Chapter 583: Chapter 506: The Perpetual Motion Machine of Gravity and Optical Photography
In September, the cool autumn wind gently blew away the summer heat.
After several months of fierce battles, the entire eastern, central, and southern regions of the empire had been completely occupied. According to the most optimistic estimates of the council, the war against the empire would be completely over in at most two months.
At the same time, the railway tracks had been repaired section by section, forming an intricate network that enveloped every major city in the eastern region, with plans for future expansion to cover the whole empire, facilitating the convening of the academic seminar.
A magical train, filled with passengers and emitting a loud whistle, departed from a station that was still under construction, speeding toward the capital at a very fast pace!
The rolling wheels continuously ground against the rails, producing a thunderous rumble after rumble, and the carriage swayed slightly. However, the novelty of the experience was enough to make one overlook such minor discomforts.
Sean, a middle-aged Wizard who had just seated himself with his apprentices, beheld the dense thickets outside the window vanishing from view with great speed, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “What an incredible alchemical creation…”
The train they were on stretched over seventy meters and could carry nearly a thousand people, traveling at a speed of a hundred kilometers per hour.
It was said that from the heart of the empire to the capital of the Magic Kingdom, it would only take nine hours!
That time included the stops at other cities along the way, which was simply incredible.
“Teacher, is it true that the capital’s night is as bright as the day?” Sitting next to Sean, an apprentice who looked no older than eleven or twelve years old, couldn’t help but ask.
Despite always being within the borders of the empire, they had heard a lot about the Magic Kingdom from passing merchant caravans.
In the tales of these wandering traders, the capital was akin to paradise on earth, where food was created using magic, even commoners wore clothes of unmatched elegance, all sorts of newfangled alchemical creations were in abundance, and people didn’t travel in carriages but drove a steel behemoth that belched smoke from behind…
By comparison, the cities they had known in the empire were practically cesspools, and even the Holy City before its collapse was no exception. In everything but its size, it was utterly inferior.
“Of course, it can,” Sean responded with a smile, “I heard that it is the masterpiece of Wizard Lynn, the Speaker of the Magic, who trapped the formidable power of lightning in a light bulb, using electricity to create light…”
The young apprentice imagined such a scene, and as if lost in thought, darkness suddenly enveloped them—the train had entered a long and dark tunnel. With the speed of the train, it took a good ten seconds or more before daylight embraced them again.
The stark change from light to darkness surprised the Wizards inside the carriage. Sean, who was seated next to the window, curiously stuck his head out to see a massive mountain behind them!
“It’s the Peak of Despair, Dispeir!” Sean recognized it quickly, as it was the second tallest mountain in the empire, so named for its steep slopes.
The train had actually gone straight through the mountain, no wonder they suddenly found the surroundings dark.
Under Sean’s gaze, there was a gigantic tunnel that had been bored straight through the mountain, a truly magnificent sight.
He remembered the kingdom’s musketeers had only reached this point three months prior, wondering what kind of power could hollow out an entire mountain in such a short time!
The hundred or so Wizards in the carriage were all discussing this, with one particularly proud-looking Witch claiming, “The Sun Flame Cannon created this tunnel, one of the greatest alchemical creations of the council to date. With a single shot, it blasted through the mountain!”
Sean and the others were shocked. To blast through the Peak of Despair with a single shot?
What sort of immense power could achieve such an exaggerated feat?
There were also a number of Wizards who expressed skepticism, suggesting this must be an exaggeration, perhaps the tunnel was gradually carved out by powerful Mages using magic.
The Witch pursed her lips and didn’t continue her story. A mere Peak of Despair was nothing, the entire Holy City had been flattened during the battle between the councilors and that false god.
The Sun Flame Cannon was originally intended for use against the remnants of the empire’s legions, but those nobles performed so poorly in battle, crumbling upon contact, that there was no need for this superweapon.
Instead, they encountered numerous difficulties during road construction, especially since the central region of the empire was filled with mountains. To build roads around them would be both time-consuming and laborious.
So Councilor Vittorio had a stroke of genius, repurposing the unused Sun Flame Cannon for road construction. With one shot, the cannon could carve through mountains and destroy forests—its utility couldn’t be overstated!
Sean had no doubt about the Witch’s words, for he had heard that the legendary Wizards of the kingdom had created the Land of Death, a desolate area stretching over tens of kilometers with a single powerful spell, which was evidently even more exaggerated.
The nine-hour journey wasn’t too long. As the initial excitement of the train ride wore off, they had already begun to slowly stop at the platform in the capital.
It was evening by then!
The Witch who had spoken earlier was the first to stand up and leave the train, with the rest following suit.
Sean didn’t move immediately but took out his finest blue robe from his luggage and put it on. After taking a deep breath, he stepped off the train with his assistant and apprentice.