Individual Combat Equipment is the focus of Terra's military and police research. After years of development, a functional prototype has finally emerged. The propeller-plus-jet design allows the mech to achieve full flight.
Current maximum flight time: 25 minutes.
Maximum flight altitude: 10 meters.
"I didn't expect Terra's early individual combat equipment to perform this well!"
"Yeah, it's far better than the first generation we developed."
"What interests me most is its flight power and structural design."
"If we can adapt this flight structure for our equipment, it will be a huge improvement."
"Palladium elements and oscillating reaction arcs—these two features are worth studying."
"Still, the equipment developed is too basic."
"True, but those points can serve as references."
"Well, at least this gives us some confidence, haha."
"Is this even worthy of being called a mecha?" At Federal Essen Heavy Industries Group, Chief Engineer Jonny Astor sneered. Surrounded by his team, he examined the simple mech Tony was wearing and burst into laughter.
"Just welding some iron plates together and you call it a mecha?"
"If it's that simple, I'd resign immediately."
"The last flight was hilarious; it disintegrated on takeoff."
"It's a short-lived, useless prototype." Pointing at the barrage, Astor scoffed, "These spectators think they understand, but they know nothing."
He clapped his hands and said, "Okay, this past life of the Immortal Warrior can be ignored. Just a simple enthusiast with a little hands-on skill. Next, we focus on fully developing our newest mech model."
Smiling, he added, "When the new mech is ready, we'll negotiate with the Military Department. Time to secure a major contract!"
The team cheered as their mech would far surpass any simple prototype.
Inside the office, the secretary had already begun assigning personnel to relevant projects and monitoring the live broadcast. The director's mood was unusually tense. Memories of past and present lives often tie into the protagonist's timeline.
Tanner's past lives rarely mention military-industrial information, making this far more significant than a simple historical record. This is critical for Terra.
"Unfortunately, I still can't identify him," the chief admitted.
The network is a double-edged sword: it allows Terra to access past life memories, accelerating memory awakening, but offers very little decentralization. If the Immortal Warrior's identity can be determined, protecting him becomes the top priority.
Reviewing the awakened memories, he had no information on the production processes of these weapons or mechs.
"Especially the first mechanical creatures!" The chief clenched his fists.
Missiles or mechs don't matter; what matters is the huge mechanical creature that appeared at the beginning. The Federation was secretly implementing a super-plan: searching for new habitable planets and opening interstellar frontiers. With assistance from such mechanical creatures, logistics and transport could be dramatically secured.
Taking a deep breath, the director refocused on the stream.
The plane landed, and a group greeted Tony's return. The press conference was ready. Tony, scarred from battle, walked onto the stage. He casually sat on the podium steps, taking a bite of a burger.
[ "Can everyone sit down? That way, you can see me… and I can be casual."The reporters reluctantly complied.
"I've seen people die under weapons I created to protect them," Tony said. "I realized I need to contribute to the world more than just building destructive arms. So I've decided to close Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing department."
"Ding dong! Congratulations, you have received a reward of 100 dollars!"
"Ding dong! Congratulations, you have received 10 dollars!"
...
Tanner stared at the barrage, bewildered. The rewards in the lower-left corner quickly added up.
"Altogether, over 700 dollars at once!" The stream had 500,000 viewers. While fewer than the total online reward participants, the payout was significant.
Comments flooded the barrage:
"Wow! Full marks to Tony!"
"Incredible closure!"
"Hahaha, his friends are stunned!"
"Without any negotiation, he's already shaping the future of a major enterprise."
"Tony sits on the podium steps casually… That's bold!"
"If I could, I'd do the same—so cool!"
"Reward! Must reward!"
The memory screen displayed a huge light-blue circular arc. Audience members were impressed; military industry leaders were ecstatic. Having tracked Tony's work, they now witnessed the oscillating reaction arc in full.
"Record it! Quick!"
"Shape alone is enough to reverse-engineer!"
"The central arc is flowing, and power exceeds three gigajoules!"
"Amazing!"
Voices of military-related people flooded the video feed. Meanwhile, historian Johan meticulously recorded everything in his notebook; this was history in the making.
[A virtual photosensitive keyboard appeared, opening a massive high-tech studio, and Tony sat at a computer.]
"Jarvis, are you there?" he whispered.
[ "In standby, sir," came the brisk AI response. ]
Tony activated the screens, linking multiple displays with a guide pen. A translucent, rotating mech structure appeared on a 3D processor.
Johan's pen slammed the notebook in shock. Military leaders stared at the screen, eyes bloodshot, utterly astounded. Everyone watching was dumbfounded; only Tony remained calm. Where did the AI's reply just come from?
"This… is an artificial intelligence?!"