Chapter 1170: Preparing for the Storm

Turning the expensive into the affordable, the rare into the common, the unreliable into the stable and controllable—this was the cornerstone of how magitech transformed the entire world in this era.

The elves possessed the Starfall Sanctuary, an eternal sky fortress that had stood for centuries. It was the Silver Empire’s greatest guarantee of dominance, allowing it to look down on other nations with pride. Though the fortress’s power was limited to the southern continent due to its aging systems, as long as it floated in the sky, most countries on the Loren Continent could only gaze up at it with awe and respect. This wasn’t about the elves’ so-called “strict neutrality and peacekeeping,” but an inevitable reality born of overwhelming strength.

In the current international climate, Gawain and his entire administration had no intention of turning Cecil into a hegemonic empire. Yet, even so, he hoped to push the empire’s aerial capabilities forward. The elves’ sky fortress was an alluring and practical target—not just for military deterrence, but for a long-term plan close to Gawain’s heart:

Retaking the Wasteland.

There was only one Starfall Sanctuary, and due to power and maintenance constraints, it couldn’t stray far from the Silver Empire. Relying on it as the main force to reclaim the Wasteland was unrealistic. But the threat of the Wasteland remained, and the hidden dangers within it grew daily. Those living near its borders had to find other ways to ensure their safety. Using magitech’s unique advantages to mass-produce a magitech version of a sky fortress, building strength for the eventual counteroffensive—this was one of Gawain’s many plans.

But such a bold project was far from easy. Even with the Origin Laboratory’s near-magical acceleration and full simulation testing systems, the elves’ generous technical support, convenient magical assistance, and relatively mature anti-gravity technology, creating a human-made “Starfall Sanctuary” was no simple matter. This was far more than just a supersized “dragon rider.”

Rebecca’s attention returned to the blueprints before her. Her gaze slowly traced the orderly rows of anti-gravity devices and power spines as she muttered thoughtfully, “So far, the two biggest problems we’ve faced are these: First, the magical resonance and damage caused by running so many anti-gravity rings simultaneously in one system. Last time we tested the dragon rider’s anti-gravity rings, we burned out all the test equipment and nearly blew up the entire platform. We now have a potential fix—adding isolation layers and energy release devices between the power spines and energy-consuming units. Whether it works, though, depends on the next test.

“Second, how to effectively integrate such a massive system so all parts operate in harmony. The scale and complexity of this design are staggering. The number of magitech devices working under the same magical system is incredible—just the anti-gravity rings alone number over a dozen, and they’re all interconnected. If the coordination fails, the whole system might shut down. A sky fortress has to stay airborne; unlike ships or vehicles, if the system fails, it falls.”

“That’s why we need a ‘control center,’” Marlin Lesley nodded. “This center would instantly monitor the status of every system in the fortress and efficiently control each part. Given the scale of the fortress’s systems, the complexity of this control center will push our current technology to its limits. Even if we manage to build it, very few people in the world would be capable of operating it.”

“That’s why I say servo brains and wetware hosts are invaluable,” Rebecca laughed. “Though our ancestors always complained about their aesthetics. Nothing commands a system this vast and complex better than a neural network. I agree with what Mr. Egg once said—the most exquisite machine life has ever created is life itself. Wetware hosts and neural networks blur the line between machine and organism. As long as neural tendrils cover the entire system, controlling the sky fortress won’t be a problem. Next, we’ll look at how to upgrade the system Grant Heavy Industries validated and incorporate it into our blueprint…”

“Ultimately, this idea is inspired by the elves’ Starfall Sanctuary,” Marlin said with a complicated expression. “I heard their control technology is essentially some kind of neural network too…”

“That’s not quite right,” Rebecca immediately shook her head. “Wetware hosts don’t consume population—they just use some sugar. The Silver Elves’ Starfall Sanctuary, on the other hand, consumes the queen.”

Marlin’s expression twisted oddly. “That’s a bit…”

“I’m not making it up,” Rebecca said seriously, tapping the table. “I spoke with Queen Belsethia last time. She said once you sit on the Throne of Dominion, you become part of the machine. You have to focus entirely on controlling the system. The operator selection is extremely strict—only members of the Morningstar royal family can pass the biometric authentication, and there’s some kind of synchronization rate involved. If the sync rate drops, the sanctuary’s efficiency falls. Essentially, it’s no different from the old days when mages relied on innate talent or magical artifacts required casting ability.”

Rebecca crossed her arms, her expression grave. “So, in my view, the elves’ Starfall Sanctuary is fundamentally flawed. Even if they fix it, it will always be a burden. For the Silver Empire to develop, sooner or later they’ll have to find a way to break free from this problematic ‘antique legacy.’ Didn’t our ancestor say something about breaking down before building up? Anyway, I think the Silver Empire needs that ‘breaking’ process right now.”

“Uh… you’re right, but that’s not exactly what I meant…” Marlin coughed awkwardly, rubbing his nonexistent sweat from his brow. The princess’s way of speaking was always peculiar. For someone like him, with somewhat traditional thinking, discussing certain “upper-level topics” with her always brought extra pressure. He even suspected he’d lost half his hair just from talking with her.

Rebecca seemed oblivious to the new pressure she’d just placed on her reliable subordinate. Her attention was caught by Marlin’s gesture, and she glanced up, surprised. “Hey, Marlin, you’re losing hair again?”

“Well… thanks for your concern,” Marlin said, embarrassed, scratching his nose. “It’s not too bad. After all… middle age, you know…”

“Ah, then I suggest you see Pittman. He’s been working on some alchemical hair regrowth ointment lately. I don’t know who keeps ordering it from him every now and then, but you could give it a try. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but I haven’t heard of any serious side effects…”

“Thanks, I’ll consider it.” Marlin’s embarrassment nearly overflowed as he desperately searched for a way to change the subject. Luckily, before he could speak, Rebecca had already moved on—her attention always flitting rapidly from one thing to another. While Marlin stood awkwardly, she rose from behind the large desk and walked to a nearby floor-to-ceiling window.

Rebecca’s gaze drifted outside.

This was the deepest part of the facility, a highly classified area. Only from her office window could one see this section of the administrative district—a vast enclosed space illuminated by high-powered magic crystal lamps, revealing a broad assembly platform and a lattice of steel support structures. Under the glow of massive spotlights, cold shadows traced the outlines of unfinished anti-gravity rings, giant power spines being welded, mobile mana obelisks, busy engineering vehicles, and countless workers and technicians bustling between enormous components.

“The burned-out parts have all been replaced… Before we install the batch of components sent from Pompeii City, we should do more prep work in Test Field No. 2,” Rebecca said softly. “Marlin, prepare another simulation framework. We’ll verify the power spine modification again. Also, contact the computing center and borrow their wetware servos—we can test the new power spines and neural network control system together.”

“What about the budget…” Marlin couldn’t help but ask. Though this wasn’t his concern, the conversation he overheard outside made him uneasy.

“I’ll apply for it. It’s just an unplanned test,” Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. “And even if we burn it, losing a simulation framework and some wetware servos is better than losing the main power spine on the dock. Auntie will understand.”

Marlin looked at the princess for a moment, then bowed his head. “…Understood, Minister. I’ll arrange it immediately.”

…

In Cecil City, inside the Grant Chancellor’s office at the Administrative Hall, Hetty set down a report, her face showing signs of fatigue. She rubbed her aching temples and sighed softly.

At that moment, the door opened, and Gawain’s voice came from the entrance. “Already sighing as soon as I walk in, Hetty? Another tough problem? Is Bertram’s village reconstruction or the free mercenary retraining stuck again? Or is the Planning Department giving you trouble?”

“If it were just those, it’d be easier—just a matter of reallocating personnel and adjusting schedules,” Hetty sighed again, rubbing her temples. “It’s our dear Miss Rebecca…”

Before Hetty could finish, Gawain waved a hand and said casually, “I get it. Budget.”

Hetty looked up at her old master helplessly. “A month ago, Project 115 suffered a meltdown accident. No casualties, but critical materials and the test field were severely damaged. Two weeks ago, the same site had a second meltdown, destroying all test equipment and nearly blowing up the test field—thankfully, safety measures prevented further disaster. Now Rebecca has submitted a third-phase budget request… even higher than last time by several percentage points.”

She shook her head, her usually beautiful face clouded with worry. “I understand the importance of Project 115, but signing off on this with a calm mind is really hard.”

Every time she saw the magitech department’s budget list, her hand trembled slightly. Sometimes she wanted to delegate it to her chief financial officer, but most of Rebecca’s requests involved classified projects, so final approval had to come from her, the Grant Chancellor. Hetty felt pessimistic about the future—her trembling hand would likely keep trembling for many years to come.

Seeing Hetty, usually composed and mature in public, reveal such helplessness before him, Gawain almost smiled but controlled himself, shaking his head slightly. “Looks like this really is a money-burning project…”

“This project was initiated by you,” Hetty glanced at the old patriarch. “Have you forgotten?”

“Of course not. And we all understand the necessity of Project 115,” Gawain cleared his throat twice, his expression turning grave. “Out there in the Wasteland… I’m afraid the time we have left is running out.”

Seeing the change in Gawain’s demeanor, Hetty straightened her back, her face growing serious. “Has the outpost at South Gate Fortress detected anything?”

“Not yet. But the Silver Empire has reported that their sentinel towers have detected several irregular energy bursts deep within the Wasteland… and these don’t look like natural phenomena.”

“Energy bursts…” Hetty repeated softly. “So those creatures hiding deep in the Wasteland aren’t trying so hard to conceal themselves anymore…”

“They know we outsiders can’t touch them, and the only force that poses a threat to them—the one inside the Core Region—can’t leave that area,” Gawain nodded. “Their previous low profile was just to avoid raising alarm among the neighboring nations and accelerating their development. Now that they’re less discreet… it means their confidence is swelling.”

“If that’s the case… can Project 115 really keep pace?” Hetty’s voice was laced with worry. “Relying on something that might not even be completed anytime soon—or at all—to defend against an unknown threat erupting from the Wasteland doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”

“That’s why Project 115 is only one of our strategies,” Gawain said in a low voice. “Right now, we’re focusing on building strength—stacking it up as much as possible before that wall collapses. Ideally, we’ll amass enough power to push into the Wasteland and quell those cultists before they can stir up trouble. This morning, I approved the joint proposal from Generals Mariland and Philip to begin construction of several ‘advance railways’ leading to the Great Wall before autumn. These will support our ground mobile fortresses. I’ve heard Typhon is working on similar plans—they’re rushing to rebuild several key superhuman legions and reinforcing troops along the Great Wall. The Kingdom of Gaoling, the Ogure Tribe, and even alliance members not directly bordering the Great Wall are taking their own measures.

“The fact is, our warnings within the alliance are finally having an effect—countries no longer dismiss the threat from the Wasteland like they did in previous years. That’s a relief, at least.”

(End of chapter)