C12 Mechanical Butler

The Wilderness Hunt stretched on until deep into the night before finally coming to an end.

Wang Changqing, leading his Mechanical Legion reeking of blood, made his way back to Dawn Territory under the cover of darkness. Their late return was due to Wang Changqing stumbling upon what appeared to be a Wisdom Armament nest in the wilderness.

However, the creatures there were formidable, at Level 8, and were spiritual entities, or more accurately, energy beings. Not wanting to take any reckless actions, he observed them for half a day. Realizing victory was out of reach, he retreated to his territory. His plan was to upgrade all the Mechanical Warriors to Level 8 before considering his next move.

Level 5 was a significant milestone for all creatures, offering a substantial boost in strength once surpassed. The wilderness creatures Wang Changqing hunted, if they reached Level 5, were notable for their use of magic skills.

That day, he had come across a swarm of Level 5 Wind Rats that gave him a taste of what a magic bombardment was like. The wind blades launched by a couple hundred Wind Rats nearly shattered the Energy Shield upheld by numerous Level 4 Defenders. The close call made Wang Changqing cautious, opting to target only the less formidable Level 5 creatures for the rest of the hunt.

"Lord, good night, and congratulations on your triumphant return."

"Lord, the beast meat you delivered to the warehouse has been fully processed and stored. We've established a sales point outside the Lord Mansion with very reasonable pricing."

"Today, the Lord's Manor acquired 610 units of lumber and 423 units of stone, and all subsidies for the citizens have been distributed. The current balance of the Lord's Manor's funds is..."

After listening to Moo Niu's briefing, Wang Changqing offered some words of praise and then urged Moo Niu to head home to his family, not wanting to keep him from his warm bed at such a late hour.

Moo Niu, stepping out from the Lord Hall, noticed four maids waiting by the door. He gestured to one of them, and after a quick exchange of whispers, she followed Moo Niu away from the hall.

"How's everything, Moo Qing? Is the Lord pleased with your work?"

The young girl was Moo Niu's own niece. Orphaned at three when her father perished in the wilderness and her mother succumbed to illness shortly after, Moo Qing was raised by Moo Niu's caring hand.

"Uncle, we're not sure if the Lord is pleased with us," Moo Qing said, her cheeks flushing as she spoke in a hushed tone. "He's been so busy lately, leaving at dawn and returning at dusk, barely speaking a few words to us..."

"Has the Lord given you any indication at all?" Moo Niu inquired.

When his niece continued to shake her head, Moo Niu let out a soft sigh. "Ah..."

"Moo Qing, the Lord is our only support in these perilous wilds. Only with his backing can we hope to survive..."

"Don't forget the monster that stormed the town two years ago. Without the Lord's protection, we saw the consequences..."

"Judging by the Lord's recent actions, he seems to be a commendable leader."

"If he takes notice of you, it would be a stroke of good fortune for both you and us," Moo Niu advised her earnestly.

Meanwhile, Wang Changqing was unaware of Moo Niu's sense of urgency, as he was engrossed in upgrading his Mechanical Creations. Once all were elevated to Level 7, the coveted Signal Station and Mechanical Butler finally appeared on the construction list of the Level 7 multi-functional Construction Robot.

Signal Station: A relay that provides real-time signal transmission over a certain area.

Mechanical Butler: Capable of managing various machines with secondary authority granted, its computational speed determined by its level.

The debut of the Signal Station and Mechanical Butler marked the fulfillment of Wang Changqing's ambition to command the Mechanical Legion from afar.

Today might just be his lucky day, as the Nano Reconnaissance Robot gained a new component — the Energy Detector. This innovation addressed the Detective Machinery's limitation of only being able to observe a target's appearance and quantity, without detecting its level. It was a safeguard against another mishap like the one with the Giant Armored Rhinoceros.

Yet, the energy weapon Wang Changqing had long anticipated remained elusive.

"Without an energy weapon, it's best not to engage those Level-8 specters. The weapons my Mechanical Warriors are equipped with rely on kinetic force, which is practically useless against intangible entities. Only the Destroyer's missiles do some damage, but even that's not very effective..." Wang Changqing pondered his next move.

"Rafe, use up all of our remaining resources to build a production line for Combat Robots, and start manufacturing them. Also, let's construct a few more energy stations, and have the Engineering Machinery revamp the territory. I want the lighting upgraded and the ground reinforced..."

The Mechanical Butler's form was akin to a wristwatch, which Wang Changqing currently wore on his wrist.

Rafe was the name Wang Changqing had bestowed upon the Mechanical Butler, a tribute to his pet dog from his days on the Blue Planet. After the cataclysm there, the dog had passed away under mysterious circumstances. Wang Changqing, suppressing his craving for meat, had cremated the body and buried the ashes.

With the Mechanical Butler's assistance, Wang Changqing felt he could be a hands-off manager; anything that needed doing, he simply instructed Rafe.

Once he had set tasks for the Mechanical Butler, Wang Changqing tuned into the World Communication Channel, a pre-sleep ritual of his—screen lurking.

"Today, over a dozen Level-5 Werewolves came to my territory demanding protection money. Ridiculous, right? It's just a fee! I paid them right there and then!"

"Charging protection money? That move is epic!"

"Why do I keep getting refugees in my territory? According to them, their former Lord was overthrown. This world has become truly perilous..."

"You paid a Level-5 werewolf? The ones demanding protection money from me were Level-9 Elephantmen. I was so terrified I immediately knelt..."

"Once you hit Level-10, your territory can be upgraded to a Baron's domain. I can hardly wait!"

"To the one dreaming of becoming a Baron, don't get your hopes up. It could take decades to reach Level-10. Better to consider if you'll even live that long..."

It appeared that the Lords of the Blue Planet had their share of troubles. They were still within the seven-day Territory Protection Period and were already being extorted for protection money. What would happen once that period ended was a worrying thought...

As Wang Changqing pondered the uncertain futures of his fellow Lords, Rafe, the Mechanical Butler, suddenly spoke from the device on his wrist.

"Nano Reconnaissance Robot report: 27 kilometers to the northeast of our territory, a group of intelligent beings—humans—has been detected. Their numbers total 375, with 335 at Level 1, 31 at Level 2, 8 at Level 3, 2 at Level 4, and 1 at Level 5."

"They are rapidly moving westward and are not expected to come near Dawn Territory."

"Rafe, what's their current status?"

"Their status is being pursued."

The Mechanical Butler immediately displayed the Nano Reconnaissance Robot's surveillance feed for Wang Changqing to see.

On the screen, the humans were seen desperately fleeing westward, while a pack of werewolves mounted on enormous black wolves trailed leisurely behind them. Every so often, an arrow would fly, seemingly toying with their quarry...