Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 695: Technological Challenges II

CH695 Technological Challenges II

***

As the leader of his group and an Artisan himself, Alex was naturally burdened with numerous other duties.

It was simply unrealistic to expect him to personally engrave runes onto every single bolt, even if he had no other work.

Furthermore, directly empowering the weapons themselves was an equally daunting task. The existing crossbow designs had already been honed to their peak practical effectiveness.

Any further advancements, even with the aid of runes, would necessitate more sophisticated techniques and considerably more laborious crafting.

In contrast, enhancing the firing rate presented a much more attainable goal, particularly since there remained substantial scope for improvement in that specific aspect.

In reality, alternative methods also existed to bolster the weapon's offensive power. Although Sugud had refined the bolts to what he deemed their ultimate form—considering factors like weight, balance, rigidity, head design, and material density—further progress in bolt shape and aerodynamic efficiency was still possible.

The crux of the matter was that achieving advancements beyond the present design in these areas would demand facilities far more advanced than what he currently possessed.

In essence, many of the limitations Sugud encountered could be entirely surmounted if he merely had access to superior equipment, infrastructure, and resources.

When he stated that the current iteration of the weapon had reached its limits, he was not referring to the boundaries of his skill as an Artisan. Instead, he meant the constraints imposed by his available circumstances and assets.

’If we manage to claim our own territory—or establish a reliable conduit back to Pangea—most of these issues would resolve themselves,’ Alex pondered internally.

Another conceivable avenue for progression was the shift towards projectile weapons.

Alex had long harbored the conviction that introducing firearms, cannons, missiles, and similar armaments from his previous existence—especially when fused with magical technology—would represent a monumental turning point.

To his considerable astonishment upon transmigrating to this world, Alex discovered that the civilizations here had largely eschewed the development of projectile weapons, despite already possessing the essential component: gunpowder.

Naturally, it was not termed gunpowder in this realm. However, a comparable explosive powder did exist and was commonly utilized in—of all things—festival firecrackers. Crafting a functional firearm prototype would not, in fact, require excessive exertion. Yet, these civilizations had never seriously explored such a path.

Through his investigations, Alex eventually understood that the underlying cause stemmed from a fundamental divergence in outlook.

Humanity in his prior life had developed projectile weapons primarily to offset their inherent physical frailties. Conversely, within a magical milieu like this one, cultivation and ascension enabled individuals to surmount those very weaknesses through personal might.

In such a societal structure, a weapon system heavily reliant on expendable ammunition was, by its nature, regarded with disdain, deemed an inefficient squandering of precious assets.

This was particularly true as progressively rarer and more valuable materials would inevitably be required to escalate the destructive capacity of those weapons across the higher echelons of power.

’Indeed, it would not be inaccurate to label projectile weapons a colossal waste of resources,’ Alex mused inwardly. ’A tremendously potent waste... but a waste nonetheless.’

Alex was aware that he could not abruptly alter the prevailing mindset of this world's inhabitants. Consequently, he had deliberately opted to commence with a more gentle strategy in the form of crossbows. At the very least, bolts could frequently be retrieved and repurposed, contingent upon the extent of damage incurred.

His aspiration was that once individuals around him grew accustomed to projectile-based armaments, it would become significantly simpler for them to eventually embrace the resource-intensive—or outright wasteful—essence of true projectile weapons.

Originally, Alex had anticipated introducing the novel weapon system only after they had fully attained the developmental zenith of crossbow-centric warfare... much like the juncture they were currently approaching. However, circumstances made it evident that the opportune moment had yet to arrive.

’The production of projectile weapons is an exceptionally resource-demanding undertaking. More precisely, it necessitates a substantial industrial backbone—or the complete industrialization of an entire territory—to appropriately sustain it,’ Alex reflected.

Ultimately, it all reverted to the same obstacle preventing Sugud from advancing the crossbows further without recourse to Rune-Tech: such systems demanded stringent manufacturing conditions, advanced infrastructure, and an unending influx of massive resources to maintain their viability.

Alex inwardly shook his head, attempting to dismiss the stray thoughts.

His focus returned to Sugud.

"Do you already have a framework for how you want the runes to function? Once I understand the mechanism, I can determine what runes will be necessary," Alex inquired.

"It’s all here," Sugud responded without hesitation.

Immediately, he presented a sheet of paper outlining his desired specifications.

Alex briefly reviewed the document, offering a slight nod of acknowledgment.

The functions Sugud required were, in fact, quite standard. Truthfully, any Runesmith worthy of their title should have been capable of handling such inscriptions.

The sole reason this task had become so complicated was the inherent difficulty of making runes work naturally within Verdantis.

A sigh threatened to escape Alex again.

The limitation of Rune-Tech—the fact that he was currently the only one who could utilize it—was proving to be an increasingly significant bottleneck.

’I wonder if there’s a way to allow others to use Rune-Tech without them having to walk the same path as me...’ he contemplated internally.

"How is the progress on producing the additional crossbows we’ll need to equip all our forces with the newer iterations?" Alex inquired.

Sugud sheepishly scratched his chin.

"I am still trying to formulate a workable solution. As you already know, the number of crossbows we need is far beyond what I can personally produce alone. I have been searching for a method to streamline the manufacturing process, but I am hesitant to involve outside craftsmen due to concerns regarding secrecy and security."

Alex simply nodded, offering no further comment.

With Sugud's report concluded, he shifted his attention to Eleanore.

"With the exception of their Guild Master, Saul Redwald, treatment for all BattleBane members has been completed successfully. They now all possess a clean bill of health," Eleanore reported.

Alex's eyebrow twitched, puzzled as to why she was relaying this information to him, given his direct involvement in the treatments.

Fortunately, Eleanore did not leave him in suspense for long.

"I have developed a preliminary plan to treat Berserk Humans using a similar combination of spell, potion, and formation therapy," she explained.

"From observing the BattleBanes’ treatment, I realized that combining multiple therapeutic methods significantly reduces the strain placed upon the patient’s body.

"In the case of Berserk Humans, the situation will be far more severe since the infection affects their entire body. The physical burden will be considerably greater than what the BattleBanes endured. Because of that, I believe it would be far wiser to employ a layered combination therapy rather than rely solely on a single potion-based treatment."

"You want my help with the formation, don’t you?" Alex asked directly.

"Yes and no," Eleanore replied. "I would certainly appreciate it if you could modify the treatment formation we used for the BattleBanes so that it better aligns with the more extensive therapy Berserk Humans will require... however, it is not absolutely necessary. If needed, I can still use the existing formation as it is.

"What I truly need assistance with is the potion refinement process itself. The batch-processing capability of your pill alchemy method would make handling the medicinal side of the treatment vastly easier."

"So instead of refining the medicine yourself, you intend to pass the work to me?" Alex inquired, raising an eyebrow.