Chapter 541 — Aftermath in the Shadows
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
"The nerve cord joins the human brain to the runes; in this process it takes the place of a person's 'mental sensing.' So let us broaden the thought: if ordinary people who cannot sense magic are connected to nerve cords, might they then control magic indirectly? And if we further equip this apparatus with auxiliary energy devices, spell-casting mechanisms, supporting machinery—then... would an ordinary person hooked up to a nerve cord and a full set of external gear still be any different from a true mage?"
The breakthrough into mentally guided spells had been found.
And it had come from outside magical technology—from the cultists' tree of science.
"There is a difference..." Looking at the old druid before him, Gao Yang suddenly smiled. "A true mage who wants to advance a rank must train for years, and needs sufficient luck, talent, and money. But an 'artificial mage' hooked to a nerve cord, to advance a rank... would probably only need a bigger mana capacitor."
Pi Yun spread his hands. "Developing a new model of mana capacitor also takes time."
"True enough—but once it is developed, it can be put to use on hundreds of thousands, even millions of people at once..."
Behind the two of them, Amber looked at Gao Yang, then at Pi Yun. The half-elf had begun nodding off the moment the two started discussing technical matters, yet she had still grasped what these two old men were talking about—and at the last few sentences, the young half-elf lady could hold back no longer: "Good gods... you two are serious about this?"
"Any technology that challenges the norm feels like a tall tale before it is realized," Gao Rong said. "But 'the norm'... isn't that what it exists to be broken?"
Then he turned to Pi Yun and said gravely, "I think this line of thought is entirely feasible, and you can give it a try—in the druidic field, you are the expert. But mind one thing: we are not the Sleepers, nor the Order of All Things' End."
"I understand what you mean," Pi Yun bowed his head deeply. "Rest assured—I am not now, and will not be in the future."
...
Everything seemed to have returned to its proper course. The continent still developed along its original trajectory: the nobles still wallowed in wine and song, the nations still schemed against one another, civil wars went on and development went on. The anomalies of the Giant Sun and the Great Wall had briefly stirred some panic, but that panic subsided as the barrier was restored. On the surface, all in this world was as it had always been.
But for those who kept constant watch over the wasteland, the aftershocks of the Great Wall's anomaly were still running on.
In the eastern reaches of Ans, deep within an underground palace.
The rustle of roots scraping against stone slabs echoed through the deep, dark catacombs. Magic-crystal lamps set into the ancient stone walls cast patches of interlocking light and shadow across the dim palace. Bei Yila passed through this corridor, now so familiar to her, and came to the place where the high priests held their council.
In the broad hall of the catacombs stood a long table and chairs; the glow of the magic-crystal lamps poured down from the ceiling, lighting the faces of those attending the meeting. Some of those faces turned toward the entrance, and one high priest, catching sight of Bei Yila, could not help frowning: "You are late again, High Priest Bei Yila."
"So long as you have not discussed anything useful, my arriving at any hour does not count as late," Bei Yila replied with veiled sarcasm, taking her seat at her place along the long table. "Or... have you already discussed something useful?"
Such was this woman's manner of speaking, and the high priests present were long since inured to it. The elf twins Ferna and Lerna, seated across the table, even laughed in unison: "Ha, not a thing, truly—if you had not come, we might well have started discussing dinner."