Chapter 41: The T-28 Space Construction Engineering Machine

High above the plateaus of central South America, a futuristic warplane streaked across the night sky before descending upon a barren stretch at the heart of the highlands.

The commotion from the warplane immediately attracted the attention of numerous monsters, and dense hordes of beasts surged toward it in waves. Yet, before they could approach, the hatch at the base of the warplane opened, and a procession of humanoid metal giants strode out, raising their rifles and unleashing a relentless barrage of gunfire toward the distant beastly masses.

Amid the deafening gunfire, monster after monster fell, struck down as if they were stalks of wheat before the reaper’s scythe. In mere minutes, thousands upon thousands of the beasts were slaughtered, leaving the plain littered with corpses.

A closer inspection would reveal that nearly every monster was felled by a single bullet to the head—a precise shot that ended its life instantly. Instances where a second shot was needed, or a bullet missed its mark, were so rare as to be negligible.

“No matter how many times I witness it, the combat prowess of your mech troops never fails to leave me in awe…” Jia Yi sighed in admiration.

Moments ago, upon seeing the sheer size of the beast horde, he had been prepared to step in himself. Yet Jiang Chen’s mechanized force had effortlessly obliterated the monsters, leaving him no opportunity to act.

“These were merely beast soldiers and beast commanders—not a single lord-class among them. There was no real challenge,” Jiang Chen replied with a smile. “Please wait a moment. I’ll clear a space and then we can offload the cargo.”

With that, Jiang Chen opened his spatial ring and released the SCVs.

SCV—known formally as the T-28 Space Engineering Vehicle—originated from the world of StarCraft. Designed as a versatile logistical unit for humanity, it was capable of operating in almost any complex or hostile environment. By swapping out functional modules on its mechanical arms, the SCV could mine resources, refine minerals, process raw materials, construct buildings, perform repairs, and even handle a degree of precision manufacturing. It possessed limited combat capability, but not enough to handle a martialist of commander-class strength.

Jiang Chen chose the SCV for its versatility and low production cost—a single unit required only a few million Huaxia credits to build, meaning the price of one Boxer-class mech could buy several thousand SCVs. With sufficient numbers, their efficiency in mining or base construction would be unmatched.

At Jiang Chen’s command, the SCVs quickly dispersed, swinging their mechanical arms to clear away debris from the soil and compacting the ground with heavy hammers.

In less than half an hour, they had prepared a large, flat, and solid stretch of open land. While it would not suffice for constructing tall buildings, it was perfectly suitable for temporarily storing goods. As long as a proper warehouse was built soon, the materials could be quickly transferred inside.

“That’s done. We can offload here. I’ll trouble you with the rest, Mr. Iceberg,” Jiang Chen said.

The one addressed as “Iceberg” nodded, then promptly released a large amount of cargo from his spatial ring onto the ground.

With the task complete, Iceberg turned to Jiang Chen. “Councilor Jia Yi and I will return for now. The second batch of goods should arrive in a little over ten hours.”

Given the speed of a Primal-class warplane, a round trip from Asia to South America would take only an hour or two. The extra time was needed for Iceberg to collect the goods from storage. Despite the convenience of a spatial ring, gathering a large quantity of cargo without a powerful psychic ability was a troublesome endeavor.

“Thank you both,” Jiang Chen nodded, watching as the two boarded the warplane and departed.

Once they had left, Jiang Chen muttered to himself, “That spatial ring definitely doesn’t belong to Iceberg—and probably not to Hong, either. I wonder who obtained such a treasure from the ruins…”

A spatial ring of that size would be considered highly valuable even by the standards of the universe, and could easily attract the covetous eyes of other powerful individuals. Judging by the awkwardness Iceberg occasionally showed when using it, he was clearly unfamiliar with such items, and thus was unlikely to be its true owner.

Nevertheless, Jiang Chen had no interest in pursuing the matter further. If the owner wished to remain hidden, he had no desire to dig deeper. He believed that, as his own level increased, the system would eventually offer him access to spatial technology, and manufacturing his own spatial gear would no longer be a challenge.

After the two had left, Jiang Chen activated the auxiliary AI on his wristband and issued an order: “Jarvis, get the SCVs to work. Start by building a warehouse. Also, send some mechs to scout the surrounding area.”

This site, chosen after extensive discussion with Jarvis, was located on the gentle highlands of central South America. Less than ten kilometers to the south lay the Mutun Iron Mine, the world’s largest, with reserves exceeding tens of billions of tons. The surrounding hundreds of kilometers were rich in other resources as well, with only a few minerals needing to be imported; the rest could be sourced locally.

Even the soil had been analyzed—cross-referenced with pre-Cataclysm data and satellite surveys—to confirm its suitability for a large-scale base.

The sole drawback was the overly flat terrain, which was less advantageous defensively.

Yet, given the mobility and destructive power of planetary-class and higher beings, mountain ranges and other natural obstacles would do little to hinder an attack. In fact, the open plain offered better visibility, making it easier to spot enemies from afar.

Moreover, this particular region of the South American plateau had a low density of monsters; not a single king-class beast had ever been sighted, with the most powerful recorded being of the lord class.

A significant portion of the first shipment consisted of construction materials. The twelve SCVs quickly swapped to engineering modules and, under Jarvis’s control, coordinated to excavate deep pits and pour concrete into the foundations.

The process was seamless—despite having only twelve SCVs, their efficiency easily surpassed that of a large construction crew. Before Iceberg and Jia Yi returned, the framework of the first warehouse was already nearing completion.

“This efficiency is impressive!” Jia Yi exclaimed, raising his eyebrows as he surveyed the bustling worksite. With evident interest, he asked Jiang Chen, “Mr. Jiang, do you sell these engineering mechs?”

As a senior figure in a major power, Jia Yi had a broad knowledge of many fields, and immediately recognized the value of such high-efficiency engineering mechs. Within base cities, there was little need to replace human labor, both for job security and social stability. But in frontline war zones, the ability to construct fortifications rapidly had immense strategic value.

“Of course I sell them. But you’ll have to wait a while—let me finish my own work first,” Jiang Chen replied with a smile.

He would never turn down money delivered to his door.

———

Name: T-28 Space Construction Engineering Vehicle (SCV)

Category: Logistics Unit / Mechanical Unit

Rating: Zero Tier, Level Six

Note: “Now equipped with reinforced electroplated armor, ensuring your safety 100%.” —Monks Group