OBS Chapter 3958 [Magic Eye Club]
Chapter 3958 [Magic Eye Club]
Chapter 3958 [Magic Eye Club]
The shop apprentices had already left again, and Mr. Finch then got down to business with Shad:
"I don't have the [active metal] you mentioned yesterday in stock, but I contacted a few old friends and you're lucky, someone in the area actually has it. I'm going to the 'Strange Machine Tower' in the Upper City right now, you can come with me."
Yesterday, Mr. Finch introduced "The Tower of Wonders," a shop run by several local inventors and factory owners. Like the gear workshop in the outer city, it specializes in selling unusual mechanical creations.
However, the "Miracle Tower" in the upper city is doing very well. It attracts wealthy nobles with money to burn by using "handmade mechanical inventions" as a gimmick. Some of its products can even be auctioned at the Cassandra Auction House. No noble in Carsenrick would mind keeping a mechanical invention sold by the "Miracle Tower" in their home.
It's not that they actually like those strange and unusual things; it's just that, like those who are pretentious, they need such devices to show that they are keeping up with the times.
Mr. Finch arranged for a factory carriage to take the two to the Upper Town. On the way, the old gentleman spoke to Shad about the [active metal].
Among the other inventors who co-founded "The Tower of Wonders" with him, several also had backgrounds as ring sorcerers, so they had always gotten along very well. This relic was provided by a friend who co-founded "The Tower of Wonders" with him, but the friend did not explain the current status of the relic or how to sell it, so everything had to be negotiated by Shad.
"Could you reveal the organization they belong to? I'm not trying to pry into their privacy, but they're not from the [Church of Creation], are they?"
Shad was a little worried, while Mr. Finch laughed:
"Don't worry, this isn't a sting operation by the Church. Although the Vatican is right there, there are quite a few neutral ring sorcerer organizations in the area, and most of them are members of the 'Candlecastle Society'."
The three largest organizations are the Jade Alchemy Association, the Apuna Library, and the Magic Eye Club. Other smaller organizations are mostly like research societies or academic societies, where local ring mages reside for the academic atmosphere. My friend comes from the Apuna Library; although their reputation was tarnished by events a few years ago, he's a very good person.
Of the three ring sorcerer organizations mentioned by Mr. Finch, Shad was already quite familiar with the first two.
The Alchemy Guild is connected to Vigo. The Apuna Library is not only the behind-the-scenes manager of Tobesk's "Black Raven Library," but also collaborated with the Truth Society and the Pantanal Voodoo Society in the events surrounding the Chosen Ones of Knowledge and Wisdom, in order to obtain information from the "Library of All Knowledge."
This incident resulted in severe punishment for the Apuna Library from the Church. Although they received the answer, it was merely a riddle known only to Shad: "the departing third of the moon." As for the Magic Eye Club...
"Mr. Finch, I've learned from local friends that the [Magic Eye Club] is currently the most enthusiastic organization in the material world for containing 'Magic Eyes'. Their research and understanding of Magic Eyes even surpasses that of the professors at the three major academies. Because they only contain them and have provided the church with a lot of useful information, the [Church of Creation] has tacitly allowed them to operate locally. Are you familiar with their background?"
Viggo only knew that they bought back any kind of magic eyes at high prices. Although the headquarters of the Magic Eye Club was in the local area, their activities covered the entire world, and witches had very little contact with them.
Old Mr. Finch did indeed know some things, and he didn't mind sharing them with this young man connected to the monastery:
"Their history in the Sixth Era is not long, but the core group that makes up the club is actually quite remarkable. They have been passed down from the Mythical Era to the present day. Although the name of the organization has changed, they are much older than the other two organizations I just mentioned."
Seeing that Xia De was slightly surprised, the old man smiled and asked:
"Let me test you. Do you know what the holy symbol of that ancient creator god looks like?"
Shad immediately recalled that when he and Daniste saw the message left by Lady Carter in the Silvermoon Library a few months ago, the holy symbol had appeared before his eyes:
"The main feature is golden eyes."
"Yes, in ancient creation beliefs, the 'eye' is of paramount importance to the creation of flesh and blood. Believers of the ancient gods even believed that having eyes was the most fundamental characteristic of whether a flesh and blood creation could be called 'life.' They also believed that the eye is the most important organ in the act of 'creation,' so in mysticism, the symbol of the 'eye' has extraordinary significance in the realm of creation."
The Secret Order believes that the core members of the "Eye of the Demon Club" are a branch of the ancient god's followers who have been passed down from the mythical era. The "Church of Creation" has an inexplicable connection with the ancient gods, and I believe this is why the church allows the club to exist locally.
Viggo hadn't mentioned these things; Mr. Finch was indeed very knowledgeable. Seeing Shad's humble and eager-to-learn demeanor, the elderly gentleman, in a good mood, shared some more interesting anecdotes:
"The Demon Eye is the most dangerous type of relic, since it only works when it is installed on a person. Therefore, the danger of using Demon Eye-type relics is greater than that of most other relics."
Furthermore, the Magic Eye isn't something anyone can use, nor is it like a standard bolt that can be easily inserted and removed. There's a concept of adaptability involved. The Serxus Higher Medical College has published several excellent papers discussing the relationship between Magic Eye adaptability and the Ring Sorcerer's constitution. And the [Magic Eye Club] possesses technology that can increase a Ring Sorcerer's Magic Eye adaptability.
They even possess the technology to make the Demon Eye work outside the human body.
Shad was very interested:
"How can eyes function outside the human body? By using alchemy to replicate the structure of a human head?"
"Of course not, I've only seen it once. They possess a peculiar secret technique that allows them to embed the Mystic Eye into machinery, both to contain it and to activate its power to a minimum. This method of use is very safe."
As Mr. Finch spoke, Shad blinked, and the things that the halfling witch Linole Bredvy had done suddenly appeared before his eyes (Chapter 3937).
"Hmm, is this kind of magical technology only mastered by followers of the ancient gods? I always thought that the Demon Eye had to be on the body to work, or at least in a place like the palm of the hand if not in the eye socket."
Mr. Finch was quite certain:
"Our secret order has a very ancient lineage, and I'm certain that this is a secret technique passed down by a branch of those ancient god believers. Moreover, this secret technique is very likely to have evolved from divine arts, and even if others come into contact with it, they could never master it without the corresponding faith."
After all, no matter how magical the 'Demon Eye' is, it still possesses a neural structure. It's not connected to the physical body; to contain and activate it solely through mechanical creation is beyond the capabilities of ordinary technology.
Shad tried hard not to frown, which made the halfling witch seem rather problematic. Although being a believer in an ancient god wasn't illegal, the appearance of an ancient creator's follower in a strange place like the "Bloodstained Factory," a place associated with evil gods of creation, without the other party stating this, was certainly no coincidence.
"Was it really just a coincidence that she entered the Bloodstained Factory? Didn't Mrs. Gustav from the [Church of Creation] realize her identity? Mrs. Gustav was indeed using the divine magic of the Church of the True God."
What was initially thought to be a straightforward time-travel adventure has suddenly been marred by a shadow that Shad hadn't noticed before. And the [Active Metal] that Shad is currently trying to obtain is precisely what the halfling witch desires.
The carriage traveled uphill from the outer city, passing through the lower city and arriving at the upper city. Along the way, Shad shared his views on mechanical creation with old Mr. Finch, envisioning what a highly automated factory might look like. Mr. Finch was quite pleased that Shad had thought of so much, but he wasn't entirely in favor of a truly "unmanned factory":
“We also need to consider the livelihoods of the workers. Moreover, in my opinion, highly automated mechanical creation that does not require human intervention is very dangerous. Even ancient sorcerers and witches knew that when designing automated golems, they had to remember to guard against the dangerous behaviors they might take. I personally am very opposed to highly intelligent and automated mechanical devices.”
Shad also had his own views on the topic of artificial intelligence. He and Mr. Finch had such a pleasant conversation that when the carriage stopped, both of them felt a sense of wanting more.
“We can talk again when we have time. Old John said you are a very insightful young man, and that’s a really good compliment.”
The "Miracle Tower" is located in the middle of the Upper City, at a slightly lower elevation than Vigo's "Fragrance Mansion". However, unlike the Fragrance Mansion, which is situated on a solitary cliff, the "Miracle Tower" is located almost to the east of the central square of the Upper City.
The square is called "Scholars' Square," and its name reflects its status as a "city of scholars." It's probably the most bustling area in the city, with people coming and going. Young inventors showcase their creations to attract investment, while groups of local students in different uniforms chat and laugh as they pass by. Even local nobles riding in carriages glance out, proud to be part of the city of scholars.
And the "Miracle Tower" really is a tower. On the way here, Mr. Finch said that this tower was originally a royal asset located in the center of the kingdom's capital during the time of Delineor. In the final stage of the city's battle, it became a fortress for the last resistance fighters, causing great trouble for the southern army at the time.