Chapter 15 This Divine Machine Is Kind of Artificially Retarded

(The video I found for a game’s promotion really resembles Zhou Yan’s Knight Divine Machine design—thought I’d share it with everyone.)

The metallic hooves struck the ground once more.

Zhou Yan stood before it, gripping the midsection of the gunstock with his right hand. The transparent crystal visor shielding his eyes slowly unfolded as he examined the divine machine weapon paired with his armor.

It was a jet-black spear, but unlike conventional guns.

The blade portion was proportionally much longer than usual—about three meters in total length, with two meters of shaft and one meter of blade.

Rather than a gun, it resembled a spear or perhaps a spear-sword.

Compared to standard firearms, it could both thrust and slash.

At the same time, he sensed his own strength had increased significantly.

However, this newfound power felt different from the attribute boosts granted by his Life Gear.

The Life Gear’s enhancements felt innate, as if they were a natural extension of his own strength, fully controlled by his subconscious.

In contrast, the power granted by the Divine Machine seemed external—something he had to consciously manipulate to wield effectively.

For example, when using the Life Gear’s power, he wouldn’t accidentally crush a cup while drinking water.

But with the Divine Machine’s power, such accidents were possible.

This supplemental power was genuinely an outside force, requiring deliberate practice to master.

As Zhou Yan pondered this, Cong Shiyun and Zhang Daosheng, who had been watching him unlock the Divine Machine, stepped closer.

Zhang Daosheng, older and wiser, remained calm, but Cong Shiyun could no longer hide the amazement on his face.

“I truly didn’t expect this special Divine Machine, after activation, to not only grant you armor but also maintain the form of a warhorse. Zhou Yan, would you mind showing us how this mount performs in actual use?”

Zhou Yan nodded and began commanding the warhorse beneath him with his will.

The Yinglong Colt’s eyes lit up, swiftly responding to Zhou Yan’s instructions, stepping forward lightly.

He guided it around the two elders in a smooth, graceful circle.

Cong Shiyun nodded approvingly. “Looks pretty good.”

Though middle-aged and a true city lord, his gaze toward Zhou Yan carried a hint of envy.

It was understandable—this armored warrior’s imposing presence was hard for any man, especially a martial artist, to resist.

Zhang Daosheng also nodded in satisfaction, reminding, “Zhou Yan, remember to spend more time training with your Divine Machine at the practice grounds. The sooner you familiarize yourself with this extra power, the better. Power you can control becomes your weapon; if you can’t control it, it’s like a child swinging a heavy hammer—missing the target and possibly hurting themselves.”

“I understand,” Zhou Yan replied calmly, though inwardly he noticed another issue.

The horse’s response to his commands was sluggish—almost like artificial stupidity.

Calling it artificial stupidity wasn’t quite right since the mechanical horse likely had no onboard AI system.

Perhaps the world’s AI technology was underdeveloped—or maybe the Tianyuan Dominion’s scientific focus simply didn’t favor artificial intelligence.

This mechanical steed moved entirely through Zhou Yan’s conscious control, essentially acting as an advanced remote-controlled device.

This differed from the Divine Machine armor, a technology that was mature and integrated closely with the wearer’s body, moving in sync.

Thus, using the armor required only a fraction of his attention to coordinate with his own movements.

But the warhorse was different—it was a relatively independent mechanical entity. To operate it while maintaining his own movement and combat meant multitasking, effectively controlling two bodies at once, one of which was a horse.

That in itself wasn’t too troublesome, considering Zhou Yan’s current mental capacity.

The real problem was the Yinglong Colt’s slow signal processing and response speed.

In low-intensity scenarios, others might not notice, but Zhou Yan could distinctly feel a slight delay in synchronization.

For ordinary people, this delay might be negligible, but for someone at his level, it was a critical flaw.

In high-speed battles against evenly matched opponents, even the smallest delay could prove fatal.

“This problem is serious. For now, I can think of two solutions.”

Two ideas quickly formed in his mind.

The first was to forgo the horse’s assistance during actual combat, using it merely as a distraction weapon.

The second was to resolve its slow response time and lack of autonomy.

He had some ideas for both but needed the opportunity to test them.

However, still inside the secret repository and under the watchful eyes of the two elders, there was little room for experimentation.

With that thought, Zhou Yan’s armor decomposed into countless parts, swiftly absorbed and integrated into the ribs of the Yinglong Colt beneath him.

He dismounted and turned to Cong Shiyun. “Master Cong, I’ve chosen this Divine Machine. For now, it still requires adaptation and training, but no major issues have arisen.”

Cong Shiyun nodded. “Everyone goes through this process when first receiving a Divine Machine. Just keep training and developing it. As Elder Zhang said, since you’re part of the Demon Extermination Department, you can get approval from Chu Wan to use the training grounds regularly.”

“As for energy consumption, don’t worry—just recharge at logistics.”

He glanced at the towering Yinglong Colt and sighed, “It’s a magnificent steed, but if you take it out like this, it might draw too much attention.”

Zhou Yan smiled slightly. “Master, the Divine Machine designer, a craftsman named A Guang, probably considered that. He built in another function, which I discovered right after binding the Divine Machine.”

“Oh? What is it?” Cong Shiyun and Zhang Daosheng both grew intrigued.

Zhou Yan returned to the Yinglong Colt’s side, gently running his right hand over its surface as he softly said, “Vehicle mode.”

Whoosh! Click-click-click—

The moment he issued the command, the towering mechanical horse lowered its head, its parts swiftly dispersing and recombining.

To Cong Shiyun’s astonishment, within three seconds, the once tall and sleek black mechanical horse had transformed into a futuristic-looking black motorcycle.

“I see. Although this motorcycle looks a bit too flashy, it’s definitely more discreet than the mechanical horse,” Cong Shiyun chuckled, glancing at Zhou Yan. “You young people probably love this kind of design.”

Zhou Yan reached out and lightly stroked the bike before him. “I quite like it.”

He looked up at the two elders. “The designer of this Divine Machine must be quite young. The features clearly match my tastes.”

Zhang Daosheng nodded slightly. “You’re right. A Guang is a rising genius Divine Machine craftsman from Yinglong Palace in recent years. Though we just criticized this Divine Machine as unreliable, that was because it’s an untested prototype.”

“In reality, his confirmed and mass-produced Divine Machines are very popular among both armed forces and civilians.”

With that, he led the way. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t linger in the secret repository too long. Even with my elder permissions, the rigid inspectors will start questioning us.”

*

Outside the secret repository, after waiting about ten minutes, the three finally saw the metal doors swing open again.

First to exit were Zhang Daosheng and Cong Shiyun.

Luo Xuan and the others looked on eagerly, curious about which Divine Machine Zhou Yan had chosen.

Then, all froze in surprise.

Following closely behind Zhou Yan came a black motorcycle.

The bike seemed to move on its own, matching Zhou Yan’s pace as it rolled forward until it stopped before the three.

Chu Wan couldn’t contain herself and looked Zhou Yan over multiple times, failing to spot the typical “box form” that high-level Divine Machines often concealed on their wielder.

She asked incredulously, “Zhou Yan, where’s your Divine Machine? Didn’t like any of them?”

Zhou Yan pointed to the motorcycle beside him and smirked, “Here it is.”

“This!?” Chu Wan stared dumbfounded at the riderless motorcycle that eerily balanced on its own, a strange expression crossing her face. “You’re not joking, right? This is a Divine Machine? No way!”

She scoffed, then corrected herself, “Maybe it’s a Divine Machine, but how can this thing be a Divine Mechanical Weapon?”

“Maybe you don’t believe it, but it truly is a Divine Mechanical Weapon. Though it’s a prototype special model,” Zhou Yan smiled. “If you don’t trust me, you can ask Master Cong and Elder Zhang.”

Chu Wan glanced at the two elders, and seeing their smiles, she immediately believed Zhou Yan without pressing further.

She grabbed Zhou Yan’s arm excitedly. “Enough talk! Let’s head to the training grounds. I’ve never seen such a cool Divine Machine!”

Before Zhou Yan could respond, Zhang Daosheng interjected, “Chu Wan, don’t train with him today. This Divine Machine is quite special. Zhou Yan exhausted too much mental energy refining its core and isn’t suited for forced combat practice now. Come back in a few days.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Wan looked at Zhou Yan’s pale face and sheepishly said, “Yeah, you do look a bit drained. You two should go home and rest. We’ll spar once you recover.”

Luo Xuan also looked at Zhou Yan with concern, urging, “Zhou Yan, maybe you should get treatment at the medical department?”

Zhou Yan smiled at Luo Xuan and shook his head. “No need. My mental fatigue isn’t nearly as bad as yours. Let’s head home.”

As he spoke, Zhou Yan’s mind turned to what he needed to do next.

The lack of intelligence in this Divine Machine was a serious problem.

But he happened to have a little device scavenged from the Calamity Realm—could it solve this issue?

Once the two sisters were asleep, he would give it a try.

***

Clearly, there’s more to come. I’ll aim to release the second chapter earlier today!