Chapter 535: The Alchemy Guild Visits, Financial Crisis Resolved?

Garrett was at a loss for words.

Although both potassium iodide solution and alcohol are colorless and transparent, their odors are distinct! How could you not smell that obvious alcohol scent, Serrano, before you poured it? No, why did you even bring out the alcohol?

The step you are doing now doesn’t need alcohol! You’ve already poured it, now why are you heating it up!

Garrett had no choice but to pause his own experiment and stay by Serrano’s side. Both were fully geared in protective gear, activating the highest level of energy isolation barrier. Serrano followed each command and movement:

"Stir! Stir! Slow down the motion!—Cool it down!"

"Boom!"

The explosion that had started to rise was frozen by Miss Silver Dragon’s icy breath.

"...Forget it, let’s try again!"

"Cool it down!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"...Forget it, let’s not make nitrocellulose, let’s start with celluloid... Remember to slow down when pressurizing and heating!"

"Boom!"

Garrett seriously considered whether to send her to the transformational magic division... With strong defenses, the ability to stop reactions at low temperatures, and endless curiosity, she was clearly excellent material for a transformational mage!

...But if he really sent her there, Serrano wouldn’t be happy, would she?

Garrett dismissed the idea. However, as he didn’t want to send the Silver Dragon girl to the transformational division, someone from there came looking...

The vice president of the Alchemy Guild, a great mage who had previously made deals with Garrett to sell microscopes, shadowless lamps, pencils, and other items, arrived in person carrying a bag of crystal cards.

"Oh, you’re too polite!" Garrett followed etiquette, trying not to pay attention to the bag of crystal cards, and had his invisible servants serve tea to the visitor. The work-worn old man cast a weak freezing ray on the piping hot tea and took a delightful sip before he began to sigh:

"Master Nordmark! Since you arrived in Nevis City not long ago, we’ve been doing business for many years. Tell me, have I ever shortchanged you?"

"Ah... this..."

Garrett was a bit embarrassed. Not only had he never been shortchanged, but the terms provided by the alchemy workshop were quite generous.

Over the years, his research had seldom lacked funding—except for major expenses—largely supported by the alchemy workshop.

"So, why did you license that film to the Black Crow Swamp!" The old man’s sighs grew even sadder:

"You know, getting a sublicensing from them was so painful! The combination and transformation of materials to produce new substances and develop new functions is inherently a domain of transformational magic! And we got it from the Black Crow Swamp!"

Garrett felt even more embarrassed. Plastics are not just one substance, but a whole family. In the hands of transformational magicians, they really could develop endless products and perform limitless functions. But in the hands of necromancers, cough.

"Well... I’ve been short of money lately..."

He stammered, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the corner of the coffee table. The crystal cards brought by the old man lay quietly there, it’s unclear how many there were—

It shouldn’t be over 100 cards, otherwise, the gift would be too generous. But even 100 cards wouldn’t fill this bottomless pit!

The old man obviously came prepared. He had already checked Garrett’s recent transaction records and knew his most urgent needs. Following Garrett’s gaze, he pushed the velvet bag next to him:

"Let’s forget the past. In the future, with such inventions, you must think of us!—By the way, you’ve already bought five or six hundred crystal cards recently, is there a special research project? Our production can hardly keep up!"

Oh, this...

Garrett truly hadn’t expected a production issue. Data crystal cards, aren’t they just like floppy disks or CDs? How could they not keep up?

Once the production line starts, it should be producing thousands of cards in droves, and I’ve only bought a few hundred, and you’re saying you can’t keep up?

How do you produce them?

He took the old man into the heart of the Mage Tower, showing him his research process. Upon seeing a golden box, the old man laughed:

"Ah, this is it. I spent half a month with my assistant fulfilling the order from 【Philosopher’s Rose】—so it’s with you? Then you don’t need crystal cards! Just connect it to the Tower Spirit, let it help you remember, wouldn’t that be better?"

Garrett looked at him expectantly. Connect, with what? Wires? Fiber optics? Where to connect?

The golden box was completely sealed, embedded with

dense gems and mithril filaments, he couldn’t find where to open it, nor did he dare to forcibly pry it open!

However, for the creator of magical tools, nothing was a problem. The vice president of the Alchemy Guild made a few gestures, and the surface of the gold box clicked open automatically. Then, click, click, click...

The gems flew up, the mithril filaments were pulled out, and the walls of the box retracted. The old man’s short, stubby fingers, like carrots, flew about, and soon he had disassembled the gold box, revealing the secrets hidden inside:

A clear, cylindrical crystal sat at the center, surrounded by dense, neatly arranged runes. Layer upon layer of gears meshed together, each gear engraved with countless magical texts...

At a glance, it seemed like a combination of a mechanical clock and a computer motherboard, but ten times more complex and possibly holding a hundred times more information. Garrett took one look and turned away, unable to look closely:

Dizzying.

The old man’s work continued. He made a small hole next to the part that ejected the crystal cards in the gold box, pulled out two strands of mithril. One end remained inside the box, and the other extended through the hole:

"Come on, where is the information intake of your Mage Tower central system? Just connect it, and it’s all set!"

"MOSS..."

The Tower Spirit clicked open a panel, erecting two crystal columns as thick as fingers. The old man crudely wound the mithril wire around them:

"All done! Try it out!"

Garrett followed his instructions, took out a vial of blood, and placed a finger on the surface of the gold box, beginning the spell. The crystal columns pulsed like breathing, no familiar click sound, nor were any crystal cards ejected. Instead, the unflustered voice of the Tower Spirit:

"Recorded, master."

"MOSS, how much data can you store?"

"Virtually no limit, master." MOSS replied smoothly. Garrett took a breath and swung his fist into the air:

Fantastic!

No limit meant that as long as he worked inside the Mage Tower, he wouldn’t need to buy crystal cards!

As for the hospital, if patients required X-ray or ultrasound reports, they could buy their own crystal cards... Hmm, include it in the check-up fee and offer two packages?

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