Chương 27: Missiles Now?
A month flew by.
During this time, all of Fontaine united its resources to construct a new Fontaine Academy of Sciences north of Fontaine Court.
Scientists and their teams promptly began their respective research projects.
It's worth mentioning that, during the mobilization conference, Felina showcased her Arkhe Control ability to the assembled scientists.
Arkhe Energy comprises two opposing elements: Ousia and Pneuma. When these elements collide, they annihilate each other and release energy, which can then power devices.
However, these elements are inherently unstable and prone to explosions, making large-scale application of Arkhe Energy almost impossible.
But on that day, during the mobilization conference—
Felina extended her hand. The Ousia and Pneuma elements, typically extreme opposites, behaved like two docile lambs in her palm, reacting in perfect harmony and stability. The sight was astonishing.
You might not grasp the significance of this to Fontaine's scientists.
To put it in perspective: imagine achieving controlled nuclear fusion, something nations have poured immense resources and effort into for decades, using cutting-edge instruments and equipment—except Felina performed it effortlessly with her bare hand.
While this comparison isn't entirely accurate, Felina's Arkhe Control was nothing short of a revelation to every scientist present.
Controlling Arkhe Energy was a dream they had long pursued, as it promised Fontaine an almost infinite energy source.
And now, their Archon had achieved it!
Before, Felina was merely Fontaine's Archon. Now, in the eyes of these scientists, she had gained a new title: The Goddess of Technology, ushering Fontaine into a new scientific era.
Felina's control over Arkhe Energy differed from how Neuvillette wielded it after acquiring the full power of the Sovereign Dragon.
As previously mentioned, Ousia and Pneuma elements are opposites. When they collide, they react, releasing energy.
However, the reaction process is unstable and often leads to explosive results.
To keep these reactions under control, Fontaine's scientists had developed containers to confine the Ousia and Pneuma elements, forcing them to react continuously within a sealed environment.
This method worked for small-scale "reactors," but as the size of the reactor increased, so did the force of the collisions, making it impossible for any container to hold such massive reactions.
This limitation was why Arkhe Energy could only power small machines and couldn't be used for large-scale applications like city-wide power grids.
In the game's storyline, after Focalors's death and the deactivation of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, Neuvillette had to step in to provide energy for Fontaine.
Neuvillette's solution for preventing reactor explosions wasn't particularly sophisticated: he simply relied on brute force.
Using the power of a Dragon King, he physically suppressed the Ousia and Pneuma elements, forcing them to react only within a confined space.
However, this method had a critical flaw.
Neuvillette couldn't leave Fontaine for extended periods. If he did, the lack of his suppression wouldn't just lead to power outages—there was a real risk the reactors would explode.
Felina's Arkhe Control, on the other hand, offered an entirely different solution.
Her ability created a strange membrane of light that enveloped the reactor. This membrane seemed to manifest a kind of law, so thin it appeared fragile, yet no matter how large the reactor was, it couldn't break through the barrier.
This membrane confined the reaction, ensuring stable energy output without requiring Felina's constant oversight.
The miraculous sight deeply shocked the Fontaine Academy scientists, who now revered Felina as the Goddess of Technology. They practically swarmed her, desperate to understand the principles behind the membrane.
Felina was speechless. She knew nothing about science, and when asked to explain the system-provided ability, she had no answer.
In the end, she dismissed their inquiries with a vague explanation: "It's a divine miracle."
Thanks to Felina's support and the backing of Fontaine's government, the academy scientists were finally able to fully realize their potential.
Of course, not all the scientists were ideal.
Felina encountered a few individuals who proposed transferring human consciousness into machines to achieve "mechanical ascension."
They passionately described their grand vision and even requested Felina's approval to use large numbers of people as "materials" for human experimentation.
Unsurprisingly, these individuals were deemed dangerous and promptly imprisoned in Meropide.
Six weeks later.
Despite numerous challenges and setbacks, all obstacles were overcome.
One day, the academy brought Felina exciting news.
With an air of reverence, the scientists opened a massive door in front of her.
The lights switched on, and a gleam of delight crossed Felina's face.
Inside the enormous warehouse stood row upon row of identical clockwork automatons.
"Lady Furina, these are the results of the academy's six weeks of work."
"Icewind Suite: Dirge of Coppelia, 800 units."
"Icewind Suite: Nemesis of Coppelius, 800 units."
Felina's eyes sparkled as she surveyed the packed warehouse.
"Goodness!"
With 1,600 Icewind Suites, this wasn't a suite anymore—it was practically an Icewind Mechanical Brigade!
Felina couldn't even imagine the spectacle these units would create on a battlefield.
Seeing her excitement, the Fontaine Academy scientists were thrilled. They led her to another warehouse.
When the doors opened, rows of pointed cylindrical objects came into view.
Felina immediately recognized what they were.
During an earlier meeting, after the academy began its work, she had proposed an idea to the scientists:
"If Ousia and Pneuma elements explode uncontrollably, could we weaponize them to create mass-destructive devices?"
"For example, design a cylindrical shell with a pointed tip containing a 'reactor' encased in a container. Add a triggering mechanism at the tip and another reactor at the base."
"The base reactor would provide lift, propelling the device toward the enemy. Upon impact, the collision would activate the trigger, releasing the contained reactor's energy in a massive explosion."
Felina's proposal stunned the entire room.
"Genius!"
"A stroke of brilliance!"
"No wonder she is the Goddess of Technology leading us forward! Why didn't we think of using Arkhe Energy this way?"
"Lady Furina, with Fontaine's current scientific capabilities, your idea is entirely feasible!"
"Remarkable! Just from your brief explanation, I can already imagine the terrifying power of such a weapon on the battlefield. It would give us an overwhelming advantage!"
"Lady Furina, have you decided on a name for these weapons?"
"Of course!" Felina smiled as she provided her naming standards:
Primordial Rocket Missiles: Range up to 300 kilometers.
Short-Range Primordial Missiles: Range between 300 and 1,000 kilometers.
Medium-Range Primordial Missiles: Range between 1,000 and 8,000 kilometers.
Long-Range Intercontinental Primordial Missiles: Capable of targeting any location on Teyvat with Fontaine as the launch point.
Whether authors or scientists, once inspiration strikes, there is no stopping them.
After Felina presented her ideas and expectations, the scientists seemed as if injected with pure adrenaline. They worked day and night on the missile project, completely ignoring Felina's repeated calls for rest.
One day, representatives from the Fontaine Academy of Sciences escorted Felina to their warehouse.
"Apologies, Lady Furina."
"Time was short, and we spent extensive hours resolving design issues, optimizing mechanism placement, calibrating the elemental charge for the Arkhe Energy payload, and adjusting missile flight trajectories and targeting systems."
"In the past month and a half, we've only managed to produce 48 rockets with a range of 300 kilometers and two short-range missiles with an 800-kilometer range."
"This output falls far below our expectations, and we fear we've disappointed you."
"However, we've now perfected the manufacturing process for rockets and short-range missiles, enabling us to ramp up production. Additionally, we are making strides toward developing medium- and long-range missiles."
Felina's gaze swept over the warehouse filled with rockets and missiles, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement.
"Disappointed? Do you even realize what you're saying?"
While Arkhe Energy provided unique advantages, the missiles designed by the academy were nowhere near the sophistication of modern weapons from her past life. They lacked comparable speed, maneuverability, guidance, and the ability to exit the atmosphere.
Even so, these long-range weapons capable of striking enemy strongholds were nothing short of devastating in the world of Teyvat—a true game-changer.
She had merely suggested the idea, and in just a month and a half, these scientists had already made it a reality. Yet they thought their progress was too slow?
While the scientists continued their feverish work on clockwork machines and missiles, Felina proposed other intriguing concepts, including electrically powered railguns and large-scale assault automata akin to the mechanical monstrosity Ruin Grader.
Felina initially thought such projects were too ambitious for Fontaine's current technological capabilities.
To her surprise, she underestimated both the ingenuity of Fontaine's scientists and the potential of this world itself.
For instance, in her previous world, rockets relied on fuel for propulsion and conventional explosives for payloads. Here, Arkhe Energy could substitute for both fuel and explosives.
Likewise, advanced AI was essential for automation in her past life. Yet Fontaine's automata functioned using an entirely unique and highly advanced automated system.
Even basic security automatons could identify friend from foe and attack autonomously. Higher-tier creations like the Icewind Suite could independently wield elemental powers of ice and wind for combat.
Fontaine's advancements in mechanical intelligence were so astonishingly advanced that Felina couldn't begin to fathom their principles.
Eventually, she concluded: in a world infused with elemental energy, natural laws, and mystical forces, some things simply couldn't be explained through the lens of her previous life's understanding.
Her takeaway? "Don't question the miracles of elemental energy!"
While the academy's research advanced in an orderly fashion, Felina faced a more urgent issue: faith.
Faith, generated by human aspirations, was a form of energy capable of altering destiny and elevating a simple being into godhood.
To save Furina and Fontaine, Felina needed to become a true Hydro Archon.
According to the main storyline's trajectory, the prophecy would be fulfilled within at most four years.
Becoming a god required immense faith. Destroying the divine throne demanded even more.
Furina had spent nearly 500 years gathering enough faith to shatter the throne. Felina, however, had only four years.
"Gathering 500 years' worth of faith in just four years... an almost impossible task!"
Seated at her desk, fingers tapping rhythmically, Felina's eyes glimmered with determination as she contemplated her next move.
Neighboring Fontaine was the nation of Dendro, Sumeru.
Sumeru was deeply complex, with a geography split between lush rainforests and barren deserts.
The rainforest boasted a pleasant climate and breathtaking scenery, while the desert was a harsh, desolate wasteland plagued by relentless sandstorms.
Although both regions fell under Sumeru's domain, the two peoples differed vastly in skin tone and religious beliefs.
Rainforest dwellers, with lighter complexions, worshiped the Dendro Archon.
Desert dwellers, darker-skinned, revered the deceased god King Deshret.
Historical grievances ran deep. The desert people blamed the previous Dendro Archon, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, for the death of King Deshret.
Furthermore, the Akademiya, Sumeru's governing body, restricted desert dwellers from entering the rainforest. Educational resources were disproportionately allocated to the rainforest, leaving the desert people impoverished and uneducated.
Forced into manual labor or banditry, many desert dwellers felt no sense of belonging to Sumeru.
Faith thrives on the number and fervor of believers.
To accumulate the faith required in just four years, relying solely on Fontaine's populace wouldn't suffice.
Felina needed more followers.
Staring at the map of Sumeru, her gaze settled on the desert.
"What would happen," she mused, "if a desolate land plagued by scarcity of education, food, and even drinking water suddenly received the blessings of the Hydro Archon?"
Her eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
Yes.
Felina intended to sever the desert from Sumeru, annex it into Fontaine's territory, and become the new god of the desert people.
In doing so, she would gain a flood of new believers—and with them, the faith she desperately needed.
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