Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 828 Interstellar Alliance (4-in-1)

More than a month later, at the Holy Mountain Royal Court.

In the palace of Petra, the dwarf king, a guard rushed in to report.

“Budiman and Feru are back.”

"Oh?"

Petra looked delighted and went outside.

Sure enough, his old friend Budiman and his son Fairu had returned and were greeting familiar tribesmen.

The dwarf tribe in this world is not large. They live together year-round and have a relatively harmonious relationship with each other, without much distinction between superiors and inferiors.

Petra laughed heartily, stepped forward, and embraced Budiman in greeting.

Then there was his son, Ferru.

"Why did you come back suddenly?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Petra asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Didn't you say before that you were busy with work in the tower, forging a lot of weapons and armor?"
It's not a holiday right now.

"Since the war ended, I'm not as busy anymore; I've just switched to research and study..."

Recently, His Excellency Roy specially granted us extra holidays so that we could return home to visit our families.

"Budiman said."

Upon hearing the name, Petra's expression darkened slightly.

"He must have sent you back to persuade me. There are some things that really don't need to be said."

“No, Father, he didn’t send us to persuade you, he just gave us time to visit our family and say goodbye.”

"Fairu said."

"At the same time, we will also recruit some new craftsmen!"
Several new alchemy workshops have recently opened in the Tower, requiring a large number of skilled smelters and forgers.

"These are all things that suit us dwarves. Our ancestors have dealt with ores for generations, and our expertise in identification and smelting is no less than that of alchemists!"

Petra was slightly taken aback.

"By the way, the reward offered by the tower is that ordinary clansmen receive 8000 to 10000 or more wizard coins per year!"
As you know, Wizard Coins are far more valuable than Gold Coins and can be exchanged for a great deal of minerals and food!
If you have a skill and are certified as a blacksmith or a formal craftsman, your annual income can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of yuan. You can even open your own workshop and take on commissions!

Ferru continued.

"Wow!"

The dwarfs, accustomed to poverty, could hardly imagine how much this was, but when it was quickly converted into food, it felt like being overwhelmed by mountains of gold and silver.

Many people had hope in their eyes.

Are you really recruiting?

"I can forge fine iron and am skilled at making tempered steel. How much annual salary can I earn?"

"I can forge magical weapons, so I should meet the requirements for a blacksmith, right?"

"Me too! I can smell the quality of two pieces of ore even with my eyes closed!"

"That despicable wizard, he actually dared to try to corrupt our people with money!"

Petra, however, said angrily.

"But Father, it's not bad at all; he's given so much!"

Ferru advised.

"Foolish! That's just a pretext to lure you into the tower. What will you do when the supplies are cut off and you're no longer offered jobs or pay?"

Petra said.

Ferro said, "No, Father, Lord Roy is not that kind of person."

This long-awaited reunion between father and son quickly ended on a sour note.

Petra insisted that those were all fabrications by Roy to lure them into working in the tower.

The dwarves have lived here for generations, relying on their own hard work. Although life is a bit tough, they have precious freedom and don't have to depend on anyone.

Budiman and Feru had been to the Wizard's Tower and knew that the dwarves' knowledge and skills were valuable, and there was no need for them to stay in the mountains like their ancestors, toiling in the fields all day long.

Petra scoffed at this, denouncing it as forgetting one's roots.

If it weren't for our ancestors' pioneering spirit and hard work, where would our mineral resources, knowledge, and skills come from?
However, Budiman and Ferrou claimed that their ancestors worked so hard so that their descendants would not have to follow the same old path.

Digging tunnels is for accumulating wealth and knowledge, and earning money through skills, not for digging deeper tunnels or enduring more hardship.

The two sides argued, quarreled, and almost came to blows.

But neither of them could convince the other, which led to a rather unpleasant situation.

Finally, after discussing it, Budiman and Ferru surprisingly recruited partners in public, preparing to leave their homeland and pursue a new life.

"What on earth do you want to do?"

When Petra, the dwarf king, learned of this, she was furious.

“According to tradition, our people are free to come and go, and you cannot stop us.”

Ferru continued to argue with him.

"Now, I'm going to follow the great wizard Roy and establish my own tribe."

"You old fogey, if you want to stay here, then stay!"

Petra was speechless.

According to the traditions of the dwarves, he was indeed unable to stop them.

But as the king of the dwarves, he couldn't just stand by and watch Budiman and Feru do such things.

Then he said in a deep voice, "Fine, you want to split up the family and start anew..."

"Then let me see if you have the ability!"

Budiman's face darkened: "You mean... you want to challenge Feru?"

The others who heard this also fell silent.

The dwarves are very united, except in one situation: when irreconcilable conflicts arise.

Or perhaps it's not a conflict, but rather a matter of fathers and sons, or brothers, "dividing the stove."

Only in such situations would a violent fight break out.

But it's obvious to anyone with common sense that Ferro is far too young.

He's only at level two now, and there's no way he could be a match for Petra.

However, Ferro was fearless.

"If you want to see, I'll let you see!"

As he spoke, light radiated from him, and the clothes he was wearing began to change.

To the astonishment of the dwarves, a cool-looking suit of magical armor, resembling interstellar armor, enveloped his entire body.

A bright, yet not dazzling, golden light radiated outwards, surging with powerful energy.

boom!
As Ferruthi threw his fist, the powerful aura of a level three warrior was revealed, possessing at least several thousand degrees of power.

This is the level of strength that a warrior with a physique and strength between 1500 and 2000 degrees can achieve when activating combat skills.

For non-spellcaster combat classes, skill multipliers are usually between 1 and 3 times, which is not as good as a level 1 spellcaster.

This is a limitation of how energy is used.

However, due to the inherent characteristics of physique and strength, combat-oriented professions are often able to train and enhance these tangible basic attributes to a level far exceeding that of spirit.

For example, the 5-10 degree range for high-ranking knights and great knights.

This also means that as long as one knows how to simulate the source of a spellcaster's magic, one can easily reach, or even surpass, the original stage.

The "air mage" transformation that Aug underwent, which granted him the "spellcasting ability" through the conversion of his physical body (life energy), is a typical example.

Petra was caught off guard and was sent flying by the blow.

When he realized what was happening, he became furious and embarrassed.

"Well, you've really improved with the wizards now, you even dare to hit your old man!"

He also had a fiery temper. Once he had a firm footing, he charged forward and launched a counterattack against Ferru.

******
This battle between father and son was earth-shattering.

But since it wasn't a life-or-death feud, neither side was likely to actually go all out.

Even the surrounding houses, materials, and even the flowers and plants belong to their own tribe.

In the end, it was all bark and no bite, ending with both sides having some bruises and bumps on their faces.

"Good lad, what exactly is this thing of yours? It's so powerful!"

Petra angrily stepped aside and glared at him, asking.

"Dad, times have changed. I'm using magical armor now!"

"Magic armor?"

Petra didn't understand.

Armor is just a piece of protective gear; at most, it can be combined with magic arrays to enable the release of magic.

When can someone become this amazing?

Ferru explained, “Lord Roy is now promoting the alchemy of the Mutraken school. In the past, our people could also learn it for free and master all the apprentice-level knowledge, including holy name runes and transmutation circles.”

By combining our smelting and forging techniques, we can develop a wide variety of magical equipment.

At that time, all kinds of divine weapons and artifacts will be no problem, including this powerful magical armor.

Furthermore, Lord Roy can provide us with all sorts of materials—materials that have never even been heard of in the Nomon world, let alone seen!

He had once captured a mage's warship and had a large stockpile of supplies.

Furthermore, otherworldly territories such as the Aragir World and the Nehebul World can settle our people and provide various resources..."

Petra said, "Hmph, even if what you're saying is true, it still belongs to someone else."

He can give it to you whenever he wants, and he can always back out when he doesn't...

Forget it, you're too young to understand these things.

Ferro said, "How could I not understand? What you're trying to say is nothing more than self-reliance."

However, self-reliance does not mean being stuck in one's ways, nor does it mean going against the general trend.

A tribe cannot produce everything on its own, nor can it solve everything; therefore, some exchange and trade are inevitable.

Moreover, if what you say is true, and he harbors ill intentions towards us, he could launch a full-scale attack.

No matter how tough you are, what can you do?

Upon hearing Feru's words, Petra's forehead veins bulged once again.

"You've been brainwashed while you were held hostage in the tower!"

However, the thought that even Feru, after donning his so-called magical armor, could fight her to a standstill, dampened Petra's enthusiasm once again.

He has his own beliefs and ideals, but they are completely untenable without sufficient strength to support them.

Ultimately, weakness is the original sin.

……

A few days later.

Inside the Nehebur Wizard Tower.

Tarling Celine reported something.

“Master, Budiman and Feru have returned.”

They recruited a total of 457 adult male dwarves from Myingrutan, along with nearly a thousand women and children, totaling more than 1500 people.

Among them, more than 40 people have reached level one or above in terms of life level, 3 people have reached level two, and the rest are at stages ranging from intermediate knight to advanced knight and great knight.

These dwarves all possess innate talents. Generations of them have made a living in the mines, coming into close contact with the earth's vein energy, which has forged them into having a body of steel and extraordinary strength.

This knowledge, combined with smelting and forging techniques, grants a level of craftsmanship commensurate with one's own life level, comparable to racial talent.

"Does this also mean that I have more highly skilled technicians, or even master blacksmiths, under my command?"

Overall, that's pretty much the case.

That's wonderful.

Roy was very satisfied with the result.

This racial talent, which is not like bloodline inheritance but is comparable to it, greatly enhanced his metallurgical and forging abilities.

However, this is merely about increasing volume, and does not necessarily mean breaking through to a new level.

Because he himself is the god of alchemy, the master of forging.

He is the highest peak in the entire sphere of influence.

Moreover, compared to acquiring these master forgers and experts, the greater significance lies in restraining the native inhabitants of Maingartan.

Even if Petra, the Dwarf King, is stubborn and headstrong, she will have to be more cautious in the future.

"To put it bluntly, these 1500-plus dwarves are ready-made hostages!"
The relocation of indigenous people was originally intended to control them and eliminate threats to the homeland.

In the future, as long as we spend time weakening the development of the race and making it difficult for them to produce Level 3, we can suppress them quietly.

In the entire historical process of the rise and fall of civilizations and the alternation of power, the vast tribes, city-states, and even entire countries, as well as the demise of civilizations, are all so insignificant.

"Given enough time, the dwarves of Myingrutan will eventually perish."

Roy sighed softly and spoke to the girl's skull floating in the air.

“Petra is a smart woman, and I believe she was already aware of this.”

But he still chose to let go, which means he had effectively given in.

……

In the days that followed, Roy used the same method to deal with several non-human races and demi-humans in the Nomon world.

The wizard tower was gradually becoming somewhat crowded.

This place was originally designed for war. Although it has the research and living functions of an academy city, it is not suitable for long-term settlement of the elderly, women and children.

Fortunately, Roy had money, people, and territory.

Among these races and factions, some were peace-loving and unwilling to participate in wars, such as the dwarves. Roy sent them to the rear world of Aragir, promising them mines.

Some were willing to participate in the war to fight for bigger and better territory, such as the Norman Elves. Roy incorporated them into the army and helped them form legions.

Together with the Meritus Empire, they contributed a large number of high-ranking knights and great knights.

The Vizel civilization then assigned them designations and allocated exchange permissions within various resource towers. By the end of summer of the following year, the Nomon World Legion had gradually taken shape.

On this day, in the workshop inside the tower.

Roy personally inspected the site.

Numerous blacksmiths were summoned and publicly granted new holy affix equipment blueprints.

"Nomen Legion Set - Soldier Level (Level 0)..."

Quality: 9
The Nomon Legion's standardized equipment boasts the highest base stats within level zero. Set pieces include a helmet, armor, main-hand weapon, off-hand weapon/shield, gloves, boots, and more...

套装属性：2件时，+2力量；4件时，+2体魄；6件时，+2所有属性。”

This is a Legion set designed by Roy himself. It has both high artistic value and practicality, and can be mass-produced as standard equipment for Legion soldiers.

He had designed something similar before, but it was discontinued for various reasons.

Currently, only officers of the rank of centurion and above can use magical equipment.

Ultimately, it all comes down to one word: expensive!

******
"Why have you restarted the sergeant-level legion set project?"

"Didn't they stop production before?"

Those present had also experienced such changes, and they discussed amongst themselves with a hint of doubt.

For standard equipment like this, it's unrealistic to expect high-tech solutions due to cost considerations.

Low-level equipment should look low-level.

Ordinary legion equipment, at best, has some armor or simple magical effects; very few can be equipped with set bonuses, and even ordinary soldiers use a full set of magical items.

It's fair to say that even a simple effect like "+2 Strength" would cost a considerable amount if applied to thousands of identical sets of equipment.

"The procurement of legion equipment often involves tens of thousands of sets, with each set costing hundreds or thousands of yuan. That's comparable to the tens of millions of yuan for a level two treasure. It would be better to make another beautiful dress for Her Majesty the Empress or build a garden."

"Using precious magic stones on ordinary soldiers is a waste!"

Several blacksmiths from the Meritus Empire discussed this privately.

Others didn't express it as explicitly, but they had similar thoughts.

On the dimensional battlefield, anything below level one is always cannon fodder, even a Grand Knight.

Only those at Level 1 or above have a slightly better situation.

Roy, however, thought differently.

"Some people may think that a strong person can fight against thousands of people. Even an ordinary first-level expert can defeat hundreds or thousands of knights if he tries to divide and conquer them. In a head-on battle, he can also deal with dozens or hundreds of them at the same time."

But what if there were a low-cost way to grant those level zero soldiers formidable combat power through divine intervention, holy name awakening, or other magical potions?
In that case, it would be like turning the tables and killing experts of level one or higher.

Besides, if a thousand or a hundred doesn't work, then ten thousand; if ten thousand doesn't work, then tens of thousands; if tens of thousands doesn't work, then hundreds of thousands!

Moreover, learning from these experiences and retaining them will also promote overall advancement.

Many people are not necessarily so unqualified for promotion, but they fail to withstand the test at the critical moment of life and death and are killed instantly.

However, if you have enough equipment and potions, your chances of survival are greater, and you'll have more opportunities for advancement.

The same principle applies to universal education.

Aside from superior species like dragons and elves, very few creatures are born strong.

Especially for humans, whose talents are relatively mediocre, the strong are also honed from among the masses, relying on the probability of being selected from billions of people.

Who knows if the soldier who died inexplicably from a stray arrow today might become a level three general in the future?
On the Golden Dragon people's side, the Edrali are the best example.

He survived by sheer luck, which allowed him to rise from soldier to general.

Roy briefly explained his reasoning, stating frankly, "I am not an omniscient god; I can only guarantee this to the best of my ability."

"That price is too high."

Debanic reminded him.

"Of course, that's why we failed before, but there's one thing you might be misunderstanding."

The reason for restarting the project this time is that the cost issue has been overcome, and by harnessing the spirituality of the world's will, sacred terms have been added...

In the name of the 'Legion', we empower you and sacrifice to strengthen you!
I have successfully created a closed loop for the various powers I possess, keeping the cost of this set below 1000, which is comparable to those low-level enchanted items or basic magical equipment from the past!

"what?"

Hearing this, everyone was truly shocked.

They knew the attributes of these equipment beforehand and guessed that the price might be seven or eight thousand, or at most five or six thousand.

That's Grand Knight-level equipment, the best of the zero-level equipment.

But now, Roy is telling them, no 5900, no 3900, and no 1900...

Only 999!

This is outrageous cost!
After the initial shock, everyone quickly realized that it was time to talk about mass production.

Sure enough, Roy instructed them to build the armor according to the blueprints, and then uniformly "bless" and "awaken" it, imbuing it with the power of the sacred prefix.

If conditions permit, it is even possible to add some outsourced business to this base, "exporting foreign exchange to earn foreign exchange"!
The market economy in the magical universe is not well-developed, except for the adventure and war industries.

Whether you form a mercenary group to take on war missions or forge armor and weapons, you'll always find a market for them.

The Seven Towers Alliance wasn't truly disregarding the lives of ordinary soldiers; after all, experienced veterans were always more useful than new recruits.

But there was no other way before.

Roy was also thinking about whether he could use the power he possessed to change the current situation.

……

"The power you obtained in the Nomon world can actually be used to inscribe, enhance, and imbue low-level magical equipment with attributes?"

"Good, let's try to get some over there. I can sell them to the Alliance at a relatively cheap price, around 3500 to 4500."

"Alright, let's start with 10 sets to see how it goes..."

Soon, Roy contacted Akhenin, the red-robed governor of the Tower, and acted as a go-between.

The specific details of the commission are, of course, negotiated by the managers under them; they are only responsible for conveying the intention.

In just a few words, Roy secured a deal worth hundreds of millions in profit, keeping his blacksmiths very busy.

"A few hundred million is far less than what you would have gained by taking on a semi-divine artifact commission and forging top-tier equipment!"

Nisha was somewhat disgusted when she found out.

However, he then added, "But this can support a great many blacksmiths and junior apprentices."

"Only with commissions can there be an industry, and only then can one become proficient and upgrade..."

Without Roy needing to say much, she understood the significance of these low-level orders. They couldn't rely solely on Roy's earnings to support them, could they?
Now they can contribute profits in return, and even if Roy only takes a small portion, he still makes a profit.

"By the way, the project to cultivate jewel mushrooms on the western plateau has been successful, adding 500 million mu of jewel mushrooms and Sunshine 99 sunflowers to the industry this year..."

We recently successfully tested a project to grow fire elemental mushrooms inside lava caves, and the price of rubies within the fire elementals may reach a new low.

After discussing this matter, Nisha suddenly brought up another issue.

As Roy rose through the ranks and developed his career, much of his past knowledge and skills spread and became the backbone of his forces' industries.

"Oh, is it so?
Does this mean we have quite a few elemental gems available?

"Good, we can work on some low-level enchanted weapons or related potions soon."

Nisha offered this reminder.

"Okay, I will arrange it."

As an alchemist, the worst thing is to be a skilled cook without rice.

The direction in which large-scale military equipment develops is not decided by him on a whim, but by these industries.

******
In the blink of an eye, several months have passed.

Inside the Nehebur Wizard Tower, in the "Old Band Workshop".

An apprentice held his breath, operating the universal transmutation array in front of the alchemy table.

As the fiery red elemental light surged, a strange smell of sulfur and metal began to permeate the air, mingling with the air throughout the workshop.

The apprentice's expression visibly turned serious as he carefully placed materials such as crimson flame stone powder and ruby ​​powder into the array's core, followed by the addition of volcanic lizard blood.

"Element of fire, heed my call..."

Next, as the incantation was chanted, the alchemy array began to emit a light like real flames. Amidst the buzzing vibrations, the various materials that had been added gradually fused together, like clay being fired and shaped in a furnace.

Suddenly, a blinding red light flashed.

The apprentice quickly operated the transmutation array to end the reaction, compressing and concentrating the energy.

As the light gradually faded, an alchemical bomb, entirely crimson and covered with scale-like patterns, appeared in the center of the array platform.

The bomb is shaped like a pine cone, with each scale forged from high-quality steel. However, these scales are made from scrap materials discarded by other workshops, simply processed and embedded in the shell.

This makes them so cheap that they're practically free.

However, the surface of the "pine cone" was filled with a dangerously intense fire that was almost overflowing, and even with the weak mental strength of an apprentice of around level 3, one could feel the violent energy contained within it.

With just a slight trigger, this tiny "pine cone" can unleash power comparable to a hundred kilograms, or even a spell with a power of around 100 degrees.

Following the operating procedures, the safety bar of the physical structure was checked again to ensure that it would not explode even if magic power was input. The apprentice then engraved his spiritual imprint in the metal spring inside and placed it on the conveyor belt next to it to enter the next inspection process.

"Another 10 wizard coins in hand! Piece-rate wages, this is really great!"

After a long stretch, the apprentice emerged from the isolation room, ready to go upstairs to the pub for a few drinks after get off work.

For jobs like theirs, it's definitely not allowed to operate while drunk, so they can only indulge themselves a little when it's close to their holidays.

……

"Another batch of alchemical bombs has arrived..."

"Put it away first."

On the other side, in the alchemy room.

Roy arrived at the warehouse operated by the Mushroom Demons, mobilized his magic power, and cast a "Hermes Seal" spell.

As a mysterious force seeped into the bombs, the previously restless fire element was calmed, as if time had stood still.

This is one of his major advantages.

Normally, when sorcerers and wizards concoct similar items, there is a "shelf life," so they usually don't keep large reserves.

Ordinary explosives, or scientifically designed bombs and missiles, are all physical attacks and lack elemental damage.

That would make it extremely ineffective against spells that grant physical immunity or energy shields.

However, as Roy improved his skills, he gradually connected these links and began to build up his reserves.

"Unfortunately, it still relies on the operations of junior apprentices..."

If we could mass-produce them on an assembly line, I could spend hundreds of millions to blow up a level three powerhouse!

There has never been any claim that its power is insufficient.

Not enough? Then increase the yield!
Recently, he has even been contacting other wizards in the alliance to prepare products similar to spell scroll printing, creating "explosive tags".

It's a product of the Spell Seal school, which uses the power of magical runes to write a large "Explode" and store energy using sealing techniques, essentially a magic scroll.

It's easy to activate and very convenient to use.

The key factors are production speed and the printing machines...

Thinking of this, Roy inquired, "Celine, how's the 'printing press' going?"

"In the latest round of testing, part number 1356 failed again, and only 900 'explosive tags' could be printed consecutively..."

"Alright, there's plenty of ink made from gemstone dust anyway, it's practically free, let's keep trying."

Life has become more prosperous day by day. In the past, Roy would have felt a little sorry for them.

However, the various benefits gained from conquering the Nomon world over the past ten years have been considerable.

He no longer cared about these scraps.

After finishing these chores, Roy went to the other side again.

Soon after, new information arrived.

"Recently, another battle has broken out in the plane of Osis..."

During Roy's campaign here, wizards and mages fought on various dimensional battlefields, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats.

Overall, the two sides are still evenly matched.

However, the Osis plane seems to be at a disadvantage.

It was a vast plane named after "orcs," encompassing different subfamilies and genera of orcs, including "Original Orc Species," "Golden Behemoth," "Orcish Subspecies," "Furry," "Demonized Orc Species," and "Black Orc Species," each with its own world.

Roy had been to the world of Osis before, where he lost his two former companions, Evander and Celine, but also gained talents such as [Unexpected Joy], [Bloodline Expert], and [Albinism].

Products such as the bio-intelligent brain and the Kreo mushroom were all obtained at that time.

In addition, he also obtained a Soul-Binding Rope and a Tiger Spirit in the "Lightless Place" of the Crimson Trial, which will come in handy later in the world.

Especially in the world of Astor, he used this soul-binding rope to retrieve Windsorbell's soul, thus beginning his foray into the realm of the gods and his pursuit of its mysteries.

Based on this, many related secret methods and achievements have been developed.

That was a relatively early world, and nearly 300 years have passed since then.

"I don't know if Tuvar is dead or not."

Also, Raymond should have successfully made it to the battlefield in the orc world.

However, the current situation seems a bit off; overall, we're at a disadvantage?

Roy gathered more information and learned that it wasn't just wizards and mages involved; a force called the "Sions Federation" was also participating in the war.

The orcs themselves were quite strong, which led to the chaotic situation.

"The Cions Federation... Hmm, they seem to be members of the 'Star Alliance' on the science side. They're quite powerful!"

A thought flashed through Roy's mind, and he suddenly became alert.

"Indeed, the 'Sions Federation' possesses the capabilities of the scientific world and is an important member of the 'Interstellar Alliance'..."

Similar to Achinila, those forces with cutting-edge technological capabilities, after venturing into the cosmos, discovered each other and formed alliances...

They are competing with us.

While they may not be as strong as top-tier combatants, they hold an advantage at lower levels, even around level four!

The red-robed wizard Akhenin warned.

"We're in the material plane, we simply can't defeat them!"

(End of this chapter)