TCPUAAV Chapter 16

 

Noah was impressively efficient. Exactly three minutes later, while Ruan Shiqing was still processing the bizarre situation, her calm voice chimed in:

 

“Registration for the Mechanic Forum is complete. You’ve been granted the highest level of access. Enjoy your time.”

 

???

 

Something felt distinctly off, but there were so many potential points of concern that he couldn’t pinpoint where to start.

 

Before he could react, he was teleported to the forum’s entrance.

 

Before him stood a towering structure in a classical European style, with an imposing, spire-like design. Its walls were a misty gray, and the spire itself stretched into the clouds.

 

Ruan Shiqing stared at the building, question marks popping in his mind.

 

Does Noah’s understanding of a forum differ from mine???

 

The grand architecture seemed entirely out of place for the casual professional exchange network he’d been imagining.

 

Two silver-gray robotic guards flanked the entrance, their designs intricate and unfamiliar to Ruan Shiqing. Each held a halberd and scanned everyone passing by with cold, mechanical precision.

 

When Ruan Shiqing cautiously approached, both guards bowed respectfully and greeted him in unison, “Welcome, honored guest.”

 

…

 

The forum’s apparent prestige was clearly a few notches above what he had anticipated.

 

Taking a deep breath, Ruan Shiqing suppressed his growing questions and entered under the gaze of the robotic guards.

 

The moment he stepped through the doors, a transformation began. Countless gray light particles swirled around him, coalescing into a long gray robe that draped him from head to toe.

 

Ruan Shiqing paused, glancing at himself and his surroundings. Noticing a few other figures similarly clad in gray robes within the tower’s interior, he exhaled in relief and continued forward.

 

Inside, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive statue in the center of the hall.

 

The statue depicted a beautiful woman in a gray robe, her hood casting a shadow over her partially obscured face. She held an open book in her hands, exuding an aura of wisdom and mystery.

 

Surrounding the statue were countless spiral bookshelves arranged in a peculiar, almost ritualistic pattern. They extended upward into the tower’s heights, their ends vanishing into the distance.

 

A few gray-robed figures lingered by the shelves or conversed in the lounge areas. It did indeed resemble some kind of niche gathering spot for enthusiasts.

 

As Ruan Shiqing moved to inspect the shelves, a hand patted his shoulder.

 

“New here?”

 

Turning around, Ruan Shiqing saw a blond, blue-eyed young man, likely in his mid-twenties, with a warm and enthusiastic smile.

 

The question was tricky to answer.

 

Ruan Shiqing returned the smile without nodding or shaking his head.

 

Fortunately, the young man—unfazed by Ruan Shiqing’s reserved demeanor—continued chatting. “I’m Dace. Just got here ten minutes before you.”

 

“I’m… Ruan Qing¹So obviously, he still kept the Ruan from his original name, he basically just omitted the Shi character, but it’s still different enough from Ruan Shiqing.” After a brief hesitation, Ruan Shiqing decided to use an alias. Considering Noah’s earlier mention of “cracking encryption” and “selecting identities,” he felt a twinge of guilt.

 

Exchanging names seemed to make Dace even more enthusiastic.

 

Glancing around, Dace leaned in conspiratorially. “I heard Metis was full of eccentric types, but these people are ridiculously cold. I tried greeting everyone, but not one responded. Meeting you is such a relief!”

 

Ruan Shiqing: …

 

Uh… if it makes you happy.

 

Dace proved to be a competent guide.

 

Although also new, he seemed far more informed about the place. Under his guidance, Ruan Shiqing learned that the towering structure was called the Metis Tower.

 

The statue at the entrance depicted the goddess Metis, the ancient mythological figure of wisdom. The tower was named in her honor.

 

The Metis Tower served as the headquarters of the Mechanic Association, hosting biennial academic forums for top mechanics from across the galaxy to share and compete. It was the pinnacle of the mechanics’ profession and deeply revered in the field.

 

However, the real Metis Tower was located on the capital planet Sikkim. This virtual version was a holographic replica, created for mechanics to interact and exchange ideas within the HoloNet.

 

“…” Alright, then.

 

Ruan Shiqing was stunned into silence, his suspicions about Noah’s methods growing stronger.

 

Did Noah use some shady techniques to get me in here?

 

Still, as the saying goes: Since you’re here, you might as well stay.

 

Under Dace’s guidance, Ruan Shiqing learned how to access the tower’s database.

 

As it turned out, the towering spiral bookshelves in the hall were purely decorative, meant to emphasize the Association’s long history and vast resources. All certified mechanics could connect to the Metis network and access its specialized materials. Only a few eccentrics bothered browsing the physical shelves.

 

Access to the database, however, was tiered by certification level. The higher the mechanic’s rank, the greater their access.

 

“For newbies like us—mechanic apprentices who just passed the certification exam—we can only browse the beginner-level gray archives,” Dace explained, demonstrating.

 

Following his lead, Ruan tapped the virtual interface. But as his fingers accidentally brushed against the highest-level gold archives, the screen abruptly shifted.

 

Suddenly, a dazzling array of documents and design schematics filled the display: “Scavenger” Interceptor Design Manuscript, “Degannon” Photon Cannon Blueprints, An Analysis of the Pros and Cons of Ion Rings

 

???

 

What is all this?!

 

Ruan Shiqing was full of questions and was about to turn to Dace for answers when he noticed the blond youth trembling, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as he stared at the virtual screen.

 

“That’s the Golden Hall! Only Master Mechanics have access to it!” Dace stammered. “It contains countless design sketches and manuscripts from mechanical geniuses throughout history!”

 

Many mechanics could go their whole lives without ever glimpsing its contents.

 

And here he was, seeing it!

 

Dace grabbed Ruan Shiqing’s hand with shaking enthusiasm. “You’re a big shot! I was so clueless earlier.” Then he hesitated, scrutinizing Ruan Shiqing’s gray robe. “But… why haven’t you been to Metis before? And why are you still wearing a gray robe?”

 

Mechanics’ robes were a serious matter, with distinct colors and emblems denoting rank. Gray robes were reserved for apprentice mechanics, symbolizing the light of the Goddess of Wisdom illuminating all. Upon promotion, the association issued new robes and badges.

 

For example, Mechanics of Levels 1 to 3 wore brown robes, distinguished only by the number of leaves on their Wisdom Leaf badge.

 

Someone of “Ruan Qing’s” supposed stature—a Master Mechanic—should be wearing a white robe with a Wisdom Tree badge.

 

“…”

 

The gray robe came with the entrance package. You ask me, but who do I ask?

 

While Ruan Shiqing was still trying to figure out how to explain, Dace made up his own reason. “You must be one of those reclusive scholars who spends all their time in academic research and hasn’t had a chance to visit Metis. You’re like the legendary hidden master! The bigger the expert, the less they care about appearances.”

 

He nodded earnestly to himself. “Makes sense. You’re so young and already a Master Mechanic. Of course, you wouldn’t have time to idle like I do.”

 

“…”

 

Dace’s self-constructed explanation was so airtight that Ruan Shiqing couldn’t refute it even if he wanted to. All he could do was maintain a blank, enigmatic expression.

 

Dace pressed on. “Meeting you must be fate! Can I reach out to you if I run into trouble in the future? I promise not to bother you unnecessarily—only when you’re free and in a good mood. Just a response from you would be an honor for me!”

 

“…”

 

What else could Ruan Shiqing say? He managed a polite smile.

 

Under Dace’s insistence, they exchanged contact information. After making a few vague excuses, Ruan Shiqing quickly retreated to the initial virtual space.

 

“Sir, how was your experience at the Mechanic Forum?” Noah’s cheerful voice greeted him.

 

Clearly, she hadn’t realized there was a massive misunderstanding about what they both considered a “forum.”

 

Ruan Shiqing, now thoroughly suspicious of the AI, carefully chose his words. “That was Metis Tower, wasn’t it? Not just anyone can get in there.”

 

“Of course!” Noah replied proudly. “I went to great lengths to hack—” She abruptly stopped and awkwardly changed course. “Ahem, I mean, to help facilitate your access. The Mechanic Forum is the most prestigious in the Empire!”

 

She seemed to realize that her earlier admission had been a slip. Perhaps it would be better to act more inconspicuous for now, especially since her master seemed unaware of her full capabilities.

 

“…”

 

Ruan Shiqing wasn’t sure what to make of Noah’s behavior. He feared pushing too hard might provoke her, so he decided to drop the topic for now. “Goodbye,” he said briefly before logging off.

 

Removing the helmet and reverting it to his smart terminal, he sat quietly, pondering the strange AI.

 

In an era of advanced AI, artificial intelligence like Noah wasn’t uncommon. However, an AI capable of casually hacking into the Mechanic Association’s systems was decidedly unusual.

 

Most AIs were designed with strict limitations in their core programming, clearly defining what they could and couldn’t do.

 

Noah, on the other hand, seemed to have an alarming level of autonomy.

 

The day’s events had been overwhelming, and Ruan Shiqing decided to calm his thoughts by reading.

 

As he browsed for a book, he couldn’t help recalling the enticing trove of documents Dace had accessed in the Golden Hall.

 

Many of those resources were exactly what he needed, and he hadn’t encountered them during his usual searches.

 

The itch to explore gnawed at him.

 

After a long internal debate, he gave in and followed Dace’s instructions to access the Metis internal library.

 

It’s just borrowing a few books, he told himself. Nothing more.

 

 

---

 

This poor soul of mine has no knowledge of those fancy, technical and advanced titles or what they meant or anything like that lmao I just did my best to translate them accurately and make them make sense…? All I know is that it’s fancy interstellar technical stuff I guess…?

 

Also, Noah is a crackhead in the best of ways lmao (though it’s Rong Rong’s influence that made this possible~)

 

Thanks for reading!

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  So obviously, he still kept the Ruan from his original name, he basically just omitted the Shi character, but it’s still different enough from Ruan Shiqing