Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 309 Keen Technology, Shocking and Amazing

"It's finally done! This beacon array, with its complex array of spell nodes and circuits, would have taken forever without your help."

"You flatter me. I have gained far more from this than I have given."

Lily has returned to her role as a caring older sister.

"Hey, you ungrateful bastard, don't forget I helped build this submarine, and you haven't been this polite to me yet!"

A somewhat slick tone broke the friendly interaction between the boss and his secretary.

Zhang Yuan looked over with a smile and saw a round, somewhat clumsy figure swaying as it walked from the bridge at the bow of the ship not far away.

The spherical body is connected to limbs that are heavily protected by armor, and the head is also wrapped in a diving helmet. At first glance, it looks like a diving robot.

That's not really a bad thing; Samsung's Tinker's Deep Sea Diving Suit looks almost exactly like a miniature submarine.

"How could that be? Without your and Clockwork's combined help, I probably wouldn't have been able to build even a small boat on my own. By the way, Master Tinker, how is the submarine?"

Upon hearing this compliment, the tinker Bausch chuckled, removed his helmet to reveal a face that practically screamed shrewdness, and gave a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, my design is mature, reliable, and amazing. There won't be any surprises, right, old buddy!"

As he spoke, the repairman's voice suddenly rose, and he shouted it out.

"The gears are running very well, there are no signs of leakage in the hull, and the propeller is operating normally."

The sound came from the engine room at the stern. It sounded strange, like the meshing of gears, somewhat stiff yet perfectly coordinated, mixed with the hissing sound of electrical disturbances.

Reto Trip, the three-star veteran, diligently guarded the engine room, responsible for maintaining and looking after most of the precision mechanical equipment that operated on the submarine.

Mr. Zhang felt blessed by the dedication and professionalism of the staff.

You can always trust Old Clockwork!
There is undoubtedly a gap between theory and practice, which cannot be easily bridged by mere assumptions or guesswork.

Having reached the level nine mage, Zhang Yuan was not blindly confident. He did not think that he could handle everything in a short time with his general understanding of submarine structure from his previous life and with the help of magic.

Perhaps it could be done if given enough time and opportunities to try and fail, but where are those conditions right now?

Fortunately, after his conversation with Lily that day, she gave him two recommendations. They were not only top experts in science and engineering, but more importantly, they were both first-tier players.

This means that their complete consciousness, just like Lily's, can descend onto a three-star chess piece through a level five summoning spell and arrive on the continent of Faerûn.

Zhang Yuan had no doubt about Clockwork and Tinker's abilities. But looking at Tinker's single-soldier submarine outfit, which looked impressive and high-tech, designing and modifying a submarine with performance requirements that were barely above average would be a piece of cake.

As soon as he laid out his demands and proposals in front of Bosch, he received a protest from the other party.

"My God, what you're doing is practically a crime!"

"I am a scientist, a top craftsman of the Keene family, are you using me as a plumber?"

"What a wondrous world this is! Look at your magic lab, with so many excellent raw materials and such sophisticated instruments, and you're using them to build a wrecked sampan?"

“We don’t need any particularly technologically advanced ships right now; just enough to complete the mission is fine,” Zhang Yuan explained.

"Listen to what you're saying!" Bosh jumped up and screamed, the table shaking when the heavy armor landed.

"You monks are just so careless. How can you treat such engineering matters so casually?"

"There's not enough time. We only have a little over a week. Can you produce the finished product in that time?"

"This..." the repairman stammered, his previous impassioned tone gone.

Lily, standing nearby, added insult to injury: "If Mr. Bausch refuses to cooperate, Your Excellency the Administrator can send your consciousness back to our world, leaving only some fragments to manipulate the pieces, that will be enough."

"How cruel! I knew you mages were unreliable, ganging up on old Bosh." The tinker panicked. He had finally arrived in this new world, and before he could even take a good look around, he was about to be sent back to that cage?
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you, Administrator. I was talking about the spellcasters in our world.” The Tinker glared at Lily, but she ignored him nonchalantly.

“There will be times when we can create true mechanical art, I assure you, but right now the priority is to complete the creation in the plan.”

After briefly demonstrating his skills, Boss Zhang didn't hesitate to make a grand promise to boost the other party's enthusiasm.

However, when it came to the actual construction process, Boss Zhang still showed the utmost respect to Bausch, the chief engineer, and Clockwork, the chief technician. He himself condescended to work as an assistant, using the laboratory's alchemical equipment and his own transformation magic to provide various component models. This is also the reason why Shining Gold Coin has maintained a conservative stance since entering the North District; the mastermind behind the scenes simply didn't have enough spell slots to squander on hiring actors for real-life role-playing.

Fortunately, these two are not just name-callings; they not only shortened the estimated seven-day construction period to five days, but also added some extra practical functions and upgrades.

For example, in the design of the water storage tank, Zhang Yuan originally intended for a water person to crawl inside and manually scoop water. This outdated method was undoubtedly eliminated, and replaced by a drainage pump drive system.

For example, the propulsion system, which originally used foot-operated propellers to power the chess pieces, was completely overhauled. The clockwork mechanism was redesigned by dismantling one of its own energy cores. After a series of modifications, the entire propulsion system was transformed into a high-end electric drive system.

Thinking back on that busy, yet fulfilling and interesting time; the various types of magical alchemy devices and mechanical equipment; the industrial beauty composed of gears, bearings, and transmission belts; and the various disputes and debates that arose during that period, and looking at the submarine he was on, which could be considered a high-tech product even in the remote and impoverished northern part of Sword Coast, Zhang Yuan suddenly felt that his expectations for the future might be justified…

Be bolder.

"Alright, the beacon device is now set up and we can begin teleportation guidance. How about you? Would you like to meet a high-ranking spellcaster from this world?"

After finishing the last stroke of the circuit, Zhang Yuan stood up and looked at his comrades.

Yes, comrade, after these days of getting along and communicating, he has a clear understanding of the abilities and wisdom of the true beings behind these chess pieces. Even if they are imprisoned, even if the power they can project into this plane is only one-tenth of what it used to be.

It was not a reason for him to treat them with arrogance. Admittedly, his position as manager did allow him to force them to make concessions, or even simply kick them out of the game.

But what is its significance?
Why abandon a group of allies who could provide you with a treasure trove of knowledge, just to put on airs and show off your power?

At least in the foreseeable future, his interests are aligned with those of the heroes of the Dota world, and Zhang Yuan is willing to befriend them in a relatively equal and mutually supportive manner.

Just like Tyranitar back then.

"Forget it, I'd rather be in the navigation room than have too much contact with unfamiliar mages."

The repairman shook his head and, with crab-like steps, went back into the bow cabin.

"Would it be inconvenient for you if we were there?"

Old Clockwork possesses a delicate and gentle quality that belies its exterior, which is made of steel parts.

"Don't worry, there are countless planes in this world, and there are even quite a few creatures from another universe. Besides, your existence cannot be kept secret forever. As long as you keep the core secrets hidden, that's enough."

Unlike his previous cautious and prudent approach, Zhang Yuan now possesses a greater sense of composure and confidence.

He has already firmly entered the ranks of mid-level mages, leading a mature and experienced mid-level combatant squad, not to mention the powerful support provided by his chess pieces, which can be described as exceeding expectations.

Leaving aside Lily's still immature spellcasting abilities, the mechanical technology of Tinker and Clockwork can, to some extent, even overcome the differences in the rule systems of the two planes. Tinker's missiles and laser guns, and Clockwork's barrage generator, have proven this point in their illustrious achievements in Faerûn.

The clockwork wasn't a big deal, but Old Bosh, under the insidious instructions of Boss Zhang, had started stockpiling heat-guided missiles several days ago. Although this attempt to profit from the chessboard was thwarted by the additional fees, the small energy expenditure was enough to gain extra immediate combat power, making it a very worthwhile deal.

The mechanic's design, processing, and hands-on skills enabled Zhang Yuan's new weapon concept to become a reality.

"Chanem, may I know the identity of the person who is about to arrive?"

Seeing the unprecedented solemnity and seriousness on her boss's face as he stood in front of the magic circle, Lily couldn't help but feel curious.

"The Academy of Neverwinter, this magic school, has been established for nearly a thousand years. Its founder is still alive today. The story is as I told you. He will probably come to seek justice in person."

"As a leader, to risk your life?" Lily frowned, somewhat puzzled.

"You don't need to worry about him. The hardest people to kill in this plane are these spellcasters at the top of the pyramid."

"So, are all the high-level mages here like ogre mages—meat shields, or can they create magical shields like Medusa?"

"I guess so. The spells I've learned so far are limited. Higher-level spellcasters have plenty of ways to hide and protect themselves, such as transforming themselves into steel golems or behemoths, distorting and transforming their life forms, creating various types of magical shields, or even just like Zet, not showing themselves and solving problems through projection."

"Yes, putting everything else aside, the magic system of Forgotten Realms is indeed far more diverse than ours."

Lily seemed lost in thought, her azure pupils flickering slightly.

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(End of this chapter)