Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Clay Dolls Have No Wings (4)
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Throughout the winter, the Yellow Dragon Light Cannon underwent numerous improvements.
Originally, it had been modified from small thrusters meant for posture control, so it inevitably had severe recoil.
There had been plenty of tearful trial-and-error here too.
The spectral art that provided the technical inspiration worked by firing spiritual power converted into a high-energy state, with no recoil at all.
If anything, it was akin to firing electromagnetic waves.
At first, the expelled spiritual power only melted the innocent stand and failed to fly.
In the end, Seoran had to add a process to convert spiritual power into particles when creating the propulsion engine.
Only then did the spiritual power gain mass, and the rocket soared into the sky thanks to the principle of action and reaction.
But now, she planned to use it as a personal firearm.
So she removed the spiritual power particle conversion mechanism.
The recoil vanished, and the Yellow Dragon Light Cannon became even sleeker.
She test-fired it at a rock.
With a click of the trigger, the target evaporated.
Firing and impact happened almost simultaneously.
The high-energy spiritual power, traveling at the speed of light, had disintegrated the target.
Watching this, Seoran suddenly thought.
No particles, so probably a wave?
Spiritual power didn't seem to need a medium...
Then, was it a type of electromagnetic wave?
Like visible light or radio waves...
What else was there among electromagnetic waves?
Ultraviolet and infrared, and...
Radiation? Was radiation an electromagnetic wave too?
Seoran jolted in shock and tossed the Yellow Dragon Light Cannon away.
High-energy, no medium, disintegration of the irradiated object.
These were traits that grew frightening when listed together.
Seoran bolted from the site.
A few days later, Seoran felt somewhat relieved.
Time had passed with no health issues.
So she returned to the test site.
On second thought, it was nonsense.
For spiritual power to suddenly produce radiation—there were limits to overreacting.
Seoran picked up the Yellow Dragon Light Cannon rolling on the ground and began modifying it again.
She stripped away the unnecessary features stuck on haphazardly.
Usually sensors or output regulators.
The Yellow Dragon Light Cannon grew lighter and lighter.
The size only needed to fit the spiritual power compressor, right?
It was a ray weapon, after all, so shorten the barrel too.
While at it, should she add a stock and sights?
Finally, the completed product was born.
It was barely worthy of being called a gun.
The mechanism most resembled a single-shot grenade launcher.
She got fed up with the yellow dragon carving and removed it entirely.
She no longer had the confidence to pass it off as puppetry anyway.
She'd just treat it as an offensive spiritual tool.
She renamed it the Photon Cannon.
The usage was incredibly simple.
First, shoulder the stock and inject high-pressure spiritual power.
Then aim at the target and pull the trigger.
The emitted beam would disintegrate the target.
Originally, like the spectral art, it should have glowed according to the spiritual power's attribute, but the modifications shifted it to non-visible light.
Tweaking it for greater destructive power had pushed it out of the visible spectrum.
A science major would ramble about wavelengths and frequencies, but unfortunately, Seoran was a liberal arts type and didn't know.
Anyway, she had developed the weapon she wanted, so she was satisfied.
That winter, an invisible, silent killing ray was born.
From the hands of a liberal arts cultivator.
*****
Seoran submitted the "Bamboo Shoot Ballistic Dolls" and "Photon Cannon" to the Armory Hall.
The weapon demonstration took place in the quarry.
First up was the Photon Cannon.
Seoran worked her fingers busily.
Click.
The barrier activated with spirit stones evaporated.
Click, click.
Mass-produced defensive spiritual tools turned to scrap in an instant.
Click, click, click.
The onlookers chanted, "Amazing, Investigator Ryu!"
A cultivator specializing in spiritual tool crafting was stunned.
From the perspective of a spiritual tool artisan who had honed rapid crafting, it was an unbelievable sight.
It was nearly creating something from nothing—a miracle.
Laymen thought rapid crafting was like a magic wand.
That's why they demanded mythical treasures with poor materials and tight deadlines.
But crafting spiritual tools obviously hinged on materials, production time, and the artisan's skill.
In that sense, what Seoran showed was indeed a miracle.
The materials were just stones lying around the quarry.
The structure was simple, so production time would be short.
And the maker had never even learned rapid crafting.
Yet it had that much power.
If mass production succeeded, it could obsolete most offensive spiritual tools and spells in the world.
The spiritual tool artisan dreamed of a new future swelling in his chest.
Unable to hold back, he asked Seoran.
"Investigator Ryu, would it be alright if I tried using it once?"
He planned to share his impressions and subtly inquire about mass production.
If she shared the technique, he'd pay any price.
The head of spiritual tool crafting had that much authority.
Seoran readily agreed.
"Of course! Here you go!"
The spiritual tool artisan mimicked Seoran's posture from earlier.
As an artisan, his eye was sharp, and it looked quite convincing.
Seoran explained from the side.
"Aim the muzzle at the target and inject spiritual power."
"Into the compressor you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes. Then pull the trigger."
The spiritual tool artisan pushed spiritual power into the compressor.
But it wouldn't go in properly.
He felt a bit puzzled.
"It's a bit tricky. Could you demonstrate again?"
Seoran nodded, took the Photon Cannon, and began injecting spiritual power.
The artisan, skilled in spirit eye arts, watched the process closely.
And reached a conclusion.
It wasn't that the spiritual tool was strong—it was that the person was strong.
If you could compress spiritual power that complexly in combat, you wouldn't need a spiritual tool.
Just cultivate diligently until you reached the Consolidation stage.
He had a premonition that a new Consolidation cultivator would soon appear in the Black Bamboo Sect.
The spiritual tool artisan comforted himself with the bright future of the sect.
Sadly, the Photon Cannon mass production plan was scrapped.
The demonstration ended with the Bamboo Shoot Ballistic Doll launch.
Afterward, the Bamboo Shoot Ballistic Dolls and Photon Cannon were added to the Black Bamboo Sect's spiritual tool registry.
The registration review was somewhat chaotic.
Because the Bamboo Shoot Ballistic Dolls had been submitted under clay dolls.
The examiner went to Seoran with the application and recommended revisions.
But Seoran wouldn't budge.
Her claim was that since it used clay in the materials and moved according to set commands, it qualified as a clay doll from a puppetry perspective.
The examiner returned and debated with colleagues.
It only had a tiny bit of clay in some parts—how was this a clay doll?
It looked like a bamboo shoot to begin with—what doll?
Dolls were shaped like people or animals, weren't they?
It was tricky, with no clear answer.
So the examiner and colleagues made the convenient choice.
They'd worry about consequences later.
In the end, the Bamboo Shoot Ballistic Dolls were classified as clay dolls.
*****
Spring came even to the mountain range with its chilly winds.
And so did the Golden Craft Sect delegation.
Geum Youngyoung, five months into Foundation Establishment, came along.
While the official delegation held their meeting, Geum Youngyoung chatted with Seoran.
More precisely, Geum Youngyoung monologued while Seoran nodded along enthusiastically.
The current topic was how she had broken through the wall last autumn to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
For reference, she had started with childhood memories from the sect.
In short, she recited her entire life story from twenty-one years of experiences.
If written as an autobiography, it would easily fill five volumes.
"Oh dear, have I talked only about myself too much?"
"No, Investigator Geum. I love listening."
Seoran had switched to casual speech with Geum Youngyoung before she knew it.
Not that she intended to, but it happened naturally.
Geum Youngyoung nodded and resumed her tale.
Training spiritual power and learning spells.
Her cultivator parents gifting her spiritual tools.
Sneaking out to see the secular world and getting caught.
Unable to bear the frustration, Geum Youngyoung threw a tantrum, rolling on the floor, and won her freedom.
Her horrified parents entered secluded cultivation after seeing their marriage-aged daughter wailing and thrashing.
She tagged along with the delegation like luggage just as they were departing, leading to the current situation.
Seoran asked.
"Does the Golden Craft Sect make you take exams for outing permits too? Is that why you snuck out?"
"Yeah, some secular world guideline or whatever? They rejected me about twelve times, then wouldn't even let me register."
Her shameless confidence was impressive.
"But why did the delegation come suddenly?"
"Oh, the logistics hub we manage jointly with Black Bamboo Sect got raided. A few hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators as fiends. We've had mobile strike teams pursuing since a few days ago. They're probably scrambling to devise countermeasures now."
Seoran just went along with it.
I see. Why didn't I know?
Wait, logistics hub?
Where have I heard that?
Thinking quietly, Seoran recalled what she had forgotten.
"Black Scale Reverse Flow Blood Snake Inner Pellet!"
"Whoa, you scared me. What's with the sudden shout?"
Geum Youngyoung asked, but Seoran had no mind to answer.
She hurriedly rummaged through the drawer for the letter.
"To Investigator Ryu.
Hi, it's Toto-seo.
Are you doing well up there too?
I sent the Black Scale Reverse Flow Blood Snake Inner Pellet and spirit stone pile through the underground passage to the logistics hub.
The cargo should arrive around spring, I think.
Your friend beyond race."
The precious cargo due in spring had vanished.
Spirit stones were one thing, but not the Black Scale Reverse Flow Blood Snake Inner Pellet.
It was now completely extinct, impossible to obtain.
"No, my Inner Pellet!"
Seoran jumped up.
It was spring.