Chapter 458

Chapter 458: Skyfire and Sky Thunder

After a long silence, Master Buck finally broke the quiet with a heavy sigh. He slumped as if giving up, cleared his throat hesitantly, and said to Midi, “Master Midi, your blueprint…”

“You’re too kind, Master Buck. These are just rough sketches—hardly worthy of being called blueprints,” Midi cut in with exaggerated modesty.

Every measurement, material, and even part-forging method was documented. How could this be a sketch? Buck nearly choked on his frustration. But swallowing his pride, he pressed on.

“Very well. To us, your sketches are remarkably detailed and practical. We can produce them as drawn. However… minor issues arose during crafting. We’d appreciate your guidance on clarifying certain details.” Master Buck spoke with measured politeness.

In plain terms: they’d hit roadblocks in Midi’s design and needed his help.

Success.

Relief washed over Midi. His month of sleepless work in Rot’s psychic space had paid off. Truthfully, he’d already perfected “Skyfire” weapons and “Sky Thunder” traps there—the blueprints were flawless.

He’d intentionally left key sections vague, labeling them mere “sketches.” This ambiguity justified hiring the mechanical workshop’s experts instead of regular artisans. If the plans were complete, why involve master alchemists?

But filling these gaps wasn’t simple. The designs borrowed heavily from Sea of Clouds techniques—unfamiliar to Shaded Realm’s dark elf alchemists. Their mechanical approaches differed fundamentally. Stuck in their ways, Buck’s team had wasted a week puzzling over technology considered basic in the skies.

Now, with Buck humbly asking for help, Midi’s plan clicked into place. He’d gained legitimate entry into the workshop—not as a client, but as a collaborator. This was his chance to pivot from potion-making to Mechanics.

Keeping his tone casual, Midi nodded. “I’ll share what I know, but temper your expectations. My mechanical knowledge is limited.”

Buck dispensed with formalities, hauling Midi straight to the alchemy laboratory. The scene inside surprised even Midi: two high-ranking alchemists, six juniors, and Master Buck himself surrounded sixteen blueprints—ten for the Skyfire gun, six for the Sky Thunder mechanism.

Now, the blueprints lay scattered across the table before the eight alchemists.

Their tired faces made it clear how much effort they’d poured into these designs over the past week.

Even Midi himself felt a pang of guilt when he saw their exhaustion.

Had his trap been too harsh?

"Master Midi’s here. Ask your questions now," Master Buck said coldly, clearing his throat.

Though Buck himself most wanted to complete these designs, he couldn’t bring himself to question a fellow potion-making expert after accepting a sixth-tier potion.

The task fell to his subordinates.

The alchemists exchanged charged glances until the newest member—a timid-looking female dark elf—was nudged forward.

"Master Midi, your blueprint…" she began with what she hoped was a sweet smile.

"Just rough sketches," Midi corrected gently, as he’d done before.

Buck glared pointedly behind Midi’s back.

Not understanding his modesty but obliged to comply, the woman pressed, "Many details are missing here. Would you mind explaining these parts?"

"Sketches lack details by nature," Midi said, glancing where she pointed. "But these sections aren’t marked because they’re straightforward."

The group nearly choked.

The Death Scorpion family’s proud team had struggled for days over parts this round-eared human called "straightforward"?

Noticing their dismay, Midi smiled and unfurled the Sky Thunder blueprint. "Let’s start simple. What’s the issue?"

"Here," the female alchemist jabbed urgently.

Sky Thunder—a hidden explosive that launches from shadows to strike from above. In the Shaded Realm where most watch the ground, it’s deadly effective.

Yet Midi had barely sketched its levitation mechanism, much to Buck’s frustration.

Their attempts to complete it kept failing: test units soared too high, smashing uselessly against ceilings.

"The levitation’s simple," Midi said, sketching. "Magnetic repulsion—it pushes against both floor and ceiling."

In the Sea of Clouds, this kept Sky Thunders suspended in warship corridors. Perfect for the Shaded Realm’s tunnels.

The dark elves’ basic flight design lacked this dual force. Lightbulbs lit up across the room.

"How about the Skyfire alchemical gun’s rails?" A high-ranking alchemist blurted impatiently.

"Simpler still—circular acceleration track." Midi drew briskly. "Skyfire uses weight-saving designs from aerial combat. Shell-less rounds, rail-launched."

In the Shaded Realm where bullets needed casings, this was revolutionary. The team gaped—a week’s work solved in minutes!

Beside them, Buck hid his awe to ask casually, "You said these were your friend’s ideas. What exactly did they request?"

Midi shrugged. "He wanted airborne traps and lightweight guns holding more ammo. I doodled these."