Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

"You're here to last hit, right? You have to last hit monsters. Anyone who's played Hero's Tour knows that."

"Wait, Captain! That! That psychic entity went for the torpedo! He blocked it! He blocked it for us! We survived!"

"Now what?" Shang collected another torpedo and rolled up his flag. "Just let them lie here?"

"This is the only way." Phaethon shook his head. "The sympathetic barrier is still open, so no information from the outside world can get through. The instructions to them were given at the time of departure, and there's no way to control them after that."

"Then how did it get here?"

"Because... it could appear anywhere, right? Then it could appear anywhere. This is a side effect of phlogiston submersion, it's magic—hey, wait! Why is it here? Is this place connected to the spirit world?!"

"What? It's connected?" Shangluo was stunned. "How can it be connected? Isn't there only one entrance?"

"Because there are people like them who don't need to enter through the entrance. Damn it, the world is so big, how did they manage to stray here? Hey."

She touched Apollonia next to her: "Speak, it's yours."

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. It's so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing." Apollonia squatted beside her with her head in her hands. "Why are these guys so unreliable? Why are they turning their stomachs upside down? They just said I wasn't here, they just said I wasn't here."

"Okay, just say you're not here." Shangluo shook his head. "But they're not under your command, are they?"

"I'm just a mascot. I have nothing to do with the running of the Oracle."

"Then your mascot doesn't seem very auspicious."

"Woo woo, for the sake of my birthday tomorrow, please stop torturing me."

"No. I'm not torturing you. You have to let them out, right? Just keep flipping them like that? How am I supposed to eat the boiled eggs then?"

"They should come out on their own," Apollonia muttered, looking up. "We people have dignity. It's all about karma. You just saved them, they will definitely come out to thank you. Look, they're out."

The submarine's entrance was angled toward the ground. The captain struggled to emerge from it—he didn't want to leave, but since the other party had shown goodwill, this was his chance to return home. The entire ship unanimously decided that the commander should negotiate; it was his duty, and he had no choice but to come out.

Landing on the ground, he adjusted his military cap and turned back to face the psychic entities displayed on the oscilloscope:

"Lord Phaethon! Why is it you?"

He recognized it immediately.

"Yes, it's me. What a coincidence."

"Malaca! It's over!" The captain fell to his knees. "Have we disappeared to the same place as you? There's no way back!"

“Ah, actually I’m not missing, I’m…”

"Oh, Lord Phaethon!" The captain suddenly stood up again, his frustration washed away by an inexplicable joy. "If you were here, you'd be here to testify to this discovery of the century! Please bear witness that this great secret was discovered by our crew! As long as we can return successfully, we will definitely receive the Order of Alexios! This is an unprecedented discovery! It's comparable to Columbus's discovery of the New World!"

"Ah? What did you find?"

"This is a whole new world! Haha! You didn't expect it!"

"Ah, yes, I didn't expect that... so could you tell me something I don't know?"

"And here we have a magical specialty! A precious crop, just like peaches."

"Peach? What peach?"

"It's floating in the water over there."

"Ah?" Phaethon looked over. They were a few vermilion fruits. "You mean boiled eggs?"

"Boiled eggs? Doesn't that look more like a peach? Regardless of whether it's boiled eggs or peaches, we found that peaches actually have a gaze effect."

"Huh?" Now it was Phaethon's turn to be surprised. "Does this thing really have this effect?"

"Yes, and it's as effective as a Sigma-class Vulcan Core. It's mid-level, neither high nor low, but slightly above. In other words, one peach can power a battle golem!"

"Goodness!" Phaethon reacted. "So those Marked torpedoes you just fired didn't contain Vulcan cores?"

"Yes, only the first three used Vulcan cores. The rest were all peaches! They were all peach torpedoes! We adjusted peaches of similar size and installed them in the slots, and it actually worked, and the power seems to be even stronger. But these peaches seem to be unstable. One just turned around and hit us. But that's not important. Ahahaha! This is the greatest discovery of the century. As long as we can get back, even Lady Apollonia will look at us with admiration!"

Chapter 440 Phlogiston Submersible

"Grandma, what do I need so many boiled eggs for?"

He asked the heavenly soldiers outside the can to check it, and sure enough, there was no Vulcan core inside. It was all "peaches", raw melon eggs, and not even boiled eggs.

After a while, he threw all the torpedoes back from the sky.

"Take it back, take it back. It's taking up space at mine."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" The captain, named Marcus, bowed to Shangluo again. This was his fifth bow in half an hour. "I really... really can't see. From this perspective, there's no way we can tell who you are."

"I understand. I understand. It's reasonable for you to fire first in an unfamiliar environment. But I'm going to ask someone to compensate you for the damage—you should know this, right? This isn't some new world you've discovered. This is our sandbox. You can mess around in it, but you have to think carefully about what to do next."

"I understand, I understand," he said with a smile. "Don't worry about the compensation. The Oracle or the Senate will definitely satisfy you. But... I have a question. What day is it today? I've been away for so long. Can I borrow your phone? I need to let my family know I'm safe."

"Today is October 8nd."

"Huh?" Captain Marcus was completely stunned. "August 8th? But we...we've been trapped for a month!"

"When did you leave? What time?"

"The 'abandon ship' ceremony will be held at 8 p.m. on August 14th."

"It's 6pm now."

"So we've only been out for four hours!"

"Yes. Based on your perceived time of one month, the 'absolute time' you've been trapped here is approximately two hours. Because time flows 365 times faster here than outside, one day here is approximately four minutes outside. 4 days equals 30 minutes, or about two hours."

"So we can still make it in time for dinner if we go back now?"

"Yeah." Shangluo nodded. "If you don't mind, you can stay for dinner. But what do you mean by abandoning ship?"

"Well," he thought for a moment, "since Lord Phaethon is here with you, there's no need to keep this level of information secret from you. The Ω39 phlogiston submarine before you, belonging to the Athenian Navy, is an independent combat unit directly under the naval headquarters. This is done not only because we can complete missions independently, but also because of the phlogiston submarine's combat mechanism. Our combat relies on breaking through and defending the sympathetic barrier. The abandonment ceremony is part of this, symbolizing the submarine's complete severance of connection with the land."

"What's the specific principle behind this?" Shangluo asked.

"Have you ever heard of a ghost ship? A ghost ship can appear anywhere, so it could appear anywhere. Our phlogiston submarine is a controllable ghost ship."

"How did the good guy do that?"

"It's simple. From the most basic principle of confidentiality—how can we keep our ship's whereabouts completely secret? The best way is for no one to 'know' where it is. The Ω39 phlogiston submarine doesn't exist in any written records, only in the memories of a few relevant personnel. They also won't record our existence in any written form. This is the most basic."

"So there are advanced ones, right?"

"Yes, advanced techniques require the use of magic. Ordinary methods are just to keep it secret through written work, which can be done anywhere. But sometimes we also have to defend against some magical attacks."

"This is indeed very important." Shangluo nodded. "Can you tell me how these attacks are carried out? I might also encounter similar problems."

"The in-depth and specific methods are classified, but the basic principle is this: it's through the Akashic Records. We need to establish a connection with the imprint left by a person in the Akashic Records, and then trace it back to their present, so as to get infinitely close to their current existence. Specifically, all people, moments, and events - or you could say cause and effect. This is because events are fragments of the causal tree, just like moments are fragments of the timeline."

"Cause and effect? Why not location? Time, place, and person seem easier to say."

"You're writing an essay, but events and places are the same thing. Place, to put it simply, is your three-dimensional coordinates on the Earth's surface: longitude, latitude, and altitude. For the Akashic Records, 'events' are just those coordinates. Person, time, and coordinates—if you find two of the three, you'll know the other."

"Ah, like a verification code, or a dynamic password? Give someone a string of numbers that changes all the time, so that as long as you see the numbers, you can directly verify that person's identity?"

"Excellent insights." Captain Marcus nodded slightly. "As expected of a colleague from Aurora, you'll understand quickly."

"Well, to some extent, we are indeed in the same industry. So, how did you break through this? You mentioned barriers. How did you break through these barriers? Do we have to keep tracking?"

"Absolutely not—this is the difference between espionage and magic. From a magical perspective, there's absolutely no need for us to keep track, because the very nature of a sympathetic link is a long-distance connection."

“How did you link it?”

"Oh sorry, this is confidential."

"It can be said that it is not a big problem." Phaethon said on the side.

"Can you tell me? So I said it? The method is similar to analytic geometry—analytic geometry is about laying out the digital world on a geometric pattern, and through the pattern you can find mathematical solutions. We also use a similar method. We make a few contact links, identify a few points, and then we can predict his recent movements. Just like you can use three points to define a circle."

"Ah!" Shangluo understood, "So your way of defense is to prevent them from establishing your circle through three points?"

"Yes. And when it comes to magic, there are many special restrictions. For example, the sympathetic link between twins cannot be severed, so the twins cannot board the phlogiston submarine under any circumstances. Otherwise, controlling one would directly lock onto the other."

"Wait a minute. What about the parents?"

"Don't parents have a close relationship?"

"Although parents have a close relationship, they tend to trust their children more easily. For example, my mother thought I was a tax collector at a customs office in Iberia. She completely trusted me and wouldn't doubt me. So even if they found my mother, they wouldn't be able to get any valuable information from her because she completely trusted me. So this is the mask, used to release misleading information on the causal line. And then there's the mandatory sympathetic barrier, to prevent them from using the Akashic Network for direct tracing. Our sympathetic barrier can defend against 15 layers of breaches, and so far, there's no record of it being breached."

"Wait a minute." Shangluo suddenly thought, "But you are a combat unit after all. You have to accept orders, right? The person who gives you orders must be on shore, right?"

"You've discovered the blind spot, so this is the biggest key to the phlogiston submersible system—all our orders don't come from Athens, but from the Atlantis fortress in the Atlantic Ocean. This fortress is completely independent of the Roman command system and has been silent on the Akashic Network for 82 years. We don't even know how we got there. While submerged, we only accept guidance from a single 'light'. Wherever the light shines, we go. At this stage, we can appear anywhere, and generally know what to do upon arrival."

As he spoke, he looked down at his feet. "But this is my first time in another world. The most we've managed to do is pop up in an abandoned swimming pool or something. Maybe there's a malfunction; it wouldn't be the first time. If possible, I'd like to be promoted to the Atlantis Fortress to see how that silent fortress operates. Of course, if that day ever comes, you probably won't see me for decades. But don't worry, the compensation issue will be handled by the higher-ups before then, so don't worry."

About two o'clock, wait a moment

Chapter 441: Science and Technology Ethics

"Okay, no problem." Phaethon put down the phone. "I called back using the key, and they already know it."

"What do they think?"

"They were baffled. Why would someone start crying after only being out for a few hours?"

"We've been here for a month! The crew even hibernated to save food!"

"There's one more thing." Phaethon covered his forehead with his hands. "They're planning to investigate the matter of using up three Mark torpedoes at once."

"Lord Phaethon, didn't you tell me about our great discovery?"

"I've said it, but verification will take some time. But the fact that you guys fired all three Mark torpedoes in just a few hours doesn't require verification. So... you guys can do whatever you want, and you'd better come up with an excuse."

"What do you mean?"

"Nonsense! Are you planning to tell them that your ship, Omega 39, launched a signature torpedo attack on the Imperial Demigod? Or even launched a full-scale attack? Then you'll probably be court-martialed! Every one of you will be brought before the Gorgon Squadron."

"No, no, no! Please don't say it! Don't say it!"

"Ah." She clenched her fist and pounded her forehead. "Then in exchange, you guys shouldn't reveal my location. Okay? You're a submarine crew member, so keeping your mouth shut is basic."

"I understand. No problem at all. But do you want to keep it a secret from everyone?"

"Victoria knows about it, and a few other people know about it besides her, but just don't tell any of you."

"As a warning to Pandora's Box, we will keep the secret strictly."

"Very good. Then you can pack up and prepare to go back."

"Can they go back directly?" Shangluo asked, "I thought they would at least send back a beacon or something."

"If we're going to take the ship back, we do need a beacon. But if it's just the crew going back, they can just use the escape pod to make an emergency jump back. We've just established a passage. But I just contacted the Imperial Guard, and they said they can use the Ninghe to send it back tomorrow morning, and it will arrive in Athens by noon. But time is 365 times faster here, so the ship will have to stay here for at least half a year before it can return. What should we do in the meantime?"

"How about you guys go up there and rest for a while?" Shangluo suggested, "We have an observatory up there. Why don't we take a break before heading back?"

"No, no." Captain Marcus shook his head repeatedly, "We simply can't stay in this world any longer. We want to go home now."

Shangluo's feelings were understandable. After all, they didn't have a celestial soldier capable of crossing two time zones as an "anchor," so staying in this world would make them feel uneasy, like they were drifting with the tide.

"Well, have a good trip. But what about this boat?"

"We'll take away what needs to be taken away. So don't worry, just float on the water. If you want to use the oven and other facilities on the ship, please feel free to do so. Just keep the natives away."

"Can we use it for a birthday party?"

"Sure, sure, use it." Marcus said without a second thought. "After removing the sensitive equipment, just treat it as an ordinary ship."

"It seems like all of your equipment can be dismantled? I saw it inside the torpedo, too?"

The celestial soldiers had just inspected the torpedoes. Aside from a red fruit inserted into the warhead, everything else remained intact. The warhead itself seemed to have a groove, so it could be inserted directly into it when needed.

"The reason is this," Captain Marcus explained, "because all of these devices rely on the Vulcan Core to operate, and the Vulcan Core must be wound up daily. Therefore, the equipment must be made modular to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the Vulcan Core. We have to dismantle it and wind it up one by one every day."

"That's really troublesome."

"It's indeed troublesome. As you know, this is due to the 'technological ethics' restrictions imposed by the Muses Palace on this type of technology. It's not just difficult to use, it actually limits the purpose of the Vulcan Core. Plus, the larger the Vulcan Core, the larger the spring required, and the larger the spring, the more troublesome it is. I can understand the people in Columbia in this regard. We're stuck here this time because of the layers of paperwork that prevent us from initiating an emergency warp. Otherwise, we would have returned long ago."

"Then let me ask a question." Shang Luo stroked his chin, "If all these technological ethics were abolished, how far would Rome's technological level develop?"

"It depends. Before, it was hard to say. The Vulcan core was very expensive and couldn't be mass-produced. Just installing a torpedo seeker made the torpedo cost as much as a cruiser—but if we could get the peaches here, the situation would be very different. So I think..."

"Don't dream." Phaethon interrupted him, "The Palace of Muses will never allow you to use peaches."

"Oh, indeed."

The reason seemed self-evident to them, but Shangluo still didn't understand.