Chapter Fifty-Seven: Preliminary Control (Please Recommend and Bookmark!)

In the command center of the warship, an adjutant approached Sico and said, “Commander, the equipment has been calibrated and can be activated at any time. Also, you’ve prepared your report, I presume?”

Each activation of the World Membrane Penetration Device consumed special resources, and Sico needed a sufficiently valid reason to justify its use. The adjutant was simply fulfilling his duty to remind him.

“Let’s begin. Start at ten percent power and increase it gradually,” Sico commanded.

The adjutant opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately said nothing. This approach would consume even more resources—clearly, Sico’s report would be considerably thicker.

“The World Membrane Penetration Device is preheated. Initiating startup…”

“Ten percent… operational…”

“Fifteen percent… operational…”

“Twenty percent… operational…”

“Twenty-five percent… operational…”

“Twenty-seven percent… anomaly detected… spatial fluctuation under analysis…”

“Analysis complete… beginning matching…”

“Secret Realm matching rate… 3.9%… Subsidiary micro-world matching rate… 16.5%… Inter-world matching rate… 67.3%… Virtual Realm matching rate…”

Sico studied the data, puzzled. “Inter-world matching rate is only sixty-seven-point-three percent? What’s going on?!”

Moritz was equally perplexed. “Worlds have fixed trajectory patterns—either they exist or they don’t, and if they do, the matching rate should never fall below eighty percent. Could it be a similar space?”

“Wait, I think I’ve heard of this scenario before…” Sico’s intelligent core whirred furiously, pulling up previous data. “Contamination? The world’s heart has been polluted by external forces?!”

“Contamination?!” Moritz had never heard the term.

“One of the properties of a world’s heart is its purity. We arcanists, once we gain control over it through various methods, can influence the world’s heart to affect the entire world. We call this—Mastery.”

Moritz pondered, now grasping Sico’s meaning.

“If the world’s heart is influenced by non-arcanists or some unknown artifact, the old scholars call this—contamination.”

“Hmph, that’s quite domineering!”

“Considering the history of this world, the chance it’s been affected by an unknown artifact is high. Now, if only I knew what kind of artifact it is… Looks like my luck has returned.”

“……”

“Matching complete… Beginning separation of spatial barriers…”

“Power increase… separation in progress…”

The World Membrane Penetration Device emitted a brighter radiance, and space itself unfolded like a book, each page turned in succession.

By now, both men had left the command center and stood before the separated space, ready to intercept any potential escapees.

Wild spatial energy swept past, yet it merely ruffled the edges of their garments.

As yet another layer was peeled back, Sico’s search device suddenly sounded.

“Beep beep… World Transmission Bracelet detected… Connecting… Connection established… Confirming wearer… Silver Tower Academy, Lando… Status analysis in progress… Unable to analyze… Unable to analyze…”

They exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and amusement.

Moritz said, “Perhaps we should shut it down for now?”

Sico was silent.

The adjutant in the command center received Sico’s order and executed it without hesitation, sighing inwardly—his commander’s report would be even thicker.

“Someone just said, ‘If that fledgling arcanist, who hasn’t even finished constructing his arcane furnace, manages to obtain the world’s heart, I’ll… eat this warship?’”

“I never said that—at least, I didn’t say ‘eat it’!”

“Hmph, you can’t handle losing!”

With a thunderous crash, Sico’s form suddenly expanded, transforming in an instant into a metallic giant a hundred meters tall, radiating a dark silver glow. His body was etched with strange patterns, molten lava seeming to flow within them, exuding a presence that made the very space tremble.

The giant squatted down, bringing his face close to Moritz and boomed, “Just so you know, it’s not that I can’t handle losing—it’s that I can’t afford it!”

And with that, the metallic giant instantly shrank, reverting to Sico’s original form.

Moritz clicked his tongue. “Impressive, you really hid it well. Sico, your titanium body’s carrying capacity must exceed one hundred thirty percent now!”

Sico curled his lip with a smug air, apparently indifferent to Moritz’s praise.

“Now… all we can do is wait.”

“Yes, there’s nothing else. No one can help him now.”

……

Dim and hazy, chaotic and confused.

Lando awoke suddenly from his slumber. The last memory before losing consciousness was his leap forward to touch the world’s heart.

He surveyed his surroundings—a space of pure white, yet not dazzling or harsh.

“So this is the interior of the world’s heart? Does that mean I succeeded?!”

Without hesitation, Lando began to concentrate his spirit, intent on leaving his imprint of will in this space.

This wouldn’t grant him mastery over the world’s heart; in fact, with his current strength, it was impossible. But an imprint of will would allow him to enter and exit this place freely.

Once he reached the third stage of arcanist, he could use this advantage to directly master the world. Though he didn’t yet understand the precise benefits, he could guess he’d struck it rich this time.

After some time, he opened his eyes and gazed at the small floating orb before him. Lando nodded in satisfaction, letting it slowly disappear into the space, while a deep connection formed in his perception.

He couldn’t yet influence the world through this connection, but at least he could sense what was happening outside.

He focused his mind, thoughts expanding outward.

Instantly, he saw Moritz conversing with a middle-aged arcanist; both seemed to sense something, turning in unison toward his direction.

Moritz’s lips curled in a slight smile, and he waved at Lando.

Lando blinked, extending his awareness outward, and saw the shattered city, a world ravaged and scarred.

In Heckel, Umut directed the rescue operations with calm precision.

In a remote village, an eccentric old man guarded a cemetery.

To the west of the Kingdom of the Earth, Hannah sat in the lord’s chair, poised and elegant, with Jamie and Little Dick below her, surrounded by more followers.

……

Returning to himself, Lando marveled at his newfound abilities—not only could he observe the entire world, but he could teleport anywhere within it at will.

Knowing that Moritz awaited him outside, he didn’t continue experimenting, but instead began to explore the space. He sensed the presence of something radiating a black-red glow nearby.

Without much effort, Lando soon found an odd artifact—a broken suit of armor. Just looking at the patterns on its surface made him dizzy; it was the source of the black-red radiance.

The moment he saw it, his internal system shook violently—a feeling both repulsive and enticing.