touchnovel Chapter 86 Practical Experiment
Chapter 86 Practical Experiment
Chapter 86 Practical Experiment
Rowling followed the apprentice into the fortress.
The interior space was slightly larger than it appeared from the outside, utilizing some space-expanding technology, but the furnishings were very rudimentary, filled with various monitoring instruments, bookshelves, and experimental tables. There was a peculiar smell in the air, a mixture of ozone, old parchment, and something else—a leaking energy.
"What are the specifics? The information on the mission scroll is rather brief."
While observing the surroundings, Luo Lin asked a question.
The apprentice led the way down to the lower level, his voice hushed: "The situation is terrible, sir."
"About ten days ago, an unusually strong energy pulse was detected in the nearshore area, the source of which is unknown."
""
"Since then, the creatures in the nearby waters have become extremely aggressive, and some have appeared—"
Undead creatures that shouldn't exist in this area.
"They attack almost every night. Although the intensity is not particularly high, they are continuous and greatly interfere with the normal operation of the observation station, and also consume a lot of the protective array's energy."
"Lord Horn judged that the energy pulse may have torn open an unstable, tiny spatial rift somewhere on the seabed, or awakened something sleeping on the seabed."
"The released energy polluted the environment and attracted those evil things."
"These past few days, the master has been in the core control room down below, trying to stabilize the earth vein energy at the observation station and trace the source of that abnormal fluctuation. He simply can't spare any time."
They walked to the bottom of the fortress, to a tightly closed metal door.
The door is covered with runes and energy flows, clearly indicating that it is an important area.
The apprentice gestured for them to stop.
"The master is inside."
"He instructed that we should not disturb him unless it is an emergency or reinforcements arrive."
Rowling nodded, sensing a powerful yet suppressed energy fluctuation emanating from behind the door; it was indeed a second-circle wizard exerting his full power.
Instead of insisting on a meeting, he asked, "What were the specific characteristics of those attacking creatures?"
When was the most recent attack?
The apprentice recalled for a moment, a hint of lingering fear on his face: "There are mainly two types:"
One type is a polluted, mutated marine tentacle monster. They are small in size but numerous, and can spray a mucus with paralyzing and corrosive effects.
"The other type is more troublesome. It is a kind of sea undead wearing ancient and tattered armor, which we call the Drowned Guardian. Physical attacks are not very effective against them, and they also have some resistance to energy attacks. Only light or powerful fire spells are effective."
"Their last large-scale attack was the night before last, which was repelled by the master activating the enhanced magic array."
"But the small-scale harassment almost never stopped, especially after nightfall."
I have learned the basic situation.
According to Rolin, the key to the mission lies in solving the source of the abnormal energy; otherwise, repelling the harassment multiple times would only be a temporary fix.
But before that, the safety of the observatory itself must be ensured so that Wizard Horn can focus on the core issues.
"I see."
"I'll go check the outer protective array first and see if it can be reinforced."
"In addition, I need all the recent energy monitoring records from the observatory, especially the detailed data on the pulse ten days ago."
The apprentice nodded quickly: "Yes, sir."
"The records are in the archives upstairs. I'll go get them for you right away."
"The core control node of the magic array is located at the base of the outer wall on the east side of the fortress, where there is an inspection port."
After obtaining the energy monitoring records, Luo Lin first went to the east side of the fortress and found the hidden maintenance port.
Once opened, it reveals intricate rune circuits and energy conduits.
Upon closer inspection, several nodes were found to show obvious signs of overload and burning. Although emergency treatment was carried out, they were not completely repaired, affecting the energy flow efficiency of the entire magic array.
Studying the structure of magic arrays is not my forte, but with my understanding of energy circuits and the more precise control capabilities granted by the [Myriad Stars], I might be able to make some optimizations and temporary reinforcements.
Instead of rashly altering the main structure, he carefully guided his gentle astral power to clear several blocked secondary energy channels and, around several key nodes, used his magic to construct temporary, miniature astral stabilization rings.
This does not increase the absolute defensive strength of the magic circle, but it can significantly improve its energy utilization efficiency and stability, and extend its duration.
After the initial reinforcement was completed, the outer protective light shield was noticeably more stable and no longer flickered as before.
Next, I began to carefully review the energy monitoring records.
The parchment contained complex waveforms and data.
The energy pulse ten days ago was indeed extremely abrupt and intense, with very peculiar spectral characteristics, mixed with high-intensity negative energy, chaotic spatial fluctuations, and an unknown energy signature that had never been seen before and was highly corrosive.
Following the pulse, the intensity of this unknown energy signature decreased significantly but did not disappear; instead, it persisted and showed a slow increasing trend. Monitoring records indicate that its source is located in an area of sea approximately five nautical miles southeast of Shattered Star Bay.
"It seems we must go to the source," Roland thought to himself.
Without addressing this root cause, the observation station's predicament cannot be resolved.
The analysis results and action plan were relayed to Wizard Horn, who was still in the core control room, through his apprentice.
Soon, the apprentice returned with Horn's response, which consisted of only four words: "Be careful, permission granted."
Having obtained the resident wizard's permission, they no longer hesitated. Taking advantage of the early hour, they decided to immediately set off for the energy source area to conduct preliminary reconnaissance.
Leaving the observatory, we moved southeast along the rugged, dark coastline.
Baja flew at low altitude, vigilantly scanning the sea and reef areas with its unique eyes.
The closer you get to the target area, the more obvious the chaotic energy fluctuations in the air become, and you can even feel a subtle, continuous tingling sensation on your skin.
The seawater also became darker, almost pitch black, with wisps of barely perceptible gray mist occasionally drifting across the surface.
After traveling about three or four miles, Baha suddenly issued a warning. Ahead was a black reef area riddled with holes, from which came rustling crawling sounds and a strong, fishy stench.
They immediately stopped and hid behind a giant rock. From the holes in the rocks and the shallow water, dozens of disgusting creatures crawled out.
They were about half a person tall, with a body that was a sac-like structure covered in mucus, from which extended seven or eight tentacles with suckers and sharp ends, just like the mutated tentacle monsters described by the apprentice.
These monsters seemed to sense the presence of living beings and began to gather towards their hiding place, waving their tentacles and dripping corrosive slime.
Perfect, I can use them to try my hand at it.