Year 112 of the Dawn Era.
Mechanical Modification Zone A.
Mo Yu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall in his office, his gaze passing through the glass to the mechanical processing factory just one wall away.
On the vast automated assembly line, countless robotic arms moved swiftly, assembling mechanical components into silver-white limbs—arms and legs forged from metal.
These mechanical parts completed on Line A were still only semi-finished products.
After this step, they would be sent to Zone B for inspection.
The final step was Zone C, where adjustments were made.
After all, every warrior had a different body shape. The standardized models produced on the assembly line couldn't fit everyone.
Only after going through the tuning process in Zone C could the mechanical parts match a warrior's body perfectly.
Standing in front of the glass, Mo Yu's cold eyes showed no emotion.
At some point, he had started to notice his thoughts had changed.
He no longer felt hunger. He couldn't cry. He didn't get tired. He wouldn't die... The only thing that reminded him he was human were the memories of what once was.
His terrifying computing power also brought with it thoughts he knew his past self would never have had.
Just a few days ago, he'd seen a report from the frontlines.
An A-Rank combat squad had taken heavy casualties while trying to protect a C-Rank squad.
His chip-enhanced brain had immediately calculated all relevant variables and reached a conclusion.
That A-Rank squad should not have chosen to help. They should've retreated. That would've minimized the overall loss.
When morality clashed with cold logic, Mo Yu felt a flicker of confusion.
He realized he was starting to be consumed by data.
Ever since completing his mechanical transformation, every step he took was backed by chip-calculated analysis. Everything was geared toward maximizing returns.
In the beginning, that precision had helped the Mechanical Modification Department grow rapidly.
Over the years, they'd built out full assembly lines to provide customized modifications for wounded veterans, giving Star City a large pool of combat-ready forces.
But in doing so, he'd sunk deeper into data.
No matter the situation, his chip brain would pull all the relevant data, analyze it, and offer several options.
Each option came with pros and cons, plus a success-to-failure ratio.
Everything had become numerical. The tide of logic was slowly drowning the human sense of ethics he once had.
He started to wonder if he was still the right person to lead the Mechanical Modification Lab—because some of the thoughts that surfaced in his mind even frightened himself.
As the technology continued to evolve, his brain's computational capacity only grew. Mo Yu even feared that one day, he might become a criminal in the eyes of humanity.
He had once blocked off his memories and simulated the early days of the Cataclysm.
Taking the role of humanity's leader in that scenario, he made several decisions that later made his skin crawl.
Faced with the overwhelming invasion of Domain Fields during the disaster's early stage, the very first thought in his mind was to abandon the majority of humanity—to preserve only a small, elite spark of the species.
Historically, humanity had once considered something similar.
But in the end, that idea had been rejected thanks to human scholars. The world had instead chosen to resist the Domain Fields together.
That era became known as a time of struggle and resurgence.
Cultivation techniques, rune-modification technology, the study of spell arts… all the foundational subjects of humanity's cultivation system were born in that desperate period.
It was a blood-and-sweat legend forged in crisis.
But according to cold, precise logic, given the dire environment of that time, Mo Yu's best conclusion was still to sacrifice most people and preserve a select few.
That might've saved humanity—but at a terrible cost.
It would have pushed humanity down a very different path.
Perfect calculations were powerful tools, but they couldn't account for every variable. And they came at the expense of human morality and the potential for miracles.
There were many other similar examples.
Just a few days ago, a newcomer in the lab brought up a fresh idea for mechanical enhancement during a meeting.
But after analyzing the resource cost, timeline, and other factors, Mo Yu had rejected it without hesitation.
That moment made him question himself.
He had changed.
He no longer seemed fit to lead this lab.
His choices might be correct in the short term—but from the perspective of the future, that might not be the case.
Because no matter how powerful his calculations were, they couldn't account for the unknowns that lay ahead.
Perhaps what seems right now might become the root of mistakes in the future.
That was exactly why Mo Yu felt a growing sense of uncertainty inside.
Gazing at the fast-moving assembly line, Mo Yu realized it was time to end this state of being.
There were many brilliant minds in the mechanical modification team. They were fully capable of taking over and becoming the next pioneers in the field.
As for himself, he no longer belonged in a role of decision-making. It was time to fulfill the vow he once made.
Once the thought took root, Mo Yu had already made up his mind.
In the days that followed, Mo Yu submitted his resignation as head of the Mechanical Modification Division to the Supreme Council of Star City.
When questioned by the council's enforcement committee, Mo Yu explained his reasons.
He admitted that while he was the only person in the division to have completed full mechanical transformation—and its founding leader—he had gradually lost the human way of thinking. All his judgments had become cold, logical calculations.
What felt absolutely correct now might be the very thing that crushed future miracles.
So, Mo Yu stepped down from his position as division head.
From that moment on, he threw himself entirely into research and development for mechanical modifications, driven by the vow he had once made.
To him, that was the most meaningful end he could ask for.
Time passed. Mo Yu worked almost without rest.
But whenever he did pause, he would think of the brothers he once fought beside. Of his beloved wife...
And in those rare moments, emotion—usually still—would stir again.
He still clearly remembered the vow he had once sworn—to avenge the fallen.
But he knew full well that he was nowhere near strong enough to take on the Black Wind Domain Field.
The front-line supply zone in Star City had never dared to attack the Black Wind Domain Field. That alone proved the Black Wind Clan possessed power even the supply zone feared.
Right now, the power granted by mechanical modification was far from enough to carry out his revenge.
But the fire for vengeance against the Black Wind Clan had never gone out.
Back then, duty forced him to set it aside. Now that he had laid down his responsibilities, he felt it was finally time to pursue that oath.
In that moment, the blood and fire he once had in his flesh-and-blood body ignited again.
And it was in that same year that Mo Yu, while browsing through the high-clearance database, discovered a file sealed away under the highest level of access.
The document was wrapped in mystery.
Even with his clearance, Mo Yu found he couldn't open it.
The title of the document read:
[Project Black Reaper – Psionic Nanobots!]
In order to access it, Mo Yu contacted the system administrator of Star City.
The administrator didn't say much—just granted him the necessary permissions to unlock the classified file.
Then, a whole new path forward unfolded before Mo Yu's eyes.
The document contained only a conceptual outline. No detailed blueprints.
But that incomplete file triggered a revelation for Mo Yu: the end goal of mechanical modification might just be mechanical Nanobots.
To pursue that goal, Mo Yu used his chip-augmented brain to simulate the results of converting his mechanical body into a nanostructure.
And through that simulation, he opened the door to an entirely new world.
In the simulated scenario, his body was no longer made of any mechanical parts, but composed entirely of countless mechanical Nanobots.
In that state, there were no weak spots.
Any injury could be instantly repaired. His form was no longer fixed—he could shift into any shape he desired with a thought.
While mechanical Nanobots didn't yet have the indestructibility of the psionic Nanobots described in the file, even reaching close to that potential would grant him unimaginable power.
To pursue it, Mo Yu requested the reallocation of resources within the Mechanical Modification Division and launched a new research initiative.
Time passed.
From nothing, the mechanical Nanobots project grew, becoming the division's core research focus.
Year 116 of the Dawn Era.
Mechanical Modification Testing Grounds.
Mo Yu stood at the center of the testing plaza. With a motion of his hand, his right arm disintegrated, turning into a swirling mass of black mist that wrapped around him.
If one zoomed in on that mist, they would see it was made up of countless microscopic mechanical bugs.
With a thought, the mist contracted and reformed into Mo Yu's right arm.
Its appearance was no different from a normal human limb. Even to the touch, it felt like living flesh.
That was the mimicry function of the mechanical Nanobots.
Yet Mo Yu couldn't help but frown.
While the transformation of his right arm into mechanical Nanobots was complete, it still fell far short of the psionic Nanobots described in the file.
The most obvious flaw was the lack of seamless control.
For example, with his previous mechanical body, everything was wired to his consciousness chip. A single thought allowed him to move any part instantly.
But mechanical Nanobots had no physical connection. They relied on signal-based control.
It was like sending a text message from a phone.
The consciousness chip had to send a command. Only then would the mechanical Nanobots receive the signal and respond.
That created a serious flaw in the mechanical Nanobot transformation.
Distance, environment, electromagnetic interference—any number of factors could disrupt the connection between the mechanical Nanobots and the consciousness chip. If the signal was lost, the Nanobot-based body couldn't reassemble.
That made it clear: signal-based control came with major hidden risks.
Mo Yu had no solution to this problem.
Beyond that, the defensive strength of the mechanical Nanobots had also become a major concern for him.
Bodies composed of mechanical Nanobots were far superior to his previous mechanical body when it came to self-repair.
Back then, if his right arm was broken, he had to return to the lab to craft a new one and reconnect it. Only then could the repair be considered complete.
Now, with mechanical Nanobots, there was no need for that complexity.
A lost arm could be restored instantly—as long as he had enough Nanobots.
But the issue was, the mechanical Nanobots weren't strong.
They were easily shattered by large-area magical attacks. Their defense was much weaker than that of the old mechanical body.
Mo Yu needed to find a material that would significantly boost the Nanobots' strength without compromising their structure.
He didn't expect to reach the magical and physical immunity described in the classified file about psionic Nanobots, but he had to make sure they couldn't be destroyed so easily.
Signal transmission and structural materials—these two had become Mo Yu's biggest hurdles.
To solve them, Mo Yu began digging through the restricted-access archives, hoping to find inspiration from the knowledge of those who came before him—a direction to improve the mechanical Nanobots.
But after years of effort, Mo Yu still hadn't found a clear path forward.
Just as he was beginning to think the road had reached its end, a familiar voice echoed once more in his mind:
"Kid, get in here and meet me!"
Although Mo Yu's body had undergone full mechanical transformation, his consciousness hadn't disappeared. It had simply been transferred into the consciousness chip.
Hearing Feng Qi's call, he decisively connected to the Faith Space through their faith link.
It had been a long time since they'd last met, yet Feng Qi hadn't changed at all in Mo Yu's eyes.
The golden figure stood between the Sea of Stars and the Sea of Gold—sacred and mysterious.
Looking at the man who had always stood behind the human race, Mo Yu nodded with respect.
"Old Feng."
"Kid, I didn't expect you to choose mechanical Nanobots as your research path. It's a road I never walked, so I can't offer any concrete help. But I can point you toward a solution."
"What should I do?"
"First, you need to understand one thing: stop dreaming about creating mechanical Nanobots on par with psionic Nanobots. That's impossible. Dreaming big is fine, but from all my experience, I can tell you with certainty—it can't be done. What's described in that top-secret file is a higher-level power humans can't currently touch."
"From there, let's talk about the two problems bothering you."
"First, improving the defense of the mechanical Nanobots. I'll introduce you to a human senior named Tian Shu. He possesses a kind of anti-magic metal. This material suppresses spiritual and elemental energy. He forged chains from it to control his own beastly nature."
"If you can get his help and obtain that kind of special metal, you'll be able to make mechanical Nanobots with anti-magic properties. They won't match the psionic Nanobots in the Black Reaper Project, but they'll be a solid foundation—and their defense will significantly improve."
"How do I find him?"
Hearing Feng Qi's explanation, Mo Yu asked right away.
"I'll have someone arrange a meeting. When the time comes, go see him in person. From what I know of him, he'll agree to help and give you the anti-magic metal."
"Now onto your second issue—how to strengthen the connection and ensure the mechanical Nanobots always remain under your control, unaffected by external interference."
At this point, Feng Qi paused briefly before continuing:
"My idea comes from existing intelligence on psionic Nanobots. The data suggests that each Nanobot isn't controlled by a central consciousness. More precisely, every psionic Nanobot is an independent entity. The Black Reaper is a collective made of countless independent individuals…"
"If you can split your consciousness and inject it into each mechanical Nanobot, you'd achieve precise, lag-free control. Every mechanical Nanobot would then become an extension of your consciousness. No more signal dependence. Your thoughts would be the unified will of all Nanobots."
Mo Yu's expression grew complicated.
"Nanoscopic consciousness splitting... Is that even possible?"
Facing the question, Feng Qi first shook his head, then nodded.
"There is a way. But it's incredibly risky. Nanoscopic consciousness splitting might completely destroy your consciousness. Are you sure you want to try it?"
"I'm willing. Please guide me, Old Feng."
Without hesitation, Mo Yu gave a solemn nod.
"This method comes from an old friend of mine. It's a spiritual consciousness meditation technique… called Eternal Spirit!"