Ex-Human Morphus [A Mutant Evolution Apocalypse LitRPG]
Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Jake had a little over 10,000 MP left. At his current level of 78, it was not much at all. His powerful body could deplete that amount of mana in just a few hours or a day, depending on how active he was. Knowing this, he spent some time searching for mana consumables, using Mana Vision to locate them. After finding a few mana items and raising his mana reserves somewhat, he headed for the Los Demonios base.

It didn’t take him long to get there. Just like the last time, he scaled the wall of a high-rise building looming above the compound. He clung to the wall several floors higher than the base’s perimeter walls, having a clear view of the area down below. His Cloak was activated, rendering him completely invisible. Initially, he hesitated to use this ability in order to conserve his mana. However, he knew he needed to stay hidden. Moreover, as long as he remained entirely still, the ability’s mana consumption wasn’t all that higher than when the Cloak was off.

He then took his time examining the bandit base below. The usual daily routine was in full swing: workers operated various contraptions while guards kept watch over the area. Some bandits milled around the base, occasionally barking at the workers to keep them in line, while others patrolled the walkways, watching the area beyond the perimeter walls, vigilant for any signs of potential threats.

Jake turned his attention to the two-story, boxy building situated at the center of the base. With a thought, he summoned its stats.

The HQ - Level 6

So, it had indeed completed its upgrade to Level 6. He could already see the changes it had brought about: a couple of new structures had appeared in the base that hadn’t been there before. Before exploring these new additions, he chose to check the old structures and contraptions first.

He first examined several machine gun turrets mounted on the watchtowers that loomed over the perimeter walls. Each turret was now at Level 6. Jake also noticed that each turret was now equipped with a 360-degree camera, enabling them to scan their surroundings in all directions simultaneously.

Jake examined the rest of the old structures and compartments, noticing that some were in the process of being upgraded to the next level, while others remained at their previous level. The structures being upgraded were deactivated and not producing goods. He was fairly certain that upgrading any structure or contraption required resources—and likely quite a lot of them—so it wasn’t surprising that not all structures were currently being upgraded. Each of the machine gun turrets had already been upgraded to Level 6, though, which was currently the maximum level for the base’s structures. It made sense that the bandits prioritized upgrading the turrets first, as the defense of the base was undoubtedly a top priority.

He then focused on one of the two new structures that had appeared after the HQ’s upgrade to Level 6. This unusual structure had a spheroid shape and bore a resemblance to the Smelter. He summoned its description with a thought.

Mana Constructor - Level 1

Progress: 67%

Jake’s curiosity was piqued. What exactly was that machine? He noticed it was currently operational, trembling and humming softly while bluish wisps of smoke curled up from various small gaps and openings.

Progress: 73%

The progress bar was moving rapidly, indicating that whatever it was in the process of creating would be finished very soon.

Jake averted his gaze from the Mana Constructor to examine the second new structure. It wasn’t exactly a structure. Instead, it was a metal pedestal upon which stood what appeared to be a mech or exoskeleton. The inside of its body was currently empty, standing open to reveal an interior filled with leather padding. Curious, Jake checked the description of the suit.

Power Suit - Level 3

It seemed that after building the power suit, it had immediately been upgraded to Level 3. With the HQ at Level 6, all the structures within the base could be upgraded to the same level. It was safe to assume the power suit was no exception. However, it wasn’t in the process of being upgraded further. He couldn’t help but wonder why that was the case. Maybe the bandits simply didn’t have enough resources for an additional upgrade right now?

He shifted his attention back to the Mana Constructor.

Progress: 89%

It was nearing completion of whatever it was doing, and Jake was eager to see what would be produced. Whatever it was, it would clearly have something to do with mana, that much was obvious. That’s why he was eager to see the final product. After all, for him, mana was everything, serving as sustenance, fuel for his powers, and currency for acquiring new skills and abilities.

Beside the Mana Constructor stood a worker, patiently waiting for the contraption to finish its task.

Progress: 94%

A few minutes later, the contraption completed its task. It stopped trembling and puffing out bluish smoke. The worker moved closer to the Mana Constructor and pressed some buttons on the control panel integrated into its frame. A panel slid open, and a platform extended, presenting a glowing mana crystal.

The worker didn’t take the crystal, though. Instead, he looked around and waved over the nearest bandit, who immediately strode to the Mana Constructor. The bandit nodded at the worker, said something, and picked up the mana crystal from the protruding platform. He stashed it into the bag that hung over his shoulder, then took out several mana shards and handed them to the worker. The worker promptly put the shards onto the platform, pushed it back inside, pressed some buttons, and the cycle began again. The Mana Constructor started to tremble and hum once again, emitting wisps of bluish smoke from various gaps and slits.

As for the bandit, he made his way through the base and approached another worker. He took out the newly-produced mana crystal and handed it to the worker, who then moved to an inactive contraption nearby and inserted the crystal into a slot. He pressed some buttons, and the machine began to tremble. When Jake summoned its description, he learned that it had just begun to undergo an upgrade to the next level.

Recycler - Level 4 (Upgrade in Progress)

Current Status: 2% Complete

Estimated Time Remaining: 5 hours 59 minutes 54 seconds

Jake quickly grasped the situation. Upgrading a base’s structure to the next level required a mana crystal. Additionally, a mana crystal was required for the contraptions to function and produce goods. None of the base’s structures or contraptions accepted lesser mana items. From his experience, he knew that mana crystals were the rarest type of mana items and were not easy to come by. Thus, by allowing lesser mana items to be turned into higher-quality ones, the Mana Constructor played a pivotal role in the base’s overall productivity and daily operations. For survivors, it was undoubtedly a very useful machine.

Jake was currently aware of five different types of mana items: the Mana Bead, which contained 100 MP; the Mana Marble, with 250 MP; the Mana Shard, with 500 MP; the Mana Chunk, with 1,000 MP; and the Mana Crystal, boasting 5,000 MP. Mana beads, marbles, and shards were classified as Common rarity, mana chunks as Uncommon, and mana crystals as Rare. Based on what he had just observed, Jake concluded that the Mana Constructor could transform several mana beads into a marble, several marbles into a shard, shards into a chunk, and finally, several chunks into a crystal.

He didn’t know if a mana crystal was the highest type of mana item. He suspected that there might be even more powerful mana consumables than crystals, but he hadn’t encountered any yet. With a mana crystal classified as Rare, it stood to reason that there should be mana items of higher rarity, such as Legendary. He couldn’t help but wonder if the Mana Constructor could combine several mana crystals into higher-tier mana items or if a mana crystal was the ultimate product this machine could produce. Perhaps, the Mana Constructor needed to be upgraded to a higher level before it could transform mana crystals into superior mana items.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted inside the bandit base, prompting Jake to shift his focus from his thoughts back to the base to see what was happening. All the bandits abruptly stopped what they were doing and pulled out their PDAs to read something displayed on the screens. Their expressions changed as they visibly tensed up at what they read. A few seconds later, the HQ’s door swung open, and Miller, the person in charge of this base, stepped out, accompanied by three of his companions. While the trio appeared visibly uneasy, Miller seemed excited for some reason.

Jake couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. He noticed that the guards on the walkways now stood still, their eyes darting across the streets outside the perimeter walls as their hands tightly gripped their weapons. However, the base wasn’t under attack. There were no mutants or other survivors anywhere near. Still, the guards appeared anxious, as if waiting for something to happen, their gazes constantly probing the area beyond the walls.

Miller exchanged a few words with his three companions, then broke away to approach the power suit. He turned his back to the open suit and backed up into it, carefully fitting his legs and arms into the suit’s limbs before placing his head inside the open helmet. When he fully entered, the power suit sealed around him, encasing him entirely.

Fully clad in the power suit, Miller jumped from the pedestal to the ground with a solid thud, causing nearby bandits and workers to wince at the noise and cast apprehensive glances in his direction. Miller took a few steps forward before coming to a halt, waiting for something to happen.

What’s going on? Jake wondered.

Just a second later, he discovered the answer to his question.

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