I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Sensei came to see them so late at night, she must have something to say... As for the topic, Sensei had already talked about it before.

It was a very simple thing, and all three people in the engineering department understood it.

Previously, before Amamiya approached the camp, the three of them, including Utahara, were actually discussing strategies for creating bionic bodies.

After gathering her thoughts, Kahara slowly began, "Regarding the bionic body manufacturing plan required by Sensei, in addition to customizing it according to Sensei's budget, we have also prepared three [standard plans]..."

“If Sensei doesn’t care about budget at all, I recommend that you adopt the ‘nanobot swarm’ strategy. That is, use thousands or tens of thousands of nanobots to construct an intricate bionic body.”

"Admittedly, such a budget could be astronomical, but nanorobots can do the best in areas such as 'neural transmission' and 'bionic consciousness simulation'—they can almost simulate and satisfy all 'sensory' needs."

Kotori then enthusiastically took over the conversation.

"Let me explain the pros and cons of the different options!"

After taking a breath, she confidently straightened her back and took over the verbal responsibility of 'interpreting' in a very natural and enthusiastic manner.

"First, there are some drawbacks to the [top-tier solution]... The energy required to support so many 'nanobots' simultaneously is terrifying. If possible, it would be best to configure a miniature reactor that is fully compatible with this advanced bionic body to support its operation."

"However, due to technological limitations, we cannot currently produce those miniature reactors that are six centimeters in diameter and two to three centimeters thick..."

Amamiya slightly curled the corners of her lips, thinking to herself, "So you guys really intend to build an arc reactor."

With Giwatos's technology, Iron Man's 'black technology' is theoretically achievable—things like Jarvis and the Iron Man suit are not actually the 'technical black box' that made Iron Man.

The most crucial technology that truly prevented Iron Man from being manufactured, or rather, the most refined aspect of the technology, is actually the seemingly ordinary "Arc Reactor" installed in Iron Man's chest.

This thing is only about the size of an adult's palm when held in your hand, but it can provide a terrifying amount of energy that can sustain an entire small city.

Other technologies used in Iron Man, including nanobots, alloys, and bionics, have been made in Kiwatos to be "very close" to or even "surpass" the technologies used in the original Iron Man suit.

But the only problem is 'energy'...the most crucial reactor can't be made.

“I’m not going to listen to your next ‘other plans’.”

Amamiya smiled and waved his hand, stopping Kotori from continuing, seeing her increasingly disappointed expression.

“Next, I will provide you with a special ‘magical metal’ as a material… for your research. You can use that ‘magical metal’ as the main material for your research.”

Utahara was stunned: "Magic...metal?"

"Hmm. Magical metal."

Amamiya nodded, then added, "However, it is actually called metal, but it cannot really be considered metal... rather, it is a special kind of wood."

Looking around at the girls holding lunchboxes, their expressions ranging from curiosity to inquisitive curiosity, Amamiya finally spoke slowly: "You..."

Have you heard the story of the World Tree?

Chapter Twenty: And so, the engineering department's style gradually became strange...

The three members of the engineering department were aware of the details regarding the alternate world woven by the "collective unconscious," the heart-stealing plan, and so on, due to their close contact with Beritas.

Therefore, they all realized to varying degrees that since other worlds exist, there must be many special materials 'produced by other worlds'.

Since everything originates from the human heart... then it's not surprising that other worlds have all sorts of strange magical metals, magical gems that can store and release magical power, and so on... right?

"Is it... material from another world? Technology? Or something akin to magic?"

Utahara, who was already very interested in the existence of another world, immediately became 'impatient'.

Hibiki and Kotori, too, looked at Amamiya excitedly after he uttered those words.

If other academies and other students are all paying attention to the phenomenon of 'repentance' in this other world...

Their engineering department is different from other schools and other students.

As 'master craftsmen' who have devoted themselves to science and used almost all their thinking and talent to invent and create, what they care more about is the possibility of that so-called 'other world'.

Another world... must contain many amazing 'miracle things', right?

Theoretical superconductor materials...

A magical creation that allows bionics to break through the current material limitations?

Or perhaps... a metal like the 'Philosopher's Stone' produced by alchemy in a fantasy world?

It doesn't matter what... as long as I can get it, as long as I have a stable source...

It is foreseeable that the technological level of the Millennium Project Department will receive an unprecedented, epic-level upgrade!

Amamiya held up her empty bento box, gesturing for the three girls from the engineering department to examine it closely.

"The lunchboxes you're holding are actually made from the 'World Tree'."

"Oh... by the way, the same material was also used in mythology to make the handle of the legendary weapon used by the great god Odin - the Spear of Gungnir."

The three girls from the engineering department were stunned and looked at the lunch boxes in their hands.

Amamiya continued, "Even the 'wooden cutlery' that comes with your bento boxes, such as the spoons, chopsticks, and forks, are actually made using exquisite wood carving techniques with the 'World Tree' as the core material."

"In other words... you might be eating with divine artifacts."

The three people in the engineering department: "...???"

Stunned by the series of messages, they took a closer look at the wooden tableware in their hands, which looked exactly like ordinary wood.

"It doesn't look any different..."

Amamiya calmly responded to Kotori, who was trying to find some clues in these wooden items: "That's because they haven't been forged yet."

"A 'magical item' from another world?"

Utahara looked thoughtfully at the 'bento box' in her hand.

Just like metal ores, most of them look no different from ordinary stones when they are not smelted.

It is indeed somewhat difficult to make an item that has only undergone rough processing reveal its 'magical' brilliance.

After attempting to break a wooden tableware with the power enhanced by the aura, Kahara was surprised to find that the 'wooden object' that she could normally destroy at will did not react at all.

She used all her strength, but still couldn't break even a seemingly frail wooden chopstick.

Upon discovering this peculiar 'material property,' Utahara felt as if he had opened the door to a new world.

She leaned closer to Amamiya and asked eagerly, "Sensei... regarding this 'magical item,' are there any characteristics worth noting?"

"My scientific understanding of it is not comprehensive, based on what I know..."

After a moment's thought, Amamiya gave a brief description of the [World Tree Material] in the hands of the three members of the Engineering Department: "Its density is approximately 4.5 g/cm³; its material is somewhere between plant and metal; and without any processing or shaping, its melting point is approximately 1250°C..."

"It possesses extraordinary, even superhuman, adaptability compared to most alloy and metallic materials..."

"It can be said that it can be melted with any metal to forge special alloys—and the final product will even have different effects depending on the metal being melted."

At this point, Kahara was already itching to bring over a furnace and various metal ingots to test it out on the spot.

Suppressing the impulse within her, she continued, "For example?"

"For example... when remelted with regular iron ingots, the resulting iron alloy will be leaf green, with amazing flexibility and incredible self-healing ability—under sufficient sunlight, they can grow and repair themselves like plants."

"In fact, after being subjected to tremendous external pressure and deformed... if it was previously fixed in shape, it will return to its fixed shape... just like a 'slime jelly'."

"In addition, it can even accelerate its self-repair and growth by absorbing plant elements, such as common wood or leaves, or common iron elements, such as iron ingots and scrap iron."

Utahara, Hibiki, and Kotori all fell silent.

Because, as far as they know about materials science... even if just one of these new properties were to appear on an alloy, the impact on the entire Gevotos... no, the entire Millennium Academy of Technology would be almost unimaginable.

The iron alloy produced simply by melting it with a common iron ingot is so 'special'...

Are there any other examples?

Kahara felt like her eyes were about to sparkle – at this moment, what she was holding in her hand was not an ordinary wooden bento box, but a 'treasure that unlocks a new world'.

"Hmm... I haven't tried many alloy smeltings. Besides iron, I've only tried copper."

Amamiya pondered for a moment before shaking his head: "Regarding copper... I didn't test as much as I tested for iron."

"After being melted with copper, the resulting alloy will be brownish-green or copper-green... and the properties of the metal can probably be described as 'superconductivity'... at least based on my test results, this alloy can achieve the theoretically possible 'lossless energy conduction'."

"Since I don't have machining equipment like lathes, I haven't conducted any tests like making circuit boards... I think the role this copper alloy will play in the field of circuit boards is foreseeable."

Utahara: "..."

She took a deep breath, and at that moment, a multitude of thoughts began to surge within her like ocean waves, eventually forming a tsunami that swept through her inner world.

"Sensei... does this 'magical metal' have a name?"

“This is also why I wanted to tell you the story of the World Tree…” Amamiya sighed, “This piece of metal, in a sense, can be considered as a trunk directly cut from the World Tree. Although it’s called metal, it’s actually closer to a type of wood…”

"I haven't named it yet, but considering its origin from the mythical Garden of Eden, perhaps we could call it 'Eden Metal.'"

Eden Metal...?

That's amazing...that's amazing!

At least for materials science, this is truly... opening the gates to Eden!

“Sensei…Regarding this ‘Eden Metal,’ could we conduct a simple materials science test immediately?”

Amamiya also knew that words were not enough—only data and 'spectacles' that could be seen with one's own eyes could be the best proof for these science-oriented girls.

"random."

As a result, the three girls from the engineering department immediately began to take action at an astonishing speed.

They led Amamiya back to the engineering department's activity building, then quickly obtained a modern furnace and various blocks of common and rare earth metals, and began simple materials mechanics experiments.

As they watched the wooden chopsticks, wooden forks, and other tableware placed in the crucible gradually melt into a lump of luminous green liquid, the girls in the engineering department held their breath. Despite being in a furnace, the molten metal was so hot that it felt like a gentle breeze.

It felt like witnessing the birth of a product that blends 'magic' and 'technology'.

"Next..."

As the 'experiment leader', Utahara carefully picked up a piece of titanium alloy and threw it into the furnace.

The shimmering, greenish-yellow 'metallic liquid' boiling in the crucible began to slowly envelop and devour the titanium alloy placed inside. Then, the titanium alloy was melted, deformed, and reassembled at an unbelievable speed.

Without even needing to perform any further operations on the crucible, the two 'liquid metals' were optimally combined and ultimately became a mass of brownish-gray liquid metal resembling tree bark.

'It looks like liquid chocolate…'

Ignoring Kotori's 'complaint', Utahara used crucible tongs to pick up the crucible and then carefully poured the boiling molten metal directly onto a disposable casting mold.

A brand new 'Eden Alloy' was thus born.

After the metal had cooled down on its own, the three engineers immediately began stress analysis of the new alloy.

"Chemical composition assessment... This new alloy will be tentatively named 'Eden Alloy δ'. Its main material is titanium alloy, with a small amount of Eden metal added..."

"Perform grain size analysis and mechanical property testing on it..."

After running through a new alloy testing process, Kahara looked at the final test report, which showed an astonishing array of metal properties, and remained silent for a moment.

It truly lives up to its name as 'magic metal'...

Even the slightest touch can cause ordinary metal to gradually transform into something that's not very scientific, but very magical—a transformation that's not scientific, but very magical.

After the test, the three of them had a sense of déjà vu that 'the materials science they knew was being rewritten'.

Many stalled projects have been given a new lease on life…

"How is it, Kahara?"

Amamiya, who had been accompanying them until late at night, asked leisurely.

【~???~】

"Don't worry, Sensei..."

"The 'Eden Metal' you provided is the key to unlocking another door in 'magical materials science' for us..."

"With the materials you provided, I believe we can definitely deliver results for you."

[...I sensed the unwavering conviction emanating from Utahara.]

Cooperative status has been improved!

【Shiraishi Utahara (Pope): ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[Assistant Profile: Head of the Engineering Department at Millennium Technology Academy. After obtaining materials from another world, Utahara says it feels like a completely new world has been opened up... What exactly can she do with these new materials?]

After completing the most basic material handover with the three people from the engineering department, Amamiya returned to Xia Lai's residential area.