90. A Workshop of Possibilities
Rangga closed the Armor Upgrade menu and moved on to the next category.
Trinkets
As soon as he opened it, dozens of small components filled the screen.
Various types of bolts, nuts, springs, locking pins, shafts, small gears, clips, rings, and other precision metal components appeared throughout the list.
Most of them differed only in the material they were made from.
Steel, Brass, Iron, Copper.
Rangga glanced through them and nodded.
"Oh... These are all small components... Like bolts and nuts."
He did not pay much attention to them since he already understood the concept. He quickly closed the menu and opened the next category.
Electronic Components
Another list appeared.
Circuit Board
Materials:
2 Copper Ingot
1 Brass Ingot
2 Natural Rubber
10 Trinkets
Description: A basic circuit board used for various electronic devices.
Electromagnetic Coil
Materials:
4 Copper Ingot
2 Iron Rod
2 Natural Rubber
Description: Generates an electromagnetic field for various electronic modules.
Capacitor
Materials:
2 Copper Ingot
2 Brass Ingot
1 Vanadium Ingot
2 Natural Rubber
Description: Stores electrical energy and releases it over a short period.
Power Cell
Materials:
2 Copper Ingot
2 Vanadium Ingot
2 Natural Rubber
10 Trinkets
Description: A high-capacity power cell used as an energy source for electronic devices.
AI Core
Materials:
1 Circuit Board
2 Electromagnetic Coil
2 Capacitor
1 Power Cell
Description: An intelligent processing unit that controls automated devices and the Hijack system.
Hijack Device
Materials:
20 Steel Ingot
15 Copper Ingot
10 Brass Ingot
15 Natural Rubber
50 Trinkets
2 Circuit Board
2 Electromagnetic Coil
2 Capacitor
1 Power Cell
1 AI Core
Description: An electromagnetic device capable of breaching a robot's security system and taking control of it. Its effectiveness depends on the target's level of encryption.
Rangga read the bottom entry several times.
"Hijack Device..."
He frowned.
"Take control of it? What does that mean?"
He read the description again. Even so, the sentence still sounded far too tempting.
"Could this... actually let me take over a robot?"
His curiosity immediately flared up, but the moment he looked at the list of materials again, his enthusiasm dropped slightly.
He would first have to make an AI Core, followed by a Circuit Board, Capacitor, and Power Cell as its components.
Everything was interconnected then Rangga slowly shook his head.
"Not for now... I don't want to go to the Savannah yet."
He remembered the Mechanical Ankylosaurus guarding the vanadium mine.
"I haven't even upgraded my weapons and armor yet... Better help the others first."
He closed the menu and opened the final category.
Structural Components
It contained various construction components.
Steel Plate, Steel Beam, Reinforced Hull Plate, Structural Frame, Heavy Support Column, and many other building materials.
Rangga only glanced through them.
"Oh... Building materials."
He smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Looks like... I'm going to be a construction worker again."
His eyes swept across the various recipes requiring wood, stone, iron, and other metals in large quantities.
"Looks like I'll have to go back to the one-star and two-star islands... Gotta gather more materials."
He slowly closed the Production Bench panel.
The higher the level of his facilities became, the more he could feel the material requirements increasing several times over.
He still had a long way to go.
And for the first time since arriving in the world of Pioneer, Rangga felt that he was truly beginning to enter a stage of technological development far beyond simple survival.
Rangga let out a long breath.
"I'll continue tomorrow."
He left his new workshop and walked toward his house while opening the regional chat panel. But the moment the panel opened, the chat was already bustling.
Fajar: Success!
Fajar: Everything I brought back earlier is safe.
Andre: Same here.
Andre: The swamp island is done too.
Rian: Bro!
Rian: The people who went with me are done too.
Siska: Hehe.
Siska: The ones with me succeeded too.
Siska: Nobody got hurt.
Rangga immediately smiled as he read the messages.
Rangga: Nice.
Rangga: Looks like more of you are getting stronger now.
Before he could close the chat—
Fajar: Well.
Fajar: Now you're the only one left.
Andre: Yeah, Bro.
Andre: They're waiting for you.
Rian: They've been hanging out on my island for a while.
Siska: Same here.
Siska: They said they're waiting for Bro Rangga to show up.
Rangga was silent for a few seconds before slapping his own forehead.
Rangga: Oh, damn.
Rangga: I forgot.
Andre: WKWKWKWK.
Fajar: What were you so busy doing?
Rangga scratched his head as he typed.
Rangga: I was busy upgrading my production bench.
The chat immediately exploded.
Andre: WHAT?
Fajar: What's in it?
Rian: New weapons?
Siska: Bro, tell us.
Rio: Another upgrade?
Rangga simply smiled.
Rangga: You'll find out yourselves later.
Rangga: There's a lot of stuff in it.
Rangga: Even my head is still spinning.
Several Pioneers immediately became even more curious, but Rangga did not elaborate. Instead, he typed another message.
Rangga: Starting tomorrow, I'll be gathering a lot of materials.
Rangga: I'll also help the ones who are exploring islands for the first time.
Rangga: So if anyone needs someone to accompany them, just let me know.
The chat immediately filled with replies.
Rio: Sure thing, Bro.
Bima: Nice.
Yusuf: Good luck, Bro.
Rian: Awesome.
Siska: Hehe.
In the middle of the lively chat, Mayor Deri appeared.
Deri: Mas Rangga.
Deri: Please set aside some time for me as well.
Deri: If possible, let's explore together again.
Rangga frowned.
Rangga: Why, Mayor?
Deri's reply appeared a few seconds later.
Deri: I want to help Mas Rangga.
Deri: Overcome the mental weakness from earlier.
Deri: Using the training methods we use in the military.
The regional chat immediately went silent...
...then exploded.
Andre: WHAT?
Fajar: WKWKWKWK.
Rian: Bro Rangga has weak mental strength?
Siska: I don't believe it.
Rio: Seriously, Mayor?
Bima: Bro Rangga is actually weak?
The chat quickly filled with laughing emojis.
Meanwhile, Rangga simply stared at the screen.
He did not laugh along.
The memory of his encounter with Broto that afternoon briefly resurfaced.
He knew it. Mayor Deri wasn't joking.
After a few seconds, Rangga finally typed.
Rangga: Okay, Mayor.
Rangga: I'll do it.
Rangga: We can do it while I'm gathering materials too.
Deri: Very well.
Deri: We'll take it slowly.
Seeing the exchange, the chat gradually quieted down again.
Rangga then typed one more message.
Rangga: Alright.
Rangga: I'll make some armor and weapons for the newcomers first.
Rangga: Then I'll deliver them one by one.
Andre: Sure thing, Bro.
Fajar: Looking forward to it.
Rian: WKWK.
Siska: Be careful out at sea, Bro.
Rangga closed the chat panel and returned to his new workshop.
That night was once again spent in front of the Production Bench.
The sounds of hammers, scraping metal, and the roaring Furnace continued until late into the night.
One by one, armor, weapons, and equipment were completed according to the orders from the Pioneer Garuda members who had recently reached Level Three.
Once all the orders were finished, Rangga boarded his ship again.
Like the nights before, he once again became the "courier" for the Pioneer Garuda members.
From Fajar's island...
...to Andre's island...
...then to Rian's island...
...and finally to Siska's island.
One by one, the equipment was handed over to its owners in exchange for the materials they had prepared beforehand.
Late into the night, Rangga's small ship could still be seen cutting through the ocean, delivering equipment to his companions so that more Pioneer Garuda members could survive and grow stronger in this new world.