Chapter 7: Factory Module? This is a 3D Printer

Reid spent the journey planning for the future. Seeing him deep in thought, Angie focused on driving until they reached the location of the system's construction module.

It was a large parking lot. After descending to the underground level and navigating through several twists and turns, they took an elevator down another three or four floors. Upon exiting, they were met with a massive sealed door.

Waiting at the entrance was a striking woman dressed in European court-style military attire—none other than Lucrezia Noin, the second character Reid had summoned.

Reid didn't put on airs. After all, his current team consisted of just three barely functional individuals. He stepped past Angie and extended his hand formally, saying,

"Hello, Miss Noin. Though you probably already know my name, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Reid Isaac. I look forward to working with you."

Noin clearly hadn't expected Reid to be so polite, but inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't have to worry about being stuck in another world with a difficult boss. Smiling, she shook his hand and replied,

"Lucrezia Noin. Just call me Noin. How should I address you? Commander? Boss? General?"

Reid had already thought this through on the way. Since the satellite base was to operate independently under the identity of the Misurugi Empire, he needed a title that would allow him to intervene in various matters—especially if the system later assigned him missions involving both sides of the conflict.

Without hesitation, he answered,

"Call me Captain Reid. I plan to establish a private mercenary group, officially separate from the Misurugi Empire. It'll make it easier to operate among different factions."

Noin nodded in agreement. She had no objections. Her mindset was pragmatic—the unknown deity who brought her to this world surely hadn't done so for her leisure. Though she didn't understand why she felt no desire to leave this satellite, she resolved to work diligently for the man before her. At the very least, he didn't seem unpleasant.

Reid wasn't aware of Noin's thoughts. Had he known, he might have realized that her lack of desire to leave was due to the system's baseline loyalty setting of 60.

With introductions out of the way, Reid got straight to business.

"Noin, Angie mentioned you couldn't open this door. Let me try. Where's the access button?"

At his words, Noin stepped aside, revealing a camera-like device behind her—presumably the verification mechanism.

No further explanation was needed. Reid approached the camera, and a voice identical to the system's emitted from it:

"Iris scan confirmed. Identity: Reid Isaac. Initiating secondary verification. Please place your right hand in the panel slot."

As soon as the announcement ended, a section of the smooth metal wall recessed, and a pure black panel extended outward.

Following the instructions, Reid placed his hand on the panel, only to find its texture oddly sponge-like—yielding slightly under pressure.

Then, a sharp sting pierced his fingers and palm simultaneously, nearly making him jerk his hand back reflexively.

But the pain vanished as quickly as it came. The system voice spoke again:

"Genetic scan complete. Bioelectric scan complete. Security clearance granted. Welcome to the Factory Module."

The system's voice faded, immediately followed by the rumbling of metal as the large door before him slowly opened, with all the lights inside turning on.

To be honest, the factory was a bit plain. Upon entering, Reid saw a massive cylindrical device over fifty meters tall and a large conveyor belt leading to an unknown destination. The rest was mostly open space, filled only with rows of empty mobile suit mounting racks.

However, Reid ignored these racks. According to the system's manual, activating the Factory Module meant he could now automatically produce mobile suits and other technological products by selecting blueprints in the system panel.

Without hesitation, Reid used the blueprint he had drawn—choosing to construct a Union Flag.

But the next second, Reid was dumbfounded. The factory system prompted him to provide suitable metal, and the only available option was the E Carbon Steel he had drawn.

The problem was, Reid had only obtained the technology—he didn't have a single gram of E Carbon Steel on hand. The system store did offer it for purchase with G-Coins, but even spending all 1,000 G-Coins he had wouldn't cover a third of the required amount. It probably wouldn't even be enough to build a lower torso.

Of course, the production of E Carbon Steel was also listed in the manufacturing module. The materials needed were simple: iron ore and carbon stone. The system would handle the synthesis process—no need to worry about that—just pay a small processing fee. If he really wanted to set up a separate factory in reality to produce it, the system even provided detailed technical documentation.

Unfortunately, Reid currently had neither iron nor carbon. The system certainly wouldn't let him dismantle the Colony Satellite to build a mobile suit.

After some searching, the only metal he could dismantle was the Moebius he had salvaged earlier. But the civilian shuttle, also obtained from the system, couldn't be scrapped either.

And given the amount of metal in the Moebius, it would only be enough to build an Iron Ball.

Yes—Reid noticed that at the very bottom of the manufacturing module, the RB-79 Iron Ball blueprint was already unlocked. Because the Iron Ball's technology was so rudimentary, the system seemed to have given it away for free.

At this point, Reid understood. The system had done this deliberately. It knew that even with a C-grade blueprint, he wouldn't be able to build a proper mobile suit right away, so it left him the basic Iron Ball blueprint to ensure he wasn't completely defenseless.

Even without the Moebius, the initial mission's G-Coins would have been enough to build an Iron Ball. That's because the technology for Basic Tension Steel—required for the Iron Ball—didn't need to be drawn; the system gave it for free. As soon as he selected the Iron Ball blueprint, the store would offer an exchange option for standard tension steel.

Heck, even the 180mm cannon mounted on the Iron Ball came with free technology—the store now displayed corresponding purchase options for both the cannon and its ammunition.

The only issue was that, in terms of combat effectiveness, the Iron Ball was arguably worse than the Moebius. But his Moebius had already been fried by the EMP from a nuclear blast, rendering it nothing more than scrap metal. The only salvageable part was the Linear Cannon.

So Reid had no choice. He selected the option to analyze his former ride, unlocking the Moebius's blueprint, then dismantled it to build an Iron Ball—just to see how the manufacturing module actually worked.

Fortunately, the entire Colony Satellite was generated by the system, so at least Reid didn't have to haul the Moebius into the factory to scrap it.

However, this construction system was still impressive. When Reid chose to build a Ball, the fifty-meter-tall cylindrical device lit up, and within five seconds, its outer shell rose to reveal a Ball inside.

At the same time, the system thoughtfully asked Reid which area of the Colony Satellite he wanted the completed Ball delivered to. Reid saw that it could basically send it to any region of the Colony Satellite.

Reid randomly selected the port area, and the next second, the Ball was placed on a conveyor belt and disappeared into the shadows.

Now Reid understood—this conveyor belt could likely reach every corner of the Colony Satellite. It seemed incredibly useful for defensive battles after invading the Colony Satellite, as it could directly deploy mobile suits behind enemy lines via this conveyor belt.

And why did this Factory Module look so familiar? Wasn't this just a super-enhanced version of that 3D printer from Gundam AGE that could print Gundam equipment anywhere, anytime? As long as there were materials, Gundams could be mass-produced like dumplings. Even the programming was pre-configured, eliminating the need for additional development.

Reid suddenly realized that this Factory Module might be the most essential part of his system. Honestly, as long as he had some forces under his command, this thing would be a super artifact.

Now he had to add another item to his future plans—no matter what it took, he had to build a full-scale mechanical manufacturing plant in the upper regions. Not for anything else, but to conceal the existence of this Factory Module.

(End of Chapter)