Chapter 80: Technology and Hard Work

The members of the Special Operations Unit hold a rather unique status within the Blade of Night. Technically, they lack formal rank, but due to Father Fang’s influence, most members of the Blade of Night generally defer to their requests and commands—provided, of course, that those requests are not entirely absurd.

Wang Yu’s current request was, to them, simplicity itself. This is a world of magic, where productivity compared to Earth’s Middle Ages is as different as heaven and earth.

Salt is never in short supply here. As for water, given that this location is a sewer outlet, having a few water-element mages take turns performing a demonstration of conjuration is hardly a difficult task.

The harder part was finding mages skilled in lightning magic. As it happened, the Echo Cottage had several magi who had just returned from a mission. Though they were somewhat elderly, their mastery of the arcane was beyond reproach.

Several carriages arrived, laden with vast quantities of salt. It was spread into massive stone vats constructed by Avia and the magi. Water-element mages began filling the vats, drawing from the sewer outlet, leaving the rest to the elderly masters.

These weather-beaten old mages were mostly above the level of intermediate formal mages. For them, maintaining a steady current was one of the simplest tasks imaginable; no need for bursts of power, no need for high-intensity chanting, and no fear of enemy ambush. It was virtually effortless.

Metal rods were inserted into the highly concentrated brine. As the old mages channeled their mana, strange purple arcs of electricity crackled from the tips of their wands, the stray elemental energy causing their white beards and hair to stand on end.

It looked somewhat comical, though their enemies would likely have no time to appreciate the humor. The arcs connected directly to the metal rods without the need for wires. Instantly, the concentrated brine began to change.

As bubbles formed, a pale, yellow-green gas began to rise from around the electrified iron rods. With such a large volume of brine and a steady, unrelenting current, the efficiency of this chlorine gas production was staggering.

"Is this what you called... chlorine gas? *Cough, cough, cough!* Ugh!" Shale leaned in, took a whiff, and immediately experienced the stinging sensation Wang Yu’s middle school teacher had once warned them about.

"Pfft—good heavens, Wang Yu, I’m spitting blood! What is this stuff?" Shale coughed so hard that a spray of blood erupted from his mouth, his expression turning to one of sheer panic.

"That’s a nosebleed. You’re coughing too hard." Wang Yu ignored him, his eyes fixed on the pool where the yellow-green gas was steadily thickening.

Avia and several Blade of Night mages, less skilled in the arcane, stood behind the vats. Their job was to channel this yellow-green vapor into the sewers to teach the rats of Sewntan a lesson.

"Oh, right. So it is." Shale wiped his nose and realized it was true; he had coughed so violently that he’d ruptured a fragile vessel in his nose. The blood had run into his throat and been coughed back up, making it look like he was hemorrhaging.

"Wang Yu, is this kind of method common among you alchemists?" Edward looked at the yellow-green gas, his expression grave.

He had just tested the sensation of touching the gas; there was a distinct burning feeling on his skin, even at this relatively low concentration.

If his constitution was affected, what would happen to weak civilians or ordinary soldiers? As the son of a Northern Great Craftsman, he saw much further than Shale.

"I’m no alchemist. This is just a bit of trivial knowledge." Wang Yu knew well that he wasn't an alchemist; he was a pharmacist, a discipline looked down upon and cast out of the alchemical canon.

As for chlorine gas, this world had records of it, but the theory that electrolyzing brine could produce it had yet to be discovered. The reason was simple: on Earth, it was something scientists stumbled upon while researching the uses of chemicals and electricity in laboratories.

In this world, with magic, there was little interest in developing electricity or chemistry. Alchemy here was not based on chemistry; it was rooted in magic as its core element.

It only touched upon chemistry and physics in terms of materials. The mainstream was still the supernatural. Perhaps the form of "technology" in the Shadow of the Royal City was more suited to germination.

No one was researching these miscellaneous things in labs, so it was normal that it hadn't been discovered. Likely, some mage had stumbled upon the gas, recorded it, and moved on without further development.

The world was much as Wang Yu had imagined. With mana, much of what we call "technology" had fallen behind. As mentioned in the novel *Sword of Dawn*, if a mage can cast an Ice Arrow, would they ever bother inventing a refrigerator? Probably not.

Wang Yu didn't intend to rank the technology of the two worlds; their paths were different. Strictly speaking, even magic and battle qi could be classified under the vast, infinite domain of "science."

Wang Yu had pondered things from Earth, like guns. They were a genuine threat to him. Flesh and blood could never truly ignore such steel constructs; even a legendary knight would have to retreat when faced with large-caliber kinetic weaponry.

This meant that in a world whose rules seemed not much different from Earth's, Wang Yu could theoretically replicate such things. But it remained theoretical; he was clueless about the specifics. He didn't know gunpowder, he didn't understand circuits, and he lacked the most basic foundations.

For now, only the chemistry and mathematics he learned from elementary school through university could truly help him. And the math was mostly for Avia...

As for guns, they weren't impossible to replicate. This world had something even more convenient than gunpowder: magic. Using explosive magic to replace gunpowder was entirely feasible. A bullet was essentially a high-level application of energy, a release concentrated at a single point to push that power to its limit.

A projectile propelled by the explosion of a Fireball spell would possess point-destruction capabilities that would leave a standard Fireball in the dust. He would leave the logistics of that to Avia; Wang Yu hadn't given up on the "gun" as a weapon of immense practical value.

Setting aside such distant prospects, Edward’s worries were somewhat superfluous. The limitations on using this gas were severe; it was useless in open spaces, and mass production without a systematic industrial base was complex. Generally, a mage legion’s massive firestorm coverage was superior.

It was only useful in this specific situation: the enclosed environment of the sewers and the humid air. The enclosure ensured all the chlorine gas would contribute to destroying the enemy, while the abundant droplets in the sewer air ensured the gas would dissolve effectively, unleashing its unique corrosive properties.

Edward sighed, still worried. Faced with a substance that was not difficult to produce and possessed the power to kill supernatural beings, he could see the broader implications.

Shale clapped Edward on the shoulder. "Why are you being such a wet blanket? You don't hesitate to beat me up, so what are you afraid of? Wang Yu said the uses are limited. Think about those mages' curses, the witches' messy hexes, and the necromancers' hordes of undead—aren't those all worse than this gas?"

Wang Yu patted his shoulder as well, signaling Edward not to overthink it. Edward wasn't truly a sentimental person, so he let it go.

"Hey, look at you, you're thinking quite clearly now. You'd be better off thinking about that pretty cat-girl at the street corner. I even found out her name for you: Chelsea, a commoner. With your status, she’d be all yours—ow! You hit me again!? I'm doing this for your own good!"

Wang Yu shook his head, watching Edward grab Shale and pummel him with a dark expression. He could understand; in a sense, Edward’s foresight was keen. The difficulty of producing chlorine gas was merely "moderate," but once something becomes generalized, its power and significance change.

But Wang Yu couldn't be bothered to think that much. He shouldn't assume he would change this world. He was just an ordinary person doing what was in front of him; thinking too much was meaningless.

"Ready, pour it in!" Edward went off to beat Shale, leaving the command to him. Enough chlorine gas had gathered above the pool, mixing with the droplets in the air to form a distinct, deepening yellow-green hue as the volume increased.

With multiple mages using wind-element spells to contain the gas, there was no fear of it leaking or dissipating. Magic was so convenient!

At Wang Yu’s command, those adding salt, water, and electricity continued their work. The mages, including Avia and the apprentices practicing wind magic, channeled a breeze to form a path, funneling the deep yellow-green chlorine gas straight into the sewer.

The sewers had been designed without ventilation to prevent foul odors from affecting the city, and they were built with sturdy materials to prevent accidents like methane explosions—though the principles were unknown, the incidents were documented. With the nearest sewer outlets sealed, this chlorine gas would truly unleash its full power.

As the gas poured in, the interior of the sewer was soon shrouded in smoke. From the outside, it looked like an ocean of yellow mist, completely obscuring the vision of anyone within.

Shale felt his scalp tingle. He had only inhaled a tiny bit and felt miserable; the concentration inside must be no different from hell.

Wang Yu ignored everything else, staring fixedly at the sewer outlet. Lubi had said their strongest combatants were high-level formal knights, and he had never heard of these "blessed vampires."

The only ones here capable of a head-on fight—counting himself, who could touch the threshold of an intermediate formal knight with his Blood-Burning Drive—were the incredibly durable Edward and a formal intermediate knight who was a squad leader of the Blade of Night.

The heavy lifting wouldn't be done by them. Their job was to pin the enemy down. The old mages and the apprentices working with Avia were the true heavy hitters. Wang Yu remained fully focused, ready for enemies to burst out at any moment.

Likewise, Edward had stopped chasing Shale, standing shield and sword in hand beside Wang Yu, facing the sewer outlet. The two of them, along with the squad leader, formed a standard triangular battle formation.

...

Inside the sewer, several figures in black hoods were gathered around a blood-colored tumor attached to the wall, deep in discussion.

"Is this so-called 'blessed vampire' actually reliable?"

"Our family guarantees there is no issue. This is the ritual you Sewntan provided, derived from that monster you call the Source of Life. It cost us quite a bit of effort to bring this thing out, so at least grant us the trust we deserve."

"Hmph. A family that betrayed its own kingdom asking for trust? Don't you find that a bit laughable?"

"Damn it, do you want to cooperate or not? Am I here to work for you or to be mocked!?" The hooded figure standing by the tumor sounded indignant.

"Fine, fine. But you'd better guarantee the results. We in Sewntan won't treat you poorly."

"I certainly hope so," the mocked figure replied coldly. He could still hear the faint, disgusting laughter of the other party.

He glanced at the scarlet tumor, which was pulsing slightly against the sewer wall. His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, betrayed a hint of dread. Thinking of the gray, worm-like things the Sewntan people used to torture and replace the city guards who entered the sewers, he felt a chill.

What exactly was this tumor-like "blessed vampire" that could produce such grotesque things? And thinking of the giant monster known as the Source of Life, he felt a tremor of fear.

"Oh, right. How could you call the Source of Life, Erfin, a monster? He is a great deity. Watch your language... wait, what is that?"

The Sewntan hooded figure paused, having reminded the other to be careful with his titles for Erfin, but he suddenly noticed the yellow-green mist beginning to appear in the air.

The yellow-green gas rolled toward them, pressing inward. He didn't know what it was, but it gave him a terrible feeling. He tried to dodge, but the gas came from all directions. By the time he saw it, he had already inhaled a low concentration of chlorine. A burning sensation flared in his throat and nasal passages, and a mix of shock and rage erupted.

"By Alastair! What is wrong with your sewers!! Huh?!" The Sewntan figure turned back to demand an explanation, only to find that the person standing by the blood-colored tumor had become two—or rather, two halves.

Severed at the waist, the lower half lay on the ground, twitching and spurting blood, while the upper torso was being dragged into the tumor by a blood-soaked, scarlet arm.

His pupils dilated in terror, meeting a pair of crimson, malicious eyes.