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’Is he upset about the blueprint? Does he think I kept it from him on purpose?

’ Kisha wondered to herself, but another realization struck her, causing her face to flush and her heart to race.

Despite Duke’s visibly upset demeanor, Kisha leaned in closer and gave him a quick, bashful peck on the cheek, her expression clearly saying, ’That’s the best I can manage for now. ’

Duke was taken aback by Kisha’s sudden initiative, but once he realized she was attuned to his emotions, his mood lifted.

His eyes crinkled in delight as he turned to see Kisha’s flushed face and her gaze nervously darting around, as if she found the floor far more interesting than looking at him.

He knew she was likely nervous, having figured out exactly what he had been moping about.

So, knowing that she now knew, and he also started to feel better, he didn’t want to egg Kisha anymore because as much as he wanted to be intimate with her, he also wanted to make sure that she was up for it and not because she feels she was cornered to do so.

With a lighter heart, Duke turned his attention back to the blueprint Kisha was showing him.

Now that his mind was clear of the more explicit thoughts of him and Kisha together, he could finally focus.

As he studied the blueprint, his astonishment grew, and soon he couldn’t tear his eyes away from it.

The blueprint was so advanced and meticulously designed that, although far beyond their current technological capabilities, it held incredible promise.

If they could eventually build it, they would solve their electricity problem just as Kisha had predicted.

A single machine like this could power a megacity, let alone their base.

The only issue was the materials—while some were familiar, most were completely unknown to Duke, likely because they were extremely rare or difficult to obtain.

The machine’s sturdiness relied on a complex combination of materials.

Tungsten and meteorite alloy were essential for the core structure, while Lutetium formed the outermost layer for its unparalleled strength.

Vanadium, known for its high melting point and military applications, was used to cover the inner parts, ensuring it could withstand extreme heat without breaking down.

For the main beam, where solar energy would be most concentrated, Inconel was chosen for its superior strength over Vanadium, making it the ideal material to handle the intense energy flow.

Osmium was another key material used in the design, valued for its density and durability.

In addition to these, highly conductive metals along with other materials were required to efficiently transfer solar energy and convert it into electricity, ensuring the machine could function at its full potential.

The solar panel’s structure resembled a massive satellite dish, but unlike the usual inverted umbrella shape, its surface was flat.

This advanced "solar glass" design allowed it to reflect and capture sunlight far more efficiently than any current solar panels on the market, including those produced by top military contractors or research labs on Earth.

The advanced solar panel design Kisha had obtained from the system was vastly different from anything they currently had.

Without the expertise of professional solar physicists and machine engineers, Duke wasn’t confident they could even attempt to build what was shown on the blueprint.

His initial excitement quickly faded as the reality of the challenge set in.

Kisha was aware of the challenge and sought Duke’s input to figure out how to proceed.

After ten minutes of deep contemplation, Duke finally looked up from the blueprint and addressed Kisha.

"Our best hope is that Dr. Shuveck is still alive and hasn’t turned into a zombie.

If he’s still out there, we might have a chance to build this.

As for the machine engineering, the best person I know to tackle this alongside Dr. Shuveck would be Engineer Steel."

Duke let out a heavy sigh, gazing at Kisha with a mix of concern and uncertainty.

"The last I heard, Dr. Shuveck and Engineer Steel were working together on a project in City D last month. Given how scarce the human population has become due to the zombie outbreak, I’m worried that they might have.

.." Duke struggled to continue, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him.

It was disheartening to have a treasure within reach yet be unable to utilize it.

Kisha fully grasped this now and felt a deep sense of frustration.

She had once thought that it was a jackpot, the advanced machinery blueprint now seemed more like a hollow reward.

The blueprint sounded impressive, but if they couldn’t recreate it, it was almost worthless.

"Do you think we could plan a visit to City D once we’ve taken care of everything here at the base, to look for Dr. Shuveck and Engineer Steel?" Kisha asked, her lips forming a pout as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe we could," Duke said, trying to offer some reassurance. "But if they didn’t make it, we shouldn’t lose hope. City D is known for its prestigious universities and numerous laboratories. Even if Dr.

Shuveck and Engineer Steel aren’t around, we can still find talented individuals there." Duke was aware of how down Kisha felt and shared her frustration; he was also grappling with his own disappointment after seeing the blueprint.

Duke wouldn’t have felt as frustrated if he hadn’t seen the blueprint, but now that he had, it felt like a significant waste not to have such a piece of technology at their disposal.

Both Duke and Kisha let out a defeated sigh.

To shift her focus and mood, Kisha suddenly brightened.

"But that’s not the best news I wanted to share.

Remember I mentioned I got a Gachapon Draw earlier?

Let’s draw together and see what I get, shall we?" Her excitement returned as she eagerly pulled Duke to sit beside her.

Duke was bewildered by Kisha’s mention of Gachapon draws.

The only thing that seemed to register in his mind was a loose comparison to the item draws in video games.

In those games, players would use in-game currency or special tokens to access random loot boxes, which could contain a variety of items such as weapons, armor, and other enhancements.

These draws were designed to aid in the progression of the game, providing players with the tools they needed to strengthen their characters and advance further in their quests.

The idea of Gachapon draws seemed to evoke a similar sense of randomness and potential reward, but Duke remained curious and somewhat mystified about what Kisha’s Gachapon draw might entail and how it might differ from the game-based concept he was familiar with.

Soon, Duke’s biggest question was answered when Kisha shared her system interface with him.

Through this interface, he could see exactly how the Gachapon Draw was set to proceed.

The detailed display revealed the mechanics of the draw, offering Duke a clear view of how items were selected and what kind of rewards might be available.

This visual explanation helped demystify the process for him and piqued his interest even further, as he now had a tangible understanding of how the Gachapon Draw worked.

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PS: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your continued support and for reading my novel. The WSA contest has officially started, and I’d love for you to take a moment to leave feedback for the event.

You can find it by going to your ’INBOX’ and then selecting ’EVENTS.’ Once you provide feedback on 3 different books, you’ll earn a badge, which will be awarded on the 20th of next month.

Thank you all for your amazing support!