Chapter 2464

2464 - A Bold Step

Young Sector 99—Nihari Galaxy—Northern Region

In the most crowded and bustling place in the galaxy, the military industrial zone that never sleeps, especially in the Greed Crucibles area where supply never stops and products never end… Zara stood.

Around her, 34 crucibles were operating as usual. Inside each one, without exception, a Note-4 vehicle was being replicated after the crucible operators received orders from Emily and the Prime Minister to stop replicating cargo and delivery vehicles, soldier equipment, talismans, and other things. All focus had shifted to replicating and producing fleets only, in preparation for the upcoming Sector 90 war in three years.

There was a staggering number of cargo vehicles bringing materials from other planets and from warehouses, a staggering number of ground vehicles distributing resources to the crucibles in proportion to what was being replicated, and a staggering number of individuals coordinating ratios, organizing endless mountains of resources, and continuously maintaining the crucibles.

And beside them, at the last crucible… Zara was folding her arms, looking toward a particular crucible. Nothing entered it or exited it, and she alone stood in its surroundings… watching the crucible work on itself.

"Hum hum huuuum~"

The massive Crucible of Greed that could accommodate a Note of Supremacy-4 vehicle was humming happily~ At this moment, dozens of massive metal probes surrounding it were blazing with flames that swayed between green and blue, and each probe directed itself toward a pile of nearby resource hills, taking what it wanted and then returning to the crucible.

That massive probe then transforms into several small arms and begins working on those resources it collected… The hands pass the green-blue flame over the resources, then the wonder begins.

Those resources begin to shape themselves into the required form. Some are solid stones required to be turned into sheets, so they begin to compress. Others are in the form of an alloy, and the crucible needs only one metal from it, so the metal begins to slip away from the rest of its companions and emerge as if taking off its clothes.

The hands around the resources help as well, hammering the sheets to transform them faster, and pulling the metals from among their companions to extract them faster.

That small handful of resources with each crucible would have taken weeks to reach the optimal form of Crucible of Greed-2. Everything must be done with precision. After achieving the ideal shape, every small part would be engraved with extreme precision, and that would take even longer. In total, if 500 expert workers worked on the crucible, it would take them about 3 years to develop it.

But with the living shaping fire that Zara invented, reconditioning this crucible and raising its efficiency would take only five months.

"....." Zara looked away from the crucible and glanced right, toward the massive row of crucibles—the dream of any empire, no matter how large.

There were 34 of them, all of the second version. Only two months remained until she finished the last one, and after that she would be able to return to Sky Opening City to participate in the development... She had spent nearly 10 years of her life developing those crucibles alone, until they produced a fleet every 11 months instead of every 12 months.

That didn't seem like much, but of course it would make a difference in the long run, especially after the development of Crucible of Greed-3 was finalized, which aimed to produce a fleet every 10 months and—

".....!!" Zara's expression worsened greatly, then she slowly looked at the ground.

This was a waste of time.

It might be an achievement for someone else, for another empire….

But to her, it was a waste of time.

These ten years could have been used for something of higher importance, something truly more important than just increasing the speed of vehicle production!

"…Hesitation will achieve nothing." Zara clenched her hands tightly, "My father didn't reach what he reached through hesitation!!"

Then with a determined look, Zara leaned down until she touched the ground beneath her, and vital shaping energy began to emerge from the sole of her foot powerfully and continuously.

Then she let out an exhale, "Hooh~" and after that, with a halting voice, fearful yet resolute, she muttered: "Re… configuration!!"

The green-blue vital shaping energy suddenly changed to a very dark orange color, and began surging upward forcefully.

And as soon as that dark orange energy touched the Crucible of Greed, everything changed.

Booooom

An explosion occurred in the massive crucible that sent its fragments flying everywhere.

The explosion was so massive that the cargo vehicles, the workers, and everyone present in the area fled, abandoning what they were doing.

But soon, something akin to magic happened—all the scattered pieces in the air turned into something like dust, and then that extremely dense dust began to converge in midair and solidify once again.

In just a few minutes, that cloud of smoke and dust had solidified into the shape of a massive crucible.

Then

Craaash

That crucible slammed forcefully back into its original place.

"What the…?"

The workers in the area began to return, their mouths hanging open and their eyes unsettled—for even in a world of training and miracles, this was not something one could see every day.

About ten minutes—that was all it took to destroy a colossal crucible and turn it into dust, then completely reform it as if nothing had happened.

No….

Something was different.

Everyone looked closely… that Greed Crucible had fully taken the new update and become Greed Crucible-2!!

"How…?" Everyone furrowed their brows. They had been following Lady Zara's work for ten years now, and this crucible was not supposed to upgrade until months from today!

"Ah! Lady Zara!!"

Someone's shout drew everyone's attention to a certain spot.

Lady Zara, the daughter of His Majesty… was sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

And her fingertips were destroyed.