Chapter 198: The Pinnacle of Technology

What Pittman explained wasn’t actually complicated. The connection between divine runes and magical runes, as Gawain understood it, was essentially a process of “frequency conversion and compatibility.”

Though their structures differed, and their rune systems and activation mechanisms were not the same, both divine arrays and magic circles were fundamentally systems that consumed mana to produce effects. (Even the mana-gathering arrays of the ley lines didn’t generate mana themselves; they merely concentrated and compressed the naturally scattered mana in the environment, with some energy lost as waste in the process.) Because of this, these systems were inherently capable of interfacing—if only the right conversion method could be found.

Generally speaking, elemental runes and divine runes were incompatible. Forcing one to substitute for the other would only result in spell failure or chaos. Clerics explained this by asserting the supremacy of the gods, claiming that divine power was inherently superior to mortal magic, and thus low-level spells could never be compatible with high-level divine rites. But Gawain suspected this was simply a matter of difficulty—an issue of “narrow overlapping frequency bands,” nothing more.

His suspicion wasn’t baseless. It stemmed from the historical transition of druidic divine magic into arcane magic, and from the discovery of hybrid arrays in the mountain ruins. Now, the evidence confirmed his theory.

The so-called power of the gods was not inherently superior to mana. Rather, the connection between divine runes and elemental runes was simply more difficult to establish. Without theoretical guidance, finding the correct arrangement among countless runes was like searching for a needle in a haystack. That was why scholars believed the two systems could never be compatible.

But a thousand years ago, the mages of Gondor seemed to have found that “needle.”

Druidic divine magic had been lost. After the disappearance of the gods’ “blessings,” druids had to draw mana directly from nature to perform what was once divine magic. In this process, divine magic gradually transformed into arcane magic. The divine arrays, unable to be properly adapted, became obsolete relics. Yet Pittman’s discovery of the “interface” gave these ancient, abandoned divine arrays a chance to function again. To Gawain, the mystery of the divine arrays was finally unveiled.

They were, in essence, magic circles. The sacred runes were just a special kind of mana rune—distinct from elemental runes—but their energy couldn’t be drawn directly from nature. Instead, it required a layer of “filtering” or “conversion” to be usable. The inverse conversion array was the key to this transformation.

Gawain’s thoughts expanded further—he began to wonder about the mysterious gods themselves. What role did they play in this process?

Perhaps… they were the original and greatest inverse conversion array.

The gods purified and extracted the raw energies of nature, transforming them into so-called “higher-tier energies” capable of releasing divine magic—forces like the power of nature, holy light, or the might of war. Then, through strict doctrines as “authorization standards,” they allowed mortals performing religious rites to borrow these converted secondary energies. If this were Earth, it would be like an advanced nation monopolizing all primary energy resources—fossil fuels, solar, wind—and the technology to generate electricity, then exporting that electricity to a primitive country. The latter would leap into the electric age, but without the means to generate power themselves, they’d remain forever dependent, living a superficially modern life but fundamentally primitive.

Because they lacked the crucial “conversion technology” in the middle.

On Earth, humans are the only intelligent species, and differences between individuals are limited, so such monopolies are hard to maintain. But in this world, the gods possessed power far beyond mortal imagination—they succeeded in establishing this monopoly.

The “Fall of the White Star” three thousand years ago was the beginning of breaking that monopoly. On that day, the nature god worshiped by the druids mysteriously vanished, lifting the restrictions on purifying natural power. Mortals gained the ability to wield natural magic. Then, a thousand years ago, mages studying the flesh and blood of the gods in the Dark Mountains took a more radical approach to bypass the gods’ “permission locks,” and succeeded.

Yet the overall monopoly remained unbroken. The gods still stood, and mortals still had to pray to them for divine power. But the key to breaking the monopoly was now in Gawain’s hands.

“Do you understand what this ‘inverse conversion array’ means?” Gawain’s mind cleared, and he fixed Pittman with a steady gaze.

The old druid smiled: “I do. Honestly, I’m quite proud of it.”

“All the churches in the world will see us as enemies,” Gawain said slowly. “Ninety percent of the clergy will come after us.”

Pittman blinked, a sly glint in his eyes: “Not just the priests, but the ‘gods’ behind them as well.”

Yes, the gods behind them.

Though the Eternal Tablets hinted that “the gods are dead,” the undeniable fact remained that divine power still existed in the world. Gawain had to be wary of those “gods” lurking behind the scenes. Were they resurrected deities? Or usurpers taking advantage of a vacant throne? Whatever they were, they certainly wouldn’t welcome their monopoly being shattered.

“Don’t use the inverse conversion array technology on any divine arrays outside the druidic system for now,” Gawain said sternly.

He didn’t know how sharp the gods’ eyes were, so he assumed they’d leap up at the slightest provocation.

“I understand,” Pittman nodded, clearly cautious.

“We need to package this technology carefully,” Gawain continued after a deep breath. “This is an attempt to transform druidic magic into ‘magic circles.’ Because druidic spells originated from divine magic, it’s natural that ancient divine runes appear in the magic circles. Do you understand?”

“Of course. I’m just a low-level druid—I don’t know anything about stealing divine power,” Pittman stroked his beard, squinting. “I just copied the ancient druidic divine arrays from books and connected the ley lines to mess around. As for the so-called inverse runes… most spellcasters and clergy in this era only care if it works. Who cares about the principles or functions?”

Gawain detected a strong disdain—and even a hint of resentment—toward traditional spellcasters in Pittman’s tone. He knew there was a story behind it but chose not to press.

He nodded. “These cover stories are just precautions. As long as we keep the technology secret, we don’t have to worry about dangers from leaks. Only the three of us are here today. Until the time is right, this secret stays with us. At most, a few core technicians will know later. Understand?”

Pittman nodded slightly. Amber suddenly gave Gawain a horrified look: “You’re not planning to kill me to keep this secret, are you?”

Gawain casually tapped the half-elf’s head. “Do you have any normal thoughts in there?”

“Geez, isn’t killing to keep secrets a normal thing?”

Gawain gave Pittman a helpless look. “Honestly, how did you and your old buddy raise this girl?”

“Ah, we never expected her to turn out like this,” Pittman sighed dejectedly. “Her foster father and I worked hard to earn money and raise her. We taught her stealth, poisoning, grave digging, trickery, petty theft… even found her the best shadow tutors. We were so serious about her education—how did she go so wrong?”

Gawain: “…”

What kind of education doesn’t lead to trouble?! Amber’s worst flaw so far was petty theft—that’s practically angelic compared to this!

“…We’ll have to work on correcting your worldview,” Gawain said helplessly, waving Amber off. Then he turned back to Pittman. “Prepare detailed documentation on the new production process and equipment requirements. I’ll arrange for the industrial department to design the corresponding facilities. It’s winter now, so if we finish in a few months, we can start using them in spring. Also, I remember you recruited a batch of apprentice alchemists. Are they any good?”

Following Gawain’s directive to expand talent, Pittman had recruited a group of apprentice alchemists to teach the ways of nature. The usual story of pulling a poor kid off the street who turns out to be a prodigy didn’t happen. Among the dozen or so apprentices, none had true druidic talent; only two or three had faint magical sensitivity, barely enough to be mage apprentices. But druidic knowledge wasn’t just about spells—brewing potions, taming animals, cultivating plants were skills ordinary people could learn. Under Pittman’s guidance, the apprentices grew quickly and now served as the territory’s doctors and pharmacists. When needed, they helped Pittman prepare agricultural catalysts.

“They’re hardly prodigies, but they work hard and have basic alchemy skills,” Pittman stroked his beard. “Any plans for them?”

“Brewing potions in reaction vessels is technical work. Ordinary people can’t operate without training. Once the potion factory is built, it will need not only laborers but skilled technicians. Pick a few reliable apprentices to manage the factory.”

Pittman was surprised. “I thought you’d want me to manage it.”

“You should oversee higher-level R&D, not a single factory,” Gawain said, looking at him. “There won’t be just one potion factory in the territory. And druidic ancient divine magic… isn’t just for making potions.”

“Looks like you’re thinking far ahead,” Pittman nodded. “I understand. I’ll select some suitable apprentices to train and have them familiarize themselves with ‘factory production’ at the steel mill and mechanical research institute.”

Gawain exhaled. “Then… besides these tasks, I want you to start thinking about the next research project.”

Pittman blinked. “Next project?”

“To study the ‘why,’” Gawain said, gazing at the alchemy table’s divine and elemental runes, and the inverse conversion array serving as the interface. “Why can the inverse conversion array transform raw mana into so-called ‘divine power’? Why must divine arrays be powered by converted secondary energy? What exactly is the difference between mana and divine power?”

Gawain slowed his tone but looked serious. “Traditional spellcasters rarely delve into the deeper principles of magic. You just mocked that attitude yourself. We must not be like them. Especially with the inverse conversion array—it’s a technology dug up from ancient graves, a legacy of the old Gondorian Empire. It’s not some unexplainable divine gift, but something mortal mages developed. And luckily, we have the chance to study it. We can’t let this opportunity slip.”

Pittman paused, then smiled faintly. “Whenever I think I’m thinking far enough ahead, I find you’re already standing somewhere even farther, waiting for me to catch up…”

Before Gawain could reply, Amber cut in: “That’s just old man wisdom.”

(End of chapter)