Chương 179: The Magic Blast Furnace is Set

After finalizing the plan with Sharp to hijack a new airship, Li Qinwu returned immediately to the Supreme Commander's Residence to grant an audience to the long-waiting envoys from the Magic Society. The envoy opened negotiations by offering 4, 000 mana cores for the release of Sharp and the thirty-plus airship crew members, alongside an additional 120, 000 mana cores to ransom the downed vessel itself. Li Qinwu firmly shut down any possibility of returning the airship.

As for releasing the crew, he made his stance plain: the offer was too low, and they needed to pay up. After a tedious round of haggling, the ransom for the airship crew was settled at 6, 000 mana cores. The envoy paid the sum on the spot, and Li Qinwu promptly handed over Sharp and his crew. However, the envoy refused to drop the subject of the airship.

"Chieftain of the Goblins, are you truly unwilling to return the airship to us?" the envoy asked, sitting behind a rough wooden desk in the reception room, looking at Li Qinwu with deep confusion.

"That vessel is the life's work of a Master Airship Engineer in our Society. If I return without his 'child,' he is bound to go flying into a rage!

"Besides, what use is a downed airship in your hands? We've already taken the pilots. Why not grant it its freedom?" Li Qinwu curled his lips into a meaningful smile.

"That airship was shot down by my forces; it is heavily damaged and incapable of taking flight. For your side to fly it back, you would need to send a large contingent of mages into our territory to conduct repairs.

"The Union of Intelligent Species will not permit large groups of your mages to cross our borders! This is a matter of national security!

"Furthermore, an airborne weapon like an airship poses a severe threat to our airspace. Given that our factions are in an active state of war, I cannot simply hand back such a weapon to bolster your aerial fleet. Therefore, consider the matter of the airship closed!" Li Qinwu's response was a deliberate smokescreen. He simply didn't want the Society knowing his forces were already operating the vessel, framing his refusal entirely as a security measure. The envoy let out a heavy sigh.

"How unfortunate... In that case, Chieftain of the Goblins, I fear you and your..." He paused briefly, "... nation will have to endure the wrath of that Master Airship Engineer. After all, every airship master views their creations as their own children." Li Qinwu gave a casual shrug.

"Is that so? Then your Society had better start gathering mana cores to ransom that Airship Master as well. Anyone who actively provokes the Alliance will have to pay a massive price to buy their life back!" The envoy frowned, deeply irritated by Li Qinwu's brazen attitude, but refrained from making overt threats. He was, after all, sitting in the heart of monster territory and needed to watch his step. Rising from his seat, he offered a formal bow and turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, Li Qinwu called out to him.

"There's a shop just west of Citizen Square with a large stock of ebony wood over a century old. Bring enough mana cores, and you'll find what you're looking for there." The envoy snapped his head back, staring at Li Qinwu in absolute shock. Li Qinwu merely waved his hand, dismissing him to go check for himself. To a mage, a staff was their second life, and wands or staves crafted from ancient ebony were exceptionally rare and precious.

The human realm maintained specialized plantations for ebony, but these trees were typically harvested after only 5 to 10 years of growth. Wands made from such young wood were inferior, often burning out after two or three years due to the strain of channeling raw magic. Staves made from 50-year-old ebony were preferred by veteran mages, while ebony over a century old was reserved strictly for Archmages and High Mages. Watching the envoy rush out the door in a frenzy, Li Qinwu let out a soft laugh.

The envoy's entourage had brought 120, 000 mana cores intended to buy back the airship; since the vessel wasn't for sale, Li Qinwu was going to make sure those cores stayed behind anyway! The Demonic Beast Forest was an untapped treasure trove filled with ancient ebony trees, almost all well over a century old. Ever since Li Qinwu had sent Master Jin Lanbo to identify valuable timber, his scouts had logged vast stands of wild ebony—even discovering a dense forest made entirely of the precious wood.

Li Qinwu had ordered a select number of century-old trees harvested and processed while placing younger stands under strict environmental protection. He had even instructed his gathering teams to collect ebony seeds, planning to cultivate managed plantations for future trade. With the Magic Society's representative dealt with, it was time for the main event: the ransom negotiations for the Purity Pendant. Li Qinwu ordered his guards to bring in the High Priest from the Church of the Goddess of Life.

The priest was a slight, frail-looking middle-aged man in his nineties, wearing a simple green robe with the Church's twin-winged emblem hanging across his chest. The man held his brow in a perpetual scowl, maintaining a rigid, dogmatic posture. Stepping into the reception room, he caught sight of Li Qinwu sitting at the head of the table and immediately let out a sharp, disgusted snort.

He glared at the goblin leader as if beholding an unclean parasite, muttering under his breath about "filth," "purification," and "the sacred grace of the Goddess." The High Priest took a seat and opened his mouth to speak, but Li Qinwu held up a hand to cut him off.

"Hold on a second. I don't like your attitude, and it needs adjusting. Guards!" The heavy timber door swung open, and Gob-Mad stomped in alongside two Guard Regiment soldiers. Li Qinwu pointed at the bewildered priest.

"Take him out and feed him ten servings of dragon fruit." The High Priest had no idea what "dragon fruit" meant, but as Gob-Mad's massive, armored hand clamped onto his head like a vise and dragged him out of the room like a dead dog, he realized he was in deep trouble.

"WHAT?! What are you doing?! Unhand me! You cannot—" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. His desperate shrieks faded down the corridor. Feeding a prisoner "dragon fruit"—the Alliance's preferred method of harsh physical interrogation—took a bit of time, and they even had to summon a mage from the Magic Tower to ensure the priest didn't bleed out mid-session.

Settling back into his chair, Li Qinwu pulled a worn copy of The Flower Knight from the bookshelf behind him and began leafing through it. The novel detailed the exploits of a handsome, impoverished young knight attempting to travel to the Royal Capital for a tournament to reclaim his noble title, encountering various succubi along his journey.

The succubi described in the text mirrored classic fantasy tropes: pointed ears, a pair of translucent bat wings resting on their backs, and a slender tail tipped with a small heart. They also possessed shockingly useful passive skills. In the chapter Li Qinwu was reading, the knight was resting inside a ruined temple when a succubus perched on the roof, channeling a hypnotic scent to lull him into a deep sleep.

Using magic and pheromones, the succubus induced a profound slumber, manipulating the knight's dreams to shift his psychological state—followed by a series of mysterious adult operations that the author spared the reader from describing. Finishing the chapter, Li Qinwu slammed the book onto the desk and shouted passionately: "The Alliance needs its own succubi!!" His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving with excitement! Succubi! These weren't just monsters—they were ultimate support units!

If succubi were integrated into the military, their hypnotic skills could allow exhausted soldiers to achieve instant, high-quality sleep, restoring their energy and physical stamina in record time! Their dream-manipulation abilities were even more revolutionary! Imagine employing succubi as educators—entering the students' dreams at night to teach advanced industrial design, engineering, and magic theory! The learning curve would skyrocket overnight! Li Qinwu's heart beat wildly at the thought.

The existence of succubi was nothing short of a catalyst for societal progress! The Alliance's industrial expansion needed succubi! Succubi were justice! He was just pondering how to source a few from the slave trade docks when Gob-Mad kicked open the door, dragging the High Priest back into the room. The limp, barely conscious priest was dumped unceremoniously into the chair opposite Li Qinwu. Gob-Mad stepped back outside and shut the door behind him.

All of the priest's former arrogance had vanished, replaced by sheer, unadulterated terror whenever he met Li Qinwu's eyes. Though he bore no visible physical wounds—having been healed by a mage—his pristine green robes were gone, replaced by a rough, coarse linen smock after the original outfit had been thoroughly soaked in "dragon fruit juice." Trembling like a frightened quail, he huddled in his chair, shuddering uncontrollably.

Li Qinwu pulled out a small combat knife, idly paring his nails as he spoke in a relaxed tone: "Now that your attitude is properly aligned, tell me: have you prepared the items on my demand list?" The High Priest squeezed his trembling hands between his thighs, trying desperately to stop his shaking.

"I... I must first see... the Purity Pendant..." Li Qinwu reached under the desk, retrieved the Purity Pendant from his system inventory, and dangled it briefly before the priest's eyes.

"See it? Your Church's holy artifact, authentic and undamaged. My soldiers picked it off the corpse of that so-called Holy Maiden." Li Qinwu snapped his hand back, stowing the pendant away. Yet, even in that brief moment, the pure, holy aura radiating from the artifact washed over the room, momentarily soothing the priest's overwhelming terror. The High Priest rasped, "What... what became of Lady Holy Maiden's remains?" Li Qinwu shrugged indifferently.

"The soldiers chopped her up and burned her to ashes. Who knows where the wind blew them?" The High Priest gasped for air, his eyes bulging as if he were about to explode with rage, but the lingering memory of the "dragon fruit" kept him from speaking out of line. Forcing his breathing to steady, he gritted his teeth.

"Our Church is willing to provide fifty percent of the items on your demand list in exchange for the Purity Pendant and the Sword of Purity." Li Qinwu blinked in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what the "Sword of Purity" was before suddenly remembering the hero, Leon. That bastard's holy sword had been tossed straight into a latrine pit—making it the legendary Sword of the Privy. He hadn't paid attention to that blade in months.

Supposedly, a sentient weapon spirit resided inside it; he wondered if the poor spirit was still sane after months in human waste. Noticing Li Qinwu's strange expression, the High Priest looked bewildered. Li Qinwu cleared his throat quickly to cover his reaction.

"Alright, you can leave. If you don't provide everything on my list, you aren't getting the Purity Pendant back. As for that sword, that's a separate matter entirely—don't mix the two together." The High Priest practically leaped from his chair, pointing a trembling finger at Li Qinwu as he roared in fury: "You filthy, wretched brigand! The Purity Pendant and the Sword of Purity are holy blessings granted by the Goddess! You lowborn goblin scum!

If you do not return them immediately, our Church will bring divine retribution down upon your head!!" As the head of an entire diocese, the High Priest possessed an innate arrogance. Being flatly rejected by a creature he considered lower than vermin snapped his fragile composure entirely. Li Qinwu smirked, calling out toward the door, "Gob-Mad! Your dragon fruit treatment didn't take!" BANG! The door crashed open as the towering Gob-Mad surged into the room, his red eyes locking dead onto the priest.

The High Priest felt his life flashing before his eyes. Before he could utter another word, Gob-Mad slammed a heavy front kick squarely into his chest, following up with a brutal War Stomp that nearly sent the priest's soul straight to the Goddess of Life.

"Boss, I'll take him out for some air," Gob-Mad grunted. Li Qinwu nodded, offering a parting mock to the gasping priest: "What kind of brain-dead idiot selected you as a diplomat? Daring to provoke the ruler of a sovereign territory—are you trying to get yourself turned into soup?

"Enough. Once my bodyguard is done entertaining you, get lost. You know the value of that holy artifact—my nation accepts no bargaining.

"Furthermore, because of your disrespect, I am deeply displeased. The ransom requirement in mana cores is now bumped up to 200, 000. Get out." As Gob-Mad dragged the groaning priest away, Li Qinwu stretched his arms and headed with renewed energy toward the Industrial Zone. Inside the Industrial Zone, a heavy reinforced-concrete factory hall had been prepared in advance to serve as the housing shell for the Magic Blast Furnace.

All the components, structural framing, and raw materials for the furnace had been manufactured and laid out, awaiting Li Qinwu to personally direct the assembly. He insisted on participating directly to grind his Engineering skill proficiency and unlock higher-tier abilities. Constructing the city walls and the Magic Tower had pushed his Engineering skill to level 73, bringing him within striking distance of level 75.

He had already checked the upcoming skill node—it was a fascinating perk, and he couldn't wait to unlock it. Li Qinwu dispatched guards to bring West Hayden's floating spiritual form over to serve as technical advisor. With heavy construction units like Ogre power-workers and the Crimson Queen assisting, the assembly progressed at astonishing speed.

The core structure of the Magic Blast Furnace consisted of compressed, pulverized high-purity mana cores etched with intricate magical arrays, combined with high-temperature refractory materials, a massive industrial crucible, a linked magical engine block, and a polished brass control console. The work proceeded smoothly. Before nightfall, the final component—a massive industrial smokestack—was locked into place, and a system notification flashed before Li Qinwu's eyes: [Engineering Proficiency +8].

Standing before the Magic Blast Furnace, Li Qinwu admired the fantasy-industrial masterpiece with a deep sense of accomplishment. This was the Alliance's very first magic-integrated industrial production tool. Turning to West Hayden, who floated nearby, Li Qinwu asked, "How do we operate this thing?" West Hayden floated over to the brass control console.

"Assign a trained mage here to regulate the flow of magic into the furnace. By activating different array combinations and adjusting raw material ratios, you can produce various grades of specialized steel.

"The unit is highly automated; a single mage pressing the correct control runes can manage the process. I have already instructed your Red Goblins on the operation procedures. Since they possess a natural affinity for fire magic, they can even manually inject their own mana into the engine if your mana core supply runs out, preventing mid-cycle power loss.

"Note that once a production run begins, you should avoid shutting it down, as restarting the furnace requires a massive spike in mana cores.

"I recommend using conventional blast furnaces to perform rough smelting on raw ore first, shaping the pig iron into small steel pellets before feeding them into the Magic Blast Furnace for secondary thermal processing.

"The initial startup requires 500 high-purity mana cores, followed by a daily consumption of roughly 60 cores. At full capacity, it can process one ton of high-performance steel per day."