Chapter 184: Utilizing the Magic Essence Meter
Cosmos gazed thoughtfully at the Magic Essence Meter brought into the research facility, her mind troubled. It was indeed terrifying to think about disassembling one of the only two units available.
One unit was currently in the hands of a Communicator Android dispatched to the Demon Forest for field verification.
The remaining unit would have to undergo a non-destructive investigation.
Using a manipulator, she gently tapped the device with a plastic hammer. From the sound of the echoes, she began to deduce its internal structure.
After several taps, she recorded multiple echo sounds. The analysis suggested that the exterior was made of wood, while the interior contained many cavities. It was not a complete hollow; there seemed to be a mechanism to move the needle.
The Magic Essence Meter was roughly the size of a palm-sized box, designed to open with a hinge. Inside, there were needles that swayed left and right, allowing the measurement of the density of magic essence. However, there were no markings, and the zero point remained a mystery.
At the very least, within this research facility, the needle rested at the far right. Shaking the device lightly caused the needle to sway, indicating it was not fixed in place.
When she brought a Magic Stone from a Hyena, a monster transported from the Flatarra Urban Outskirts Base, the device reacted, suggesting a close relationship between magic essence and magic stones.
In the worst-case scenario, if it broke, she would disassemble it. Cosmos made that decision and proceeded with an X-ray examination.
Although she was unsure of the effects of radiation, fortunately, the functionality of the Magic Essence Meter remained unaffected.
Analyzing the captured images revealed the structure. A cord-like substance was wrapped around some material, with the base of the metal needle attached to it, indicating that the needle was fixed to an axis.
The mechanism appeared to work by the stretching and contracting of this cord-like substance, causing the needle to move left and right.
Considering that the material was the hair and Magic Stone of a Forest Tiger, it seemed plausible that the hair was coiled around the Magic Stone, utilizing its elasticity to move the needle. The hair of the Forest Tiger likely reacted to the density of magic essence, stretching and contracting accordingly.
This was much simpler and more physical than she had anticipated. The absence of a shock absorber meant that the vibrations from the hair’s stretching and contracting were not absorbed, which likely caused the needle to vibrate.
If she could obtain the same material, it seemed feasible to prototype a new device at The Tree.
However, whether this Magic Essence Meter would function normally after disassembly remained uncertain. There was a possibility that some magical element required this specific shape to operate, or that something not visible in the X-ray images was being used.
Since its functionality was intact, she decided to deploy the Magic Essence Meter as it was.
A drone, about one meter in size, would carry the Magic Essence Meter, capturing the needle’s movements with a camera to create a mobile exploration device. The Communicator Android was accompanying adventurers, limiting its mobility.
Using this drone-based magic essence measurement device, she aimed to create a map of the surrounding magic essence density. Since moving too quickly would hinder accurate measurements, the speed would be limited to that of a walking person. Honestly, the efficiency was quite poor.
For now, she could only hope that the adventurers who resumed their activities would deliver the necessary materials for the Magic Essence Meter.
“Ma’am, an anomaly has been detected within the Fairy Circle in the Demon Forest. Shall we dispatch an investigation team?”
“Huh?”
Raising an eyebrow, Commander Eve, who was running in the fitness room, turned to Ringo, who stood nearby.
“Since we’re at it, shall we go take a look?”
“Then, to the command room.”
As Eve stepped off the treadmill and began walking, Ringo swiftly wiped the sweat from her brow, accompanying her without hindering her movements. It was a display of expert care.
After receiving a sports drink from a cylindrical auxiliary machine that approached from the side, Eve thanked Ringo and took a sip through the straw.
Perfect.
Ringo anticipated every move of the Commander, executing flawless assistance. Utilizing the abundant resources of The Core, Ringo traced every artificial muscle fiber of the Communicator Android, ensuring she was in top form today.
“Here is the captured image of the Fairy Circle.”
“Ooh…? It looks rather blurry, doesn’t it?”
Displayed on the monitor in the command room was the most recent image of the Fairy Circle. Taken from a satellite, it showed a view directly above, but the once pristine circle was now obscured by greenery, its outline blurred.
“Analysis indicates that there has been a rapid proliferation of vegetation. Some trees have already exceeded a height of 5 meters. It is predicted that within a week, the trees will grow to a similar height as their surroundings.”
“Really…? Trees can grow that quickly?”
Naturally, trees do not grow at such an accelerated rate. While there are plant species with exceptionally high growth rates, like bamboo, the image analysis suggested that these were common trees found within the Demon Forest, not any special species.
“It is believed that some magical phenomenon is at play. We conducted inquiries in North End City, but there are no recorded instances of such occurrences.”
“Well… Unless you observe it daily, you wouldn’t notice something like this.”
Moreover, this phenomenon was occurring quite deep into the forest, far from North End City. Originally, this area was not conducive to the formation of a Fairy Circle, and observing it from within the forest would be nearly impossible unless one happened to stumble upon that location.
“We have dispatched a squadron of tiltrotor aircraft for investigation. Given the circumstances, we must consider the worst-case scenario of total annihilation.”
“Hmm, well, it can’t be helped. What will we do if they crash?”
“If recovery seems impossible, we will incinerate the control devices with thermite for confidentiality. Afterward, we will obliterate them with long-range bombardment.”
There was no way to allow technological information that was not masked to reach any civilization outside of The Tree. Therefore, it was decided that any equipment that could not be recovered in areas outside their influence would be completely destroyed.
“And… Oh, you’re taking the Magic Essence Meter with you.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Since it is clearly an anomalous location, we will need it for investigation. While it is a valuable item, it is not irreplaceable.”
The Magic Essence Meter mounted on the flying craft showed minimal fluctuations, indicating almost no response. So far, no significant reactions had been detected in the air.
“Well, it might be a point of contention. It seems likely that we could gather more information with it than if we entrusted it to Asahi.”
By the way, if it were handed to Asahi, there was an estimated 280% chance it would be disassembled into pieces.
The prediction was that it would be disassembled once, reassembled, then disassembled again, leading to irreparable damage. After becoming irreparable, there was an 80% chance it would be disassembled once more.
If Asahi were in North End City, it would have been an option to hand it over for investigation. The environment near the Demon Forest would be ideal for various tests. However, the decision not to entrust it to her was partly due to the judgment that progress would be slow since she was stationed in the rear. Naturally, the overly cautious older sister, Eve, and Ringo would never allow Asahi to be sent to the front lines.
“The butterfly monster that emerged from the Fairy Circle has already moved toward the North Wall Mountain Range. At least, there are no threat creatures detectable from the air.”
“Still, it’s scary not knowing what might come out… If that wyvern attacks in a swarm, we would have no choice but to retreat…”
The wyverns shot down by The Tree had only been countered by overwhelming force when they attacked in groups.
If a threat creature of that caliber were to swarm, even The Tree would struggle to fend them off.
Thus far, the threat creatures encountered had mostly been solitary. While methods to counter them individually were prepared, it could be said that countermeasures against swarms were still lacking.
“Well, in any case, it’s all about gathering information. It would be interesting if something were to emerge…”
In the footage, the investigation team approached the Fairy Circle.