This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 580 - 304: Upgrade Complete, Two Traits

Chapter 580: Chapter 304: Upgrade Complete, Two Traits

The Tank Guard ascending from B level to A level requires nine million, but now upgrading to S level needs one hundred million metal energy.

Having it absorb the metal energy from the Black Gold Source Stone directly cut the amount by half, and after subtracting the ninety million reserved for Dark Night, only a little over twenty million remained.

Even the metal energy from the Ascender’s Source Crystal wasn’t enough.

This calculation left Li Ming slightly dazed. Just like that... it’s gone?

But it was only a brief confusion. After all, metal energy is meant to be used to enhance strength; it won’t grow on its own.

As for the control over the Ascender’s Source Crystal, there’s no rush. Its more significant role is to assist, which looks very powerful in the long run.

But for now, he should focus on enhancing his strength first.

With a thought, the Tank Guard Mecha, which had followed him for a long time and been through countless battles, appeared before him, its hefty metal armor reflecting a faint luster.

He felt a tinge of sentimentality; this was not just a mecha, but also his second body.

This upgrade would take it a level higher, and step by step, he, as the Azure Dragon, was making the bold claims he had once made a reality.

While thinking, his hands were already placed on the surface of the Tank Guard Mecha, with surging metal energy flowing out from his fingers and into the Tank Guard.

Golden electric arcs exploded suddenly, its metallic structure at the surface began to disintegrate, like dispersing catkins, yet encircling its body like a Star Ring.

Ionic fluctuations surged, the metal skeleton and energy pipelines were re-laid, transforming into brand-new metal materials and structures.

The recently acquired Titan Stone was being consumed silently. Perhaps because the upgrade path had already been chosen, this upgrade only needed continuous strengthening, therefore, there were no special prompts during the process.

Li Ming is now extremely familiar with the differences in upgrade paths. The enhancement route for the Tank Guard is Materialization, so there won’t be any data-based buff, but the material strength will be proportionately enhanced.

Vice versa, if used for Internal Control, it would reduce material strength but increase data buff.

Of course, these reductions and enhancements are in comparison to items of the same level.

The upgrade process wasn’t short; it took over ten minutes before the dazzling light gradually faded, and what appeared was a mecha with a completely different grand appearance.

Its appearance had undergone significant changes, it was now nearly three meters tall, the entire mecha was in the most intense, radiant gold color, with intricate black patterns adding to its splendor.

But it did not look bulky; the streamline mecha, its armor joints fitting seamless, appeared more straightforward, and the chest had a hexagonal crystal structure flickering with faint light, finally upgrading to have an energy engine.

With sharp and clear angles, every piece of armor’s detail was exquisitely crafted, exuding the beauty of top mechanical craftsmanship like an artwork.

[Tank Guard--S Level: Advanced Combat Mecha, focused on defense aspects.

...

Trait--Stone Skin: Obtains 30% damage reduction.

Trait--Thorns: Any form of attack will reflect 30% of the damage back to the attacker.]

Li Ming’s eyes widened slightly. A second trait?

He thought the Titan Stone was nothing special, yet without any fanfare, it did something big and actually brought a second trait.

The [Thorns] trait meant damage reflection. Coupled with already extreme defense enhancements to the Tank Guard, it could achieve an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Hitting me is like hitting yourself.

However, enhancing the traits turned out to be much more difficult than he had imagined; the defensive damage reduction only increased by 5%.

"Could it be because of the route taken? After all, the metal energy was used to strengthen the Tank Guard’s materials. If it was the other route, the data enhancement would have been significant," he pondered, but he was already quite satisfied.

Eagerly, he entered the cockpit right away and took possession of it.

In an instant, his field of vision expanded and a clear sensation of swelling strength came from everywhere; Li Ming raised his metallic arm, slowly bringing his palms together, feeling like he had the power to shatter the starry sky in his hands.

Even though it was designed for defense, the strength of the mecha itself was terrifying; one punch and no A level life form could withstand it.

He tried moving his hand and immediately caused a gust of wind; the air exploded with a roar, and he hadn’t even exerted any strength yet.

But he quickly exited the possession, his face pale.

"The physical drain is too frightening," Li Ming’s heart pounded. Just that little movement had nearly drained him, causing him also to feel the pain, "Isn’t there an energy engine now?"

He looked at the energy engine in the Tank Guard’s chest and carefully tried again, only to find that even with the assistance of the energy engine, it still required a considerable amount of physical strength.

"This is the expenditure from taking possession of an S-level Control Object; it’s not because the Tank Guard itself needed it, I just confused the two when the Tank Guard didn’t have an energy engine." Li Ming reasoned.

But without this energy engine, he probably wouldn’t have even been able to move at all.

After all, the fuel for the energy engine doesn’t appear out of thin air; it either needs to be filled from the outside in advance or it will still drain his physical strength.

Li Ming felt another pang of pain and then activated the Talos’ Heart, stacking all the boosts onto his physical strength, giving him the illusion of being able to stand tall again.

Indeed, it was an illusion. Although he wasn’t incapacitated by just moving, he couldn’t last long either.

"I figure with an A level life form, combined with Talos’ Heart, I might be able to perform freely," he estimated.

Li Ming felt helpless; this was an inevitable issue, as he himself was only a B level life form, and the gap is simply too vast.

"And this Titan Stone..." Li Ming pondered, reminiscent that the names given by the Ascenders and the Control System were different.