The Wizard Has A Biochip

Chapter 40: Building my first mid-engine

After designing every part of the armor and confirming there were no obvious flaws, I gave the biochip a command.

— Save the project.

[Bip!]

[Project stored.]

[Folder created: Projects → Powered Armor MK-I.]

The projection slowly faded away.

I crossed my arms.

The more I thought about the project, the more one problem became obvious.

Up until now, I had only built small devices.

Explosive crystals.

Circuits.

Simple tools.

But a suit of armor...

That was an entirely different matter.

It involved cutting metal.

Welding.

Drilling.

Forging.

Sparks.

Metal fragments.

Superheated particles.

I looked at my own hands.

Then I imagined a tiny shard of steel striking my eyes during construction.

I shook my head.

No, that wouldn’t be smart.

It was time to work like a real engineer.

I mentally filed away my notes.

Locked the laboratory.

A short while later, I was walking through the Commercial Center once again.

This time, I didn’t head to Marcos’s shop.

My destination was a workshop specializing in tools.

After searching for a while, I found exactly what I needed.

A complete engineering kit.

I bought a sturdy leather apron treated to resist heat.

A pair of protective goggles made from reinforced transparent crystal.

Thick gloves resistant to high temperatures.

Along with several specialized tools for engraving magical circuits.

My wallet became considerably lighter.

But I still wasn’t finished.

I stopped by the metal suppliers.

Magic crystals.

Alchemical silver.

Enchanted bronze.

Runic steel.

Conductive wire.

Specialized screws.

Bearings.

Precision components.

By the time I finally finished shopping...

I realized everything was quite heavy, though nothing my current physique couldn’t carry.

...

When I returned to the laboratory, I carefully organized every material.

I sorted everything by category.

Meanwhile, the biochip continued working silently, generating artificial experience for my two spells.

Then I put on my protective goggles.

Slipped into the apron.

Pulled on the gloves.

Time to begin.

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.

.

.

.

Several days passed.

.

.

.

.

.

.

During that time, I managed to manufacture several structural components of the armor.

But none of them were as important as the piece now resting on my workbench.

The heart of the armor.

The central engine.

I placed both hands on the table.

And studied the technical blueprint projected by the biochip.

Without energy...

That entire suit of armor would be nothing more than a pile of heavy metal.

The engine needed to fulfill three functions.

Convert mana.

Distribute it.

And multiply the force it produced.

I carefully picked up the first runic steel disc.

Its shape was perfectly circular.

With slow, deliberate movements, I began engraving the first layer of magical inscriptions.

The tip of the engraving chisel glided slowly across the metal.

Scriiich...

Tiny grooves appeared.

Every line had to maintain the exact specified depth.

An error of less than a millimeter could cause mana leakage.

I continued.

Symbol after symbol.

Rune after rune.

When I finished...

I let out a relieved breath.

No flaws.

The second disc received a different set of inscriptions.

They were responsible for energy stabilization.

The third...

Would regulate the output flow.

Then came the core.

I carefully took out an intermediate-grade magic crystal, the kind worth one hundred ordinary magic crystals.

Its bluish glow softly illuminated the entire workbench.

I placed it at the center of the mechanism.

Around it, I installed six small metal rings.

Each ring contained dozens of micro-gears.

When I manually turned the assembly...

The gears began moving in perfect synchronization.

Tick... tick... tick...

Flawless operation.

Now only the conduits remained.

I picked up several extremely fine wires made of alchemical silver.

I began wrapping them around the central crystal.

Every loop followed the blueprint exactly.

One.

Two.

Ten.

Fifty.

One hundred turns.

By the end...

It looked as though a small metallic web completely enveloped the core.

These wires would distribute mana throughout the entire suit of armor.

The arms.

The legs.

The torso.

The helmet.

Everything would depend on them.

Afterward, I installed the entire assembly inside the cylindrical housing.

I added shock absorbers.

Bearings.

Small vibration limiters.

Finally...

I slowly sealed the structure.

The entire unit measured little more than the size of two clenched fists.

Compact.

Heavy.

Elegant.

It was time for the first test.

I inserted a magic crystal into the power compartment.

Then slowly withdrew my hands.

For one second...

Nothing happened.

Then...

Zummmmmm...

A blue glow spread across every rune engraved on the surface.

The tiny internal gears began to spin.

At first, slowly.

Then faster and faster.

The sound became surprisingly smooth.

Zummm~~

Almost like a metallic purr.

The crystal released mana.

The circuits absorbed it.

Converted it.

Distributed it.

Without the slightest instability.

I carefully observed the indicators projected by the biochip.

[Mana Flow: Stable]

[Temperature: Normal]

[Structural Vibration: 0.3%]

[Energy Efficiency: 91.8%]

Not bad for the Acolyte level.

A moment later, I lifted the central engine with both hands.

I slowly turned around.

In the corner of the laboratory, secured to a sturdy metal stand, stood the armor’s frame.

I walked toward it.

At the center of its chest was a perfectly circular cavity.

Exactly the size of the engine.

Let’s see if the heart fits...

I slowly raised the assembly.

I inserted the lower section first.

Then aligned the side rails.

I carefully pushed it into place.

Click...

The internal locking mechanisms engaged automatically.

A series of tiny gears began turning.

Tick... tick... tick...

The alchemical silver cables moved on their own, connecting themselves to the newly installed core.

The runes engraved inside the chest glowed briefly.

Zummm...

A faint blue light traveled throughout the armor’s entire frame.

Until it faded at the tips of its metal fingers.

I observed carefully.

The engine continued operating flawlessly.

I crossed my arms, satisfied.

Then...

A familiar sound echoed inside my mind.

[Bip!]

[Artificial Experience Complete.]

[Would you like to begin transferring the acquired experience?]

This was exactly what I had been waiting for.

I gave the armor one last look before turning away.

At the center of the laboratory stood a reinforced chair beside the main workbench.

I walked over to it.

Slowly sat down.

Rested both arms on the wooden armrests.

If the earlier warning had been accurate...

The next few minutes weren’t going to be pleasant.

I closed my eyes.

— Transfer.

[Beginning transfer.]

An intense warmth arose at the base of my spine.

Like a stream of boiling liquid.

It slowly climbed up my back.

Passed through my shoulders.

Then reached the back of my neck.

My stomach churned violently.

I leaned forward.

Covered my mouth with one hand.

For a moment...

I was absolutely certain I was going to throw up.

My head began spinning.

It was like living through years of training in only a few seconds.

Instinctively, I gripped the chair’s armrests so tightly that the wood cracked.

I struggled to breathe.

Then...

The memories began to organize themselves.

They no longer felt like foreign information.

They became memories.

After several minutes of intense discomfort...

It was over.

Silence returned to the laboratory.

I opened my eyes.

Blinking several times.

I stood up from the chair.

Slowly clenched my right hand.

A strange sense of familiarity spread throughout my body.

It was impossible to explain.

Before...

The magical models had been nothing more than knowledge.

Now...

They felt like a part of my very existence.

Years of practice...

Compressed into only a few minutes.

The biochip was an absurd machine.

But now...

It was time to put it to the test.

I left the laboratory.

Carefully locked the door.

Then walked toward the Tower’s elevator.

My destination was the Spell Practice Hall.

The only place where an acolyte could experiment with offensive magic without risking the destruction of half the dormitory. It was expensive, of course, but well worth it.

When the elevator finally stopped, I made my way through the silent corridors.

It was already dinner time.

Most of the students were in the dining hall.

I soon reached the reception desk.

Behind the counter stood a very elderly acolyte.

His face was covered in deep wrinkles.

His sunken eyes resembled two dark keyholes.

He slowly raised his gaze as I approached.

He didn’t say a single word.

He merely extended his hand.

I immediately understood.

I took five magic crystals from my pouch.

Placed them in his palm.

Clink...

The crystals chimed softly before disappearing into the wide sleeves of his robe.

In return...

He handed me a small card made of dark stone.

Silver runes covered its entire surface.

The moment I touched it, I felt a faint magical vibration.

— One hour.

His voice was hoarse.

Almost a whisper.

— Do not exceed that time.

I nodded politely.

For most acolytes...

Sixty minutes was more than enough.

Their mana reserves would be depleted long before then.

Some couldn’t even keep a single spell active for more than a few minutes.

In my case...

If I wasted my energy...

I could also exhaust myself very quickly.

But now...

Thanks to the artificial experience...

My control over mana had improved dramatically.

I continued down the corridor.

Numerous stone doors lined both sides.

Each bore an engraved number.

I found mine.

I raised the stone card.

Held it near the runic lock.

The inscriptions glowed blue.

Zummm...

Without the slightest mechanical sound...

The massive stone door slowly slid aside.

I stepped inside.

The room was spacious.

Cold.

Silent.

Its walls were built from thick stone blocks reinforced with magical arrays.

Numerous arcane circles covered the floor, absorbing impacts and dispersing excess energy.

Everything in that place had been designed to survive the mistakes of young acolytes.

Even accidental explosions would have difficulty damaging that chamber.

My attention was immediately drawn to the far end of the room.

There stood the training target.

A massive humanoid mannequin carved from black augite.

Its dark surface absorbed the surrounding light, giving it an almost lifelike appearance.

That mineral was famous for its extraordinary resistance to low-level magic.

...

1660 Words

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