Chapter Seventy-Eight: The New Armor

Because the early construction of the Elysium Space was quite rushed, and Wang Jing also had to provide transportation services for the merchants, he hadn’t had a single day off in the past two months. It wasn’t until the first phase of the Elysium Space project was completed and entered a period of steady development that Wang Jing finally began his own vacation.

But before that, Wang Jing needed to go to Jiang Ning’s laboratory to collect his new battle armor.

As soon as he entered Jiang Ning’s lab, Wang Jing saw the black armor standing in the center of the room.

“This is my armor?” Wang Jing walked over and asked beside it.

“You’re here!” Jiang Ning, seeing Wang Jing arrive, took out a beautifully crafted small box from a cabinet.

“What’s this?” Wang Jing asked curiously, eyeing the box in Jiang Ning’s hand.

“This is a neural wave consciousness sensor, a companion device for your new armor!” As he spoke, Jiang Ning handed the box to Wang Jing.

Wang Jing took the box, immediately feeling how light it was in his hand, and noticed its casing was made from a special kind of metal.

He opened the box, finding a device inside that resembled an invisible earpiece.

Wang Jing picked it up, examined it carefully for a while, and then looked at Jiang Ning. “How do you use this?”

“It’s simple—just stick it behind your ear. It can read your brainwaves to control the armor, like an upgraded brain-computer interface. For safety, I’ve deliberately removed the write function, meaning it can only receive your brainwaves, not send them or write data into your brain.”

Wang Jing nodded, attaching the neural sensor just below his left ear. He looked at the new armor, which stood a head taller than himself. “Is this my new armor?”

“Yes. With the technical data from Elysium Station, we’ve specially crafted a brand-new powered suit for you, incorporating all the requirements you mentioned before.”

“Oh! Can this armor perform supersonic flight?” Wang Jing asked expectantly.

“It can!” Jiang Ning smiled and nodded, then explained: “There are four small ion thrusters mounted on the back and legs of the armor, providing enough power to accelerate you to supersonic speed within thirty seconds.”

“However,” Jiang Ning continued, “this powered suit’s endurance is only half that of your previous armor—just over a thousand kilometers. So you’ll need to pay special attention to this when using it.”

“Why is it so much less? Can’t you add a Fire Seed to extend cruising range?” Wang Jing asked, frowning.

“There’s no need for that,” Jiang Ning replied seriously. “This armor wasn’t designed for combat; it’s mainly for reconnaissance, defense, and speed.”

“Combat missions are handled by the Dimensional Expeditionary Force and your squad members. The armor was developed specifically for your assigned tasks.”

“Alright,” Wang Jing reluctantly accepted the explanation—after all, he knew the United Government would never allow him to charge at the frontlines.

“Besides the ion thrusters, does this armor have any other new features?” Wang Jing asked.

“Of course. The moos system performed remarkably well in the last two worlds, so we’ve integrated moos into this armor too. Moos can process and analyze sensor data, independently control the armor’s actions, and make it easier to infiltrate other electronic systems or networks.”

“As I mentioned, this armor emphasizes defense. To ensure you’re never directly taken out by any weapon attack, the frame and shell are made from a high-strength carbon-titanium alloy found in the SkyNet database, which is still in use. It’s lightweight, corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, and most importantly, twice as strong as titanium alloy.”

“In addition, the inner lining features materials and design that maximize absorption of impact energy—so even if you’re hit directly by shells, you’ll remain unharmed.”

Jiang Ning pressed a switch on the back of the armor, and the whole suit unfolded rapidly, much like Iron Man’s Mark VII.

“This is another new feature: rapid donning design. Since your world transitions are always so sudden, and the previous exoskeleton could transform because it was a Transformer, parts could morph extensively. This time, it’s our own independent design and manufacture.”

Curious, Wang Jing asked, “Why not make this armor a Transformer too? Wouldn’t that maximize its capabilities?”

“That’s true, but we can’t let our lifeline be entirely controlled by the Transformers,” Jiang Ning replied solemnly.

“I trust Optimus Prime won’t harm me or humanity,” Wang Jing affirmed.

“Your trust means little; it’s the United Government that must be convinced. Besides, Transformers activated by the Fire Seed are highly unpredictable. If the armor turned into a moody Transformer, the whole investment would go down the drain.”

Wang Jing considered Jiang Ning’s explanation and found it reasonable. With moos installed, the armor was not much different from a Transformer anyway.

Just then, Jiang Ning mentioned the cost of the armor, and Wang Jing’s curiosity was piqued. “How much did this armor cost?”

“Excluding initial equipment and development expenses, just the materials cost eighteen million dollars,” Jiang Ning replied nonchalantly.

Wang Jing swallowed nervously at the figure and asked, “And if you include all expenses?”

“That would be expensive—at least over five billion dollars,” Jiang Ning estimated.

“Five billion! That’s enough to build an aircraft carrier,” Wang Jing exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s nothing, really. Compared to the benefits gained from various planes, five billion isn’t even a scratch,” Jiang Ning waved off.

Wang Jing realized this was true. Just the powered exoskeleton alone was worth the investment, not to mention the heavy element reactors, robotics, artificial intelligence, and so on.

“Looks like the United Government’s investment in me is pretty modest!” Wang Jing remarked.

“They’d like to spend more, but you’re just one man. No matter how much they invest, it only goes so far. Besides, they can’t spoil you, or who knows what irrational things you might do in the future,” Jiang Ning said with a stern face.

Wang Jing pursed his lips and muttered quietly, “Am I really that type?”

Then, remembering something, Wang Jing asked, “Since I have a new suit, have my squad members’ armors been upgraded too?”

“Of course. We designed unique armors for each of them based on their individual traits. But due to time constraints, theirs are still in production. They’ll have to wait another month before they can get their new suits.”