Chapter 234: Chapter 228: Neutralizing Force Field
At the end of the underground tunnel, the dull rumbling gradually ceased.
Five custom-made Mining Golems returned in a single file to the fully enclosed unloading area. Their once pitch-black armor was now coated in what looked like a thin layer of white frost—the telltale sign of residual high-intensity crystallization radiation.
"So this is the first batch of ’devil’s candy’?"
Allen watched as a mechanical arm carefully extracted chunks of ore that emanated a hazy glow from the Golems’ cargo bays.
A total of two hundred eighty-two standard units of raw Crystallized Seed ore.
They were quickly sealed into dozens of custom-made Rune isolation containers. Even through layers of protection, Allen could still feel the heart-stopping fluctuations of the fundamental principles at play.
"Commander, according to the energy consumption analysis, the AT Field Generators on all five Golems overloaded during this round-trip operation. The core Rune attrition rate has reached twelve percent, and Magic Power consumption was 8.4 times higher than a standard operation."
Jarvis’s cold voice echoed in the control room, laying the brutal cost data on the table. "If we continue mining at this efficiency, the net profit per unit of ore will be squeezed to just forty percent of the original, and the risks are considerable."
Allen’s brow furrowed as he looked at the Golems, which had nearly been crystallized into scrap metal.
’The current AT Field is like using a shield to block a high-pressure fire hose. It holds, but the person holding the shield will eventually collapse from exhaustion.’
’If a Golem breaks down en route, or an isolation container gets damaged during unloading, a leaking Crystallization Field would turn half the workshop into a silent palace of crystal.’
That was a disaster he could never accept.
"Jarvis, issue the order," Allen said decisively. "Halt all further mining operations. Seal the existing ore, and put all Mining Golems on maintenance."
"Order confirmed. The mining area is now sealed."
Allen felt no regret as he watched the on-screen icon for the lode—a symbol of immense wealth—turn gray.
’I need to fully analyze this "crystallization effect" as soon as possible and design a new, more cost-effective Rune Array.’
’Only by driving down the mining costs would those twenty million Magic Stones truly be in his pocket.’
"Now..."
Allen took off his goggles and rubbed his bloodshot eyes as a profound exhaustion washed over him. A solid week of high-intensity experiments, compounded by the mental drain of inscribing Runes, had pushed even a Wizard’s body to its limits.
’A mind stretched too thin will eventually snap.’
"I’m going to get some sleep." Allen’s steps were heavy as he turned toward the lounge. "Don’t wake me for anything, even if the sky is falling. Unless a Black Wizard is at the door."
"Understood, Sir. I have activated deep sleep mode and am engaging environmental noise cancellation."
Allen slept like the dead.
No Meditation, no data—only pure, silent darkness.
Eighteen hours had passed by the time he opened his eyes again.
Allen sat up in bed and stretched, his joints popping and cracking. His brain rebooted from the fog, his thoughts clearer than ever.
"Jarvis, status report."
"The workshop is operating normally. All the experimental equipment you requested is in place."
"Excellent."
Allen quickly washed up, then cooked himself a feast with ingredients he had purchased earlier. After gorging himself, the look in his eyes was once again as sharp as a blade.
"Time to get to work."
He strode into the underground laboratory.
"The essence of the Crystallization Field is a forced ’systematic rearrangement’."
Allen stood before the lab bench, swiping his fingers through the air to pull up the microscopic structural diagram of the crystal lizard from before. "It forcibly rearranges the original structure of matter into a stable crystal lattice. This is a tyrannical form of assimilation."
The AT Field (Absolute Terror Field), according to the lore of *Evangelion*, is the "wall of the heart"—a barrier that separates the self from others.
In the Wizarding World, Allen had manifested it as an absolute defense that "repels all external interference."
"My previous method was too crude."
Allen looked at the Rune model of the AT Field. "I’ve been using ’full-spectrum repulsion’ to fight ’specific-frequency assimilation.’ It’s like trying to stop a single mosquito by welding the entire door shut, only to then have to constantly brace it to keep it from being knocked down."
A waste. An absolute waste.
’Since the crystallization radiation is a wave of a specific frequency, why can’t I adjust the AT Field’s frequency to react only to that particular wave?’
"Jarvis, load the original AT Field schematics."
"Load complete."
"Integrate the newly designed ’Waveform Cancellation’ Rune group." A fanatical light gleamed in Allen’s eyes. "I’m going to modify the Rune Array. It won’t be a simple ’shield’ anymore. I’m going to make it a ’filter’."
For the next five days, the underground laboratory became Allen’s battlefield.
"Simulation 37 failed. Waveform phase deviation: twelve degrees."
"Again! Adjust the Magic Power output frequency of the third node."
"Simulation 89 failed. Rune Circuits overloaded."
"Switch the core circuits to a parallel structure!"
In his eyes, the dry data transformed into dancing musical notes.
He didn’t need to rely on "epiphanies" and luck like the native Wizards. He had Jarvis, an artificial intelligence that could brute-force the mysteries through sheer computational power.
「Late on the fifth night.」
"Simulation 412... successful."
Jarvis’s voice was as monotone as ever, but to Allen, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
A new Rune Array had been designed. It was more streamlined than the original AT Field; what was once a nearly invisible shield had become a distinct, honeycomb-like grid.
"Time to inscribe it," Allen said, rubbing his hands together.
A standard plate of Black Patterned Magic Steel was brought to the test bench. Under Allen’s control, a Rune-engraving machine etched intricate patterns onto the metal’s surface.
Ten minutes later, it was finished.
"Begin the test."
Allen placed the steel plate, inscribed with the new array, within the radiation field of a Crystallized Seed.
[Energy Dominion Art]!
As Magic Power materialized and flowed into it, the Runes on the plate’s surface lit up with a faint glow.
One minute, two minutes... half an hour passed.
The surface of the steel plate remained as pristine as new.
"Energy consumption data?" Allen’s eyes were glued to the screen.
"Current energy consumption: fourteen percent of the AT Field’s standard operating mode," Jarvis reported, a startling figure. "Defensive effectiveness: 99.9% immunity to the crystallization effect."
"Fourteen percent..."
This meant his Mining Golems would no longer need to return so frequently for recharging; they could operate for extended periods deep within the lode. It meant the protective Force Fields for the underground tunnels and the mining station would no longer be such a heavy drain on their power supply.
The corners of Allen’s mouth crept upward until he finally let out a laugh.
"Ha!"
’Success!’
Even Master Mercer would never have imagined he could solve this problem in under a month with such an ingenious workaround.
"Since it was created specifically to counter assimilation..."
Allen looked at the cyan glow and softly named his new technology, "I’ll call it... the [Neutralizing Force Field]."
This meant the Crystalized Forest, a place that struck fear into all living things, would no longer be a forbidden zone for him. It would be his backyard.
It meant he could now plunder the twenty-million-Magic-Stone treasure underground without a care in the world!
"Jarvis."
Allen straightened up, the exhaustion in his eyes swept away and replaced by the confidence of a man in complete control.
"Save the schematics and classify them as top secret."
"Redesign the protective Rune modules for the Mining Golems and the underground transport lines. Retrofit them all with the [Neutralizing Force Field]."
He looked at the Crystallized Seeds resting quietly in their isolation containers, his gaze growing deep and unreadable.
"Now, let’s go mine that lode until it’s completely dry."
"Also..." Allen seemed to have another thought, his fingers tapping gently on the tabletop. "Since this ore can force matter into an ’ordered’ state, how could I use it to develop weapons? Or new Golems?"
"Or... turn it into a giant bomb?"
An even more insane idea began to sprout in his mind.
’If I reversed the Neutralizing Force Field—not to cancel, but to amplify...’
’The image of it... just thinking about it felt—’
’So artistic.’
’Hmm, there must be other uses for this Neutralizing Force Field. I should give it more thought.’
"Sir, I’m detecting an abnormal increase in your heart rate and adrenaline secretion," Jarvis helpfully noted. "Your humanity score has increased."
"Shut up, Jarvis," Allen, in high spirits, retorted. "I’m merely admiring the splendor of truth."
