Chapter 113: Li De, the Capitalist

After the completion of the magic factory, Li De summoned all the mage apprentices. This group of apprentices would become the future workers of the factory, and whether the magic factory could operate depended entirely on them. Of course, their jobs had shifted from tightening screws to crafting magic scrolls—a task that sounded far more prestigious. This was a job filled with honor. To help the apprentices better control mana faster, Li De had recently diluted his mana-infused blood with water and distributed a cup to each apprentice. Over a hundred mage apprentices had already learned the Meditation Spell before he returned. Though none were as fast as Isha, who mastered it in just one sun-hour, they all passed the baseline. After drinking the diluted mana-infused blood, these novices improved their control over mana even further, making them fully capable of handling the honorable task of crafting magic scrolls. Li De had tested it—mana-infused blood was harmless to humans. In fact, drinking more of it slightly increased mana affinity. It was incredibly potent. After explaining the effects of the mana-infused blood, the group of apprentices felt immense gratitude toward Li De for receiving such a precious magical potion so early in their time at the mage tower. Each of them felt genuinely delighted to be Li De’s apprentice, let alone the prospect of learning the legendary art of crafting magic scrolls. Lord Li De was truly too kind to them. In the mouths of these naive apprentices, capitalist Li De almost became a savior-like deity, radiant and glorious. This was Li De’s first visit to his own magic factory. The ceiling was about five blades high, and the walls shimmered faintly with the presence of magical traps. Most of the traps, engraved by the White Tower mages, were designed for early warnings to deter any reckless thieves. Inside the otherwise empty room stood five long wooden tables. On each table was a manually operated conveyor belt—a custom-built assembly line that Li De had specially commissioned Laurent to create. Though it could only be operated manually, it didn’t hinder the entire production process. Though not highly efficient, crafting magic scrolls was a meticulous task that didn’t require haste. Though simple, the magic factory had been built quickly enough to satisfy Li De. “Do you see the magic factory before you?” Li De surveyed the crowd of over a hundred people, his expression solemn. “This will be the foundation of the Crimson Mage Tower’s future. Each of you will participate in the production of magic scrolls.” Whoosh~ These words sparked intense discussion among the crowd. Magic scrolls! Though Li De had mentioned it before, now that it was really happening, it still came as a pleasant surprise. In their minds, they imagined learning the one-on-one technique of crafting magic scrolls—an exclusive and mysterious skill possessed by mages. Now, they would be part of it. It was simply unbelievable. “Goddess above, can we really participate in making magic scrolls? But I’ve only just learned how to manipulate mana!” “Long live Lord Li De! I never imagined I’d one day craft the legendary magic scrolls with my own hands!” “It’s absolutely incredible!” In the apprentices’ eyes, Li De was going to personally teach them how to craft magic scrolls. They couldn’t have imagined the concept of an assembly line. Li De smiled faintly but didn’t reveal the truth. The process of crafting magic scrolls was divided into three steps. First, prepare the relevant magical materials—the medium to carry the magic, such as the fur of magical beasts or the bark of magical plants. Second, use plant sap containing mana or animal blood to draw the magic nodes onto the fur of the magical beast according to the magic model. Third, after all the magic nodes are drawn, the mage infuses the scroll with mana until the magic model is in a semi-activated state. At this point, the magic scroll is officially complete. Though these steps sounded simple, executing them was anything but easy. First, the magical materials. The materials for crafting scrolls were mostly the fur of magical beasts or the bark of magical plants. To obtain the fur of magical beasts, there is no other method but to hunt them down. As for the bark of magical plants, they are extremely rare and difficult to find. Second, drawing the magic model. This step was the most critical and required immense patience. The fur of magical beasts is flat, while the magic model exists as a three-dimensional structure in the mage’s mental sea. Thus, the crafting process involved adapting the three-dimensional magic model into a two-dimensional version following specific rules. This adaptation shouldn’t be called improvement—it should be referred to as transplantation. To transplant a three-dimensional magic model required redesigning the magic nodes. As a result, the number of magic nodes on the flat surface was often more than three times that of the original three-dimensional model. For example, a Mage Hand spell with 30 magic nodes would have 90 nodes when transplanted onto a magic scroll. The distance between each magic node and even the magic circuits had to remain absolutely fixed. This made drawing the magic nodes an extremely tedious and patience-demanding task. A single mistake would render the entire scroll useless. Though the final infusion of mana completed the scroll, the process of drawing the magic nodes required constant infusion of mana into each node. This process required very little mana, but without it, success was impossible. Thus, this step couldn’t be mechanized for mass production—it had to be done manually, one scroll at a time. The final step was infusing mana to activate the scroll. In theory, this was the simplest step. However, precise control of mana was essential during this process. Because the magic model was flat, care had to be taken to prevent mana from leaking when encountering intersecting magic circuits. The mana had to flow flawlessly from the first node to the last. The entire process couldn’t tolerate errors. If mana wasn’t controlled properly at any intersecting circuit, the entire scroll would be ruined. So, what seemed like a simple process of crafting magic scrolls was anything but. Each step required absolute precision. It was precisely because of these challenges that crafting magic scrolls was so difficult. After deeply studying the process, Li De conceived the idea of using an assembly line for production. Based on his estimates, the success rate would be guaranteed. Each apprentice would be responsible for drawing the magic nodes in a specific area. Practice makes perfect; there might be many mistakes at first. But once they became proficient, the production efficiency would surpass that of individual crafting by countless times. Another benefit was that drawing the magic nodes required the use of mana. Though the amount was negligible, it served as excellent practice for the apprentices, deepening their control over mana. Having these mage apprentices work in the magic factory was a win-win situation with countless benefits. Nothing but advantages. “The opportunity before you is incredibly precious. Shortly, Vina and Karu will teach you how to draw the magic nodes. My children, work hard! Three months from now, I will select 20 of the hardest-working apprentices and grant each of you a magical potion worth 300 Gold Pucks, allowing you to become formal mages!” Granting a magical potion worth 300 Gold Pucks? Becoming formal mages? Li De’s words sent the crowd into a frenzy. “Long live Lord Li De!!” “Lord Li De is truly a divine messenger sent by the Goddess of Magic to save us!” A group of apprentices, soon to become laborers, were filled with gratitude toward Li De, seeing him as their true god. Capitalist Li De was thrilled by this reaction, declaring that these apprentices were truly ambitious individuals. He announced that, starting now, they would receive a monthly bonus of 10 Silver Pucks. As a gesture of goodwill, he also adjusted the 997 work schedule to 996, giving everyone a full day off each week to fully enjoy the blessings of the Crimson Mage Tower. This kind and generous move earned the apprentices’ wild praise. If not for Li De’s preference for women, more than half of these apprentices would have offered themselves in devotion.