Chapter 381: Second Awakening, Black Star Forge!

Empty.

The roaring of machinery grew louder in his ears; Lin Xian felt his vision plunge into darkness—he could no longer see the mechanical heart's interface or anything at all, as if he were no longer inside the train loading factory, but had entered an impossibly vast space.

His ears rang with a persistent buzz; his skin prickled from ionization—then, finally, the mechanical heart's voice spoke.

【Mechanical Origin Prepared. Awakening Mechanical Lord.】

【Awakening Complete. Mechanical Lord.】

【You have gained Transfer Manufacturing and Black Star Forge.】

【Integrating and decomposing space: preparing factory, R&D center…】

【Black Star Forge performing self-check.】

【Black Star Forge successfully activated!】

Hooo~

A deep engine roar escalated into a piercing shriek; suddenly, a massive ring ignited before Lin Xian's eyes, illuminating a colossal mechanical structure resembling a giant engine. Blue and red energy lines gradually flooded the entire space. Lin Xian's pupils contracted—he realized he now stood inside an endless black stone cavern, and before him loomed a colossal apparatus like an interstellar tunnel.

"What the hell is this?"

The engine roared. Lin Xian scanned the fog that stretched endlessly in every direction. He stomped the ground—and realized he was truly inside this strange space, yet felt no pain, as if his consciousness were still linked to Chu Yan.

Lin Xian opened the mechanical heart's interface and found its contents had undergone a radical transformation.

The Decomposition Space, Factory Preparation, and R&D Center had vanished. His passive mechanical profile was gone. In its place was a far more complex interface.

【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV. (20/50000)】

【Mechanical Awakening】: Mechanical Lord

Mechanical Consumption: 5 (1660/3000) — Increases construction efficiency

Mechanical Manufacturing: 5 (1660/3000) — Increases construction efficiency

【Special Skills】

Mech Cannon 【Amplified】

AT Field 【Amplified】

Superstring Reactor Phase Rainbow Ring 【Amplified】

Flashback (Rare) (Level 3)

Magnetic Storm Oscillation (Rare) (Level 1)

Gravitational Lens (Legendary) (Level 2, 50%)

Aside from these, the original Decomposition Space, Factory Preparation, and R&D Center had merged into a single massive UI labeled 【Black Star Forge】—containing all material data, R&D information, and five empty construction sequences awaiting activation.

"Construction sequences?" Lin Xian frowned. He gazed up at the colossal mechanical passage ahead—and suddenly understood. He tried to step into it. The moment he willed it, his entire body was instantly sucked into the giant tunnel. The scenery around him shifted rapidly, revealing an ever-expanding mechanical world.

He felt as if he had entered the interior of a colossal mechanical device. Ten thousand mechanical units rotated silently beneath a metallic sky, flowing like stars along fixed orbits. The entire passage rotated with the steady rhythm of a cosmic pendulum, centrifugal force flinging countless parts and materials toward floating conveyor tracks, where they were precisely captured at calculated nodes.

Lin Xian saw five manufacturing pathways glowing within the tunnel. He immediately attempted to add the blueprint for the Lei Sun 2000 drone to a construction sequence—and instantly, his interface displayed:

【Construction Sequence 1: Lei Sun 2000 Attack Drone x1】

Zeng zeng zeng.

Instantly, the entire construction sequence above him activated. Lights blazed, machinery hummed. Materials raced along conveyor tracks. At the front, dozens of mechanical arms fired lasers, emitting light like holographic printing. In an instant, a metallic drone frame assembled. Then, swarms of micro-drones darted in, weaving screws and circuits into a neural network across the body—layer upon layer, orderly, mesmerizing.

Less than ten minutes later, a brand-new "Lei Sun 2000 Attack Drone" appeared before Lin Xian. Construction Sequence 1 reset to zero.

"Of course—this is my mechanical heart's manufacturing space!"

Lin Xian's gaze burned. His heart pounded. For the first time, he felt the 【automated power】 of the mechanical heart!

"So the Black Star Forge is my large-scale automated factory—with five construction sequences. That means I can run five manufacturing tasks simultaneously!"

"Could this be because my mechanical manufacturing skill is at Level 5?"

Without hesitation, Lin Xian assigned each of the five construction sequences a different drone blueprint: one "Lei Yu" magnetic storm drone, one "Destroyer" suicide drone, one "Bing Bao 166" liquid nitrogen freezer, one "Tie Yu" hypersonic kinetic drone, and one "Tie Mu" defense drone.

He activated them all with entirely different blueprints, eager to see if his theory held.

Zeng zeng zeng!

Instantly, all five construction sequences activated. The assembly lines ran fully automated. The materials from his original Decomposition Space and Factory Preparation converted seamlessly, as if unified into one system. Materials flowed like blood along the sequences. Soon, five entirely different drones rapidly took shape in the air before him.

Lin Xian watched his construction progress bars—each sequence was running simultaneously, with precise countdown timers. The manufacturing times varied: "Tie Mu" defense drone was fastest; others took longer due to technical complexity. But none required his input—even when he changed the "Tie Yu" quantity to x99, the system responded without issue.

But when he increased it to x999, the mechanical heart alerted him:

【Insufficient prepared materials. Cannot add "Tie Yu" x999 construction sequence.】

"So this really is an automated production line—even more advanced. From raw material preparation to finished product… But what kind of space is this?"

What confused Lin Xian now was this hyper-realistic manufacturing space—the first time he truly felt the mechanical heart's complete manufacturing process.

He willed himself—and the scene reversed at light speed, retreating from the engine tunnel. He drew a sharp breath—and suddenly found himself back inside the Ring Star Train Loading Factory. Everything was empty. The floor was littered with debris from the trains he'd consumed.

"Where are the drones I just made?"

Lin Xian frowned and opened the mechanical heart's interface. There, in the 【Forge Completed】 section, were all six drones he'd just manufactured.

"No way…"

His heart leapt. He raised his hand, trying to release the six drones.

Suddenly, a crackling ionization roar erupted. Behind him, the Superstring Reactor Phase Rainbow Ring blazed to life like a nuclear reactor's manifestation. Above him, space twisted—and a colossal mechanical gate materialized, slowly opening.

Wuuu wuuu~

Instantly, six different drones shot out and hovered before Lin Xian.

"Holy shit!" Lin Xian stared at the drones ahead, then at the terrifying, slowly closing gate behind him—his eyes widened in disbelief.

【Black Star Forge: Activated automated Black Star Forge factory. Blueprints trigger material preparation and engineering manufacturing. Number of construction sequences scales with Mechanical Manufacturing level. Activated tasks automatically prepare and match materials. Completed items stored in Black Star Forge inventory. Storage capacity: 1 billion cubic meters.】

"One billion cubic meters? That could hold a hundred kilometer-class cruisers! This is insane!"

"Then what does 'Transfer Manufacturing' mean?"

Lin Xian eagerly opened the skill description.

【Transfer Manufacturing: Transfer mechanical constructs into the Black Star Forge. Upgrade, modify, or repair them using advanced blueprints.】

"Holy shit!!"

"I can transfer mechanical constructs into the Black Star Forge? With that much space... I could just shove the Tianqiong Interstellar Train inside and modify it?!"

"Mechanical Lord?! This is insane!"

Lin Xian stared at his hands. This awakening had changed everything. He no longer needed to sit idle to manufacture. He could run multiple automated tasks. Most crucially, the entire process occurred within a vast, private dimension only he could access—and he could now transfer external mechanical objects into the Black Star Forge!

A wild idea struck him. He sprinted out of the factory, drove a small convoy of a Doomsday Train into the loading bay, and, seeing no one around, raised his hand—attempting to use Transfer Manufacturing to drag the dozen-car steel train into the Black Star Forge.

Hum!

As he willed it, his Superstring Reactor Phase Rainbow Ring ignited again. In the factory's void, the colossal mechanical gate reappeared. From its depths surged a massive electromagnetic force. Through the opening, Lin Xian glimpsed the Black Star Forge's massive rotating celestial structure.

The Doomsday Train was engulfed in arcs of electricity. The Black Star Forge, like a mechanical beast from the cosmic abyss, slowly swallowed the train whole.

Simultaneously, Lin Xian felt a crushing drain of energy—like activating a Gravitational Lens. Watching the train vanish into the forge, he trembled violently, drenched in cold sweat, weakness flooding his body. He couldn't stop. He could only watch, helplessly, as each car slid in—time stretching endlessly. Inside the factory, blinding electric arcs flashed like a dimensional energy storm. All electronic components flickered wildly.

When the last car vanished into the Black Star Forge, Lin Xian collapsed, drenched in sweat, his vision blurring.

Boom!

Transfer complete. The mechanical gate closed slowly. The blinding arcs vanished. Dust swirled. The space stood empty once more.

Lin Xian sat heavily on the ground, gasping. The process had been far more taxing than he'd imagined—not just draining, but dangerously risky. He was relieved he'd tested it first. The Doomsday Train was just the right size—he'd barely managed to control it. If he'd tried transferring a larger machine and failed midway, the consequences could've been catastrophic.

After the scare, Lin Xian immediately entered the Black Star Forge. The scene shifted—he stood again within the colossal celestial structure. The black Doomsday Train now floated weightlessly before him, its dozen cars twisted and interlaced, awaiting his command.

Now, Lin Xian realized he could manipulate the transferred train freely. He uploaded the standard spacecraft body blueprint from Jian Xuxi into the Black Star Forge—and immediately, he could assign one construction sequence to convert the Doomsday Train into a standard spacecraft carriage.

【Confirm: Activate Construction Sequence 1 to begin "Standard Spacecraft Carriage" construction. Estimated duration: 16 days.】

【Tip: Increase Mechanical Manufacturing level or add construction sequences to reduce construction time.】

"Sixteen days? What if I use all five sequences?"

【Confirm: Activate Construction Sequences 1–5 to begin "Standard Spacecraft Carriage" construction. Estimated duration: 3. days.】 "Of course…"

Lin Xian frowned at the interface. A thought struck him: this wasn't really upgrading the Doomsday Train—it was more like dismantling it and rebuilding from scratch. Could the Black Star Forge's construction sequences support mechanical consumption?

He tested it immediately—and confirmed his guess. A new mechanical consumption task appeared in the construction sequence.

【Confirm: Initiate automated mechanical consumption of "Target Body 1." Estimated duration: 5 hours.】

"Exactly!" Lin Xian's face lit up. "If I use all five sequences, I could consume this dozen-car train in just one hour?!"

"Absolutely."

Without hesitation, Lin Xian activated all five sequences. Instantly, dozens of mechanical arms appeared along each manufacturing line. Cutting and dismantling beams flashed wildly—and before Lin Xian's eyes, the massive Doomsday Train disintegrated rapidly.

Lin Xian returned his consciousness from the Black Star Forge, stared at the empty space, and breathed deeply, pondering:

Transferring large mechanical objects into the Black Star Forge didn't just allow upgrades or repairs—it could also directly perform mechanical consumption. This saved immense time, boosted efficiency, and was far safer.

But Transfer Manufacturing clearly wasn't something to use lightly—it had nearly drained him completely. Using it for mass consumption or dismantling wasn't feasible. This function was best reserved for critical upgrades.

"But… in a pinch… I could use this… to move large equipment away…"

Lin Xian panted heavily, his face pale. Unlike active abilities, this forced energy drain left him vulnerable—he hated being passive.

And this wasn't just fatigue. He felt utterly depleted—his spirit drained, his body hollowed out.

He checked the time. It was already 4 p. . He'd spent the entire day locked in this factory. He had no idea what news had come from Shuguang City or Wangyue Shinji.

Staggering out of the factory, Lin Xian felt exhilarated by his awakening—but his body barely held him upright. He planned to find Wangyue Shinji and Jian Xuxi, but his legs trembled.

"Lin Dui."

"Captain?"

"Lin Dui, what's wrong?"

Along the way, members of the Combined Train stared at him, concerned by his exhausted state. Lin Xian only shook his head, scanning for familiar faces.

Then a familiar figure stepped forward from the crowd.

It was Chen Sixuan.

Seeing Lin Xian's condition, Chen Sixuan's face filled with shock and concern.

"Lin Xian!"

"Chen Laoshi…"

Lin Xian let out a long sigh, then his vision went black and he collapsed straight into Chen Sixuan's arms.

Leaning against her, he wore a faint smile, murmuring unconsciously:

"I'm a Mechanical Lord now—this ability… is incredibly powerful. I'm going to upgrade the Infinite to Skyborne Class…"

"What did you say?"

Chen Sixuan didn't catch what Lin Xian was mumbling; seeing his pale face, she realized he had fainted.

…

"You finally fell asleep."

The words sounded strange, but Lin Xian knew he hadn't misheard—he opened his eyes and found himself in a bright, spacious, spotless conference room.

His gaze swept across the room: a sharp figure stood against the wall, arms crossed, long gray-white hair tied into a ponytail, energy lines of his armor flowing gently. Before his vision fully focused, Lin Xian knew—he had once again formed a mental link with Chu Yan.

To some extent, Lin Xian disliked this feeling—it gave him a constant sense of being controlled, and he remained wary of this abnormal phenomenon occurring within him, but for now, he had no solution.

The mental link with Chu Yan was not fixed; at least, Lin Xian never experienced it during normal sleep. It almost always occurred after his mental collapse or unconsciousness.

Still, Lin Xian tried to reassure himself: at least the link with Chu Yan had granted him valuable information—it wasn't entirely bad.

"Judging by your tone, you're waiting for me?"

Lin Xian focused slightly, and the surroundings sharpened. He looked toward one wall of the conference room—a crimson phoenix emblem glowed brilliantly, making him realize Chu Yan was certainly within Phoenix Society territory.

Chu Yan looked at Lin Xian and said seriously: "You're right this time. I am waiting for you."

"What do you want?"

"After our last meeting, I gave it serious thought. From both personal duty and organizational strategy, I have an obligation to report this link between us to the organization."

Lin Xian frowned: "Trouble?"

"Not trouble, just my mission parameters have been adjusted—of course, that's for me."

"I'm asking about me," Lin Xian said dryly. "Are your North American Alliance or the Phoenix Society going to investigate me?"

"Your concern is unnecessary."

Chu Yan looked at Lin Xian calmly: "We hold no hostility toward you. The Phoenix Society holds you in high regard—that's why I'm here waiting for you."

"What do you mean?"

Chu Yan's gaze shifted to another direction. Lin Xian's expression changed—he quickly turned his head.

Only then did he realize the conference room held more than just Chu Yan—there was another person.

A woman in her fifties sat at the head of the table, quietly observing Lin Xian. She wore a gray suit, her short hair like blades of frost, her weathered face framed by eyes as stern and steady as stars. She seemed to be looking at Lin Xian—or perhaps merely judging his position from Chu Yan's gaze. A faint smile graced her lips, giving the first impression of a serious, wise university professor.

"Hello, Lin Xian. I am Ye Lan, Commander of the Phoenix Society. I apologize for initiating contact this way."

Lin Xian's expression slowly grew serious. Chu Yan walked over, pulled out the chair to his left, and sat down. She said to him:

"Professor Ye wishes to use our connection to communicate with you."

Commander.

Hearing the title, Lin Xian instantly felt greater respect for the woman before him. His gaze shifted from Ye Lan to Chu Yan.

"You're the translator?"

"Relay," Chu Yan said calmly. "Only I can hear you."

"Fine."

Lin Xian took a deep breath. Beneath the bright lights, though this was a mental link, he suddenly felt immense pressure.

Ye Lan seemed to anticipate his reaction and said calmly: "Don't be tense. In multiple collaborations with the Phoenix Society, you've demonstrated wisdom and responsibility that left a profound impression. I believe you understand—we reached out to you because, in this cataclysm threatening human civilization, we see you as a trustworthy ally worthy of unity."

"Thank you for your recognition, uh… Commander Ye."

"Before the Day of Revelation, Professor Ye was a professor of microscopic particle physics at Star City University and chair of the Federation's Committee for Scientific and Technological Advancement. You may also call her Professor Ye," Chu Yan said without a trace of humor.

A complex expression flickered in Lin Xian's eyes. After a moment, he said directly: "Alright, relay this to Professor Ye: my collaborations with the Phoenix Society were always driven by personal survival needs. I don't possess that much wisdom or responsibility—but I'm honored you trust me."

Chu Yan's expression remained unreadable as she repeated Lin Xian's words word for word to Ye Lan.

Ye Lan smiled faintly toward Lin Xian's direction and said calmly: "Survival is instinct. There's no shame in that—every living thing shares it. But human civilization has endured for ten thousand years because of mutual aid and unity—that is the very meaning of civilization. Now, in crisis, survival is instinct, but unity is a choice. And you made that choice at Yubei Airport, didn't you?"

Lin Xian fell silent. After a long while, he sighed: "Alright. I don't want to parade false slogans about saving all humanity, nor do I wish to debate the philosophy that greater power entails greater responsibility. But in principle, I support the Phoenix Society. From my own values and motivations, I recognize the efforts you're making worldwide. So if there's anything I can help with, say it."

Ye Lan looked toward Lin Xian's position—a void in the room. Only two people were physically present, yet a third listened.

"Captain Lin, the Star Abyss is about to undergo drastic change. On behalf of the Phoenix Society, I ask you to join our operation against Dawn City and the Deep Red World…"

"The Cleansing Plan!"

(End of Chapter)