The Rapid Spread of the Magic Web

"Yes, it felt very different, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly how." The Wild Mage nodded slightly.

Viscount Rost smiled. "My Rost Territory has undergone a long period of reform. There are many workshops belonging to the Rost Family throughout the territory. Even during the Chilly Moon, free citizens can work in the workshops producing handicrafts and earn a fairly substantial income. At the very least, no one will freeze to death."

"No one will freeze to death?" The Wild Mage's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Most mages had almost no contact with ordinary people, but the Wild Mage was different. He had wandered abroad for many years and seen countless people.

He knew all too well that every Chilly Moon claimed many lives—people froze to death, starved to death, or were killed by others driven desperate by hunger. Even in the royal capital, such things were exceedingly common.

Yet no one froze to death in Rost Territory?!

What confused him even more was that Viscount Rost actually took pride in it!

Other nobles would never care whether these free citizens lived or died.

They were not considered noble assets...

For the first time, the Wild Mage examined the "investor" before him with a strange look in his eyes.

For the first time, he realized that Viscount Rost seemed to be, like him, a... pioneer misunderstood by the world.

"Mr. Wild Mage, I see that you spend a great deal of time on the Magic Web, so you should know about Mana Bombs, right? To be honest, the Mana Bomb workshop is currently the largest industry we have invested in within Rost Territory. Your Self-Charging Magic Array will become our greatest support, and that is the main reason I invited you here."

Viscount Rost looked at the Wild Mage before him. "I hope to receive a definite answer from you. Are you truly willing to join our viscountcy? Also, I would like to know your real name."

"This is only the beginning. In the future, you will still choose to follow in the footsteps of the Technology God—to manufacture, research, and sell more Magitech Devices, correct?" The Wild Mage did not answer directly, instead asking a question.

"Of course."

Viscount Rost did not hesitate.

"Very well, I'll join." The Wild Mage nodded directly. "But I hope to join the research team. I'm very interested in magi... magitech! As for my name, honestly, after all these years of wandering outside, I can no longer remember it clearly. Just call me Wild Mage."

The carriage sped onward.

After arriving at the castle, the Wild Mage was received according to noble etiquette. Following a lavish meal, the two of them went together to the Mana Bomb workshop.

"Why are they all Mage Apprentices?" The Wild Mage could not help raising an eyebrow. "Mage Apprentices do not seem capable of producing Mana Bombs, do they?"

"Of course." A slight smile curled Viscount Rost's lips. "That is indeed the case elsewhere, but things are different here."

Under the Wild Mage's puzzled gaze, Viscount Rost revealed his greatest secret. "After all, we are merely a viscountcy. Hiring a large number of formal mages is not easy. But I discovered that we do not actually need to hire formal mages. The greatest difference between Mana Bombs—or rather, Magitech Devices—and other magical items is—simplicity!"

"They are truly very simple, without any complicated runes. In that respect, they share something in common with your Self-Charging Magic Array. I believe that is one of the reasons the god favors you."

"But no matter how simple they are, Mage Apprentices should not be able to do it, right? Although I have never seen a Mana Bomb, I know that Mana Bombs can unleash relatively powerful low-order magic." The Wild Mage felt nothing at the flattery, but when he heard that the Technology God favored him and that he had similarities with Mana Bombs, the corners of his mouth still rose uncontrollably.

This was the closest he had ever felt to truth.

"They do not need to master all of it. Every Mage Apprentice only needs to master one rune within a Mana Bomb and become proficient with it. All the runes on a Mana Bomb can be completed by only a few dozen Mage Apprentices. Since each person only needs to handle one rune, they are exceptionally familiar with it, and their work is even more refined and... standardized than that of some low-order mages!"

Viscount Rost looked ahead with complete confidence. "You may go over there and examine a finished product, then make one yourself for comparison."

"A bold idea." The Wild Mage did not move, but his eyes began to burn. "I'm liking this place more and more."

He truly had not expected it could be done this way: each apprentice mastered one rune, then a large group of apprentices pieced together a Mana Bomb.

A genius idea!

The Wild Mage found himself liking this young viscount more and more.

Over the following period, the Wild Mage began constructing large-scale Self-Charging Magic Arrays throughout Rost Territory.

On one hand, time was pressing and his life was nearing its end. On the other, he wanted to repay Viscount Rost as soon as possible and show him just how fast this assembly-line-like production model could become with Self-Charging Magic Arrays. The Wild Mage worked continuously, barely resting.

Goddess of Magic's Divine Kingdom.

Roger watched everything and nodded slightly in satisfaction.

"This young viscount seems to have already understood the true essence of Magitech Devices!" Betty watched it all with some surprise.

Even she had only noticed this after the Ray Gun 2.0 had been created.

"Yes, he actually grasped the concept of the assembly line without being taught." Roger was very satisfied. "Compared with traditional magical tools, the greatest characteristics of Magitech Devices are their versatility and low cost. Effects such as instant casting come second. The fact that he thought of the assembly line proves that he has understood this."

"I even suspect that you secretly gave him lessons behind my back." Betty stared at Roger, still somewhat unable to believe it. "Otherwise, how could he have figured everything out so quickly?"

"Didn't that Wild Mage also invent a Self-Charging Magic Array that you thought was impossible?"

Roger chuckled, then turned his gaze toward the brand-new Mortal World Map in the distance. "Well? Isn't everything much more intuitive with this?"

He had asked Betty and Book to create this map together.

At first, she had not understood it at all. But once Book completely linked the Magic Web's signal to the map, she instantly realized just how useful this thing was!

Whenever a Magic Net Ring was activated, its location would appear on the map as a red dot.

The capital of Dawn Kingdom, the capital of Graycastle Empire, and the border castles between the two nations were all so densely covered in red dots that they were nearly overflowing.

As for the major cities, while they could not compare to the two capitals, they still had a very considerable number of dots.

Moreover, through these red dots, they could clearly see that the densely packed dots were spreading outward from those cities as their centers.

Scattered red dots had also begun appearing one after another in small territories, towns, wilderness forests, and mountainous hills, multiplying at an astonishing speed.

"Look how pleased you are. Even without this map, I could just ask Book and learn the general situation."

Although Betty said that, her expression as she looked at the map had already betrayed her. "It seems the Magic Net Rings are spreading very smoothly! Around one hundred thousand people have activated them already, and they have covered nearly every region of the two nations."

She could not help praising Roger in her heart.

Without Roger, how could they have progressed so smoothly?

And how could they have gathered so much Faith Power?!

At present, the Divine Kingdom's faith requirements had been fulfilled by around seventy percent. Once they earned a little more, the Divine Kingdom's barrier would no longer need the Magic Goddess's divine power to sustain it, and she could return from beyond the realm... It seemed his Faith Power had accumulated to about that amount as well, hadn't it?!

At that thought, Betty glanced at Roger again.

He was about to become a god!

"Yes, the spread across the two nations has gone very smoothly, but it has been much slower than expected in the Elven Kingdom. Even the High Collar Kingdom, which is influenced by the Elven Kingdom, seems to be progressing much more slowly." Roger turned his gaze toward the southern part of the map and could not help sighing.