Chapter 104: Magic Crystal Bomb

"Yes!" Mal Cullen's heart tensed as he quickly responded.

Mal Cullen was in his thirties, with a head of golden hair that made him particularly striking.Since his great-grandfather's time, members of the Cullen family had served in Idar's personal guard. For generations, they had received the favor of the Stuart family and had remained unwaveringly loyal to the Earl of Idar.Although he had remained relatively unknown with an unremarkable rank, Bruno had long been paying attention to him.In Bruno's view, Mal Cullen possessed a sharp battlefield judgment and an exceptionally strong will. Both he and his ancestors had made invaluable contributions to Idar, and Bruno had always held a favorable impression of this quiet but reliable man.The most important reason why Bruno chose Mal Cullen as the Grand Admiral of the Idar Navy was because of his absolute loyalty to Idar and his firm stance as a hardliner.With Idar's upcoming strategic expansion focused on the sea, it was only fitting to appoint someone like Mal Cullen, who took a tough stance against enemies.Initially, Mal Cullen had doubts about why the Earl had chosen him for the role. However, after hearing Bruno's words, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.Sam Layton was a master of defense, but Mal Cullen excelled in offense. The thought of leading the Idar Navy into battle against the pirates entrenched in the outer seas made his blood boil with anticipation.Before the Battle of the Grand Highlands, Idar had always followed a defensive strategy, leaving Mal Cullen feeling stifled.However, when the battle was successfully launched, and Idar seized half of Soren's territory in one swift move, Mal Cullen finally felt relieved. He had long yearned to contribute to Idar!Yet, the standing army had always been firmly controlled by Sam Layton, and the newly established Idar Intelligence Bureau had been entrusted to Krell and the army's deputy commander Borimir Braun. Now, he finally had the opportunity to make a name for himself as Grand Admiral of the Idar Navy!"The sea will be the key to Idar's future expansion. That means the burden on your shoulders is heavy. However, you're not particularly experienced in naval warfare, so whenever you have the chance, learn from Captain Jack. I don't want Idar's first naval battle ending with us being driven back to land." Bruno patted him on the shoulder, speaking with great seriousness."I understand! I will study hard and train a formidable Idar Navy for you, my lord!" Mal Cullen promised with excitement."Do your best!" Bruno said, waving his hand as he walked away.Mal Cullen watched Bruno's figure disappear into the distance, clenching his fists. To build the Idar that his lord envisioned, to live up to the Earl's expectations, he Mal Cullen would give his all!

...

The first batch of magic crystal bombs had been successfully manufactured.

When this news arrived from the Idar Magic Array Research Laboratory in the Armis Mountains, Bruno was so excited that he nearly jumped up in joy!

This was truly… a cause for celebration!

With magic crystal bombs in its arsenal, Idar had essentially kicked open the door to the era of firearms though it hadn't fully stepped through yet, it was already on the threshold.

The success of the magic crystal bomb filled Bruno with an excitement comparable to the sense of achievement he felt when completing a grand construction project.

In his past life, when playing Civilization, his favorite strategy was to peacefully develop as Qin Shi Huang, then crush invaders with technological superiority and advanced weaponry. He relished using technology to utterly overwhelm his enemies.

Likewise, when playing Europa Universalis, he followed the same approach if he ever fell behind in technology, he would simply open the console and type "adm," "dip," "mil," "cash" cheat codes to the rescue!

Even as an average gamer, Bruno's technical finesse allowed him to dominate the world through superior tactics.

As the saying goes: "I have guns, you have grain your land is now my granary."

Right now, Idar didn't have guns yet, but it had plentiful grain and devastating explosives. No matter how the war in the North unfolded, at least they now had a means of self-defense!

And the magic crystal bomb was the key to that confidence!

The moment Bruno received the news, he immediately grabbed Old Ford and Lister, then dashed toward the Armis Mountains without a moment's hesitation.

At present, the Idar Magic Array Research Laboratory was the most heavily guarded location in Idar, even surpassing the lord's castle and the standing army's barracks.

Even the Idar soldiers stationed there had no idea what lay hidden within the dense forest they were guarding.

As soon as Bruno pushed open the laboratory doors, he saw Arnel practically dancing with excitement, Watson standing in a daze, and a group of mage apprentices with expressions ranging from shock to solemnity.

"My lord! We did it!" Arnel shouted excitedly upon seeing Bruno.

Before Bruno could respond, Arnel continued eagerly:

"Following your guidance, we experimented with the stability of various materials and conducted trials using heat arrays, temperature control arrays, and compression arrays. Since magic crystals can store large amounts of magical energy, we attempted to compress magic far beyond their normal capacity. Then, using a traction array, we induced chaotic magical fluctuations inside the crystals, and from there"

Arnel went on enthusiastically, while Bruno listened intently.

The principle behind the magic crystal bomb was actually quite simple. By compressing an immense amount of magical energy far exceeding the crystal's natural limit into a magic crystal, then deliberately destabilizing the layered compression arrays, an unstable magical reaction was triggered. This caused a massive surge of uncontrolled magic to overflow in an instant, resulting in an explosion and generating a localized magic storm.

A magic storm!

For both mages and ordinary people, magic storms were catastrophic and unforgettable disasters.

Since magic was a real force in this world, magic storms were a natural phenomenon that already existed on the continent. Every year, countless people perished due to sudden and unpredictable magic storms.

Yet, in this remote frontier laboratory, a group of nine ordinary mage apprentices, despite their meager magical abilities, had managed to replicate this fearsome force through sheer research and experimentation!