Chapter 286: The Upgrade!
Kai stood before the merchants and glanced at the mysterious ore they presented.
The bluish glow reflected faintly against his coat, and he could already imagine Atom’s systems reinforced by such a resource.
Diego cleared his throat. "Sir Kai, we know what you’re thinking. This ore is rare, and it’s powerful. We’re not asking for Survivor Medals or Energy Cores. Instead, we want something practical. Something we’ve seen with our own eyes."
"A trade? Then let’s talk. Tell me more about it..." Kai replied.
Santiago clasped his hands and replied. "The Atmospheric Water Generator. The one your shelter uses."
The crowd around them stirred. Vera’s eyes widened.
Steven muttered... "No wonder they kept looking at it. They’re really interested..."
Kai’s smile was calm and nodded. He knew how valuable it was, and it wouldn’t be surprising that they wanted it.
As a matter of fact, Cornelio Aries was still to trade one of these for a single Skill Fusion Crystal. Thanks to that, Kai had something he’d be able to sell to the residents of his shelter, giving him a better chance of earning Survivor Medals from them.
"It’s not easy to obtain them." Kai lied as he acted as if he was troubled.
Of course, it was true that the Atmospheric Water Generator was one of his most valuable devices.
It was portable, compact, and capable of extracting moisture directly from the air. It was such a unique device that produced clean, drinkable water even in arid environments. With one of these, a shelter would never worry about thirst again as long as they had Spirit Energy to activate it.
Diego continued, "We saw it in action yesterday. Survivors here drink freely, without rationing. That’s not normal in this wasteland. If we had one of those devices, our caravan could sustain itself indefinitely. And any shelter we trade with would pay dearly for it."
Santiago raised a finger. "For ten pieces of Aetherium Ore, we’ll accept one Atmospheric Water Generator."
Kai repeated... "Ten ores for one generator?"
Diego nodded firmly. "Water is life. And in this world, life is worth more than medals. I hope you can be generous. In exchange, our caravan will pass through this shelter in a routine, giving you access to more food, fabrics, and other items you can’t find anywhere."
"I see... That’s tempting..."
Kai thought carefully.
He could produce these devices infinitely through his Gift Pack talent, but revealing that fact was dangerous.
He couldn’t afford to flood the market with them, or suspicion would rise. He needed to limit his trades, keep the illusion of scarcity intact, and make them more valuable or precious.
Finally, he spoke. "How much ore do you have?"
Santiago’s grin widened. "Three hundred pieces. Enough to help create about a hundred Aetherium Swords.
Kai’s eyes gleamed. Three hundred pieces of Aetherium Ore were a staggering amount. It wouldn’t just be for Atom then... He could rebuild or upgrade other Modified Sentinels beyond imagination. But he couldn’t hand over thirty generators... not yet.
"I only have ten more of those devices available," Kai said firmly. "As of now, I’ll accept one hundred and fifty pieces of ore in exchange for them."
Diego frowned slightly. "Ten generators for one hundred and fifty ores... that’s half our stock."
Kai raised his hand. "I’m not finished. I have other items you may find useful. Items you won’t find anywhere else."
He gestured, and Vera led them to the warehouse. Inside, crates stacked high revealed his surplus. Kai opened one, showing rows of advanced equipment.
"Thermal detection goggles. Portable disruptor field units... and Advanced camouflage gear."
The merchants leaned closer, their eyes widening.
"These," Kai explained, "are part of my surplus. Camouflage gear, thermal detection goggles, disruptor units... all tested and reliable. I’ve been selling them to other Survivors or Merchants, but I can trade them with you guys."
Diego picked up a pair of goggles, inspecting them. "Thermal detection... this could spot hidden mutants or cloaked drones."
Santiago tested the disruptor unit, watching its faint pulse. "Portable field disruption. This could jam sensors, confuse Sentinels, or even block communication chanels... Impressive."
Kai smiled faintly. "I can provide sets of these. If you’re interested, we can add them to the deal.
Diego and Santiago exchanged glances. They were merchants, and they knew opportunity when they saw it.
Kai continued, "For every set of three...one camouflage gear, one thermal goggle, one disruptor unit... I’ll accept five pieces of Aetherium Ore."
Santiago’s eyes lit up. "Five ores for a set? That’s fair. I think other Survivors would pay much more for this kind of technology."
Kai nodded. "I can provide twenty sets. That’s another one hundred ores."
Diego calculated quickly. "So... ten generators for one hundred and fifty ores, plus twenty sets of stealth equipment for one hundred ores. That’s two hundred and fifty ores total."
Kai’s smile widened. "Exactly. You can trade the other 50 ores to others... Two hundred and fifty ores will be more than enough for my Blacksmiths for now..."
Kai didn’t have a lot of blacksmiths anyway. Having 250 pieces was already more than enough.
The merchants whispered to each other, weighing the deal. Finally, Santiago extended his hand. "Agreed. Two hundred and fifty ores for your devices and equipment."
Kai clasped his hand firmly. "Then it’s settled."
The crown around them murmured in awe.
Vera wasn’t sure how great these Aetherium Ores were, but since Kai was willing to purchase most of them, they must be really good.
Steven and Juno were also curious, but in the end, they were happy to see Kai smiling in satisfaction.
***
Soon, Kai carried the crates of Aetherium Ore into his small house, with Atom following silently behind him.
The others had already dispersed, leaving him alone with the Sentinel.
Thud...
As soon as the last crate was placed, without waiting for a command, Atom moved.
The machine’s eyes flared brighter, and it immediately sat beside the crates containing the ores. Its armored hands reached forward, touching the minerals.
Soon, a low hum filled the air. The ores began to vibrate, their glow intensifying.
Then, one by one, they dissolved into streams of energy that flowed directly into Atom’s chassis. Dust and unusable fragments scattered onto the floor, crumbling into nothingness.
Crack... Crack...
Kai watched silently.
He had seen this before... when Atom absorbed black metals from Tyrants and other powerful units of the A.I. Army. Back then, his low-level Appraisal Skill couldn’t identify the black metal at all.
But now, with the merchants’ explanation and Victor’s confirmation from New Haven-45, he understood. Those black metals had been Aetherium all along.
It made sense.
The A.I. Army had been transporting and weaponizing this ore. Victor’s appraisal had revealed fragments of its properties, but seeing Atom absorb it directly confirmed the truth.
Soon, after Atom had consumed about fifty pieces, something changed. Its body pulsed with radiant energy...
For some reason, its started circuits glowing brighter than ever before.
"This..."
The floor trembled slightly, and Kai’s blue screen interface appeared in front of him!
[ Sentinel Upgrade Detected ]
[ Processing absorbed Aetherium... ]
[ Compatibility: 100% ]
[ Reinforcement Threshold Reached ]
[ A-Grade Sentinel: Atom ]
[ Status: Evolution in Progress ]
[ Consumed Resource: 50 Aetherium Ore ]
[ Triggering Grade Advancement... ]
Kai’s breath caught as the final notification unfolded across his screen...
"This..."
[ Sentinel Evolution Complete ]
[ Sentinel Atom has advanced from A-Grade to S-Grade ]
[ New Classification: S-Grade Sentinel - Atom ]
[ Core Systems Reinforced ]
[ Durability: +300% ]
[ Energy Circuits Stabilized ]
[ Barrier Generation Efficiency: +250% ]
[ Operating Duration Extended - Continuous activity sustained far longer than previous grade ]
[ Additional Functions Unlocked ]
- Adaptive Energy Shield: Generates a dynamic barrier that adjusts to incoming attack types.
- Self-Repair Protocol: Atom can regenerate structural damage over time using absorbed energy.
- Overdrive Mode: Temporarily increases combat output by 200% when Spirit Energy is channeled. ]
[ Current Synchronization: Perfect ]
[ Owner: Kai ]
Kai’s eyes widened.
He had expected Atom to grow stronger, but this... this was beyond anything he had imagined. An S-Grade Sentinel wasn’t something he was expecting at all!
Atom rose slowly...
At this point, its clothes had already turned to dust due to the power it had.
Furthermore, the previous metallic sheen changed. It was as if Atom was painted black!
Indeed! From its previous silver color, it was now completely black!
"S-Grade... Atom." Kai whispered, almost reverently.
The Sentinel turned its gaze toward him, and for a moment, Kai felt the weight of its presence. It felt as if this was no longer just a machine.
Memories of past battles flashed through his mind... how Atom had stood against Tyrants, how it had shielded them from other Survivors and even Mutants... how it had endured blows that would have crushed lesser machines.
Now, with this upgrade, Atom’s potential was limitless.
"Perfect! Let’s see what you can do! Let’s spar!" Kai was excited!
Of course, he wouldn’t let Atom fight against him unarmed.
Soon, he made Atom choose an equipment to wear and a weapon to equip... Whether it was a sword, an axe, a spear, or even a whip, Kai didn’t care...
He wanted to see whether Atom would surprise him even more.
But as he laid out the weapons in front of Atom, something unexpected happened.
Shiing~
A blade came out of its arm!
