Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 907: Chapter 13: The Transaction of Knowledge

Currently, Gao Gong’s most crucial skill isn’t the Cosmic Treasure or Biomechanical Unity Transformation but the Memory Worm.

This Tier 5 Information Life can cause such chaos in the Cyber Test Field; in a Level 2 Civilization, it’s pretty much unbeatable. No matter how impressive a Level 2 Civilization is, it can’t resist the Memory Worm’s devour.

Even a Level 3 Civilization, those Quasi-Ascension Civilizations with influence spanning an entire Star System, have a low probability of resisting.

As the largest host of the Memory Worm, Gao Gong can now wield most of the Memory Worm’s skills, reviving the dead or regenerating White Bone, which are just routine operations under the evolution of High-tier Information.

Soon, a thick pale cocoon enveloped the large cockroach. It was faintly observable that inside the cockroach, the ’insect eggs’ were undergoing mitosis, while its shriveled body quickly swelled, four scythe legs emerged from beneath the ribs, and its back was adorned with complex alien characters, transforming its originally hideous appearance to one of elegance.

In the cosmos, countless intelligent races have different standards for appearances, but generally, the higher the intelligence, regardless of how frightening the appearance, the aura is impeccable.

As countless silk threads entered the body of the cockroach, its pair of ink-black eyes gradually lit up, and for a moment, Gao Gong felt the entire room brighten up.

’This guy’s willpower is quite high.’ Gao Gong raised an eyebrow and remarked.

To bring daylight with a mere thought, typically, a willpower of this level should be at least over a thousand points.

Lifeforms with such willpower usually are Tier 3, except for Gao himself.

Soon, the cockroach’s oral organs slightly quivered, emitting complex frequency fluctuations.

What’s this cockroach brother saying?

Not having reached the Cosmic Black Market, Gao Gong didn’t have the chance to grab a universal level translator.

Frowning, Gao Gong’s silhouette seemed to teleport before the cockroach, which was startled, and with a thought, a beam of white light emerged from before it.

However, Gao Gong’s hand seemed to traverse space, ignoring its Spiritual Barrier, and dove into its body.

An indescribable complex change emanated from Gao Gong’s body.

When the cockroach looked at its counterpart again, it felt an inexplicable sense of kinship, as if seeing a fellow race member.

A-level Alien Bloodline System Alien Form: ’extract’ one Human Body System, ’exchange’ for another Biological System, at the cost of energy.

Note: As an interstellar traveler, adventurer, civilization researcher, or just a passerby, you are certain to be frustrated by the myriad taboos and rules among civilization races. A temporary ’system exchange’ can allow you to integrate into civilization society faster; some races’ interesting abilities can benefit you for life.

Note 2: Taboo 1: Exchange is only allowed among tiers, and cannot ’exchange’ higher-level Alien Systems, which can likely cause Human Body System collapse; Taboo 2: Ascension Civilizations are prohibited from exchanging, strictly forbidden! Strictly forbidden!

Principally, the bloodline of Tier 2 Life cannot exchange for a Tier 3 Species’ Life System.

But Gao Gong’s ’Sea of Life’ bloodline is an exaggerated Tier 4.

Gao Gong exchanged for the counterpart’s ’Perception System’.

The cockroach also realized the counterpart’s intention, and its oral organs quivered once more, but this time, Gao Gong understood the words.

”Honorable Starship Captain, please allow Emville to express the highest respect to you.”

”Emville, is this your name?” Gao Gong also began emitting the same sound waves, though his mouth hadn’t transformed into cockroach oral organs; instead, gray streaks appeared on his jaw and cheek, which closely matched the counterpart’s skin color.

”Yes, I am an archaeologist from the Galileo Star System, Super Memory Civilization, Ancient Civilization Research Department, and also an official Junior Civilization Observer of the Civilization Council.”

Gao Gong’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise again. Initially thinking it was just an ordinary tomb raider, he didn’t expect it to be a treasure.

Super Memory Civilization, Gao Gong knew about this civilization. It is a neutral civilization that values knowledge and science, adept at producing scientists, scholars, experts from various domains.

Its characteristic is ’Super Memory’; its members naturally possess ’Eternal Memory,’ meaning the knowledge, experiences, and insights they acquire will never be forgotten. This is why the civilization excels at producing experts.

Moreover, the members’ upgrades are quite interesting; the more ’memory’ they have, the faster they evolve.

Aside from scientists, archaeologists are also a popular profession in this civilization. Nothing compares to the vast experiences gained from uncovering a civilization.

However, what Gao Gong valued most was the ’Junior Civilization Observer’ identity.

Anyone registered with the ’Civilization Council’ will enjoy unimaginable superior treatment within each civilization, especially the low-level civilizations.

Because ’Civilization Observers’ have the recommendation authority for a civilization’s potential inclusion in the Civilization Council.

Gao Gong chatted with the counterpart for a while; although this ’big cockroach’ appeared somewhat grotesque, it was a very sincere scholar. Without much prompting, the cockroach revealed what Gao Gong wished to know. According to it, the archaeological team had been forced into dormancy for over 40,000 years following a Star Thief attack.

”...Just like that, the traitor in our team, an interstellar tomb raider, sold our coordinates for profit. Star thieves attacked, scattering all our teammates, and I was severely injured, forced into slumber. So tell me, has the Robert Star System developed into a Level 3 Civilization yet?” Emville asked nervously.

Only a Level 3 Civilization can touch on interstellar travel technology, the very edge of ’Star Gates’, to find a way home.

Gao Gong shook his head and replied,

”To my knowledge, it hasn’t.”

Emville immediately showed a disappointed expression.

”However, you can wait a while. If nothing unexpected happens, this star system will soon give birth to a new Level 3 Civilization.”

Seeing the big insect’s puzzled look, Gao Gong smiled without explanation, changed the topic, and asked, ”Can you tell me what your archaeological team was investigating?”

Emville hesitated for a moment but answered honestly, ”Based on my employer’s information, this Civilization Battlefield might have the potential for ’Cosmic-level Treasure’ production.”

Gao Gong uttered an ”hmm” sound.

That’s why so many interstellar financial tycoons are willing to sponsor archaeological teams.

It’s not out of love, of course. In reality, interstellar archaeology is like a lottery gamble; interstellar tycoons might invest in thousands, even tens of thousands, of archaeological teams to explore the relic sites of different civilizations.

Civilization archaeology is merely a grand and dignified term. The actual aim is, in fact, to excavate ’Cosmic Relics’.

Many ancient civilizations’ ruins have the possibility of hosting cosmic relics.

”But according to your investigations, there isn’t anything, right?” Gao Gong laughed. If there were, the other party wouldn’t disclose it so easily.

”Yes, this is just an ordinary ancient battlefield.

”Then where did the news of cosmic relics come from?”

”Unsure,” the big insect pondered for a moment and said, ”But I’ve heard that some employers hold the means to investigate cosmic relics, although the success rate is low.”

”Do you know there’s a Cyber Test Field here?” Gao Gong suddenly asked.

”I am aware, so before coming, we suspected that the relic’s aura might be emanating from the Cyber Test Field. However, adhering to the ’Civilization Neutral Principle’, we wouldn’t participate in any civilization conflicts or disputes, and the Asteroid Belt is not under the Cyber Test Field’s control.”

The big insect Emville spoke with considerable caution, clearly an old hand at interstellar matters.

”What’s your plan now? Your civilization’s star system is likely not this Robert Star System, right?”

Gao Gong didn’t ask for the other’s civilization coordinates, as in interstellar exchanges, it’s considered a taboo akin to asking for your bank card password.

So Gao Gong simply spoke this casually.

Though if Gao Gong wanted, he could find out using Memory Worm methods.

Emville pondered for a while and said, ”If the esteemed captain wouldn’t mind, I’d like to temporarily stay on your ship, in accordance with the fair trade principles of interstellar travelers, offering an equal exchange item for passage.”

Gao Gong nodded and replied with a simple ”Okay.”

”But I currently have nothing for payment, except for knowledge,” the big insect Emville said somewhat awkwardly, as he knew some starship captains can be rough and disdainful of ’knowledge’.

”Knowledge is priceless,” Gao Gong replied in an offhand manner.

Emville glanced at the other party anxiously, with the civilization characters on his back flickering on and off, projecting folder after folder. Looking at it all, densely packed, these are all accumulated by this ’Mind Body’ life form over its long lifespan; it’s rich only in ’knowledge’. This knowledge could be the location of an interstellar energy ore, an undiscovered habitable planet, or a communication channel with advanced life, everything imaginable.

Gao Gong realized then that this old fellow isn’t exactly the earnest scholar type, as it has plenty of smuggling channels.

True, earnest folks wouldn’t be involved in interstellar archaeology.

The biggest difference between interstellar archaeology and interstellar tomb raiding is the former has official status, while the latter doesn’t.

To Emville’s surprise, Gao Gong didn’t choose the seemingly most valuable ’knowledge’, but instead a piece of ’knowledge’ that even Emville himself considered somewhat useless.

Legitimate knowledge.

Tier 3 Professional Knowledge—Interstellar Aerospace Station Manufacturing Technology.