Update?

Xiao Bai strolled casually through the market, eyeing numerous items he wanted to buy or commission. However, his meager funds left him with nothing but wishful glances.
"Time to study. I'll come back and splurge after getting my new identity."
His interest in learning had surged, and his efficiency skyrocketed. His previously mediocre comprehension and logical reasoning had suddenly improved dramatically, earning praise from Lao Luo:
"Big Shot, you've finally gotten it! I used to have to explain these concepts to you multiple times, and now you're even beating me to the punch!"
Xiao Bai cou ldn't explain his sudden intelligence either. He could only speculate that his solid foundation had finally paid off, though he also had a nagging suspicion it might be related to that mysterious "Unknown Substance" he still couldn't figure out how to use.
Regardless, his learning speed was now remarkably fast. He had evolved from rote memorization to true understanding, upgrading his status from Lao Luo's "outer sect servant" to "personal disciple." He could now even discuss cutting-edge topics.
He had also largely mastered his biological gene equipment, understanding how to cultivate and customize the embryo for his High-Frequency Saber.
Ironically, the Construction Array, which should have been the simplest to operate, was giving me the most trouble...
Theoretically, thi s Lost Legacy's creative power should be immense, capable of constructing any desired embryonic fragment or even entire embryos. Combined with the Panel's assembly capabilities, it should allow for the creation of a wide variety of Bio-Construct Equipment.
However, aside from the successful creation of the Black Biological Armor I'm currently using, subsequent attempts have all been failures, resulting in wasted chitin and a pile of bizarre flesh and tissues.
Fortunately, burning these 'wastes' recovers a small amount of Life Energy, preventing a complete loss.
"So, that initial success was likely due to having some recovered Embryonic Fragments related to Biological Armor at the time. The Construction Array simply replicated them, allowing me to piece together the necessary fragments."
"Subsequent attempts at creating something from scratch have all failed. Partly because my biological expertise is still lacking, and partly because I'm trying to cook without ingredients, right?"
"It's a pity I don't have any more 'blueprints' left to copy and paste. Next time I collect similar materials, I'll have to be more careful and avoid rushing to assemble them."
Xiao Bai summarized his thoughts while continuing to control the Cultivation Pod, adjusting the growth direction of the High-Frequency Saber.
He was currently treating this embryo as a practice project, learning and experimenting simultaneously.
At the current rate, it would probably take another two weeks?
There was nothing to be done about it. This was the limitation of biology. He hadn't yet found a way to shorten the development cycle.
And until the High-Frequency Saber matured, he would be without a close-quarters weapon—
After the Chainsaw Sword broke last time, he had tried to Absorb it. Despite appearing relatively intact, he only ended up with a few pitiful parts, not even enough to assemble anything.
The remainder turned into a worthless pile of scrap. If he had known this beforehand, he would have tried to repair it instead...
This experience also dashed any idea he had of deliberately destroying his old equipment to recycle and refurbish it.

"Alright, let's stick with this for now. The Miao Saber is the way to go—it's long, stylish, and even the experts in the Defense Force use it."
Xiao Bai's study session came to a temporary end. After a moment's thought, he decided to switch gears and logged into the Simulation Program he hadn't used in two weeks, hoping to unwind.
He'd been too busy scavenging everywhere recently to log in, and Lao Li had tried to contact him, but Xiao Bai had fobbed him off with the excuse of being "occupied with a confidential commission."
But when he finally logged in today, he discovered a major update had been released?
First, the program had a proper new name: Virtual Battlefield . Then there was a lengthy update log.
"It turns out the feedback from the beta testers was that the simulated combat system here was far superior to the original version. So they decided to just release it outright. Even if the motion-sensing system tests don't pan out, at least we have a more effective training system now."
"But it seems earning Contribution isn't as easy as before. Now you have to climb the 'Ladder Ranking' to get rewards?"
"The selection of Mechs is no longer unlimited. You can either upload real-world data or grind with your old Mechs to earn points and exchange them for new ones."
He quickly tried uploading his Mech data again, but it was the same result as before: the system couldn't recognize it.
Xiao Bai pursed his lips and continued reading the update notes.
"We've also added new team-based monster hunting features, expanded the Demonic Beast database, and enhanced the Paradise environment. More updates will be coming soon..."
"Currently, we're aggressively promoting this among the Defense Force and Mecha Academy. More experts will be joining, making this an excellent stage to hone your skills and showcase your talents."
After reading the update notes, Xiao Bai glanced at the now-gaudy interface and couldn't help but grumble:
"Except for the lack of microtransactions, this is practically a full-blown MMO now... What's the point of adding a global chat channel? If physical combat isn't enough, now we're turning to verbal sparring?"
Xiao Bai watched the ongoing "verbal sparring" in the global chat channel. It seemed like a team had lost a match, and they were now shifting blame, their language growing increasingly heated and gradually taking on a "Zuan"-like tone.
Feeling somewhat helpless, Xiao Bai realized there wasn't much else to do. He couldn't exactly go play a gacha game, could he?
He decided to block the global chat channel and try out the new team-based monster hunting feature.
It was already 4 AM in the real world, yet there were still 200,000 players online. As soon as Xiao Bai selected "Matchmaking," he was paired with teammates within two seconds.
The scene before him shifted to a "Maintenance Hangar," where five mechs formed a circle. Their IDs floated above their heads, and Xiao Bai could hover his cursor over them to view their configurations and battle records.
The other four players were likely newbies, their mechs all being the Improved Guardian, the most common model currently in service.
Xiao Bai's original mech configuration wasn't particularly strong to begin with, and since he was a Beta Tester, his setup had been carried over to the new version—a highly maneuverable Guardian.
What he hadn't anticipated was that his battle record would also be preserved. His PVE record against Demonic Beasts was displayed in stark crimson letters: "1 Win, 28 Losses."
The more detailed statistics—kill count, survival time, and match scores—were equally dismal.
This was the result of his first time playing the simulation battles, when his pride and stubbornness led him to refuse using auto-battle. He had thoroughly learned the many ways to "die" as a result.
However, his "PVP" (player versus player) record as a mecha pilot had been reset. This might have been due to the activation of the "Ladder Ranking," forcing everyone to start from scratch.
"What the hell? Aren't mechas supposed to be used for fighting Demonic Beasts? Why is there only a PVP ranking?"
Just as Xiao Bai was about to voice his complaint, someone in the squad voice chat said:
"Wow! Bro, your skills are getting a bit ridiculous!"

Chapter end