Chapter 293: Expert-level Talent, Repairing the Mecha (7000)

Chapter 293: Expert-level Talent, Repairing the Mecha (7000)

[Special Area Discovered: Snow Mountain Raider Prison…]

Seeing the system prompt, Cao Xing understood what was going on.

After looting the chamber of commerce and capturing those merchants, that group of raiders had locked them all up here.

At this moment, the prison was empty, and not a single figure could be seen.

As for where the people inside had gone, it went without saying.

Right at this moment, Liu Muxue seemed to sense something, and she tossed a magic-energy torch forward.

With the help of the blue glow emitted by the torch, everyone saw a curled-up figure appear in the corner of the prison.

He was hugging his body tightly, his head buried deep between his knees, and he was trembling all over.

When he realized he had been discovered, he trembled even more like a sieve, constantly murmuring, "Don't eat me, don't eat me…"

"Goblin meat tastes terrible, it's just like… yes, it tastes just like the feces of a jungle troll…"

"You might as well just go eat shit instead of eating my flesh!"

Hearing this, everyone wore strange expressions.

As for Cao Xing, he swept a glance over his stats.

[Goblin Craftsman: Locke Richie]

[Race: Goblin]

[Level: Level 27 (Tier 3 Ordinary Creature)]

[HP: 7328/10260]

[Attack Power: 633 ~ 651]

[Skills: Slip Away, Cower]

[Lifestyle Skills: Reading Expressions, Negotiation, Bargaining, Expert-level Craftsman (Extremely knowledgeable about all kinds of machinery; speeds up machinery manufacturing speed by 40% when crafting in a Mechanical Factory), Expert-level Mechanical Repair (Possesses rich repair experience, greatly increasing the success rate and repair speed when repairing various machinery)]

[Talent: Energy Saving (Reduces required materials by 10% when crafting various machinery in a Mechanical Factory)]

[Status: Cold, Fear, Hunger, Cowering…]

(Character Introduction: One of the members of the Southern Continent Goblin Chamber of Commerce, and also an Expert-level Craftsman, extremely knowledgeable about all kinds of machinery.)

…

Seeing this guy's stats, Cao Xing instantly narrowed his eyes.

Good grief, this goblin actually had two Expert-level lifestyle skills.

That [Expert-level Craftsman] skill was very simple; it simply meant that when crafting [Transport Vehicle] or other mechanical props in a Mechanical Factory, the manufacturing speed was increased by 40%.

The other skill, [Expert-level Mechanical Repair], was an even more incredible skill that could significantly increase the success rate of repairs.

Cao Xing had just been worrying about whether letting Little Chuchu repair the mecha would fail.

Now, it seemed he had a better candidate?

Besides that, this goblin's [Energy Saving Talent] could save 10% of the materials for crafting machinery.

Although it sounded like not much, in the long run, its effect would be massive!

It could save a massive amount of resources.

This fellow was truly a talent.

At this moment, the goblin was still curled up on the ground, continuously begging for mercy.

"My lords, please spare me. Goblin meat doesn't taste good at all."

"God of Caverns… save this poor goblin!"

Seeming to think that Cao Xing had come to drag him out, this goblin was scared out of his wits.

Furthermore, everyone even smelled a strange odor in the air.

This caused several women in the team to frown.

Cao Xing was completely speechless, and then said, "Alright, stop yelling. No one here wants to eat you."

"That gang of Snow Mountain Raiders outside has already been killed by us."

Hearing this, the goblin in the corner gradually stopped trembling.

He tentatively stretched out his body and slowly raised a wrinkled head with pointed ears.

Then, he rested his gaze on everyone.

He first swept past Liu Muxue and Sarah, and then his gaze looked toward Assam and Andrew beside them.

In an instant, the goblin's deep pupils abruptly constricted.

Because he could sense that these few individuals all possessed a completely different temperament from those Snow Mountain Raiders.

Assam was the kind of knight who looked full of a sense of justice.

As for Andrew beside him, he appeared peaceful and serene.

This goblin asked tentatively, "My lord, those cruel cannibals outside… have they really been dealt with by you?"

Cao Xing spread his hands, "Of course."

Hearing this, the goblin immediately wept with joy!

"Oh god, that's wonderful!"

"The God of Caverns is truly blessing me! That damned gang of raiders has actually been dealt with!"

At this time, as if remembering something, he scrambled and lunged forward.

"My lords, I am an important member of the Southern Continent Goblin Chamber of Commerce!"

"Can you take me out? Once I return to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, I will express my gratitude for saving my life and give you generous rewards!"

But upon hearing this, Cao Xing asked, "We can take you out, but are you sure you can return to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters?"

Hearing this, the goblin before him was also stunned.

That's right… He had stayed in this cave for who knows how many days.

The members of his caravan had already been eaten clean by that group of Snow Mountain Raiders, completely wiped out.

And the headquarters of the Southern Continent Goblin Chamber of Commerce was in the Southern Continent.

Although there was also a branch in the Western Continent, that was in another kingdom.

Relying on his own strength, coupled with his current penniless state, he simply couldn't cross a kingdom.

Perhaps halfway through, he would lose his life due to all sorts of accidents.

For a moment, the goblin in front of him felt as if the sky was falling, and he collapsed dazed and paralyzed onto the ground.

At this time, seeming to remember something else, he hurriedly said, "My lord, since you can take down the Snow Mountain Raiders outside, your strength must be extremely formidable!"

"In our Southern Continent Goblin Chamber of Commerce, there is a branch in the Nakrodel Kingdom…"

He asked with a tentative tone, "My lord, could you please take me there?"

"As long as I can get there, I can return to the Southern Continent, and by then I will give you many, many crowns!"

"If you don't want crowns, there are all kinds of gold, silver, and jewels, manors and beauties for you to choose from at will. I can even give you some powerful goblin technology!"

"As long as you make a request, I will find a way to satisfy you!"

The goblin said a whole bunch in one breath.

It could be said that he had listed out all the benefits he could think of.

He looked at Cao Xing with hopeful eyes.

But upon hearing this, Cao Xing shook his head, "I have never heard of where the Nakrodel Kingdom is, but I know that just crossing the Ice Crystal Kingdom would take at least a month."

"I don't have that much time to take you there."

Hearing Cao Xing's explicit refusal, the goblin craftsman felt as if his sky was falling.

"God of Caverns, is I, the dignified Locke Richie, going to die in this dark and lightless cave?"

"Or die in this remote and desolate deep mountain?"

He clutched his head and cried bitterly.

But the corners of Cao Xing's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc.

He deliberately showed a thoughtful look.

Then, as if having made some sort of decision.

"How about this, I'll give you a chance."

Hearing this, the goblin stopped crying bitterly and looked at Cao Xing with a puzzled expression.

"What… chance?"

Cao Xing stated directly, "I am a lord, and my territory is not far from here."

"Next, you will work for me for a year. After one year, I will find a way to send you directly back to the Southern Continent. How about it?"

Hearing this condition, flames reignited in the eyes of the goblin craftsman before him.

He had originally thought he was dead for sure, but as a result, the young man in front of him had given him hope once again!

It was only a year's time; even though goblins didn't have long lifespans, he could still wait this amount of time!

This goblin even wanted to agree on the spot.

However, due to his inherently suspicious nature.

He raised his head and asked tentatively, "Do I really only need to work for you for a year, and you'll be willing to send me back to the Southern Continent?"

Cao Xing chuckled and nodded.

Saying it was a year was of course deceiving him.

Cao Xing definitely wanted to keep this goblin craftsman in the territory to work for him indefinitely.

After all, the territory was now about to step into a new stage.

Furthermore, as Tong Chuchu broke through to Tier 6, she would obtain two new types of mechanical blueprints.

By then, his territory could enter a mechanical troop-flooding mode.

With this Expert-level goblin craftsman around, it could be said that it would save him a massive amount of time and materials.

Therefore, Cao Xing was just stalling for now, keeping the person in his territory first.

However, who could say for sure what would happen after a year?

Perhaps Cao Xing's territory would directly build that kind of cross-continent teleportation array.

Then for this goblin to want to go back wouldn't that be a simple matter.

Receiving Cao Xing's confirmation, the goblin in front of him immediately wept with joy.

He said excitedly, "This benevolent human lord, goblin craftsman, and president of the Southern Continent Chamber of Commerce branch, Locke Richie, is willing to serve you!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing directly issued a recruitment invitation to him.

[Recruitment Successful: Goblin Craftsman Locke Richie has joined your territory, territory population +1…]

…

Seeing the system prompt, a hint of a smile also appeared on the corner of Cao Xing's mouth.

Not bad, not bad.

In this cave, not only did he harvest a large amount of resources.

Now he was also abducting a talent with the [Expert-level Craftsman] skill back.

Cao Xing felt extremely satisfied.

Now, it was time to go repair that [Earth Dragon Mecha].

"Let's go, clean yourself up, and come out with us."

After saying that, Cao Xing casually took out a set of clothes from his backpack and tossed them to him.

That goblin craftsman naturally also saw his current disheveled state.

As well as his already soaked trousers, radiating a sour, foul odor all over his body.

He lowered his head in embarrassment, and after everyone left, quickly turned around to change into them.

Assam and the others followed behind Cao Xing, walking directly out of this warehouse.

As soon as they stepped out, a system prompt appeared.

[Your territory member: Elisa has successfully transformed, and has become a Tier 4 Boss-level creature. Basic attributes increased by 30%, learned new skill: Cold Wind Feast]

[Cold Wind Feast: Condenses a massive amount of ice elements, concentrating them to the extreme. For the next 5 attacks, the arrows contain the power of the cold wind, dealing 147% tearing damage to enemies in a straight line. Skill cooldown: 90 seconds]

…

Seeing the system prompt, Cao Xing was instantly overjoyed.

"Haha, Elisa actually succeeded! This new skill is not bad!"

Enemies in a straight line were equivalent to a 100% piercing effect, which could be seen as another kind of AoE skill.

It directly made up for the weakness of archers lacking AoE damage.

At the same time, Elisa and Renice walked over together.

The two women: one was high-spirited and joyful, while the other was somewhat downcast.

"Lord, I succeeded!"

"I failed…"

Without seeing the system prompt on Renice's side, Cao Xing naturally knew the result.

He comforted the woman, "It's fine. Earlier, Sarah and the others successfully made breakthroughs three times in a row, so it's completely normal for you to fail this time."

"Don't be discouraged; it'll be fine as long as you succeed in the next breakthrough."

This Ascalon archer gently nodded, a look of gratitude in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Elisa beside her widened her azure pupils, seeming to anticipate Cao Xing's praise.

Cao Xing first checked her stats.

[Frost Archer: Elisa]

[Race: Human]

[Level: Level 31 2831/340000 (Tier 4 Boss-level Creature)]

[Detailed Stats: Click to view]

…

After equipping the [Withered Spirit Longbow] and advancing to a Tier 4 Boss, Elisa's attack power was quite formidable.

"Not bad, Elisa. You've become very strong now."

Hearing Cao Xing's praise, the little girl immediately let out a 'hehehe' laugh.

At this moment, she also seemed to notice the goblin craftsman beside Cao Xing, and instantly spoke subconsciously,

"Ah! There's an ugly fellow next to the lord!"

Hearing this, Locke Richie's expression instantly collapsed.

He hurriedly retorted, "How are you talking, little girl? Among us goblins, I am a well-known handsome man!"

Hearing this, Elisa said with an innocent face, "Is that so? But I can't see where you're handsome at all!"

"The wrinkles on your face are almost more than my father's. You wouldn't be seventy or eighty years old, would you?"

Every word spoken by this little girl pierced straight to the heart.

Locke Richie was instantly infuriated, akimbo, "What are you talking about? I am only 47 years old this year. In our goblin race, I am in the prime of my strength, alright?!"

Meanwhile, Elisa said in surprise, "Ah! So you're so old."

"Then I'll call you Uncle Goblin from now on!"

Tong Chuchu beside her also chimed in, "Hello, Uncle Goblin!"

Locke Richie still wanted to argue, wanting to say he wasn't that ugly.

However, facing the innocent words of the two little girls, Locke Richie quickly fell speechless.

After all, lies don't hurt people; the truth is the sharpest knife.

He helplessly lowered his head, looking like a defeated rooster.

Cao Xing smiled and led the people over to the damaged mecha.

The moment he saw that mecha, the discouragement in Locke Rich's eyes vanished, instantly turning into excitement!

"Oh! Gods of the Crypt above, this is the Earth Dragon Mecha our caravan brought out last time. It even has the power to destroy mountains!"

Elisa beside him asked, "Uncle Goblin, so this actually belongs to your caravan?"

Locke Rich said proudly, "Of course. We goblins are the smartest race on the entire surface. Just this single Earth Dragon Mecha can wipe out a hundred-man knight squad!"

Elisa tilted her head and continued to ask, "Since your caravan has such a powerful mecha, how did you still get caught by this group of raiders?"

Hearing this question, Locke Rich instantly became infuriated.

"Speaking of this makes me furious!"

"These guys are simply too insidious. They knew that goblins have absolutely no resistance to all kinds of shiny gems."

"So they deliberately placed a huge pile of sparkling gems in the valley below."

"When we all went down there, these fellows pushed huge boulders down to smash us!"

"The Earth Dragon Mecha was smashed and destroyed before it could even fly, and then… and then we were all rounded up in one go…"

Hearing this, everyone nodded in sudden realization.

It sounded indeed like the usual tactics of those snow mountain raiders.

Locke Rich continued, "You have no idea how cruel these fellows' methods are."

"They even strung our clansmen up like skewers, and while eating barbecue, forced us to dance the fire-basin dance!"

"These guys later even made me help repair and service the Earth Dragon Mecha to use against people from other chambers of commerce."

"What is most infuriating is that after failing to find food in these mountains, these fellows even wanted to eat me."

This was also the reason why Locke Rich had managed to survive until now.

Without this craft, he would have long been eaten as food just like the other goblins.

Once Locke Rich's faucet was opened, it was as if it couldn't be shut off, rambling on and on about the things those snow mountain raiders had done to them.

Everyone was rendered somewhat speechless by his rapid-fire speed of speech.

Cao Xing raised his right hand.

Locke Rich understood his gesture and instantly shut his mouth!

Then he looked at him with an apologetic smile.

Cao Xing shook his head and asked directly, "Locke, I need you to repair this mecha right now. Are you confident?"

Hearing this, the goblin immediately replied, "No problem, My Lord!"

"I know the structure of the Earth Dragon Mecha like the back of my hand. Even if it is hacked into pieces, as long as the energy core is still intact, I can restore it to its original condition!"

He patted his chest in guarantee, looking entirely confident.

"Oh? About how long will it take to repair?"

Upon hearing this question, Locke examined the Earth Dragon Mecha carefully once more, then replied, "The degree of damage to this mecha is not severe. In about thirty minutes—no, twenty minutes, I can fix it!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing also smiled.

"Very well, then go ahead with the repairs."

With that, Cao Xing took out a large amount of materials from his backpack.

He placed them directly on the ground.

However, this goblin craftsman did not act immediately, instead asking with some hesitation.

"My Lord, may I ask if you have a maintenance toolkit?"

Cao Xing realized this upon hearing it.

He directly took out a [Goblin Mechanical Maintenance Toolkit] from his backpack.

"Take it."

Goblin Locke respectfully accepted the toolkit from his hands, and then began his repair work.

"Clang! Clang clang!"

As the large amount of materials on the ground vanished,

the damaged parts on the Earth Dragon Mecha began to recover rapidly.

As the light of repair flashed continuously,

time slowly ticked by.

Everyone also waited quietly on the side.

A dozen or so minutes later, most of the damaged parts on this mecha had been repaired, and azure light flickered within its pupils.

"Hum! Hum hum!"

The energy core began to spin.

As the mecha began to move, it extended its right hand and propped itself up on the ground with one hand.

"Creak! Creak!"

The fallen [Earth Dragon Mecha] stood up from the ground.

Locke Rich used the final piece of [Eternal Gold Ingot] on the head area of the Earth Dragon Mecha, proclaiming the successful completion of the repairs.

Standing on the shoulder of the Earth Dragon Mecha, he said proudly, "Haha, bless the Gods of the Crypt, the Earth Dragon Mecha has been resurrected!"

"With this mecha here, I can even travel unhindered through these massive mountains!"

Cao Xing also smiled, then checked the mecha's attributes.

[Goblin Technology: Earth Dragon Mecha]

[Level: 48 (Tier 5)]

[Detailed Attributes: Click to View]

…

"Good grief, in combat status it consumes 100 units of energy per minute, equivalent to consuming 1 Primary Magic Energy Crystal."

"And an expensive Expert-grade Magic Energy Crystal can only supply it for 100 minutes of consumption, and that is under ideal conditions."

"This mecha will also consume magic energy faster when using various skills in battle."

"In other words, 10,000 units of energy is at most enough for half an hour of full-power combat."

Cao Xing was startled inwardly.

This thing was strong alright, but its consumption was simply too massive.

Furthermore, Cao Xing had another worrisome issue in his heart.

That was—

"This thing should also be able to receive bonuses from various statuses, right?"

He decided to give it a try, and directly cast an Ice Healing Art over.

The next moment, a system prompt appeared.

[Successfully cast [Ice Healing Art]. Under the blessing of the talent [Eternal Power], this skill has become a permanent status…]

…

Meanwhile, above this mecha's head, recovery numbers of +1872, +1872 constantly popped up.

"Haha, it really works!"

Cao Xing was instantly overjoyed.

At this moment, the durability of this mecha was also continuously recovering.

Under normal circumstances, when a mecha like this suffered wear and tear in battle, the Mechanic in the team would need to use some materials to repair it after the battle ended.

Of course, it definitely wasn't as exaggerated as repairing a completely destroyed mecha.

But this was still a considerable expense.

But now, because he had the talent [Eternal Power],

it not only disguisedly saved Cao Xing a massive amount of resources, but also greatly enhanced this mecha's combat capability.

Cao Xing was pleasantly surprised.

He directly called everyone over, and then stacked various skills onto it.

Right now, this mecha with Tier 5 Boss-level strength, after being buffed by everyone's pile of buffs, was equivalent to possessing Tier 5 Commander-level strength.

Its entire body's aura surged by a huge margin!

Cao Xing nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, good, good! This thing is truly the greatest harvest of this trip!"

"On a large-scale battlefield, this is a life-harvesting machine!"

Locke Rich, standing atop the mecha, exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Good heavens, I can feel it! There is an even more powerful force within the Earth Dragon Mecha!"

"The feeling it gives me has even reached the intensity of the Master-level mecha in our clan!"

"What a terrifying amplification!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing asked, "Oh? Your goblin race has even stronger mechas?"

Locke Rich said proudly, "Of course. Not only do we have Master-level mechas, but we also have even stronger Hero-level mechas!"

"Every single one of those Hero-level mechas is a massive weapon of mass destruction on the battlefield. Without considering consumption costs, they can even destroy a city in a short period!"

Hearing this, Cao Xing also grew interested.

After all, those were Master-level and Hero-level mechas.

Even the Earth Dragon Mecha possessed Tier 5 strength, which meant those mechas had a combat power of at least Tier 6 or higher.

He asked, "Is there a way to get me a Master-level or Hero-level mecha?"

Locke Rich shook his head directly.

"No way. Mechas of this level are the core technology of our goblin race and will not be easily taken out. Even if you have countless crowns, you cannot buy them."

Hearing this, a look of disappointment appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

However, Locke Rich's next sentence reignited hope in Cao Xing.

"However, the Earth Dragon Mecha is a standard mecha of our goblin race, and its overall structure is already very complete, ranging from Tier 3 to Tier 6."

"If you can find higher-grade materials, I can actually upgrade it to Tier 6 Master-level!"

Cao Xing asked, "What materials are needed?"

"A Master-level energy core."

Locke Rich continued, "Replace it with a higher-grade energy core, and then add a large amount of high-grade materials; then it can possess even greater destructive power."

"However, the difficulty is immense, no different from rebuilding a mecha from scratch."

Hearing this, Cao Xing nodded in sudden realization.

Although obtaining a Master-level energy core was very difficult,

at least this pointed out a direction for him.

That was, these goblin mechas could also possess stronger strength by upgrading various hardware.

As expected of an Expert-grade craftsman, he really knew a lot.

At this moment, this goblin craftsman looked left and right, his bloodshot eyes darting around as if plotting something.

He chuckled dryly a few times, then said, "Lord, this kind of Earth Dragon Mecha requires a dedicated person to pilot it in order to unleash its full power. Do you have a suitable candidate?"

This fellow rubbed his shriveled palms, looking eager to try.

However, Cao Xing glanced at him and did not agree.

After all, he had just joined his territory not long ago, and his loyalty was not high.

Naturally, he could not hand over the control rights of the mecha to him.

In case Locke drove the mecha away and fled, he would have to go through the trouble of dragging him back.

Thus, Cao Xing looked at Tong Chuchu beside him.

As a Tier 4 Mechanic class, she now possessed the [Intermediate Mechanical Affinity] skill, which naturally gave her a sense of familiarity with these mechanical creatures, while allowing her to learn mechanical knowledge faster.

"Chu Chu, go up and try piloting it."

Hearing these words, the little girl looked at Cao Xing with a blank expression.

"Ah? Big Brother, can I do it?"

Cao Xing nodded and said, "Of course. You have the mechanical affinity skill and can quickly familiarize yourself with the controls of these machines."

"In the later stages, most Mechanics will be able to pilot mechas."

Hearing this, Tong Chuchu was still somewhat unconfident.

But she also knew that there was no more suitable candidate than herself present.

The little girl said timidly, "Then… then I'll go give it a try."

Seeing this, the goblin craftsman nearby wore a somewhat regretful expression.

But he did not show it.

Instead, he slid down slowly along the arm of the Earth Dragon Mecha himself.

Braum walked over at this moment and said, "Little Chuchu, step on Braum's shield to go up."

"Ah, thank you Uncle Braum…" Tong Chuchu looked at him gratefully.

Thanks to: Book Friend 202005011058126 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Yo Yo vv for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Past Today for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Book Friend 20230903102410 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Yeast 1 for 2 monthly votes, thanks to: Book Friend 20220527071149986 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Book Friend 20240506113729548 for 2 monthly votes, thanks to: Welding Engineer Zheng Gong for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Book Friend 20220613065237402 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Book Friend 2022101721153663 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Sheng Aixi for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Reader 2022072316491504 for 2 monthly votes, thanks to: Book Friend 20190106022343585 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Conservative Wang Yuan for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: I Want to Kill and Set Fire for 2 monthly votes, thanks to: Book Friend 20210228062159 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Book Friend 200170717092709 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Dearest @ Baby for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Binbin Yao Youli for 6 monthly votes, thanks to: Falling Ashes Shu for 3 monthly votes, thanks to: Book Friend 2024071812 for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Sneakily Watching for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Yan Moxia for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: Moyang Palace Chaos for 1 monthly vote, thanks to: TohSakastra for 1 monthly vote, thanks to Black Bear Sleeping for 2 monthly votes!!!