Chapter 432: Nightmare Power Furnace (Patreon)

Chapter 432: Nightmare Power Furnace

In just a moment, the design schematics of the Starr Wraith Power Furnace appeared in Richard's mind.

This power furnace, hailing from another world and functioning almost like a perpetual motion machine, finally unveiled its secrets to him.

Frowning slightly, Richard walked over to the workbench, took out a sheet of drafting paper, and began sketching the basic blueprint of the power furnace.

This process lasted a full three days.

Though the Starr Wraith Power Furnace was only the size of a fist, it contained numerous components.

These parts had been compressed into the furnace using unimaginable technology, making it appear so small. After completing the drawings of the furnace's components, Richard meditated briefly before extracting the Ghost Artisan forging technique embedded in the power furnace.

The moment he received the technique, Richard felt the world spin around him.

The forging techniques used by Ghost Artisans were entirely based on the unique rules of the Ghost World.

Thus, their forging methods were, in essence, ways to manipulate these rules.

In his vision, Richard felt as though he had become a Ghost Artisan, constantly utilizing the Ghost World's unique rules to process and shape materials in ways that defied logic.

Would you believe that these Ghost Artisans would soak a material in water for two days just to make it more malleable?

Yet, what seemed utterly illogical to ordinary people became perfectly feasible for Ghost Artisans.

But beyond the surface, Richard clearly saw how the Ghost Artisans instinctively altered the properties of water using the Ghost World's unique rules.

This was an incredibly precise and advanced skill—just witnessing it in his vision left him dizzy.

Yet, the Ghost Artisans achieved this almost instinctively.

Soon after, Richard wearily opened his eyes.

This was the first time he had been unable to fully comprehend a technique.

The Ghost Artisans' craftsmanship was too advanced; many of its finer details seemed beyond his understanding unless he became a Great Wizard.

But even grasping just a portion of it elevated Richard's application of rules to a whole new level.

Raising his right hand, Richard saw faint radiance flickering at his fingertips.

He fetched a small metal ingot and attempted to use the Ghost Artisan forging technique to alter its properties through rule manipulation.

Before long, sweat beaded on Richard's forehead, and his mind grew increasingly foggy.

What the Ghost Artisans did instinctively in his vision now felt unbearably strenuous—and this was merely scratching the surface.

Drops of sweat fell one after another, and soon Richard was drenched. In his hands, the metal ingot slowly changed under the influence of the manipulated rules.

"Whew!"

As Richard exhaled sharply, the ingot suddenly emitted a faint glow. The glow lasted only a few seconds before vanishing, but that was enough.

It proved that the ingot's properties had been altered, if only briefly.

"These rule-bound creatures are truly terrifying," Richard murmured to himself.

He was certain that even an average Great Wizard would struggle to wield the Ghost Artisan forging technique smoothly.

After meditating for a while longer, Richard returned to the workbench and began studying the design schematics of the Starr Wraith Power Furnace.

Though this power furnace was forged using Ghost Artisan techniques, its internal structure was surprisingly rigorous, devoid of any absurdity—except for its fuel.

The most crucial component of the power furnace is its fuel.

The Starr Wraith Power Furnace is fueled by twelve Power Wraiths crafted from ghostly rules.

These Power Wraiths operate almost eternally within the furnace—though in reality, they too require replacement.

However, the replacement cycle is exceptionally long. Under normal circumstances, even when a flying ship reaches the end of its lifespan, the Power Wraiths inside need not be replaced.

But this left Richard with a headache.

These Power Wraiths could only be forged by Ghost Artisans in the Ghost World. Richard couldn’t produce them in the Wizard World.

He had to find a substitute.

Richard chuckled wryly, "A rule substitute... Hah, I’ve really given myself a fine task."

Opening the Secret Realm, Richard pulled Ulysses out.

"Ulysses, you’re the World Master. Help me think—what rule could serve as a substitute for the Power Wraiths?"

Ulysses was stunned by Richard’s question. What did he mean by a rule substitute?

If rules could be substituted, what was the point of their existence?

But after clarifying Richard’s intent, he quickly offered a suggestion.

"Use your Nightmare rule."

"Nightmare rule?" Richard was taken aback but soon found the idea intriguing.

Though ghostly rules were absurd, Nightmare rules were equally so.

If he could harness the rule to create an environment akin to a nightmare domain, the Power Wraiths would no longer be an issue.

The problem, however, was how to fabricate such an environment.

"Richard, I have a solution for this problem," Ulysses shook his head, "but I suggest you seek help from your Great Wizard.

This isn’t something you can create on your own."

Richard fell silent for a moment before sighing softly. "You’re right. This isn’t something I can make."

He was certain that if he succeeded in crafting a Wizard version of the Wraith Power Furnace, the Council of Truth would requisition it.

This was a groundbreaking creation, something capable of influencing the course of war.

And when that time came, how would he explain the furnace’s design?

While inspiration was a universal excuse, it wouldn’t be enough to convince the Great Wizards. If they dug deeper, the inconsistencies in his background wouldn’t withstand scrutiny.

Richard had no intention of relying on the hope that the Great Wizards might overlook discrepancies during their investigation.

Gazing at the drafts on the workbench, he muttered helplessly, "I can only hope the Dean will agree to see me, considering the star chart I gave him."

……

Galon Wizard Academy.

Winter arrived early in the far north, with heavy snowfall beginning as early as September. The biting wind, laden with ice and snow, lashed at faces like knives.

Yet atop the peak of Galon Wizard Academy, the avatar of Grand Wizard Galon stood outside the Wizard Tower as usual, clad in light robes and unfazed by the storm.

The harsh winds were but a jest to a Wizard—to the avatar of Grand Wizard Galon, they were as soothing as a summer afternoon breeze.

Suddenly, a streak of light descended upon the mountaintop.

"Dean," Richard bowed slightly.

"Hmm."

Grand Wizard Galon exhaled a syllable before opening his eyes and stretching his limbs.

"Richard, what brings you here? Problems with your research?"

Richard shook his head slightly but then hesitated before nodding instead.

"Not a single mistake, not a single word, not a single detail—all content is in 6 9 book bar look!"

"It is indeed a research issue, but not regarding physical evolution—it's related to Alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Grand Wizard Galon brushed the frost from his head.

"If it's about Alchemy, you've come to the wrong person. While I know some Alchemy, my knowledge is neither systematic nor structured. It's fine for personal use, but hardly sufficient for teaching others."

With that, he looked curiously at Richard.

"Given your status, seeking help from a Great Wizard of the Alchemy School shouldn't be difficult, should it?"

Richard was somewhat renowned across the Wizard World. The Great Wizards were never narrow-minded; they were always willing to mentor talented Wizards like Richard—though the cost would undoubtedly be steep.

After all, Richard wasn't their student, so the principle of equivalent exchange still applied.

Richard took a deep breath and pulled out the blueprint he had prepared in advance.

After deciding to seek help from a Great Wizard, Richard had begun adapting the structure of the Starr Wraith Power Furnace to Wizard standards.

Though the Ghost Artisan's design was ingenious, any Wizard formally trained in Alchemy could tell it wasn't crafted by a Wizard's hand. Thus, to ensure safety, Wizardizing the Power Furnace's structure was essential.

This process alone had taken Richard ten years.

"Dean, please take a look at this."

Grand Wizard Galon accepted Richard's Crystal Ball and absorbed the information within.

A moment later, a tremendous surge of Magic Power erupted from Grand Wizard Galon, instantly clearing all the snow and wind from the mountaintop.

"You clever lad!" Grand Wizard Galon exclaimed, astonished. "Focusing on physical evolution is a waste of your talents. The Alchemy School is where you truly belong."

According to Richard's blueprint, solving the Power Wraith issue would make Small Sky Citadels no longer a distant dream.

This was groundbreaking.

"You flatter me, Dean," Richard said honestly. "This is actually plagiarized from an otherworldly creation."

"Plagiarism?" Grand Wizard Galon chuckled and patted Richard's shoulder. "That's called learning! Come with me. The technique you need isn't difficult—I'll help you complete this."

Following the Dean, Richard entered the Wizard Tower atop the mountain.

The moment he stepped through the tower's doors, Richard sensed an overwhelming concentration of Magic Power.

No doubt, this unassuming Wizard Tower, like the floors above the 300th level of the Central Black Tower, had integrated a Secret Realm.

The first floor of the tower was a massive library, with towering bookshelves stretching like a sky-high wall at the far end. Beside them, various bizarre biological specimens were neatly displayed on force-field platforms.

Passing one such platform, Richard noticed a Crystal Ball encased within the force field.

Inside the Crystal Ball, a swarm of bee-like creatures circled endlessly.

"Those are Slaughter Swarms—a gestalt entity from a mid-sized world. I found them amusing, so I sealed them in a fragment of a Secret Realm. If you'd like, I can give you a couple to play with."

Grand Wizard Galon was in an exceptionally good mood, his tone sounding light and cheerful. The items on these display stands were things he would grumble about even when Jimmy asked for them.

Yet today, he was willing to offer them up willingly.

"Thank you, Dean!" Richard said without hesitation.

Seeing Richard agree so quickly, Grand Wizard Galon was momentarily taken aback.

"Good lad," Grand Wizard Galon chuckled. "You’re quite decisive. Fleecing me like this, and you don’t even feel guilty?"

Richard grinned. "Dean, with your vast wealth, what are these trifles to you?"

Ascending the stairs, the two arrived at the laboratory.

As a Great Wizard, every piece of equipment in Grand Wizard Galon’s lab was worth a fortune.

With just a quick glance, Richard realized that all these instruments were actually Rule Magic Gear.

Grand Wizard Galon walked to the lab table and casually waved his hand, causing a large array of runes to appear in the air.

"You’ll need to create something akin to a Nightmare World within the Power Furnace to serve as its energy source.

For an

ordinary Great Wizard, this might be quite difficult.

But I happened to have researched something similar in the past, so you came to the right person."

As he spoke, the runes that had just appeared suddenly transformed, taking the shape of a Portal.

"I’ll make a quick trip to the Nightmare World and be back shortly."