meow~

The cat-like form of Laplace's demon yawned in a human-like manner, and a line of cold information appeared in Lin Li's mind: [The contract clearly states: You have purchased a book "based on comprehensive knowledge, understandable to current civilization, but not touching upon the root causes." Appropriate information obfuscation and guidance are provided to ensure a smooth transition of the knowledge system; this is within the normal scope of the service. You get what you pay for!]

Lin Li's lips twitched.

Alright, the interpretation is yours, and the reasoning is entirely yours.

You are a damned, wicked, shameless monopolist, and you call the shots!

"Alright, let's not talk about that." Lin Li waved his hand and got straight to the point, "Does Old Dai Rui's method have any backdoors? Also, can humans really learn anything through this kind of observational learning?"

Meow~

A new line of text appeared, ending with a clear price tag.

[Information exploration requires payment of 5 units of spatiotemporal source matter.]

Lin Li's eyes twitched. Looking at his already meager inventory, he cursed inwardly, but ultimately reluctantly chose to pay.

The spacetime source matter is instantly deducted.

[Meow, don't worry. The Queen of the Fire Dragon Dynasty taught how to transform and how to breathe—the materials are all fine! But they don't teach "how to teach others to breathe." They retain the core methods of becoming a mentor.]

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Sure enough, these natives from another world understand the ins and outs of technology barriers and patent licensing." Lin Li chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

If the humans in this other world were less cunning, they would probably have run into trouble long ago.

Although the Fire Dragon Dynasty had been overthrown, it was certainly well-versed in the core matters of some feudal rule areas.

How could they possibly teach something as important as the Knight's Breathing Technique to everyone?

One was to teach people how to fish, and the other was to teach people how to make fishing nets and impart fishing skills.

These are two completely different concepts.

The Fire Dragon Dynasty was hatching a clever plan, perhaps aiming to monopolize the mentor position to maintain long-term control over humanity and secure a continuous stream of profits.

What a pity!

Their adversary is Industrial Cthulhu.

Lin Li watched as the researchers frantically recorded everything on the screen. Not only were Zhao and others' physical data captured, but even Old Dai Rui's unconscious muscle twitches during the guidance, subtle changes in his breathing rhythm, and even the speed and path of the energy particles flowing within his body were being captured, analyzed, and modeled by countless high-precision sensors.

Every detail is being ruthlessly dissected and reverse-analyzed.

"The abacus beads were practically hitting his face, but he had no idea he was facing a bunch of lunatics with Sharingan eyes."

Industrial Cthulhu has made a fortune in this wave.

With Old Dai Rui as a living example to teach the pioneer team members, a large part of the shortcoming of human beings in the scientific training of individual extraordinary fields was instantly made up.

Next, as long as Zhao and his team successfully ignite the "spark" and master the technique of using brainwaves to guide the resonance of energy particles, a replicable and mass-producible production line for extraordinary knights will be officially completed.

Even if they are a little slow, I, as the "mastermind," can easily use my unseen hand to give them a push.

It feels like having a golden touch, a win-win situation, so why not?

Professor Deng Dakang and his colleagues previously estimated that it would take many years of training to reach the formidable strength of Old Dai Rui and his colleagues, and that was under the condition that various training programs were required.

However, with the help of old Daryl, it is estimated that in the future, it will be like a replication, and the soldiers may only need a few months to become stronger.

With the right power armor, he could definitely engage in a true 1v1 duel with the top knights of the human kingdoms in another world.

Right?

Of course, these benefits shouldn't all go to others!

Lin Li brought his high-dimensional perspective back to the main subject of the modern world.

The data we saw before, and the researchers' enthusiasm, all faded away as our consciousness was withdrawn.

In the room, Lin Li slowly closed his eyes.

The next instant, his consciousness shifted, and his projected clone appeared on the rocky island he jokingly called Sausage Island.

"what?"

Lin Li's gaze swept around the surroundings. Large patches of black residue remained on the beach, and there was still a faint smell of burnt sulfur in the air.

"A demonic dragon?"

He muttered something to himself, not paying much attention, and walked straight towards an inconspicuous group of rocks by the sea.

With a press of his palm, a giant reef weighing several tons disappeared silently, having been moved into his personal space.

Then, a cave that had been carved out by a weapon came into view.

This is the training ground he created for himself in his spare time.

The cave entrance was resealed with rocks, almost completely isolating it from outside light and sound, except for the breathing opening.

In the darkness, Lin Li sat down cross-legged.

In his mind, the Knight's Breathing Technique, which the research team had broken down into countless data streams, began to play frame by frame, like instruction sets accurate to milliseconds.

Although he had long since mastered greater strength through his body's instincts, that feeling was more like eating and drinking—he knew how, but not why.

Now, he's going to be a guinea pig himself, using the most scientific and rigorous methods to walk the extraordinary path of another world.

The first time, it's a pure simulation.

The second time, my body began to have a slight reaction.

Each opening and closing of the lungs seemed to carry a peculiar rhythm, resonating with some invisible pulse in the space.

A wisp of warm air, following the pathways of the eight extraordinary meridians marked on the data map, began to clumsily travel through the body.

"Too inefficient."

Lin Li frowned.

The next second, the cave was filled with brilliant light.

Thousands of magic stones appeared out of thin air, filling the small cave to the brim, and the eerie blue light cast a mysterious glow on his face.

Almost instantly, the air inside the cave became viscous, and the dense energy particles almost solidified.

Lin Li took another breath.

This time, it's no longer a trickle.

If Zhao and his group's cultivation was like taking a small, thin straw and carefully sipping a mouthful of scalding hot tea, then this is a good analogy.

Lin Li is now plunging his head directly into an ocean of energy!

The energy particles, so dense they seemed to be unable to dissolve, were swallowed up by him and pulled into his body, forming a visible energy vortex centered on him.

These violent energies, following the route he had planned, precisely washed over his limbs and bones, stimulating every cell.

The spacetime source, which was originally integrated with the body but had been dormant, was also stirred by this massive external energy and began to optimize every corner of the body at the genetic level with unprecedented efficiency.

Zhao and his group were driving at a speed of one yard.

That's a hundred yards here, and it's the kind where you stand up and kick hard!

No, it's even faster, the kind that leaves afterimages when you kick!

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Li opened his eyes.

He could clearly see that his bone density, muscle fiber strength, and even cell activity had increased, albeit slightly, but definitely.

"Hahaha----"

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The laughter echoed freely and joyfully in the narrow cave.

That's a great deal! It's such a great deal!

Isn't this just using cheap coal (magic stones) from another world to save the highest-grade fuel for this sophisticated machine (a body driven by spacetime source matter)?

Are those people from the Fire Dragon Dynasty still hiding things, refusing to teach the core methods of "how to teach," and trying to create a technological monopoly?

It's a big joke.

I've already thoroughly analyzed the breathing method that your family considers a closely guarded secret, so why would I need you to teach me?

Once you fully understand this process, you can easily create an industrialized assembly line, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to practice!

As for myself—

Lin Li felt the gentle yet surging energy within his body, and a thought crossed his mind.

Besides strengthening the physical body, this power seems to have another use—?

He extended a finger, and at the tip, a small cluster of energy particles began to gather and compress.

A tiny, unstable ball of light, about the size of a bean, trembled and flickered as it emerged.

Then, the ball of light in his hand began to spin rapidly.

"Hehehe—Spinning Top Bomb Ball!!!!"

As Lin Li watched the ball of light spinning at his fingertips, the smile on his lips grew wider and wider.

"Dual cultivation of magic and martial arts? No, this should be called—the self-cultivation of a research dog."

Another world, a time portal base, a rune armor research center.

At this moment, the huge cleanroom is brightly lit.

Thousands of parts, gleaming with metallic and runic sheen, were neatly arranged on a huge anti-static workbench, like the dismembered skeleton of a giant. Each part was covered with a dense array of analytical labels.

These are all original rune armors obtained from the royal family of the Fire Dragon Dynasty.

In the testing area not far away, a replica armor, almost identical in appearance but with a somewhat "lifeless" texture and luster, was emitting an incongruous buzzing sound.

A burly soldier wearing this "domestic" power armor is performing the most basic arm raises and squats.

The dull metallic scraping sound and the whirring of the hydraulic rods contrasted sharply with the almost silent flow of energy in the original.

"Report: Joint response is sluggish, and there's a noticeable delay in exertion! It feels like walking in an iron coffin! Power armor without our neural connections is no good!"

The test soldier's voice came from inside his helmet, tinged with a hint of muffledness.

Aside from the sounds of soldiers training and issuing instructions, there were very few other sounds.

The atmosphere here was somewhat somber because the research team's replication work was going very poorly.

Professor Zhong Zhenguo pushed down his reading glasses, revealing a furrowed brow beneath the lenses.

The faces of Ma Chuntian and Professor Sun, who were standing next to him, were also not much better.

While Industrial Cthulhu is fast, it has weaknesses in the synthesis of materials from other worlds and in the field of runes. What it produces now is ultimately only a superficial resemblance.

The performance difference between high-quality counterfeit Huawei phones and genuine Huawei phones is significant!

"Stop."

Zhong Zhenguo waved his hand, his voice revealing a sense of exhaustion.

Commander Man, who had been standing behind the crowd with his hands behind his back, slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the disassembled parts and the failed imitations.

He didn't say anything, but the air in the entire research center seemed to become heavier because of his silence.

Finally, he stopped in front of a breastplate engraved with intricate patterns and tapped it gently with his finger.

"Professor Zhong, I've been following your research these past few days, and I don't really want to hear those complicated jargon." Commander Man's voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone like a hammer blow. "I just want to know, why isn't our stuff working?"

"Commander, we are using modern physics to forcefully decipher the energy particles that have been studied in this other world for countless years—these things are comparable to the universal foundation—"

Zhong Zhenguo gave a bitter laugh and painfully scratched his already bald head.

"Their rune inscription technology is extremely advanced, reaching the level of nanomechanics in our theory on some levels. Even more critically, their armor material contains a large number of components that we have not yet fully analyzed. These components—acting as catalysts—bring the runes to life."

"So, this is the reason for the gap?"

"Yes. Although we used a 1:1 replica technique, the essence of these things is different. It's like using a bunch of lifeless mud bricks to imitate a building made of pure gold. The exterior may be painted with the same paint, but the core is completely different. This thing can only be achieved by time and hard work, polishing it down little by little!" Zhong Zhenguo replied with a sigh.

Commander Man remained silent.

Material!

It's materials again.

This thing is truly outrageous.

Just like the engine of Industrial Cthulhu, the performance of many things is inferior to that of foreign products due to material limitations.

In order to catch up with the materials, Industrial Cthulhu paid a very high price.

Even so, it still can't compete in some areas.

The existence of energy particles in this other world has led to the emergence of new materials with altered properties in large quantities.

This means that the manufacturing processes for various types of steel in this other world have increased exponentially.

That's terrifying!

Professor Ma Chuntian, who was in charge of the overall skeletal design of the power armor, nodded: "Commander Man, the materials aren't very good right now. Although we've mastered some of the dwarven techniques, we've improved on the others! But as you know, the dwarven technology is relatively outdated! At most—we can only achieve 45% of the performance of the original. And that's just the skeletal materials! As for the most crucial energy shield, damage absorption, and power amplification runes, we haven't been able to crack them yet."

The scene was deathly silent.

Forty-five percent—that number is glaringly obvious.

Commander Man paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "Don't tell me it's impossible. Tell me what it's possible. When can these technologies be used on our existing power armor? If they are deployed, will they enhance our combat capabilities?"

This question finally cheered Zhong Zhenguo up a bit.

"Sure! Absolutely!" He nodded immediately. "Although we can't completely replicate it, by applying some of the structural and shock-absorbing rune principles that we've already mastered, we can improve the overall performance of our new generation of power armor by another 20%! But—the cost will increase by 30%."

Twenty percent of the performance only requires thirty percent of the manufacturing cost?

It might not be cost-effective in the civilian sector.

However, in the military field, this performance improvement is incredibly worthwhile!

"Cost is not an issue." Commander Man waved his hand decisively. "I only care about performance, stability, and being more advanced and more powerful! If funds are allocated, when can we produce the finished product?"

"Fifteen days! We can complete the first batch of renovation and upgrade plans within fifteen days!" Professor Sun, standing next to Zhong Zhenguo, answered eagerly, afraid of being even a second too slow.

"What about the energy shield?" Commander Man pressed on. "That's what's truly life-saving! We can't keep letting our lads risk their lives to fill those gaps, can we?"

"This—Commander, we're working with everything we have! While we have many clear activation processes for the shield runes, we lack the sensitive atomic observation instruments found in other worlds. Our replication and simulation are far too slow!"

"So it's stuck?"

"Uh, no, that's not it! If we have six months, we're confident we can crack it! We found quite a few inscribed energy patterns on the royal ships, and replicating those went relatively smoothly! Once we understand the ships and organize them, the pioneering team's warriors will definitely be equipped with power armor and individual energy shields!"

Zhong Zhenguo's eyes gleamed with the fervor unique to researchers.

"Six months—that's far too long." Commander Man shook his head, but his tone softened. "Let's look at the immediate situation. In fifteen days, I want to see the first batch of upgraded power armor. After confirming its stability, equip our special operations squadrons in the three-race coalition with it and have them test it in a real battlefield environment! Let's see how it performs on the battlefield!"

"If there are any problems, I'll come to you. If it works well, I'll personally recommend you for credit!"

"Yes! We guarantee to complete the mission!" everyone responded in unison, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Once Commander Man's figure disappeared through the door, everyone in the research center deflated like a punctured balloon, with many slumping into their chairs.

"My God, Commander Man was so silent just now, I felt like I was about to stop breathing," a young researcher said, patting his chest.

"They're treating us like wish-granting machines," Professor Ma Chuntian said with a wry smile, wiping the sweat from his brow and touching his hair, which was starting to fall out in large quantities again. "The workload is just too much for us these days!"

Zhong Zhenguo walked to the pile of failed imitation parts, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "We're not wish-granting machines. We're followers in some rune technology fields from another world. We're facing their hundreds or even thousands of years of accumulated technology!"

He paused, but a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, almost imperceptible to others.

"However, we don't only have one leg to walk on."

He lowered his voice, his tone tinged with mystery and anticipation.

"I heard that Lao Yang and his team have recently made some breakthroughs in their individual electromagnetic weapon project!"

"what?"

"An electromagnetic rifle?"

"It seems so!"

"That's great! As long as that thing is made—then who cares about runes or turtle shells? One shot and it'll be a guaranteed kill!!!!"

""

"Haha, let's look forward to it!!!"