Chapter 186: Level 3 Factory! (1)

After some convincing from Adrian, highlighting that a stronger weapon would only enhance his natural skill rather than replace it, Karl finally conceded to some of the requests.

He was adamant that he didn’t want his spear to feel too uncomfortable or foreign in his hands, nor lose its essence of being a pure melee weapon. So, they settled on a compromise: Adrian would improve the spear’s durability and sharpness to an unheard-of degree, and he would integrate the ability for it to work as a mana detector.

That was how far Karl was willing to go, even after Adrian’s compelling arguments. Seeing the stubborn loyalty in his friend’s eyes, Adrian accepted it for what it was.

"Consider it done," he said with a nod. "I’ll deliver it to you tomorrow. I know how much you love it."

Karl muttered a heartfelt "Thank you," feeling genuinely touched that Adrian was willing to push aside his own priorities to work on his weapon. But Adrian cut him off before he could get too sentimental.

"I’ll get going now. I’ll call for the two of you to be taken to the cultivation room."

Karl and Serena exchanged curious glances before Karl asked the obvious question. "What’s a cultivation room?"

Adrian stayed silent for a moment, his eyes distant as he communicated with Eli via the telepathic link, giving him instructions to send a detail to escort his friends.

When he concluded passing his message, he turned to face their curious expressions. He didn’t answer directly but posed a question of his own.

"Karl, how long do you think it will take for you to break through to a 6-Star Knight?"

Karl seemed to think for a while, his brow furrowed in concentration. He made a rough estimate based on the new, incredible rate at which he was absorbing mana and the vast size of his dantian’s energy pool.

"Uhm... I think about a month of non-stop cultivation," he said with a wry smile, proud of what was already a ridiculously fast progression speed.

"Nice! It should take you three days in the cultivation room," Adrian replied casually.

"What?!"

The exclamation burst from both Karl and Serena at the same time, their voices laced with utter disbelief.

"Yeah," Adrian confirmed, already turning to leave. "They’ll pick the two of you up soon. Stay here. I’ll be going now."

They both nodded their heads sheepishly, feeling as if they were being utterly spoiled by Adrian’s generosity.

The latter had already summoned the Voidstrider, the sleek vehicle materializing silently beside him. He responded to their final, dazed wave with a slight nod before driving off, disappearing in a blur of motion.

After Adrian entered his private room and laid down on his bed before muttering the command, "Visit Factory."

He could have jumped right into the Factory from the training grounds, but Adrian preferred to return to his room first for a simple, practical reason.

While his body would get transported into the pocket dimension of the Factory, the System’s mechanics dictated that he would return to his exact previous location when he came out.

He had no desire to suddenly pop back into existence in the middle of a training field, potentially in front of a squad of guards. It was a minor detail, but his mind worked on such efficiencies.

Adrian pushed those thoughts aside as the world dissolved into a familiar white light. A moment later, the light faded to reveal the upgraded Factory.

[Welcome to your System Factory]

Access Time Remaining: [05:59:58]

Adrian’s breath caught in his throat as he absorbed the sight before him. There was only one thought that surfaced in his mind, sharp and clear.

’This isn’t a Factory anymore...’

The space seemed to have gotten bigger once more. Or rather, its limits had been stretched. It stretched out so wide in every direction that he could no longer see the ’edges’ of the dimension closely. And this time, it wasn’t a loop.

The ground beneath his feet felt like real earth, and when he looked up, he saw a the beautiful colorful sky.

Everywhere felt far more natural than before, even more real and solid than the outside world. He observed the imposing Factory building up ahead, its metallic walls gleaming under the light, and appreciated the sheer scale of the upgrade.

But he knew that the best was yet to come. Just as he finished his initial observation, Tech Core pinged in his mind.

[Factory Upgrade to Level 3 Complete!]

[I will now list the additional perks unlocked with the Factory Upgrade!]

[Cooldown Time Reduced to 1 hour]

[Access Time: 5 hours → 6 hours]

[Production Lines: 4 → 5]

[Workshop: Upgraded!]

[New Features Unlocked!]

Adrian’s focus sharpened, eager to see what new tools he had at his disposal.

>> [A Creator’s Space]

[Description: A Creator is not limited to making inventions within a workshop. This entire dimension is now your canvas. The Space allows you to express your imagination outside the confines of the Simulation Chamber, giving you direct creative authority over the Factory’s pocket dimension. You can now create structures, terraform the landscape, and manipulate matter within the Factory space. Unlike the Simulation Chamber, all creations here are real, permanent, and bounded by the fundamental laws and the material resources at your disposal.]

>> [Vassal’s Annex]

[Description: A Creator is nothing without loyal subjects. Your Vassals, those who bear your Soul Imprint, are now able to access limited sections of the Factory at your discretion. You may now designate specific, pre-approved zones within the Factory space (such as a private workshop, a training ground, or a meeting hall) that your Vassals can be summoned to. They cannot access the core Factory controls or your private workshop. This feature allows for secure, private meetings, specialized training, and collaborative projects, all within your absolute domain.]

>> [The Reclamation Forge]

[Description: In the pursuit of progress, there is no waste, only untapped resources. The Reclamation Forge is a massive industrial processor designed to break down any physical object into Tech Points. From failed prototypes and battlefield scrap to outdated equipment and mundane materials, the Forge can convert any matter you designate into a more useful form.]

>> [Deconstruction Matrix]

[Description: A Creator must not only innovate, but also learn from the creations of others. The Deconstruction Matrix is a high-energy analysis bay where you can place any non-living object. The Matrix will bombard the object with analytical energy, consuming a significant amount of Tech Points to map its material composition, structural integrity, and magical enchantments. Upon completion, it generates a complete, replicable Blueprint of the object and adds its unique materials and enchantments to your knowledge base. This allows you to learn, replicate, and ultimately improve upon the existing technology and magic you witness!]