Chapter 234: From Armor to Gundam, Nicola Mei’s Money-Making Magic

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The top priority, of course, is looking cool!

Strength depends on the version, but looking cool is a lifelong pursuit.

The magical world is evolving so quickly that, who knows, one day Animagus 4.0, 5.0, or even 6.0 could be released. And since this isn't a game where you can simply update with a patch, staying on top of version upgrades is essential. In this world of constant development, accumulating experience becomes incredibly important.

Harry had never considered competing with the masters of Transfiguration to learn the latest version of Animagus. After all, the latest version might be the one they've just launched. As a latecomer in the magical world, Harry knew well that in a field like this, which demands years of experience, he had a long way to go. Though his solid foundational skills allowed him to defeat stronger opponents, such arrogance could very well earn him a one-way ticket straight to Hell.

But looking cool is different. Setting aside distorted aesthetics like the "effeminate young boy" or "cute innocent look," looking cool in a way that appeals to the masses can still earn recognition even long after its peak. Classic—this was the kind of cool Harry was striving for.

With sharp, defined lines and bold angles, Harry decided to set the main color of his design to an innocent, snowflake-like white. A few silver and sky-blue accents symbolized his Thunderstorm Dragon. Thor, the little guy, had grown sturdier, and his development had never failed to impress Harry.

"But wouldn't this look a little too thin? I'm a generous, kind person—adding ten more centimeters of armor thickness should be no problem, right? After all, the thickest armor is the best. When someone tries to land the most vicious blow on me, hey, I can just teleport and drop down on their head with a mountain of force, followed by a full-on attack."

"A big butt to sit on that bastard, solid as a mountain—that's the true man's choice. Oh, wait, I can't make it too heavy... What if I do a second transformation? After all, Nicola Mei is so skilled, surely this little issue is no problem."

"Boom~"

A sharp blow to the head left Harry's brain buzzing. He didn't realize when Nicola Mei had come up behind him, but now the alchemist was narrowing his eyes, staring at him intently.

"I'm an alchemist, not a wish-granting machine. Alchemical armor is only meant to assist with the second phase of Animagus transformation. What's the point of all these fancy details?"

"But isn't the Philosopher's Stone just a wish-granting tool?"

Before Harry could finish his sentence, he quickly darted to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike from Nicola Mei's wand. The alchemist's lips seemed to curl into a mocking, almost sympathetic sneer.

"Forget it, forget it. Keep it simple. What do you think of my design? All hand-drawn with pure talent—I've never attended any art classes."

"Even a gorilla's doodle in kindergarten is better than this," Nicola Mei retorted.

"When did gorillas go to kindergarten?!" Harry shuddered, wondering if this world had its own version of Planet of the Apes.

"I'm just saying your drawing's ugly, nothing else."

"Tch~" Harry rolled his eyes, tossing the pen aside. "You're so stingy, always causing trouble."

With a quick twist, Harry dodged the small stick Nicola Mei had thrown at him, then patted his rear and made a quick exit. He wasn't afraid of Nicola Mei making an ugly alchemical suit for him—if that happened, Harry would wear it every day and write "Nicola Mei's Masterpiece" on all sides, ensuring that the advertisement would become world-famous.

"By the way, I've got a piece of Demon God leather here—can you work with that?"

A deathly stare locked onto Harry's face.

"I'm just worried there won't be enough material. I'm big and thick; if the material runs out and you end up making me a paper-thin suit, or one that leaves half my butt exposed, that would be super awkward, right?"

"Fine," Nicola Mei agreed with a nod. "But it'll cost more."

"You, the richest person in the world, are still worried about this little bit of stuff? A few scraps like this aren't even enough for you to have a cup of tea, right?"

"Talking about money is so unfeeling. How about I give you two pounds of physical Thunder Element? Don't think it's easy to make; it's a hassle. If I don't do anything all day, I can only get a tiny bit."

"Do I look like I need that?" Nicola Mei's lips curled into a subtle, almost fox-like smile. "I'm talking about the Demon God leather—whatever you process, give me 20%. I'll provide the magical alloy for fusion. As for your alchemical armor, I'll design it carefully to make sure you're satisfied."

"A full-coverage powered exoskeleton, with dual forms. The second phase of Animagus isn't fixed, so upgrades to the alchemical armor will affect its appearance. For the standard form, I'll design it so it's pretty similar to other wizards' second-phase Animagus transformations. For the second combat form, I'll add more weapons, ensuring your wand gets the best possible performance during transformation. You've got two guns, so both your left and right hands can get their own setups."

"You're focusing on single-shot power with black ebony, and suppression fire with white ivory, right?"

Nicola Mei quickly sketched some designs on the paper. "The left arm will carry a foldable heavy tower shield. No one will expect that underneath the heavy shield is a deadly gun barrel. The right arm will use a composite weapon system that can quickly switch between close and long-range modes. You like close combat, right? How about a lance? You still have that Thunderstorm Dragon, don't you?"

In just over a minute, Nicola Mei had drawn a cavalry figure riding on the back of a dragon, but this armored rider looked like someone you'd never want to mess with. The enormous shield, when not in use, could fold into a medium-sized arm shield. The right hand's lance could quickly transform into a wrist-mounted machine gun.

Harry stared at the design for a moment, then lifted his head to look at Nicola Mei. Frowning, he said, "A person as open and righteous as me would never resort to hiding guns in shields. Mount it on my shoulder; everything needs to be visible!"

"The right-hand lance is fine. With the white ivory upgrade, it's bound to be a multi-barrel rapid-fire machine gun—its eternal goal will be barrages. How about changing it into a revolving wrist cannon? The black ebony cannon mount on the shoulder could be made foldable to avoid interfering with mobility."

"By the way, I've also got this item here—leave a slot in the shield for an inlay. A righteous knight doesn't hide guns in shields, but embedding a Resurrection Stone in there would be perfect. Oh, and while you're at it, could you help develop some additional functions for the Resurrection Stone? It's also a part from the Demon God, the most valuable magic core. I'm running low on blue mana; can you make a magic energy battery out of it?"

Harry, who had become completely captivated by the fascinating alchemical armor, immediately began discussing his ideas with Nicola Mei. If you had to ask what had drawn him in, there was no hesitation in the answer: Gundam. Nicola Mei had actually drawn him an incredibly cool Gundam-like design! It wasn't just any armor—it was an exoskeleton mech, the ultimate in stylish gear.

As someone who owned a whole army of alchemical soldiers and was passionate about magical mechanics, Nicola Mei's expertise in this field was unsurprising. For all anyone knew, he might have already created a genuine magical Gundam long ago.

The rough design sketches quickly evolved through numerous heated debates and arguments between the two of them. The discussions finally came to an end when Harry's stomach let out a loud growl, signaling the long-awaited break.

"Alright, it's settled," Nicola Mei said, putting away the design papers as he led Harry toward the door. "In three months, you'll have what you want."

"Three months? Aren't you an alchemy master? Shouldn't it be a case of drawing the plans today, having the finished product by tomorrow, and making final adjustments the day after?" Harry protested.

"Do you think this is just some action figure?" Nicola Mei snapped back. With a quick motion, he slapped Harry on the back of the head—no wand in hand.

"The alchemical matrix engraving and testing alone will take over a month. I also need to study and modify your Resurrection Stone, and test the new properties of the magical alloys and Demon God leather fusion. Do you think this is something that can be done easily?"

"If it were anyone else, even if they had the skills to process your materials, you'd be looking at six months to a year before you could even dream of seeing a finished product. Only I can do this in three months. Don't rush me."

Curious, Harry asked, "How long would it take you to make a normal alchemical suit?"

"Ten minutes to half an hour." Nicola Mei gestured toward the steel factory outside the window. "Once the alchemical matrix is debugged and activated, the rest is all assembly line work."

"This is one of the most profitable businesses in the world—selling military weapons."

"You don't think I'm some fool who turns stones into gold with the Philosopher's Stone, do you? What's wrong with you? A heavy alchemical suit is worth more than gold. To mess with your stuff, I'll have to outsource some orders—at least cutting into my profits by this much."

He held up a finger, shaking it in front of Harry, but Harry couldn't tell if he meant a hundred thousand or a million.

"Smell that, old man? It's so good!" Harry ignored Nicola Mei's complaints and sprinted down the stairs, jumping over the railing to the first floor. Following the irresistible scent, he quickly found himself standing in the open kitchen area of the dining room, where Mrs. Le Mei and Furong were laughing together as they arranged kitchenware. The delicious aroma was coming from a large pot, steaming with a cover on it.

"When's dinner, when's dinner?" Harry asked, his stomach growling loudly. His desperate look made both women chuckle in unison.

"Here, we've just made some macarons and mille-feuille cake. You can have these to tide you over." Furong offered a tray with some delicate pastries.

"But I want the real meal!" Harry protested, almost taking the tray, but his eyes froze as he looked at Furong.

Earlier, when she had arrived, Furong had been fully wrapped up—hooded, gloved, masked, and draped in a large cloak. The only thing visible were her lively eyes, and she had been shrouded in mystery.

Now, her silver-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she had replaced the heavy cloak with a light, beige knit sweater. Although it was a little out of season compared to May, it was still a hundred times better than the heavy cloak.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Harry couldn't help but sigh.

"Do you think so?" Furong replied with a mischievous grin, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons.

"Has Madam taken care of the issue for you?" Harry asked, smiling.

"You'll have to guess~" Furong teased playfully.

(End of Chapter)