Era-Transcending Blueprint

A Caution Rank mission yielded rewards comparable to hunting a Town Rank UMA, causing Lin Jie's name to stir up a massive commotion within the circle of low-level investigators.

Lin Jie did not indulge in the vanity of being the center of attention.

He was well aware that points and pounds only held true significance when converted into tangible combat power.

After bidding farewell to William and Marcus and agreeing on a method for future contact, he returned to the inn to rest for the better part of a day, then headed straight for that sacred hall of chaos and creativity—Arthur Conan's Fourth Equipment Laboratory.

As he pushed open the heavy metal door, he was greeted by the familiar scent of machine oil and herbs.

Arthur Conan was hunched over his massive workbench like a diligent spider, surrounded by countless blueprints and parts.

He seemed to be in the middle of decomposing and studying the black crystal obtained from the Mist Walker, muttering to himself, completely immersed in his own world.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Conan. I've brought some... things that might interest you." Lin Jie's voice broke the silence of the workshop.

Arthur looked up, casting a slightly annoyed glance from behind his complex goggles at being disturbed.

But when he saw it was Lin Jie, his impatient expression softened slightly. "It's you, that lucky brat. What is it? Where did you scavenge treasures discarded by idiots this time?"

His words remained sharp, but Lin Jie was already accustomed to the communication style of this genius craftsman.

"Perhaps." Lin Jie smiled. He did not immediately take out the top-tier materials he had just acquired; for an "artist" of Arthur's caliber, merely providing good materials would only make him a qualified "supplier."

To truly earn his respect and make him willing to pour his heart and soul into a project, one had to present something that would make this "master artist" sit up and take notice.

Lin Jie took a rolled-up piece of parchment from his coat and slowly spread it out on the only relatively tidy area of the workbench.

It was a blueprint.

A design sketch, drawn by Lin Jie's own hand, for a brand-new piece of Grotesque Armament.

The draftsmanship was not professional, and the lines were somewhat crude, but the object depicted, along with the design concepts annotated in the margins—filled with modern logical thinking—were enough to leave any nineteenth-century engineer or designer dumbfounded.

The main body of the design was something that looked like a bracer, yet it was lighter and more ergonomic than a standard one.

It was composed of multiple layers of tanned leather and metal plates, with several slots reserved for embedding "spiritual materials."

This in itself was not unusual.

But what truly changed the look in Arthur's eyes were the "design notes" Lin Jie had scribbled in English, filled with revolutionary thinking.

"Design Core: Modularity and Interchangeability." Lin Jie's notes read, "The bracer body acts as a universal platform, allowing for the replacement or addition of functional modules embedded with different 'spiritual materials' via standardized interfaces."

"For example, when stealth is required, the 'Void Rubber' module can be loaded; when countering mechanical constructs, it can be swapped for the 'Chaos Brass' module. One piece of equipment can handle multiple situations by swapping modules, greatly enhancing a hunter's versatility and survivability."

"Energy Conduction Path Optimization." Next to another note, a complex energy flow diagram was drawn, "Changing the status quo where spiritual power disperses chaotically in traditional equipment. Pre-etch 'spiritual conduction circuits' made of pure silver or refined gold inside the bracer."

"When a hunter channels power, the spirit will efficiently conduct along fixed paths to the designated functional module, reducing energy loss and achieving more precise, concentrated effects."

"For example, by precisely channeling the power of 'Chaos Brass' through the circuits to an impact module at the fingertips, one can achieve a small-scale, directional 'mechanical paralysis' effect."

"Ergonomic Application." Next to a drawing of an arm, Lin Jie noted, "The shape and weight distribution of the equipment must strictly follow ergonomic principles."

"By optimizing the lever arm and center of gravity, we ensure the equipment provides powerful functionality while minimizing negative impacts on the user's agility and stamina. We seek a 'high degree of integration' between human and equipment, rather than simple external attachment."

Arthur Conan had initially looked at the blueprint with a nonchalant gaze.

But as his eyes swept over the lines of notes filled with subversive concepts, the expression on his face shifted from disdain to surprise, then to gravity, and finally into a state of unbelievable shock!

The hand holding his tweezers began to tremble uncontrollably.

He snatched the blueprint, pushed his complex goggles to their highest magnification, and nearly pressed his face against the paper.

"Modularity... standardized interfaces... spiritual conduction circuits... ergonomics?" Arthur repeated these words he had never heard before, yet which seemed to have opened a door to a brand-new world for him.

"Genius! This is the kind of design only a madman or a genius could come up with!" Arthur slammed his head up, his eyes hidden behind layers of lenses erupting with a fanatical, worshipful light for wisdom!

"You brat... how is your brain wired? Conducting spirit like electricity through circuits? Assembling Grotesque Armament like products on an assembly line? This... this is a blatant desecration of all armament forging theories from the past few hundred years! And it is also the most magnificent... revolution!"

He no longer called Lin Jie "brat," but used "you guy," a term that, while still blunt, placed him on equal footing for conversation.

Lin Jie smiled inwardly.

His "dimensionality-reduction strike" style blueprint had successfully struck the most proud and vulnerable point in this genius craftsman's heart.

Although Arthur Conan was the top armament forging master of this era, all his designs were still imprisoned within the frameworks of "empiricism" and "mysticism."

He would design ingeniously based on the properties of materials, but that design was more like a gifted "artistic creation."

What Lin Jie had brought was a new "technical" path representing modern industrial and scientific thinking.

He had transformed the design of Grotesque Armament from a pure art into an applied science that could be quantified, optimized, and systematically improved!

This ideological impact was far more shocking to a tech-obsessed perfectionist like Arthur than giving him any amount of top-tier materials.

"I just have some... slightly different ideas," Lin Jie said modestly.

"No! These aren't just ideas!" Arthur waved the blueprint in his hand excitedly. "This is a brand-new path! A broad road that can free the manufacturing of Grotesque Armament from an over-reliance on a craftsman's personal inspiration and move toward standardization and high efficiency!"

"Damn it, why didn't I ever think of this! We've always been studying how to make the materials themselves more powerful, but we never thought that by optimizing the 'structure' and 'conduction methods,' we could make materials that only had 60-point effectiveness exert 80 or even 100 points of power!"

The way he looked at Lin Jie had changed.

Before, Lin Jie was just a lucky, intuitive material supplier in his eyes.

Now, Lin Jie had leaped into a theoretical master who could converse with him as an equal, and even guide him on certain "design philosophies"!

"Tell me, what materials do you want to use to realize this crazy design?" Arthur's voice was filled with anticipation.

He couldn't wait to personally turn this revolutionary theory into a real masterpiece.

A smile of success appeared on the corner of Lin Jie's mouth.

He solemnly placed the ingots of alienated brass containing powerful "chaos" energy, along with the roll of "Void Rubber" that shimmered with a strange light-absorbing ability, onto the workbench.