Chapter 121 Advancement in Progress
Inside the lord's office, He Feng was hunched over his desk, tapping the table with his right index finger, making a "thump thump thump" sound.
My left hand hovered over the electrical signal button for upgrading the fortress, even though the button was just a switch with an LED used to transmit signals.
He heard it from Ji Chun; who knows where he got the diode? But it's good, it saves him from running around everywhere.
Once pressed, the workers in the control room will follow his instructions and initiate the final operating procedure, with the entire time difference being no more than five seconds.
The problem of advancing in rank, which had previously been troubling him, was surprisingly resolved at a very fast pace thanks to a series of events.
It left him somewhat dazed.
The joy in his heart did not outweigh the uncertainty about the future. He was now reconciling with his past self, bidding farewell to the recklessness and naivety of the first-tier fortress lord.
To truly shoulder the responsibilities of a Tier 2 fortress lord.
The steel extracted from other fortresses has reached the threshold for the Azure to advance to the next level.
In fact, there was a considerable surplus.
He occasionally glanced down at the various completion reports scattered in front of him, his face showing a serious expression that seemed both enigmatic and profound. As a lord, he needed to consider the future more deeply.
Other miscellaneous resources that are relatively easy to obtain can be covered by the Azure's current inventory.
Even the three missing steam cores have been replaced with a superior power source from the remnants of the Tier 2 fortress.
Rhythmic core.
The core is the brain of a drifting fortress; the temperature control system, power control, life circulation system, and so on all depend on this brain-sized thing.
Without them, the fortress would be nothing more than a piece of scrap metal floating on the sea.
Generally speaking, when a Tier 1 fortress is upgraded to Tier 2, the five steam cores of its core components will also undergo strange changes.
The Rhythm Core is a completely new evolutionary form that breaks away from the inefficiency of this cumbersome steam energy conversion and transforms along with the fortress and the road.
It boasts a higher energy efficiency conversion ratio, and its distribution and control capabilities are far superior to the older models.
Five cores are equivalent to a Tier 2 fortress having at least five lives.
As long as the fortress is not destroyed in one hit and can still float at sea, the other undamaged cores can also share more of the workload.
This makes it much easier for second-tier fortresses to counterattack and escape, with veterans easily dominating newcomers.
But right.
No one has tried using the Rhythm Core to replace the Steam Core, not because it's impossible, but because no one on the Ice Sea has ever used something from a Tier 2 fortress as a stepping stone for themselves.
If you're going to use it, you have to make sure you use the same core combination for all of them, otherwise the clash of the two different energies during the upgrade might blow up the entire ship.
Moreover, replacing the steam core with the rhythm core is too far-fetched; a Tier 1 fortress simply cannot have enough rhythm cores to meet the requirements for upgrading to Tier 2.
No one knows what kind of monster will emerge from such a massive accumulation of resources.
Ultimately, it all boils down to being poor.
People cannot imagine things they haven't experienced.
He Feng obtained all of this information from Lao Gou, who was quite honest. He Feng even verified it using the intelligence system from time to time.
The answer is that he is now completely guileless and can be considered someone you can trust.
The Rhythm Core is naturally in sync with the Tier 2 Fortress, so there might be some unexpected good things to come.
Besides.
The power system, mechanical power, electrical equipment, and a complete modern factory system have increased the size of the fortress by more than three times.
These areas, which are inaccessible even to first-tier fortresses, are practically within easy reach to second-tier fortresses.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a complete revolution.
Now, all He Feng needs to do is issue the final order, and these resources, which countless other Tier 1 fortresses covet, will now belong to the Azure.
The reward after advancing to the second tier.
it's time.
He Feng composed himself, no longer hesitating, and secretly made a decision.
Once you reach the second tier, you will not only gain greater strength and a better living environment, but the burden of consumption will also increase exponentially.
After that, the resources of the first-tier sea area would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean to them, not even worth a glance.
Once a baby leaves the cradle, it must be able to walk, otherwise it will remain a child who never grows up.
That would be a one-way street, and we absolutely cannot be careless. We must carefully consider whether we have the courage to face the drastic changes that will follow.
The answer was self-evident, and He Feng resolutely pressed the button, his expression unchanged.
This was the only option left for him after a brief period of thought. He abandoned his previous hesitation, and the relief he felt after making the decision made his tired body feel much better.
Immediately afterwards, he took out a piece of Snow Glow Fruit from his sleeve and chewed it again and again to make up for the energy he had exhausted from burning his health bar last night.
Suddenly, several low voices of discussion rose from the doorway, whispering amongst themselves and drawing attention.
He tilted his ear slightly and could hear some muffled greetings through the wall, deliberately kept low.
"Everyone come over here, now we're all together."
"Uncle Ji Chun, why did you call us here?" a childish voice asked.
"Hey, hey, keep your voices down! Come here, don't let our lord find out. I'll buy you fruit candy after this is done, okay? Good boy."
"Thank you, Uncle Ji Chun," several children said in unison.
"Shh, shh, keep your voices down! And I'm not that old, call me 'brother'!"
The voices were not far from He Feng's cabin door, as if they were enticing him, which aroused He Feng's curiosity.
Since I'm just idling around anyway, instead of waiting in the lord's office for the fortress to upgrade to level two, I can at least enjoy the view from outside.
He's been spending too much time in the office dealing with official business; he needs to relax a bit.
Thinking this, He Feng straddled the pile of documents that could practically bury him alive and pushed open the cabin door.
"Bang!"
The hatch slid open, and paper flowers cut into various shapes came into view from his blind spot, hitting him in the face.
It features various patterns such as snowflakes, hearts, and animals, and the hasty cutting technique makes it even more endearing.
Colorful lights twinkled on his door frame, pieced together from diodes of various colors, with wires extending directly into his office.
Upon closer inspection, a large crowd had gathered at the entrance of the lord's office, which had previously been isolated.
Dozens of children from the Azure Ship stood in a circle in front of He Feng, holding flowers that actually looked like cruciferous plants, their eyes filled with reverence.
The girl, Sanqi, was clearly dragged over. She was wearing a white cotton coat, her white hair was disheveled and draped over her body, and the "flower" in her hand was crooked and crooked. It was obvious at a glance that she had been forced into the room.
Standing at the very front was Ji Chun, still sporting that sly yet silly grin, with an air of "I've fooled you," like a king of children standing at the head of the line.
The sudden turn of events caught He Feng off guard, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
"Children, remember what Uncle Ji Chun—no, brother—taught you."
Ji Chun smiled and stared straight at He Feng, then swung his left hand down sharply, giving orders with an air of arrogance.
"May your lord enjoy boundless happiness, longevity, and immortality!"
Sanqi, nestled among the children, looked around anxiously and, in her broken pronunciation, stammered out a call, her pale face instantly turning bright red with embarrassment.
"May the Lord of Heaven be of great benevolence, and may the talisman, which has caused the frostbite, be removed!"
The child's voice, guided by Ji Chun, was incredibly clear and penetrating.
However, it sounds somewhat strange.
Ji Chun coughed a few times to make way for the many children who were only a few years old, and walked towards He Feng, acting like a spoiled brat who had never grown up.
"My lord, were you satisfied with the pre-promotion celebration?"