Volume 6 Chapter 152

Volume 6 + Chapter 152: The Right Candidate

“As you can see, the underground city of the Maginot Fortress is a single colossal entity. When true danger arrives, the underground city will sever its excess sections, transform into a flying mobile fortress, and ascend to the skies,” the gold-rimmed glasses technician began explaining to Xia Yi.

“Yes, I am aware of that, Leader Yuren already told me,” Xia Yi replied.

“This is an unprecedented undertaking, with no precedent in all of history. Never before has anyone constructed a flying mobile fortress of such immense scale. We are essentially feeling our way forward in the dark, progressing step by step according to theory, making corrections along the way, and building as we go.”

The gold-rimmed glasses technician adjusted his spectacles.

“For the mobile fortress to take flight, there is one critical issue. We must ensure that the various functional zones of the underground city operate as a unified whole when activated. To use an analogy, it is like a person walking, they need all four limbs to coordinate. If any single link fails, they will fall flat on the ground.”

“You mean that you’ve encountered difficulties in achieving coordination between the various zones of the underground city?”

“Precisely,” the gold-rimmed glasses technician confirmed. “From the very beginning, our concept was to build a central processing core, using a machine to coordinate everything and ensure the smooth flow of magical power through every zone… but this technology, which exists only in theory, cannot be practically applied.”

“Theoretically feasible, but in practice, the flying mobile fortress is simply too massive. If it were a hundred times smaller, a machine could still control it. But at the current scale, the machine can no longer achieve perfect coordination.”

The gold-rimmed glasses technician identified the crux of the matter.

“No matter how smoothly we progress in other aspects, unless we solve this problem, the mobile fortress will never take flight. If we forcibly attempt to ascend, the result will be total disintegration!”

Xia Yi quickly grasped what he was saying.

It was like the helicopters she had seen in Molent City.

These skilled technicians could build a helicopter without any issue, but if they had to build one a thousand times larger, the quantitative change would lead to a qualitative shift, and they would fail.

“There is still a way to solve this, isn’t there?” Xia Yi inquired. “Since the machine alone cannot resolve the issue, if we equipped it with a mage to control the machine, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

“You…”

The gold-rimmed glasses technician looked somewhat surprised upon hearing Xia Yi’s words.

The others were similarly taken aback, their gazes toward Xia Yi shifting.

After hearing the problem, she had quickly identified the key to the solution, perhaps this silver dragon loli was indeed quite formidable.

“Correct. Our thinking aligns with yours. However, to operate the flying mobile fortress, an enormous amount of magical power is required. The mage must place themselves within the magical circuits of this magnitude and sense with their own being in order to achieve perfect coordination.”

The gold-rimmed glasses technician furrowed his brows.

“This exceeds the tolerance of any normal mage, an ordinary one would explode on the spot, and even a grand mage cannot hold out for long. This has brought our plans to a standstill, unable to advance another step.”

“This is why you sought me out, isn’t it?”

Xia Yi finally understood.

They wanted her to serve as the mage who would assist the core processor in coordinating the magical power through the circuits, the survival of the entire underground city would rest squarely on her shoulders alone.

“Xia Yi, we have searched for many candidates, and none could bear such a heavy burden,” Yuren said. “That is why I have placed my hope in you.”

“I strongly advise you to abandon this idea, this is something even grand mages cannot accomplish! Do not agree on a whim, for it will not only harm you but also doom all of us!” the gold-rimmed glasses technician said sternly.

Xia Yi considered it for a moment.

She did indeed wish to reach the World Tree and find Eve.

In terms of interests, her goal aligned perfectly with that of the Maginot Fortress.

“Very well, I accept.”

“Why won’t you listen!” the gold-rimmed glasses technician grew anxious.

The others also found it intolerable and voiced their opposition one after another.

But Yuren raised his hand and cut off all objections.

“Whether she is capable or not is not for you to decide, we shall see if Xia Yi has the ability. Let her try, and we will know!”

At these words, everyone fell silent.

Under Yuren’s firm stance, the technicians in the underground city led Xia Yi to the central processing core.

It resembled a giant black Rubik’s cube, with numerous fine lines extending across the platform, connecting to the magical circuits of every zone.

Xia Yi ascended the steps and stood atop the black cube. The gold-rimmed glasses technician stepped forward and handed her a smaller black cube, telling her to hold it in her hand.

“Once the core processor is activated, you can remotely control it through this miniature core processor. However, you will also become part of the magical circuits and endure the torrential surge of immense magical energy,” the gold-rimmed glasses technician explained.

“I understand.”

“It is still not too late to back out now. Once we start, you may not be able to withstand it, you could very well die here.”

“That’s fine. Begin,” Xia Yi said with a confident smile.

“…Sigh!”

The gold-rimmed glasses technician let out a long sigh, shook his head, and stepped down.

The others had already written Xia Yi off as a dead body clinging to pride.

They could already envision the silver dragon loli being incinerated by the overwhelming magical energy, reduced to charred remains.

“Commence,” Yuren ordered.

The technicians in the underground city activated the core processor. Massive conduits shuddered as vast magical power was channeled from the energy supply into the processing core.

The lines on the core processor lit up, transforming the black magical cube into a radiant blue one, transmitting magical energy through the circuits to every zone of the underground city.

The black cube in Xia Yi’s hand also underwent a change, linking her body directly to the magical circuits.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the core processor let out an unnatural roar, followed by violently unstable shockwaves.

“Oh no, stop it now, Xia Yi!!” the gold-rimmed glasses technician shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Ah…!”

Xia Yi’s expression shifted dramatically. She lowered her head, her body trembling, barely able to keep her footing.

The entire underground city shook violently, as if teetering on the brink of catastrophe.

The sight left everyone frozen in terror, their minds engulfed by sheer dread.

The gold-rimmed glasses technician was seized by panic. “It’s over, something’s gone wrong! The core processor has lost control, we’re all doomed!!”

[Translator’s Note: Please join the Gravity Tales’ Discord Server, if you want to hang out.]

[https://ko-fi.com/golden_dragon]