Free Web NovelChapter 324: Chapter 317: Fell into the Trap
Victor froze in place, his mind a complete blank.
The words "Roger, Commander," rang in his ears like a demonic incantation, echoing endlessly in his mind.
Looking at Allen’s leisurely retreating back, then at his own three "Molten Fire Guardians" standing stiffly like loyal guards, Victor felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.
This wasn’t any Alchemy Technology he had ever conceived of!
Victor took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tempest raging in his heart.
As the heir to the Tieyan Clan, he could lose his head and spill his blood, but he could not lose his aristocratic composure.
He steeled himself, forced his legs to move, and followed Allen, putting on a calm facade as if the incident of having his Golems hijacked right before his eyes had never happened.
Upon entering the main gate, the scene before him opened up dramatically.
There was none of the slightly gloomy atmosphere of a traditional Wizard Tower. Soft bands of light illuminated the high, vaulted ceiling, and the metal floor was polished to a mirror shine.
The air was free of any strange odors, filled only with the low, rhythmic hum of machinery in operation.
This was the storage and logistics hub.
Innumerable rail lines converged here from all directions. Factory Servants rode transport carts, zipping along the tracks in an orderly fashion, moving so quickly they left behind afterimages.
It was completely unlike any workshop Victor had ever seen.
"You even gave the Factory Servants their own transport vehicles...?" he blurted out.
This was somewhat beyond Victor’s comprehension. In his eyes, Factory Servants were themselves tools. Giving tools their own dedicated transportation? ’What kind of logic is that?’
"It’s just an internal logistics system. Standard transport, that’s all," Allen’s voice replied calmly. "Let’s go a bit further."
The two of them walked down a straight corridor. The walls on either side were inlaid with evenly spaced bands of Magic Lamps, their cold white light revealing every seam between the metal plates with perfect clarity.
At the end of the corridor, the path split in three directions, with signs hanging overhead: "Production & Manufacturing Zone," "Storage & Logistics Zone," and "R&D and Testing Zone."
Victor stopped in his tracks.
His ice-blue eyes scanned the Rune Array on the ceiling, lingered for half a second on the fire suppression and explosion-proof installations in the corners, and finally came to rest on the floor beneath his feet.
’The floor seems to hold some secrets, too.’
He crouched down, his fingertips lightly touching the surface, and felt an extremely faint fluctuation of Magic Conductivity.
The entire floor of the corridor was, in fact, a single, massive, interconnected network of Rune Circuits!
Victor paused in thought but didn’t press for technical details.
"The standard path to the production zone is the one you’re standing on," Allen said, gesturing casually. "But we’re short on time. Let’s take a shortcut."
Before the words had even left his mouth, a Space Gate materialized out of thin air in front of Victor.
Through the gate were the storage racks of the logistics zone.
Rows of Black Patterned Magic Steel ingots were stacked neatly, like an army awaiting inspection. Digital readouts on the racks flickered, updating the inventory in real time.
Victor stood up, his voice strained. "You’re using spatial technology for internal logistics?"
"Folded-space pathways are an inherent capability of the Half-plane Workshop."
Allen closed the Space Gate. "The physical distance from the production zone to the storage zone is three kilometers. This saves a few minutes."
"Let’s see what’s up ahead," Allen said, gesturing forward.
The two continued down the corridor.
As they passed the observation windows for the production and manufacturing zone, Victor slowed his pace.
Three assembly lines were in operation. Mechanical arms forged metal and etched Runes, with each step in the process flowing seamlessly into the next with barely a pause.
But what caught Victor’s attention wasn’t the three operating lines, but the vast, empty space beside them.
In that empty area, power conduits and logistics lines were already embedded in the floor. The signs were perfectly clear: "Reserved for Production Line 4," "Reserved for Production Line 5"... and so on, all the way to "No. 50."
A full forty-seven empty slots.
Victor averted his gaze, his expression unreadable, but the hand hidden in his sleeve had clenched into a fist.
Further on was the R&D and testing zone.
In addition to a testing ground vast enough to race horses in, there were ten independent laboratories arranged in a neat row.
The signs read: "Magic Power Theory Research," "Biomaterials Science," "Spatial Theory & Application," "Runology," "Weapon Development," and so on.
Only three of them were lit; the other seven were dark. Through the glass, one could see nothing but empty countertops inside.
"The foundation is still a bit thin, and a lot of areas are empty. It’s a bit of a mess, I know," Allen said, taking the initiative to speak.
Victor glanced at him. Looking at those neatly planned empty spaces, he didn’t feel the slightest inclination to underestimate Allen.
The pre-embedded conduits, reserved work stations, zone markers, and logistics network had all been laid out in advance.
This was clearly a chessboard with all the squares already drawn. The purpose of every single space had been meticulously planned; it was just a matter of placing the pieces.
Victor had seen the industrial workshops of the Tieyan Clan, the culmination of hundreds of years of accumulation, but none of them were this orderly or possessed such a distinctive character.
And all of this came from the hands of a newly promoted Second-level Wizard.
’I have no idea where he gets so many unconventional ideas.’
He composed himself, clasped his hands behind his back, and lifted his chin, signaling for Allen to continue.
After completing the tour, the two returned to the exit of the outer Defense Zone.
As he stepped out, the hot, dust-laden wind of the wasteland rushed to meet him, yet Victor felt it was blowing with a particular clarity.
"Allen, your ambition is far greater than I ever imagined," Victor finally said, his voice tinged with a hint of awe that even he hadn’t noticed.
Allen just smiled noncommittally. "Surprised already? Heh, let me show you my next trick. Jarvis, initiate full retraction."
Before Victor could even react, he saw the entire workshop complex slowly turn transparent. It faded first into a wireframe of blue, dotted lines, and then vanished completely.
The next second, all that remained before them was a massive, deep crater.
"So this is what it’s like to enter the half-plane?"
"That’s right."
Before Victor could process what he’d seen, the complex began to materialize once more, descending back into the Material Realm as if its disappearance had been nothing but an illusion.
From its initial appearance to being fully deployed, the entire process took no more than three seconds.
"Deployment and retraction take only a few seconds."
Allen’s voice sounded beside him. "This is the privilege that comes with being a Second-level Wizard."
He patiently explained, "However, the Half-plane Workshop and the Wizard himself cannot both fully enter the independent dimension of the half-plane at the same time. One must serve as an anchor, remaining in the Material Realm. When the workshop is fully retracted, the person has to be outside."
Allen looked at Victor and said frankly, "So, you see, there’s still no such thing as absolute safety."
Victor fell silent.
Allen’s candor took him by surprise, and it also gave him a clearer understanding of a Second-level Wizard’s power.
This wasn’t just showing off; it was a demonstration of trust, laying the groundwork for long-term cooperation.
...
「In the reception room of the living quarters.」
Victor sat in a chair, his expression having returned to its usual calm.
He re-evaluated Allen. This senior of his, a commoner by birth, was already walking the path that he himself so desperately yearned for.
"Alright, name your price for the ’Crystal Bomb’," Victor said, picking up his glass of water and reverting to his shrewd, capable negotiating persona.
"A flat one million," Allen said, leaning back in his chair.
"That’s too expensive," Victor said, shaking his head. "Your device is powerful, but its production cost can’t be that high. Let’s stick with last time’s price: three hundred thousand."
"Three hundred thousand? Are you trying to shoo away a beggar?"
Allen scoffed. "This is a strategic weapon capable of taking down a Second-level Wizard. Three hundred thousand is out of the question."
"Four hundred thousand! Not a penny more!" Victor started to play the sympathy card. "Allen, have a conscience! Don’t forget how much I lost when those volcanoes erupted. Could you have defeated that Second-level Wizard without me?"
"Don’t get things twisted. You make it sound like you made some selfless sacrifice for my sake. You did all that to save your own skin."
"No, your asking price is too high. Give me another quote."
"One million is already a steal. You have no idea how in-demand this weapon is right now, and my production capacity is limited." Seeing that Victor was about to slam his fist on the table, Allen changed his tack, his tone suddenly becoming that of a thoughtful old friend. "However... if you want a discount, it’s not out of the question. But you have to hear me out first."
Allen looked at Victor, a sly, fox-like smile spreading across his face.
"If you’re willing to purchase my new Golems, I can make an executive decision and give you a forty percent discount on the ’Crystal Bombs’."
"I’ve recently developed a new model of Golem, designed specifically for large-scale battles. It can handle a Beast Tide with ease," Allen continued, unhurriedly sweetening the deal. "So? Are you interested?"
The corner of Victor’s eye twitched. "..."
’So this was the real trap.’
He finally understood.
Allen hadn’t brought him here on a tour to show off; it was to hold a product launch conference!
And he was the sole invited guest—and potential client!
"...Fine." Victor took a deep breath, glaring at Allen through gritted teeth. "Let’s see what your new toy is made of first."
He was a pure pragmatist. Getting played didn’t matter; as long as the product was good, money was no object.
"But let me say this up front: if you’re just trying to trick me out of my Magic Stones with some flashy but useless piece of junk, Allen, you will lose your best customer."
Allen smiled.
"Relax."
"My products are always honestly priced. I guarantee you’ll be a satisfied customer."
