Chapter 559 — A New Line of Thought
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Brilliant sparks of energy leaped between the runic mechanisms, surging magic power distributed from the power spine into every arcane engine, and with a resounding blast of the steam whistle, on a test platform hundreds of meters long, a train composed of four power carriages and a vast array of intricate linkage mechanisms, control systems, and energy-supply systems began to move slowly forward.
From the observation tower a hundred meters away from the platform, Rebecca and the technicians watched with undivided attention every detail of that enormous, complex, and precise mechanical beast, every turn of its wheels, every rumble that issued from within its carriages.
The train traveled several dozen meters, and one of the power carriages in the middle section suddenly reduced its output as planned.
By design, the linkage mechanisms fore and aft of the carriage would respond at once: the displaced runic triggers would redistribute the energy supply among all the power carriages and disengage the wheel-axle transmission of the faulty carriage, so as to prevent the malfunctioning carriage from upsetting the balance of the entire train, or even damaging the mechanical structure of the linkage assembly.
Yet a particularly loud noise erupted from the connector between the second and third power carriages. With that tremendous noise, a ball of bright arcane fire suddenly gushed from the arcane obelisk atop the carriage, and immediately after, the power spine connected to the obelisk detonated—magic power with nowhere to vent burst forth in an instant from between all the runic base plates, and the two power carriages were engulfed almost instantaneously in a mass of flame.
The fireball from the explosion rose into the air above the test platform and slowly coalesced in midair into the word "Embarrassing."
On this virtual test ground, where cost and consequences were essentially of no concern, this little special effect served as an excellent warning and goad to the project's participants.
Countless bright, illusory lines quivered and roamed across the platform; the carriages and fireballs destroyed by the deflagration came to a standstill in midair and displayed their clear, decomposed structures. And on the distant observation tower, Rebecca scratched at her scalp.
"Good heavens," the young marchioness said, breaking into a cold sweat. "Thank goodness we ran the test here..."
Beside her, Camille also let out a helpless sound: "If this were real... Lady Hetty would be absolutely furious."
Rebecca pursed her lips, not daring to imagine the scene of her aunt, driven to fury, stringing her up and beating her. She waved a hand: "Let's look into the cause."
The upper level of the observation tower immediately detached from the tower body and carried all the technicians to the now-frozen wreckage of the experiment.
In this experimental space formed by virtual reality, everything became extraordinarily convenient.
The two project leaders, with a crowd of technicians, began to analyze the cause of the failure. They observed carefully, calculated meticulously, hypothesized, discussed, verified, debated... For the birth of something entirely new, the wisdom of many was concentrated together; they took not strength or status as their measure, but simple "knowledge and truth" as their yardstick, and the whole team set to work busily.
At the edge of the crowd, Daniel, participating for the first time in a "Cecil-style research" team, looked on at this scene with a touch of bewilderment.
It was the first time he had taken part in a team activity since becoming a servant of the Otherworld Wanderer, yet the atmosphere and form of this team activity were utterly different from what he had imagined.