The Integrated Industrial System.
This was one of Endfield's key core technologies for mastering industry.
It miniaturized and modularized production equipment. With only a small number of personnel deployed on-site, you could assemble a fully functional automated production line in an extremely short time.
The concept behind its prototype design had been proposed long ago—back when the pioneers were still traveling from Terra to Titan II.
Compared to the traditional approach of hauling an entire production line on a mobile platform…
Packaging production facilities into modular units and deploying them flexibly as needed was considered an advanced form of how Originium industry might evolve in future manufacturing iterations.
And to turn this idea—so well-suited to Titan II's frontier conditions—into reality, Endfield Industry poured in enormous R&D resources.
As a result, the Integrated Industrial System, developed and tested over many years at the Hub Zone Base in cooperation with the Alliance guilds, underwent repeated iteration until it could satisfy the vast majority of production-function needs.
At present, field-access authorization for the Integrated Industrial System had been handed over to the Administrator.
And as a side note—
Its three core advantages could be summarized as:
Miniaturization. Modularization. Automation.
…
"I'll tune the Protocol Core," Andre said.
After familiarizing himself with the Protocol Core's operation, he prepared to restore power to the Hub Zone Base.
"Everyone, please set up the relays to the Protocol Resonance Tower. That will let us forcibly activate the base's Originium energy systems."
This was proceeding according to plan.
Back at the Central Control Tower, the method of forcing power by activating Protocol Resonance had been rejected because the energy consumption was too high.
But Perlica had proposed a workaround: use the Protocol Core to supply power to the Resonance Tower—thereby restoring the Hub Zone Base to normal operation.
Now was the moment to implement that solution.
"I've coordinated a stockpile of relays," Perlica said, the corner of her mouth lifting.
"Now, we can build these devices wherever we need them."
"So impressive. How does it work?" Chen Qianyu blinked, astonished.
In her mind, constructing equipment was time-consuming and labor-intensive—but in Perlica's words, it sounded effortless.
"Uh… you can think of it as a kind of 'printing' based on Originium properties," Andre explained, trying to keep it as simple as possible given Chen Qianyu's… limits. "But that's just the tip of the iceberg."
Preparing to begin work, he added:
"With these… internalization techniques, the Protocol Core can accomplish even more important missions. But let's solve the problem in front of us first."
He turned to the Administrator, signaling it was about time for her to act.
One more side note:
The Protocol Core was the central device of the Integrated Industrial System. It carried numerous functions—and was the heart of industrial construction.
As long as you were within the Integrated Core Zone where the Protocol Core stood, you could manage storage and remotely transfer materials stored in the Protocol Core directly into an operator's Protocol Originium.
Because the Protocol Core's warehouse and the Protocol Originium "inventory" were linked.
There was a distance limit, though—once you left the Integrated Core Zone, the link would break.
So the Administrator moved, transferring that batch of relays from the Protocol Core's reserves into her own Protocol Originium.
Then she headed along the route toward the Protocol Resonance Tower, took the relays out of her Protocol Originium, and placed them directly onto an empty patch of ground.
"…Wow."
A relay—something like a utility pole—appeared out of thin air in front of them, as if it had been printed into existence.
Even the Administrator couldn't help feeling surprised.
Another side note:
Relays were key connection devices for transmitting electric power.
Electricity could be transmitted through relays to other relays, power pylons, and power terminals, letting them connect to the grid.
The Protocol Core was the source of power.
Only after power was transmitted from the Protocol Core to a relay could that relay—and any devices connected to it—join the power network.
"All right," Perlica said. "Next, we just have to start transmitting power from the Protocol Core."
"How?" the Administrator asked.
"Run the cables," Andre replied.
"…Huh?"
The Administrator turned to Andre, blinking in confusion.
To be honest, it felt weird. Even if she'd lost her memories, she was still Endfield's leader—yet now she had to personally build devices, and even run power lines…
Was this really the Administrator's job?
It felt like she'd turned into a workhorse.
With complicated feelings, she quietly returned to the Protocol Core, took out the cable and connected it, then went back to the relay and connected the other end.
Power transmission began.
"Looks like both the Protocol Core and the relay can operate smoothly," Perlica observed after checking briefly. "Next, we just keep laying relays along the way and deliver power to the Protocol Resonance Tower. Then we're done."
At the moment, Endfield Industry could only use the Protocol Core as the power source to build the region's sole electric network—but that was already more than enough.
After all, that was what the Protocol Core was for.
"Seems like I'm not needed here for the moment," Andre said before leaving. "Supervisor Perlica, I'll go help with some checks."
Then he reminded them seriously:
"Forcing Originium activation through the Protocol Resonance Tower can damage equipment. If we don't prepare properly, we'll burn out every Originium device in the region."
"Mm. Then let's split up," Perlica nodded.
She turned to the Administrator, who was still contemplating her life choices.
"Completing the Integrated Industrial System is one of Endfield's most important missions. It's the core plan for addressing Titan II's crisis."
Her expression carried a trace of memory.
"Years ago, Endfield had already completed basic validation of Protocol Core technology. But the most critical obstacle couldn't be overcome… until recently."
Hearing this, the Administrator finally understood the system's importance—and why what she was doing right now mattered.
Fine.
If she had to run cables, she'd run cables.
As long as she could help everyone.
Just then, Hao Fan—who had been staring at the Protocol Core with fascination—suddenly called out:
"Fat Big Bird—don't forget what you promised me!"
Back at the base entrance, Andre had personally promised that once the Protocol Core was deployed, he'd use a grinder to mill all the buckwheat flowers into buckwheat powder.
Hao Fan had remembered that the whole time.
After all, the main reason he'd risked coming out into the wild was to help replenish medical supplies.
While crossing the under-construction zone, they'd collected quite a lot of wild buckwheat flowers and stored them in Chen Qianyu's Protocol Originium—waiting to be processed into powder and delivered to Doctor Miguel.
"Relax. I didn't forget," Andre called back from afar.
"All industrial equipment in the Integrated Industrial System is manufactured by the Protocol Core. Now that the Protocol Core is deployed, as long as we have the corresponding equipment template, manufacturing devices is easy."
"But I don't have materials. I can't just conjure it out of nowhere, can I?"
All that shouting made Andre's voice hoarse.
So Hao Fan hurried over, stopping the long-distance yelling and switching to face-to-face conversation.
"What materials are we missing?"
"Crystal casings," Andre replied casually.
"For all kinds of machinery, the most commonly used material is crystal casing. Because of Originium's special properties, it's basically the ultimate all-purpose mechanical material. The grinder is made from it too."
So-called "crystal casing" was an industrial product—specifically the outer shell portion stripped away during Originium processing. It could be used in synthesizing other materials.
And the thickness of Originium crystal casings was often used as an important indicator for estimating how long a vein would last.
It indicates just how common it was.
"If it's so common, how are we short on it?" Hao Fan frowned.
For the Hub Zone Base, something both common and widely used shouldn't be out of stock.
"It just happened to run out," Andre shrugged helplessly. "No one expected an Anchor to stab into the base center and suddenly cause that much destruction!"
Then he coughed and summarized:
"Anyway, we start by collecting Originium ore. Then we process it into crystal casings. Then we use crystal casings to make a grinder. Finally, we use the grinder to mill all the buckwheat flowers you collected into buckwheat powder in one go."
"…That sounds insanely complicated," Hao Fan said, feeling numb.
He was a humanities student. This Integrated Industrial System stuff was pure STEM to him—total darkness.
Still, he understood the beginning.
In short: go collect ore, bring it back to Andre, and let Andre handle everything else.
Because even if manufacturing with the Protocol Core sounded like a Minecraft crafting table—simplified to the extreme—
Hao Fan didn't know how.
And this wasn't some reading comprehension question where you could bullshit your way through it.
It was like facing a math problem:
If you can't keep up, you can't keep up.
"Resources like ore and lumber are everywhere in Titan II's wilderness," Andre pointed into the distance. "If you don't have better tools, you can just attack them directly to gather."
At the edge of the Integrated Core Zone, there happened to be a concentrated ore site.
It was packed with Originium crystal clusters—just a short walk away, and you could start mining.
Clearly, choosing this place as the Protocol Core's deployment site wasn't only because it was the only wide flat land in the entire Hub Zone—
It also accounted for mineral extraction.
After all, Originium ore was a foundational mineral essential to industrial production activities.
But Hao Fan felt something was off about Andre's explanation.
"Attack… directly? What do you mean?"
"Literally," Andre said, pointing at Hao Fan's waist—at the weapon he'd gifted him: Tidebreak.
"Just use your weapon. Cut the ore off the Originium crystal cluster."
"…Hiss."
Faced with such a brutally simple mining method, Hao Fan sucked in a cold breath, and his brain crashed on the spot.
He couldn't understand how a chief engineer like Andre could say something like that.
Mining with a weapon?
He seeeiously couldn't cut it.
With no such strength, Hao Fan silently screamed internally, on the verge of collapse.
And at that moment—
Kind-hearted, pretty Chen Qianyu made her entrance.
"I'll help too! Perfect chance to show Doctor my new sword technique!"
She strolled over with a goofy grin, still holding her two dumb-looking swords.
"I'll finish it in just a couple swings, OVO!"
....
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