Veyron City.
Declan’s brows furrowed as he tried to piece together the bits of information he had heard about the place.
"I don’t know much about it," he answered. "Except that it’s called the Slum of Mordran."
Huuuuuu.
"Slum of Mordran, huh?" she mused before asking, "Why is it called that?"
"Because there’s no order in it," Declan replied. "It’s the only city in Mordran that isn’t claimed by any Mech organization."
The Mech Organizations weren’t merely regular companies that produced mechs.
They were powerhouses that controlled entire cities.
The city Declan came from, Frit City, was controlled by three Mech Organizations, with the Mechnoheart Organization, where he had formerly worked, being one of them.
He had never left Frit City before, but he knew the same was true for most other cities across Mordran, all except Veyron.
It was lawless, with no Mech Organization in control, and was therefore regarded as the Slum of Mordran.
It was probably still stuck in the past as well, since without a ruling organization, there wouldn’t be much of a budget for development, nor any real push for new technology.
"Is this your first time traveling to a different city?" she asked, and Declan nodded.
Huuuuuuuuu.
"Then you still have a lot to learn."
"Sit tight," she warned, tossing the fully burnt cigarette stick away before gripping the steering controls tightly and slamming her foot down on the accelerator.
VROOOOOOOOOOOM!
The world instantly blurred around Declan, who shut his eyes tightly.
They were moving fast...Too fast.
When he cracked one eye open to look at her, he noticed her expression shifting from its usual coldness to one of intense focus, while the acceleration only continued to increase.
Nothing he said would probably make her slow down, and truthfully, he didn’t want her to.
The sooner they reached somewhere with people, the better.
With nothing else to do but grit his teeth and try not to be reduced to a pancake against the seat, Declan commanded in his mind:
’Initiate MOS Protocol.’
Immediately, the familiar panel appeared before his eyes.
[ SYSTEM INTERFACE ]
[▸ Name: Declan Ezra ]
[ ▸ Race: Human ]
[ ▸ Age: 19 ]
[ ▸ Level: 6 ]
[ ▸ EXP: 0/2000 ]
[ STATS ]
[ Strength: 40 ]
[ Agility: 40 ]
[ Endurance: 40 ]
[ Intelligence: 40 ]
[ Charisma: 40 ]
║ Attribute Points: 0 ║
__________________
Through the quests he had completed so far, Declan had leveled up a total of three times.
Each level-up granted him an automatic +5 to all his stats as the System’s bonus, while he also received 15 Attribute Points that he could freely distribute.
He had spread those points evenly across his stats, and now, every one of his attributes was perfectly balanced.
"Forty in every stat now."
Declan stared at the numbers for a moment before his mind began calculating.
"I initially had ten points, meaning an average human teenager should have around 10 points in Strength."
"An adult should be around twice as strong, meaning they would probably have around 20 stat points."
"So, 40 would mean I’m twice as strong as an average adult."
A glint appeared in Declan’s eyes.
Such physical strength was normally only possible by fusing with Nexian Seed or Hearts, using bionic fluid to amplify the body, or relying on specialized Mech Gear.
Yet here he was, without a single drop of bionic fluid flowing through his body and without a Seed beating within his chest, and he was still as physically capable as any Nexian.
It was simply...Magical.
And speaking of mechs, his Mecha Forge skill had also undergone massive changes.
Declan had received an Ability Upgrade Card with each level and had poured every single one of them into his only skill.
Now, it had risen far beyond its original Level 1.
[ SKILLS & ABILITIES ]
MECHA OVERLORD SYSTEM SKILLS
[ — Rooted in the System’s Original Abilities — ]
[Mecha Forge] [Level: 5]
[ The user can restructure matter and energy into advanced mecha-based technology and proto-mechs. ]
[ Capabilities at this level include: ]
[ — Near-instant reconfiguration of raw materials into complex mechanical constructs, including weapons, armor, and drones. ]
[ — Ability to integrate energy circuits and rune-tech systems into creations, granting them enhanced durability, sharpness, and basic energy functions. ]
[ — Scaling in size and complexity, allowing the creation of multi-part mechanical weapons such as rifles, cannons, and mechanized bows, provided sufficient materials and energy are available. ]
[ — Increased efficiency, consuming less energy per construct than previous levels while allowing constructs to remain stable for longer periods. ]
[ Note: Fully sentient mechs and battle-suits remain impossible at this level. Such creations require higher advancements of the skill. ]
__________________
This wasn’t a magical skill anymore.
It was the ultimate Mech Design skill, and the sheer functionality of it made Declan’s breathing quicken.
He already had countless ideas for what he could build with this power, but the forest had severely limited his options.
There was only so much he could create from crude organic materials like branches, stones, and vines.
That was why he needed to reach a city.
There, scraps and discarded pieces of technology would be everywhere, all of them potential materials he could rebuild and reshape into something far greater.
This would be his path.
He might only have a Null Nexian Affinity, but with this skill, he could craft mechs specifically designed for himself without needing Nexian Seed or Hearts to power them.
And with enough leveling, it was only a matter of time before he surpassed even the strongest Nexians, with mech creations potentially more powerful than anything ordinary Mech Scientist could produce.
[You keep trying to grow more powerful.]
The System panel suddenly blinked before him.
[Why?]
[What do you plan on doing with your power?]
It was a question Declan already had an answer to.
’The first thing I’ll do after gaining enough power is hunt down the one who killed me.’
"Sir Tonald Eldwood."
His gaze hardened.
’He’s a True Nexian who has fused with a Perfected Nexus Seed, and now that he has "succeeded," he must have also fused with his reward, a Nexus Heart.’
’That Nexus Seed was designed by us!’
’I, for one, spent endless nights working on that project, believing I was creating something that could help humanity.’
’And what was I repaid with?’
’A thank-you? Money?’
’No!’
’It was a scythe through the head... the same fate suffered by all of them.’
Declan’s thoughts burned as memories of the time he had spent with the others on the project flashed through his mind.
He hadn’t known many of them personally, but they were brilliant people who, like him, were obsessed with creating mechs for the betterment of humanity.
They were good people, yet they had been slaughtered like chickens, their hard work buried alongside their corpses and their dreams left forever unfulfilled.
Declan’s fist silently clenched, both his eyes opening as he stared out through the window.
’I will repay that betrayal in full.’
’That man... and whoever sent him to slaughter us.’
His gaze grew cold.
"I’ll hunt down every last one of them and rip their heads off..."
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing.
"...soon."