NEC Chapter 35: The Skill Level Certification Office

If asked to name the most useful local device Chen Mo had encountered since arriving in this world, he would unhesitatingly vote for the enchanted self-cleaning “toilet.”

Without it handling physiological waste, Chen Mo doubted he could have stayed cooped up in his room for so long.

Three full days.

On the morning of the fourth day, as the mist outside cleared and sunlight crept onto the windowsill, Chen Mo finally received the delivery package from his distant homeland.

He started with the letter.

The letter opened with clear gratitude toward Chen Mo.

[Comrade Chen Mo, greetings. Your letter has been received, and Leader Donghuang and I are overjoyed at your successful resolution of the previous stage’s troubles!

First, we must share significant news: the healing drug you sent has saved the life of a renowned Blue Star scholar, a pillar of East Xia’s two academies, and an exceptional scientific titan, making an unparalleled contribution to the nation.

On behalf of East Xia and all its people, I extend our highest respect and heartfelt gratitude for your tireless efforts in sending these precious items across billions of starry skies!]

Reading this, Chen Mo couldn’t contain his emotions. With a low exclamation, he threw himself onto the wooden bed in the inn, clutching the blanket and rolling around in excitement!

This feeling was overwhelming. No, he had to hold it together.

He couldn’t!

Where would he find more of that drug?

Where was that young lady who gave it to him? Just wait, he thought. Once I’m done with this, I’ll cross mountains and valleys to find you!

After a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts, Chen Mo forced himself to calm down and continued reading the leader’s letter.

[The materials you sent have been distributed to various national laboratories for research and analysis, yielding remarkable results!

I have instructed the Stargazing team, tasked with coordinating with you, to register all results, values, and derivative technologies from your items under your name.

Subsequent patent rights will be allocated with 51% to the implementing laboratories and the remaining 49% held temporarily under the state’s name but recorded under your personal account. Should you return safely one day, you’ll likely never need to worry about financial matters again.

The data you collected from the Starry Continent has been used by the technical department to create a comprehensive environmental analysis report, attached later. Some information is still missing, awaiting your future contributions when convenient.

Regarding the issues you raised, we’ve provided some tentative suggestions. Please note that these are for reference only and must be applied flexibly based on specific situations and events, not rigidly followed.

Leader Donghuang and I deeply appreciate your heartfelt dedication, but while alone abroad, avoid being overly ambitious or hasty. Your safety is the top priority.

Take utmost care and best wishes for success!]

Chen Mo read the letter several times, his emotions gradually settling.

There was still time, and the future was long. Hard work was the key!

Next came the most important part: opening the package.

First were the bullets to replenish his supply—no magazines, just shiny brass rounds exuding a faint gun oil scent. Grabbing a handful, the clinking of metal between his fingers was both pleasing and captivating.

Two grenades of each type were also included, cold and violent equipment that greatly eased Chen Mo’s anxiety from overexpending his resources.

East Xia’s inherent fear of insufficient firepower was ingrained, an incurable affliction.

A thumb-sized button camera with audio recording capability was included, per Chen Mo’s special request, to help him document this world further.

Then came the big surprise.

Despite the weight limit, East Xia had included a sleek [Skylark] lightweight drone and its control gimbal!

The manual clearly outlined its impressive features: automatic tracking, autonomous cruising, danger alerts, self-charging… tailored perfectly for a world without satellite navigation!

This aerial sprite could faithfully patrol within a 1,600-meter radius of the control gimbal, acting as a tireless airborne sentinel, providing invaluable reconnaissance and early warning.

In extreme mode, the [Skylark] could be directed via automatic control and image transmission, reaching up to eight kilometers, the maximum range of the compact gimbal.

If some battery life was sacrificed, it could even carry a patch-type remote-controlled bomb, enabling integrated surveillance and strike capabilities.

Chen Mo’s eyes sparkled as he examined it fondly. “So thoughtful!”

Since their last contact, East Xia had been tirelessly working. The Cihang Project Office had issued special function design briefs to hundreds of manufacturers, ensuring they were prepared for any need Chen Mo might have.

The [Skylark] was just one result of these targeted equipment developments.

At the bottom of the package were a dozen gold-etched tablets with various patterns and a bag of freshly minted, perfectly replicated Resting Moon gold coins, deliberately aged.

With money and weapons, Chen Mo felt secure. His homeland’s care was heartwarming.

He carefully reviewed the attached documents, with the survival and development feasibility report from the expert team capturing his interest most.

For the feudal, fantastical world Chen Mo inhabited, with its relatively backward production relations and significant individual power disparities, the expert team analyzed its social structure while offering several action plans based on different boundaries and priorities.

They also included a peculiarly functional small gadget to aid him.

After reading, Chen Mo felt deeply inspired.

He suddenly realized that while guns and money were temporary aids, having a top-tier think tank backing him was his greatest asset!

Humming an off-key tune, Chen Mo creaked open the door.

Little Josie, sitting on the corridor floor, sprang up. “Lord Chen, are you done?”

“Yup, done. Where’s Little John?”

“Resting. We’re taking shifts, and he’s on night watch today.”

Chen Mo waved his hand. “Wake him up, pack up, we’re leaving for Qingze City!”

“Hurry!”

Qingze City, the largest city on the western bank of the North Foothill River in the Qingze Plain, was near two of the three mage towers Chen Mo had previously visited, with the third not far off.

Though mage towers operated as self-sufficient estates, human society still relied on basic division of labor and trade. Everyday necessities, spellcasting materials, and spiritual herbs couldn’t be fully produced by the estates and required exchange through large city markets.

Some goods or materials might need to be transported thousands of miles from the Northern Continent. Merchants wouldn’t deliver small quantities directly to a mage tower’s doorstep, so even the most detached towers depended on city supply chains.

Qingze City was the largest trading hub within a hundred-kilometer radius.

According to the expert team’s analysis, mage towers frequently traded with cities, and during the annual spring selection of students, these events took place in major cities. Assuming Starry Continent’s human nature wasn’t vastly different from Blue Star’s, it was reasonable to deduce that a powerful interest group tied to the mage towers existed in nearby cities.

Breaking through via this group would likely be more successful than probing at the mage towers themselves.

It was like approaching a major corporation without an appointment—guards and receptionists would block you, but finding the right contact could open the door.

A winding path leads to hidden places!

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