Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 485 A Hasty Prelude

"While there are advantages, you can't just look at the results and work backwards."

The archmage bent down to examine his crafting results, and said without looking up:
“The raw materials of Shadowsteel and Shadow Liquid are already quite remarkable magical raw materials. It is not surprising that they are forged into golem armor by the enchanting factory. With the support of equipment and tools, the current alchemy school can process these metals with similar efficiency.”

"Isn't that amazing?" Zhang Yuan was about to say something when Tyrantir continued:

"But the smelting of magical metals can only be considered a prerequisite process for artifact manufacturing. The real difference between the two systems lies in the effort and time spent on making magical items. Compared to alloys that can be mass-produced using specific transmutation circuits, artifact manufacturing is much more troublesome."

Zhang Yuan strongly agreed with this. The process of creating magical items is not as simple as casting a spell at an enchanting workbench in a game. Apart from the initial preparations, the etching and drawing of array circuits, and the selection and layout of energy flow core nodes, the process is really complicated.

If it were really that easy, even skilled spellcasters could be buying and selling magical items in bulk.

Of course, the rune alchemy system is by no means perfect or without flaws.

Not to mention the high barrier to entry, which is difficult to get started with and even more difficult to master, when spellcasters inject powerful arcane energy into a carrier in the form of runes, how the carrier can accept the power and ultimately form a cyclical whole is also a problem.

For example, if an enchanted shield is indestructible only in the part engraved with runes, and the rest remains unchanged, then it's useless!
The modern alchemy school has solved this problem through meticulous and precise spell array circuits. The power contained in the nodes extends and radiates through the spiderweb-like circuits, spreading the enchantment effect throughout the entire system.

Rune alchemy, however, is different. A key element in it is a special magical forge, which is the one the master and apprentice are currently facing. It also has a common name—the rune furnace.

Although the surface of the Shadowsteel ingot, forged into a finished product, still retains the wondrous engraving marks, even if the marks are damaged or even scraped off, it does not affect the effectiveness of the enchanted runes on the rest of the piece. This is because the power contained within the runes has been permanently attached to and altered the properties of the metal in the furnace.

"I also dabbled in Netherian runic literature in my early years, but firstly, the information was incomplete, mostly pieced together, and secondly, I lacked the knowledge presented here, so I ultimately failed to achieve anything."

"It's not too late now. With my current level of knowledge, I can hardly make these instruments and equipment work. Teacher, you might as well stay a few more days. You can come to Gaoya to guide me whenever you have time in the future."

Faced with Tyrandeur's sentiments, Zhang Yuan's words were reasonable, sincere, and touching, moving the Grand Mage to some extent, until he heard the other party add another sentence.

"But teacher, if you have some spare time during this time, could you please take this opportunity to integrate the terrain here, connecting the ancient castle above and the ruins in this mountain into one, so that you don't have to go through all this trouble to come here?"

Wow, he's waiting for me here!
Tyrantir felt his brow twitch again; his cheap apprentice was still fixated on the plan he had proposed earlier.

"Stop joking. A mage tower isn't just an energy pool covered with an outer shell. Without the overall construction and enchanting of the tower, and lacking the most crucial coordination and control system, what you build is just an empty shell."

Zhang Yuan understood this principle, but he also had his own considerations. Having finally steered the conversation to this point, Master Zhang was determined to make another effort.

“What the teacher said is certainly true, but what I need right now is not a real mage tower.”

"Coordination and control, and the injection of tower spirits are still far from my reach. What I hope for is geographical unity so that I can draw energy from the elemental pools here to supply the castle and even the high cliff fortress of the main plane."

"Well…"

The archmage stroked his beard, and recalling the magic arrays in the High Cliff Fortress underground palace, he quickly understood his disciple's plan. His expression softened slightly as he pondered for a moment: "I suppose you intend to make a fuss about your summoned creatures. That's not a bad idea."

Having witnessed the battlefield performance of the chess pieces, Tyrantir had no doubt that once these very special otherworldly creations were summoned to the Prime Material Plane in a large-scale and organized manner, they would be a key force comparable to a team of veteran adventurers or even a small army.

Moreover, the archmage, who had engaged in in-depth discussions with the Keane craftsmen, knew very well that they were not some barbaric and ignorant beasts, nor were they chaotic and violent killing freaks. Behind them was a true civilization, a brilliant civilization that, even in its nascent stages, had made him and Old Bentley look at them in a new light.

"If that's the case, then so be it."

Tyrandeur made a quick decision:

"If that's all there is to it, it's not too complicated. I'll start dealing with this the day after tomorrow. I'll go back to Gaolibao to make some preparations first."

"Thank you, teacher. Then I'll wait until the day after tomorrow..."

Upon receiving the affirmative reply, Zhang Yuan was overjoyed at first, then taken aback:
"There's no rush, is there? Why don't we finish what we're doing now?"

The latter shook his head: "The analysis, inscription, and smelting of runes is a system, and its application in construct science is even more complex. It cannot be figured out in a short time. This project will not last too long."

"Let's deal with your own little problem first, so you don't keep dwelling on it and getting caught up in it endlessly."

After weighing his options, the Grand Master didn't delay. He gave instructions on the necessary preparations and then left the ruins. He walked from the mountainside to the foot of the mountain and looked up at the desolate mountain in the Shadow Realm before him.

As a reflection of the prime plane, the topography of the two worlds almost overlaps. Just like the peak where the castle in the material world is located, the mountain here is much shorter than the other peaks behind it. It looks like a chicken standing among cranes, or like a peacock spreading its tail, surrounded by the other peaks.

Tyrantir took out a crystal ball almost the size of a human head, pointed at it, and then casually tossed it. The huge, heavy crystal ball floated in front of him like a weightless hydrogen balloon.

“Pecto”.

The Archmage's command was merely a verbal command, which caused the light of the fourth-circle arcane spell to ignite and instantly disappear into the crystal ball.

Zhang Yuan, standing to the side, couldn't quite understand it. This was a spell he had never mastered or even seen before. He could only roughly deduce its ring number and the prophetic school it belonged to from the spiritual light reaction.

What happened next was even more unexpected.

The spell took effect, but not completely. The crystal ball affected by the spell lit up and showed some hazy images, but they were dim and blurry, making it difficult to discern any useful information.

Ok?
Thank you to Feng Yu, lmxy, Shujiwuming2, Tianyuankugou, Eupbaqicelou灬, Wanliutongyuan, Airuikejin, and Yuezhimin for your monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)