Leaving the Laboratory

Kraynnor didn't hesitate and opened the chest. As usual, a large roulette appeared, but this time it was of a deep black color with small drawings of the items.

Finally, he had the opportunity to take a look at some of the items before the roulette started to spin. He saw impressive weapons that looked like rocket launchers, special suits that completely wrapped the body, spaceships, and an endless array of amazing artifacts. If he could get one of these, he was sure he could face that alien bastard lurking outside!

[Ding!]

[Evolutionary Workbench acquired!]

"...Huh?"

Space distorted, and from a fissure emerged a small gray metal table, about half a meter in size, which looked more like a primary school desk than anything else.

"Calm down, let's not judge an object by its appearance," Kraynnor, with a serene smile similar to that of Buddha, touched the table.

[Evolutionary Workbench (Zero Stars): A competent mechanic should never venture without his faithful workbench; where else could you bring your brilliant blueprints to life? To activate its first function, you only need to gather five materials: Aluminum x2 (2000 grams,) Titanium x1 (1000 grams,) Copper x2 (2000 grams,) Stainless Steel x3 (3000 grams,) and Plastic x2 (2000 grams.) We assure you that this table has astonishing potential that you have not yet discovered! (0/10 functions unlocked) For now, it may seem like a piece of decoration, but do not underestimate this creation, never do! It is a hidden gem that can transform your life! A product of Type Two civilization, Astrithor.]

Kraynnor read word by word, starting with a smile that gradually faded. Finally, he looked at the table with disdain, and even his displeasure grew when he realized that the table's creator was promoting it as if afraid no one would buy it.

[Congratulations to the user! You have obtained a truly... interesting product.]

"...?"

The Universal System suddenly congratulated him, although Kraynnor perceived a subtle tone of sarcasm in its words.

He chose to ignore this apparent mockery...

Out of simple curiosity, he decided to look for the item in the universal store and, to his deep disappointment, found that it was pure junk, with an exorbitant price of one hundred and twenty coins!

But what really plunged him into disappointment were the pinned comments he found, which were frankly discouraging.

[CyberMaster: I curse the day I bought this! It took me two years to save up enough, and on top of that, I had to go into debt to unlock three shit functions!]

[StarForge: ...I swear I will never spend a single coin on Astrithor civilization products again.]

[InfinityCraft: I thought I was lucky when I found a planet full of precious minerals, with an estimated value of a hundred thousand Stellar Coins. But to access just five functions, I lost everything I had accumulated, and only the last of those functions was worth it. But it turned out to be another money pit. I don't know what to do with my life anymore...]

Kraynnor hesitated for a moment, but despite the discouraging comments from other users, he decided to provide the required materials to the table. After all, his departure was imminent, and he thought it would be best to make the most of what he had.

He took the table to the warehouse and selected a small chunk of unrefined titanium the size of an adult fist, composed of various fused minerals. With a simple gesture, he placed it on the table and watched as it gradually melted, being absorbed by the surface, leaving only small fragments of other scattered minerals.

"So, this thing can separate unrefined minerals, how interesting," Kraynnor murmured as he watched the other minerals in his hands, now perfectly separated.

Suddenly, he noticed something forming around the table – small corners of refined titanium.

"Well, might as well eat this since you won't have anything for a long time," he said as he handed over all the materials on the list, and in no time, the table began to take shape, revealing its futuristic design. Its corners shimmered with a touch of titanium, while it was elegantly coated in stainless steel, and other aluminum details gave it a polished and sophisticated look.

Additionally, the touch of plastic in the structure added a surprising contrast that enhanced its visual appeal even more.

[Advanced Mineral Separator unlocked on the Evolutionary Workbench!]

As he reexamined the table's information, he found that it now had the ability to separate raw minerals, no matter how fused they were.

"Not so bad after all. Now that I have to leave, this function could be quite useful," Kraynnor reflected. He appreciated the utility of the table given his pressing situation, but he also understood why other users from different parts of the universe complained since they might have access to more advanced technologies for similar tasks.

Unfortunately, even though he was eager to discover the table's other functions, the required materials were now extremely unusual.

He even came across one that he had never heard of, called "Stellar Osmium." Of course, he couldn't help but look it up in the store and was amazed to find that a small rock of this mineral, with its bright amber color, had a price in the thousands of Stellar Coins!

"...I better look at the other system rewards," next up was the class evolution system. Kraynnor noticed that there was only one section that said [20/100 knowledge points].

It wasn't hard to figure out that if he wanted to advance from being a simple novice mechanic, he would have to create technology.

After finally finishing with what the system had given him, he looked at his Biomimetic Cube and took it, causing a system notification to appear in front of him.

[Biomimetic Cube (One Star): An intriguing cube powered by advanced biomass energy. This ingenious artifact has the ability to transform using both liquid and gaseous biomass, adopting versatile and useful forms. Additionally, it can significantly increase temperature when necessary. A product of Type Zero civilization, the High Humans.]

Kraynnor searched for decomposed food and crushed one of them in his hand until it turned into small fragments.

Then, he poured the fragments into a small compartment of the cube. Inside the artifact, the food melted and transformed into a bright green liquid that emitted flashes of electrical currents.

"Let's see..."

Kraynnor pressed two of the cube's four corners three times, causing the liquid biomass inside to spread across his hand, creating a dark green glove. As he moved his fingers, he noticed the remarkable dexterity of the glove's joints. Then, he pressed the center of his palm with his middle finger and took more decomposed food, causing it to melt and be absorbed by the glove.

The biomass spread across his body, and after absorbing more food, Kraynnor contemplated the full-body armor that now completely enveloped him.

"Fascinating, the biomass heats up on the outside but remains cool on the inside," Kraynnor remarked with joy.

He deactivated the armor by pressing the cube, which had at some point shifted to his chest. This caused almost all of the biomass to fall to the ground, retaining only the amount the cube could store.

"Haa..."

Kraynnor took a deep breath and, with a serious look, ordered, "Start moving the most important inventions to the submarine, along with food and everything needed for survival. Also, set the self-destruct mode for one hour from now."

[Understood, activating the laboratory's self-destruct mode in one hour.]

Leaving the place where it had been for hundreds of years was truly problematic and a bit melancholic. Nevertheless, it was not without options to continue improving its technology; a specific destination took shape in its mind, a place where its plans could evolve in leaps and bounds.

The real issue lay in whether it would continue to exist...

Kraynnor would reserve those thoughts for when he was near his destination.

For now, he made his way to the room where dozens of crystal capsules were aligned in rows. There, he stopped in front of a capsule in which his old body, five hundred and eighty years old, floated.

Sigh...

"To think that the last human ended up like this, what a sad fate," he murmured with a dim look. Although he had not perished, humanity as a race had come to an end. With a sigh, he averted his gaze from his old body and moved on to another capsule containing a two-meter-tall body, red skin, three eyes, and red hair.

This was the alien that had crashed that fateful day. The deformed bodies in the other capsules were simple clones of this body.

Kraynnor pondered the vast genetic database he possessed, representing billions of human beings. If he had only required the genetic information of this alien, he would have had an army of High Humans at his disposal. However, the creation of his new body became viable only thanks to the astounding discovery that Kraynnor referred to as the "essence of life" in the alien's brain.

This unique entity allowed for a perfect fusion of human biology, alien biology, and advanced technology.

It was clear that if he wanted to create more High Humans, he would have to eliminate the Astrylites and acquire their essences of life. Was this a problem? Not at all. Even if he didn't need the essence, he was willing to eliminate them one by one until their race was eradicated from this universe!

In no time, half an hour had passed, and with all the necessary resources in his possession, Kraynnor left the laboratory in his submarine.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but you'll have to stay in this place for a while," Kraynnor said, addressing a small blue crystalline block that contained various circuits and components inside. This block was embedded in the center of the submarine.

[It is enough that Master Kraynnor allowed me to continue existing.]

The crystalline block was none other than Cognitron X-12. Now, the laboratory had been reduced to an empty husk with an AI that paled in comparison to Cognitron X-12, serving only a few specific functions.

[The enemy ship has reappeared near the laboratory. Proceeding to activate the Master's plan.]

With a mischievous smile, Kraynnor waited patiently until, five minutes later, he felt the water around him begin to churn in an unusual way.

Ruuuumble...

In a matter of seconds, a powerful shockwave spread through the water, generating an underwater commotion and vibrations in his submarine. The explosion in the laboratory, even though it was tens of kilometers away, had been so devastating that it left its mark even in the depths of the ocean.