Mage Adam

Lord Svorsi paused before answering, "There's no problem with the Honors, but as for resources... you know, we Titans aren't rich. Energy blocks, except the ones we give to newborns for free, have to be earned in battle. If we give a big part of them to you..."

Adam felt a bit awkward. He realized that as powerful as Svorsi was, he knew little about strategy and the economy.

Adam explained, "Your resources mostly come from fighting. With stronger fighters, you can win more battles and get more resources. Although it costs a lot at first, you'll get back much more later."

Lord Svorsi looked embarrassed. He felt like Adam was looking down on him. He remembered feeling proud when he first called Adam a friend. Now, as Adam was really helping them as a friend, he became the one that was hesitating.

As Svorsi felt embarrassed, the temperature around Adam noticeably increased.

"No problem, the Titans will fully support you."

Adam sighed, "Please get me some samples of each type of conversion fungus. I'll try to make the production of energy blocks more efficient."

This was actually what Lord Svorsi was most worried about. The Titans had always had trouble with a reliable energy source.

Since the Metal Eaters had cut off their access to other realms, they had been in a tough spot with not enough energy. Luckily, with the conversion fungus, they could just about manage their fighting and daily needs.

If Adam could really boost the production of energy blocks, it would be even more important than improving the fighting ability of the ordinary Titans.

He looked at Adam excitedly, "Is it true? Can you really give us that miraculous energy?"

Adam quickly brought him back to reality, "Are you talking about ether crystals? Even if we boost it several times, the conversion fungus can't handle and change the highest level of energy from the void. At best, I can make it a bit more efficient, but the quality won't improve."

Adam wanted to make sure Lord Svorsi understood, "Also, the transformation might not even work."

After explaining everything to Lord Svorsi, Adam didn't stay in The Royal City. He teleported straight back to York City.

The Royal City was safer, but York City was closer to the front lines and more convenient. So, the next day, he was back in his small workshop.

"Master, do you think you're being too kind to them?" Garfield asked Adam using telepathy.

He had opened three teleportation gates in front of him, each leading to different places. Sophia was flying back and forth through them, both of them having great fun.

Adam replied, "In this situation, helping them is helping myself."

"I don't see how this helps you."

"I'm stuck in Titania and can't connect to the Mage Network. I also can't go through the crystal barrier to get back to the Mage World."

Garfield was shocked by this. "What do you mean?!"

"The leader of the Metal Eaters, the Devourer, is a transcendent creature, its level close to the Great Archmages. It has taken over the Origin and blocked the world. If we want to get back to the Mage World, we need to handle this problem."

Garfield was stunned. He stopped watching Sophia struggling in the spatial folds, and asked blankly, "A creature close to the Great Archmages? We're going to deal with an enemy like that?"

Adam took out some experimental gear he had brought from the Mage World from his portable space.

These alchemy tools had always been stored deep in his portable space. If it weren't for coming to Titania, Adam thought he might never have used them.

He replied, "Yes, but an enemy is an enemy, and trouble is trouble, they come from the same origin but are different."

Garfield pulled Sophia out of the folds and held her in his hand. Then he asked, "I don't understand."

"Even if I took over Lord Svorsi's body, I wouldn't last against the Devourer. So, I can only help them, boost the Titans' strength, and let these big guys tackle the Devourer."

"But a Great Archmage and transcendent beings..."

"I know. I'm not expecting forty-seven transcendent beings to handle the Devourer, but they can at least distract it. I just need a little time to connect to the Mage Network and report the situation here to headquarters. The Tower will have a plan for us."

Garfield snapped back to reality, looking worried. "Master, we won't die, will we?" He felt his life was too hard and exhausting. Being killed by a Great Archmage---no resurrection method would work.

Adam wasn't too concerned. He countered, "Would you land during a flight just to kill an ant on the ground?"

"Of course not, I'm not that bored," Garfield replied automatically. Then he realized, "Oh, I see, we're safe for now, right?"

"Yes, unless we're THAT unfortunate and get killed by accident. Otherwise, as long as the Devourer hasn't completely taken over the origin of Titania, we are safe for now."

Garfield was really scared by Adam's explanation. Just thinking about that situation made him feel very hopeless and helpless. Usually, he was pretty lazy, but this time he surprisingly took the lead and said, "Master, I want to help too. Is there anything I can do?"

Adam looked at him, surprised, as if seeing him in a new way. After thinking for a bit, he handed Garfield a spatial anchor and said, "Use your ability to gather coordinates. Be careful."

Garfield nodded a lot, "Don't worry, master, I won't get myself killed."

"Yes, you can, but you absolutely must not lose the spatial anchor."

...

Five days later, the first batch of resources and samples of conversion fungus were delivered to Adam. The Titan Royals seemed to have decided to fully commit, as the supplies they delivered were not only complete but even more than Adam had asked for.

Qi 31 stood in front of the huge pile of resources and told Adam, "The first batch of resources is here, it's as much as what the entire Titania produces in a year."

"Your investment will start paying off very soon."

"I hope so." Qi 31 sighed, then asked, "Lord Svorsi asked me to help you. What's next?"

"Build a factory."

Qi 31 got really involved as Adam's assistant. He started to help Adam set up a smelting factory in York City.

Meanwhile, all the available Intelligents and their apprentices from all over Titania kept coming to York. They were ordered to do whatever it took, face any challenge, and help finish Adam's research.

This was how Adam liked to work---letting others handle the routine tasks while he focused entirely on the experiments.

Adam planned out the smelting factory, listed the essential standard equipment, and made sure there was space for energy tracks. Then, he went straight into the lab to work with the conversion fungus.