Chapter 77: The Dawn of Ability Item Automation

“This is the preliminary processing area for the Ability items sold by the Moonlit Forest.”

Arriving at the Moonlit Forest workshop in Yegong City, Jasmine immediately began her introduction to the group.

Though she claimed to be the head of Human Resources, this did not imply her unfamiliarity with the process of crafting Ability items. Quite the contrary, the Moonlit Forest did not compartmentalize into as many departments as human companies; at its core, their organization was merely a conglomerate of Otherworld Beasts. If anything, they resembled a villainous organization opposing heroes, and thus, their overall structure diverged drastically from typical corporations.

Jasmine’s actual role involved infiltrating human society to gather intelligence, materials, and even lone Otherworld Beasts. Human resources constituted only a fraction of her duties, so she possessed a working knowledge of Ability item production—without it, she couldn’t effectively perform her job.

“Hmm? Didn’t you say that crafting Ability items required a manufacturing-type ability? Why don’t I see anyone here?”

Teresa scanned the room, yet she found no one in the processing area handling materials.

“Of course not. While individual ability users might personally process materials from scratch, enterprises simply cannot. Such an immense demand cannot be met by manufacturing-type ability users alone.”

If Ability items crafted by independent manufacturing-type ability users were akin to artisanal products, then those produced by enterprises were assembly-line goods. Quality versus quantity—it was like comparing a specially forged machete to a mass-produced kitchen knife; the former valued meticulous craftsmanship, the latter prioritized sheer volume.

This was precisely why high-level ability users, when seeking weapons and equipment, would never opt for mass-produced items. Instead, they would specifically commission manufacturing-type ability users for custom creations. Products processed entirely by hand, from raw material to finished good, surpassed mass-produced items in every aspect, save for their higher price and longer production time.

“That’s one reason, but now we have a new idea. If abilities can be analyzed and converted into general technology, can manufacturing-type abilities also undergo the same transformation? This is our current achievement.”

With that, Jasmine unveiled a device unlike any advanced processing machine currently available. Its intricate circuitry and enchantments clearly indicated it was no mere mechanical apparatus, but an Ability item itself. Despite lacking combat capabilities, its sheer complexity alone would place it at least at an E-grade, perhaps even nearing D-grade.

“This is… could it be…!?”

“Indeed, we have successfully reproduced some effects of manufacturing-type abilities within an Ability item. While its efficacy is somewhat reduced, and it can only replicate the material processing aspect, it still far surpasses simple mechanical processing.”

Purely technological processing machinery, devoid of abilities, merely utilized scientific means, resulting in higher material attrition. Conversely, materials processed by ability users retained their quality better, or even saw enhancement, due to the influence of their abilities.

This meant that the Moonlit Forest’s Ability items already held a significant advantage over other enterprises starting from the material processing stage.

Of course, what they didn’t realize was that because most of the Moonlit Forest’s members were Otherworld Beasts, they consistently acquired the freshest and most sustainably sourced materials. In essence, they had surpassed other enterprises from the very first step: material acquisition.

“This… this isn’t just a corporate advantage; this is the dawn of a new technology!”

Gu Song’en, familiar with various scientific fields, quickly grasped the profound value of this new Ability item from the Moonlit Forest.

People in the past had certainly contemplated similar ideas, yet years of research yielded no results. The Moonlit Forest, however, had achieved it.

Undoubtedly, this technology could significantly advance global development, potentially even altering the world itself!

However, on the flip side, manufacturing-type ability users would gradually decline in prominence, as much of their work would be superseded. While some might see it as a reduction in workload, allowing them to focus on subsequent manufacturing stages without personally processing raw materials, the fact remained that a portion of their labor had been replaced.

And who knew if, in the future, the complete reproduction of manufacturing-type abilities would be realized?

“It hasn’t reached that level. In truth, this technology is still immature; it’s prone to damage, and while it improves material yield, its energy consumption is enormous—so much so that our calculations show it to be uneconomical. Therefore, it’s currently only used for specific parts that require exceptionally strong materials.”

“Even so, it’s incredibly impressive…”

“More importantly, I’d like to understand the actual process of crafting Ability items.”

Gu Ling showed little interest in material processing; after all, it was something she could do herself, and the results produced by individuals were largely similar.

Instead, the true artistry lay in combining materials, constructing circuits, and applying enchantments—this was the most skilled and challenging aspect for manufacturing-type ability users. Even slight alterations of a few segments, or even individual words, along with changes in arrangement and stacking methods, could yield entirely different effects, and a minor deviation could drastically impact performance.

“Ah, very well. They’ve likely been waiting since they heard we had guests coming for a tour.”

Jasmine didn’t hesitate, speaking into her communication Ability item to summon them.

Immediately, footsteps echoed from the ceiling above, moving towards the stairs, and then several