Chapter 423 - 412: Industrial Heart
Four years and three months have passed since Allen struck a deal with King Alexander.
Most of the goals from the first five-year plan have been completed in that time.
The Aiselan Kingdom’s development surged forward like a behemoth pumped full of hormones, growing with an almost frenzied, untamed power.
Allen wasn’t surprised by this.
When a backward civilization is forced to skip centuries of technological accumulation and is directly infused with higher-dimensional knowledge and productivity, explosive growth is the inevitable result.
But it wasn’t enough.
The growth rate of the data pool was beginning to lag behind the iterative needs of the Allen Network model.
He needed a more potent catalyst—a powerful push capable of inducing a qualitative transformation in the entire structure of civilization.
And so, the first Earth Vein Magic Furnace in the history of the Aiselan Kingdom was about to come online.
...
In the newly constructed Alchemy industrial park in the eastern suburbs of Golden Stone City.
A colossal, factory-like structure spanning over fifty acres lay crouched on the ground like a steel behemoth.
This place was once a royal hunting ground. Now, a device within it was about to become the engine driving the entire kingdom into a new era.
King Alexander, Prince William, the five legion commanders, the twelve Hereditary Dukes, the deans of the three great Spiritual Arts Academies... every key figure holding power in the kingdom was present.
They stood on a circular observation corridor, looking down into the furnace core hall, which was dozens of meters deep.
In the center of the hall stood a cylindrical colossus.
Its surface was covered with countless complex Rune Circuits. A dense network of Magic Power conduits extended from the furnace’s body like the blood vessels and nerves of a great beast, spreading across the walls and ceiling of the entire hall.
This was Allen’s handiwork.
Although he had neutered the power output to two-thirds of a Cybertron Earth Vein Furnace for the sake of technological secrecy, once this "heart" began to beat, the stable Magic Power it generated would be enough to multiply the total production capacity of all the industrial zones around Golden Stone City several times over.
Allen stood before the control console. The Engineering Golems and over two hundred of the kingdom’s first-generation Alchemy Engineers had already completed all preparations.
These young people, with an average age of no more than twenty-five, gazed at the back of the black-robed man with an almost reverential look, as if on a pilgrimage.
He didn’t give any impassioned speech, nor did he perform any superfluous rituals.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Allen simply raised a hand in a signal.
"Ignition."
An electronic voice echoed through the furnace core hall via the broadcast system.
VMMMM—
A low hum resonated from deep within the earth.
In the next second, the entire world seemed to shudder with it.
On the observation corridor, the pampered nobles let out a collective gasp, many instinctively grabbing the railings beside them.
In the center of the furnace core hall, countless Runes on the surface of the massive furnace lit up, layer by layer.
A ghostly blue radiance of Magic Power surged through the conduits like a rushing tide, instantly illuminating the entire subterranean space!
At the same time, within Golden Stone City, millions of citizens were amazed to find that the Magic Lamps on the streets had suddenly flared to more than three times their usual brightness, illuminating the entire city as if it were daytime.
The light then quickly stabilized at a constant level, much brighter than before.
In the workshop district, Alchemy Equipment that had frequently shut down due to unstable Magic Power supplies now hummed with a joyous roar.
The craftsmen were delighted to discover that the large devices, which had previously required expensive Magic Stones to operate, could now draw power directly from Magic Power outlets on the walls, causing their costs to plummet!
The Earth Vein Magic Furnace ignition was a success!
The surging, raw Earth Vein Magic Power was being continuously drawn, filtered, and purified by the furnace, then converted into stable, industrial-grade standard Magic Power. It flowed through the energy transmission circuits already buried underground to every corner of the city.
On the observation corridor, everyone was utterly stunned by the miraculous scene before them.
"This... Is this... the heart of the alchemical industry?"
King Alexander leaned on the railing before him. He could feel the very earth beneath his feet singing, an unprecedented, majestic vitality erupting from the furnace’s core.
But he saw more than just power.
He also saw an era that was irrevocably dying.
The old era, built on noble bloodlines, talent in Spirit Art, and ancient traditions, was fading away to the roar of this iron heart.
Prince William stood beside his father, his heart filled with excitement.
He spun towards Allen at the main console, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Lord Weisren! If... if each of the five military garrisons were to build a Magic Furnace like this..."
Allen didn’t turn around, simply replying coolly.
"Stick to the plan. They will. And even more."
...
The chain reaction sparked by the Earth Vein Magic Furnace’s ignition was more intense than anyone had anticipated.
In the first month of operation, the total production capacity of Golden Stone City’s industrial district soared by 240%.
In the second month, that number jumped to 370%.
Large-scale Alchemy Equipment that had previously only existed on blueprints due to insufficient Magic Power could now be put into operation, and complex alchemical reactions that were once impossible could now all be performed.
The production of basic alchemical products increased exponentially, and their prices plummeted accordingly.
Reinforced farming tools, long-lasting Magic Lamps, Rune refrigeration units, simple water purification devices... these "luxury items" that once only wealthy citizens and nobles could afford began to spread into the homes of ordinary commoners at an astonishing rate.
But the most profound change was in the people.
The accelerated schools for alchemical artisans were already on their fourth term, having trained a cumulative total of over six thousand qualified craftsmen.
The first class of two hundred thirty graduates from the Spiritual Arts Academy’s Alchemy department had also officially entered the workforce. They became the technical backbone of the major workshops and mines, and they held a brand-new title: "Junior Alchemy Engineer."
A social class that had never existed before was rising at an unprecedented speed.
They were not nobles, nor were they farmers, and certainly not soldiers. They were "technicians" and "engineers."
Their income was several times that of ordinary laborers, their social status climbed rapidly, and they became the most steadfast and zealous supporters of the "Thirty-Year Reshaping Plan."
Allen even received the latest "Social Sentiment Report" compiled by Jarvis from the network.
The report showed that among the common people of the Aiselan Kingdom, the reputation of "Lord Guardian Weisren" had, in an incredible fashion, surpassed that of the King himself, even eclipsing any hero in history.
Soldiers on the northern front carved the initials of his name onto the backs of their shields, convinced it would bring them victory and good fortune.
After the autumn harvest each year, farmers in the south would spontaneously pour out the first cup of newly brewed ale in the direction of Cybertron.
Many young people even considered it the honor of a lifetime to work in an Alchemy Workshop, with a fervor comparable to fans idolizing celebrities in his previous life.
A momentous "deification" movement was sweeping the kingdom, entirely without Allen’s interest.
Allen’s only comment on the matter was a single sentence.
’A useless bonus on the path to pursuing truth. Not worth paying attention to.’
He closed the sentiment report and opened another file marked as high priority.
[Periodic Threat Assessment Report]
[...Based on observational data from the past four years, the scale, intensity, and frequency of the Heart Eater Beast Tides all show a steady upward trend. Compared to four years ago, the average scale of the Beast Tides has increased by 12.4%, the probability of High-tier individuals appearing has risen by 7.8%, and their aggression has significantly intensified...]
[Conclusion: Although current firepower is sufficient to handle the threat, this growth trend cannot be ignored. There may be an unknown underlying cause. Increased vigilance is advised.]
’Their numbers are constantly increasing...’
He had a hunch that this might be related to his "reformation" of this world.
When a civilization’s life force is forcibly stimulated, it’s like lighting a torch in the darkness, which naturally attracts more "moths" drawn to the light.
Or perhaps something even more dangerous.
Allen closed the report and rose from the command chair.
These were all problems that needed to be solved, but not right now.
The Aiselan Kingdom was undergoing a world-shaking social transformation, and Allen’s own research had never stopped.
[Project: Allen Network | Core Witchcraft]
[Current Model Completion: 38.7%]
[Note: Data pool is preliminarily saturated. The next simulation phase requires further societal structural complexification.]
[Estimated time for complete Core Witchcraft Inscription: eight to ten years.]
This was already faster than he had anticipated.
With an entire civilization as a data source, the progress of this Witchcraft, which would have originally required decades of tedious deduction, had been greatly accelerated.
An individual’s power has its limits, but harnessing a civilization and manipulating its rules is a shortcut.
Allen’s gaze fell upon another project.
[Project: Prometheus Plan Sub-item | Puppet Manufacturing]
[Progress: A brand-new combat Puppet chassis has completed 99% of assembly and is undergoing final compatibility adjustments.]
[Estimated Time to Completion: 71 hours, 59 minutes.]
As Allen watched the ever-decreasing countdown, a glimmer of genuine interest flashed in his dark pupils.
Four years.
The high-grade Puppet body he had custom-made for Rhine was finally about to be completed.