Echoes of the Past

Judging from Nora's current situation, Nan'an should be the only one who has witnessed the flourishing of applied magic at the end of the Gray Star era.

That was an era in which the fervent exploration of the path to divinity, the intellectual ferment of the new religious movement, and the rational light of cultural enlightenment intertwined and collided.

Before her death, Nora was like a furnace repeatedly forged and filled with gunpowder by these three forces. No one knew whether the next moment would bring a brilliant spark of new life or a violent explosion that would devour everything.

Most of the people Southampton knew were pessimistic, believing it would be a cataclysmic upheaval that would engulf the entire continent, except for those who hoped to climb the ladder of advancement amidst the chaos—whether it was Aslipan or the bookworm, they were all desperately seeking a transformation, temporarily shedding their adventurer identities.

In short, the subtle point is that the "triple forces" at the end of the Gray Star era directly or indirectly shook the old social and production structures.

For the first time, the blessings of magic flowed on such a large scale from the lofty halls of magicians to the workshops of ordinary craftsmen and the homes of farmers.

In the year that Nan'an's life ended, he had heard from traveling merchants that some elven tribes in the far north of Nora, with the help of fairies, had created an ingenious device that could be stably driven by magic energy, and had even achieved the initial success of concentrating and condensing the raging magic into a controllable and clean reactive energy source.

"You don't happen to know those northern elves and fairies, do you?"

Suiyue tilted her head, clearly mistaking Nan'an's vague "north" for the specific name of a certain elven tribe.

Nan'an didn't correct her little misunderstanding—it's not a bad thing to let her rack her brains a little to figure things out occasionally.

"I don't know them, but the Dark Elf Master Craftsman that the Red Rat Adventurers have been dealing with will praise the elves' superb skills with gritted teeth," Nan An explained.

The pen pauses, finishing with a final, smooth arc.

Nan'an pushed the completed drawings in front of Suiyue.

Suiyue leaned down, placed her hands on the edge of the table, and stared intently at the complex and precise structural diagram on the paper for a long time.

"He's quite..." she chose her words carefully, raising an eyebrow slightly, "...handsome?"

The main body consists of two upright, side-by-side hollow, transparent crystals that resemble oversized metal oxygen cylinders.

Behind the crystal pillar is a striking structure—a ring radiating a soft glow.

Suiyue could fully imagine the wondrous scene of light shining behind her after she wore the device.

Two flexible tubes extend from the side of the crystal cylinder, converging in front of the user's waist and abdomen, and finally closing with a complex metal buckle.

Nan'an explained, "I will make it into a foolproof triggering and locking mechanism, so that it is easy for you to use."

Suiyue didn't care much about Nan'an's "foolish" thoughtfulness at this moment; she was only curious about one thing.

"What are its uses? Tell me about them."

"Storing magic," Nan'an explained simply. "The magic array embedded in the halo ring enables daily magic storage. The pillar is made of materials with magic-suppressing properties to ensure the purity of the magic is enhanced. Finally, the magic is connected to the belt buckle through the pipes you see, allowing you to easily access and absorb the magic in a form that fits your body."

"This device also has an advanced feature: using extremely pure elemental essences for snap-fit ​​embedding, while simultaneously improving and enhancing the elemental resistance of the pillars and delivery pipes, it can achieve the conversion of magic power into elements, thus amplifying external elemental magic."

Suiyue was completely bewildered.

"How much will I improve if I wear it?"

"That depends on the strength of the material," Nan'an said. "I've seen people at the second or third rank forcibly possess the magical power of the sixth rank."

"Wouldn't that mean everyone would be a high-level mage?!" Suiyue exclaimed. "Would the Gray Star Era be filled with archmages?"

"Wake up." Nan An glanced at her, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Having magic power without the corresponding knowledge, control, and understanding of magic is like giving a child a heavy sword. He might be able to lift it, but can he swing it? Can he swing it accurately? You don't actually think that the fireball a high-level mage casually conjures is the same thing as the simple, straight flame you know, do you?"

When those craftsmen designed these devices, they did indeed have the idea of ​​restoring the power of sheer numbers in magical battles.

They hoped that even soldiers with mediocre magical talent could gain the ability to contend with low-level mages through equipment. However, in the end, it was not low-level mages who used it the most, but summoners and necromancers.

"Please, the other me!"

Shouting strange words and forcibly completing summoning and necromancy control using abundant external energy became the mainstream practice for a time.

The reason Nan'an hates necromancers is because the adventurers have fought too many disgusting guys who rely on external magic over the past six years.

Despite his weak physical strength and possibly even weaker magical foundation than that of a transmigrator, the hidden energy on his back allowed him to engage in combat with well-trained adventurers in the corpse-strewn area.

Even now, in the Black Mist Era, the ingenuity created by artisans out of fear of high-level magic going out of control has not been used on the path they believed to be right.

After staring at the finished product diagram for a long time, Nan'an glanced at Suiyue and said, "Go to bed."

"well?"

"It's time to sleep. Tonight I'm going to teach you Element Drive."

"But the last time I studied was about mastering the precision of spellcasting."

"I don't have that much time for you to improve slowly, I'll show you the shortcut."

After coaxing Suiyue into bed, Nan'an confirmed that everything was normal in the Kren Cave using the central magic array. He then stroked the cat's fur—it felt so good, he felt uncomfortable if he didn't touch it for a day!

"Cat food, wake up Suiyue in case of an emergency."

"Gurgle~~ Meow."

Although Nan'an was curious about why the cat food was making such a fuss, he was relieved when he thought that the Nightmare God was an incomprehensible being.

As Nan'an's consciousness receded like the tide into his own mental space, the Deep Cave of Kren fell into complete silence.

Only the soft glow of the magic crystal and the cat's steady, long breathing remained.

Bored out of his mind, Cat Food wandered to the storage area and began processing the ingredients needed for tomorrow.

It has a strong ability to self-manage.

……

……

For four consecutive days, Nan'an and Suiyue did not step out of the Keren Deep Cave.

It wasn't until Pirion sent someone to inform them that the payment for the horn had been settled that Suiyue, who was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open, yawned and dragged her heavy steps to the gate of the governor's mansion.

Nan'an struck hard. Although the injuries in the consciousness space would not be inherited into reality, the knowledge was poured into the brain and urgently needed to be digested, which in itself was a challenge for Suiyue.

Pirion had no intention of showing up himself and only wanted to ask the butler to pass on the matter, but Suiyue insisted on talking to him as "Erlu".

With Elu's authority paving the way, even though Pirion was extremely busy with official business, he could only grit his teeth and "squeeze out" a moment to receive Suiyue in his study, dressed in a loose and casual robe.

Let's not beat around the bush; Nan'an showed up directly.

"I won't look at the items. I have a list here; can you give me an estimate?"

Pirion frowned as he took the order, and after only a glance at the top of the form, he looked up in confusion.

"What are you planning to do with a standard healing potion vial of antidote dust?"

In the continent of Nora, a standard healing potion bottle has a capacity of approximately 1 jin (500 grams), a figure estimated by Nan'an based on the items he carried during his time travel.

"Shouldn't we need to report the purpose of the deer?"

Pirion scratched his head: "Even in the Gray Star era, Extinction Dust was a high-value item, most likely only appearing in barter situations. Don't tell me people back then could abuse Extinction Materials?"

"I may not need that many, but I want to understand the market situation."

Pirion bluntly stated, "The market conditions are not much different from back then." Pirion frankly said, "Most of the time it is still barter, but it is not impossible to buy with currency. You just need to wait until there is a holder who is willing to accept currency for exchange, and the price you offer can persuade him."

"What about the rest of the list?"

"Monster materials are relatively easy to obtain." Pirion's gaze moved downwards. "Regular currency transactions can generally meet the needs, but for a few items... you may need to find substitutes with similar performance."

"For example?"

"Serpent scales." Pirion picked up a piece of dried fruit from the table and popped it into his mouth, chewing as he spoke. "Since the year 162 of the Black Mist Calendar, all of Nora's ocean shipping routes have been cut off, and no trace of serpent activity has been observed in the coastal areas. Therefore, serpent relics circulating in the market today are extremely expensive; you can think of them as... rare collectibles."

Nan'an asked, puzzled, "We can't find any trace of the siren at all?"

"Yes, 162 years later, Solitz and Onze both used their own methods to explore the coastal waters unaffected by the black fog, trying to find traces of them. Indeed, many traces of their former life were left on the seabed, but no traces or evidence of their large-scale migration have been found to this day."

The rulers of the ocean, who stood shoulder to shoulder with dragons in the legends of Nora and were at the pinnacle of the "superior magical races," quietly withdrew from the historical stage of the continent.

During their conversation, Suiyue acted as if she were no stranger to the group.

She strolled to the desk, casually reached into the fruit bowl, picked up a piece of candied fruit, popped it into her mouth, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction, completely ignoring the complex look that Pirion gave her, a look that was a mixture of astonishment and "How could you be so casual?"

"Haven't we always heard this story?" Suiyue mumbled between chews, "that the sirens, because they weren't significantly affected by the black mist, decided to lead their entire race deep into the ocean to find the source of the mist, hoping to become heroes who save the world?"

"Miss Suiyue," Pirion looked at the uninhibited "mummy" girl and rubbed his temples helplessly, "You're already 19 years old this year. It's time to clear those fairy tales that the nuns in the Church of Dawn use to lull children to sleep from your mind."

He lowered his hand, his expression turning serious: "At that time, there were two sirens tribes inhabiting the waters around Nora. Conservatively estimated, the total number of adult sirens exceeded 3000, and there were at least 100 newborns and larvae."

"The siren race already has a low birth rate and a thin bloodline. Tell me, what earth-shattering reason could make a race that values ​​offspring and lineage so much willing to risk the annihilation of the entire race and the extinction of its bloodline by making such a near-suicidal decision as to migrate as a whole?"

"Why not leave some sea monsters behind to guard the newborn members of their race?"

Nan'an pondered for a moment: "What kind of materials could the money from selling the horn cover?"

Pirion picked up his pen and began to sketch.

"Let's do it this way. I'll figure out the rest myself." Nan An nodded.

Pirion stood up, picked up his coat, and casually draped it over himself.

"You're being so polite, are you even going to see us out?" Suiyue chuckled. "We've gotten to know each other so well already, there's no need to be so formal!"

Pirion raised his eyes and looked at Nan'an.

"How would you feel if you were summoned by a child like this?"

Nan An laughed and said, "Training from scratch is very rewarding."

Suiyue looked left and right, puzzled as to why the two of them were smiling as if they had reached a consensus...

How is she acting like a child?

Pirion walked down the corridor and said, "I'll be dealing with important figures from the central government for the next two days. If you need anything, speak to my butler."

"Is it related to your not taking sides?"

"You read the booklet I gave you?" Pirion chuckled. "Without you, I could have avoided these troubles for a while longer."

For some reason, Nan An felt a subtle sense of guilt when Pirion said those words in a calm tone.

"Right now, it seems that I'm being seen by some strange people as being on the same side as the Crow, although I don't know which side the Crow and the Deer belong to if they don't take a stand." Pirion smiled bitterly. "Not taking sides is taking sides, that's the current situation. It seems that this time there's really no escaping it, and everyone has to give an answer."

The issue of the living erosion involves the consensus of the existing races in Solitz, leaving absolutely no room for compromise.

He gestured for the butler to come closer, gave him a few instructions, and then coaxed Suiyue like a child, saying, "If you like candied fruit, just tell your uncle, and he'll have someone prepare some for you."

"What do you mean? You've been underestimating me since just now!"

"Don't get me wrong, I just think that dealing with you this way will prevent outsiders from misunderstanding." Pirion spread his hands. "Giving you candy, no matter who sees it, is like an elder's care and love for a child. It can't be taken too seriously. You like to eat it, and I like to give it to you. It's a win-win situation."

Pirion's points are all valid, but Suiyue just feels...

"This guy is laughing at me!"

"By the way, old man," Pirion said to Nan'an with an increasingly casual tone, "Go to Sicklewater Canyon sometime. As the governor of the Erlu region, you haven't officially shown your face there yet. Don't you want to see the elites of Angze? After all, that's where you started. Besides, many people are very interested in Suiyue now, since she's the youngest regional governor. If you want to trade for Demon Suppression Dust, it's always good to know more people."

After Pirion left, Suiyue was sulking.

"Don't hold your breath, they've just adjusted their mind and decided to side with us."