"Alright, that’s all for the fundamental theory."
Vinard finally summarized:
"The practical operation requires professional alchemy equipment and a dust-free environment.
First, prepare ten complete Magic Stones and arrive at my personal laboratory in the Central Lands at eight o’clock tomorrow morning."
His tone became formal:
"Charging a fee is necessary, even though I admire you, we are not yet in a formal mentor-disciple relationship.
Knowledge transfers always require appropriate compensation, it’s an accepted rule."
Upon hearing Vinard proactively mention consulting fees, Ron instead secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although ten complete Magic Stones isn’t a small amount, such clearly priced transactions are much safer than owing personal favors.
At least he knows what the other party expects and how to repay it.
"Of course, that’s completely reasonable."
He responded respectfully, "I’ll go to your laboratory tomorrow to pay the fee."
"Very good." Vinard nodded with satisfaction, then seemed to remember something:
"Oh, since it’s rare to get in touch, I might as well let you witness true alchemy."
He manipulated several mechanical tendrils, rapidly operating on the console inside the giant statue:
"My routine maintenance is about to conclude.
This big fellow has been asleep for nearly ten years; today’s the day it awakens again."
"Why are you restarting it?" Ron asked curiously.
"A small asteroid drifted over the sky of my Otherworld domain."
Vinard spoke lightly, as if discussing the weather:
"Although it’s not too large, if it hits the surface, it would cause considerable trouble. So it needs to be dealt with beforehand."
He pointed to another direction projected:
"You can put that insignia into your portable simulation device to get a more authentic experience."
Ron hurriedly complied, placing the silver insignia into the laboratory’s simulation device.
The moment he activated the insignia, his consciousness was entirely surrounded by silver light flows.
He could feel his spirit crossing the endless void, passing through one plane barrier after another, ultimately reaching a remote Otherworld.
When the light dissipated, he found himself inside a suffocatingly gigantic construct.
This was a control center specifically designed for a form beyond conventional understanding.
The ceiling was so high it was out of sight, surrounded by countless glowing pipes and circuits, like the vascular and nervous system of a Giant Beast.
The air was filled with the smell of ozone and melting metal.
"How does it feel, little one?"
Vinard’s voice rang in his consciousness.
Unlike his usual business-like tone, now he carried a childlike excitement:
"This is the masterpiece I’ve spent hundreds of years creating—the ’Star-forged Titan’, and you’re now in its core control room."
Ron slowly turned, trying to adapt to this scale beyond imagination.
Before him was a circular console as large as a basketball court, densely packed with thousands of different function control devices.
Some were traditional Crystal buttons, some were biological interfaces with writhing tendrils, and some even constantly changed form, seemingly alive.
Most stunning were the giant screens hanging from the ceiling.
Each screen was several tens of meters wide, displaying intricate and dazzling data streams in real-time:
Energy distribution maps, structural integrity monitoring, environmental analysis reports, threat assessment systems...
The density and complexity of the information exceeded the understanding limits of an Official Wizard.
"These control systems..."
Ron struggled to digest the information overload before him, his voice full of awe:
"How high does one’s spiritual diversion skill need to be to control it all? I feel even a Great Wizard wouldn’t be able to handle this much information simultaneously, right?"
"Ha! You’ve hit the nail on the head!"
Vinard’s laughter carried a hint of bitterness.
Countless precise mechanical tendrils extended from his body, connecting octopus-like to various control nodes:
"In fact, even I can only directly control about 40% of the system, while the remaining 60% is handled by auxiliary intelligence."
As he spoke, those mechanical tendrils began moving swiftly, jumping among thousands of control devices, actions precise as a well-trained pianist:
"Do you know how much it costs to manufacture these auxiliary intelligences?
Each one is equivalent to the total income of a Wizard Clan over ten years! And I’ve installed thirty-seven of them!"
Vinard’s tone started to become somewhat excited, even with a hint of boastfulness:
"Just this control system alone emptied my little treasury several times! But this isn’t the most expensive part..."
He deliberately paused, seemingly waiting for Ron’s inquiry.
"What is the most expensive?" Ron blinked, feeling he had taken the bait, fulfilling the other party’s urge to boast.
"Hahaha! Good question!" Vinard’s voice echoed proudly:
"The most expensive is the energy core! Do you know what a Demon Crystal is?"
"Demon Crystal?" Ron shook his head, indicating confusion.
"Ah, I forgot you’re not at the level to reach it yet."
Vinard’s tone grew more proud, yet he deliberately put on a look of distress:
"Demon Crystal is the essence of Magic Stone, in a large Magic Stone vein capable of producing hundreds of thousands of complete Magic Stones, naturally forming one Demon Crystal!"
His voice started to tremble, unsure if due to excitement or heartache:
"Its energy density is thousands of times greater than an ordinary Magic Stone!