Continuing along the corridor to the end, several layers of heavy metal doors opened one by one under the drive of the magic machinery, revealing the space hidden deep underground.
Dazzling bright white light filled the entire space. This room was larger than any previous experimental field, but it was particularly crowded. Various devices were crammed around, tools were casually placed on workbenches, seemingly chaotic but actually arranged for maximum efficiency.
In the center of the field stood a tower-shaped support, with a humanoid armor about three meters tall. It looked even heavier than the heaviest knight armor. Tiran estimated that even if he wore it, his movements would be restricted.
There was no way Saiens could design a tin can armor. Combined with the technological advantages here, it was easy to guess what it was.
"Hey, I was just kidding, there really is a Gundam..." Gundam, it must be something like a Gundam! Hmm, this height should be directly worn on a person, a magic-powered armor, right? Like Iron Man?
Tiran rubbed his chin in thought.
At this moment, the eye sockets of the faceplate of the humanoid armor in the center suddenly lit up.
"All experimenters, step back. The first test of the thirty-seventh version of the universal magic-powered armored suit is about to begin." A calm male voice sounded from the speakers in the experimental field. Aya followed the direction of the voice and saw the man standing on the half-level platform behind the support.
"That's my teacher, Lord Hephaestus, the head of the underground city. He is in charge of the magic-powered armor project." Chip stared at the magic-powered armor gradually moving on the support, his eyes filled with excitement and fanaticism.
Three years ago, the Kingdom of Saiens began secret development of magic-powered armor. Once successful, it would be a revolutionary weapon.
"It's just a suit of armor, why..." Aya didn't quite understand. A three-meter armor was like a small giant to humans, but it was nothing compared to a fifteen-meter dragon.
"Of course!" Chip and Tiran almost shouted in unison.
The young researchers seemed excited when it came to magic-powered armor. "Do you know how much precision craftsmanship is needed to create a complete set of magic-powered armor? The entire armor has 1,556 neural nodes to simulate neural signals for the pilot. Each node is of super-precision level. The value of just this operating system alone is enough to buy a whole city outside! No, even ten cities can't exchange for this kind of technology!"
While speaking, Chip danced with his hands and feet, but his voice was drowned out by the mechanical operation sounds.
Tiran looked at the excited Chip somewhat awkwardly. She wasn't a tech geek. It wasn't because the technology of the magic-powered mecha was so advanced and extraordinary. She simply had a special feeling for this kind of thing influenced by the mecha works she had seen before.
Delua, who had been silent and following behind, focused on observing the movements of the magic-powered mecha in the test field, hoping to remember every detail. Compared to the half-hearted Princess Tiran, she had a clearer understanding of what would happen if this weapon appeared on a large-scale battlefield dominated by cavalry and cold weapons. It was a rare opportunity to observe up close, and she couldn't afford to miss it.
The locks on the shoulders and hands of the armor, which had been fixed on the support, were released. Under the control of the pilot, the hand joints moved slightly, emitting a subtle hissing sound as the well-lubricated joints rotated.
After confirming everything was in order, the pilot made a thumbs-up gesture to the researcher responsible for controlling the support below. The remaining locks on the support were released one by one, giving this mechanical giant the freedom it deserved.
"All neural connections established, neural currents stable."
"Heart rate normal, blood pressure slightly elevated but within the normal range."
"Neural compatibility reaches ninety percent, ready for action."
The green lights on the control panel lit up one by one, indicating that the pilot was gradually gaining control of the armor. They stepped down from the tower-shaped support and onto the circular open space below, performing simple actions such as jumping, punching, and kicking.
The actions escalated step by step. They then progressed to wielding a specially made armor with heavy swords and using small magic guns to shoot moving targets.
At this point, even the man on the high platform, who had been watching the experiment with a calm expression, showed a hint of nervousness. His hand gripping the railing tightened slightly.
"The neural current shows a slight irregular rhythm! It is recommended to pause activities for maintenance," the researcher responsible for confirming the neural connection system said loudly. Just as the man on the platform was about to give the command to stop the experiment, the row of green lights that had been steadily lit on the control panel suddenly went out without warning and turned red.
The armored body that was still swinging a large sword suddenly stiffened, and the heavy blade flew out of its hand and hit the isolation wall between the experimental area and the control area with a dull sound.
"Cut off the magic power supply immediately." After the neural connection was severed, the test pilot had no way to control the armor. It was like being trapped inside, and if the still-powered armor made any large movements, it could easily break the pilot's bones.
The man known as the teacher by Chip quickly walked down the stairs from behind and immediately commanded the experimenters below to cut off the main switch. At the same time, a team of medical personnel rushed in to rescue the pilot trapped inside the powerless armor.
The test ultimately ended in failure, but the experimenters present seemed accustomed to failure. After a brief moment of regret, they began to systematically process the data collected during the experiment and prepare for the next test.
Seeing the man finally stop his busy work, Chip took a few steps forward and ran over: "Teacher! I brought Princess Milanía!"
"Milanía? The princess?" The man was stunned, as if he hadn't fully recovered from the experiment. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before remembering and looking at the three people standing behind him, revealing a faint smile.
"Excuse me, everyone. My name is Hephastos, the head of this underground research institution... If you have to count, I am also the nominal king of this country. But you don't have to call me Your Majesty, just call me Heph."
Unlike the researchers next to him who were immersed in data analysis and discussion, the image of this head of the institution was a breath of fresh air among the researchers wearing dirty coats and slippers. His face was somewhere between youth and middle age, not handsome but very pleasant to look at. His thick black hair was neatly combed, and his well-fitted clothes accentuated his tall figure. He looked more like a military officer than a scientist.
"Heph, I am a special envoy appointed by King Granzon. I believe you should know why we are here this time."
After seeing Hephastos, Delua also entered work mode.
"Hermes, huh?" Hephastos rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly. Then he raised his hand and clapped, saying loudly, "Everyone, please leave. I need to be alone with our guests for a while."
Although he was only a nominal king and did not deal with political affairs at all, Hephastos still had great authority in the research institution. With just one sentence, the researchers who were still gathered together for data analysis and discussion quickly packed up their work tools and disappeared outside the door.
The spacious experimental site was cleared, and the heavy mechanical doors closed layer by layer, completely cutting off the outside noise.
"Although it's a bit late, I still want to say that I, Hephastos, on behalf of the Kingdom of Sains, sincerely welcome all of you." The head also put down the writing board he had been holding in his arms, slightly bowed to Tiran and Delua, and then apologized with a smile, "I'm sorry, because the experiment just reached a critical point, I couldn't personally come to greet you."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Delua's eyes. As the female chamberlain by the king's side, her emphasis on etiquette was well known. But she had previously learned that the eccentric researchers in Sorcery City were all obsessed with their research and often neglected other matters. It was probably not intentional, and since Tiran had no complaints, she didn't continue to mind.
"Research? Is it about this Gundam?" Tiran pointed to the motionless mecha lying on the ground in the center of the experimental site after the power was cut off, his eyes shining.
"Gundam refers to the magic-powered armor, right?" The head was momentarily stunned, then reacted and said like a child introducing a beloved toy, "Yes, this is the product of the new generation of magical mechanical technology. It allows trained ordinary soldiers to have the power to confront intermediate or even high-level knights after wearing it. And in terms of long-range firepower, it can even suppress a team equipped with magic guns..."
"By the way, is Princess interested in magic technology? 'Gundam' is not a bad name. This series of magic-powered armors has not been named yet, so let's call it Gundam..."
The last sentence made Tiran unable to help but smirk, because with just a casual remark, he had created a Gundam in another world... just thinking about it was incredible.
But on second thought, if they really brought mecha into the era of cold weapons, it would truly be a devastating weapon. It could rival a genuine knight in close combat and could also be equipped with powerful long-range weapons. Once a mass-produced army was created, unless someone of Holy Rank intervened, it would likely sweep across the continent without any difficulty.
Thinking about this, Delua's expression changed several times in a short period of time, and there was a hint of vigilance in her eyes as she looked at the metallic armor on the ground.
"That being said, there are still many technological challenges that need to be overcome in order to create a practical version for combat," Delua said, noticing the change in Delua's expression.
Noticing Delua's change in expression, Hefei shrugged and comforted her indifferently, "This is already the 37th version, but it still only has basic mobility. It will probably take several more years to create a finished product. And although the goal is to equip it as a weapon for the army, the actual cost is far beyond what an ordinary country can afford, so it is not cost-effective for mass production."
"Oh..."
"Hey, Miss, did you forget why we came here..." Aya, with a face full of black lines, stood behind Tiran and reminded her. There was still no news about Juju, and who knows what that person who could stuff Juju into the core of a mountain giant still wanted to do to her.
Delua also noticed that the topic had been diverted and shifted her attention back from the enormous magic weapon. She reminded them, "Lady Hefei, we came here because of the attack on the royal family's territory by someone claiming to be Hermes from your country, not to discuss magic technology."
"We apologize for the attack."
When Heffy heard the name "Hermes," her expression became complicated, and she sighed softly in the end. "Why don't you all take a rest first? Let's find another place to discuss this matter in detail."
