Chapter 206: Activation
While the Wizard Apprentices chatted and rapidly paved the road, Daina and Borg selected the location for the future harbor.
Borg was well-prepared this time. Realizing this was a rare opportunity for him in the High Tower Territory, he specifically asked Leon to help him find several Reserve Citizens with architectural construction design skills.
Although they did not know how to build a harbor, they knew how to design buildings. Borg communicated his ideas with them repeatedly, and finally drafted the planning and construction blueprint for the harbor.
After submitting the blueprint to Ace for approval, they found Daina, who was boredly examining the apprentices’ Logic studies near the bay.
Borg and his team bowed respectfully at 30 degrees to Daina, then said:
“Lord Daina, this is the blueprint for the harbor. Lord Ace has approved it. Please proceed with construction according to the plan.
Our harbor will consist of two parts: the land area and the water area. The land area will comprise the Harbor Administration Office, fishermen’s residential area, rows of warehouses, dry docks, and roads. The water area will be formed by the West Jetty and the East Breakwater. The gap between the jetty and the breakwater will be the harbor entrance channel, where we will install an iron chain gate.
The water area enclosed by the jetty and breakwater will be our harbor basin, where we will build three ship berths and a dry dock launch channel. The three berths are the Fishing Port Berth, Commercial Port Berth, and Military Port Berth.”
Daina studied the blueprint carefully, asking Borg and the others detailed questions based on the design. After receiving satisfactory answers, Daina walked around the natural harbor near the estuary with them, earnestly surveying the area.
“The land area is generally rectangular, about one kilometer long and 300 meters wide, is that correct?”
Daina asked Borg and the others as she walked.
“Yes, your memory is excellent, Lord Daina!”
Borg and the others followed behind, praising her.
Daina ignored them, continuing to walk and asking detailed questions about every aspect, recording them meticulously on the fifth page of her Grimoire.
After about a day, Daina had a clear understanding of the harbor design. The other Wizard Apprentices were not idle either. Betty and her group paved the stone avenue up to the site where the harbor construction was yet to begin, then joined the other apprentices, using Mud-to-Stone and Stone-to-Mud to produce standard building materials.
Days passed, and the harbor was under rapid construction at a speed visible to the naked eye. The scene shifts to Nightlight City, Magic School Castle, West Tower.
Ace considered multiple times and decided to build ships without surpassing the current technological level. This consideration had practical significance.
The ships they built were primarily intended to pose as merchant ships from Medimus City-State for trade with the Northern City-States, and incidentally, to disguise themselves as pirates to attack the Ace Estate, taking away Ace’s family, the estate’s slaves, and all accumulated resources.
Therefore, it was better for this future fleet to conform to the technological level and shipbuilding style of Medimus City-State. The best mainstream ship of Medimus City-State was the Brig.
Building a brig required a large amount of dried logs processed into lumber, constructing the keel, and assembly. Ace planned to modify several spells to solve this process magically.
Ace and the mirror image were deeply researching an interesting Lesser Spell: Lesser Vine Entanglement. This was one of the few spells related to plants and wood.
After multiple experiments, Ace discovered something different. This spell was simple but had immense potential. He had completely overlooked it in the past!
“This spell is interesting. It was learned from the Shaman hide obtained from Athena. It is just an ordinary control spell and requires a Casting Material—a section of fresh vine or a live vine seed. This spell requires a suitable casting environment; it can only be cast on non-barren soil.”
Ace commented on the spell while tracing the Spell Model of Lesser Vine Entanglement. Without any Casting Materials or a suitable casting environment, the Spell Model formed, caused a Mana rhythm in the void, and then vanished without any actual effect.
“Almost no apprentice has exchanged for this spell, nor for the similar Lesser Spell Spore Zone, which causes mushrooms to grow on the ground, slowing movement speed and nauseating living creatures.”
The mirror image stood near a thin layer of soil, quickly drawing a Spell Model. Accompanied by the pulse of Mana, colorful mushrooms grew rapidly from the soil, slimy and disgusting.
He used a Spell Hand to gently pinch a piece of a colorful mushroom, then said:
“However, these two spells share three identical Lesser Runes. Two of them have the effects of accelerating division and growth, and absorbing soil nutrients, respectively. There is also one rune with unknown efficacy.
Lesser Vine Entanglement also has a unique rune that seems to have a massive effect on increasing vitality.
Although our original intention was to research a tool spell for rapidly constructing wooden brigs, the result of this research exceeded our expectations!
We have discovered magic research domains such as Elemental Magic, Soul Magic, Astrological Prophecy Magic, and Inherent Mana Application. This might be a brand-new type of magic research domain.”
Ace casually combined three Spell Models containing Foundation Runes and three runes with clear effects, casting them on the colorful mushrooms in the soil. The mushrooms showed no reaction.
“Without adding that rune of unknown efficacy, these three Spell Models possess no actual effectiveness.”
Ace waved his hand, and the three Spell Models vanished without a trace.
The mirror image added the rune of unknown efficacy, forming three different Spell Models in front of him, preparing to cast them on three colorful mushrooms respectively.
He activated the first Spell Model. The Mana rhythm acted on the first mushroom.
The first colorful mushroom seemed to activate and squirm. The mirror image could sense a vague connection between himself and the colorful mushroom. He tried to command it.
The colorful mushroom struggled out of the soil, hopping in the direction commanded by the mirror image. Halfway there, its Mana seemed exhausted. The mushroom lost its vitality and collapsed to the side.
“This effect can be called Activation. This rune has immense potential. Perhaps we can call it the Lesser Activation Rune. Let’s ignore the rune of unknown meaning but indispensable function for now. regarding this Spell Model structure, I have an idea to test!”
Ace watched the scene, his eyes shining. He quickly traced and combined runes in the air, muttering: “First, I need a Lesser Mana #3, then I need Lesser Potency #, and four essential Lesser Auxiliary Runes.”
As his voice fell, six runes constructed from Ace’s mental power were forming. The transparent mental power flickered in the air with a light visible only to Insight Perception.
“And the essential Lesser Activation Rune, and the overall unknown rune.”
Two more runes formed in the air. Eight runes circled Ace, seemingly brewing something.
“Finally, my conjecture: Lesser Fire Element Rune!”
Accompanied by the successful tracing of the Lesser Fire Element Rune, Ace manipulated the nine runes, rapidly forming a complex Lesser Spell Model structure full of geometric beauty.
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