Chapter 71: Surge

The night was silent, snow falling in white flakes.

On the rear flatbed car of the “Infinite” train, Lin Xian sat inside the dump truck’s bed, devouring the capacitor bank lifted up.

【Devour Progress 15%】

【Devour Progress 60%】

……

The 110kV capacitor bank was still enormous and intricately constructed; Lin Xian’s Level 3 Mechanical Devour skill took nearly four hours to fully consume it.

When the progress bar reached 100%, a flash of purple light suddenly appeared before Lin Xian’s eyes.

【Devour Successful: Mechanical Origin Points +150, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +60, Bonus Reward: Strength +5, Speed +10. You have acquired the Surge Skill!】

【Surge (Rare): Accumulate a certain voltage to release electrical energy!】

【Decompose: Polypropylene dielectric*100, Liquid dielectric*50, Aluminum foil*30, Ceramic shards*50, Polycarbonate film, Polytetrafluoroethylene…】

“Surge… a Rare Skill?!”

Lin Xian’s gaze flickered; he raised his palm and secretly activated it. A pale blue glow began gathering in his palm, the energy rising with a searing heat.

He then turned his palm toward the dump truck’s floor.

Oo~ Zzzt!

A brilliant arc of electricity shot out, blazing with light and instantly burning a small hole through the steel floor; the steel around the hole glowed faintly red, steaming with heat!

“Spontaneous electricity generation… perfectly suited to my Mechanical Heart—it’s like I can directly produce electrical energy.”

“Huh~”

Lin Xian blew on his scorching palm and frowned inwardly: “It requires time to charge, and there’s a limit—I can’t handle much more without my body breaking down.”

At the same time, another of his attributes also increased.

【Congratulations! Speed attribute upgraded to Level 2, limit now 13m/s】

“Impressive…”

Lin Xian stood up, eyes wide with shock. He not only felt his limb muscles gaining explosive speed, but more crucially, his vision, perception, reaction, and coordination had all sharpened dramatically.

He blinked, and his vision blurred, then cleared instantly.

He gazed into the distance—his night vision had improved significantly.

“So speed isn’t just about movement!” Lin Xian realized, elated. This speed and reaction already surpassed the limits of original Blue Star humans; though not yet monster-tier, since he primarily focused on mechanical construction, future Strength gains would matter little to him.

Speed, however, greatly enhanced perception and reaction, expanding his survival potential—this was the true boon for him.

“Perfect. Let’s build this first.”

Lin Xian pulled out the unfinished GK03 electric knife and, following the blueprint, constructed a high-energy capacitor, arc discharge unit, and high-frequency generator. Soon, a complete GK03 electric knife lay in his hands.

Normally, this device had a charging mode and disposable energy modules, but for Lin Xian, those were unnecessary.

He gripped it, directly using the Surge Skill to charge the high-energy capacitor. Then he flipped the switch. A faint hum of current rose from the silver blade, which began to glow—upon closer inspection, tiny arcs flickered along its edge.

“Excellent…”

Lin Xian’s face burned with eagerness. This weapon was unquestionably a divine tool for close-quarters defense.

Click~

After admiring it for a moment, he powered it off and carefully sheathed the electric knife. He checked the time, then began devouring the dump truck and the electrical appliances brought back by Sha Sha and the others, killing time.

He chose to act before dawn primarily due to risk considerations.

Inside the carriage, Da Lou and Sha Sha were loading ammunition and preparing spare magazines; Chen Sixuan assisted nearby, learning.

Everyone felt the weight of an impending enemy.

Lin Xian jumped down from the train and began devouring the dump truck and the electrical appliances.

……

【Devour Successful: Mechanical Origin Points +13, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +5, Bonus Reward: Strength +2】

The dump truck took over twenty minutes to devour; its yield was roughly equal to the freight car’s, though slightly less material. 【Decompose: High-manganese steel*10, Hot-rolled forged steel*10, Cold-rolled dual-phase steel plate*5, Ordinary carbon steel*20, Non-metallic foam material, Non-metallic composite material…】

【Devour Successful: Mechanical Origin Points +2, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1】

【Devour Successful: Mechanical Origin Points +1, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1】

【Devour Successful: Mechanical Origin Points +3, Mechanical Devour Skill Proficiency +1, Bonus Reward: Speed +1】

【Decompose: Glass, plastic, iron, aluminum, copper, semiconductor components, bipolar transistors, diodes, field-effect transistors, integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors, inductors, circuit boards, non-metallic foam material, non-metallic composite material…】

These appliances were like snacks—devoured quickly, yielding little, but their sole advantage was providing diverse materials.

Useful later for constructing water purifiers, air circulation systems, communication devices, and more.

【Current Mechanical Heart Level: Lv.2 (715/1000)】

【Tip: Upgrading Mechanical Heart grants special skill rewards. At Lv.3, Lv.6, and Lv.9, you gain a Mystery Awakening.】

Strength Level: 2【80%】 (Explosive output: 200kg class)

Speed Level: 2【05%】 (Limit: 13m/s)

!

Defense Level: 1【78%】 (Hard Bones, Tough Skin)

【Mechanical Awakening】: Not Awakened

Mechanical Devour: 3 (106/1000) — Increases devour efficiency

Mechanical Manufacturing: 2 (130/500) — Increases construction efficiency

Mechanical Passive: Scan / Repair / Decompose

【Special Skills】

Wind Cannon (Common) (Lv.2 86%)

Ice Shield (Common) (Lv.1 69%)

Flash Step (Rare) (Lv.1 30%)

Surge (Rare) (Lv.1 2%)

“Almost there. If I devour one large locomotive, I should reach Level 3.”

Lin Xian stared at the screen before him, his expression tinged with longing.

Mechanical Awakening—he awaited it with great anticipation.

But a fully intact locomotive, coupled with a chance to devour uninterrupted for over ten hours, was extremely difficult to obtain. If he relied on cars, at his current devour efficiency, he’d need to bring back over twenty dump trucks—equally challenging.

Moreover, once he upgraded to Level 3 Mechanical Heart, cars would yield progressively fewer Mechanical Origin Points—he’d have to focus on larger, more complex machinery with greater power output.

Drip-drip~

Lin Xian’s reminder alarm sounded—it was 14:00, and the sky remained dark.

On the flatbed car, his devouring had once again emptied the space.

A good thing—it reduced burden and increased capability.

Oo~

Lin Xian opened the rear ramp of Car 5. Da Lou and Sha Sha were fully geared up.

“Are we leaving?” Chen Sixuan asked as Lin Xian entered.

“Yes.”

Lin Xian had Chen Sixuan remain in the cab, armed and ready to provide support, while Sha Sha took the heavy weapon to guard the train’s perimeter—she’d need to offer covering fire once Lin Xian and Da Lou returned.

Lin Xian and Da Lou would drive into Yuchicheng.

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(End of Chapter)