Chapter 660
The Period of Technological Integration
Chapter 660 The Period of Technological Integration
Gao De carried a heavy, coarse cloth bag and walked out of Gujiao Street at a leisurely pace.
He then found an inconspicuous hotel with a clean and tidy interior and booked a room.
He closed the door, casually lowered the latch, and placed the coarse cloth bag on the floor.
Ibrahimovic couldn't wait to jump off God and start circling the burlap sack.
Gaode Maps is also full of anticipation.
He untied the knot at the top of the bag, first taking out the meteorite fragments and other miscellaneous items one by one, and then casually throwing them into the corner.
As the mage who had been watching earlier said, although the meteorite fragment had some value, it was too impurity-laden.
Refining meteorite iron requires not only a specialized forging furnace but also a significant amount of time, making it an extremely troublesome process.
Gao De wasn't going to waste time on this little bit of meteorite iron; he only had one goal.
At this moment, his fingers had already touched the heavy watch face.
A cool sensation traveled down my fingertips.
Gao De took out the watch face and placed it on the wooden table.
He first used his "magical tricks" to clean away the dirt and volcanic ash that the merchants had deliberately left on the dial to highlight its antique status.
As the dirt is removed, the true appearance of the dial becomes increasingly clear:
Although the outer shell is covered with spiderweb-like cracks, it is still transparent, and you can vaguely see the twisted gears inside.
The hands had a dark silver sheen and showed no signs of wear, only a slight bend.
The gray-green crystal embedded at the tip was dull and lifeless, as if it were blocked from light by an invisible energy shield.
The side interface, originally intended for connecting other components, is severely deformed, with the metal edges curled outwards.
The originally regular patterns were covered by impact marks, becoming twisted and discontinuous.
Gao De stared at the clock face and slowly opened Mandora's Eye.
However, in Mandora's eyes, the dial initially showed no unusual signs.
It had neither the aura that a magical item should have, nor any trace of energy flow; it was just like an ordinary broken crystal dial.
"Impossible..." Gao De muttered to himself, knowing that Ibu's senses would never be wrong.
He patiently focused his mind and continuously activated the Mandora's Eye, his gaze scanning every detail of the dial like a probe.
A moment later, sure enough, he finally caught a faint wisp of iridescent energy at the deformed interface on the side of the dial.
This energy is extremely subtle, flowing slowly along the twisted conductive lines inside the dial, like a dormant stream, and cannot be detected without careful observation.
What's even more peculiar is that this energy is enveloped in a faint shadow, forming a natural shield that not only isolates it from external detection but also slows down its own energy dissipation.
This is why ordinary detection spells, and even Mandora's Eye, couldn't detect it at first.
"Such exquisite craftsmanship..." Gao De exclaimed inwardly.
The ability to conceal energy so effectively, and to maintain its effectiveness for tens of thousands of years, is something no ordinary craftsman could achieve.
With the appearance of this wisp of astral energy, his curiosity about the dial had reached its peak, and he had to find out its details as soon as possible.
Without further hesitation, Gaode extended his right hand and placed his palm on the crystal case of the watch face.
The magical power within his body began to circulate.
【Identification Skill [Rare]+】
The energy of the Appraisal spell flowed down his arm and into the dial.
A spiritual light enveloped the dial like a thin veil. As the magical energy penetrated deeper, the light gradually intensified and even began to tremble slightly.
Everything went smoothly at first, but after a while, Gao De's brows furrowed tightly.
He could feel that the magical energy he injected was like a stone sinking into the sea, most of it being absorbed by some structure inside the dial, but no information was being fed back.
“Something’s not right…” Gao De’s heart sank, and he gritted his teeth and increased his mana output.
His mana reserves far exceeded those of an ordinary third-ring mage: the energy provided by the two star core magic crystals made his total mana two to three times that of an ordinary third-ring mage.
However, the dial in front of him was like a bottomless pit, constantly devouring his magical power, yet it remained stingy in giving any response.
As his magical power continued to deplete, Gao De's face gradually turned pale.
He could sense that the energy in the two star core magic crystals was being consumed rapidly and was nearing its end.
"What level of item is this?" Gao De was shocked.
Based on the spell effect of [Appraisal [Rare]+], the higher the level of an extraordinary item, the more mana is required for appraisal.
Despite his vast reserves of magical power, he couldn't even glean a single complete piece of information.
The quality of this dial is probably beyond his comprehension.
Just as Gao De was about to run out of energy and could barely sustain the operation of the appraisal technique, the dial trembled slightly and finally reacted.
A faint green light emanated from the cracks in the crystal shell, as if resisting the spell's detection, or perhaps responding reluctantly.
Gao De abruptly withdrew his hand, and the magical light vanished instantly.
Gao De immediately gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, his breathing becoming somewhat disordered.
This is a natural reaction after the magic power is overdrawn.
It took him a while to recover.
When Gao De looked at the watch face again, his eyes were filled with shock and confusion.
In the final moments of the investigation, he finally caught a glimpse of vague and fragmented information, as if peering at the truth through a thick fog.
First, this broken dial is not a complete object, but a core component of a larger, more complex, and extraordinary artifact.
Furthermore, the broken crystal shell is made of astral crystal.
The gears are made of star iron and refined gold, as are the pointers.
It requires specific synchronization to be fully activated and must work in conjunction with other components of the same origin to unleash its true power.
As for the specific method of synchronization, the appearance and whereabouts of the other components, there was only a blurry phantom in the spell feedback. No matter how hard he tried, he could not capture any more details.
Second, its core capabilities are related to positioning and navigation.
In the brief feedback of the spell, Gao De seemed to see countless twinkling stars, like coordinates, and a straight trajectory pointing to the unknown distance.
He could vaguely sense that the dial had the ability to guide him and help him avoid danger.
Especially in unfamiliar spaces without any reference points, it can be the most reliable guide.
However, more details about its capabilities, such as how to use it or whether there are any limitations, remain unknown. Clearly, this watch face is far too unusual.
Even with his double-third-ring mana reserves, using the first-ring [Appraisal [Rare]+] skill could only reveal the tip of the iceberg, and he couldn't possibly grasp the whole picture.
But even without this as a basis for judgment, its extraordinary nature can be discerned from its material.
Given its current state, it's no wonder the stall owner would treat it as junk.
Although astral crystals are rare, once broken, they appear no different from ordinary glass to the average person.
The gears made of Star Iron and Refined Gold were twisted and concealed, making it impossible to tell that the material was precious.
With its dull crystals and deformed joints, it looks like a completely ruined medieval artifact.
There was no leakage of spiritual light, and even ordinary [detection magic] could not detect anything unusual, so naturally no one paid any attention.
In addition to the information obtained through identification techniques, Gaode, combining its own knowledge and observations, also deduced two important conclusions.
First of all, since the dial possesses astral energy and is made of astral crystal, it indicates that it has a very strong connection with the astral plane.
Secondly, the fact that a single damaged component could possess such a high energy level and withstand the full appraisal of a third-ring mage suggests that it could not possibly be an ordinary ancient artifact.
Even a damaged component can have such a high energy level.
A term popped into Gaode's mind.
Strange objects.
Could this be a core component of a strange artifact?
Gao De muttered to himself, his fingertips gently tracing the cracks on the watch face, his heart churning with turmoil.
Although he did not know the specific origin of the object, this information alone was enough to determine that its value was immeasurable.
Gao De took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
Even if it's a rare item, you need to figure out its origin and how to activate it to make it useful.
At the very least, you should know its name, right?
Since identification techniques cannot obtain more information, we must find another way.
To obtain more information, one must either enhance one's own strength, utilize more powerful magic, or consult relevant scriptures.
Gao De took out the warm Glory Museum badge he had just received from his pocket.
Like other museum badges, this badge has additional significance.
By presenting this badge, Gaode can receive "VIP" treatment at official institutions in Glory County.
This includes access to the official library to consult ancient crafts records and historical secrets of Morrison County that are not publicly available.
Perhaps some clues about this watch dial can be found here.
Gao De carefully put the watch face away and placed it in his pocket before leaving the hotel and heading to the official library located in the city's commercial district.
The Glorious County Official Library is located in the heart of the commercial district and is a two-story building made of white marble.
As soon as Gao De stood at the door, a scent mixed with the aroma of aged paper, pine soot ink, and sandalwood wafted towards him.
He stepped inside.
The caretaker at the entrance was an elderly monk with gray hair and thick-rimmed glasses.
He was looking down as he organized the borrowing list.
Hearing Gao De's footsteps approaching, he looked up, his gaze lingering for a moment on the Glorious Academy badge on Gao De's chest, before he immediately said politely, "Welcome, Master. May I ask what kind of text you would like to consult?"
"I want to consult historical materials about the craftsmanship and extraordinary creations of artisans from the ancient, medieval, and early modern periods, as well as historical records of artisans in Morrison County during this period," Gao De said directly.
The old monk nodded, stood up and said, "These kinds of books are all in the ancient documents section on the second floor. You can browse them yourself. If you need any help finding them, you can call me anytime."
"Thank you." Gao De said his thanks, turned around and climbed the steps, heading straight for the artisan skills area.
His approach was clear: start with the craftsmanship characteristics, and deduce the era to which the worn-out dial belonged by comparing its material, forging method, and texture design.
The advantage of the Golden Plantagenet dynasty's complete inheritance is fully demonstrated at this time.
The completeness of the books in the library far exceeded Gao De's expectations.
The records cover everything from the processing techniques of various extraordinary materials in the Middle Ages to the advanced alchemy techniques of the late ancient times, including the forging and cutting methods of refined gold, star iron, and crystal.
Some even include diagrams.
Gaode meticulously compared the details of the worn-out dial with the craftsmanship techniques recorded in classical texts.
He quickly matched the craftsmanship details with the star-cutting technique favored by high-level alchemists in the early Middle Ages.
This cutting method can maximize the energy conductivity of crystals.
However, the cutting precision of the old watch face in his hand seemed to be even more exquisite than the highest level recorded in the classics, with finer and more uniform cuts.
Subsequently, Gao De noticed a method of star-pattern casting that a craftsman had discovered and studied from natural wonders in an ancient alchemical book.
This casting method perfectly fuses star iron and refined gold, eliminating impurities in both, so that the metal possesses both the toughness of star iron and the energy conductivity of refined gold.
The surface of objects formed by fusion casting will naturally develop fine star patterns, which can become natural energy channels without additional engraving.
Gao De immediately thought of the gears inside the dial.
Those gears, crafted from a mixture of star iron and refined gold, do indeed have naturally formed patterns on their surfaces, which are not artificially engraved and perfectly match the characteristics of the star pattern casting method described in the book.
"The cutting method of the early Middle Ages, the casting technique of the ancient times?" Gao De frowned.
These two techniques belong to different eras, so why do they appear on the same object?
Without pausing, he turned around and searched for historical books on the bookshelf.
The answer was finally found in a book with a bronze cover inscribed with "Royal Compilation of the Plantagenet Dynasty," titled "Chronicle of the Craftsmen's Era."
From the late ancient period to the early medieval period, there was a period of technological integration.
At that time, the energy channels between the astral plane and the mage plane were unusually active, with a large amount of pure astral energy surging into the prime material plane like a tide.
This led to the creation of a large number of rare and extraordinary materials such as 'Astral Clusters' and 'Etheric Silver Veins'.
This period was a time of explosive development in alchemy, and it also saw the emergence of a large number of exceptionally talented alchemists.
Some of these legendary alchemists possessed epoch-making skills, combining ancient casting techniques with medieval cutting methods to create extraordinary creations that combined power and precision.
These craftsmen often focused on artifacts related to the celestial realm and spacetime.
However, because this technique was too complex and required astral energy, and with the closure of the astral passages in the mid-Middle Ages, astral energy gradually disappeared, and this technique quickly became extinct as well.
“The process integration period…” Gao De murmured to himself, his doubts suddenly clearing up.
It seems that the worn-out dial in my hand is most likely a product of the late ancient to early medieval period, a time of technological fusion.
He continued his search and eventually found a key clue in "The Biographies of Legendary Alchemists".
This book, compiled by a medieval scholar, includes the biographies of three legendary alchemists who were the most representative figures of the fusion period of technology and craftsmanship.
(End of this chapter)