The four points gained were a drop in the bucket compared to what was needed for the next level.
According to David's estimates, his next breakthrough opportunity would likely arrive after the official release of the game Black Crusade. At that time, the sensation caused by the "Abominable Intelligence" technology—which far surpassed the current era—would surely rake in a massive amount of points for him.
"With all my sweat and hard work! System! Give me a draw!"
Thinking of this, David no longer hesitated. He watched the small boat on the system interface, which looked slightly more aesthetic than before, as it cast its net.
While the Black Crusade gacha on his phone flashed with golden light, the results within the system remained mostly white, with occasional turbulent streaks of blue.
[Warp Energy (1/10)]
[Ogryn Augmentation Technology]
[Psionic Power: Pyromancy]
"Huh?"
Just as David was lamenting the pile of useless items, he suddenly noticed that with the increase in his psionic level, an additional card slot had appeared.
"What is this?"
His eyes widened as a pale purple light landed steadily in the extra basket on his small golden boat.
"Holy crap, a pity drop!"
[Polymorphine Synthesis Process] Assassins of the Callidus Temple use a drug called Polymorphine to alter their body shape. They possess a deep understanding of the cultures and habits of many species in the galaxy, allowing them to disguise themselves perfectly as almost any living creature.
A god-tier tool! David's eyes lit up as he read the description.
In the Warhammer universe, the Callidus Temple was one of the seven major clades of the Officio Assassinorum. Its assassins possessed shapeshifting abilities and excelled at infiltration and assassination.
"The only ridiculous part is that producing Polymorphine requires a massive amount of energy? I thought this was a biological agent," David grumbled.
The energy required was absurd. Producing just one ton required approximately 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity—roughly equivalent to the total annual power generation of Myanmar last year. As for producing a smaller amount? No. With Earth's current technology, the minimum production batch was one ton.
"It seems the construction of the lunar power station needs to be put on the agenda."
David looked at the account interface on his phone, where the Abominable Intelligence had secretly adjusted the drop rates to give him ten 'Golds' in one pull, and felt it was utterly tasteless.
"But should I lay solar panels on the lunar surface, or use the moon's abundant helium resources to build a nuclear fusion plant?"
Since one side of the moon always faces the sun, laying solar panels on the surface offered extremely high cost-effectiveness. Meanwhile, a nuclear power plant would utilize thermonuclear reactions, using the moon's abundant Helium-3 as fuel and deuterium as a medium for atomic fusion. Because Helium-3 reactions do not involve neutrons, the process produces no radiation or pollution.
Current Earth estimates placed lunar Helium-3 reserves at a conservative 1 million tons. Reacting just 100 tons of Helium-3 would generate enough energy to power the entire Earth for a year. In short, the moon's energy reserves could sustain humanity's current consumption for ten thousand years.
In principle, David supported the nuclear plant. However, considering his current knowledge reserves, his body leaned more toward laying solar panels.
The reason was simple.
"Nuclear fusion sounds advanced... and it actually is." David rolled out of bed and stood up. "But I actually know how to hand-assemble solar panels!"
It was just silicon cells in series! Compared to nuclear fusion, the barrier to manufacturing solar panels was much lower. Even if he couldn't buy them online, given enough materials, he could use the photoelectric effect to collect solar radiation and generate power. If he was feeling motivated, he wouldn't even have to spend money on raw materials; he could just turn into a 'midnight thief' and raid a few scrap metal yards.
"Whatever, no rush for now." David opened his phone and scrolled to Yang Dong's contact. "I can use both plans at once. Before executing the main project, I should consult some domestic experts."
...
"This is the country's largest particle accelerator, the Liangxiang Particle Accelerator."
After helping David put on a dust suit, Yang Dong led him into the modern high-tech facility. "Of course, it has a more popular name online—China No. 2."
Yang Dong pointed at the metal coils, which stood three stories high. Workers in hard hats were currently performing construction. "The Liangxiang accelerator is undergoing expansion. By the way, you should know the primary field of application for this thing, right?"
Yang Dong swiped their ID cards and walked further into the plant.
"High-energy physics, right?" David replied. Although he was now a 'minor superman,' that didn't help with his lack of knowledge compared to the young physicist before him.
"Exactly." Yang Dong looked at the metal beast. She walked to the side of the dismantled accelerator and patted a cooling pipe where work had stopped after only being one-third installed.
"What's going on?" Yang Dong frowned. She asked the engineer standing nearby, who was staring blankly at the young student behind her. "Why has work stopped?"
"Huh? ...Ah!"
The construction staff member—a man under thirty wearing a white hard hat and the uniform of the Nano-Technology Research Institute—blinked. His badge read 'Wang Miao, Senior Engineer, Nano-Technology Research Institute.' At Yang Dong's reminder, he tore his gaze away from the young man behind her with great effort.
Wang Miao felt his heart pounding harder than ever before.
"The superfluid helium ordered from the western New Energy Experimental Base is expected to arrive three days late because of the suddenly tightened border inspections yesterday," Wang Miao explained.
Sunlight streamed through a gap in the roof of the construction shed, falling upon the young man following Yang Dong. The golden light seemed to drape him in a suit of golden armor, making him appear both sacred and dangerous.
Wang Miao had never experienced this sensation before. He was absolutely certain he had never seen this young man at the site before.
At that moment, the young man seemed to sense Wang Miao's gaze. A pair of deep black eyes, like a bottomless abyss, turned toward him. Wang Miao shuddered. Fear filled his brain, yet his body instinctively wanted to move closer.
This is so damn weird!
Wang Miao shook his head and took a sharp step back. For some reason, when the young man gave him a friendly nod, the strange and lethal feeling surrounding him suddenly vanished. It was as if what Wang Miao had just felt was nothing more than a dream.