Chapter 377: Insufficient Magic Energy

In fact, magic energy fertilizer is not the only project choked by magic energy.

Besides the magic power metal, which is indispensable to the entire magic industry, other magic energy material projects, magical plant cultivation projects, and large‑scale Magic Potion projects are also subject to magic energy rationing.

There is too little magic energy—too few Magic Stones.

The magic power detection satellite has already mined the most conspicuous prime matter worldwide, but so far only a few dozen reach the scale of the Le Meina Magic Stone; the rest are mostly tiny micro Magic Stones, whose magic output efficiency can support small things like satellites, but is far insufficient for a magic energy power plant.

Next, Murphy went to the Heavenly Phenomena Magic Research Institute.

Their research focuses on heavenly phenomena magic and various magic power phenomena or creatures that can cause celestial changes—such as Murphy's old friend, Thunderbird.

"The principles behind heavenly phenomena magic remain elusive, but applying it isn't that difficult," said Director Mo Er Qia Nuo Fu·Luo Si Bei Dao of the institute.

"Spells are ready-made; after converting them into runes via a universal conversion formula, we enchant weather radars or satellites, then amplify magic fluctuations, guiding the spells to the cloud layer—essentially achieving artificial weather alteration."

"Guiding rain or sunshine is the simplest; we have also tried to induce thunderstorms, hail and other extreme weather, though the success rate is lower."

"In addition, we found that heavenly phenomena magic can also be used to steer ocean currents. Although its magic consumption is far greater than that for weather, we can to some extent guide the direction of currents… Of course, the scope is very small and the effect duration short, hardly producing any substantive impact."

"What about the Arctic Ocean?" Murphy asked.

"Our research shows the Arctic Ocean is melting faster, its heat increase rate far exceeding the global average temperature rise, and this is likely a self‑reinforcing cycle."

"Rising temperatures melt Arctic ice, exposing darker land or ocean with lower albedo, which absorbs more solar heat; melting ice also releases trapped CO₂, forming a high‑concentration zone above the Arctic and further heating it."

"The Atlantic Warm Current also contributes; as Arctic ice melts and the ice barrier disappears, the Atlantic Warm Current entering the Arctic becomes shallower, allowing more heat to melt ice—a positive feedback effect."

"Under natural conditions we estimate that around 2020 the Arctic could open shipping routes navigable for most of the year."

"Can we guide to accelerate this process?" Murphy asked.

"Hardly," Mo Er Qia Nuo Fu said, "Theoretically, if we could channel more Atlantic Warm Current, we could speed up the process, even steer the current's path after it enters the Arctic to carve out routes for us."

"But our calculations show that achieving this level of celestial control would require an astronomically huge amount of magic energy… specifically, about two thousand times the current global magic energy plant output."

"Fine, the plan is effectively useless for now."

Later, Murphy went to the Lock Opening Spell Laboratory.

The intriguing lab's research topic is: using the Lock Opening Spell to solve any problem describable mathematically.

Its origin traces back to an idea Murphy once gave Huo Er Dan: whether we could expand spell usage so that the Lock Opening Spell could be applied to cracking passwords.

Following this line, scientists realized the Lock Opening Spell does not alter a lock's shape or nature; its operation does not break the lock's rules.

In other words, whether the spell creates a void key or makes the lock core self‑activate, it endows the 'Wizard and lock' system with information it originally lacks: this information determines the lock core's motion rules, allowing the lock to open.

In fact, spells usually carry a side effect of information completion—for example, the Transformation Spell turning a cup into a mouse; the details of the mouse's fur color, size, and features are supplied by the spell's completion.

The difference with the Lock Opening Spell is that it is more 'pure'; the information it provides is only the specific data needed to unlock.

This makes it highly suitable for human control.

The Lock Opening Spell Laboratory gathered almost all top mathematicians and cryptographers from the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom; they devised an algorithm that can convert any mathematically described problem into an electronic lock, whose key is the problem's solution.

They managed to create a scenario: when the Lock Opening Spell is applied to an electronic lock, unless the computer linked to the lock displays the problem's solution, the lock cannot open.

Then the mathematicians went into a frenzy; they discovered the Lock Opening Spell can indeed yield precise solutions to many complex calculations, which would take ordinary computers decades to compute.

But later they hit a bottleneck: given a certain magic energy level, the Lock Opening Spell can solve mathematical problems only up to a certain complexity; beyond that, it fails.

It seems the spell consumes magic energy in place of computational power.

Yes, another magic energy problem.

The institute hosts many fascinating labs; Murphy later visited the Portrait AI Research Institute, which studies how to transfer a portrait's simple logical intelligence into computers.

They also have a branch researching how to transfer a portrait's 'consciousness' onto a 'robot', thereby giving humanoid machines a 'soul'.

Adjacent to the Portrait AI Research Institute is the Item Activation Research Institute; they are not fixated on giving machines a 'soul', but aim to make machines exhibit activation traits.

Their core research is 'Item Activation Magic', similar to the one Arthur used on his own car in the original work.

Finally Murphy also went to the Anti-Gravity Research Institute, the one that previously enchanted elevators with the Floating Spell.

Unlike the Aerospace Research Institute, their anti‑gravity magic research focuses on civilian applications; for example, their hottest current project is 'flying cars', which they claim could see people traveling by flying cars within the next decade.

Having toured all the institutes, Murphy witnessed many inventions and discoveries not yet formalized.

But almost everyone posed him that question.

Insufficient magic energy.

Magic energy limits the final implementation of almost every industry.

Solving the magic energy problem is now urgent.

Thus Murphy went to the Aerospace Research Institute, which houses the Soviet Union's largest magic power detection satellite launch center, and its satellite data ultimately converge here.

"Has the discovery rate of prime matter increased?" Murphy asked the launch center director.

The latter shook his head, "It's hardly increasing; we've raised detection precision to microwave level, allowing us to detect almost all surface prime matter, but magic waves of this level are easily blocked, and if the prime matter is a bit deeper, we can't detect it."

"Moreover, the prime matter found at this precision has very low magic output efficiency; some can barely power a satellite."

"Is it possible that some prime matter is hidden deeper beneath the surface?" Murphy asked.

"Theoretically yes, but if the divine blood theory holds, these prime matters originate from relatively recent deities, making it hard to imagine them deep in the strata."

"However, we are researching spectral analysis," the director said, "Magic power affects light, naturally causing spectral changes; we are currently studying methods to locate magic sources via spectral analysis, which may help prime matter discovery."

"In addition, we are developing passive highly sensitive detection devices, whose response to magic radiation is extremely high; theoretically they can detect a Wizard using magic from hundreds of kilometers away."

"By calibrating and neutralizing this detection equipment, we can eliminate meaningless interference and only detect prime matter signals."

Murphy nodded; these methods have broad applications, but his confidence in finding prime matter waned—the scarcity seemed worse than he imagined.

And boosting the magic output of a single Magic Stone in the short term faces many technical hurdles.

It seems he must prepare to seek alternative energy.

But just as he was about to visit the Magic Energy Research Institute, a thin researcher wearing thick black‑rimmed glasses stopped him, "I heard you're investigating magic energy allocation issues?"

Murphy gave him a glance; the fellow apparently thought he was an official allocating magic energy, "Are you here to request a quota?"

"Yes," the other immediately nodded, then shook his head, "Actually, I'm here to offer a solution."

"Although I can't solve your energy problem, I can help optimize the magic energy allocation plan so the existing magic energy works to its fullest."

"Oh?" Murphy was a bit interested, "Tell me, what do you do?"

"I research Magic Power computers and also handle algorithm optimization for the central supercomputer," the researcher said, "but my research focus is cybernetics; I have a set of algorithms... uh, actually it's not mine, it's our algorithm, which can effectively solve your problem."

"However, if it works, I hope you can allocate a bit more quota to the development of the Magic Power computer."

"Central supercomputer?" Murphy almost forgot the original purpose of coming here, "I'm just about to go there, let's talk while walking."

I have a bunch of ideas about Magic applications, but due to length constraints I won't ramble here; I'll bring them up later when needed. Regarding the Lock Opening Spell, the earlier write‑up was rushed and lacked detailed explanation, I've just added a paragraph of clarification, thanks to the reader's reminder.

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(End of Chapter)