Chapter 249: Conceptions of War

While the adults were discussing, Vera and Heidi were extremely curious about those strange and novel inventions.

The two little girls peeked around on their tiptoes while Eddie followed behind them with a smile, introducing each item one by one.

Ansu was drawn by the voices and walked over, his gaze sweeping across the semi-finished magitech equipment on the display shelves.

"What new inventions has the professor been tinkering with lately?" he asked with interest. "Is there anything I can use?"

The alchemical revolver 【Mage Killer】 he had previously swiped from here had been widely acclaimed, and to this day, terrifying rumors of him slaughtering every cult executor in Solan Province with a single gun were still circulating throughout the cult...

Furthermore, the magitech communicators the professor had given each of them were used quite frequently; Ansu felt they were even more convenient than the 【Communication Amulet】 the young lady witch had given him.

After all, using a magitech communicator was like making a phone call, whereas the Communication Amulet was like sending a text message.

Not to mention that the Communication Amulet also served as Celia's tracking device...

"If you're asking that..." Professor Duncan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. "Though it's still in the experimental stage, it wouldn't be bad to have you guys help test it and provide feedback... It is about time your equipment got an update."

Ansu couldn't help but show an expectant expression.

A moment later, Professor Duncan brought over a device that was even smaller and more refined than the magitech communicator Ansu currently used.

"This is a tactical upgrade of the magitech communicator, moving in a different direction," Professor Duncan explained. "Not only can it achieve ultra-long-distance transmission, but it is also almost entirely unrestricted by physical or magical interference."

Ansu took it to examine, nodding as he listened to the explanation.

This thing reminded him of a radio; it could rely on the basic structure of "0" and "1" to transmit information through different arrangements, similar to Morse code.

"I don't see the difference between this and the Communication Amulet I gave him." Celia frowned slightly, feeling puzzled. "The information transmission efficiency is even worse."

"Because this is a 0th Circle magic construction, it produces almost no mana fluctuations," Professor Duncan continued to explain patiently. "I initially developed this at Ansu's request for the cult executors, pursuing stealth. Besides, the Communication Amulet you gave Ansu is a master-level, expensive magical item that is difficult to manufacture."

Ansu nodded. "In the era of the magitech industrial system, the ability to mass-produce is key."

After all, it was impossible to equip every soldier with an expensive master-level magical item.

"As for information transmission efficiency, that's a matter of perspective..." Professor Duncan said, glancing at the two of them helplessly, thinking that no one else sent messages to each other as frequently and intensely as they did...

This was designed for cult executors, not for long-distance lovers...

Duncan continued, "The final point is my proudest achievement: its rune principle is extremely simple."

"For example." He smiled at Ansu, who was holding the communicator. "No matter where you are trapped in the future, even if you encounter powerful interference or various restrictions, you can definitely send out a distress signal with this!"

"Oh?" Ansu blinked, immediately intrigued. "Sounds good, I'll take it for now."

"With your strength, you'd still need this?" Celia glanced at him.

Although Ansu was very weak in front of her, in this era of the Great Magic Collapse, his current strength could be considered that of a master.

Furthermore, with Ansu having so many mysterious tricks, who could possibly trap him?

"Who knows," Ansu shook his head. "Better safe than sorry."

Celia suddenly leaned close to his ear and asked with a low laugh, "You're not... using this specifically to guard against me, are you?"

"Of course not," Ansu continued to shake his head.

"Hmph..."

Everyone continued to observe Professor Duncan's other inventions.

They looked at communicators, weapons, and improved models of his past magitech equipment... Ansu discovered that all of the professor's new inventions relied on a single core design.

Ansu's gaze was drawn to a crystal-clear magic crystal on the workbench.

It wasn't a natural ore mined from deep within the mana veins, but something Professor Duncan had created with his own hands...

An artificial magic crystal.

"This is interesting..." Celia gently picked up the artificial magic crystal, the flowing light reflecting clearly in her eyes.

Magic crystals were usually buried near natural mana focal points underground, natural mana veins formed through long geological movements. These natural veins had always been the core energy source of the magitech industrial system, holding a status similar to "coal" in another world.

And the piece before them was precisely the result of Professor Duncan's tireless research over the past few days. Once the related papers on 'artificial magic crystals' were published, his reputation in the academic world would surely skyrocket.

"Regarding this magic crystal, I still have to thank you and Ansu," Professor Duncan smiled modestly.

Ansu knew that he had been studying that massive mana source from the ancient demon empire's altar back then. The professor had discovered a large artificial mana source structure deep underground that, in Ansu's view, was like a "storage battery."

This structure could absorb the dense free mana deep within the earth, storing and converting it, providing a nearly inexhaustible supply for a thousand years.

Combined with Professor Duncan's talent for magic runes and reverse engineering, the first stable artificial magic crystal was born.

It was safe, cheap, and more importantly—it could be recharged repeatedly, unlike natural magic crystals which were single-use.

It was essentially... a magic battery?

"Professor, you are indeed amazing," Ansu couldn't help but praise. This was practically a shift from traditional energy to new energy...

He stared at that "magic battery," his thoughts racing.

"Then, mass-produced, cheap magitech mechanics become possible, and it might even be commercialized and privatized in the future..."

Professor Duncan asked, "Ansu, do you have any good ideas?"

Because of those papers, he had recently received many academic letters from colleagues, but most concepts couldn't break out of the old way of thinking.

Ansu's gaze swept across everyone in the laboratory. He thought that such revolutionary technology should naturally be prioritized for military use; war had always been that way.

Thus, his tone became a bit calmer. "We need to prepare for the war that might come."

"What kind of weapon do you want to make?" Celia asked.

"There are two directions: one is improving individual soldier strength, and the other is legion-level weapons." Ansu looked at Professor Duncan. "We'll start with the individual breakthrough; that's the easiest to see results from."

As he spoke, he suddenly pulled out his 【Mage Killer】, the ornate alchemical revolver, and tapped it lightly on the table.

"Can this thing be mass-produced?"

"Mass-producing alchemical firearms?" Professor Duncan stroked his chin, falling into thought.

"No." Ansu shook his head and corrected, "It's a tactical staff."

Since artificial magic crystals had been developed, Ansu naturally hoped that those powerful spells could be poured onto the battlefield as freely as automatic or semi-automatic weapons.

After the concept of the tactical staff was proposed, Professor Duncan fell into deep thought again. Ansu paced to the other side of the laboratory, where there was a set of enchanted knight plate armor.

The armor had smooth lines, and faint magical light patterns flowed over its surface; it looked very cool.

Ansu continued to voice his ideas: "Can we draw a portion of the cult executors to form an elite battle mage regiment?"

He turned around. "Have them wear magic armor like this, embedded with artificial magic crystals for charging, to achieve different effects like protection, acceleration, and power enhancement... and then pair it with a tactical staff."

In this way, they would essentially be the most terrifying individual combat units of this era.

"It's possible..." Valger pushed his glasses, his expression somewhat conflicted. "But Ansu, can what you're describing still be called a 'mage'?"

"How can they not be mages?" Ansu glanced at him. "A mage's combat must keep up with the times!"

Sir, the times have changed.

Traditional mages were limited by magic inheritance, personal talent, mental strength levels... and even tedious casting preparations, which was why they were mockingly called "mage lords."

But his battle mage regiment—everyone would have "no upper limit" on mana, they could spam skills as they pleased, emphasizing saturated strikes, with extremely strong protection and melee capabilities, even capable of charging directly into enemy ranks to slaughter when necessary!

As Ansu spoke with more and more excitement, Valger muttered silently to himself, still unable to quite accept the existence of such mages... This was practically heresy.

"Oh, right!" Ansu looked at the armor and thought of something else. "It's best to find someone to design a matching cape!"

"What tactical significance does that have?" Valger couldn't help but ask.

"It's cool," Ansu replied.

"Hmm? Just because it's cool?" Valger was stunned.

Ansu nodded solemnly. Aesthetics are combat power.

He could even visualize the scene in his mind: a group of elite battle mages wearing heavy magic armor and dark red capes, holding long-handled tactical staves, with large-caliber alchemical revolvers at their waists for self-defense, appearing on the battlefield. He could imagine the shock and fear that would appear in the eyes of the enemy soldiers at that time.

That would be so cool.

"It does sound... quite cool indeed." Celia murmured, seemingly able to feel what kind of change such a unit would bring to the battlefield. "Ansu, your creativity in this area is really quite impressive..."

"Of course." The corners of Ansu's mouth slowly curled up.