Chapter 104: The Shield of Suho
Hyun Suho gained the mechanical manufacturing skill at level 3.
A remarkable skill that allows him to create machines instantly as long as he has the blueprints and materials.
Unfortunately, there was also a critical drawback.
The created machines are treated as summoned creatures, which means there is a limit to how many can be made.
Only by increasing his level and stats could the total mass of machines he could create be increased.
So far, he had used this skill to make transport ships to earn money and create the Bipo squad to gain experience.
At first, he thought it was just a trivial skill, but now it had become indispensable.
The amount of money and experience gained varied greatly depending on how he used it, so he already had plans in mind for when he reached the next level.
Originally, his plan was to increase the number of merchant ships by two and use the remaining capacity to create the Bipo squad.
But now, all those plans were completely revised.
It was because he obtained the Wormhole Warp skill and Pluto’s scientific prowess.
After hearing Nova's plan, Hyun Suho donned his battle suit and flew high into the sky.
Vroom!
As he increased his speed, he quickly broke through the atmosphere and arrived in outer space.
The blue and green Earth filled his view.
Despite going through environmental pollution due to reckless development, nuclear wars, and cataclysms, the Earth was still beautiful like a jewel.
"What a fantastic sight."
It was too precious to hand over to a psychopath like the Death Star.
It felt like he had found another reason to fight him.
Hyun Suho looked around space and found an appropriate point to settle.
"Is this about right?"
This was an extremely delicate task.
If he was too close to Earth, he would be caught in its gravity and fall. If he was too far, he would drift away into deep space.
Like scientists adjusting the distance precisely when launching satellites, he made the necessary adjustments.
Of course, Nova did all the calculations.
[We can begin now.]
"Alright, here we go."
Hyun Suho extended his arm and used the skill.
“Mechanical Manufacturing.”
At that moment, the space around Hyun Suho began to wriggle and move.
It was the countless nano particles that had been hidden against the dark background of space.
For something small like a hover bike, the amount of nano particles hidden within his body and shadow would suffice, but this time, a far larger quantity was required.
For this task, Hyun Suho had brought nearly 10 tons of nano particle mass here.
Transporting all that weight consumed an enormous amount of mana, but the outcome was satisfying.
A massive spaceship began to take form in space.
Vroom!
The wriggling nano particles gradually took shape.
It looked very similar to the spaceship Hyun Suho had traveled on when he first obtained Nova.
After all, Nova was originally the AI of a spaceship.
She still had the blueprint of the spaceship she commanded.
Of course, the size was less than one-tenth of the original, but most of the essential functions were there.
[The most important engine and core of the ship have been replaced with those from Pluto's planet, not Eos.]
“How does the performance compare?”
[It’s much inferior. Not even half as good.]
"That much, huh?"
The technology in the dimensional gate from Pluto was advanced enough to conquer the world if he could just obtain it.
But even Pluto’s technology was no match for that of Planet Eos.
[If it weren't for Pluto's technology, we would’ve had to settle for a space station rather than a spaceship.]
"Alright, let’s not be greedy."
Human greed truly knows no bounds.
He had obtained a spaceship, yet still felt it wasn't enough.
[With superior technology like Pluto’s, we could upgrade the spaceship as well.]
"That's good news. Should we go in now? We can, right?"
[Of course. I’ll lead you in.]
As Hyun Suho approached the spaceship, the hatch automatically opened.
Upon landing inside, he felt the pressurization system kick in, and the air quickly filled the chamber.
Psssh!
[You can now take off the battle suit.]
"Hmm... maybe in a bit."
Since it was something Nova had made, he knew it was safe, but he still felt uneasy.
In sci-fi movies, didn't the side of the spaceship suddenly break open, causing people to be sucked into space?
Though Hyun Suho could survive in space, the idea still scared him.
[As you wish. I'll take a walk here for the first time in a while.]
Nova detached herself from Hyun Suho.
The wriggling nano particles soon formed into a beautiful woman.
Vroom!
Nova was dressed in a form-fitting space suit.
Her slim yet curvaceous body was fully revealed.
Sensing Hyun Suho's gaze, Nova subtly struck a pose, but he tilted his head and said,
"No matter how I look at it, that suit doesn't seem very practical."
At his indifferent remark, Nova stumbled while trying to execute one of the “9 Poses to Enchant a Man” she had learned from the internet.
“…Is that all you have to say?”
“Huh? But... it just looks so constricting.”
Nova sighed deeply and shook her head at Hyun Suho’s continued lack of understanding.
“For your information, this is a masterpiece created by the people of Eos. A perfect blend of practicality and aesthetics.”
Since the people of Eos often worked in space, they had designed the suit with both practicality and fashion in mind.
Like a business suit on Earth, perhaps.
Eventually, Hyun Suho gave up on critiquing the outfit, and Nova stopped striking poses.
She silently vowed to study more provocative poses next time.
Hyun Suho touched the outer wall of the spaceship and muttered.
“It definitely feels familiar.”
Not only the exterior but also the interior looked exactly the same as when he had entered the dimensional gate.
“You were in the center of the ship, weren’t you?”
His voice naturally became nostalgic.
The green object that had looked like shattered emeralds...
At that time, Hyun Suho had met Nova for the first time by inadvertently using his repair skill.
Looking back, it was an unbelievable coincidence, an incredible stroke of luck.
“Or maybe it was fate.”
At Suho’s mumbling words, Nova twirled her side hair with her finger, looking a bit embarrassed.
“It was a cosmic encounter.”
Nova smiled slyly, clearly in a good mood.
There seemed to be a warm breeze blowing through the spaceship, but at the next words, flames flickered in Nova's eyes.
“Come to think of it, I met Seo-yeon here for the first time too, didn't I?”
Suho had joined a group led by Jin Seo-yeon and got an opportunity.
It was his first work with a large guild.
Later, he heard that the repair technician who was originally supposed to go had a sudden issue, so they contacted him instead.
They said they couldn't just bring anyone, so they chose the person with the best reputation.
“That too must have been fate... huh?”
Suho smiled contentedly, but then paused when he saw Nova.
She was pouting, her cheeks puffed out in displeasure.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! It’s nothing at all.”
With that, Nova strode into the next room.
Confused, Suho blinked and followed her.
The spaceship had everything you could need.
Multiple bedrooms, a large dining hall, and even well-equipped bathrooms.
“How do we get water and food supplies?”
“Normally, they’re replenished at space stations, but we can easily get them through wormholes.”
“What about energy?”
“There is a solar charging system, but it’s insufficient. We'll have to use mana stones as fuel or utilize Master’s mana.”
“The fuel is rather ordinary.”
“By Earth standards, yes.”
Normally, you’d need fusion energy to move such a large spaceship.
Efficient and safe energy sources like mana stones hadn't even been discovered by the Eosians.
“We can transfer some of the mana stones the Bipo Squad got over here.”
Although it looked like a spaceship, it was built more for habitation than for travel.
Currently, they could create a total of ten wormhole gates.
One was set up at the base in Wonsan, one in Maru-mun, and they planned to set one up here.
If they faced enemies they couldn’t handle, they could always retreat to this place.
“There’s still room for more. Should I make one in Vladivostok too?”
“That’s a good idea. We need to manage an S-rank alchemist after all.”
Like the mechanical creation skill, the number of wormhole gates they could install increased as the skill level went up.
Eventually, they might be able to set up gates all over Earth.
“We could use the gates for transportation services, right? If that’s the case, we wouldn’t even need freighters.”
“Considering the required mana stones, it would be a loss unless it’s something small like halo crystals.”
“Hmm... I’m not interested in drug trafficking.”
“Then it’s better to use the wormhole gates only for important matters.”
“No choice then.”
He had thought it was a good idea, but was blocked by practical concerns.
If the cost outweighed the benefits, there was no other choice but to give up.
“The last place to visit is the control room.”
Nova led them to the very front of the spaceship.
During the dimensional gate quest, they had moved around frantically trying to activate the self-destruct switch located here.
“Now it’s just a memory.”
Back then, the queen monster was guarding this spot.
He hadn't been able to look around at the time, but now he could see the vastness of space through the large glass at the front.
It was a different feeling than seeing space from outside.
Suho sat in the captain’s seat, leisurely enjoying the view.
“It’d be atmospheric to have a glass of wine here.”
“Shall I add wine to the supplies?”
“Just kidding. It’d be a waste of space for something like alcohol.”
Now they had explored every corner of the spaceship.
Facilities that could accommodate dozens of people.
Once Suho leveled up more, they could expand them further.
“It used to be hard just to get a single room when I was a porter... now I own a whole spaceship. It really feels like times have changed.”
Of course, it wasn't all good news.
Even now, the Death Star was flying in, trying to swallow Earth whole.
The anxiety slowly ate away at him.
But what could he do?
If you can't avoid it, you have to face it.
“Now all that’s left is to decide.”
“Decide what, Master?”
“What else? The name of the spaceship.”
Even yachts on Earth had names; it made no sense for a spaceship this big to not have one.
“It used to be Hypernova, right?”
The name of the ship he had self-destructed was Hypernova.
Nova’s name had come from that.
At first, he considered using the same name but then decided against it.
No matter how you looked at it, naming it after a ship that had exploded into pieces was a bit much.
“Hmm. What would be good?”
Suho rested his chin in his hand, thinking of a good name for a long while.
At first, he imagined a cool and grand image of a spaceship, but soon shook his head.
Instead, he decided on a name that was more focused on its function.
“Since it’s ultimately to fight against the Death Star. Life Star? No, that doesn’t feel right.”
“Then how about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’? Protectors of the universe.”
“Hmm... It feels like that would get some objections from somewhere. But I like the direction.”
This wasn’t just any spaceship; it was a fortress meant to protect Earth from the Death Star.
With that in mind, a name came to him.
“Aegis.”
The shield of protection from mythology.
Not just a defensive tool, but a shield that, when shaken, could bring storms and wipe out enemies.
“A shield of protection... it has a double meaning too.”
It was, after all, the shield of Hyun Suho's protection.
Nova nodded in agreement.
“It’s a great name. It suits you, Master.”
“Then, since we’ve named it, shall we take it for a spin?”
“Of course, Master. While we're at it, let’s do a light orbit around Earth.”
“Sounds good! Space drive time.”
He had acquired the space battleship Aegis.
It felt as if he had gained a reliable companion.
Thus, the base of the Ex Machina Guild had changed.
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