(New Version)
"Even if the operating efficiency is high, it's meaningless if we can't mass-produce it..."
Jin sat in his workshop, pondering the next step. He decided to sort through his stock of biological materials to find something capable of storing a significant amount of mana.
His assistants for this task were Laojun and Reiko.
"That is true," Laojun noted. "As a general trend, the more powerful the magical beast, the higher its mana-storage capacity tends to be."
『In that case, perhaps the Gigant Peeder or the Sea Dragon would be suitable?』 Reiko suggested.
"Good idea. Let's test those two."
Reiko headed to the resource storehouse and returned with samples from both creatures.
"Since these materials are no longer part of a living organism, I believe they should be able to store neutral mana," Jin said.
『The possibility seems high,』 Laojun agreed.
Regardless of theories, it was time for verification.
"Let's prioritize size over weight for this round," Jin decided. He wanted to see which material could hold more mana within an identical volume.
"Father, so we are prioritizing volume this time?" Reiko asked.
"Exactly. It's a matter of how compactly we can package it."
Jin used Separation to isolate the necessary components from the two materials, cutting them into cubes roughly one centimeter square. He chose cubes specifically to maximize the filling efficiency.
"Now... how should we go about filling them with mana?"
Thinking it best to replicate actual operating conditions, Jin quickly prepared a standard-model ether converter.
"Alright. Let's run this for a set period and see what the results are."
By providing an abundance of mana, Jin intended to measure which material reached a higher capacity.
"Father, your research is going well, but it is nearly time for you to rest," Reiko interjected.
"Eh? Ah, is it that late already?"
He looked up and realized it was already past 10:00 PM.
"I see. We'll continue tomorrow."
Jin followed Reiko’s advice without argument and headed off to get some well-deserved rest to recharge his energy.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next morning, Jin finished breakfast and immediately returned to the verification he had started the previous night.
The results showed that the Gigant Peeder material could store approximately 20% more mana than the Sea Dragon material.
"And the weight is practically the same," Jin observed.
Both materials had a specific gravity of around 1.
"So, just how much can it hold?"
While he lacked standardized units for an absolute measurement, his comparative experiments led to a clear conclusion: these new materials could store roughly 2.5 times the mana of the AAA model mana tanks they had standardized previously.
"This is plenty practical."
For ease of replacement, Jin decided to shape the new units into cylinders, much like a household battery.
"The design concept this time will be an AA battery."
He chose this shape specifically to differentiate them from the older AAA model mana tanks. He further calculated that by equipping a golem with ten of these new tanks, the units on Hourai Island could operate for an average of twenty-four hours. This assumed the golem wasn't performing extremely violent maneuvers or utilizing high-consumption magic during that time.
"Maybe we should go with thirty equipped units, plus two for emergencies?"
The emergency tanks would be reserved for the transporter. For instance, if an accident occurred in the deep sea and escape became impossible, one tank would power a teleportation to the surface, while the other would handle a distress signal to Hourai Island and maintain the golem’s systems.
『I believe that would be a sound arrangement,』 Laojun agreed.
"Beyond that, I'd like to have a supply ship stationed nearby. It could carry a massive stockpile of mana tanks and serve as a recharging station."
Jin fell into deep thought before voicing another idea.
"If only we could perform energy transfer..."
It was a concept he remembered from the sci-fi novels and manga he had read back in modern Japan—transmitting energy across a distance.
"I've been wondering if we can make that a reality."
He had previously tasked Laojun with experiments to see if they could apply Warp Gate technology to this end, but the results had been underwhelming.
A Warp Gate connected two points via a "tunnel." This tunnel existed in what they had tentatively named subspace—a realm outside of normal physical space—allowing travel between two points with zero time loss.
That was the extent of their understanding regarding Warp Gate functionality. The next question was whether this tunnel could transmit things other than solid objects. For example, sending water to drought-stricken areas or pumping water out of flood zones.
The conclusion they had reached was: "It works, but it's imperfect."
The velocity of an object at a Warp Gate's exit was always zero, regardless of its speed upon entry. The reason for this remained a mystery. However, it meant that if you pumped water into a Warp Gate, it wouldn't come shooting out the other side; it would simply spill out of the exit, having lost all its momentum.
"Though it's invisible to the eye, I imagine free ether works the same way."
Objects with their own propulsion, like aircraft, could fly through and immediately resume their flight from the exit. Similarly, if the exit gate was pointed downward, water would at least drain out naturally.
"But ether is another story..." Jin sighed.
『It is a difficult problem,』 Laojun added. 『We experimented with using a blower to send a breeze through the gate, but the ether concentration on the exit side remained unchanged.』
"So I heard. And the reason is still unknown?"
『I am truly sorry, My Lord.』
"No, the experimental period was short. It can't be helped."
Jin told Laojun not to worry and went back to his thoughts.
"For now, we'll just have to exchange energy in the form of mana tanks or ether tanks..."
The process of sending a tank, using it, and then swapping it out for a fresh one was incredibly labor-intensive and lacked elegance. Jin found it entirely unsatisfying.
"But Father, we have no other choice," Reiko said gently.
"I know, but... I feel like if I just had one more flash of inspiration, we could bridge the gap..."
『However, My Lord, there are priorities to consider,』 Laojun reminded him. 『For now, we must focus on manufacturing the auxiliary mana tanks for the various units of Hourai Island, starting with the Mermaid unit.』
"Right, priorities come first....Hm? Priorities? Pri-or... Wire... Wired...?"
『My Lord?』
"Laojun, run an experiment to see if we can connect two Warp Gates with a wire. I'll get to work on crafting the mana bombes."
『Understood.』
Laojun grasped the intent behind Jin's brief instruction immediately. Using Laozi and Smith 1, the experiment began.
『The premise is that if it is a tunnel, we should be able to run a conductor through it, correct?』
They prepared a pair of Warp Gates and a length of standard iron wire. After activating the gates and confirming the link was active, they attempted to feed the wire through the entrance.
However, nothing happened.
"...As I feared. It's no good."
To ensure safety, the current Warp Gate specifications prevented the teleportation of partial objects. For example, if a human entered, there was no risk of "only an arm" being teleported. Teleportation only triggered once a "single continuous range" was confirmed within the gate's field. While this rule was slightly more flexible for liquids and gases—as evidenced by the fact that the air surrounding a traveler moved with them—it remained absolute for solids.
In other words, a state where "part of the object remains on the sending side" was impossible. Even for the highly capable Laojun, this was an insurmountable restriction.
Just then, Jin arrived, having finished his prototype mana bombe.
"How did it go, Laojun?"
『Yes, My Lord. To be honest...』
Laojun explained the experimental results.
"Hmm, so that's how it is..."
Based on the results, Jin could guess the reason for the failure. He realized that energy transfer via this method was likely impossible, and he would have to find a new approach.
(Old Version)
"Even if the operating efficiency is high, it's meaningless if we can't mass-produce it..."
Jin decided to select biological materials from his current stock that seemed capable of storing large amounts of mana.
His assistants were Laojun and Reiko.
"Indeed. As a trend, the more powerful the magical beast, the more capacity they have," Laojun remarked.
『In that case, perhaps the Gigant Peeder or the Sea Dragon would be suitable?』
"Right. Let's try those two."
Reiko brought the materials out from the resource storehouse.
"Since they aren't alive, I believe they'll store neutral mana for us..."
『That seems like a distinct possibility.』
In any case, it was time for verification.
"Let's prioritize size over weight," Jin decided. He cut the materials into one-centimeter cubes using Separation to maximize the filling rate.
"Now, let's see how we fill them..."
Jin prepared a standard-model ether converter to replicate real-world use.
"Alright, let's run this for a while and see what happens."
Jin intended to provide an excess of mana to see which material could hold more.
"Father, research is well and good, but it is time you rested."
"Eh? Ah, is it that late?"
It was already past 10:00 PM.
"Alright. We'll continue tomorrow."
Jin followed Reiko's advice and went to rest.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next morning, Jin conducted his verification. The Gigant Peeder material stored about 20% more than the Sea Dragon material.
"The weight is almost identical."
Both had a specific gravity of around 1.
"So, how much can it hold?"
The conclusion was that it could store about 2.5 times the mana of the AAA model mana tanks they had standardized previously.
"This is plenty practical."
Jin decided to make them cylindrical, like an AA battery, to differentiate them from the AAA model tanks. Ten of these would allow Hourai Island's golems to operate for twenty-four hours under normal conditions.
"Thirty equipped units, and two for emergencies."
The emergency tanks would be for the transporter—one to teleport to the surface in a deep-sea accident, and one for distress signals and life support.
『I believe that would be wise.』
"I also want a supply ship nearby, loaded with mana tanks and capable of recharging them."
Jin then voiced a sudden thought.
"If only we could perform energy transfer..."
It was a concept from the sci-fi he'd read in Japan. He had previously tried to apply Warp Gate technology to this, but it hadn't worked.
The Warp Gate was a "tunnel" through subspace. They knew it moved objects with zero time loss, but transmitting non-solids was the challenge.
The conclusion had been: "It works, but imperfectly." Velocity at the exit was always zero. Water pumped in simply spilled out without momentum.
"Ether is likely the same."
Objects with their own propulsion could fly through, but ether lacked that drive.
"But ether is difficult..."
『It is a problem. We tried sending a breeze with a blower, but the exit-side ether concentration didn't change.』
"So the reason is unknown for now?"
『My apologies.』
"It's fine. The experiments were brief."
Jin went back to brooding.
"We'll have to stick with mana tanks and ether tanks for now..."
The swapping process was too tedious for Jin's liking.
"But Father, it can't be helped."
"I know, but... I feel like I'm missing just one spark of inspiration..."
『However, My Lord, there are priorities. We must make auxiliary mana tanks for the Mermaid unit and the others.』
"Right, priorities....Hm? Priorities... Pri-or... Wire... Wired...?"
『My Lord?』
"Laojun, run an experiment to see if we can connect Warp Gates with a wire. I'll work on the mana bombes."
『Understood.』
Laojun set Laozi and Smith 1 to work.
『In essence, if it is a tunnel, we should be able to pass a wire through it.』
They prepared two Warp Gates and a standard iron wire. They activated the gates and fed the wire through.
If Jin's theory held, the wire should emerge from the exit side. It worked perfectly.
『As expected of My Lord.』
Next, they tried a mithril conductor.
『This also seems to have no problems.』
Mithril passed through just as easily.
『All that remains is to see if mana can be sent through this conductor.』
Laojun connected an ether tank to the exit side of the mithril wire.
『It would be ether rather than mana, after all.』
Laojun was certain of success.
『!!』
But contrary to expectations, the ether did not flow.
『Then, what about mana?』
He swapped the ether tank for a mana tank and tried flowing neutral mana.
『Is this also... a failure?』
Laojun was at a loss. Just then, Jin arrived with his mana bombe prototype.
"How is it, Laojun?"
『Yes, My Lord. Actually...』
Laojun explained the results.
"Hmm, I wonder why?" Jin mused. "Laojun, let's put the 'why' aside for a moment and try one more experiment."
『What would that be?』
"Try passing a pipe through instead of a wire, and see if we can send water or air through that pipe."
『Understood.』
Laojun immediately began the new experiment.