Ashen Dragon

Chapter 288: Chapter 211 Summon and Experiment
 

Ramp arrived at the palace gate, his ugly face showing an expression of “apprehension,” as he whispered:

“Master, I am here.”

“Come in.”

The palace gates slowly opened.

The ogre mage walked in slowly, bowing his corpulent body, nervously awaiting orders, large drops of sweat dripping from his forehead.

The mages who worked under Ramp, suffering from constant mockery and abuse, would never imagine their leader could have such a disheveled moment. It was simply unimaginable for them.

“Ramp, you must have noticed my recent erratic state.”

“Master, this…”

Ramp secretly looked up, and after noticing the absence of destructive light in Cassius’s eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

But soon, he realized another important matter.

The ogre hurriedly knelt before the Red Dragon, like a moving mountain of flesh.

“Master, you… you have finally returned.”

“As your loyal retainer, it was a great failure on my part not to remind you timely back then. It is my fault! Please, punish me—”

His tone carried a crying sound, almost choking as he shouted, his ugly face twisted into a knot, making it hard for the Red Dragon to look at.

For this shrewd ogre mage, Cassius could hardly keep from laughing and crying.

“Enough, I called you here not to hear you wail.”

Cassius interrupted with some helplessness.

Ramp immediately stowed the awkward expression, took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, and donned his gold-rimmed glasses, quietly serving nearby—like any rational, efficient senior mage would.

However, Cassius still placed his trust in this loyal retainer.

The Red Dragon ordered:

“I believe you have seen that frenzied state full of a desire for destruction, resembling the ‘Dragon Fan’ recorded in our texts. In fact, I have been influenced by a Demon Lord. I need you to mobilize the nation’s resources to find methods to maintain rationality and isolate the Will of the Abyss, at any cost.”

“Yes, Master.”

Ramp respectfully replied with a bow.

Cassius continued, “By the way, one more thing.”

“I need you to create a durable piece of magical equipment capable of detecting when I enter a state of frenzy similar to the ‘Dragon Fan’ and alerting me in time so I can exit the frenzy state promptly.”

“As for the standard for detection… use the disordered parameters of the surrounding Magic Web.”

Ramp had already taken out a transparent notebook to start recording item by item.

The ogre mage adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and respectfully said, “Master, technically speaking, it is not difficult to create equipment that can detect the Magic Web.”

He paused slightly.

“But the key is how to make it hard to destroy during your battles and emit a signal strong enough to wake you.”

“However, I will do my best not to disappoint your expectations.”

Cassius nodded slightly.

At the Red Dragon’s signal, Ramp turned and left.

Though the tasks he received this time were few, they were not easy. The Magic Department of the Ashen Kingdom would be quite busy—those mages with heavy dark circles and thinning hair would once again work day and night for better spells, more gold coins, and higher status.

…

Northwind Castle, outskirts of the city.

Hundreds of people were attracted by the grand spectacle, gathering and discussing.

“What is this thing?”

“Is it a bull made of steel?”

“The people of the Department of Wondrous Machinery really know how to waste materials, laying high-quality steel on the ground. Tsk tsk, how many good swords could that make?”

“What a joke, what use could this thing have?”

Surrounded by the Tiefling Guards, a man with a ruddy nose and dragon scales on his face swaggered forward in high spirits.

The onlookers quickly stepped aside, afraid of offending this Dragonblood Noble.

“Who is this important figure? Look at the dragon scales on his face, truly enviable.”

“This is Gilmore.”

“The Noble Craftsman?”

“He is indeed a lucky lord.”

Whispers came from the crowd.

This noble was the so-called “Craftsman Representative” Gilmore Sparrow, originally an unremarkable blacksmith in an eastern city forge, who became a Dragonblood Noble after discovering and improving a flaw in the rifle production line.

His story was widely promoted as a classic “Ashen Kingdom Dream,” making many in Northwind Castle envious and hopeful that they, too, could become nobility through their efforts one day.

Seeing the arrival of this Viscount, the busy people immediately surrounded him.

“Viscount, this section of track has been laid completely.”

“The people blocking the way have been cleared.”

“The coal and water in the steam locomotive are ready, just waiting for your command to start the experiment at any time.”

The project manager squeezed through the crowd, flattering the man standing at the front.

Gilmore immediately became elated, took a sip of the brandy, his face flushed red, rubbing his hands together.

“Everyone has worked hard for so many days. It’s time to see some results.”

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The manager immediately stood at attention, even saluting.

With the whistle blowing and the workers bustling about, the gigantic “Iron Bull” finally began to operate.

In the magic steam boiler, complex arrays released scorching flames, the burning process turning water into steam, which was then transmitted through pipes to the cylinder.

As the valves controlling the steam field governing the steam’s arrival reached the cylinder, the steam entered the main valve and throttle valve into the slide valve chamber, and alternately entered the left or right side of the cylinder under the control of the slide valve, driving the motion of the magical piston.

“Clang clang clang…”

The piston moved violently, driving the steel “limbs,” the wheels underneath began to turn, finally moving this heavy “Iron Bull.”

The crowd erupted, though some dissenting voices emerged.

“It’s moving!”

“It actually moved!”

“This ‘Iron Bull’ can really run…”

“But at this slow speed, I might be better off riding a horse.”

“Yes, John’s family’s donkey cart next door is faster.”

The steam locomotive continued to operate, the cooled steam directed into the condenser via pipes, and through cooling arrays, recondensed back into water. This process repeated continuously as the steam engine operated.

“Wooo—”

Accompanied by a long whistle, the waste gas produced by the burning coal was discharged through the top pipeline, and thick gray-black smoke filled the air, like the heavy breaths of this colossal machine.

“Excellent, it worked!”

“Finally met the targets!”

“It reached the destination!”

When the steam locomotive reached the end, all the workers and managers, including Viscount Gilmore, cheered.

Gilmore looked around at the chattering crowd with some disdain, thinking, “These fools could never understand His Majesty’s grand vision.”

“Originally, moving such a heavy object required at least a third-tier high-level spell, but now it only takes a few rudimentary arrays and some coal and water. Moreover, this is far from its limit.”

“When the railway is fully laid in the future, His Majesty’s army can be dispatched to any part of the kingdom within a day, and so can the grain and goods.”