213: Chapter 211 Advancement in Strength, First Finished Product of Magical Technology

In Domit's eyes, there was an occasional glimmer of pure stupidity.

Fortunately, when it came to carrying out Zhang Mu's orders, there were never any errors or delays.

He rushed back to Moza Village overnight and returned to the City Lord's Mansion before dawn with Soldiers who met the requirements.

Thus, in the following days, Zhang Mu became busy again.

On one hand, he hurried to train the Soldiers to provide help to Geoffrey, hoping to achieve results in the research of 'Magic-Tech' as soon as possible.

On the other hand, he had to decoct herbs.

The herbs previously stored in the City Lord's Mansion had finished their mutation; Zhang Mu took them all out and set up a stove directly in the study to start working.

Many herbs were needed.

First were various levels of magic potions to speed up the practice of the Meditation Method.

Since the goal was Magister and Zhang Mu's current status was Beginner Magician, with three levels in between, he planned to decoct them all at once to save time and avoid trouble.

Adding the portions to be given as payment to the magicians working at the construction site outside the city, it was not a small amount.

The inventory of the potion Zhang Mu had been taking to suppress lung cancer was also nearly empty and needed replenishment.

In this way, every day after pouring the crushed herbs into the boiling iron pot, he would sit cross-legged, consume the magic potion, and frantically circulate his Cultivation Technique.

When finished, he still had to find time every few days to inspect the progress at the construction site outside the city.

Zhang Mu intended to complete the second stage of work before the war began.

Therefore, the workers at the site not only had no holidays but were working overtime stimulated by the generous rewards.

Returning from the construction site another day, Zhang Mu muttered that in another four months, the second phase of the project would be finished, just in time for the Kingdom's army to attack.

Once the enemies were dealt with, he could return to Blue Star for the next step of the plan.

Another day returning to the city from the construction site.

Today, Zhang Mu was in no hurry to go home; dressed in plain clothes with his hands behind his back, he strolled through the streets.

The crowd was as bustling as usual, but he could see that it was actually a bit thinner.

No one knew who started the rumor that the source of the Magical Beast Tide destroying surrounding cities was the Silent Forest.

And that in a few months, it would arrive at Gur City.

A laughable rumor.

Zhang Mu had questioned the refugees who fled to Gur City and knew that what attacked the surrounding cities was not a Magical Beast Tide at all.

According to the descriptions of some refugees, the calamity was only one person, seemingly a powerful magical creature.

Its massive body was taller than the city walls, and the entire figure was shrouded in light, making it impossible to see its exact appearance.

Its strength was terrifying; a gentle wave of its hand could collapse a wall.

But strangely, the magical creature seemed to have no interest in humans.

It could have crushed a swarm of panicked citizens in the city streets with one step, but it didn't do so.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many refugees fleeing to Gur City.

Most of those who died were due to lack of food during the flight; the rest...

Once order is in chaos, evil always breeds.

As a result, for some reason, a rumor spread in Gur—that the culprit behind the city's destruction was a Magical Beast Tide from the Silent Forest, a ridiculous lie far removed from the truth.

Zhang Mu didn't quite understand what kind of people believed it.

Gur City lay across the Northern Border, the only essential passage for other regions of the Kingdom to reach the Silent Forest.

If it were really as the rumors said, could Gur City still be safe and sound?

Scratching his head and pondering for a while, Zhang Mu turned back to the study of the City Lord's Mansion and called for Soren.

“How is the investigation going?”

After performing a standard knight's salute, Soren straightened up—Zhang Mu had said many times that there was no need for such formalities in private as it annoyed him, but Soren always persisted.

Over time, Zhang Mu couldn't be bothered to mention it anymore.

“I have tracked all possible directions that could have generated the rumors, and found no abnormalities.”

That was strange.

Pinching his chin in thought, Zhang Mu waved his hand: “Keep investigating.”

Once the man left, Zhang Mu entered the City Lord's 'World', took out today's portion of Elementary magic potion, and chugged it down.

With the whole pot of potion in his stomach, he sat down on the spot, closed his eyes, and circulated the Meditation Method.

Zhang Mu's cultivation speed was not slow to begin with, not to mention his Meditation Method was an enhanced version.

With the potions being poured down like they were free, after a month, he felt he was about to level up.

Things went as he expected.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Mu opened his eyes and summoned the panel to look; the level column clearly displayed—Intermediate Magician.

With the amplification of the Meditation Method, his actual level was High-level Magician.

A level that brought a qualitative change.

Many of the grayed-out skills in the skill bar suddenly lit up.

The one that caught Zhang Mu's attention most was, naturally, the Magic Shield.

With this thing, he wouldn't always have to use the resurrection function.

Although he hadn't found any cost for the panel's resurrection yet, dying all the time made Zhang Mu feel quite uncomfortable.

Scanning from top to bottom, Zhang Mu stood up and patted the non-existent dust off his butt: “I wonder how Joey's research progress is going.”

Muttering to himself, he decided to take a look at Joey's house; after all, this greatly concerned the direction of the war four months later.

...

Vice City Lord's Mansion.

Joey sat at the stone table in the middle of the backyard, with a weapon on the table whose name he didn't know yet.

His eyes were filled with doubt as he looked at the weapon, muttering to himself: “The power is indeed good, and it's quick to master, but... wanting to deal with Professionals with this... is that impostor crazy?”

He had had this weapon for a month.

Combined with the training scenes he glimpsed in Moza Village, Joey mastered its use in a few days—hitting the bullseye every time—and became familiar with its lethality.

After pondering alone late at night, Joey felt a bit lost.

The weapon was very powerful and suitable for equipping an army of ordinary people.

And then? So what?

The fired 'arrows' could not break through a Magic Shield; no matter how many advantages it had, it was meaningless.

Patting his head, he set this matter aside and instead pondered the source of the weapon.

The City Lord said it was obtained from a labyrinth, but Joey didn't believe it.

This thing didn't seem to have anything to do with magic no matter how you looked at it; it was highly likely that someone had researched it themselves.

Thinking of this, Joey excitedly ran to the church to report to the Bishop of Gur City.

Then the following conversation occurred.

“You say he is not God-given?”

“I say he is not.”

“How to prove it?”

“He and the God-given items have nothing in common.”

“God is omnipotent; it's normal for the bestowed treasures to be different. Or, do you think the City Lord has the audacity to falsely use God's name?”

“He absolutely dares!

Lord Bishop, we can pray for God to send down a divine oracle to punish the heretic!”

Well... how to put it, the Bishop's expression was quite something.

If I had that kind of ability, would I be a Bishop in a godforsaken place like Gur City?

Thus, the Bishop's mood became visibly angry.

Joey didn't understand how he had offended the Bishop until he was kicked out of the cathedral.

In his view, I helped you discover a heretic; for such a great merit, even if you don't thank me, you shouldn't throw me out.

Uh, in some ways, Joey's faith in God was indeed devout; he truly believed in God and that Divine Officials could communicate with Him.

Waking up from his depressed memory, he called his secretary and handed over a letter and the weapon: “This must be delivered to the King personally.”

In four months, there was plenty of time for a person to bypass the Silent Forest and enter the Kingdom's capital.

Joey wasn't sure what changes the weapon would bring and felt it was most appropriate for the King to decide.

...

After watching Joey and seeing that the other party was acting according to his preset plan, Zhang Mu turned back to his mansion.

After entering the study, he locked the door tight, opened the light gate of the 'World', and stepped in.

He first went to Hogwarts to take a look.

The five people who had returned to school were in intense study every day.

Wino strangely didn't go to the Administrator to ask for an Owl on the first day back at school.

Perhaps the problem lay with Suleiman.

Zhang Mu didn't care; anyway, the initiative was in his hands.

Then he went to visit Rowling.

Having been at Hogwarts for several months, it was enough for her to finish touring the academy, yet she still wandered around enthusiastically every day.

Since she didn't want to return to Blue Star, let her stay; it was just a matter of an extra pair of chopsticks.

Everything was normal, so Zhang Mu turned to find Geoffrey.

This Beginner Magician, who had been mediocre for most of his life, had now completely become a scholar devoted to research.

He even specifically asked Zhang Mu to send him a white lab coat to wear, saying it better suited the experimental atmosphere.

Seeing Zhang Mu's arrival, Geoffrey picked up a pistol lying on the table and ran over: “City Lord! Look!”

Is this... a finished product?

Zhang Mu's eyes lit up as he took the pistol to examine it.

The overall shape of the pistol was similar to a Desert Eagle from Blue Star. It was silver-white all over, with distinct edges and corners on the gun body.

The difference was that Zhang Mu couldn't find a device to remove the magazine.

Before he could ask, Geoffrey was already waving his hands to explain.

To store more magic power, he eliminated the magazine structure and, in its original place, equipped a Core engraved with a Magic Array.

Guided by Mental Energy, the Magic Array could quickly absorb and store magic power.

Even if left to operate automatically, it only absorbed slightly slower, which could greatly increase the endurance of the Magic Gun.

And the Fireball Spell equipped in this pistol was placed at the barrel.

Zhang Mu raised the gun with interest, aimed at a distant empty area, and pulled the trigger.

The fireball didn't shoot out from the black hole of the barrel like a bullet.

Instead, a miniature Magic Array with blue patterns unfolded at the muzzle; as the fireball rushed out from the center toward the front, the Magic Array slowly faded and disappeared.

Tossing it into the air and catching it steadily, Zhang Mu asked curiously: “With this firing method, there's no need to use a firearm shape at all, right?”

“No.” He shook his head and said seriously, “Although it could be changed to a shape like a longsword, the shape of a firearm fits the human body structure very well.

Whether it's grasping or holding, the design fits the five fingers.”

That's true.

Zhang Mu nodded in agreement and quietly tucked the gun into his back waist: “You keep busy, I'll go first...”

“Wait, City Lord.”

Damn, caught in the act of pilfering.

“I also have an unexpected discovery and wish to seek your opinion.”

Sighing in relief, Zhang Mu turned around and said with a smile: “Speak.”

“It's like this...”

A few days ago, while Geoffrey was assembling the pistol's Core, an inspiration suddenly flashed in his mind.

The principle of the Magic Gun is to direct the magic power of the energy Core through Mental Energy to the attack Magic Array engraved on the barrel for activation and firing.

The only place in the process that requires a magician is the Mental Energy guiding the flow of magic power.

If, if we further modify the Magic Gun and install another Core.

If we carve the Mental Energy that mobilizes magic power onto the Core and use a trigger to activate it, then... could ordinary people also become magicians?”

After listening, Zhang Mu's face was full of thought.

His conception was very similar to his own password-locked wand.

But the two were fundamentally different.

The latter had great limitations.

Limited by the types of Cores for Puppet Art, Zhang Mu could only use similar functions to replace many spells, and others could only act as wand users.

But the former, if a finished product were successfully made, would mean that ordinary people could also learn magic principles and carve Magic Arrays inside the Magic Gun themselves.

The difference between this and a real magician was already not very large.

Most importantly, this technology could also be given to the students of Hogwarts and the servants of the Cultivation Sect.

Because Blue Star had no magic power, they could only rely on the magic crystal stones he distributed to activate magic, so there was no need to worry about technology leaks.

Simply perfect!

Zhang Mu smacked his lips and raised his hand to pat Geoffrey's shoulder: “A very feasible idea, just do as you said.”

“Thank you for the praise, City Lord. Also, can you return the Magic Gun to me?

Only one has been manufactured so far, and subsequent experiments need it.”

“Oh, look at my memory, here.”

He had planned to take it for Leah to play with.

Feeling a few seconds of pity in his heart, Zhang Mu left the 'World'.

...

The next day.

Just as the sky was turning light, Zhang Mu got up from the study, first decocted a pot of potion as usual, and then rushed to the construction site outside the city.

Before Geoffrey's Magic Guns could be mass-produced, he had no other matters to handle for the time being.

The military training was controlled by Domit and Mihe, and Soren handled the city's chores very well.

With nothing to do, Zhang Mu couldn't just spend all day in the 'World' staring at the pot, could he?

So, every day when the potion pot was boiling, he would wander around the construction site.

On one hand, he cared about the project quality, and on the other, it was to urge the project progress.

If the artificial forest and other buildings under construction were not completed before the Kingdom's army attacked, and the cavalry swept through, several months of effort would be completely wasted.

Changing into plain clothes, Zhang Mu didn't want to waste time with the Soldiers on duty at the gate, so he used the Shadow Technique to pass through the wall and came to the area where the mud was being mixed.

In the open space, there were piles of dry silt shaped like volcanoes.

Magicians in robes on the left were desperately waving their wands to create sand and soil. Those on the right were using water magic to pour water into the middle of the sand piles.

This group of magicians, who once despised the construction site environment, now didn't care at all about the dust staining their expensive robes, holding their staves almost twenty-four hours a day.

They were even unwilling to stop for a drink of water, only putting down their hands to recover magic power after it was exhausted.

The reason for their frenzy was, naturally, the magic potion Zhang Mu had promised.

Due to the rarity of one of the medicinal ingredients, the price of magic potion had always remained high; even for the lordly magicians, using it was very painful.

But to improve their strength, they could only grit their teeth and use it.

And in winter, when herbal growth stopped, it could be said to be unavailable even if one had the money.

Now someone said that as long as you come to the construction site to mix mud, I'll give you magic potion.

Please, what was mixing mud?

If Zhang Mu asked these magicians to use their own fathers' ashes to mix, they would probably grin, pick up a hoe, and go dig up the ancestral graves.

After watching them for a while, Zhang Mu turned to other places with satisfaction.

At the current speed, finishing within four months was more than enough.

“Hello, City Lord.”

“Hmm.”

Thinking to himself, Zhang Mu subconsciously nodded in response upon hearing someone greet him.

After continuing forward for a few meters, his steps suddenly froze.

I didn't deactivate the Shadow Technique!