Qi Suian was unaware of what was happening with Chief Judge Sharp of the Seventh Execution Chamber and Black Cloud Guard Grand Commander Pei Yisheng.
But one thing was certain: he had indeed escaped the danger.
As long as he didn’t encounter a top-tier powerhouse, Qi Suian wasn’t too worried about his own life.
After that, Qi Suian enjoyed about three more days of peace. The Tai Sui God smoothly increased its armor value to 89 points, completing two more evolutions.
This was all thanks to the raw Sacred Artifacts sponsored by the two nations; otherwise, its evolution wouldn’t have been so rapid.
War was indeed a way to get rich. Qi Suian felt this keenly, especially since his was a business with no overhead.
Unfortunately, the percentage-based fuel value of raw Sacred Artifacts had dropped once again.
Now, a single raw Sacred Artifact only provided 1% fuel value.
As for standard-issue Sacred Artifacts, their value had also plummeted, but that didn’t matter. It was still a precious percentage.
But soon, Qi Suian started to worry.
He hadn’t found a suitable Sacred Artifact for the Plague and Disease module set.
He certainly wasn’t getting any protagonist-level luck, but now he had two empty module slots.
He definitely had to fill them. After all, here on the battlefield, he wasn’t short on fuel.
Instead, what he should be doing was further enhancing his strength.
He still remembered vividly how brutally Sharp had thrashed the Tai Sui God a few days ago; the experience had left him with some psychological scars.
It was as if three punches had shattered his path to invincibility.
Therefore, it was crucial to select modules that could bring about a qualitative transformation.
Qi Suian discussed it with the AI for nearly half an hour before finally settling on two modules.
The main reason was that he was surrounded by danger, with plenty of people stronger than him. He had to be extremely selective.
[SSS · Anti-Ballistic Defense System]
[SSS · High-Speed Three-Dimensional Interception Technology]
These two modules were upgraded versions of a military defense system from the Yan Kingdom in the Cold Winter World.
The former could provide early warning for, identify, and guide against attacks, especially long-range and ultra-long-range ones. It was also effective against magical attacks.
The latter defended against attacks through capabilities like multi-layered interception, coordinated combat, and precision-guided flight.
The two modules were connected to related modules, such as communications and signals, drastically enhancing their effectiveness.
If he couldn’t find a suitable Sacred Artifact for the next module slot, then the next module would have to be a radar module.
He was still missing an anti-ballistic missile interceptor module. With it, he could form a three-dimensional defense network. While it might not be completely impenetrable, it would make it nearly impossible for any attack to get through.
But that was fine; the Floating Cannons could act as a substitute. Their greatest weakness was their inability to precisely track an enemy and fire a Dark Energy Beam.
But now, with these two modules, the Dark Energy Beams could automatically target incoming long-range attacks, effectively acting as a defense.
At the same time, this also greatly enhanced the Tai Sui God’s melee capabilities. Although they seemed to be for long-range combat, when linked with other modules, they naturally improved effects like the Tai Sui God’s reaction time and attack speed.
To put it simply, if Qi Suian were to face Sharp again, his opponent’s long-range elemental attacks would be completely nullified.
Furthermore, even if the Floating Cannons couldn’t land a direct hit, they could form a protective zone. If the enemy dared to enter, they could expect to be instantly vaporized by the cannons.
It was like going from being a passive punching bag to being the one who called the shots on his own turf.
If an opponent dared to step within his defensive perimeter, there was a seventy percent chance he could turn them into a pile of carbonized particles before they even knew what hit them.
Of course, these two modules weren’t omnipotent. What Sharp had shown of his elemental abilities was merely the tip of the iceberg.
For example, at their current stage, these two modules couldn’t block spatial abilities.
Then there was the matter of overwhelming power. The effectiveness of both the Anti-Ballistic Defense System and the High-Speed Three-Dimensional Interception Technology was ultimately dependent on the Tai Sui God.
If the power gap with an enemy was too great, they would be useless all the same.
So, at first glance, there were quite a few weaknesses.
But that didn’t matter. Each module had its own function; it was impossible for any single one to be truly all-powerful.
"AI," Qi Suian said suddenly, "what do you think about me getting a module for a missile launcher and nuclear missiles?"
[Are you planning to work on weapons of mass destruction? I would not recommend this choice.]
[The Floating Cannons are already so powerful that they are sitting idle. If you choose a weapon of mass destruction, it will likely be shelved most of the time as well.]
"Having a sword and not using it is a world apart from not having a sword at all," Qi Suian said seriously.
He could let it sit on the shelf, but he absolutely couldn’t be without one.
[In that case, I suggest that instead of a missile launcher module, you choose a launch silo module. It would be more effective.]
When Qi Suian heard that, he had to admit the AI was far more brilliant than he was.
He had just been thinking a launcher would suffice, but the AI went straight for a launch silo.
[In the future, if you install a spatial module, you could even hit the enemy directly from the silo, skipping the flight process entirely.]
"Great idea. The problem is, where do I find a launch silo?" Qi Suian asked the crucial question.
If they were in the Cold Winter World, he could just dig one.
But this was the Sacred Artifact World; there was no way.
[The database contains complete construction blueprints, so you can choose to seize the necessary materials and have the Tai Sui God construct it.]
[However, you will need a minimum of two module slots, and you cannot afford to encounter a module from the Plague and Disease set during this period.]
The AI was saying that as long as he had the materials, the Tai Sui God could build it from scratch.
"..." Qi Suian wasn’t surprised, just rendered speechless.
’Really building it from scratch... how long would that even take?’
[You can choose to experiment with nuclear missiles first. Through large-scale slaughter, you will gain further support from the war itself.]
[Then, you simply need to show your intent to create more powerful weapons to wage a more destructive war, and your progress will accelerate.]
"Exploiting the war..." Qi Suian stroked his chin. ’The feasibility is extremely high.’
All acts of waging war would be favored by the very concept of war.
This was one of the reasons the Xuan Empire and the Eternal United States grew more powerful the longer they fought.
If Qi Suian did the same, the launch silo, and even the nuclear missiles, could be upgraded to deluxe versions.
Of course, no matter the version, the final quality rank wouldn’t be affected, but there would be differences in focus and specialization.
"When it comes down to it, it’s all about killing," Qi Suian concluded. "Oh, right, and looting."
"Draw up a plan."
A few seconds later, the AI presented Qi Suian with a plan.
His expertise wasn’t in military engineering. Although he knew a little, he was nowhere near the level of designing his own weapons.
He struggled to understand much of the technical jargon, but thankfully, the AI translated it for him.
In truth, Qi Suian wasn’t very satisfied with the result.
"I thought these were supposed to be separate?" Qi Suian asked, looking at the single, integrated system that would only require one module slot.
[If you wish to separate them, it would require far more than two modules. You would need a new series of modules: Strategic Missile, Nuclear Warhead, Guidance System, Propulsion Unit, Launch System, Support System, and so on.]
[What you require is wide-area destructive power, which can be fully integrated into a single module.]
[Otherwise, you might as well just build an entire starship and break it down into modules. Wouldn’t that be even more powerful?]
[This complete set can be coordinated with the Anti-Ballistic Defense System and High-Speed Three-Dimensional Interception Technology. Combined with other modules, it can function as a strategic-level, ultra-long-range, wide-area strike platform.]
[Simultaneously, the equipped nuclear missiles can gain abilities such as "Gluttonous Feast of the Greedy" and "Newbie Player’s Armor Break." While not as powerful as a dedicated module for each effect, it will be more than sufficient for your needs.]
[Furthermore, they can be infused with the Dark Energy from the Floating Cannons to produce a disintegration effect, combined with nuclear radiation damage and the mutation effect from the Natural Radiation Crystal.]
[The effects of the Plague and Disease set can also be included as one of the payload effects.]
The AI quickly reeled off a long list of benefits for Qi Suian.
"So, this is a complete system in itself, not meant to be broken down."
"It’s like the Anti-Ballistic Defense System and the High-Speed Three-Dimensional Interception Technology. They could also be broken down into multiple modules to achieve greater power."
"But kept as a whole, their power is already enough for me and the Tai Sui God," Qi Suian said, quickly grasping the AI’s point.
[Correct. Taking the Anti-Ballistic Defense System as an example, it could be broken down into a series of modules: Early Warning Module, Identification Module, Guidance Module, Command Module, and so on.]
[If you want to achieve the most powerful effects, you need to fill slots with single-function modules.]
[The power of a composite-effect module is less than that of a complete system built from individual modules, but its advantage lies in being more well-rounded while conserving module slots.]
[And this is just a rough subdivision. If you were to break it down even further, you could use individual electronic components, base materials, and so on as modules to construct an even vaster combination.]
[The resulting power would be unbelievably immense. However, it would not be worth it.]
[The Tai Sui God’s evolutions may be limitless, but the resources you would need to supply are astronomical.]
[Considering the evolutionary energy the Tai Sui God requires, upgrading even a single finely detailed sub-module of the Anti-Ballistic Defense System would be enough to completely overwhelm you.]
[Your module slots should be reserved for more critical modules.]
The AI appealed to both logic and sentiment to persuade Qi Suian. In short: don’t waste the slots; they’re hard to come by.
"Tsk, always with the big lectures."
"Fine, we’ll do it your way," Qi Suian conceded.
A Silo-Based Intercontinental Missile carrying fifteen heavy nuclear warheads, with a total length of 35 meters and a total weight of 208 tons.
Qi Suian refused to believe that anyone in the Sacred Artifact World could withstand such an intercontinental missile.
These were the missile specifications provided by the AI. If he could later get a satellite into orbit, its effectiveness would be even greater.
Especially with a flight speed reaching Mach 20, it could keep pace with Ultraman.
And that was just its speed before becoming an SSS-rank module. After evolution, it might even be able to shoot down Ultraman himself.
’Assuming Ultraman was just flying normally and didn’t fight back...’
"Well then, next up is... burning, killing, and looting."
"Damn, if I didn’t have this protagonist’s halo, I’d suspect I was the villain," Qi Suian muttered.
Ever since he’d acquired the Celestial Fate: Profound protagonist halo, he had committed all sorts of evil acts without doing a single good deed.
If he ever encountered a world that tallied one’s karma, he’d probably be struck dead by lightning on the spot.