Chapter 694: 694: The Highest Hall of Alchemy

Prearranged?

Of course it was prearranged.

You didn't really think John Wick would let them off, did you?

Surely not.

Musashi had rallied ordinary wizards to fight against the Ministry's Aurors and Hit Wizards.

How were they supposed to win?

By overwhelming them with equipment.

With insiders helping from within, the Ministry had been caught completely off guard.

One moment they withdrew, and the next their ashes were practically being scattered.

That was how fast it happened.

"Wait, how did he become Minister for Magic?"

Gus stared at the newspaper in confusion.

They had all been out there risking their lives, and he had nearly died several times, while Musashi had somehow ended up becoming Minister for Magic in Japan?

Gus was full of questions and beginning to doubt his life choices.

He secretly glanced at John, who was fiddling with a magic crystal, then cautiously tested the waters.

"Boss, you might not believe this, but I'm actually pretty good at staging coups and forcing rulers out too."

He was clearly hoping John would arrange something for him as well.

John glanced at him and nodded.

"Perfect. Infiltrate the Acolytes, take command of them, and force Grindelwald out."

Gus gave an awkward laugh.

"You really like joking around, Boss."

"You were the one who joked with me first," John said with a cold smile.

Timing, location, and people.

Musashi's success had depended on all three.

Timing: those foolish officials of the Ministry had demanded withdrawal from the International Confederation of Wizards, intensifying the conflicts between domestic factions.

Location: there were insiders within the Ministry. Minamoto Shige might have been scum, but he had left his daughter some connections she could use, and Minamoto Shizuka was in love with Musashi.

People: Musashi was a hero who had rescued the children from Mahoutokoro, and Silverhand had also been secretly supporting him.

If the Ministry had not insisted on threatening the International Confederation of Wizards, John would not have been able to move against them so soon.

On top of that, Musashi himself already carried a legendary reputation.

He had been the first to uncover the truth and had also been persecuted and forced to leave his homeland.

Like the heroes in stories, that made it much easier for people to love and support him.

If Gus wanted to try the same thing, he would first have to see whether he could shake Percy's position with the Twenty-Eight Sacred Families behind him.

This method could only work once by Musashi.

It would not succeed anywhere else.

John sent Gus away and warned him not to try injuring himself with Muggle weapons just so he could come back and scam compensation.

Having his thoughts exposed, Gus walked away with noticeably heavier steps.

John had many things to deal with now.

Especially matters concerning magical technology.

His decision to convene the wizarding schools had also partly been motivated by a desire to recruit talent.

At Uagadou, Transfiguration was exceptionally popular, and there were also quite a few scholars devoted to the study of alchemy.

John intended to recruit all of them into the International Institute of Magical Science and Technology.

Silverhand Fashion Construction contacted John to inform him that construction of the Institute's two major departments was nearing completion.

As director, John naturally had to inspect them in person.

What he had built was the highest temple of alchemy.

...

Viewed from a distance, the Alchemy Department was an enormous white structure shaped like a furnace.

It had not taken long to build, but the amount of material used was astronomical.

If the Ministry of Magic had tried to build it alone, it probably would have emptied its entire treasury.

John walked forward.

There was no door.

Only a wall.

He approached one section of the wall and walked straight through it.

An entirely new space appeared before him.

The staggered stairways and pure white design quickly brought a sense of calm.

The entire Alchemy Department was essentially a massive chimera assembled from countless alchemical creations.

Yet that chimera was perfectly harmonious, forming a single whole.

John walked toward the central sculpture, a Möbius strip shaped like a galaxy and symbolising endless circulation.

He took a large super magic crystal from his pocket.

He placed it in the centre of the Möbius strip, and the crystal quickly sank inside.

The next moment, the Möbius strip began to move.

As it rotated, the entire pure white hall underwent a dramatic transformation.

Gold spread across the Möbius strip, while the surrounding galaxy lit up in various colours.

"Perpetual circulation."

John looked at the Möbius strip.

This was a power-generating alchemical device he had personally created.

Like the Constellation Society's systems, it could absorb and store magic on its own.

It required only a single super magic crystal to activate, after which the machine could theoretically continue running indefinitely.

At the centre of the Möbius strip floated a sharply faceted super magic crystal that resembled a star.

Unlike ordinary super magic crystals, this one had been created with a far greater concentration and storage capacity of magic, making it an exceptionally stable magic crystal.

It floated there, continuously radiating magic.

The ceiling became transparent, while numerous rings of light descended and drifted through the air.

A huge illusory screen appeared overhead.

The defensive capabilities of the Alchemy Department were astonishing.

They even surpassed those of the Silverhand Johnny Specialty Store. The circular walls could absorb energy released from within, so there was no need to worry about explosions or similar accidents.

The exterior of this supreme hall was complete.

And the people who would fill it were about to arrive.

One day later, alchemists from Uagadou arrived.

Alchemists from France and Britain also came, all of them unable to keep from staring in amazement.

John stood before the enormous Möbius strip and spread his arms with a smile.

"Welcome to the future of the wizarding world."

"Here, you will create a series of inventions that change the world."

John smiled faintly.

"But first, you need to complete one task."

The alchemists, already stunned by the Alchemy Department, immediately grew anxious when they heard there would still be a test.

They had already been completely captivated by this place.

They would have been willing to spend the rest of their lives here.

Among them were young people, middle-aged scholars, and elderly masters.

The young brought progress.

The middle-aged brought stability and experience in execution.

The elderly brought a lifetime of knowledge.

All three were indispensable.

Seeing how afraid they were of being eliminated, John said meaningfully,

"It is a very difficult task."

He led the group through a door and into a room.

Inside were only rows of chairs.

At the very front stood a television.

For some of the wizards, this was their first time seeing such a thing.

John stepped forward and switched it on.

Images appeared on the television screen.

The alchemists immediately began whispering among themselves, discussing who might be using magic.

"You need to observe these images, study them, and recreate the things shown here in the wizarding world so they can function normally."

The first step in developing new magical technology.

Copying!

Start with Muggle technology and reproduce all of it in wizarding society.

Then innovate based on those creations.

Not only would this advance magical technology, it would also allow wizards to better understand Muggle inventions.

The alchemists were dumbfounded.

They had expected some incredibly difficult task, yet John was simply asking them to study Muggle technology.

But the longer they watched, the more absorbed they became.

Leaving aside the television in front of them, even something like an automatic stirring pot seemed similar to kitchen magic.

Then there were massage chairs and all sorts of other devices.

Gradually, the alchemists became fascinated.

From time to time, they began discussing how such things could be recreated.

John had already established the foundation for the new era of magical technology.

His gaze shifted toward the crystal within the Möbius strip.

If the Muggle world had nuclear energy, then the wizarding world could have its own magical energy source as well.

Magic crystals.

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