Although the Doomsday Striker wasn't completed, after listening to Qu Shi's description, Qi Yuan quickly realized that this was a gun that was even more powerful than the Butcher. It was also perfectly compatible with the Annihilation Warhead.
Although the Butcher wasn't weak, it was only effective against Rank 1 and Rank 2 Insectoids. It wasn't powerful enough against Rank 3 Insectoids.
In the previous battle, the Butcher was already at a disadvantage when dealing with the Rank 3 Insectoids. After being enhanced with the Annihilation Warhead, even if it hit the Rank 3 Insectoids without Rank 3 Enhanced Defense, it wouldn't be able to kill them in one shot. It would require two shots to hit the same spot.
In a real battle, it was basically impossible to hit the same spot twice.
The truly dangerous enemies in the old city were mostly Rank 3. Whether it was Insectoids, Polluters, or Hunters from other gathering points, there was no lack of Rank 3 existences.
Experienced Rank 3 Aptitude Users, under the cleansing of extraordinary energy, even if they didn't awaken Rank 3 Enhanced Defense, their body's toughness wouldn't be weaker than Rank 2 Enhanced Defense. The Butcher was no longer a fatal threat against enemies of this level.
In order to kill a Rank 3 Insectoid from a distance, only a gun with the power of Death Harvest could possibly kill them in one shot.
If the Doomsday Striker's power was only slightly weaker than Death Harvest, then with the enhancement of the Annihilation Warhead, it should be enough to deal with a Rank 3 Aptitude User. Even if the opponent had Rank 3 Enhanced Defense, they might not be able to block it.
As for whether it could kill a Rank 3 Enhanced Defense in one shot, he would only know after trying it out.
"Finally, how do I construct this energy matrix?"
Qi Yuan stared at the Doomsday Striker with bright eyes. The Zhanmadao had already been replaced with the Beheader. If the Butcher could also be replaced with the Doomsday Striker, then his equipment would be upgraded and his survival in the old city would be guaranteed.
Qu Shi took the Doomsday Striker down from the workbench and walked to a device that occupied the entire wall. He pressed it lightly, and an invisible force field was instantly released. It suspended the Doomsday Striker in the air and slowly rotated.
Qu Shi casually pressed a few buttons, and the lights in the workroom suddenly dimmed. A horizontal and vertical green light screen was activated and slowly scanned the body of the Doomsday Striker.
The projection of the Doomsday Striker was magnified dozens of times and slowly appeared in the middle of the workroom.
Qu Shi walked up to the projection and pointed at the dim energy dots.
"The construction of this energy matrix is far more complicated than the Decapitator's energy outpouring. Its requirements for energy intensity are almost harsh. Although I have designed a complete blueprint, because of the actual production process, I can't reach the energy precision requirements of the component energy matrix, so I haven't completed the final production."
"If we were in the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory of the Black Steel Shelter, I could try to complete the final construction with the help of precision instruments. However, the instruments in the Iron Chariots don't meet the requirements. If you can control the energy with precision and reach the basic strength of 0.001 crystal, there may be hope to complete the last step."
Basic strength of 0.001 crystal!
Qi Yuan was obviously stunned for a moment. After a period of understanding, he was no longer clueless about machinery and energy. He knew very well what a base strength of 0.001 crystal meant.
The energy splitter in the workshop could only be accurate up to 0.01 crystal. However, the precision required for the energy matrix designed by Qu Shi to accelerate the bullet instantly increased by ten times. The precision span of the energy had directly transcended the era.
"Can you do it?" Qu Shi looked at Qi Yuan calmly, completely different from his usual irritable appearance.
"I'll try my best!" Qi Yuan also felt a little pressure. The difficulty of getting the Doomsday Striker was much higher than the Decapitator.
"Not try your best, but you can only succeed in one try." Qu Shi shook his head gently.
"The higher the precision of the energy matrix, the more fragile it is before it is activated. As long as the energy input exceeds a certain strength, the corresponding energy node may be destroyed at any time."
"So, unless you can succeed in one try, this Doomsday Striker will be completely destroyed."
Qi Yuan frowned slightly and finally understood why Qu Shi had not completed the last step for so many years. It was because there was no opportunity to try the last step.
Although Energy Control had a unique advantage in controlling energy, he was not sure whether the energy intensity could be accurate to 0.001 crystal. After all, he had never tried it.
"I haven't tried it, so I can't guarantee that I can meet your requirements." Qi Yuan sighed.
Qu Shi had kept this unfinished gun until now. In addition to not daring to build the last step, it could also be seen that he valued this gun. Qi Yuan did not want to see this gun destroyed in his own hands.
Qu Shi was silent for a long time and seemed to be hesitating. After a while, he took out a fist-sized cube similar to a Rubik's Cube from the sealed energy room.
The surface of the cube's six sides exuded a faint light, and the colors of the six sides were different.
"This is an Energy Rubik's Cube. It was designed by a researcher in the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory, Tanqiu, to train energy control. If you can restore it, you can try to build the final energy matrix of the Doomsday Striker."
Master Qu disrupted the order of the Energy Rubik's Cube as he introduced it. The six modular units of different colors intertwined with each other to form a disordered Rubik's Cube.
Tanqiu!
Qi Yuan was slightly stunned. He did not expect to hear this name here.
"Is this Tanqiu very good?" Qi Yuan took the disordered Energy Rubik's Cube and pretended to ask casually.
"She is very good!" Qu Shi nodded solemnly.
"When I met her, she was only a second-rank researcher. From the Energy Rubik's Cube that she designed, I knew that she was a talented researcher!
"Today, not only is she the youngest third-rank researcher in the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory, but I also heard that she has made a breakthrough in the research of the gene lock. She is very likely to become the seventh fourth-rank researcher in the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory."
Perhaps Master Qu thought that Qi Yuan did not understand what it meant to be a fourth-rank researcher, so he continued to explain.
"The controller of the entire Biological and Mechanical Laboratory is the only fifth-rank researcher, and he is already old. If there are no accidents, the next controller of the laboratory will be elected from among these fourth-rank researchers. Once Tanqiu is promoted to a fourth-rank researcher, it means that she has the opportunity to control the entire laboratory and become a member of the shelter's board of directors!"
Qi Yuan fell silent. He did not care whether Tanqiu could become a fourth-rank or fifth-rank researcher, nor did he care whether she could become a member of the shelter's board of directors.
These were too far away from him. At least in the short term, they would not affect him in any way.
As for the future, they would not affect him at all.
If the new check-in area refreshed somewhere else, he would also be far away from the Black Steel Shelter, and the two sides would not cross paths again.
What Qi Yuan was really worried about was another piece of information that Qu Shi had revealed — Tanqiu had made another breakthrough in her research on the genetic lock!
This made Qi Yuan quickly think of the biological samples that Tanqiu had collected from his body. If her research breakthrough came from these biological samples, it would definitely bring him a huge risk, even if she could not detect the existence of the Talent Tree.
The changes in his flesh and blood had gradually developed in the direction of mechanical flesh and blood. He was even completely immune to the toxins that targeted flesh and blood creatures. If Tanqiu really targeted him, he might not even have a chance to escape.
As for whether to leave or not, Qi Yuan had no choice. If the next check-in area refreshed somewhere else, he would definitely leave immediately after completing the check-in in the old city.
However, if the new check-in area refreshed near the Black Steel Shelter, he might still have to face the risk from Tanqiu.
The problem now was whether Tanqiu had discovered any abnormalities in her research on the biological samples that she had collected from his body!
If no abnormalities were discovered, it might just be a false alarm!
If there really was an abnormality, then this bomb would explode sooner or later!
The only good news was that Tanqiu did not look for him again. Qi Yuan could only pray that Tanqiu would not break this peace.
Qu Shi also noticed Qi Yuan's silence and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Qi Yuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and said faintly,
"I'm thinking about when I can deal with a Level 4 researcher!"
Qu Shi could not help but be stunned.
Deal with a Level 4 researcher!
Why would you deal with a Level 4 researcher?
There were only six Level 4 researchers in the entire Biological and Mechanical Laboratory, and each of them was a treasure of the Black Steel Shelter!
Who would dare to deal with them?
Then, Qu Shi vaguely felt that he had been offended. After a while, he said somewhat angrily, "Can you think about killing more and killing more?
"Can you stop thinking about fighting and killing? Even if you were strong enough to kill a Tier 4 researcher, the Black Steel Shelter would do everything in its power to hunt you down, not to mention the fact that you can't even kill a Tier 4 researcher!"
Qi Yuan coughed dryly.
"I'm just saying. Don't take it seriously. I won't have any ideas about Tanqiu!"
Master Qu said snappily, "It's best not to say such dangerous words. If it reaches the ears of someone with ulterior motives, the Black Steel Shelter might treat you as a threat and eliminate you!"
Qi Yuan nodded humbly, indicating that he had learned his lesson.
Given the lofty status of the shelter, this kind of thing was not an exaggeration. It was very likely to happen.
After suppressing his other thoughts, Qi Yuan began to study the Energy Tesseract in his hand. Using the Energy Control, Qi Yuan could vaguely sense that the interior of the Energy Tesseract was densely packed like a spider's web. The Energy Control could not give him a complete picture of the interior of the Energy Tesseract.
"There are a total of 32768 energy nodes in this Energy Tesseract. There is only one way to restore it, and that is to sort these energy nodes in order from weak to strong."
Just hearing the number of energy nodes, Qi Yuan felt as if his head was going to explode. To him, this was simply an impossible task. If his control of energy could become stronger and he could awaken to the second or third order, or if he could construct a supercomputer like computing center in his consciousness, then there might be hope of restoring the Rubik's Cube.
Based on his current strength, it would take him decades to restore the Energy Tesseract.
"Can someone really restore this thing?" Qi Yuan could not help but ask.
"Of course. The difficulty of designing and manufacturing this thing far exceeds the difficulty of restoring it. If Tanqiu can design it, he can naturally restore it," Master Qu said.
"Qu Shi, can you restore it?"
Master Qu could not help but glare at Qi Yuan.
Do you know how to talk?
If I could restore it, would you even have a chance to complete the final step of Doomsday Strike?
"Hmph, it took me three whole days to restore it!" Master Qu said without batting an eyelid.
"This is one of the tests for researchers in the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory. You have to complete the restoration within five days to pass the test!
If you can complete the restoration within five days, I can recommend you to the Black Steel Shelter without going through Lord Ling You's channels. You can also directly enter the Biological and Mechanical Laboratory and become a trainee researcher! "
Ling You laughed dryly. He suspected that Master Qu was bragging, but he did not have any evidence. He simply did not continue the topic and focused all his attention on the Energy Tesseract.
"Don't be an eyesore here. Go elsewhere and study the Energy Tesseract."
Master Qu impatiently chased Qi Yuan out. When he saw that Qi Yuan had begun to study the Energy Tesseract seriously, he suddenly hesitated.
"If I do this, won't it be too much of a blow to Qi Yuan's confidence?"
The Energy Tesseract had a total of three stages. The first stage had 512 energy nodes, which was also the test for Level 1 Energy Researchers. The second stage had 4096 energy nodes, which was the test for Level 2 Energy Researchers. The third stage had 32768 energy nodes, which was the test for Level 3 Energy Researchers.
Qu Shi had indeed completed the restoration of the Energy Tesseract, but he had only completed the first stage of the 512 energy nodes, and it had taken him an entire month.
As for the second stage, he had decisively given up after trying it once. It was already beyond his capabilities.
As for the third stage, there was no need to even think about it. When Tan Qiu was at Level 2, he had only designed two stages. The third stage was only completed after he had advanced to Level 3.
Master Qu hesitated for a long time and decided not to remind Qi Yuan for the time being.
Qi Yuan was only at Level 1, so there was not much difference between the first stage and the third stage. It was impossible for him to complete the restoration of the Energy Tesseract. Master Qu Shi decided to let him suffer a little and experience the difficulties of energy research so that he would not be thinking about fighting all day long!
Experimental research not only required ability and talent, but also sufficient patience. If Qi Yuan could not settle down and study the Energy Tesseract, it meant that he did not have the patience to stay in the laboratory and had no possibility of completing the construction of the Doomsday Striker.
If he could settle down and study the Energy Tesseract for a few more days, even if he could not restore it, he would be able to hone his precise control of energy and try to construct the Doomsday Striker.
With Master Qu Shi's help, although the success rate of the construction was still very low, it was not completely hopeless.
This incomplete Doomsday Striker had been preserved for too long. There was no point in continuing to wait. It was better to let Qi Yuan take the risk. Even if he failed, he would only lose an incomplete cyborg weapon.
If he succeeded, Qi Yuan would obtain a powerful weapon and have a sliver of hope of coming back alive. At the same time, he would be able to fulfill his wish of many years and complete the weapon that he had spent so many years on!