Chapter 214: Developing the Base
"Meow, Su Nan!"
Amy's perception remained as keen as ever, and it noticed Su Nan's arrival immediately.
In an instant, the little creature vanished from its spot and reappeared on Su Nan's shoulder.
"Meow, did you go to the Wizard Tower again?" Amy asked, licking its paw.
Su Nan chuckled. "I just activated the Elemental Pool today. The energy there is even more abundant than in the Dragon Bone Tower. You and Hidden Dragon can rest there from now on."
Hearing this, Hidden Dragon, who was approaching, let out an excited cry.
Since evolving into a dragon, it had become incredibly sensitive to the concentration of energy particles and could barely tolerate being outside, seldom leaving the Long Lin. When Su Nan wasn't using the control center, Hidden Dragon would often run over to the Elemental Pool just to enjoy the high concentration of energy particles a little longer.
Now, hearing that there was a place with an even higher concentration of energy particles, it was naturally overjoyed.
Amy, on the other hand, didn't have such high requirements for energy particle concentration; after all, its power level was still far from reaching the limits found on Starlight Continent. Even so, Amy was very happy.
Before entering its long slumber, Amy had always lived in the Wizard Tower and missed that environment dearly. Although the Long Lin wasn't bad, it couldn't compare to the Wizard Tower.
Su Nan became curious and asked about Amy's master's Wizard Tower.
"My master's Wizard Tower?"
"I think it was a Large Wizard Tower, meow! It was very spacious!"
As expected of a True Spirit Descendant, their Wizard Tower was indeed large.
Suddenly, Su Nan remembered something and asked, "What level of wizard was your master?"
"Meow, my master was a Level 3 Wizard."
"But before I went to sleep, it seemed that my master was trying to break through to become a True Spirit Wizard, meow."
A True Spirit Wizard, huh!
Su Nan sighed inwardly.
True Spirit Descendant
Due to their inherited lineage, True Spirit Descendants possess a significantly greater chance of advancing to True Spirit Wizard than ordinary Wizards. With their deep familial backgrounds, they are not lacking in resources. Coupled with guidance from family elders, typically two or three out of every ten can ascend to the rank of True Spirit Wizard.
Though this number may seem small, it is, in fact, quite remarkable.
For an ordinary Wizard, the odds are far slimmer; not even one in a thousand has a chance to advance to True Spirit Wizard.
Over a thousand years have passed, and Amy's master may have already ascended to True Spirit Wizard.
"I want to go to Wizard Tower and take a look!"
Amy's enthusiasm was childlike, and after just a few words, she pulled Hidden Dragon toward Wizard Tower.
Su Nan chuckled and shook his head but paused to contemplate before teleporting to the laboratory.
With the assistance of Tower Spirit 1, his research on the Talent Crystal Model should progress much more smoothly. He could also delve into more literature for inspiration.
As for the type of his second Talent Crystal Model, Su Nan had already made his decision.
The first Talent Model, 'Liquid Metal', was a balanced type for both offense and defense.
Thus, it would be ideal for the second and third Talent models to focus on extreme defense and extreme offense, respectively.
Su Nan already had numerous offensive techniques, so he would prioritize a defensive type for his second Talent Crystal Model.
After much deliberation, he ultimately chose the Wizard Tool Forbidden Zone for the original model.
The formless force field of the Forbidden Zone could not only provide comprehensive, blind spot-free defense against attacks but also exert gravitational suppression on approaching enemies. Weakening the enemy, in essence, constituted another form of defense, did it not?
Due to material limitations, the Forbidden Zone could only reach a certain power threshold.
However, if improved and transformed into a Talent Crystal Model, its capabilities could be further expanded and enhanced.
Su Nan looked forward to the final result.
Time flowed like sand slipping through one’s fingers, silent and unnoticed.
In the year 1291 of the Starlight Calendar, during the Shuo Flower Month (May), it had already been ten years since the Prosperous Star Empire unified the continent.
The scars of war had long since healed, and people had returned to their peaceful and tranquil lives.
Under the emperor's determined reforms, the entire Empire was flourishing, developing at an accelerating pace.
Those living at the bottom of society felt this change most acutely. Their lives had never been better, fostering their wholehearted support for the Empire's rule.
But to some discerning individuals, what they felt most acutely was the increasing number of Knights they encountered in their daily lives.
In the past, Knights—though not necessarily of Noble birth—were followers of the Nobles, their status far superior to that of ordinary citizens. Now, however, many Knights were emerging from common backgrounds, a change particularly evident within the military. Previously, an outstanding Trainee Knight could hold an officer's position, but nowadays, even the lowest-ranking officer was required to be a Knight. In essence, Knights were becoming increasingly common.
While the observations of these discerning individuals might seem like vague speculation, the report laid before Su Nan contained detailed data. In just the past four years, various Knight Academies throughout the Empire had graduated over twenty thousand Knight trainees. There were even hundreds of thousands of Trainee Knights in training. If one included the seven Knight Academies under the Star Alliance and the dozen or so Royal Knight Academies of the Empire, the total number of Knight trainees would approach forty thousand. The seven Knight Academies under the Star Alliance alone had graduated over ten thousand Knight trainees in that same four-year period.
In the past, this would have been unimaginable, but today it had become quite ordinary. In fact, had most of the Star Alliance's Dragon Blood Fruits and Dragon Blood Potions not been allocated to supply the Magic Knight Order, and had only a small amount been reserved for ordinary Knight Academies, the number of Knights cultivated each year could have doubled.
Pulling back his gaze, Su Nan turned to another report. This one was penned by Rose and concerned a new fruit-type Magic Plant she had recently developed. This Magic Plant had the effect of strengthening one's physique, though its efficacy was considerably weaker than that of the Dragon Blood Fruit, being about one-fifth as potent. To be honest, it was somewhat of a stretch to classify it as a true Magic Plant.
However, despite its weaker effects, the fruit had low requirements for its growing environment. It could thrive even in the current conditions of Starlight Continent, without the need to set up an Energy Gathering Array. In Su Nan's view, this was its most valuable aspect. This meant that it did not have to be planted in a Magic Plant Garden and could be grown even by ordinary people. If this fruit could be widely promoted and adopted throughout the Empire, it might alleviate the shortage of Dragon Blood Fruits and Dragon Blood Potions to some extent.
Without hesitation, Su Nan wrote on the report, approving its transfer to the Emperor Empire with a recommendation for widespread planting and immediately approving a substantial sum of Contribution Points as a reward for Rose.
It's worth mentioning that Rose named this fruit Star Fruit, the significance of which is self-evident. With Star Fruit, the Prosperous Star Empire could cultivate even more Knights.
Su Nan never believed that solely focusing on enhancing one's own strength or only caring about the development of the Star Alliance was the right path. Such actions could certainly yield substantial short-term gains, but from a long-term perspective, they were extremely shortsighted. The Starlight Continent was his foundation. Strengthening and developing this foundation would also increase his resources; with a solid base, he could go further in the future.
That was why he spared no effort in supporting Ke Yi's reforms. Universalizing basic education, establishing the Knight Academy, and other reform policies were all subtle ways to enhance the strength of the Starlight Continent. The stronger the Starlight Continent became, the greater the benefits he, as the actual Controller, could obtain from it.
"It's a shame there's no Magic Stone Mine on the continent; otherwise, we could develop Magic Technology and improve the basic level of technology."
Magic Technology referred to applied technologies developed using Magic Stone as energy, including items like the Magic Stone Lamp, Magic-Powered Carriage, Magic-Powered Airship, and Magic-Powered Weapons, along with a series of other machines used in civilian life and the military.
There were two prerequisites for developing Magic Technology: an abundant supply of Magic Stone Mines and a powerful Wizard Civilization, possessing a sufficient number of Wizard Apprentices and formal Wizards. Currently, the Starlight Continent did not possess either of these prerequisites. While the latter could be gradually achieved over time, the former was impossible without the revival of the elements and a lengthy period of restoration and accumulation.
As for using Cube Synthesis to create Magic Stones, Su Nan hadn't even considered it. Once Magic Technology was widely adopted, given the size of the Starlight Continent, the amount of Magic Stone required would be astronomical, and he certainly couldn't satisfy that demand on his own.
After approving the documents, Su Nan stretched and left the study. He was currently in the Wizard Tower, which was still under construction.
Since the Elemental Pool was opened, Su Nan had been cultivating, studying, and managing affairs within the Wizard Tower.
Compared to Dragon Bone Tower, the concentration of Energy Particles here was significantly more comfortable.
The spatial planning for the Wizard Tower was still being refined, with the current progress at only about one-third complete.
Notably, during this time, Su Nan attempted to create another Elemental Pool and then merge it with the original one.
The result was impressive: the effects of the synthesized Elemental Pool increased by approximately 1.2 times in all aspects, much to his delight.
"Judging by this, four to five Small Elemental Pools should be able to synthesize an Elemental Pool with effects similar to a Medium one."
Lost in thought, Su Nan arrived at the Laboratory Area.
The vast Laboratory Area contained over two hundred laboratories, each of which needed to be equipped with a Magic Array to prevent experimental accidents from causing Energy explosions that could devastate the facility and spread to other areas.
Completing this task alone would take at least seven or eight months.
And this was just one aspect of the spatial plan.
"The road ahead is long and arduous."
By the time Su Nan finished his work, dusk had already fallen.
Gazing at the sky outside, he suddenly felt the urge to eat.
Since becoming a Wizard, Su Nan had essentially eliminated the need for food.
Even if he didn't eat for decades or even centuries, he wouldn’t feel hunger.
Simply absorbing the free-floating Energy Particles in the air was sufficient to sustain his life.
However, although he didn't require food, Su Nan still occasionally indulged in tasting delicious dishes.
It was one of his few remaining pleasures.
Naturally, the only things that could pique his interest were delicacies made from rare materials, possessing special effects—similar to those featured on the daily recommendation menus of Starlight Academy and the Dragon Bone Tower cafeteria.
For this reason, Carolina had specially prepared a private room for him in the Dragon Bone Tower cafeteria.
As usual, not long after Su Nan sat down in the private room, Carolina entered, her tail swaying, followed by a team of Water Sprites carrying platters.
When the Water Sprites placed the platters down and lifted the lids, an enticing aroma immediately wafted throughout the room, captivating his senses.
Su Nan's gaze landed on one of the platters, and his expression shifted slightly.
"This is… Emperor Shrimp?"
"Yes, Master," Carolina said with a smile. She knew that the origins of the dishes would certainly not stump her knowledgeable master.
The Emperor Shrimp was a ferocious marine creature that could grow over five meters long. Its claws were sturdy and sharp, its diet was broad, and it had few natural enemies. Its lower limbs were slender yet powerful, making it a formidable combatant.
In the ocean, even an Elementary Knight dared not confront an Emperor Shrimp directly.
According to Su Nan, the Emperor Shrimp was a deep-sea creature, seemingly found only in the Rainbow Sea.
His gaze swept over the other dishes.
Sure enough, the Seven-Colored Fan Shrimp, Rainbow Clam, Coral Fish, and Dragon Whale Meat were all specialties of the Rainbow Sea.
The resources of the Rainbow Sea were extremely abundant. It was home to the world's largest coral reef, rich in all sorts of incredibly delicious seafood.
Today, Carolina had arranged a feast of Rainbow Sea seafood for him.
Su Nan smiled, waved his hand to dismiss the Water Sprites, then motioned for Carolina to sit down.
"Let's eat and chat."
Carolina was slightly startled, then filled with joy. She restrained her excitement and carefully moved to a seat, coiling her tail onto the chair, sitting to the lower left of Su Nan.
Su Nan took a few bites of the Emperor Shrimp meat, nodding in satisfaction before getting to the main topic.
"How is the exploration of the Rainbow Sea progressing?"
Carolina respectfully replied, "We've currently built five city-states in Rainbow Bay, and we're also reclaiming land from the sea to construct three islands as transfer stations for deep-sea exploration and for the bay city-states. However, progress has been somewhat slow due to interference from deep-sea Naga, Sirens, and Sea Monsters."
At this point, Carolina cautiously glanced at Su Nan. Seeing him slowly savoring the food, his face devoid of any displeasure, she breathed a small sigh of relief and continued,
"I’ve already sent additional troops to Rainbow Bay, and I've tasked Starlight Academy with procuring magical ships capable of navigating the sea, as well as special puppets that can operate underwater. In addition, Lord Sheman and Lord Coley are preparing to lead teams to the Rainbow Sea. With their assistance, I believe the exploration will soon see a breakthrough."
Deep Sea was the territory of the Marine Race and Sea Monsters. No matter how sturdy or magnificent a ship was, it could never match these creatures in the vastness of the ocean.
As a result, humans could only roam on land. No nation had ever dared to encroach upon the Rainbow Sea.
Even an organization as powerful as the Star Alliance faced significant challenges and resistance in exploring the Rainbow Sea, and to this day, they could only linger on its periphery.
However, Carolina believed that with increased efforts and more resources, the Star Alliance could surely resolve the current predicament surrounding the Rainbow Sea.
The banquet she had prepared today was not without the intention of seizing the opportunity to make a request of her master.
She was confident that her master could see her purpose as well.
Indeed, after hearing her words, Su Nan glanced at her with a smile that was more enigmatic than warm, and said,
"I will have the Academy cooperate with you, and the resources of the Star Alliance will be at your disposal. The only requirement is that we achieve a breakthrough in the Rainbow Sea as soon as possible."
With only about four years left until the opening of Falling Star City, a certain level of power needed to be established in the Rainbow Sea beforehand.
Perhaps then, they would be able to utilize it in their search for Falling Star City.
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