Chapter 306 - 299: Ignition and Planning
Chapter 306: Chapter 299: Ignition and Planning
In the center of the workshop, a five-meter-tall Earth Vein Magic Furnace stood silently.
"Jarvis, activate the Magic Power Stabilization Force Field. Prepare for ignition."
[Force Field deployed. Ignition sequence countdown: three, two, one.]
Allen closed his eyes slightly, the vast Spiritual Power of a Second-level Wizard pouring forth as he delved deep to observe the Magic Furnace’s core nodes.
HUMMM—
A dull tremor reverberated through the room.
The spatial anchoring Runes at the base were the first to light up, followed closely by the activation of the Earth Vein Magic Power Connection Array.
In the empty space at the center of the Magic Furnace, a tiny fissure, difficult to discern with the naked eye, was torn open.
Wild, impure Chaos Magic Power from deep underground surged in like a bursting dam.
The Magic Power refining matrix activated in response, acting like a filter, stripping and converting the Chaos Magic Power layer by layer. The piercing red light in the furnace core gradually turned into a gentle blue.
[Magic Power purification and stabilization systems operating normally.]
[Main furnace core output: stable. Current power is 1.7 times that of the original volcanic Magic Furnace.]
[Grid connection successful. Main workshop of Zone 18 energy supply rate restored to 100%, with a 32% surplus.]
Listening to Jarvis’s report, Allen was overjoyed.
’It’s a success.’
’It took nearly a million Magic Stones’ worth of materials, but I finally managed to create Earth Vein Magic Power from scratch.’
During this process, Allen had also verified some of his less radical ideas, optimizing the original design. This increased the power output by 9% and laid a solid foundation for future upgrades.
Energy was, and always would be, the lifeblood of an Alchemy Wizard.
With this, he finally had the confidence to re-establish himself anywhere.
"Display the zone map."
Blue light flickered, and a topographic map of Zone 18 unfolded in mid-air.
The once-dense cluster of red dots had thinned out considerably, while the number of green dots representing friendly units was increasing. Lost territory was gradually being retaken.
[Current zone recovery progress: Mines Number One, Two, and Three have resumed basic mining operations.]
Allen tapped his finger in the air, dragging a virtual model of the Earth Vein Magic Furnace to the border between Mine Two and Mine Three.
"Move this new furnace here."
Allen drew a circle on the map. "Using it as the core, establish a simple workshop."
[Calculating... This area is 100 kilometers from the main workshop. Establishing a simple workshop will require the allocation of one standard garrison unit and 10 Factory Servants. Estimated time: twelve days.]
"Execute."
Allen had a new idea. In the past, when Golems patrolled and guarded the mining areas, they had to travel all the way back to the Magma Lake Workshop or the main workshop to recharge. A great deal of energy was wasted on the journey alone.
Now that he could build Magic Furnaces himself, he could set up simple "charging stations" at the edges of his territory.
By placing the charging stations right at the mine entrances, Golems could recharge nearby, creating a seamless connection that would take the territory’s operational efficiency to the next level.
"The simple workshops won’t be under as much defensive pressure now, so we can build several more. Draw up a plan, investigate potential locations, and create a timeline based on our financial situation. The goal is to maximize efficiency."
Allen added, "As we restore production at the mines, we’ll expand these simple charging stations into sub-workshops. Once we have the money, we’ll mass-produce units."
[Command logged in the reconstruction sequence.]
Having solved the immediate energy bottleneck, Allen began to plan for the future.
"Jarvis, create a long-term production recovery model. Objective: within one year, restore the zone’s overall ore output and basic production capacity to pre-war levels."
A waterfall of data streamed down.
"Reorganize the existing Golems into the First and Second Legions and prioritize bringing them up to full strength."
Allen’s gaze was sharp as he rattled off his plans. "Within two years, create five more full-strength standard combat Golem Legions to restore our combat power to its peak."
"Also, rebuild the Flying Golem force during this period. Restore the Demon Eye reconnaissance and command nodes to a scale of 20 units. As for the Freedom Gundams..."
Allen paused, recalling the eighteen-meter Mecha that had looked like a mere action figure at the feet of his mentor’s Giant Divine Soldier.
"First, build five more Freedom Gundams. In three years, we’ll perform a second-generation upgrade, integrating the Earth Vein Magic Furnace technology to develop a next-generation Magic Engine."
"We must accumulate technological achievements and build a new generation of decisive-battle weapons before we leave the Molten Iron Mountain Range plane."
[Model simulation complete.]
Jarvis’s voice remained flat. [Commander, achieving this goal will require the gradual construction of three sub-workshops. The projected deficit in both materials and funds is extremely large.]
A shocking deficit appeared on the screen. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t be able to save a single coin for the next few years.
Allen’s mouth twitched.
’Broke.’
Even though he was now a distinguished Second-level Wizard, he was still flat broke.
"I’ll figure out the money."
Allen closed the map. "For now, list the unusable High-tier Magical Beast materials from our inventory on the fortress’s trade network in batches."
’The money for the legions could probably be covered within two years, thanks to the restored mines.’
’What really gave him a headache was the goal that seemed so close, yet was actually worlds away.’
’A demiplane fragment.’
’His mentor had said he’d saved the two largest pieces for him and Victor, and at a twenty-percent discount.’
Allen had run the numbers in his head.
A demiplane fragment of sufficient size had a market price of at least one million Mid-Level Magic Stones, which was equivalent to over one hundred million Low-Level Magic Stones.
Even with a twenty-percent discount, it would still be a colossal sum of over eighty million.
Right now, even if he sold himself, bones and all, he couldn’t come up with that amount.
"Based on the zone’s profits at its peak, if I didn’t eat or drink and used everything to buy Magic Stones, it would take about three to four years."
’Three to four years.’
For a Second-level Wizard with a natural lifespan of two to three hundred years, that was barely the length of a nap.
But during those three to four years, he couldn’t afford any large-scale combat losses or conduct any cash-burning technological research. He would have to save money like a mad miser.
’I’ll have to find a way to generate more income when I have the time.’
Allen stood up and flew to the open-air platform on the workshop’s roof.
The sky outside was still a sickly gray-black. On the horizon to the far west, the dark purple scar torn by abyssal energy still hung in the firmament, as if silently recounting the ferocity of that battle between Gods.
A scorching volcanic wind, laced with the smell of sulfur, rushed to greet him.
Allen raised a thin Magic Shield to keep the dust out.
He looked out at his steel territory, devastated yet vibrant, and for a rare moment, his thoughts drifted.
Eight years and nine months.
That was the exact amount of time he had been in this plane.
From a penniless zone director to his current state as a Second-level Wizard, he could, at last, be considered one of the strong.
"My original plan was to reach the threshold of a Second-level Wizard within ten years. Looking back, I actually accomplished it ahead of schedule." Allen chuckled softly.
A Beast Tide that swept the plane and a crazed Second-level Black Wizard had forced him into a desperate situation.
Under the extreme pressure of a life-or-death struggle, he had relied on the medicinal power of the Astral Spring and the Deepsea Echo Conch to forcibly carve the Golem Teleportation Technique into his Sea of Spirit, breaking through that gate ahead of time.
’Blessings and calamities are two sides of the same coin.’
If it hadn’t been for this war, even if he had advanced to Level 2 step-by-step, he would never have received access to all sorts of High-tier knowledge that his mentor made a special exception to grant, let alone the right to purchase a demiplane fragment.
’He might have had to spend a long, long time as a high-level wage slave before he could become a "qualified" Second-level Golem Wizard. Now, he only needed to wait a few years. He couldn’t ask for more.’
Allen reined in his thoughts and turned toward the changing room.
「Half an hour later.」
Allen had changed into a brand-new set of Wizard robes.
He had crafted them himself from the hide of a captured "Shadowcorrode Dragon," reinforcing it with Mithril thread. Not only did it possess extremely strong physical defense, but it was also permanently enchanted with a high-level Magic Shield.
He lifted his hand, glanced at the Ring of Flickering Shadows on his index finger, and then felt another spatial ring.
’Preparations complete.’
He walked out the workshop’s main door. On the landing pad outside, the Floating Ship Odyssey was already waiting. This time, there were no Storm Falcons for an escort, just two Gundams.
"Jarvis."
[Here, Commander.]
"Watch the fort. If any unexpected situations arise that you can’t handle, send me a highest-priority alert immediately."
[Command confirmed. I wish you a safe journey.]
Allen strode aboard, and the cabin door slid shut silently behind him.
"Destination: Forged Fire Fortress."