170: Chapter 172 New Outpost Established, Generous Relic Rewards!

(The previous chapter has been updated to 4k words; readers who haven't seen it need to go back and read it to follow this chapter.)

Putting everything else aside, even if the outpost had nothing, just being a bare-bones stronghold, this reward could still be considered generous.

Because the stronghold can establish supply stations to resupply the Expeditionary Force units. This is equivalent to giving the Expeditionary Force a new starting point.

For example, the Wailing Mountains are 400 kilometers away from the territory. After the team arrives via resupply from the wolf smoke, the remaining fuel can only support them for another 100 kilometers of exploration. If no country or stronghold is established within those 100 kilometers, the team will come to a halt.

Then, the wolf smoke would have to be dispatched from the territory again to provide supplies, which would waste resources and a significant amount of exploration time.

However, after acquiring this stronghold in the Wailing Mountains, the Expeditionary Force can refuel within the stronghold and return to their pre-departure state.

This grants the Expeditionary Force another 500 kilometers of exploration range!

From here on, as long as a country is discovered within these 500 kilometers, the Expeditionary Force can continue to advance. This cycle is the fundamental step of outward conquest.

It can be said that the establishment of this stronghold alone brings a great advantage to Great Qin in the northwest direction. Its importance is almost on par with the conquest of Spain, making it the first vassal state.

More importantly, this stronghold is not just a stronghold. All the facilities left behind by the Protoss within the stronghold now belong to Great Qin. These never-before-seen facilities are the true reward of this ruin mission.

Su Yang asked General Li Xin to touch those strange facilities one by one to view their detailed information. First was the metal device beneath the holographic projection imaging area.

[Facility: Psionic Holographic Imager]

[Affiliated Civilization: Protoss]

[Information: A lost psionic facility, an Advanced regulatory device integrating reconnaissance, detection, and scanning.]

[Function: Powered by psionic energy, connecting via a psionic helmet allows for a holographic god's-eye view within a certain range, and enables detailed scanning of relevant units.]

A holographic projector capable of providing a god's-eye view and detailed scanning functions. This is a 3D imaging technology more Advanced than two-dimensional images like radar or sonar.

However, although this technology is Advanced, the energy that drives it is psionic energy. This is something Su Yang has not yet encountered, and there is no record of it in the materials related to the Forbidden Ground.

In other words, although he has obtained this instrument, he cannot use it—at least not until he acquires psionic resources. Hopefully, the subsequent instruments won't be like this, right?

Su Yang asked General Li Xin to continue deeper to examine the other facilities. Next was a mechanical facility directly facing the projection area, resembling a semi-enclosed podium.

[Facility: Psionic Mainframe]

[Affiliated Civilization: Protoss]

[Information: A lost psionic facility, the observation station control center, capable of controlling all facilities within the observation station and uploading/downloading relevant information.]

[Function: Powered by psionic energy, connecting via a psionic helmet grants control over the various facilities of the observation station and enables information exchange with other mainframes.]

The Psionic Mainframe, simply understood, is a computer that controls the entire outpost. All instruments in the entire outpost do not require manual operation; they can be controlled solely by this computer.

In the future, if one wants to start the psionic equipment, one must first start this Psionic Mainframe.

Stepping up the rotating stairs, General Li Xin arrived at the level where the mainframe platform was located. Behind the mainframe platform sat the light beam emitter that Su Yang was most interested in.

[Facility: Psionic Matrix]

[Affiliated Civilization: Protoss]

[Information: A lost psionic facility, a device capable of hyperspace teleportation.]

[Function: Powered by psionic energy, after setting teleportation coordinates via the mainframe, the teleportation matrix can be activated, enabling teleportation to another coordinate point that possesses a matrix.]

Just as Su Yang expected, this is a hyperspace teleportation device. If the previous technology could still be understood from a human perspective, then this teleportation is completely incomprehensible black technology.

Point-to-point teleportation—this is a more powerful transportation tool than orbital transport. As long as the construction method for the Psionic Matrix can be obtained, it can be spread throughout the entire Forbidden Ground.

All transportation problems, supply problems, defense problems, and even future management problems will be solved!

This is simply a Divine Artifact! Su Yang's eyes gleamed. Unfortunately, he has only obtained the relevant instruments now; without psionic energy, they cannot be started at all.

To start these instruments, he must focus on obtaining psionic energy in the future.

After the Psionic Matrix, there were two hibernation pods placed at the very end.

[Facility: Psionic Hibernation Pod]

[Affiliated Civilization: Protoss]

[Information: A lost psionic facility, capable of maintaining biological activity for long periods.]

[Function: Powered by psionic energy, lying inside while wearing psionic armor allows for sustained replenishment.]

Cryogenic or low-temperature hibernation pods are also relatively Advanced technology. However, Su Yang's focus was not on the technology, but on how long these guys had been lying here?

He had originally thought that the Forbidden Ground was just an area temporarily generated by the System for them to develop and explore. But if it were just a temporarily generated place, what on earth were these guys doing with a hibernation pod? Do they like sleeping that much?

While puzzled, Su Yang asked General Meng Tian to dismantle and bring in a few scrapped defensive machines from outside the metal pods. One psychic controller, six psionic ray emitters. All were already scrapped; even if psionic energy were provided, they could no longer be used.

With this, all psionic facilities within the outpost had been inspected. Based on the purpose of these devices and the fragmented bits of information about the Protoss, a rough image of the race emerged in Su Yang's mind.

This is a technologically Advanced race, at least more Advanced than other human civilizations and Xenomorphs, excluding Great Qin.

Their underlying energy source is not fuel like coal or oil, but something called psionic energy. When used as a weapon, this device can transform into rays, or even large-scale mental interference.

They do not directly participate in the hegemony of the Forbidden Ground, but are observing with some purpose. The races in the Forbidden Ground world might be more than just the ones they have seen so far, Su Yang concluded.

After reaching this conclusion, the first thought that popped into Su Yang's mind was: "Can we defeat them?"

Judging from the previous battle, the Protoss themselves did not participate in the fight, but defended using domesticated Insect Swarm and mechanical devices. The Insect Swarm goes without saying; that little bit of Insect Swarm isn't enough to satisfy the current Imperial Armor Troops.

However, the psionic devices did indeed cause trouble for the troops, and even resulted in the first casualty of the troops. Psionic rays are energy weapons that almost ignore armor defense, but there will be no need to fear them in the future after unlocking energy shields.

The other item, the psychic ray, is quite tricky; no defense works against attacks on the mental level. However, generals like General Li Xin and General Meng Tian were not significantly affected, and with the "Dispel" BUFF, they can barely resist.

However, with the comprehensiveness of Great Qin's technology, who knows, maybe in the future, they will directly develop equipment to resist mental control?