Chapter Thirty-Four: The New Battle Armor

After using the Seed of Fire to heal Optimus Prime’s wounds, the two sides sat down together to discuss its future custody. Ultimately, they agreed that the Seed of Fire would be kept in the Wandering Earth universe, as it was the place where it was most needed. The recent Jupiter crisis had been a clear demonstration: if the planetary engines could be transformed into Transformers using the Seed of Fire, they wouldn’t be so easily extinguished.

However, before that could happen, the properties of the Seed of Fire needed to be altered—it had to be converted to Autobot affiliation. To do so, the Leader Module was essential, which meant another journey to the Transformers universe was required.

But prior to all this, Optimus Prime and his companions needed a comprehensive upgrade. As Jiang Ning put it, “Such excellent humanoid artillery platforms, relying on close combat, is simply a waste. Especially the scientists from the Wandering Earth universe, eager to thank Optimus Prime for offering the Seed of Fire, sent an entire weapons design team.”

All of this, however, was of little concern to Wang Jing. Upon his return, he was promptly taken for a thorough physical examination, as well as tests to determine the maximum weight and number of people he could teleport, and to investigate the sudden increase in his capacity.

The results showed Wang Jing’s body density had increased by a third, concentrated mostly in muscle and bone—simply put, he was tougher and sturdier. This was good news for both Wang Jing and all humanity, as it meant he would be even harder to injure.

His maximum teleportation weight had risen to an astonishing fifty tons, and he could now transport over a hundred and twenty people at once. The scientific department explained that the Seed of Fire’s unique and powerful energy had led to this rapid enhancement of Wang Jing’s abilities.

This was a boon for the humans of all three universes, as it meant improved transport capabilities and greater access to resources for the Wandering Earth and Resident Evil worlds. Yet it also presented a new challenge: energy consumption. Increased teleportation weight meant increased power requirements.

Fortunately, the Wandering Earth universe was willing to share their heavy nuclear fusion technology. Building a heavy nuclear fusion reactor would take time, though, so in the interim, Wang Jing’s energy needs would be supplied by nearby power plants.

When Wang Jing next saw Optimus Prime and the others, he couldn’t help but sigh—no matter where you are, there is always a fear of inadequate firepower.

Their bodies were bristling with guns and cannons of every size, and Optimus Prime, in particular, carried an enormous rectangular cannon on his back that Wang Jing suspected was a railgun.

Ironhide was even more heavily armed. As a weapons specialist, he had more cannons installed than anyone else: two smaller railguns mounted on his shoulders, and he was embracing a railgun nearly as tall as himself.

Bumblebee and Jazz were better off, equipped only with four heavy machine guns and two thirty-millimeter rapid-fire cannons.

Even Ratchet had not escaped the grasp of firepower anxiety, wielding a uniquely designed double-barreled railgun in addition to the thirty-millimeter cannons on his shoulders.

“You’re all armed to the teeth!” Wang Jing exclaimed, looking at the weapon-laden Autobots.

“I do enjoy this arsenal, but after battle, I always feel as though I’m completely drained,” Ironhide commented.

Optimus Prime nodded in agreement. “I feel the same way.”

At that moment, Jiang Ning approached with a team of workers pushing a large crate. “Because the railguns require energy from the Seed of Fire, if you’re feeling depleted, you can use it to recharge. But that’s not a long-term solution—just as a man can’t rely on little blue pills forever.”

Wang Jing glanced at Jiang Ning in surprise. “I never expected you to be so… risqué!”

“Hmph! I have no interest in men right now,” Jiang Ning replied with a snort, her eyes blazing as she stared at the Autobots.

Faced with Jiang Ning’s fiery gaze, the Autobots involuntarily shuddered, a chill and sense of shame washing over them.

Seeing their reaction, Wang Jing’s forehead was marked with a dark line—what on earth had they gone through, for these warriors, fearless even in the face of death, to look so frightened and embarrassed?

“What did you do to them?” Wang Jing asked in bewilderment.

“Heh, nothing much. I just took a deeper look into their physiological structures,” Jiang Ning replied, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.

Noticing the large crate behind Jiang Ning, Wang Jing asked curiously, “What’s that?”

“Oh, that’s your new suit of armor,” Jiang Ning said, waving to the workers.

As the crate was opened, a suit of armor appeared—jet black, with sharp, angular lines. Wang Jing was instantly captivated by its striking appearance.

He couldn’t help but step forward, gently running his hand over the hard, angular surface.

“This armor is made of transformium alloy—top-notch ballistic protection and shock absorption,” Jiang Ning explained nearby.

“Due to energy constraints, its endurance is limited to ten hours. But rest assured, once you obtain the Leader Module, you can upgrade it into a Transformer, rendering energy supply no longer an issue.”

“What kind of weapons does it have?” Wang Jing inquired.

“Because of the energy situation, this suit has no built-in weapons. To compensate, we’ve custom-designed an electromagnetic rifle for you.” With that, Jiang Ning heaved a ruggedly designed rifle from a compartment in the crate.

Wang Jing reached out to take the unique rifle, feeling its heft—it was about as heavy as a machine gun.

He examined the electromagnetic rifle carefully, and soon noticed a shell ejection port on its side.

Doubtfully, he asked Jiang Ning, “Are you sure this is an electromagnetic rifle? Why does it have a shell ejection port?”

As he spoke, Wang Jing removed the magazine, revealing gleaming yellow rounds inside.

Jiang Ning shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t want it this way, but there was no choice. You don’t have a spark to power the electromagnetic rifle, and the tritium battery’s energy output is insufficient. To maintain firepower, we had to coordinate gunpowder and electromagnetic acceleration.”

“Why not use caseless ammo?” Wang Jing asked.

“The new propellant produces impurities when burned, so it’s not suitable for caseless rounds. But there’s an upside—the new propellant is three to four times more powerful than traditional powder. Coupled with electromagnetic force, it can easily penetrate Transformer armor.”

After Jiang Ning’s explanation, Wang Jing stared in astonishment at the electromagnetic rifle in his hands. “What’s it called?”

“Spike Rifle!”