Chapter 473: Technical Value

From Gawain’s perspective, the technology of the Sleepless had always held great value—it just needed some modification.

A portion of the Sleepless’ technology was already integrated into the leyline communication network established within his domain, but what Gawain wanted went far beyond that.

What fascinated him most were the Sleepless’ achievements in neurosurgery and immersive brain-interface technology.

Daniel was the most experienced Sleepless technician Gawain could find. Having been a devoted follower for over a decade, he was intimately familiar with their technology. Even more valuable was his background as a mage—a “former profession” that endowed him with exceptional research skills. Although Gawain often criticized traditional mages as outdated and rigid, that judgment applied to the group as a whole. Individually, anyone who reached the level of an advanced spellcaster was bound to excel in mathematics, logic, and pure intellect.

Sure enough, Daniel’s pride showed as he reported, “My lord, there has been significant progress in this area. I referenced the schematics of the ‘crown’ device you previously entrusted to me and designed a connection apparatus suitable for ordinary users, preserving as much of its functionality as possible. It includes connectors that simulate neural bundles and a brainwave amplification array. In theory, it can achieve the same effect as that crown…”

He paused, a hint of apology and nervousness in his voice. “However, it’s still far from perfect. The biggest issues are its large size, making it completely impractical to carry, and its high energy consumption…”

Gawain listened calmly, inwardly relieved. As he had expected, entrusting this task to Daniel was the right choice.

The “crown device” Daniel mentioned was none other than the magical artifact Patty used when she fell asleep. It was a complex and costly Sleepless relic—the only device Gawain had seen capable of connecting ordinary people to the mental network. Some of the runes in the leyline communicators were even inspired by its design.

But Patty’s crown had major flaws: like all traditional magical tools of this era, it was overly complicated, delicate, and expensive—completely unsuitable for mass production.

So Gawain had handed the crown’s blueprints to Daniel, asking the old mage to redesign a “mental network connector” using his own artificial neural bundles and amplification arrays, combined with the crown’s runes.

Now, at last, the results had arrived—imperfect, but promising.

“Give me your current research data and blueprints,” Gawain nodded slightly to the old mage. “I will continue refining it.”

Daniel hurriedly complied, reproducing the data from memory through shorthand magic in this virtual space. Watching him work, Gawain’s thoughts began to crystallize:

The time might be right…

Daniel had undergone long observation and testing, and the security of this hidden virtual space had been verified. Perhaps it was time to share this with trusted people around him.

If Daniel’s connector worked, technicians in the domain could access this virtual space. Using its simulated environment, many research projects could accelerate…

Allowing Daniel and Kamail to interact with the domain’s researchers would make analyzing Sleepless technology easier and more efficient.

Until now, Gawain had kept his ability to connect to the mental network a secret, mainly for security reasons. He didn’t want the Sleepless to know their network had vulnerabilities or that he had infiltrated it. But after Daniel successfully became a Sleepless bishop, Gawain had used him to establish a rudimentary IP and security system within the mental network. Thanks to this, he confirmed that at least in the capital city of Cecil and its surroundings, there were no Sleepless network nodes. As long as those connected were loyal and reliable, there was no risk of leaks.

Lost in thought, Gawain watched as Daniel finished reproducing the data. The old mage respectfully pushed the rune-covered blueprints toward him. “My lord, this is all the information.”

“Excellent,” Gawain accepted the documents casually. “You know about the forces I’ve established in Ansu, don’t you?”

Daniel lowered his head. “Yes, your loyal servant has heard of them.”

“I’m considering having you meet with my subordinates in Ansu,” Gawain said, watching Daniel’s expression carefully. “Do you have any objections?”

Daniel hesitated briefly, then his face lit up with excitement and joy. “It would be my great honor!”

Clearly, the old mage saw this as proof that Gawain finally recognized his loyalty.

Gawain could guess what was going through the old man’s mind but didn’t call it out. Instead, he casually reminded him, “Remember, my identity in Ansu is Duke Gawain Cecil, founder of the state—not some wandering outsider.”

Daniel quickly responded, bowing his head. “Yes, I will follow your will…”

“Good,” Gawain nodded with satisfaction, then scrutinized the old mage from head to toe. “How are the effects of the patterns I gave you?”

At the mention of this, Daniel’s expression turned humble and grateful. “They possess incredible power!”

He then eagerly recounted the wondrous abilities of those strange patterns and their effects on him, especially the benefits after his mind stabilized. “…As my nervous system gradually healed, I felt my mind clearer than ever, my thinking as sharp as in my youth… It’s because of this that I was able to complete your assigned task so quickly and design the new brainwave connection scheme…”

Gawain hummed thoughtfully. “Any adverse reactions?”

“None—though I did experience the ‘blind euphoria’ state you mentioned. But it seems that as long as I maintain resistance, I can break free. That’s the most remarkable part: its intoxicating effect is stronger than any mental illusion I know, yet it allows the subject to remain as clear-headed as possible. I believe that unless someone willingly surrenders their mind, they won’t be fully controlled…”

Daniel paused, speaking cautiously. “However, I haven’t let my apprentices try it… I’m not confident in their mental fortitude.”

Gawain glanced at the old mage coolly. “You’re worried that once they experience that relaxed, pleasant state, they’ll immediately abandon the painful reality, aren’t you?”

Daniel’s face flushed with embarrassment and regret. “These years… my mind has often slipped out of control. Only within the mental network am I fully lucid. In the outside world, I’m almost a twisted monster. It’s natural my apprentices fear me.”

In reality, Daniel was a man on the brink of madness—volatile, cruel, and unstable. Gawain had learned this from scanning Daniel’s shallow memories.

Years of obsession with the Sleepless’ dark arts, compounded by repeated failures in magic and the aftereffects of neurosurgery, had shattered his mind. Over the past decade, his condition worsened until only within the mental network could he maintain relative sanity. His humble, obedient demeanor and sharp thinking before Gawain were entirely due to the network’s support. Outside it, he was little better than a madman.

But Daniel’s mental state was not beyond hope.

Gawain had taught him advanced knowledge of the leyline network and mathematics. During this process, he noticed that learning new things and making research progress greatly alleviated Daniel’s mental instability. Confirming this, Gawain decided to experiment.

He had copied the patterns from the tentacles of the sea demon Tyr in her kraken form and given them to Daniel.

He wanted to see how Daniel’s mind would respond to these bizarre patterns.

Tyr’s kraken form had left a deep impression on Gawain—the massive body, the countless twisting tentacles, the eerie and seductive appearance. It shattered Gawain’s preconceived notions of that “lazy, neurotic salted fish spirit.” The few special tentacles with their indescribable patterns and powerful mental contagion, capable of rewriting mortal minds, were especially memorable. If not for their comically positive effects, Gawain would have immediately classified them as signs of an eldritch god.

Even though Tyr’s patterns were too humorous to seem godlike, Gawain couldn’t help but associate them with divinity. Tyr had once said the original sea spirits had no kraken form; that form was modeled after a deep-sea “giant squid.”

Though Gawain didn’t understand why those salted fish spirits would imitate a deep-sea eldritch god and end up resembling a deep-sea trickster deity, he treated the patterns with caution. He wanted to test whether the patterns retained their effects outside the body and how strong those effects were. But he couldn’t find a suitable test subject in the domain until one day, when assigning a unit test to Daniel, inspiration struck.

No one was more suitable than Daniel—powerful enough to avoid serious accidents, a Sleepless follower with high mental resistance, and most importantly, mentally unstable to the point of needing treatment outside the mental network.

Still, Daniel was a valuable double agent Gawain had painstakingly cultivated. Concerned about losing control after exposure to these possibly eldritch patterns, Gawain gave many warnings. He explained the dangers and possible abnormal reactions, instructed Daniel to limit exposure to half an hour per session, and to stop immediately if strange, absurd thoughts arose—like the urge to dig up giant squids.

Now it seemed Daniel had followed these instructions strictly.

Gawain listened carefully to Daniel’s report on the changes he experienced. Finally, he exhaled deeply—

After contact with those insane patterns, the old mage seemed mentally rejuvenated.

“Continue testing the patterns. When conditions permit, your apprentices may try them, but be cautious. Also, keep these patterns secret from anyone outside you and your apprentices to avoid unnecessary trouble,” Gawain said as he stood, his figure gradually fading in the virtual space. “I will contact you again.”

Daniel also rose and bowed deeply. “Yes, my lord.”

The connection to the mental network severed. After a brief dizziness and sensation of weightlessness, the real world came back into Gawain’s view.

He saw Hetty sitting across from him at the desk, now resting her head on the table, fast asleep, breathing softly and evenly.

Gawain didn’t wake his eldest granddaughter—he knew she was truly exhausted and needed rest.

Typhon, huh…

“Everyone’s moving forward,” Gawain murmured softly. “No one ever stops…”

(End of chapter)