Stars, Players and Immortals

Chapter 14: The Way of Myriad Machines

Zhang Qiming looked at Saint Sophia and said:

"It's not a big deal if an adult suddenly starts to like incense. After all, people can become inexplicably fond of retro old things. But here's the problem—the more inconspicuous the detail, the more likely it is to cause a big problem."

"If you continue investigating along this line, you'll find that the ingredients of those spices are not from common recipes; they are inherently tainted with psionic energy and were deliberately created. And this fragrance is related to a certain being in the illusory realm, born from the beings' desire for pleasure, indulgence, and obsession..."

"Few can resist His temptations, because He is passionate about every kind of enjoyment you can and cannot imagine—there is only more depravity in endless depravity."

"Desire, pride, and self-indulgence are the hallmarks of all who follow Him."

After hearing Zhang Qiming's words, Saint Sophia was already mostly convinced, but she still needed to verify it herself.

After a moment, she spoke again.

"You're telling me all this now, it can't just be for the sake of cooperation, right? Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Behind the mask, Zhang Qiming smiled.

"Of course, Skyward sincerely wants to cooperate with the Holy Maiden, but cooperation is a matter of give and take, and it also requires sincerity. We've presented you with the name of the traitor, pointing out the most dangerous thorn in your side. That's already a way of showing our sincerity."

"Next, it's time for Her Majesty the Saintess to bring something out."

Zhang Qiming revealed the true purpose of his trip:

"What we want is very simple. Skywalker needs to obtain advanced knowledge about the Way of Myriad Machines from you—even if Your Excellency only allows us to briefly browse through it, that will suffice."

In Stellaris, the path of maneuvering is never a straight road.

It's more like a giant tree that grows from steel and steam, with only one main trunk. But when people really go deep into it, three paths will branch out in front of them, and there's no turning back.

These three branches are: the Master Craftsman, the Master Craftsman of All Machines, and the Forger of the Holy Body.

These three paths represent three completely different ultimate understandings within the field of mechanical engineering.

If we break it down further, the Way of Myriad Machines involves five major knowledge systems: drawing, machine soul, prosthetic body, construction, and invention.

Drafting refers to structural design, mechanical blueprints, component fitting, and modular frameworks, which form the skeleton of all mechanical knowledge.

The "soul of a machine" refers to the spiritual resonance, control logic, and resonant structure within a machine; the higher one goes, the closer one gets to the essence of all machines.

Prosthetics refers to the principles of human body modification, mechanical integration, and the connection between the body and steel.

Construction, which leans towards engineering, assembly, production lines, and large-scale facilities, truly transforms blueprints into physical entities.

Invention is the most dangerous and fascinating thing; it means creating new structures, new weapons, new industrial routes, and even new eras.

The three irreversible branches are each selected from these five systems, with one main path and two auxiliary paths, eventually growing into completely different forms.

—Master craftsmen focus on the soul of the machine, artisans focus on invention, and engineers focus on prosthetics.

There is no superiority or inferiority among the three paths; they simply have different focuses. They correspond not only to branches on the skill tree but also to a mechanical superhuman's way of understanding the world.

Some believe that all things have a spirit, that the spirit of machines is the greatest in the world, and that the highest spirit of all machines is the God of all machines.

Some people believe that machines are unique, that they are forged according to God's design, and that they discover the essence of all things with faith.

Some people feel that flesh and blood are too short, so they simply merge with machines, and the craftsman should be divine, so that his hands can forge a divine body of steel.

Zhang Qiming and Saint Sophia are walking the same path—the path of the great creator.

To complete the first job advancement for the Myriad Machine Attendant class, you need to reach a total level of 20 and meet the basic requirements for Master-level skills.

Finally, you also need to master a truly meaningful advanced knowledge of the Machine Soul system, namely the Master Craftsman's Creation Ritual.

The first two conditions are not too difficult for Zhang Qiming. Now, with the experience gained from the "Cut a Blade" quest and the newly opened situational quests, he can quickly gather the experience needed to level up—both in terms of skills and level.

What truly choked him was the last condition: advanced knowledge of the Machine Soul system.

When she heard Zhang Qiming say that advanced knowledge was needed, a strange look appeared in Saint Sophia's eyes.

She almost immediately deduced that the Skyward leader in front of her was a superhuman on the same path as herself.

She never expected that the leader of an organization possessing Type III advanced artificial intelligence, suspected of having third-generation machines, and daring to confront the church, would actually be just a servant of the emperor...

Saint Sophia scrutinized Zhang Qiming from head to toe, her gaze finally settling on the metal mask as if trying to see through it to discern what kind of person was behind it.

After a few seconds, she slowly spoke.

"I can grant your request, but not now. I need to investigate what you just said and verify everything that needs to be verified. Once I confirm that what you provided is correct, I will give you this advanced knowledge."

After listening, Zhang Qiming didn't press the matter further; he simply chuckled lightly and then nodded.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and swiped lightly to the side, and a series of contact messages that had undergone multiple redirects and disguises popped up and stopped at the edge of the screen.

"I believe you will be able to contact us soon."

Saint Sophia glanced at the contact information but didn't say anything.

Zhang Qiming did not stay any longer.

The next second, the Chishiro logo on the screen flashed slightly, and the face wearing the knight mask faded away. The entire intrusion window seemed to be gently peeled off the terminal surface by an invisible hand, disappearing silently.

The terminal room quickly returned to its original quiet.

The black screen lit up again, and the system interface bounced back to its original position layer by layer. The hacking link, temporary window, and data afterimages that had been forcibly interrupted were all cleaned up, leaving no trace even in the underlying logs.

It's as if that conversation just now never happened.

Only Saint Sophia remained seated in front of the terminal, her fingertips lightly resting on the table, her gaze fixed on the screen that had returned to normal. Her expression was calm, but even more somber than before.

After a moment, she whispered the traitor's name.

"Grigory Makarov..."

Without further hesitation, she raised her hand to activate Ares's access interface, preparing to personally verify every word Zhang Qiming had just said.

Streams of pale golden data quickly spread out in front of the terminal, and Ares's massive and cold computing power started running again at this moment, extending her will directly into the depths of the complex Martian network.