Episode 293: Investigating the Magic Stone
Numerous measuring instruments were aimed at it. Analysis using visible light, imaging using X-rays.
At the center was a massive stone, emitting a faint light.
This was the central underground hall of the Holy Capital of Prawa. ＜The Tree＞ was fully engaged in analyzing the enormous Magic Stone placed in the city’s center.
Measuring devices using various forms of radiation, including X-rays.
Imaging devices using electromagnetic waves, primarily visible light.
Numerous Maso Meters positioned around it.
And real-time analysis processors to handle the vast amounts of data collected from these measuring instruments.
The magnificent underground temple, once beautifully decorated, had been destroyed during the mop-up operation at the time of the occupation, and all its decorations had been stripped away for the investigation. The room was filled with numerous sensors, with cables connected to them crawling across the floor, leaving no trace of its original appearance.
“＜Iris＞, are there any issues with the information analysis?”
“No issues. Noise elimination is also proceeding smoothly. The underground environment has less noise, making measurements easier.”
“The surface is filled with microwaves for power supply, after all. Well, we can create a pattern map at the current level, so there are no problems. If there were other civilizations, it wouldn’t be this simple. It’s good that ＜The Tree＞ is the only one here.”
Strategic AI ＜Iris＞ was conducting experiments on the city’s Barrier while exchanging data with Asahi.
She was observing the Magic Stone at the center, believed to be the key to the Barrier, using every possible means, while also applying attacks that would trigger the Barrier, recording and analyzing the resulting phenomena.
“Well then, let’s start with the cannon fire.”
She manipulated the Multi-legged Tanks positioned on the outer perimeter, aiming their main Cannons at the city walls.
“Firing in 5 seconds. 2, 1, now!”
“Barrier deployment confirmed.”
The metal Cannon Shell, fired at a low velocity of about 200 m/s, collided with the city wall. At that moment, patterns of light ran across the surroundings. The deployed Barrier completely defended against the Cannon Shell. The targeted city wall was left without a single scratch.
“Hmm, ＜Iris＞, what do you think about this?”
“Insufficient information. Not enough samples. If we trust the sensor values, it appears that the volume decreases slightly when the Barrier is deployed. However, the size of the Magic Stone fluctuates every time we measure it, so it could be an error.”
“Shall we try about 100 times with the same location and same power?”
As a trial, the two repeated the painstaking observations.
The Railgun could freely change the initial velocity at the time of firing. It was perfect for this kind of repeated measurement.
Of course, using a Railgun as an observation tool was not the intended purpose.
“It seems safe to say that there are significant fluctuations!”
“I agree. A decrease in the size of the Magic Stone when the Barrier is deployed. It takes about ten seconds to return to its original size. We can predict that the Barrier consumes at least some energy when deployed.”
The sensors, which were observing the massive Magic Stone from all directions, accurately recorded even micron-level vibrations. From the analysis results, they observed that the volume of the Magic Stone was fluctuating.
“The light emitted by the Magic Stone also fluctuates slightly in brightness even during normal times… It seems to dim slightly at the same time as the Barrier is deployed.”
“The Barrier consumes some kind of energy when deployed. And that consumed energy is naturally recovering.”
When the Barrier protecting the city was deployed, the volume decreased slightly, and the brightness also dropped. If left as is, the volume would return in a few seconds, and the brightness would recover. That was the result of multiple trials.
“Hmm. To nullify a Magic Barrier, you need continuous damage or continuous attacks… In other words, this Magic Stone has the role of a Capacitor, and when it’s depleted or falls below a certain percentage, the Barrier disappears. Is that about right?”
“That’s the logical conclusion.”
＜Iris＞ and Asahi continued their attacks with Cannon fire to verify their hypothesis.
As a result, the following was discovered:
・The Barrier is deployed by consuming the Magic Stone’s Magical Power (provisional name).
・Magical Power is consumed when an attack is nullified.
・When the Magical Power stored in the Magic Stone decreases, the Barrier will no longer deploy.
・The Magical Power of the Magic Stone recovers over time.
・It becomes possible to redeploy approximately 18 seconds after the Barrier can no longer be deployed.
・The time it takes to redeploy (charge time) is between 16 seconds and 20 seconds.
・Even if there are intervals, the number of times the Barrier can defend against attacks does not change. In other words, the Barrier can be deployed when the Magical Power is fully recovered, but it cannot be deployed if it is even slightly insufficient.
・The number of possible defenses or the time is overwhelmingly shorter for Laser Attacks than for Cannon fire.
・It is not the total energy of a simple attack, but the time the attack is hitting that matters.
・Applying continuous pressure for a few seconds puts more load on the Barrier than a single Cannon Shell hitting directly.
“I didn’t think Laser Attacks would be effective.”
“Records show that it wasn’t very effective against Wyverns.”
As a result of the attack experiments on the city walls, it was found that, at least for the Magic Barrier of this Holy Capital, the Barrier was deployed by Laser Cannon attacks, and the time until the Barrier was nullified was extremely short.
However, when fighting Wyverns, attacks by Laser or Maser had almost no effect.
Was this some kind of racial characteristic, or was there another reason?
At this point, there was nothing to compare it to, so no predictions could be made.
“It’s been confirmed that ＜The Tree＞’s tactics so far haven’t been wrong! It’s good that we were able to clearly observe that Threat Creatures with Barriers can be peeled off if we keep shooting!”
“It’s not bad to be able to assume that there are individual or racial differences.”
It had been determined in the battles that the Barriers deployed by Threat Creatures clearly differed in nature between Wyverns and others, but it was good that the number of cases had increased.
In the future, if there is a battle with a Threat Creature with a Barrier, it would be better to first measure the properties of the Magic Barrier.
“For now, let’s leave the characteristics of the Magic Barrier itself at that. After that, under what conditions is the Barrier deployed? What about attacks from inside the city? There are still many things that need to be confirmed.”
“Understood. I will list the test contents.”
It was found that the Barrier was deployed in response to attacks from the outside.
So, what is judged as an attack? What is not judged as an attack? What conditions are there?
If these could be clarified, it could make capturing Threat Creatures much easier.
And, if possible, they wanted to reproduce the Barrier deployment using this Magic Stone.
If they could clarify and utilize the characteristics of this Barrier, it would be possible to dramatically increase the strength of the structures built by ＜The Tree＞.
“It would be best if it could be used to protect Onee-sama.”
“Relying on equipment with many uncertain factors is too dangerous.”
Deploying a Barrier using a Magic Stone is attractive, but relying on technology with unknown principles cannot eliminate the risk of it not being usable at a critical moment. It could suddenly explode.
If that were the case, the AIs, including ＜Ringo＞, would not allow such a thing to be incorporated.
At least, if it was something they manufactured, they could completely understand the principles. They would prioritize that because they could respond if something happened.
However, if it was highly effective, there was a possibility that it would be adopted as a primary defense measure.
For that purpose, it was necessary to clarify its characteristics as much as possible and then reproduce it.
“At least, if we can confirm that it won’t self-destruct, there are ways to use it!”
“It would be good if we could utilize the Magic Stones of the Wyverns we secured.”
Incidentally, it is a digression that ＜Ringo＞, who was listening to this conversation, hurriedly began transporting ＜Rain Croin＞ out of ＜The Tree＞.
Until Asahi thought of it, she had not considered the possibility of self-destruction at all.
If a Magic Stone is a crystalline substance containing some kind of energy, it may suddenly explode.
Q: Why didn’t you notice this before?
A: Because the phenomenon of Magical Power (provisional name) consumption and recharge had not been observed. I don’t know whether it’s an organ that creates Magical Power, an organ that uses it, or an organ that stores it, so Ringo (she) may have been trying not to think about it too much…
Please understand that this is part of her fantasy phobia.