Card maker? No, I'm a mechanic!

Chapter 168 The Hidden Truth: The Nuclear Reactor

Riding in a hidden elevator without floor buttons, the two silently descended.

As the depth increased, Jiang Zhe could sense that the surrounding energy seemed to have undergone subtle changes.

"bite----"

With a soft click, the elevator doors slowly opened.

"This is the core treasure trove of the Star Tower, Area A."

The moment Minister Li finished speaking, a vast and suffocating underground space appeared.

It was then suddenly revealed to Jiang Zhe.

There's no vulgar wealth here, only cutting-edge technology.

The entire space here was divided into countless independent and transparent high-intensity force field storage chambers.

Each room also contains an item that subtly emits energy fluctuations.

A heart still beating, its fragmented remains burning —

Jiang Zhe even saw a fragment sealed inside some kind of crystal.

The fragment itself looked ordinary, but the air around it exhibited a strange, spiraling distortion!

"oh----"

Even if there is a distance between them, it is only through simple mental detection.

Jiang Zhe could also clearly sense the terrifying energy contained in these materials.

If you were to put any one of these items on the market, it would probably be enough to buy out the entire fortune of a small or medium-sized enterprise.

"You can take your time looking and choosing."

Minister Li put his hands behind his back and said with a smile.

"Just tell me the number if you like it."

"But let me remind you, choosing what best suits your development is the key."

"clear."

Jiang Zhe nodded, and then began to carefully search through the dazzling treasure trove.

This is truly a test of willpower.

He first saw a piece of top-quality Starry Sky Titanium, which would be the perfect material to make armor.

Then, he saw an ancient folded scroll, which could even make his armor fly.

But after reaching out several times, he finally gritted his teeth and gave up.

"Materials can be found again, and technology can be researched further, but what I lack most right now are wet components and energy!"

"We still can't be greedy—"

After wandering around for more than half an hour, torn between these difficult choices, I finally made my decision.

Although Jiang Zhe was overwhelmed by the choices, a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

"Minister Li."

He stopped and turned to look at Minister Li, who had been following him closely, and asked tentatively.

"As the Federation's technological leader, doesn't Star Tower have any S-grade artifacts in its treasure trove?"

He'd been browsing for so long, and the items were all ridiculously expensive.

However, the grading mark under the storage room is only A.

"S-rank?"

Upon hearing this, Minister Li was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

He shook his head and gave Jiang Zhe a deep look.

"It seems—that sir hasn't had a chance to tell you these secrets yet."

He paused, seemingly weighing his options.

However, considering the potential shown by Kang Chul and the influential figure behind him.

Minister Li ultimately decided to give this young genius, who was already considered one of their own by Star Tower, a break.

"Do you think S-grade materials are all like these counterfeit A-grade materials, that you can just store them anywhere?"

"You have to understand that there is a fundamental difference between S-grade materials and those below A-grade."

As he spoke, his voice involuntarily lowered, sounding somewhat ethereal in the vast treasure vault.

"In a sense, S-class materials or other relics—they are alive."

"Alive?" Jiang Zhe frowned, his pupils contracting slightly.

"That's right, they have a domineering and unique binding force."

Minister Li explained with a solemn expression.

"Once bound to someone by a contract, unless the holder is completely destroyed, even if someone else obtains it through some means, they will absolutely be unable to use it."

"If you try to analyze or apply it forcibly, you may even suffer a terrifying backlash."

"Moreover, S-grade materials have a very special feature, namely, they can increase in value on their own."

"Although the process is extremely slow, they are already products that have truly broken the rules of convention."

At this point, Minister Li leaned closer and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Outside the world, only card masters who have truly reached level four are qualified to access this secret."

"To cross that insurmountable barrier and become a Level 5 Card Master—"

"The most basic prerequisite is that you must possess and successfully bind an S-grade material."

"And that is the only medium through which you can knock on that door!"

What?!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhe's mind was immediately filled with shock.

"I see----"

Above level four, it's no longer simply about accumulating mental power and stacking cards.

Instead, they're relying on the properties of S-grade materials to achieve a leap in life levels?!

Jiang Zhe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the astonishment in his heart.

"It seems that my understanding of this world is only the tip of the iceberg."

External armor and core cards might allow him to dominate at level four.

But if you want to reach the top, to see the real scenery at the top of this world.

In the future, he will have to get an S-grade material.

"I've learned a lot, thank you Minister Li for clearing up my doubts."

Jiang Zhe solemnly expressed his gratitude.

"It's nothing. With your talent and that person's guidance, you'll reach that level sooner or later."

Minister Li waved his hand, then resumed his businesslike smile: "Keep choosing, you have a long way to go."

Suppressing his turbulent thoughts, Jiang Zhe refocused his attention on the materials around him.

After all, aiming too high is a big no-no. His primary task now is to complete the puzzle of level four combat power.

After about several tens of minutes, Jiang Zhe finally stopped in front of a huge water tank.

What comes into view is a semi-transparent jellyfish that faintly emits a blue glow.

"Good eye."

Minister Li stepped forward and glanced at it, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"This is an abyssal jellyfish that was captured from an A-level ruin in the outer city of Shark, after the sacrifice of an entire squad."

"It is very rare, but what is most peculiar is that each of its arms has a miniature secondary brain."

"If a top master were to create a support card from it, the card player's mental training could improve dramatically."

"Wow, this is amazing! It's clearly a born multi-core processor!"

Jiang Zhe was overjoyed, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Training one's mental strength would be a waste of resources; the effects of this brain alone perfectly meet his needs.

This is absolutely the perfect replacement for wet parts!

"Minister Li, this is the first item."

Jiang Zhe pointed to the water tank without hesitation and said.

"Okay, A-404, the abyssal jellyfish has been locked." Minister Li nodded, then made a mark on the device in his hand.

Over the next hour, Jiang Zhe explored almost the entire Grade A area.

In the end, his gaze was fixed on it.

Inside a transparent display case sealed by a force field and a low-temperature array.

"This is... a fragment of a star core?"

Seeing that Jiang Zhe had taken a liking to this item, Minister Li couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Jiang Zhe, I advise you to find someone else."

"This is a rare high-density energy aggregate, although its energy output is enormous."

"But its nature is extremely violent, making it impossible to guide or utilize it using existing conventional methods!"

"Several masters at Star Tower once tried to make it into a core card, and they almost destroyed half of the laboratory in the process."

"If you mishandle your mental power, you might be annihilated without even leaving ashes."

"So—are you sure you want to choose this?"

"The reason why others can't guide us is because they don't understand how to boil water."

Jiang Zhe hesitated, but he had already made up his mind.

This thing is violent, but what if we look at it from a different physics perspective?

He didn't want to force a loop to divert the water, but instead planned to learn from the principles of nuclear power plants!

"Use this fragment as the reactor core and build a cooling buffer structure on the outside."

"Use an extremely slow chain reaction to initiate it, and then—"

If the technology is advanced enough, this is practically a miniature nuclear reactor!

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