Mage Adam-Chapter "355"
“You should know,” a Super Dimensional Mage from the First Holy Tower said softly at Adam’s side, “that because of the collective efforts of all the True Spirit Archmages, the Mage World is unlike any other known plane. It is alive—or rather, it is evolving toward becoming a living organism.”
“The Mage World contains far more energy than any other plane. This is largely because the Crystal Wall System is His Excellency’s Mage’s Armor. It draws in free energy from the void to replenish the world’s consumption, while expelling low-quality waste. This ability is called World Breathing.”
Adam imagined for a moment. If His Excellency could make the Mage World breathe, he could also make other worlds suffocate. If this magical conversion method were applied to other planes, it could drain them of all energy in a short time, reducing them to dead, mana-starved worlds.
How terrifying.
At this moment, every being in the Mage World capable of directly absorbing mana felt wonderful. Their bodies were like little black holes, devouring mana at great speed—yet the mana showed no sign of diminishing.
Just then, a new will projection appeared beside Adam. Prometheus, the True Spirit Archmage, said joyfully:
“The effect is even better than expected. This is a tremendous leap in energy production. With just one full-scale World Breath, such a mana storm was generated, and the Mage World’s energy pressure has been reduced many times over.”
Adam understood what His Excellency meant. With the increased efficiency of energy generation, the Mage World could accumulate Aether at a much faster rate. As Aether reserves grew, the heavy consumption of True Spirits and higher-level Super Dimensional s would become far less of a burden on the system. This would allow more Super Dimensional Mages—and even True Spirit Archmages—to set out to distant realms, to discover, conquer, and befriend more worlds.
After some time, the Super Dimensional Mage who had first spoken said to Prometheus:
“The central data servers report an alarm—severe discomfort reactions have appeared across several main continents and islands where ordinary humans dwell.”
The surge of planar energy content was wholly beneficial to transcendent beings, but to ordinary life, energy was poison. They could not survive such a sudden rise.
Hearing this, His Excellency ceased the World Breath. The fluctuations of the Crystal Wall System gradually weakened, once more hidden from view in the firmament. The mana storm subsided, settling at a level ten percent higher than before.
Back at the research institute, Prometheus told Adam:
“Inform the Data Processing Center to investigate the distribution of ordinary life across the main continents and throughout the Mage World, and deliver it to me.”
Adam nodded, relaying the command.
Prometheus continued:
“It seems ordinary life can no longer coexist with Mages on the same continent. But the previous distribution was unreasonable as well. From here on, we must create a new main continent solely for ordinary life to survive upon. Then we will gradually raise their energy allocation. I look forward to the day when all humans can become Mages—or at least Mage Apprentices.”
Adam thought this was very likely. In the past, the Mage World lacked surplus energy to spare for ordinary people. Now it was different. Once this generation adapted to the high-mana environment, their children might very well be born with greater affinity for magic. Given human lifespans, in just a few centuries the results would be evident.
Moreover, with big data systems in place, those with talent would almost never be overlooked. It was a virtuous cycle—one that would strip away the aloof mystery of Mages and bring magic into every household.
Of course, such grand strategies were for figures like His Excellency to decide. The rest of the institute’s members, Adam included, paid little mind.
They were enthusiastically discussing the Aetheric chain-reaction fission rune modules Prometheus had provided, and were attempting to integrate them into their meditative practices.
The First Holy Tower’s Super Dimensionals were the fastest. One after another they became storm sources, and were swiftly thrown out by the others, who feared their outbursts might wreck the equipment.
Prometheus chuckled at the sight. Seeing Adam itching to try, he smiled and said:
“You may test it too. With me here, there’s no danger. The conversion is more perfect than I expected. For someone at the peak of the Fourth Rank, the risk is not too great. Although you are not yet a Super Dimensional , if you can find a proper output level, you can at least enjoy it somewhat.”
Adam’s heart had been itching for a long time. As a wide-area artillery Mage—a walking map-cannon—every one of his spells consumed vast amounts of mana. Especially the Sword of Judgment: though it had become easier to construct after four-fifths of his Origin was refined, each cast still drained nearly all his mana. With a “mobile mana source” to support him, his combat power would skyrocket.
He had already simulated the rune fusion countless times in his mind, and found it effortless in practice. Once complete, he cautiously produced an Aether crystal and began to cast.
A standard Aether crystal weighed one kilogram.
Fission occurred in an instant. The crystal released a sea of mana, flooding the entire Mage’s Armor and surging uncontrollably into Adam’s body and soul.
Prometheus waved a hand, blocking the overflow. Adam instantly teleported to the surface of the Katos Plane, where ten Swords of Judgment and a storm of bombardments were required to expend the excess mana.
Upon returning, Prometheus said:
“A full crystal is still too much for you. And this mana is single-use—your Mage’s Armor cannot store it, or it will collapse.”
Adam nodded. The mana was the same as ever, but after fission its flow was too violent. His soul’s current strength could not guide it. After repeated trials, he found the optimal portion—one third of a crystal.
At that measure, he gained the maximum boost in combat power. As long as he burned through it quickly, he avoided danger and residual strain.
———
Half a year later, the institute successfully produced the first hydrogen bomb.
This time, not only Prometheus, but also True Spirit Archmage Meyer sent an avatar to observe. Hidden in unknown places, several other True Spirits also watched.
The ignition was once again entrusted to the Eighth-Rank Super Dimensional from the Fifth Element Holy Tower. He had become a regular participant in all manner of explosions, utterly obsessed with the thrill of blasting and being blasted.
The experimental data was now mature. Without Adam’s reminder, he prepared the highest-level precautions. After the countdown, he unleashed the highest temperature he could produce—successfully igniting the hydrogen bomb.
“BOOM!!!”
