Demiurge reached into his dimensional storage and produced a stack of papers. “Do any of you have an idea of what this is?”
Thorun, being a seasoned blacksmith, examined the design and hazarded a guess, “Is this some kind of carriage?” His experience allowed him to make an educated assessment of its potential function. The rest of the group, except for Mordred, offered their speculations, but none came as close as his.
“It’s a Train, a colossal marvel of engineering forged from iron and steel, pulled by a locomotive on specially constructed sets of rail network. The whole train would consist of connected carriages, each with its unique functions, ranging from transporting goods, and resources, to housing passengers or soldiers, and you can even weaponize it into a mobile fortress. If a network of rails were made to connect the Seven Kingdoms, the logistical range of the Seven Kingdoms would expand exponentially, allowing us to further explore the frontier.” Demiurge slowly explained. “It is one of the best tools for expanding the living space and the solution for the subsequent imperial overstretch problem.”
Nobody thought it was weird for Demiurge to have a novel idea such as a train since the Cosmagus’ primary field is logistics, not combat. In this context, dimensional storage is a special power in the sense that only high-rank cultivators could use it, but even then, the space is extremely limited. Others can only fit a spare weapon, potions, or other ultra-essentials, but nobody had seen the limit of the Cosmagus’ dimensional storage.
“Why haven’t you shared this with me?” Selene inquired with a hint of indignance in her tone. The second and the following pages of the blueprints reveal its functions and the benefit of having trained in the long term. As someone who had a high position in Lightning Kingdom Fulguria, the undisputed ‘leader’ of the Seven Kingdoms, she was amazed at this invention. If a railway network is constructed, the Seven Kingdom's median power will increase significantly.
No longer would the Seven Kingdom's borders rely on the limited number of aerial reinforcements from Wyvern Knights or Wyvern Transports from each kingdom. A single train could transport a battalion of soldiers in a jiffy. Expanding to the frontier wouldn’t be limited to using carriages or beast mounts.
“Hahah!” Demiurge laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke ever made. “121 years ago, I used the identity of Karlin Blackhand, a dwarven engineer to create my first train and presented it to Galvandor.”
Thorun was shocked when he heard that name. In the Metal Kingdom Galvandor, it was a stain, a dark past that cannot be washed away even if centuries had gone by.
Seeing Thorun’s expression, everyone else pressured Thorun to elaborate.
“Karlin was one of the greatest engineers in Galvandor. He wanted to create a type of vehicle called a car. It is an intricate amalgamation of finely crafted wood, metal, and enchanted components, having four-wheeled and designed for terrestrial travel. He also tried to invent an airship, which is a massive vehicle that could soar through the skies. Now that I think about it, Karlin’s inventions focused on logistics and transportation…” Thorun explained, his eyes reflect pain.
“What happened to him?” Selene inquired.
“Suicide…” Thorun sighed, “with two shots behind his head.”
“...” Everyone was lost for words.
Dwarven guns were indeed powerful, as they could somewhat overwhelm Magic Arts in terms of firepower. However, the typical dwarven guns are large and bulky. The damage they caused when they were shot to a person’s head without the protection of Arts wouldn’t allow them to maintain the shape of their skull, so there wasn’t a need to fire a second shot. From that alone, they realized that Demiurge’s hypothesis wasn't a baseless assumption.
“As you can see, the existence of the seven kingdoms is a farce. The world is extremely vast, but the frontier limits our reach. The rank 4 dungeons are fully capable of flattening the seven kingdoms with their beast stampede, however, why haven’t they done that? I assumed that the kings are related to the dungeons in some capacity. Therefore, I want to break this faux society… this bird cage…” Demiurge pulled out a stack of documents, the proposal of his project, and shared it with the others.
“Project Dungeon Master?” Everyone instantly got their attention drawn to the proposal’s title.
“The dungeon that we know of is but a lifeform whose existence is not limited to the 3rd dimension…” Selene furrowed her brows. “Astrorion?”
Demiurge took on a stance as if he wouldn't elaborate further until they had read all the content of the proposal, which made them completely focused on the document. Eventually, they read all the content and entered a state of deep pondering.
“[Project Dungeon Master] is based on pure speculation, having an infinitesimal chance of success. Let’s say we managed to dive deep down and conquer the quasi-rank 4 Dungeon… have you found a peak-stage rank 3 Arts user who wanted to sacrifice their life based on an unproven hypothesis?” Lyriel voiced her doubt.
“As I said…” Demiurge slowly uttered, “This might be my last project.”
“You…” Lyriel, or anyone else, couldn’t find any words that could rebuke his resolution.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“The ‘Humanization of an Astrorion’...” Ulfrik smiled, “I find it quite manly. I want in.”
“Ulfrik! Are you mad? You want to be hunted by the Seven Kingdoms?” Lyriel was more level-headed, so she tried to stop the Dragonblood Berserker.
“I am the strongest man in Tellanor. If they have a problem that the guilds or even the military can’t solve, they would lure me in with wealth, inheritances, and honey traps. Who do you think can assassinate me?” Ulfrik was filled with confidence. “Besides, the most powerful assassin in the seven kingdoms is here.” He pointed at the Lich King who stood still like a puppet, not contributing to the discussion.
“So that’s why you need an obscene amount of high-end manpower. You weren’t only preparing for the dungeon dive, you’re also preparing for the backlash of the seven kingdoms…” Thorun touched his beard, amazed at the Cosmagus’ foresight. “I’m in,” he stated with resolution, “I want to see the world beyond the horizon!”
Nodded, Demiurge glanced at the remaining two who still hadn’t decided. “What’s your answer?”
The Grand Transmuter, Lyriel, felt it was too much to take in. She sat down in pondering, which prompted Mordred to wave his hand, conjuring a set of circular tables and chairs made out of bones.
Sitting in a more comfortable position, Lyriel voiced her concern, “How confident are you in achieving this?”
“100%. I can’t fail… I mustn’t fail.” Demiurge’s eyes gleamed with unfaltering confidence, there was a crazed fire of determination underneath his unrelenting gaze. “I will raze the Seven Kingdoms to the ground if that increases my chances.”
To that statement, Lyriel and Selene looked at each other, confirming their thoughts. “So you don’t actually need us?”
Demiurge shook his head, “I have the plan sorted out for the most part, but there are some crucial elements that require your expertise. It might be possible for me if I have another three hundred years, but finding a rank 3 Dungeon on the brink of breaking through to rank 4 is not something that occurs every thousand years or so, I am forced to accelerate my plan as soon as possible. These are the things that I wanted you to help me with, ” He took out another pile of documents and shared it with everyone.
“Subproject [Space Marine]…?” Lyriel muttered the subject of the blueprint and was intrigued. “They are synthesized homunculus, but… what are these redundant organs for?”
“I can only design for the far, it is just a rough plan for what’s to come. I still need Thorun to perfect my [Power Armor] experiment. You can think of them as a wearable golem, so there should be some alteration to the marines themselves to accommodate lag-less human-machine interaction…” He pulled out a single document that he shared with Thorun.
“Whoa!” The moment the dwarven engineer saw the proposal, his eyes lit up as if he had experienced an epiphany. He began to mumble to himself and began scribbling over the paper.
Selene and Lyriel can’t help but wear a wry smile. Considering they haven’t officially accepted the Cosmagus’ offer, then showing Thorun the foundational philosophy of a Power Armor in front of them is a method to bait them. It is also a message that, if they were to return to their kingdom and report the Cosmagus’ plan, then the Space Marine would be their opponent.
“I have families and friends that I want to save. Is that possible?” Selene inquired.
“That’s something that I encourage,” Demiurge admitted honestly. “Project [Dungeon Master] might trigger the end of the Seven Kingdom, and by extension, the faux harmony that kept the seven races in peace. Nevertheless, I won’t bear the sin of exterminating races just to fulfill my ambition. I will help you preserve your kin, so you can rest assured.”
The promise of someone who can literally teleport to every single point in the Seven Kingdoms is truly reassuring. “Alright, I want in.”
Demiurge didn’t realize but he exhaled a sigh of relief. After all, if the Celestial Arcanist were to refuse, he’d have to fight her eventually. That’s not something that he wanted, as her Arts is a force of nature that is quite difficult for him to contain.
“Then, what are your concerns? I might be able to solve it.” Their focus now falls on the last member who hasn't joined in the project.
“I… uh…” Now that everyone else had gathered under the Cosmagus’ banner, she was sure that she couldn’t return home even if she had 9 lives. “Can I collect my own harem of little boys from each race before we fall out with the seven kingdoms?”
Demiurge was very surprised, a feeling that almost everyone here shared. “I would’ve never thought that you had this kind of interest…” he shrugged, “Well, whatever. As long as nobody finds out what you’re cooking inside your private chamber, I can at least tolerate what you’re doing.”
“Then, I’m in!” Lyriel has no inherent conflict of interest with the Cosmagus’ goal. In fact, she also wanted to see the world beyond the horizon, but she didn't want others to think of her as an easy woman. Nevertheless, she can get whatever she wants so that wouldn’t be a problem.
“Perfect. We can begin the first phase of Project [Dungeon Master], but before that, I want to show you something important.” The cosmagus stood up and began conjuring runes for a [Gate], but this one was completely different from all the Gates he had conjured. It contains far more arcane runes, stacked on top of each other, creating a three-dimensional calligraphy made, as if he is afraid that the Gate isn’t stable enough.
“What’s going on? Why is the spatial fluctuation so intense, to the point as if we’re announcing our activity in a 100-kilometer radius?” Lyriel voiced her concern.
“Gate travel seems convenient, but in reality, it is very taxing to the caster.” Selene glanced at the Lich King, “I assumed his Gate is strengthened so that it can accommodate His Majesty Mordred. After all, he is one of the original undead who has existed since the Undead Calamity…”
Swoosh! The gate materialized at a stable position. The scene reflected beyond the gate is a white mansion as if the walls are made out of marble.
“We’re going to your home now?” Thorun raised a question. “Considering what we’re trying to do… is it safe?”
“It should be the safest place there is. I saw reports of bulk purchases of various raw materials. Whatever he’s doing has already attracted the attention of the Seven Kingdoms, they just don’t know the nature of his experiments.” Selene answered.
Nudged by the Cosmagus, everyone passed through the gate, with the last one being the Lich King himself. The moment Mordred passed through the Gate, it literally cracked, as if the Gate couldn’t handle ferrying the undead monarch. Nevertheless, with some supportive magical Arts used by the Cosmagus to mend the spatial wound, the Gate was able to transport the Lich King, but it shattered after he had arrived at the destination.