107: weapons of war

"Long live the Lord!"

"The Lord has returned riding a Griffin!"

"It succeeded! The Griffin has been tamed!"

Gasps and cheers spread from the city walls like ripples, quickly sweeping through the entire city. Clay, who was with the patrol, looked up at the majestic overlord of the Sky carrying the Lord as it slowly landed on the square in front of the central castle. His fists were clenched in excitement as he shouted a command: "Silence! Return to your posts!" However, his face was also filled with a sense of pride and exhilaration.

Linn gently patted Wind Wing's neck, signaling it to rest in the open space reserved for large flying creatures beside the square. He then leaped down nimbly and quickly instructed Clay, who came to meet him: "Summon Government Official Morton and Great Master Henry to the castle's council chamber immediately. There is an important matter concerning the very foundation of the territory."

"Yes, My Lord!" Clay's expression tightened. Sensing the unusual tone in Linn's voice, he immediately turned and ran off.

Before long, the key figures gathered in the castle's council chamber, a room that overlooked the entire city and featured rough maps of the Northern Lands and the nearby sea areas hanging on its walls.

Linn didn't waste time with pleasantries. He directly retrieved several crystals of varying sizes and colors, all equally radiant, from his demi-plane and placed them on the heavy oak long table. The moment they appeared, the elemental concentration in the entire room seemed to jump, and their shimmering glow illuminated the faces gathered around.

"This is..." The energetic Great Master Henry was the first to rush to the table. His experienced eyes bulged, and his fingers trembled, yet he didn't dare touch them lightly. He only sensed them from an inch away, his nostrils flaring as if he were smelling a peerless vintage wine. "So pure! So powerful! Fire, water, wind, earth... and even rare spatial fluctuations! This energy activity... far exceeds any known high-grade magic crystals on the market!"

The old alchemy master suddenly looked up, his burning gaze almost setting Linn on fire: "My Lord! These... where did you get them? How many are there?"

Linn said in a deep voice: "Shattered Star Island, deep within the Slumbering Sea of Forests, an open-pit mineral vein of an unimaginable scale. These are just some of the most common samples."

"A mineral vein?!" Great Master Henry sucked in a breath of cold air, while Morton and Clay also looked at Linn in shock.

"That's right." Linn confirmed their suspicions and then briefly explained how he found the vein, the protection of the Griffin race, and the legend of the 'Falling Star Core'. Finally, he said: "The Wind Wing race has submitted, and the vein is under my control. You should all understand its value."

"More than understand!" Great Master Henry's beard shook with excitement as he picked up a deep blue crystal, feeling the energy within that pulsed like ocean tides. "My Lord, regarding the 'Breakthrough direction of Magic-Guiding Technology' you consulted me on before, I have always been plagued by the scarcity and cost of core energy! But now..." A startling light erupted in his eyes, "with crystals of this quality and scale as an energy source, it's not just the 'magic crystal cannon' you envisioned that can be easily realized! It will be a devastating weapon with power far exceeding expectations! We can even attempt even grander creations!"

"Grander creations?" Linn's heart stirred.

"Floating Warships!" Great Master Henry almost shouted the words, his aged face flushed with excitement. "Using large and super-large crystal arrays of this type as the core power source to drive anti-gravity and Propulsion Formations, combined with an alloy hull infused with enough Mithril for good magic conduction and reinforcement, and then staffed with Arcanists to regulate the energy flow... we can completely build strategic weapons capable of soaring through the skies, unrestricted by terrain, integrating transport, fire strikes, and aerial fortresses!"

"Floating Warships?!" Linn was truly surprised this time. He knew that flying creatures and individual powerful flying curios existed in this world, but organized, mass-producible aerial warships? That was a symbol of power and strategic advantage on a completely different level! This was a giant leap beyond the magic crystal cannons he had anticipated.

"Master, with the current technical reserves of the Star Sea Territory, do we really have the ability to build such things?" Linn suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked cautiously. Dreams were good, but they needed a foundation in reality.

Great Master Henry calmed down slightly, but the fire in his eyes remained unextinguished: "In terms of technical principles, the ancient Arcanist Empire had fragmentary records of similar creations, and I have been doing theoretical deductions and some miniaturization experiments over the years. Previously, there were three major Bottlenecks: first, a stable, powerful, and lasting energy core; second, a main material that possesses both strength and excellent magic conductivity; and third, a sufficient number of Arcanists proficient in energy manipulation to maintain and operate the core formations."

He pointed to the crystals on the table: "Now, the first Bottleneck is no longer a problem because of your discovery, My Lord. One could even say we have the optimal solution! The energy output stability and total volume of these crystals are impeccable."

Just then, Government Official Morton, who had been listening intently, stepped forward. With a perfectly measured look of excitement, he bowed and reported: "Lord, regarding the second Bottleneck mentioned by Great Master Henry, the main material, there may also be a solution. Just yesterday, news came from the construction front of Shattered Star City. Near the newly developed stone quarry in the eastern part of the island, the exploration team found signs of an associated Mithril vein! Preliminary judgment suggests the reserves are quite considerable and the grade is not low! I was planning to report to you formally after confirming more details."

"A Mithril mine?! Also on Shattered Star Island?" Linn stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with sharp light. This was like someone handing him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy! No, it was like wanting to forge a divine weapon and then discovering divine iron and precious diamonds one after another!

"Yes, My Lord. It seems the legend of the 'Falling Star' was indeed not groundless. The gifts brought by that star go far beyond those crystals," Morton said with a smile.

"Good! Very good!" Linn paced back and forth a few times, quickly organizing his thoughts. "Energy core (crystals), main material (Mithril alloy), then the third Bottleneck, Arcanists..."

"The Sea God Clan." Linn spoke the answer. Among the Sea God Clan, there were many gifted individuals and Arcanists who could manipulate multiple elements. Given the current relationship between the Star Sea Territory and the Sea God Clan, it was entirely feasible to select and train a group of qualified warship Arcanists!

The three major Bottlenecks had, in a short period of time, seemingly miraculously all found potential solutions!

Linn took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. He quickly made a decision, his voice steady and powerful, carrying unquestionable authority:

"Great Master Henry, the Floating Warship project will be spearheaded by you. You are to conduct preliminary theoretical research, core formation design, and the construction of small-scale verification models. Meanwhile, the research and trial production of the magic crystal cannon, as the current primary project that must produce results as quickly as possible, is to be launched immediately! We need to possess reliable defensive and offensive means based on the new energy source as soon as possible. I will have Wind Wing assist in transporting the required crystals."

"By your command, My Lord! I will get to it immediately!" Great Master Henry's face was glowing, and he couldn't wait to dive into the laboratory.

"Morton!" Linn looked at his most loyal old servant.

"Present, My Lord!"

"Coordinate personally to immediately dispatch reliable personnel and resources to accelerate the detailed exploration and initial mining construction of the Mithril mine on Shattered Star Island. All output must prioritize the needs of Great Master Henry's projects. Pay attention to confidentiality and the security of the mining area."

"Understood! I will formulate a thorough plan and personally oversee its execution," Morton accepted the order solemnly.