Chapter 1

Outside the window was a bleak expanse, the gloomy sky almost blending with the gray floor tiles.

The surroundings were empty, devoid of any vegetation or signs of life, only a patrol of cold, unmanned drones shuttle back and forth.

“Click, click.” The uniform mechanical sounds hovered in the air above the abandoned planet.

“Please present your credentials, beep—identification confirmed.”

“Biometric identification in progress, iris authentication confirmed, fingerprint authentication confirmed…”

“The mechanical door has opened, welcome to the Interstellar Maximum Security Prison.”

A mechanical female voice sounded from outside the door as three heavy gates opened in succession.

Ye Ping pushed a two-story-high medical cart inside and looked ahead.

In the vast space before her, there was only one bed, but with two huge mechanical chains extending from the surrounding copper walls and iron walls, coiling tightly around the person lying quietly on the bed.

Ye Ping’s gaze swept across the pitch-black chains.

S-class mechanical locks, complex settings, unlocking requires advanced authorization.

Not only this mechanical lock, but also this room, the main control room outside the room, and the densely packed unmanned drones outside… all these things were specially made for the person in front of her.

Even including this secluded and unknown abandoned planet, they formed the largest and most dangerous prison in the entire interstellar space.

The interstellar famous maximum security prison, but only detains one prisoner.

The cold sunlight fell into the room, landing on the woman in front of her. The woman appeared excessively frail, her entire being sunk into this small bed.

Hearing Ye Ping’s entry, she only lifted her eyelids lightly.

She looked pale, weak, and even breathing seemed difficult. She didn’t seem at all like the 3S-class criminal who single-handedly destroyed thirty-three major planets and caused chaos throughout the Union.

Ye Ping hesitated for a moment, then took out two tubes of pale pink nutrient solution from the medical cart and threw them into the trash can in front of the woman.

Due to the restriction of the mechanical lock, the woman’s movements were limited, and she couldn’t reach the trash can on this side.

Ye Ping’s actions finally made the person on the bed look at her directly, but she seemed oblivious, only casually opening the sophisticated instruments on the cart, taking out a syringe from inside.

The needle glimmered with a cold light, carrying a hint of chill.

This syringe was thicker than a normal needle, and even longer than an ordinary person’s palm, looking especially intimidating.

But Ye Ping seemed accustomed to it, walked to the person on the bed in three or two steps, and lifted her sleeve.

Underneath the wide sleeve was the woman’s pale and slender arm.

Bound to this arm was a device like a blood drawing pump, emitting a pitch-black light, like a black snake coiled around the woman’s wrist.

Ye Ping raised her hand forcefully, and the special needle pierced straight into the woman’s body.

The piercing sound of the needle breaking the skin was harsh. After the long needle entered the body, the hand wearing the device shrank slightly. Inside the special black device on the delicate wrist, white mist began to rise.

In just a moment, beads of sweat had already soaked the forehead of the person on the bed.

Under the intense pain, she still remained silent, only quietly looking at Ye Ping with her black eyes.

Ye Ping looked up, watching her endure the excruciating pain without any reaction, and said coldly, “Have you made up your mind?”

“This is the fourth injection.” She looked at Yun Chi’s pale and bloodless face, “At most, there is one more injection, and you will die of poisoning.”

“If you are willing to hand over the Black Mech Manufacturing Manual to me, then I can let you spend the last three months comfortably.”

Ye Ping paused for a moment, looking down at the person on the bed condescendingly, “Otherwise, I can only administer the last injection to you today.”

Anyway, the things they want from above could be extracted with five injections.

Administering the final injection three months early would only slightly reduce the potency of the essence extracted in the last extraction.

Ye Ping had been working for the person above for a long time and naturally knew that many people couldn’t survive past the second injection and would die instantly.

Enough essence had already been extracted from Yun Chi, so even if a tiny bit less was extracted, the higher-ups wouldn’t even care.

Liquid dripped into the long needle at a slow pace, with approximately one drop every five minutes. Usually, it would take nearly five hours to administer the entire dose.

However, with each drop, the pain would double.

Under the excruciating pain that felt like every blood vessel in her body was bursting, Yun Chi was close to death.

Ye Ping had said that many people couldn’t bear the pain caused by this drug and ended up committing suicide.

The purpose of administering this drug was to extract the essence from her body.

Yun Chi’s hair was already damp with sweat, and in her blurred vision, she could see the fine white mist emanating from the black device.

That was what those people wanted to extract from her.

She spoke, her voice hoarse: “The Black Mech Manufacturing Manual?”

Yun Chi looked up at Ye Ping. Despite the intense pain, the person in front of her seemed to split into two, but she seemed unaware, only asking, “How much did they pay you?”

The Black Mech was what she had made before being captured by the maximum security prison, but it was destroyed when she attacked the highest star of the alliance.

However, as the first unmanned mech in the galaxy, made by a low-grade species without any talent, the value of the Black Mech was self-evident.

Unfortunately, after she was captured, people outside crazily imitated and restored it, but they couldn’t achieve a perfect replica.

Ye Ping’s eyes flickered. She knew this was too risky, but the other party had offered a price she couldn’t refuse.

Anyway, Yun Chi was going to die. If she could get something before she died, the money would be enough for Ye Ping to spend the rest of her life carefree.

“These matters are none of your concern. You just need to hand over the goods.” Ye Ping glanced at the position of the trash can, sneering, “It’s been a while since you tasted the nutrient solution, hasn’t it?”

“Is that rotten alien meat delicious?”

The resources allocated from above for extracting essence were generous. Unfortunately, most of them ended up in her pocket. Normally, she only gave Yun Chi some poor-quality nutrient solution. Last time, when she administered the third injection, because Yun Chi didn’t cooperate, she replaced the nutrient solution with rotten and sour-smelling alien meat.

“You should know that no matter what your status was before you came here, now that you’re in my hands, I’m the one who decides whether you live or die.”

“If you cooperate, you can still have a few good days.” Ye Ping squatted in front of Yun Chi, her eyes carrying a hint of mockery as she scanned her.

“If you don’t cooperate, then I’ll have to send you to die.”

Ye Ping had been extracting essence for the higher-ups for many years and knew too well that Yun Chi was now on the verge of death. She didn’t even think the low-grade species in front of her had any means.

So, she spoke without any precautions, her gaze shifting from the instrument on Yun Chi’s wrist to her face.

“Have you decided how to choose?” Ye Ping asked in a calm voice.

Drip.

Another drop of medicine dripped into the syringe.

When Yun Chi was writhing in pain, she seemed to mutter something.

Ye Ping didn’t hear clearly and took two steps forward, asking, “What did you say?”

The hoarse and unbearable voice suddenly became clear and reached her ears.

The young girl in front of her spoke word by word: “I want you to die.”

As soon as the words fell, Yun Chi, who seemed as fragile as if she would shatter with a touch, suddenly burst out. Her thin and weak hand tore off the syringe that had only dripped a few drops and plunged it into Ye Ping’s hand.

With a pop.

The familiar sound of the long needle piercing the flesh made Ye Ping’s scalp tingle.

Compared to this, the drug infiltrating her skin seemed to explode in her body almost instantly.

Under the intense pain, Ye Ping almost passed out.

“You…” Her face turned pale, and she glanced around at the unmanned drones outside, but suddenly remembered that there were only two living people on the entire abandoned planet—her and Yun Chi.

The extraction of essence was top secret, and the higher-ups didn’t want anyone to be involved. A year ago, everyone in the maximum security prison had been transferred.

Ye Ping collapsed on the ground, convulsing all over, foam overflowing uncontrollably from the corners of her mouth. She trembled, reaching for the medical cart.

There was an alarm device on the cart. As long as she pressed it, the unmanned drones outside would rush in and kill Yun Chi instantly.

But under the overwhelming pain, she couldn’t even press the button, let alone breathe.

“Ah, ah!” She could only lie on the ground, mouth wide open, emitting irregular monotonous sounds.

Something was wrong.

Everything was wrong!

Yun Chi was locked up with an S-class mechanical lock. If she made any movement, she should have been instantly strangled to death!

The unmanned drones outside, even if they didn’t sound the alarm, should have been monitoring the movements of the prisoners at all times to prevent Yun Chi from escaping.

This was the most confidential maximum security prison in the entire galaxy! How could Yun Chi easily plunge the syringe into her body?

She was tortured by the drug but still stared at Yun Chi.

How could this low-grade species…?

In one glance, she saw Yun Chi had already unlocked the S-class mechanical lock, and the heavy and long black chain fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Ye Ping’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the scene in front of her.

But then she saw Yun Chi unfasten her pants and remove an electronic shackle from her ankle.

She squatted down in front of Ye Ping.

The syringe had been inserted too violently, and she hadn’t eaten for a long time, making her extremely weak.

But with her extremely pale face, she could still look at Ye Ping expressionlessly and say softly, “You went through so much trouble to get the Black Mech Manufacturing Manual.”

“How could you not even know that the unmanned drones were made to mimic the Black Mech?”

I do know, even the person who designed this maximum security prison knows this.

But Yun Chi is a low-grade species, without talent. She used special tools to make the Black Mech before, but those tools were destroyed long ago.

Without the tools and companions, she is just a weak ordinary young girl. Even if she knew how, she would never be able to unlock the mechanical lock or control the unmanned drones.

Indeed, she couldn’t.

Without talent, in this entire maximum security prison made of S-class materials, she is powerless and at the mercy of others.

But what’s interesting is that when Ye Ping appeared and administered the first dose of the drug, she experienced for the first time the talent described in the book.

“With the power of the mind, perceive the flow of all things, manipulate the material alchemist, only those who can control the materials are qualified to become mech engineers.”

This was the first lesson she learned from her studies.

Because she lacked talent, they called her a low-grade species.