Volume 5, Chapter 1 – Mechanical Holy See

Welcome to the world of Mechanics.

After passing the young woman at the entrance and stepping into the Mechanic Guild, Anran saw red text scrolling across a screen beside the doors.

However…

Apart from that small touch of atmosphere, Anran could not see anything about this place that resembled a guild.

There were no Mechanics sitting around the lobby bragging, and no quest NPCs waiting behind a counter to receive visitors.

There was not even a lobby or a counter.

No matter how she looked at it, this was just an ordinary company with an impressive-looking exterior.

When she glanced back at the young woman by the entrance, Anran saw that her race was listed as Robot.

It took Anran quite a while to understand that this “guild” was different from places such as the “Mining Guilds” in other games, which unlocked secondary professions and issued quests to players. Instead, it was an association jointly formed by members of the same industry, combining professional exchange, communication, research, status enhancement, and increased influence.

Only Mechanics with a certain level of ability could join. Newcomers and apprentices were not welcome here.

“So, you want to join the guild?” The young aluminum girl pushed up her black-rimmed glasses.

“Yes.” Anran nodded.

“Fill this out, then pay the fee.” The aluminum girl pointed at a window that had suddenly appeared on the screen.

Anran froze. “How… how much?”

“The assessment fee is five hundred Bilu. If you pass, the membership fee is five thousand Bilu. Oh, right.” The aluminum girl added, “We do not accept cash here.”

“Why don’t you accept cash?”

“Guild regulations prohibit us from accepting it.”

“…”

Damn it.

Anran cursed inwardly.

Bilu was the official currency issued by the Empire.

However, there was another universal currency throughout Night of the Stars: Energy Coins.

Banknotes and virtual currency could only be regarded as “symbols of value,” their worth guaranteed by the authority and credibility of the Empire. Energy Coins, on the other hand, were true hard currency. In ancient times, their equivalent would have been silk and woven cloth; in the real world, they would be comparable to oil.

Energy Coins served as currency, but they could also be used directly as an energy source, such as to power robots. In that respect, they were several orders of magnitude superior to electricity and similar forms of energy.

Therefore, throughout Night of the Stars, Energy Coins were the true hard currency.

They were simply called Bilu in the Empire, Nali in the Galactic Free Alliance, and Kuro in the Victoria Star Ring.

Standing outside the Mechanic Guild, Anran once again fell into deep thought.

Without money, she could not afford a star chart or replenish the spacecraft’s energy. There were not many other places left for her to try.

Sure enough, starting from nothing as a law-abiding citizen was far too difficult.

“Let’s go take a look at the Mechanical Holy See,” Anran said to Aila.

“Mm. I’ll follow Anran!” Aila nodded.

Fortunately, Aila was not the bratty-child type.

As for what Anran thought of bratty children? Heh heh heh.

…

The Mechanical Holy See and the Mechanic Guild were both located in Sarina City.

However, the guild was in the eastern part of the city, while the Holy See was in the west. As rivals, the Mechanical Holy See had always found the Mechanic Guild infuriating. The powerful Mechanic Guild, meanwhile, did not take the Mechanical Holy See seriously at all.

They were merely a group of heretics with holes in their heads, unworthy of consideration and beneath association.

Elevated maglev trains rumbled overhead, occasionally sounding crisp, high-pitched horns.

There were no crows in the sky, but the noises were ominously appropriate all the same.

What the hell was this?

Anran stared at the building before her. She found it difficult to imagine that this was the Mechanical Holy See’s base on Ruilanduo Star.

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It was a low, three-story building situated in a residential district on the western side of Sarina City. It was nothing more than an ordinary house that had undergone a few unusual modifications.

To the left of the entrance stood a mecha model half the height of a person. To the right stood a humanoid “monster” of the same height. Together, they served as a pair of door guardians.

Beyond that, the entire exterior of the house had been decorated in a style resembling the humanoid monster on the right.

Its main colors were muted red and black, with sharp angles jutting out here and there. Even the tiles in the courtyard were the same colors.

“…”

Was this place dedicated to machinery or mysticism?

No wonder it was called the Mechanical Holy See.

Compared with the Mechanic Guild’s bright-white building and its mechanical aesthetic, the difference in first impressions was enormous.

Still, the sign bearing the words “Mechanical Holy See” hung properly above the entrance.

“Anran, Anran, this place looks really suspicious.”

“We asked plenty of people, and they all said this was the place. Let’s go inside and take a look first.”

Despite her doubts, Anran stepped forward and knocked on the door.

She had assumed it was an ordinary wooden door, but the knock immediately revealed otherwise.

First came a crisp ringing sound.

It was definitely metal.

Then the door automatically slid backward, opening a path inside.

Time to go…

“Holy crap!”

Anran immediately took a step back, nearly frightened by what appeared behind the door.

Two humanoid monsters stood hand in hand, blocking the way inside.

This time, they were not statues but two robots.

“The Ether Soul is watching you!”

“Those who blaspheme against the Ether Soul shall ultimately suffer the supreme punishment!”

The two robots spoke in turn.

They were Level 26 and Level 27 respectively.

Each possessed 500 points of armor, making them terrifyingly tough. The various “blades” attached to their bodies also made them look highly proficient in combat.

“Where is the person in charge here?” Anran asked.

“…”

The two robots did not answer. They made no move to attack, nor did they try to drive Anran away. They simply continued standing there hand in hand.

The lights inside the house were off. Only old-fashioned candles burned quietly along the walls.

Damn it.

Why were the people and things on other planets getting stranger one after another?

After waiting for roughly three more minutes, they finally heard movement from the rooms farther inside.

Anran and Aila saw three figures descending the staircase around the corner. As they gradually approached the candlelight, their appearances became clearer.

“Phew.”

Thank goodness.

At least the people who emerged were not as bizarre-looking as the statues and robots.

[Human] was one of the major races in Night of the Stars, though that was also a rather broad classification. Humans had many different branches, and their appearances varied considerably.

The three who approached Anran looked fairly normal. The man on the left had a slightly prominent nose and was Level 29. The man on the right had two small bumps on his head and was Level 28. The young woman in the middle did not differ much from Anran overall. Her ears were slightly pointed, but strange markings covered her cheeks and forehead. She also had the highest level present, Level 36.

“What do you want?” the young woman asked.

Anran organized her thoughts. “You conduct mechanical research here, right?”

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“What do you want?”

“You conduct mechanical research here, right?”

“What do you want?”

“…”

What… the hell?

How was Anran supposed to continue the conversation when they were acting this strangely?

At the Mechanic Guild, she had been able to state decisively that she wanted to join. After seeing the people of the Mechanical Holy See, however, she no longer dared to say it. They looked like members of an evil cult.

“The Ether Soul will be angered by your dithering,” the young woman said.

“The Ether Soul…”

“Those who blaspheme against the Ether Soul shall…” The two robots also began chiming in.

“…”

“I came here to study the knowledge required to become an Intermediate Mechanic,” Anran said helplessly.

“Oh.” The young woman nodded. “So you want to join the Holy See.”

“It would be best if I could study Intermediate Mechanic knowledge without joining the Mechanical Holy See.”

“Do not even think about it. Impossible.” The young woman decisively shattered Anran’s hopes. “The Ether Soul does not impart its knowledge to unrelated passersby.”

As the person in charge, she had two burly men and two robots standing beside her. By comparison, Anran and Aila appeared considerably more slender and vulnerable.

“Then what do I need to do to join the Mechanical Holy See?”

“Oh, that is simple.”

The young woman raised her hand and tapped her wristband. A translucent window immediately appeared in the air. “Fill out this form, then pay the five-hundred-Bilu assessment fee.”

“That’s all?”

“If you pass the assessment, you must pay another five thousand Bilu,” the young woman added.

“…”

Anran tentatively asked, “You do not accept cash either, do you?”

“That is correct.”

“…”

Damn it.

“You copied this from the Mechanic Guild, didn’t you? Why are your fees exactly the same?”

The young woman sneered. “They clearly copied us!”

“All right, regardless of who copied whom, can’t you reduce that later fee of five thousand Bilu?”

“No!” The young woman looked puzzled. “You are a Mechanic, after all. Five thousand Bilu is only a small sum.”

Right. I am a Mechanic, after all, yet I cannot even scrape together five thousand Bilu right now.

Damn it.

“Forget it, then.”

Anran turned to leave with Aila.

“You don’t actually lack even five thousand Bilu, do you?” the young woman asked in surprise.

“I do.”

“I’ll earn some money first, then visit the Mechanic Guild again in a few days.”

“…”

The young woman paused. “Our Mechanical Holy See is far stronger than the Mechanic Guild. If you choose the Mechanic Guild, you will definitely regret it.”

“It does not matter where I go as long as I can study Intermediate Mechanic knowledge. The Mechanic Guild’s base looks far more impressive than yours, and the price is the same anyway. I might as well go there.”

“Vulgar! You are unbelievably vulgar!” the young woman snapped. “This is an architectural style, understand? An architectural style! That miserable building belonging to the Mechanic Guild has no style of its own whatsoever. It is utterly tasteless. Look at our place instead. It fully embodies the characteristics of the Ether Soul. Look at these robots!”

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The young woman pulled the two bizarre robots closer.

“Look at this lighting!”

She pointed at the strange candles.

“And look at this floor!”

“…”

“If the Ether Soul knew you had compared its style with those faithless people at the Mechanic Guild, it would probably die of rage!” the young woman shouted.

So what exactly was this Ether Soul supposed to be?

Anran chose to leave.

“Wait!” The young woman stopped Anran just as she was about to go.

Her expression changed slightly. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, “Although this violates the rules, you seem genuinely sincere about joining the Mechanical Holy See. The Ether Soul instructed me just now that the five-thousand-Bilu fee may be waived for you.”

Uh…

Anran still had no idea what the Ether Soul was, but the other party seemed prepared to offer her an enormous discount.

“Are you serious?”

“Sis?” One of the burly men seemed about to say something, but the young woman stopped him.

She turned back to Anran. “This is the will of the Ether Soul. Naturally, it is true.”

“Oh, that works. The assessment fee is five hundred Bilu, so what does the assessment involve? After joining the Mechanical Holy See, what must I do before I can access Intermediate Mechanic knowledge?” Anran went straight to the point.

“The assessment is to build a robot like this one.”

The young woman pointed at the robot beside her. “Do not worry. We will provide the materials and blueprints. As long as your work passes my evaluation, you will be considered one of us.”

“As for Intermediate Mechanic knowledge, you may access it once you have accumulated enough contribution points.”

That was acceptable.

Anran had no intention of remaining in this strange Mechanical Holy See for long. Her plan was to earn contribution points and money at the same time, then leave the organization immediately after advancing to Intermediate Mechanic.

“Then let’s begin the assessment as soon as possible.”

“Only you?” The young woman glanced at Aila.

“Only me.”

“Fill this out first. It will not take long. Then pay the assessment fee.”

“All right.”

The virtual window the young woman had opened merely collected basic personal information. It was not very different from the one at the Mechanic Guild, though the Mechanic Guild had stricter requirements and demanded verification of an identity card.

“So your name is Anran. You may call me Tan Lu,” the young woman said. “Of course, if you successfully pass the assessment, you will have to address me as cleric.”

Anran soon began studying the blueprints Tan Lu handed her.

They were for a mass-produced robot called “Clergy Unit 001,” which had been developed by the Mechanical Holy See. The complete set of blueprints was sixty-seven pages long. It was not as complicated as the blueprints used to create Aila, though its internal structure was more intricate and technologically advanced.

Likewise, the blueprints contained only structural diagrams and did not include the robot’s core components.

Although Anran finished reading them quickly, she continued pretending to study them.

After all, an ordinary NPC could not possibly read them that fast, right?

Boom!

At that moment, a muffled explosion came from outside the house. Even the floor beneath them seemed to shake.

“What happened?”

Anran stood up with a frown.

The explosion had come from quite far away, but hearing an explosion inside a city always made people feel that something bad had happened.

“Tan Shi, go outside and check the situation,” Tan Lu said.

One of the burly men standing behind her answered, “Yes,” then rose and walked outside.

Only the three of them had remained in the first-floor hall.

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However, from the shadows cast by the flickering candlelight on the second floor, Anran knew that several other members of the Mechanical Holy See were inside the building.

“Woooo!”

“Woooo!”

“Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong…”

Tan Shi had barely been gone for any time when all kinds of clamorous noises erupted outside.

There were alarm sirens and the urgent honking of passing vehicles. The previously quiet surroundings suddenly became as noisy as a grand ceremonial gathering.

What…

Anran had only just reached the entrance when Tan Shi turned around and came back.

“What happened?” Anran and Tan Lu asked together.

Aila also looked curiously at Tan Shi.

“Harrison is here again,” Tan Shi said.

Tan Lu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why hasn’t that lunatic left yet?”

“He is in the eastern part of the city. I heard the police precinct over there has already been blown up.”

“…”

Holy crap. What a monster.

Anran’s eyes widened as well.

Ruilanduo Star was not peaceful either.

“The eastern part of the city? Then it is fine.” Tan Lu breathed a huge sigh of relief after hearing Tan Shi’s report. “Ha ha! Hopefully, he blows up the Mechanic Guild as well.”

“…” Tan Shi said nothing.

As a good follower, all he needed to do at a time like this was remain silent.

“What does this Harrison do?” Anran asked.

Tan Lu replied, “He is a professional criminal.”

“A professional criminal?”

“His bounty in Sea Blue Forest is nine hundred million Bilu. However, four full years have passed since he first appeared on the wanted list, and no one has managed to catch him.”

“That man is a complete lunatic,” Tan Shi added. “Previously, the captain of a merchant guild in Sarina City cursed him a couple of times, and Harrison happened to overhear it, so he blew up the entire guild. He probably came this time because the Sarina City police issued a public statement.”

“I heard Harrison’s goal is to become number one on the Empire’s wanted list.”

“Then he still has a long way to go,” Anran said casually.

Nine hundred million Bilu.

Anran’s former self had been a great pirate renowned throughout Night of the Stars, so naturally, she looked down on such a figure.

Harrison was still at the level where his worth was measured in money. He was pathetically weak.

Still, at the current stage of the game, this character probably counted as an exceptionally powerful open-world BOSS.

Nine hundred million Bilu was also a terrifying sum to the present Anran.

“Tch. He can only act arrogant for a while within Sea Blue Forest. Once he leaves Sea Blue Forest, any random Royal Knight of the Empire could smash him apart.”

Tap, tap, tap…

Footsteps came from the staircase.

“cleric, the prayer ceremony is complete.” Someone poked their head out.

Tan Lu stood up. “Wait a moment. I will be there shortly.”

She then turned to Anran. “Continue with your assessment. I need to handle something upstairs.”

“All right.” Anran nodded.

Tan Lu left first, while Anran continued using the tools on the first floor to construct the robot.