Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 810 Chain Explosion Experiment (Part 1)

Clearly, Larry and Steelfur, two fresh graduates from the Advanced Institute, neither understood what "magic reaction" was, nor were they quite sure what role they could play in this research institute, given that they hadn't even published any theoretical research papers.

With a heart full of trepidation and questions, I entered and met the legendary Professor Quinn.

"Professor, the trainee researcher you requested has been brought..."

In the vast, cold, and empty laboratory under the high ceiling, two young men spotted a tall figure standing next to a central metal workbench. The figure was facing away from the door, slightly hunched over, observing something.

A loud voice, tinged with an unnatural metallic scraping sound, suddenly rang out, "Hmm, very good..."

He then slowly straightened up and turned around completely—

Despite having heard various rumors about this legendary professor before arriving, Larry and Steelmane couldn't help but show expressions of awe.

Professor Quinn is actually... an alchemical being who has undergone soul transformation!

The nearly two-meter-tall, fully mechanical body did not wear the ornate and elaborate classical robes that traditional alchemists favored. Instead, it was wrapped in a simple, pure white, waist-cinching lab coat. If it weren't for the silver metal head hidden in the protective mask and the pair of mechanical hands peeking out from the cuffs, it would likely be mistaken for a robust half-orc researcher.

"Don't be too surprised, young man... If you successfully advance to the legendary rank before undergoing soul forging, you will not lose control of magic after voluntarily becoming an alchemical creation."

This somewhat profound explanation clearly stunned the two men. Quinn didn't care whether they truly understood or not, and continued in a calm and composed tone: "Not long ago, I applied to His Majesty to recruit a group of young researchers from the Higher Academy to enrich the team. You two are among the first to arrive... Let's start with a brief self-introduction."

The more composed Steelfur was the first to recover, and quickly bowed, saying, "Professor, I am Steelfur, a dwarf exchange student from Cave City... My major is Magical Materials, uh... My current spellcasting rank is Apprentice."

After saying that, he nudged Larry, who was still standing there dumbfounded, with his elbow. Larry quickly continued, "Professor... I'm Larry, a transfer student. My major is Mechanical Applications, but... but I didn't pass the spellcaster exam, and I'm not even an apprentice yet..."

Quinn's bright white soulfire eyes flickered and burned calmly as he said in an unwavering tone, "It's alright. The experiments you'll be participating in don't require any spellcasting ability. Remember... just follow the procedures step by step, and you won't make any mistakes."

On their way here, Larry and Steelmane had already learned about the professor's general personality and work habits. They knew that he was a mentor and elder who seemed gentle and calm, but was actually very meticulous in his work. He was extremely demanding of his researchers, and if they did not meet his expectations during their internship, even if they were recommended by His Majesty, they were likely to be "returned" in a short period of time.

The two immediately perked up and said in unison, "Understood, Professor!"

Quinn then waved his hand, signaling for someone to take them downstairs to change into their lab coats. When they returned to the laboratory, they found that in addition to the regular researchers who were busy at their workbenches, there were several other young trainee colleagues beside them.

The professor's booming voice rang out again, and almost instinctively, everyone gathered around and focused their attention on the large experimental table in front of him.

"Since this is your first day joining the project team, I will be checking some common sense questions to verify your abilities..." As he finished speaking, a slender and flexible mechanical tentacle suddenly extended from the side opening of his lab coat, and the metal hook at the tip picked up a light blue, multifaceted crystalline mineral material from the lab table.

"Who can tell me... what kind of magical material this ore is?" The question had barely left his lips when an eager apprentice immediately shouted, "Professor, this is a pure magic crystal formed after the mature form of an energy-absorbing beetle dies!"

Quinn shrugged, remained silent for a moment without comment, and calmly scanned the other trainees with his bright white soul flame.

Steelmane shuddered at the gaze, then focused his attention on the magic crystal and immediately noticed its anomaly. Almost instinctively, he exclaimed, "No, it's not an ordinary beetle magic stone, but... but an artificial magic stone that has had all its pure magic energy extracted and then refilled with unknown energy!"

Wait a minute! How could a natural magical ore containing magic be man-made? Once pure magical energy is transformed into a magical structure with elemental or arcane properties, its stability will undergo a dramatic change.

Just like heating a pot of cold water to boiling, without the guidance of a spellcasting program, a slight mistake could cause energy turbulence.

The most direct result was an explosion.

This is why the magical bullets produced by the Royal Capital's military factory must be directly filled with pure magical energy extracted from beetle ore to ensure safety and stability during transportation and storage.

However, the energy fluctuations emanating from the magic stone in front of him were so great that even Steelmane, a low-level apprentice, could not ignore the difference in energy contained within it. Moreover, having lived in Cave City for more than ten years, he had long been an expert in identifying and authenticating various natural magic stones.

There's absolutely no way they'd admit they were wrong!
Amidst everyone's astonishment and uncertainty, Quinn suddenly chuckled and encouraged them in a rare gentle tone, "Very good. Although you don't know how it was formed, your guess is not wrong."

This is indeed a "man-made magic stone".

The professor then changed the subject, continuing, "Then tell me, what are the basic building blocks of magic? Don't answer with those outdated theories of spellcasting; use the new knowledge you learned in the North."

"They're magical microorganisms! And even higher-level magical buoyancy!"

This new theoretical research concerning the nature of magic originated from the Kingdom's Academy of Magic and Alchemy Experimentation Center. Although it has not yet been widely adopted by spellcasters in the Southern Territory, it has clearly undergone practical verification and is sufficient to overturn the traditional system of magical theoretical research.

"So, theoretically, as long as we can control these magical microorganisms and magical mayflies, we are fully capable of creating a so-called artificial magic stone. What do you think?"

How can one manipulate these microscopic entities that are completely invisible and intangible in the real world? Aren't their activities only occasionally observable through a magical microscope?
Everyone fell silent. Although they understood that Professor Quinn was trying to impart some extremely profound and advanced theoretical knowledge to them, the trainees who had just graduated from the Royal Academy were clearly not at the level of being able to understand everything with just a little guidance.

"Alright, no need to dwell on it... All you need to understand is that our research has progressed to the point where we have fully mastered the stage of manipulating and altering the basic constituent elements of magic. What you all need to do next is... to put this epoch-making theoretical research into practical application according to the current established program."

Quinn pointed to the pale blue, multifaceted crystal in front of him, its internal energy surging, and said with a serious expression, "Our first research objective... is to use this crystal to achieve a chain reaction of magical power!"

(End of this chapter)