NEC Chapter 106: Letters from Home, Routes, and Spell Models

The spring of Sky Empire Year 1427 seemed to come earlier than usual.

The sprouting of the first batch of salt-tolerant rice seeds in the lightweight film greenhouse elevated the lord's prestige to yet another level.

Although everyone had grown accustomed to calling this land Vast Sea, it ultimately could not change its underlying nature as saltwater flats.

On this land, even the most tenacious ridge bark and desert willows could only survive sporadically, scattered here and there. No one had ever imagined that such soil could produce anything edible for people.

And it was even a southern crop like rice.

Chen Mo had traveled all the way from along the Gloomy Forest, collecting extensive local climate data.

From the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest region at the southernmost end, to the temperate deciduous broadleaf forest region in the middle, then to the temperate mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest region in the north, and finally to where he now stood in the temperate desert with virtually no forest region...

Most of the grain crops that people cultivated still displayed relatively primitive, simple characteristics that highly matched regional climates.

As for rice, forget the desert, the entire northern region had no production of it.

Even Master Downs, who had traveled extensively in his early years and was well-informed, couldn't help but marvel in amazement.

"Truly remarkable, this kind of forced growth that defies natural laws, the last time I saw something like this was at the Moon Blossom Festival many years ago."

"Those pointy-eared folk used spring of life water to nurture frost flame flowers in the dead of winter, presenting them as gifts to their nature god!"

Chen Mo's ears perked up.

Spring of life water, you say? It can defy natural laws to forcibly cultivate plants, you say?

The DNA of East Xia people stirred, and he resolved to find a way to get some back home.

He remembered that back when he was still on Blue Star, his family had been quite troubled by the inability to grow vegetables on the moon. If they could figure out the principles behind this...

This would save so much trouble for the agricultural science experts back home!

Of course, it might also cause them just as much additional worry...

Then Chen Mo heard Master Downs muttering to himself.

"You said when I came here, you'd take me to catch big fish. Where are the fish?"

Chen Mo smiled soothingly, "We don't have a boat yet! You can play around picking up some crabs and razor clams on the beach first. When you get tired of that, go home and fish for a while. I'm already recruiting shipbuilders everywhere, just wait a little longer!"

The old man grumbled, "That's not what you said originally!"

Chen Mo began pulling out big banners without blushing or missing a heartbeat, "You think I came to this barren place, dealing with countless matters one by one, isn't it all to help you create a fishing environment? How can you blame me?"

Downs was a bit confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Look!" Chen Mo counted on his fingers, going through them one by one, "The territory has to develop, right? Now it's precisely because we don't even have shipwrights or sailors that your fishing time has been delayed!"

"We have to fight the bandits, right? They won't just quietly watch you fish."

"We have to plant crops, right? Without food, how can we support people? If we can't support people, what if bandits come again next time and steal your fish?"

"..."

Having just finished this argument with Master Downs and temporarily fooled the old man, Chen Mo received a letter from home.

Recently, they had been communicating through audio recording devices, and it had been a long time since he'd received a written letter.

This handwritten letter from Leader Number One immediately made Chen Mo feel it was extraordinary.

"Comrade Chen Mo, hello. Recent affairs have been complex and demanding, preventing me from finding time away. It has been long since we corresponded by pen, and I miss you greatly!

Regarding the series of events that recently occurred in Vast Sea Territory, we are all aware of them. We believe your handling of the events was very timely and completely correct!

Of course, we hope to remind you that the situation you currently face still presents rather significant difficulties.

In a traditional society with extraordinary powers, revolutionaries are lonely. Internally, they need to complete extensive social foundation work, and this work often cannot be understood by people.

Externally, they need to face the combined strangulation of traditional conservative forces.

This has no connection to their personal moral standards or their relationship with you, but is purely determined by their class position.

And you are alone, without like-minded companions.

Therefore, I must remind you once again that being alone in foreign lands, pioneering through hardships, please be extremely careful.

Of course, from the overall structure of the continent, your Vast Sea can currently be viewed as a relatively independent region with relatively weak connections to the mainstream world. Perhaps this can support your revolutionary, reform, or improvement experiments to some extent, without causing strong reactions from the surrounding world in the short term.

Thinking of this, I must say once more that your step of taking risks to obtain territory was truly a stroke of genius, a move of divine inspiration!

Whenever we review it, several of us at the center cannot help but applaud and cheer with enthusiasm!"

Chen Mo pounded his chest several times. This emotional value was given too generously, pulling it too full, his little heart couldn't quite handle it!

Of course, Leader Tanshu writing specially couldn't just be about discussing problems and chatting about the situation, he also had to provide solutions.

"In your last letter, you described in detail your current confusion, hoping to receive guidance from home.

The reason for the delay of so many days is precisely because the road that Vast Sea Territory will take in the future is difficult. Based on confidentiality requirements, we cannot discuss widely or solicit opinions broadly, but can only conduct research and communication within a small scope.

Many of our comrades, like you, have also fallen into indecision about route problems, to the extent that we had to spend more time thinking and analyzing more deeply and specifically!

Through such repeated discussions, we believe that given the current situation where your territorial residents generally have low cultural levels, weak class consciousness, and lack subjective identity, you may need to transition through one or two routes to lay the foundation for entering the final relatively ideal system.

Some things that the comrades who previously liaised with you dared not think about, or thought about but dared not say, in the end, can only be discussed with you by this old fellow.

I believe that at the current stage, you should first continue to highly strengthen the centralized system and shape personal authority.

Starting with a military command system or tribal chief system approach, seize the time to cultivate a batch of young, loyal, cultured, capable, excellent, high-spirited, and most importantly, core leadership groups who can closely unite around you.

Thus leading this collective toward the next step of national totalism transformation.

For a very long time in the past, national totalism has been considered a dictatorial, evil autocratic regime.

But I believe that as an extension of collectivism, it has unique advantages in integrating forces, improving organization, strengthening cohesion, and resisting external invasion.

Of course, it also has its flaws.

Narrowing downward, it forms ethnic authoritarianism.

This is not a good system. First, the ethnic authoritarian route is too extreme and easily gets out of control; second, your territory lacks a main ethnic group, so this route is not only inappropriate but also dangerous, requiring careful consideration.

Broadening upward leads to international communalism.

After comprehensive consideration, we believe this route is very difficult to implement on the current Starry Continent. Not only does it lack support from the realistic general environment, but it also easily triggers collective strangulation by feudal reactionary forces. Be cautious, be cautious!

As you know, even our East Xia has gradually abandoned this route in its development process over the years.

It will exist as an ideal for a long time, but it seems inappropriate to quickly bring it into reality.

Regarding the core ideas and specific measures of various routes, I have arranged for comrades from relevant departments to compile complete theoretical materials, key examples, and implementation suggestions for your reference.

Of course, no matter which route you ultimately choose, we will respect your choice and provide support to the best of our ability!"

In the last part of the letter, he briefly reported several latest research results on Starry Continent materials, then simply raised the issue of spiritual energy application in nuclear fusion processes.

The principles were quite complex, but to explain simply: the reason Tokamak-type nuclear fusion experimental facilities are so massive, have such complex equipment, and consume such astonishing amounts of energy is all to control that damned high-temperature plasma and prevent it from running around everywhere.

This thing reaches temperatures of over 100 million degrees, and in today's materials science field, there are no structures that can withstand bombardment from this thing.

To keep the plasma flow from losing control and avoid burning the machinery, they must use massive superconducting magnetic coils, combined with liquid nitrogen low-temperature cooling systems, to achieve the effect of constraining plasma with strong magnetic fields.

Superconducting magnetic coils are complex in structure, expensive to build, have extremely long construction cycles, and require extensive support from other equipment.

At the same time, to prevent plasma flow from losing control, a complete set of quench protection systems must be equipped.

Even achieving this level cannot completely prevent the effects of high-energy neutron radiation, particle bombardment, and thermal load erosion on the equipment's inner walls, so the first wall must use extremely expensive composite materials with very limited service life.

It can be imagined that to maintain the operation of this system, electricity consumption must be an astronomical figure. The small amount of electricity generated isn't even enough for the equipment to consume itself.

So, if spiritual energy-guided "Mage Hand" type constraint magic could perfectly form an invisible "air wall" blocking the escape route of high-energy particles outward, what would this mean?

It would mean that massive toroidal field coils, poloidal field coils, central solenoids, and other such devices would no longer be needed.

Quench protection systems could be omitted, and active feedback control systems like radio frequency waves and divertors could also go off duty.

For first wall materials, just randomly pasting some tiles would work.

With all the equipment simplified, costs would drop by over ninety percent, electricity consumption would nearly hit bottom, and energy efficiency would skyrocket directly, making practical application imminent.

After simply explaining the basic principles once, he also raised the current existing problems.

First, although constraint-type spiritual energy magic performed well in small-scale experiments, real application would still require a very tedious research process.

To achieve radial constraint, toroidal constraint, and poloidal constraint, this is not something that East Xia "magic apprentices" at most preparatory level can accomplish.

Complex multi-integrated spell models require deconstruction of the Starry Continent magic system.

Second, nuclear fusion facilities for final practical application must inevitably operate stably for long periods, but mages need rest. They can't really turn controllable nuclear fusion into a "hand-crank generator."

This requires support from magic arrays or magic artifacts from the Starry Continent.

Finally, final equipment finalization inevitably requires extensive experimentation, so increased consumption of mana crystals is inevitable. East Xia's current reserves are insufficient.

Never mind East Xia, Vast Sea Territory doesn't have much of this stuff either. It's all what Chen Mo had managed to get from Master Downs.

At the end of the letter, Tanshu earnestly advised, "Regarding the above situation, I feel it's necessary to explain clearly to you, but this is absolutely not urgently pressing you to solve this problem. I only hope that when you have spare capacity, you can collect some relevant materials to assist further related research.

East Xia's technological development path has always walked on a correct and firm route. Generations of scientific research workers have been unwavering and striving to be first, achieving today's brilliant accomplishment of ranking among Blue Star's forefront.

Even without any sudden changes in new technology and new materials, we believe we will inevitably achieve final victory in this competition!

So, having it is naturally good, but not having it requires no worry.

East Xia has an old saying: the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

I now present this to you because I want to tell you that we can truly feel your sincere heart, but to undertake greater responsibility precisely requires possessing greater ability.

Therefore, I still hope you first take care of yourself, protect yourself, guard against pride and impatience, and forge ahead through hardships!

Year Yisi, Month Gengyin, Day Gengshen, East Leader Tanshu, Li, at Weiyang Palace."

Chen Mo carefully read through the letter, then couldn't help reading it again from the beginning, then carefully folded it, put it in the envelope, and stored it in his personal storage cabinet.

The family leader was right. First develop himself, then strive to give back to East Xia. This was the optimal solution.

However, before that, it wouldn't hurt to first vigorously squeeze that old fellow Downs.

During this period, Chen Mo had already clearly felt changes in Downs' mentality.

The old man had gradually changed from being initially a pure fishing enthusiast to becoming his magic tutor. Although he still held no official position in Vast Sea Territory, the fact that his attitude toward himself was increasingly respectful and his concern for territorial affairs was growing was undeniable.

Anyone with eyes could see that Vast Sea Territory's development momentum was thriving. As long as they could stand firm through this development cycle and complete the territory's assessment indicators, Lord Chen Mo would at least secure a baron title.

Those around the lord would rise to prosperity, with chickens and dogs ascending to heaven, just around the corner.

In this situation, when Chen Mo squeezed the old man, he hit the mark every time.

Bringing the ox-horse Guard, he swiftly arrived at the old man's residence.

The old man was fishing.

Speaking honestly, Chen Mo was very attentive to Master Downs.

At the old man's temporary residence, Chen Mo had not only configured complete furniture according to the territory's highest standards and assigned dedicated male and female servants, but had also specially brought from home a small ice-making machine with solar panel charging to help the old man cool down and beat the heat.

He still remembered the first time Chen Mo presented the treasure-like large chunk of ice from the ice machine. Master Downs rolled his eyes dramatically, drew his right hand in the air with a gesture, and an ice ball emitting white vapor appeared floating in mid air.

"You seem to have forgotten I'm a water-element mage, haven't you?"

"..."

However, the ice machine ultimately stayed. In this desert environment, it was still somewhat taxing for mages to cast water-element magic, so why not use what was readily available?

At this moment, ice cubes were chilling wild dates that the sand people had somehow procured. Two maidservants were leisurely fanning, and the old man was half-reclining in his chair, eyes motionlessly fixed on the float.

Mm, Chen Mo had also dug a fish pond in Downs' house, specifically arranging personnel to catch fish from the seaside daily. Although they couldn't go into deep waters to catch big fish, small fish supply was still manageable.

Entering the door, the old man was first startled, "What happened?"

"Nothing major, I just came to see how you're doing, old man."

Letting out a light snort from his nostrils, Downs lazily leaned back again, "Lord is busy with myriad affairs, yet still has time to think about these old bones nearly ready for burial?... Speak up, what scheme are you hatching now?"

He understood this kid's routine of showing flattery without reason all too well.

Chen Mo waved his hand, and the centaur squad and maidservants all withdrew, closing the courtyard gate as they left, leaving only the old man and the young one.

As for Liu Zaiyue, he had been obediently guarding outside from the beginning. He simply couldn't enter this door. With his height, wherever he went, he was a roof-collapsing menace.

"Teacher," Chen Mo sat down on the stone bench nearby, his tone carrying some intimacy, "You've taught me for so long, and I've always regarded you as a mentor. Here's what I'm thinking, let me tell you about an idea I have, see if it's appropriate..."

"Go ahead and say it, it's definitely appropriate!"

"In a couple days, I'll request a seagoing speedboat for you from Cyber Monarch, and equip you with a complete set of deep-sea fishing gear. By then, arm-length fish? Those will just be appetizers! At least fish as long as centaurs, deep-sea big fish, would be worthy of your status!"

The old man frowned slightly, his eyes full of wariness.

"Also, I want to establish a magic advisory council in the territory. You'd be the council's chief elder, enjoying administrator treatment. However many mages the advisory council can recruit in the future will all be under your management."

The old man calmly set down his fishing rod.

"Also, last time you said this environment isn't suitable for building a water-element magic tower. I'm planning to create an oasis next to the city lord's mansion, make you a big fish pond, ensuring the magic tower area has sufficient moisture."

"Then whenever you want to go sea fishing, you can go sea fishing, and whenever you want to fish at home, you can fish at home..."

Master Downs sighed, simply put away his rod, and muttered, "You scared away my fish again..."

"Just hurry up and say it, what exactly is the matter? I'm starting to get scared. Why do I feel like you want to drain me to the bone?"

Chen Mo chuckled.

"I have a small magical predicament, though of course, this is certainly nothing to you!"

"Here, look at this video, it's like this."

"I need a Mage Hand-type spell like this. It needs to form a hollow tube-like shape, winding around like this, so things inside can only follow the tube but can't get out..."

Master Downs watched with a frown, then looked at Chen Mo suspiciously, "Anything else? That's it?"

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat.

It seemed like this matter wasn't that difficult... he had set his price too high, and the old man was somewhat puzzled!

"Mm, it would be best to have a complete magic model, and also... if it could be materialized through magic array methods, not requiring human operation would be most ideal."

"Huh? You don't want me to use it here, but for others to use?"

"Right!"

"Then... it's not so simple after all!"

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