A different world game? A different world game!

The chirping of the bone-eating bats and the sharp buzzing of the magical weapons gradually subsided.

The air was filled with a mixture of sulfur, ozone, and the smell of charred monsters.

Rein shook his arm, which was numb from the recoil of the "Demon Hunter-II" assault rifle, while Lina quickly checked the remaining readings of the energy magazine.

The massive body of "Stone" Thors leaned against the low stone wall, the heavy barrel of the "City Crusher-III" energy cannon glowing slightly red, emitting a hissing sound of coolant evaporating.

Karl and Erica cautiously scanned the edge of the smoke-filled battlefield, making sure there were no lurking Shadowclaw Beasts.

"Retreat! Clean up the battlefield and retrieve the core components!" the order came through the squad's communication channel.

The five nodded to each other, maintained their tactical formation, and nimbly traversed the charred remains and crystallized pits, retreating towards the safe zone behind them—a camp composed of numerous alchemical tents and temporary fortifications.

"I'll have to be interrogated again when I get back."

"Don't talk about it like it's a crime; it's our duty."

"Yes, yes, of course I know, but don't you find it annoying? Those alchemists are always asking questions."

"If you find it annoying, just give them back the weapon you're holding and tell them you don't need it anymore. Then they definitely won't bother you anymore."

"Hehe, look at you, you're taking this so seriously."

"Fool."

They returned to camp, chatting and laughing.

The scene at the camp was completely different from that at the front.

Although the place is also filled with magical fluctuations and the smell of metalworking, it seems more organized.

Dozens of alchemical tents, each with its own unique style, are rooted in the scorched earth like metal mushrooms. The tent walls are made of composite alloy plates, with magical circuits flowing between the gaps to stabilize the environment.

Numerous alchemical instruments surrounded the camp.

The multi-legged observation structure crawled along the edge of the camp, its crystalline compound eyes flashing continuously overhead.

The suspended array of magic crystals, like a silent swarm of bees, captured every energy fluctuation and spatial ripple that dissipated across the battlefield.

Data cables, like vines, connect the instruments to several huge central analytical crystal pillars. The pillars display changing light and shadow, showing in real time the magic flow spectrum of the battle area, the spatial stability coefficient, and the energy output curves of each squad's weapons.

Alchemists dressed in research robes with different insignia moved among them, some engrossed in recording, others in heated discussions, completely immersed in extracting data from this "controlled" invasion.

The research base closely following the front lines.

Only in places like this can you see such strange features.

As soon as the team stepped into the purification field at the camp entrance, a middle-aged human alchemist with messy hair, wearing a dark blue research suit with silver trim, squeezed through the crowd carrying a specially made recording tablet.

He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze was unusually bright and sharp.

Looking at this person, everyone in the team looked troubled.

Suffering is coming.

"Tors! Raine! Hurry!" The warlock's voice carried the urgency characteristic of a researcher.

What is the overload cooldown time of 'Citybreaker-III'? How much does the tracking correction delay of 'Demon Hunter-II' feel like for high-speed small targets? Lina, how severe is the visual interference of the ballistic prediction guideline when there are dense swarms of bats?
"Karl, Erica, is there any lag in the rapid-fire stability of the 'Heartpiercer-IV,' especially in terms of the magic return of the crossbow string?"

Good heavens, where did he get so many questions?
Besides, if you ask the question all at once, who can hear it clearly?
"Don't rush, don't rush. Why do you always have to ask everything at once? Can't you just ask one question at a time?"

"Time is life, we are racing against time, so let's cheer up!"

"Oh my god, okay."

As the team members unloaded their equipment and handed it over to the maintenance construct, they chatted amongst themselves about their experiences.

They didn't actually understand everything at all.

They only picked out the questions that mentioned their names.

This is the standard of understanding that we have reached with each other after this period of adjustment.

It can greatly reduce communication barriers.

Tors rubbed his shoulder.

"That big weapon is incredibly powerful; one shot clears out a huge area. It's just that the energy flow is a bit 'stuck' when switching attributes. When it switches from ice to light, the cannon's vibration made my hand go numb, and I almost dropped it."

"The recoil is still quite strong. After three rapid shots, even my 'rock' can't withstand it."

As he spoke, the alchemist took notes, nodding occasionally without interrupting.

Raine flexed his wrists and said.

"The tracking works well; it basically hits exactly where you point it. But when there are too many monsters, the lock-on light spot flashes randomly, and sometimes it's hard to tell which one to attack first."

"The rifle makes a loud buzzing sound when it fires, and after a while, my ears start to ring."

That's how testing new weapons works. There might not have been any problems last time, but new problems will arise this time, and the problems from last time may not necessarily be solved.

It's hard to say that it's possible to achieve perfection in both aspects, and he understands that.

Overall, he was actually quite satisfied with the experience.

Lina added, "The visual aids do overlap when targets overlap, which makes it look a bit messy. Also, the energy magazines are depleted too quickly; we almost couldn't hold out against the last wave of gargoyles."

"Why not use your own magic to make the connection?"

He asked for the first time.

"This time I tried it out, and in high-intensity battles, the process of inputting magic into the energy magazine and then converting it makes the firing speed slower than before."

"Sometimes that speed is fatal. I might as well just draw my sword and cut him down. That might be faster."

The alchemist didn't speak, but simply nodded and made a note of it.

Karl inspected his crossbow.

"Rapid firing is fine, very smooth. But against high-evasion creatures like Shadowclaw Beasts, the penetration feels a bit lacking. The first shot missed a vital point, and the second shot finished it off."

"The trigger pull is a bit too heavy, and my fingers get tired easily when firing rapidly."

"The first problem is not a problem, so don't bring it up next time. This is already the most balanced solution right now."

That's not a problem with the crossbow, it's a problem with the target itself, its magic will..."

"Stop, stop, stop, I know, I was just venting. Ask someone else," Karl quickly said.

Erica nodded in agreement with Karl's feelings, and added, "'Barrier' shield generator is stable and the shockwave effect is very good, but the mana consumption is a bit fast, and the endurance is a problem when engaging in high-intensity combat."

The magic power for this weapon comes from themselves.

If it consumes too much mana, it's better to learn a similar spell.

The alchemist's fingers flew across the rune screen of the record board as he muttered incantations.

"Received... Tors feedback indicates transient turbulence and stress peaks at the energy flow switching node... The buffer structure of the core conversion array needs optimization to reduce the peak recoil force by approximately 15%..."

"Raine, Lina, the targeting algorithm's filtering logic in ultra-dense target environments needs enhancement; add a squad tactical priority module..."

"Energy Magazine Capacity Upgrade Plan B2 Priority Upgraded... "Karl, Erica, 'Heartpiercer-IV' Penetration Rune Set Strength Upgraded to 97% of Theoretical Value, Trigger Boost Rune Recalibrated..."

"Erica, the shield core's energy efficiency has been increased by 5%, and the charging rate has been adjusted accordingly..."

As he spoke, he simultaneously uploaded the adjustment plan and parameter suggestions to the camp's central database.

Listen to the warlock precisely translate their vague "shaking hands," "can't see clearly," and "not strong enough" into specific rune numbers, parameter percentages, and optimization paths.

The team members all wore expressions that were a mix of exhaustion and relief, as if they "didn't understand what they were hearing but felt it was amazing."

This is the logistical support of the Night's Watch. Every complaint and discomfort they express pushes those deadly weapons to become even more lethal and more readily available.

Moreover, being a test subject for the most advanced weapons is actually quite interesting.

Afterwards, you can go back and brag about it.

For example, saying things like, "These are all things I asked you to change back step by step, aren't you going to thank me?"

"Alright, the data is valuable. Let's take a break. The equipment maintenance and upgrade are expected to be completed in two hours. We'll try the new parameters then."

The alchemist, satisfied with his record board, turned and hurriedly entered a nearby tent labeled "Weapon Performance Iteration Workshop".

At the edge of the camp, atop a simple observation post built with prefabricated panels, a small figure stands against the wind.

She is none other than Pope, the librarian of the Great Library in the city of the Ring Tower.

A beloved and intelligent mouse.

Wearing a well-tailored white research robe, with intricate golden runes embroidered on the collar and cuffs, it swayed gently in the turbulent magical energy.

Its pure white fur stood out starkly against the dim sky.

Her intelligent, ruby-like eyes swept across the entire experimental battlefield with great interest, her gaze lingering for a moment on the magic-powered squad that had just returned and was unloading their equipment, and on the busy alchemy camp area.

The roar of weapon testing coming from the direction of the camp and the light from observing the stable operation of the crystal pillar made her slender whiskers twitch with pride.

"The effect is outstanding!"

Popote's voice was clear and melodious, with an undisguised hint of pride. She spoke to her young half-elf assistant, who was carrying a thick stack of data panels.

"Look, little Totti, this is the superiority of the 'Standard Modular Magic Power Armament Platform'."

"From design concept to practical verification, the efficiency! The iteration speed! Tsk tsk, that guy Kana will have to thank me properly later."

"And I must thank my ingenious... mechanism!"

She emphasized the last two words, and the tip of her tail curled up happily.

The half-elf assistant, Totti, expertly rolled his eyes with an elegant flourish, seemingly quite used to it.

“Director, your design concept and mechanism are truly unparalleled,” she stated the facts in a flat tone, while skillfully avoiding the description of “genius.”

"Frontline data and weapons team feedback have been uploaded to the core database of the Great Library and marked as high-priority optimization items."

"Hmm, not bad, not bad."

Popper nodded, his red eyes scanning the key pieces of information summarized on the data panel.

"We've almost finished collecting the energy dissipation mode from the Abyss Gate, and we've seen enough of the 'show' here. Totti, open the passage and return to the Loop Tower."

"As ordered."

Totti immediately put down the data panel, quickly formed hand seals, and several small spatial anchoring crystals flew out from his sleeves and hovered in front of him.

As pure magic was injected, arcs of dark purple electricity burst forth between the crystals, quickly outlining a stable portal that could only accommodate two people and whose edges were covered with fine spatial runes.

Poppot looked at the portal with a hint of pride.

Because this portable teleportation portal was also designed by her.

Of course, Canna also offered some help regarding the rules.

It's just a little bit.

Pope leaped in gracefully, with Totti close behind.

The dizziness from the teleportation vanished instantly, and they found themselves standing on the iconic, geometrically beautiful alloy walkway of the City of the Ring.

The cold air and the faint humming from the distant Tower of Trials replaced the sulfurous smell and clamor of the abyss.

"This dizziness is something I can't get rid of no matter what I do."

The assistant beside him said helplessly, "We can't expect everything to be perfect."

"But we must always strive for perfection."

Popper tidied up a strand of white hair on his forehead that had been ruffled by the spatial turbulence, and wrinkled his small nose.

As he hurried towards the highest council hall that stood in the city center, he couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.

"Sigh, another meeting... It'll probably be another progress report on the Tauriel continent, some void rift popping up somewhere that needs a threat level assessment, or the demons in the abyss stirring up trouble again..."

"It's the same old stuff over and over again, I'm sick of hearing it. With this precious time, I could have optimized three sets of rule-based chimera models for 'earthly divine kingdoms'!"

Her tone carried the childlike dissatisfaction that researchers often have with administrative matters.

Totti, clutching his data board, followed steadily behind, and couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath upon hearing this.

"Director... According to the records, you have missed three regular strategic assessment meetings of the Supreme Council, citing 'tackling key research milestones' as the reason."

"You've been absent for more than three months in total. You happen to be in the city this time, and there are no urgent experiments that require your real-time monitoring, so attending the meeting is your duty."

"Oh dear, little Totti, you just don't understand!"

Poppot didn't even turn his head, remaining self-righteous, and wagged the tip of his tail.

"Absence is for more efficient production! Look at the things I've put together, which one hasn't come in handy at a crucial moment?"
"Isn't a battlefield testing platform like the Abyss Gate the best proof? Holding meetings? Can holding meetings directly create new weapons that can destroy demons?"

She didn't stop walking, but her tone carried a hint of smugness, as if she'd just been caught slacking off, "I call this... strategic time allocation! Understand?"

Totti wisely chose not to respond, but instead quickened his pace and followed the exceptionally capable yet eccentric white-haired ratman curator through the heavy and solemn doors of the Supreme Council Hall.

The low voices of representatives from various war zones reporting on the battle situation could be faintly heard from inside the door. The reluctance on Popper's face was instantly replaced by a subtle expression that mixed "I really can't do anything with you guys" and "Okay, okay, let's listen to it."

The professional aura of a great library director also rose up.

After all, no matter how much he complains, he is an important member of the Night's Watch's highest decision-making circle.

The progress of the continent of Taril, the threat of the Void, the movements of the Abyss... these are ultimately the cornerstones that sustain everything she cherishes.

Moreover, she is now a true veteran.

One must maintain proper dignity when out in public.

The great Curator Poppot.

Haha! (End of Chapter)