The fairy maid cheers for her deceased master today.

However, things don't always go as planned.

Then, just as Ax was continuing to prepare for his plan to infiltrate the Moonlight Club, Elena brought him bad news.

She held a telegram in her hand, her eyes filled with worry: "Sir X, the Royal Magical Society has replied."

Yes, after having the idea of ​​exchanging experiences, and considering that the Church of the Holy Way happened to be a telegraph point, Ax directly borrowed the Church of the Holy Way to send a telegram inquiring about the possibility of exchanging experiences.

So it's coming so quickly?

Axe took the telegram; the unfolded page contained only one line of concise yet resolute text:

"Projection magic items are top secrets of the association and cannot be lent out. — Philomena"

Projection magic generally requires magical tools. This is essentially equivalent to the Royal Magic Association refusing to provide assistance.

"Looks like this path is blocked." X crumpled the telegram into a ball and threw it into the wastebasket in the corner, but quickly straightened his back, adopting an aristocratic air. "It's alright, we have a Plan B."

"What plan? Without projection magic, how can we create the illusion of aliens appearing?" Elena frowned.

Ex smiled mysteriously: "Who says you have to use magic?"

"Think about it... The mechanical technology of this era is advanced enough. Steam engines can drive massive ships weighing tens of thousands of tons, and clockwork mechanisms can simulate the flapping of birds' wings. Why can't we create incredibly realistic mechanical aliens? Come back to Miracle Workshop, and let me show you what 'mechanical magic' really is."

Without staying at the Church of the Holy See, Ax bid farewell to the pastor and returned to his workshop.

At that moment, Miss Sophie was wiping a brass-colored steam clock against the display case. When she saw them come in, she immediately straightened up, her beautiful skirt sweeping across the floor.

"Sir Axe, Miss Elena, Miss Angel, you're back! You're back so early today!"

"Yes, Sophie, we have a big plan." AX took off his coat as he walked into the inner room. "But we have to keep it a secret for now. I'll tell you after I've developed a prototype. Otherwise, people will think I'm bragging."

With that, X led Angel into the inner room and locked the door.

Sophie instinctively leaned closer.

But Elena immediately stopped the curious Sophie, shaking her head with a smile: "Sir Ax is working on a great invention, we mustn't disturb him."

"Honey, this is so mysterious."

Sophie nodded gracefully, but the curiosity in her eyes was almost overflowing.

Upon returning to the interior of the workshop, X immediately locked himself in a soundproof room.

Angel followed in carrying a pile of gears, her silver hair falling to her chest, her sapphire-like eyes sparkling: "Master, are these enough parts?"

"Put these basic parts on that shelf over there."

Ex ruffled her hair, sat down, and stared at the blank drawings on the worktable.

He began to seriously consider how to complete the design.

For X, who possesses the ability of equivalent exchange, creating a machine similar to the Xenomorph is not difficult.

However, to achieve a truly realistic effect, several core issues need to be addressed, such as the energy source, movement patterns, and the ability to conceal and disappear.

X picked up the charcoal pencil and quickly sketched the alien's outline on the drawing—a streamlined body, sharp claws and teeth, and skin covered in slime. Then he began to analyze the requirements point by point:

First, there's this alien machine; after it moves, it leaves behind traces of the swamp aliens' passage.

That's relatively easy to solve. The black swamp outside the city is filled with thick black mud, which carries a unique fishy smell and the stench of rotting plants.

By simply filling a bucket beforehand, scattering some in the underground passage of the Moonlight Club using machinery, and then using mechanical claws to make a few scratch marks, one can perfectly simulate the signs of an alien species appearing.

"As long as there are no members of the Holy Way in the club, no one should be able to see through it."

Ex muttered to himself.

The doctrines of the Holy See strictly prohibit fighting and gambling, and normal members of the Holy See would not appear in such places. Therefore, it is difficult to detect any signs of infidelity.

Even if the truth were to come out... I doubt Moonlight Club would dare to take the risk.

If there is any possibility that an alien species has actually appeared, they will definitely ask the Holy Way Society to investigate, just to be on the safe side.

Angel leaned on the table beside her, resting her chin on her hand as she listened to him speak, nodding occasionally. "Master is right, ordinary citizens and nobles definitely won't be able to tell it's fake!"

Next, we'll discuss the movement patterns and concealment mechanisms of the alien machines.

The alien species must be agile enough to disappear into the crowd in a flash, leaving a blurry shadow while creating panic.

But the underground fighting club is full of hidden masters, and there will definitely be experts who come out to investigate. Once the mechanical alien is discovered, the whole plan will fall through.

"It must disappear immediately after the mission is completed." X tapped his fingers on the blueprint. "Self-destruct? Or self-disintegrate? Yes, disassemble it into parts and mix it into the surrounding ruins. That way, even if someone investigates, they will only think it is fragments of destroyed tables and chairs."

The fastest way to self-destruct is through a small-scale explosion. The explosion should also be as quiet as possible.

He marked several key disassembly points on the drawings and used red ink to mark the area of ​​the explosion:

"This is where the creation of the energy source becomes crucial. The energy source can provide power and also serve as an explosive device at the end. That makes sense."

Finally, there's the matter of outward disguise. This only requires a simple, black, mud-like leather suit, so this is something to consider last.

For the next two days, the Miracle Workshop was filled with the constant clanging and clicking of gears.

Sophie tried several times to go in with some snacks, but was stopped by Elena, who was guarding the door: "Sir Ax is engrossed in his research, we'd better not disturb him."

"But I'm completely intrigued by Jazz," Sophie chuckled gracefully, glancing at the lab door. "I always thought his mechanical skills were top-notch, but this time they're sure to be even more impressive."

Sophie said she was so curious that she almost missed work.

Irene simply smiled and accepted the afternoon tea snacks.

After spending the last few days together, Sophie's outstanding work ability has earned Irene's approval.

"He'll definitely let you know once he's finished his research. Actually, I'm not even entirely sure about the progress."

"But Angel has been helping out inside the whole time. If you're curious, why don't you ask her?"

Sophie immediately turned to Angel, who hadn't yet entered the room. Angel was carrying a materials box filled with the materials her master had requested to be brought in.

Hearing Sophie's question, he tilted his head and thought for a moment: "Master is creating a monster that can run, fold and store, has sharp claws, and can explode with a 'bang'."

"That sounds so cool!" Sophie covered her mouth and laughed again. "Can I see it when it's finished?"

"That's up to Sir Ax." Elena opened the door for Angel, then took the snacks and went into the inner research room, closing the door behind her.

■

However, once Elena entered the room, she immediately realized that things were not going well.

At the front of the stage, Ax had messy hair and his face was covered in engine oil. He shook his head and sighed, "No, I can't do it at all."

"What's wrong?" Irene immediately went to greet her, offering her tea. "What went wrong?"

Ax took the water glass, drank half of it in one gulp, and then shook his head helplessly.

"I oversimplified things. My equivalent exchange magic isn't enough."

Since signing the contract, X has naturally stopped hiding his abilities from Elena.

Elena now understands that her master is sustained by Angel's magic. At the same time, her master, as a mage, also possesses his own magic.

"My equivalent exchange magic has a limited number of items that can be exchanged. There are many things I want that I cannot conjure up. The more complex the item, the harder it is to conjure."

In other words, there are no corresponding exchange formulas in the system for some urgently needed ultra-precision parts.

Even if they existed, the required materials would be too rare to be easily obtained in London; they couldn't be acquired through equivalent exchange.

Ex frowned as he looked at the pile of dismantled parts in front of him.

"I used to think this magic was enough, but now I realize that my magic level still needs to be improved."

Previously, X didn't realize that there was anything wrong with his low level.

Even the mighty Jack can be easily defeated by exploiting its weaknesses.

But now, he suddenly realized what it means to regret not having enough knowledge when you need it, and to regret not having a high enough level of magic when you need it.

Thinking about it carefully, I realized that my level and Angel's level were too low. We were basically holding Elena back.

No, I need to upgrade and add skill points!