After two consecutive days of classes, Cang’er realized that the teachers hadn’t explained how to grow mental power, nor had they taught how to use it.
For now, their specialized courses were still focused on learning about various mecha materials.
Cang’er had already finished reading all the books Master Ji Feng had given her. Although she had a photographic memory, the interstellar era had countless creatures that had never existed on Earth. Many refining materials were unfamiliar to her, so she had to look them up on her light-brain or in the library. As a result, her reading progress wasn’t fast.
Until today, she finally finished studying all eleven books on materials. Terms she couldn’t understand had to be memorized for now; she would only fully comprehend them when she encountered the actual substances later.
She went to her master’s office, where Ji Feng was wiping a pile of pearl-like stones with a small towel.
Cang’er’s eyes lit up. She had seen these in the books—they were called White Crystals. Adding them to alloys increased stability, making them excellent materials for mecha creation.
“Master, you’ve worked hard. Such a small task doesn’t need you to do it yourself.” She took a small towel from her Bi-You Ring and, imitating Ji Feng, started wiping the White Crystals.
“Master, I’ve memorized all the books you gave me. When can I start learning to make mechas?” she asked while wiping.
“Already memorized them? So fast!” Ji Feng widened his eyes, his beard twitching.
“Old man, let me test you. What’s this?” he said, pointing to the “little pearls” Cang’er was cleaning.
“White Crystal, mostly from reefs in the Mingxing Sea. Adding it to metal can increase stability between different metals,” Cang’er replied without pausing her work.
“And this one?” Ji Feng held up a red orb.
Cang’er sniffed, “It smells fishy yet sweet—the inner core of a tiger shark, used to increase alloy hardness.”
“Good, good. Now tell me the difference between Hetsu Gold and Shitu Gold.”
“Hetsu Gold comes from the ore veins of Hetsu Planet and is mainly used for defensive mecha. Shitu Gold comes from the black stone of Shitu Planet, also mainly used for defensive mecha. The former is more flexible, the latter harder.”
“Hahaha, you’re quite the girl. Here, I have a manual for using mental power to forge metals. Take a look, and starting tomorrow, come see me every afternoon at two.” He tossed a book with a blue cover to Cang’er.
Cang’er took it with a big grin and ran off. “Thank you, Master!”
Ji Feng smiled, stroked his precious beard, hummed a little tune, and returned to his desk, holding the small towel.
“Ah—this little girl! How are there only three White Crystals left?!” he muttered.
Cang’er stopped by the cafeteria and picked up six nutrient solutions before returning to the dorm.
Why six?
This week, the cafeteria’s high-level nutrient solutions were avocado flavored. Mia sneered at it, so Cang’er had no choice but to endure it. She ate her fill every day.
Outside, the setting sun cast a warm glow on her yellowish little face, kissed her curled lashes, and touched her moist lips…
Ignoring her somewhat yellowish complexion and dry, straw-like hair, Cang’er’s features were delicate and beautiful. Her cat-like black-and-white eyes sparkled with moisture, her small nose was straight, and her full, upturned lips happily held a green glass tube as she flipped through the “Metal Forging Manual” Master Ji Feng had given her.
She quickly skimmed the steps, took a small piece of Hetsu Star Metal from her Bi-You Ring, and began directing her mental power over it. She slowly infused it into the metal’s pores, changing its internal structure… bit by bit. Her yellowish complexion became paler, beads of sweat rolled down, and finally, she transformed a lump of Hetsu Star Metal into a single steel plate.
“Phew…” she exhaled slightly and drank a high-level nutrient solution.
After resting with her eyes closed for four hours, once her mental power had mostly recovered, she took out another small piece of Hetsu Gold.
This time, she more skillfully infused mental power through the metal’s pores, altering its internal structure. Plate by plate, before her mental energy ran out, she forged a larger, thinner steel plate than the previous one.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she checked the time—this session lasted seventeen minutes, an improvement over before.
At two in the morning, she woke again, feeling her mental power mostly restored. She took two steel plates and began attempting to connect them.
Her mental power skillfully seeped through, altering the internal structures and guiding similar metals to bond. According to the manual, metals of the same type tend to merge naturally; she only needed to guide the process with her mental energy.
By dawn, her mental power was depleted once more.
She held the newly forged steel plate with satisfaction. Her temples throbbed painfully, forcing her to put down the manual and close her eyes to rest.