NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66: Volcanic ash process.
Soon, Yelena had fallen asleep on Dorian's lap mid-conversation.
It was quite late at night, so it was perfectly normal for her to have exhausted herself, which also probably explained why her mood had been so erratic.
Standing up on his feet, Dorian took the liberty to pick her up.
He gently laid her down on the bed and carefully covered her body with the blanket.
For a brief moment, he watched as she slept so innocently, curled up like a small ball under the covers.
'I really have been ignorant of her struggles,' he uttered in his mind.
He dismissed the thought just as quickly, knowing his focus needed to be on the critical task at hand. He turned around, his eyes moving toward Diggy, who was dutifully holding out the flask filled with ground volcanic rocks.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, my friend."
With that, he sat on the ground, placing the flask a few inches away from him.
Diggy stood at the side, holding a small shield he had forged with his magic weapon, ready to act as a protective barrier if anything were to go wrong.
'I've already done all the research. So I am sure this should turn out well. I can only pray it doesn't fail me now.'
Dorian thought to himself before closing his eyes and centering his focus.
When the idea of making a wind-powered system to flush out the toxic air first hit him, he had also considered two other major factors that were sure to hold the project back.
One, there was no advanced technology in this world, which meant he needed to rely on mana as his sole energy source.
For that critical step, he needed magic crystals.
The drawback of this was that magic circles can only act on their own and need an external medium to transport their power source to another component.
Normally, what most mages would use are magic threads of fairy dust, but those delicate things could only fix one of the many factors needed.
This led to the second problem: if the windmills were to be constantly turning with so many magic threads channeling mana through them, then not only would the entire system overheat and freeze depending on the season, but the flow of wind wouldn't have a clear, unified direction, as the magic strings would disturb the current.
The solution he devised required something special: a material that was both heat and cold resistant, capable of adapting regardless of the weather, and also something that had exceptionally high mana conductivity.
Upon using his Resource Gathering skill, he was able to track the volcanic stones all the way back to the Forane viscounty.
They were special raw materials, disregarded by everyone for their complete lack of durability. When compared to other mana-conductivity materials, the volcanic rocks fell short by a country mile. People knew this; it was basically useless, barely lasting a single day in use.
However, the same wasn't true for Dorian, as he could tell there were ways he could make it work. Using his Analysis skill had only made him even more certain.
Yes, Dorian would need to process the raw material and turn it into an entirely different, more powerful source.
First, he needed to heat the raw material and fully turn it into a molten state.
Too much heat, and it would melt beyond repair and be rendered useless, which was the exact stage where many of the kingdom's researchers failed.
Dorian was only able to determine the precise heat needed with the help of his analysis; otherwise, he would have been stuck in this stage as well.
Using his magic, Dorian sealed the flask tight by placing a rock over its mouth. He then created flames in the shape of three rings hovering one above the other.
These rings were then safely secured around the flask, sending just the right amount of heat inside without completely burning through it.
Dorian sat down, his eyes drifting to the open jotter beside him where he had written all the instructions he needed.
It had taken a while, but the powdered volcanic rocks had finally melted down into a black liquid. Seeing this, Dorian quickly took out the rock sealing the flask, allowing the excess heat to escape.
Next, with the help of Diggy, he slowly poured the molten rock into the other flask, which had been filled with cold water.
The flask sizzled as the hot, black liquid mixed with the water, creating a dense steam that quickly filled the air.
Diggy, who was standing nearby, quickly shielded his face from the steam, but Dorian, unfazed, continued to pour the liquid.
He knew he had to be quick. The molten rock, if left in its liquid state for too long, would solidify and become unusable.
He also needed to make sure it mixed well with the water, as the water would help in the crucial purification process.
Once all the molten rock had been poured, Dorian quickly sealed the flask again, this time with a simple stopper, and began to shake it vigorously.
The liquid inside sloshed around, creating a thick, muddy mixture.
After a few minutes of shaking, he stopped and placed the flask down. He then channeled his mana into the flask, activating a special magic circle he had ordered Seraphina to draw on its surface.
The circle glowed with a faint blue light, and the muddy liquid inside began to separate.
Slowly, a clear, shimmering substance began to rise to the top, while the impurities settled at the bottom. This was the refined volcanic material, now possessing the properties he needed for his wind-powered system.
Before anything else, he needed to make sure he was on the right track.
[The skill Analysis has been activated.]
[Target acquired.]
[Name: None.]
[Properties: Refined Volcanic Tephra, utilized in both structural engineering and metaphysical energy transference.]
[Success Rate: 100%]
A slow smile spread across Dorian's face, a deep sense of accomplishment washing over him. He had done it. He had created a material that was heat and cold resistant, highly adaptable, and had excellent mana conductivity.
He carefully picked up the flask, holding the shimmering, otherworldly liquid up to the faint moonlight filtering through the window. Held up to the light, it was absolutely perfect.
"With this," he murmured, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "the project can finally begin."