Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 288 Solution

The runes on the disc lit up one by one, flowing like ripples of water and converging on the central fragment.

The almost invisible patterns on the surface of the fragments were reflected with an extremely dim, constantly distorting light blue outline.

"Tsk—fragments of the outer armor of a basic autonomous construct. Judging from the pattern and style, it's an antique from at least two or three eras before the Great Silence."

Bruno pointed to several specific geometric nodes in the outline of light and shadow.

"See? The energy circulation here is completely different from those fancy models later on. It's more direct, more clunky and bulky, but also more damn sturdy."

"It uses an early smelting formula for Star-Sinking Iron, which has long been lost."

"This thing is completely useless now except as an antique for research."

He paused, then added, "However, battlefields that leave behind such fragments are rare."

"Where did you get this, kid?"

"I found it on the edge of an ancient battlefield," Roland answered vaguely, then pressed, "What does 'Great Silence' mean? Is there any way to interfere with or block the tracking signals of these autonomous constructs?"

"Silence? Ha!" Bruno scoffed, tossing the fragment back to Roland. "That's all old, outdated lore; who knows if it's true or not."

"It is said that a long, long time ago, the magical network of the entire world was still connected. Then, some madman or group of madmen caused a huge mess, which led to the global energy tide going out of control. Part of the rules collapsed, and advanced civilizations collectively perished, leaving behind a pile of ruins and mysteries."

"The Great Silence is the period that followed, a time of magical silence and a break in civilization."

"Many of these ancient structures are legacies from before the Great Silence."

He walked back to the furnace, poking at the embers with tongs, his back to Rolin, his voice muffled by the whooshing of the bellows: "As for the interference signal—humph, if it's one of those high-end models that are still intact and operational, their tracking protocols and energy frequency bands are extremely complex. Unless you can completely decipher their underlying rules or obtain the corresponding access key, don't even think about it."

"but----"

He turned around, a sly glint in his single eye: "If it's a mark you're carrying, and not locked onto by a complete construct—then there might be a way."

"After all, a mark is an inanimate object with limited energy, and it depends on specific resonance rules."

"If we can find something that has the same origin as the tag but with higher privileges or a more special status, we might be able to overwrite or deceive it, temporarily disable it, or even mislead the tracking direction."

A thought struck Luo Lin: "Same origin, but with higher authority or a more special status?"

"For example, a more complete core fragment, or—a related creation in some abnormal activation state." Bruno rubbed his red beard. "But these things are extremely rare."

"The sunken town occasionally circulates some junk dug out from ancient ruins, but very little of it is actually useful."

"Moreover, even if we find it, how to use it safely is a big problem."

"If things aren't handled properly, it won't just mean the mark wasn't removed; it could mean attracting something even more troublesome."

He sized up Rowling: "That old fox Morpheus sent you to me not just to appraise these pieces of scrap metal, right?"

"Do you have that mark on your body?"

Rolin neither denied nor elaborated, but simply nodded: "The administrator said you have unique insights into energy metals and runes."

"I wouldn't call it unique; I've just lived a long time and seen a lot." Bruno waved his hand. "Let me see that mark. Through clothes and flesh, I can only sense a general outline."

After a slight hesitation, Luo Lin rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing his wrist.

The mark was currently hidden, and the skin surface appeared completely normal.

Bruno leaned closer, his one eye almost touching Rolin's wrist.

Instead of touching it with his hands, he took out a palm-sized, extremely complex and intricately designed multi-layered compass from his pocket, made up of countless hair-thin metal wires and brass gears.

He suspended the compass above Rolin's wrist and slowly rotated the outermost few circles of the scale.

An extremely faint ticking sound, like the movement of a clock, came from inside the compass. Several pointers of different colors began to vibrate slightly, pointing in different directions, but the amplitude was very small.

"Tsk—that's well hidden." Bruno frowned. "The energy level isn't low, and—it has a strong protocol and purposefulness. It doesn't seem like a simple coordinate marker; it's more like a receiver for some kind of—recovery command?"

"What the hell did you mess with?"

He asked the last question by looking directly into Rolin's eyes.

"Some inheritance that shouldn't be touched," Rowling replied briefly, rolling down his sleeves. "Is there a way?"

Bruno put away the compass, scratched his head, and a few specks of oil stained his red beard: "Difficult! I'm good at blacksmithing and repairing junk, but I'm not an expert in these complex energy protocols embedded in living organisms."

"However—if you can get a large enough fragment of a similar creation with an active core rune, I might be able to try making a jammer for you to temporarily block or disguise this signal."

"But this takes time, materials, and luck."

"Where are you going to find those kinds of fragments?"

"It has to be active; inanimate objects won't work."

He pointed to the metal spider remains on the workbench: "Things like this, completely dead, are useless."

"There must still be some residual activity, even if it's very weak."

Rowling remained silent for a moment.

Active fragments of the same kind of creation — this condition is indeed demanding.

But it wasn't entirely without clues. He recalled the dark golden fluctuations deep within the Gray Mist Depression, and the red-glowing cores on the Lesser Arbiters.

Perhaps those places hold what he needs.

But given his current state, actively provoking those things would be tantamount to suicide.

"I understand." Rowling nodded. "If I have any news in this regard, or if I find suitable materials, I will come to you again."

"What kind of compensation do you need?"

Bruno waved his hand dismissively: "Let's talk about it when you can find the thing."

"Lao Tzu was also interested in studying these ancient ruins."

"If it really works, just give us some rare metals or energy crystals as material costs."

"Now, if you have nothing else to do, leave. Don't keep me from getting to work."

Typical dwarf personality: direct, pragmatic, and with a love for technology itself that surpasses the pursuit of wealth.

After thanking him, Rowling left the blacksmith shop with Ellie without saying anything more.

The noise from outside rushed in. Ellie followed Rollin and whispered, "Mr. Rollin, is there any chance of success with Mr. Bruno's method?"

"The chances are slim, but it's at least a direction." Rowling's gaze swept across the bustling street. "It's more proactive than blindly waiting for Glenn to recover."

"However, searching for active fragments is too risky and is not the first choice for now."

"Let's follow Morpheus's plan, stabilize here, and improve our strength."

97

He turned and headed towards the free market on the east side of the town.

"Go check out the market. It's where the crowds are the biggest and the information is the most readily available."

"Listen to any recent rumors about ancient ruins, unusual energy fluctuations, or strange constructs."

Ellie quickly followed.