Chapter 74 Building A Base



After two hours of planning, Daniel divided the underground area into three zones. The first zone was a residential area for the staff and workers, complete with all the necessary living amenities such as apartments, restaurants, convenience stores, and a hospital.

The second zone was dedicated to research and development, and included laboratories, testing facilities, and a command center for overseeing all the operations in the port.

The third zone was the armory and hangar, where all the artifacts and artifact warships would be stored and maintained. This zone was equipped with state-of-the-art security measures to ensure that the artifacts were kept safe from any potential threats.

With a notebook-like artifact in hand, Daniel began inputting the necessary programming for the metal scarab swarm to work on constructing the three zones in the basement. 

He had previously arranged for Don Veneziale to send him construction materials, including metal and titanium alloy. After a call from Veneziale's men, the materials and magic metals from Ragnar arrived and Daniel commanded the metal scarab swarm to bring them down into the basement.

The scarabs immediately got to work, breaking down the materials into their constituent atoms and then reconstructing them into the shapes and forms that Daniel had programmed into the artifact.

With incredible speed and precision, the swarm of scarabs worked together to construct the various rooms, corridors, and structures that would make up the residential, laboratory, command center, armory, and hangar zones.

The first zone, the residential area, was built quickly and efficiently. The scarabs worked tirelessly, constructing apartments, restaurants, convenience stores, and a hospital. The area was well-lit and ventilated, with state-of-the-art amenities to ensure the comfort and well-being of the staff and workers.

The second zone, the command center, and laboratory, was a more complex project. The scarabs constructed a large central room with multiple screens and monitors, each displaying different data and information. 

They also built smaller rooms and stations for different tasks such as data analysis, research, and communication. The laboratory area was outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, including microscopes, centrifuges, and other tools necessary for scientific research.

The third zone, the armory, and hangar, was the largest and most challenging zone to construct. The scarabs worked tirelessly to build a massive hangar capable of storing and repairing large artifact warships. They also constructed an armory that was stocked with a wide variety of weapons and ammunition to equip the warships and the personnel.

As the construction progressed, Daniel periodically checked on the scarabs' progress using advanced monitoring equipment. He made adjustments and tweaks to the programming as needed, ensuring that the construction proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

Meanwhile, Michaela and Maria made themselves comfortable in Daniel's Safety Room, which was fully equipped with all the amenities they needed to stay safe and comfortable. 

Michaela indulged in her favorite K-Drama series along with munching popcorn and sipping cola while Maria surfed the net and gathered some intel. She also enjoyed provoking some hotheaded juvenile hackers as a form of entertainment.

While Michaela and Maria were enjoying themselves in the safety room, Daniel was outside overseeing the construction. He commanded the metal scarabs to excavate a large room, which would serve as a space for installing mana and energy generators, such as the "Mana Refinery" he acquired at the start of his journey.

In this room, Daniel also installed a power generator that used mana and Philosopher's Stones, borrowing the idea from Greed. The output of the power generator was more than satisfactory. 

Even a medium-sized generator produced as much power as a large nuclear power plant, providing over 2000 Megawatts of electricity to feed all of the electricity consumption within the port. The mana refinery was also present, ensuring that all the mana in the basement was pure enough to feed any artifact that used mana, allowing them to operate 24/7.

After 12 hours of long and arduous work, Daniel finally finished building the intricate foundation for the base. Now, he could let the pre-programmed metal scarabs run their course to continue building the decorations and other parts that didn't require his personal intervention.

Daniel made his way to the storage area where he had kept the remaining magic metals. To his dismay, there were only 4 kilograms of pure Orichalcum left. He was uncertain how much he could buy the cards with this limited amount, but he knew that using the magic metal for building the base was a necessary expenditure.

He thought back to the auction and the royal family's underwater Orichalcum mine that he had set his sights on. However, he also realized that extracting the mine would require extensive knowledge and specialized equipment, which he currently lacked.

Daniel let out a sigh and summoned the door to the shop. As he entered, he noticed that The Keeper was in the middle of opening a new box to get some rare cards to sell.

Upon noticing a customer, The Keeper immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted Daniel. "Oh! Mr. Daniel, how may I help you today?" he asked.

Without saying a word, Daniel brought out four pure Orichalcum bars from his Universal Pocket. Each bar weighed one kilogram and he placed them on the shop counter. 

"How much can these four bars buy?" he asked The Keeper.

The Keeper picked up one of the Orichalcum bars and scrutinized it before gently placing it back down. 

"One bar can buy ten booster packs, so these four bars would be worth one box and ten booster packs," he replied.

[1 box and 10 booster packs?] Daniel thought.

He decided to buy The Sinking of Atlantis box set, but for the ten booster packs, he was considering The Crusade of Light and Darkness set. The reason for this was that it had a profession card he needed - the Grand Hunter card. This card would make him excel at killing vampires and werewolves while also increasing his survivability.

Daniel needed this profession because it allowed him to sense danger and avoid fatal damage by paying mana to substitute for the damage. He didn't want to be a liability to Michaela. 

This was because the first time He actualized her, he assumed that her ability was the same as in the game, where all the damage he received would be denied as long as Michaela was alive.

However, he never thought it would work in such a way that he would transfer all of his injuries to Michaela. Even though it was not his intention, he didn't want to cause her harm or make her suffer in his place. After actualizing any of the creature cards, other than the Artifact construct, he never considered anyone a pawn or resource to exploit.

"I need a box from 'The Sinking of Atlantis' set and 10 booster packs from 'The Crusade of Light and Darkness' set," Daniel ordered.

"Ok!" The Keeper picked a box of The Sinking of Atlantis and moved a box of The Crusade of Light and Darkness set for Daniel to choose his 10 booster packs.

Once again, Daniel relied on his heart and let the cards call out to him, choosing 10 booster packs and hoping that one of them would contain the profession card he needed.

"Okay, Mr. Daniel, you can spin the wheel of fortune five times," said The Keeper.

Excited like a child given permission to take a candy, Daniel eagerly walked toward the wheel of fortune and started to spin it.

However, this time, the five spins didn't give Daniel much. He only received several bonus booster packs and no other special rewards. Nevertheless, he was content with the harvest since the bonus booster packs contained only rare cards.

Daniel then made his way to the table where The Keeper had set up for him to open the packs, and he began to open them one by one, starting with the bonus pack.

As he went through the packs, he came across many powerful and interesting rare cards. However, one card stood out from the rest. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were to actualize it.

Card: Penthesilea - Queen of the Amazons

Picture: A stunningly beautiful blonde-haired woman wearing bronze armor, carrying a spear and shield while carrying a large double-edged axe on her back.

Rarity: Legendary

Type: Unique Creature - Human Warrior

Mana Cost: 1 Wood, 1 Fire, 3 Neutral

Description: [Mitigate 2], [Haste]

Penthesilea cannot be damaged by sources other than creatures equipped with legendary equipment.

Power: 5

Toughness: 2

Flavor text: Penthesilea, the warrior queen of the Amazons, is not only rich in beauty but also exceptional in her warrior skills. It is said that she received a blessing from Artemis, making her impervious to mortal weapons.

After a brief moment, the Penthesilea card disintegrated into light particles and got absorbed into Daniel's body. He then proceeded to open the 10 booster packs from 'The Crusade of Light and Darkness' set that were waiting on the side.