Global Transmigration: Empire of the Stars

Chapter 34: Analysis, Strategic Talent

“Level 5? That strong? How many fleets do you have? It must have been established for quite some time,” Lin Zhichen asked with interest.

“It was started by my mother, and it’s been around for over a hundred years now,” Liu Manjun replied. “Our strength is decent. The mercenary group currently has over 100 capital ships (battleships/battlecruisers), over a thousand cruisers, and more than 10,000 other vessels.”

“Are all level 5 mercenary groups this strong?” Lin Zhichen was genuinely surprised. “If mercenary groups are like this, what about legions?”

“No, Thorny Rose is a newcomer among level 5 mercenary groups, and its strength is at the bottom. Compared to those established for two or three hundred years, our foundation is far weaker,” Liu Manjun replied, shifting to a more comfortable position.

“If it’s a legion, even the weakest would have at least a dozen large fleets. Each fleet’s strength wouldn’t be inferior to those old level 5 mercenary groups.

Don’t focus on the number of fleets; focus on their heroes. Each large fleet is supported by four or five heroes, and the fleet serves as a platform for them to showcase their power!”

“So strong…” Lin Zhichen finally grasped the depth of the Federation’s foundation. If even the private legions under its jurisdiction had such strength, what about the regular army? They couldn’t be weaker than the private legions, right? How much stronger could they be?

He didn’t ask further because it was meaningless. At this stage, these matters were still far beyond the reach of the Meteor Mercenary Group.

“What? Is it different from what you imagined?” Liu Manjun asked. “Did you think that with a bit of talent, you could eventually dominate the galaxy?

The Federation has never been short of geniuses. The Federation’s First Academy and Federation University recruit talents from thousands of colonial planets across the entire Federation, accepting only 1,000 students each year. On average, that’s less than one person per planet!

Graduates from these academies, after three years, start as elite-level evolvers. Every year, over a hundred newly graduated heroes emerge!”

Lin Zhichen licked his lips. “Tsk, it’s such a loss that the Federation Academy didn’t accept me. In the future, when people say the strongest human hero graduated from the Virtual Academy, I wonder what their reaction will be.”

“Ha~” Liu Manjun laughed. “You really are confident!”

“Speaking of which, where do those old mercenary groups and legions get their fleets from? Are they all built one by one?” Lin Zhichen asked, puzzled.

“Just having the blueprints to build warships wouldn’t be enough, right?”

“Of course, it’s not just about acquiring equipment. Most of the blueprints are created by draftsmen,” Liu Manjun leisurely revealed some secrets.

“Most skills can be mastered through self-study, and these skills can be sublimated into talents through psionics, like warship piloting.

However, there are a few special talents that can only be innate and cannot be produced through skill sublimation. Draftsmanship is one of them.

To become a draftsman, you must have a drawing talent first, and then you can acquire the drawing skill to create different blueprints according to the skill level.

They are strategic talents for the Federation and all civilized nations. Without the support of high-level draftsmen, the number of civilized fleets would shrink to a thousandth or even ten-thousandth of their current size!”

“Hiss~” Lin Zhichen took a sharp breath. The implication was clear: high-level draftsmen were the backbone of civilized nations. If they were to disappear, these nations could collapse overnight.

“So, you will never find NPCs with drafting talent in cloning factories. Every faction goes to great lengths to reserve these strategic talents,” Liu Manjun concluded.

“I see,” Lin Zhichen said, recalling that Dr. Will’s ship design skills involved draftsmen. Due to the lack of key personnel, this skill had been largely neglected.

“What do you think, if I had a heavyweight treasure, would the Federation strongly support me?”

Liu Manjun rolled her eyes and chuckled, “Do you think the Federation would care about ordinary treasures? It’s the interstellar era. Psionic plants are common dishes on the tables of the upper nobility. What could be considered a treasure?”

Psionic plants were plants that grew in certain psionic environments, extremely rare in the universe. One of the ways to produce them on a larger scale was to have psionics draw psionic energy from their connection to the psionic realm and slowly release it into the environment, maintaining a suitable growth environment for the psionic plants.

In simple terms, it meant having psionics spend a lot of time as farmers, taking care of psionic plants.

This had even developed into a whole new profession: psionic botanist.

“Heritage-class medicines!” Lin Zhichen said.

“Hmm? Heritage-class medicine? You actually have such a valuable treasure?!” Liu Manjun sat up in surprise, revealing her stunning upper body.

“Lie down and let’s talk,” Lin Zhichen said, admiring her as he pulled her back into his arms and displayed the data for NZT-50. “It’s this.”

As Liu Manjun looked at it, her expression grew serious.

Lin Zhichen revealed the existence of NZT-50 not because she was his bedmate. In the interstellar era, marriage and family had largely dissolved, and having children was merely a legal obligation.

—That’s right, Federation law stipulated that one could remain unmarried, but must have at least two children within the appropriate age range. More children were rewarded, fewer were illegal, but once born, the Federation would take full responsibility for raising them until adulthood—

He mentioned it as a reference, at least within the solar system, without needing to worry too much.

“Do you know how big an impact this thing would have if released? People could die!” Liu Manjun looked at him with a complex expression. She thought she had understood him, but he turned out to be even more mysterious. How important were heritage-class treasures? They were the foundation of national-level powers!

Especially NZT-50, even with the limitation of one pill per month, it was a strategic-level item capable of changing countless lives!

“Of course, I know. I just don’t know if the Federation would come after me for it,” he said.

“They won’t!” Liu Manjun’s response was quite certain. “As long as you aren’t foolish enough to keep all the benefits for yourself.”

“Of course not. I’m prepared to give up 60% of the share, at most 80%,” Lin Zhichen replied.

“60% is enough. The Federation won’t resort to outright plunder; they’ll always give you some compensation. Although it will be much less than its actual value, it will be more than enough for you now, and it will also deter a lot of greedy eyes.”

Liu Manjun breathed a sigh of relief. What she feared was his recklessness. Laws and order were just a facade that could be torn down when necessary.

“When you become stronger, what you lose now might not be impossible to reclaim.”

“Even 20% would be more than enough for me,” Lin Zhichen chuckled. “If I were to ask for a draftsman, would it be…”

“Don’t even think about it. Once NZT-50 appears, obtaining these strategic talents will be much harder than it is now,” Liu Manjun shook her head.