"Everyone, get ready!

Open the valves, steam is filling in, all units keep an eye on the pressure gauges…"

Hiss—!

In the suburbs of Phaletis Royal Capital Bekele, at a target range overgrown with weeds, white steam swirled as a group of soldiers, carrying metal canisters and wielding some strange firearms, lined up facing the targets.

The commander swung his command saber forcefully and shouted:

"Fire!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!....

High-pressure steam surged, propelling the searing metal storm forward, instantly tearing the first set of targets in front of them to shreds.

"Fire again!"

At the command, the soldiers engaged a certain locking mechanism on their firearms, pushed cone-shaped bullets into the magazine, and within just a second, pulled the trigger again.

"Fire again!"

Although this "steam gun" was far bulkier than normal flintlock guns, its advantages were also apparent.

As long as it was preheated, and the pressure from the steam pressure tank remained adequate, it could continuously fire without the cumbersome need for loading gunpowder and bullets.

Pop! Pop! Pop!....

Beside the shooting range, a group of distinguished spectators lightly applauded as they witnessed the performance of this new weapon, now in its final form.

"The key is to avoid sudden encounters in the wild without the time to generate necessary steam.

This [High-pressure Steam Gun] should have a very promising application in city defense work where logistical support is available. Especially when dealing with 'those things', intense firepower is the only reliance for common soldiers."

Standing at the forefront of the formation with a military cloak and armed with a command saber, Aiven affirmed this positively.

At this time.

The season had already reached the autumn of the 196th year of the Sea Origin Calendar, three years after Aiven and his team had landed on the moon.

This occasion was part of the routine visits and technical exchanges by Grand Duke Galliot and his wife Olivia to Phaletis and the "Steam and Mechanism Cult".

In addition to the "Steam and Mechanism Cult", "Alchemy School", and staff from both countries.

Her Majesty the Queen, wearing a red court gown like a vivid red rose, accompanied the whole event, hand in hand with Olivia, who wore a white gown, resembling a white rose.

They seemed like a pair of splendid sisters.

Even in such diplomatic occasions, they conversed and laughed boldly, indicating significant progress in their relationship over the past three years.

An autumn breeze blew by.

The elegant skirts of the two ladies fluttered, revealing glimpses of their slender, straight legs wrapped in shimmering, translucent stockings.

Liweina wore an enchanting black, while Olivia donned a pure white.

With these almost noblest women in the Material World leading the trend, much like the previous Tulip craze, stockings became a fashion among noblewomen and women of the middle class or above.

Unexpectedly, they became a hot export item in the duchy's nascent "petroleum industry", and these high-end women's products were far more valuable than gold of equivalent weight.

During these three years.

As high-tier transcendent individuals, their appearance showed no change, but the mundane world underwent profound and subtle changes.

In the eyes of humans struggling to adapt, the whole world seemed to be accelerating, changing as if every day brought something new.

The "High-pressure Steam Guns", undergoing trial and finalization, and the ten "High-pressure Steam Cannons" pushed by the soldiers, were only a small part of it.

The [Watt III Military Steam Engine] made "steam" an attainable and powerful convenient energy source, first applied in military settings.

"Activate the [Analysis Machine]!"

A disheveled middle-aged man wearing a monocle stepped forward to lead a group of [Steam Masters] in setting up a large machine beside them.

Named Charles Babbage, the middle-aged man eagerly introduced his latest invention to Aiven and the others as he busied himself:

"Your Majesties.

This machine surpasses all previous 'difference engine' models in terms of the range of calculable tasks, simplicity, reliability, precision, and automation.

It is already a completely new grand invention! This time's firepower table calculations will prove it!"

With the gradual advancement of firearms and cannons, moving away from the mystical era of muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons, the testing and calculations of ballistic trajectories and firepower tables became increasingly important.

A formal firepower table required 3000 different ballistic parameters.

Even for a single parameter, a trajectory with a flight time of 60 seconds could exhaust an ordinary person completely, as it required at least 20 hours of terrifying workload!

Although high-tier transcendent individuals could easily handle such tasks mentally, there was a pressing demand from [Steam Masters] and regular military personnel for a calculating tool capable of reducing this cumbersome ballistic parameter computation to mere seconds.

Moreover, it must be universally applicable, able to be promoted throughout the military, allowing most ordinary frontline personnel to use it. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Mr. Babbage, though not a powerful wizard, but merely a "Mechanical Branch" wizard apprentice.

His series of "mathematical calculators" headed by him, however, best met the military's needs.

This new design was about 30 meters long and 10 meters wide, made entirely of brass, and Babbage called it an "Analysis Machine".

It could automatically solve complex arithmetic problems with 100 variables, each with up to 25 digits, and the calculation speed could reach an astonishing 100 times per second.

In Aiven's view, the innovative aspect of the "Analysis Machine" was:

It was the first "universal computer" in human history of the Fifth Era, equipped with essential components like an arithmetic unit, memory, controller, and input/output devices!

In this new design, he creatively proposed the concept of automatically formulating instruction sequences, allowing the "Analysis Machine" to proceed from one step to the next without human assistance.

With this "computing mechanism", Babbage's breakthrough to being an official wizard had no obstacles left.

Clang, clang, clang...

As the steam engine drove the transmission device into operation, the precise brass gears rolled like ball bearings, emitting the pleasant sound of "tick-tock-tick-tock."

With punched tape cards input and output, data that would take a bunch of civilian advisors days to compute was being rapidly generated.

Watching this "analysis machine" continuously operate under the push of the steam engine.

Aiven gently nodded.

Hmm, it has the essence now.

If three years ago it was merely a prototype, now, three years later, this world seems to have fully entered the "steampunk era."

And the progress isn't limited to the Tulip Alliance; the geniuses aren't confined to one family or nation. With other countries on the Source Continent striving to catch up, there is a sense of flourishing diversity.

This also made Aiven recall a concept he had just integrated into his personal "Evolutionary Theory"—"Weakening Compensation."

Meaning all creatures in the world, the survival intensity (the tenacity of survival) of later-formed species always shows a decreasing trend, each generation is weaker than the last, which is "Weakening."

Thus, for these creatures to survive, they must constantly seek more supportive factors, which is "Compensation."

Just like the state of the Material World.

As the eras shift, the power of Extraordinary Creatures weakens, the more "evolved" humans are, the weaker their individual strength becomes, and the larger their numbers grow, necessitating collective division of labor and cooperation.

Applying "Weakening Compensation" to modern humans, Extraordinary Power is the "Weakening," science is the "Compensation."

"Ha, this is the greatest trend across multiple eras in this world!"

Of course.

If the drawback of rapid technological advancement is anything, it's the thick smoke currently hovering over Royal Capital Bekele, lingering and unmoving.

This is the growing pain of industrial progress, even the "God of Steam and Mechanics" Mennon Watt, who has successfully condensed a [Divine Position], is powerless to change it.

Also due to the gradually worsening environment.

Liweina, Her Majesty the Queen, now spends a significant portion of her idle time in the White Swan Castle, which has undergone yet another round of expansion.

In the White Swan Castle, she has her own private room, maid corps, dressing room... even a wine cellar, feeling as though she is at home.

Compared to Bekele, the scenic and pleasant Long Island is simply paradise.

Moreover, Aiven couldn't resist pleading, utilizing the power of [Divine Creatures] and Crowned Wizard to establish a permanent teleportation gate in her room at St. James's Palace, allowing her to travel freely.

At that moment.

Whoosh——!

A colossal "rigid airship" carrying a shadow flew over the crowd, heading deep into the firing range.

"Hesi, never seen such a fresh thing before, have you? Let's take a ride after the test concludes."

"Sure, Sister Weina."

Two women who have already traveled to space are still marveling at this rudimentary flying device within the atmosphere.

Aiven's [Eye of Profound Wisdom] has already caught its every detail.

This airship boasts a rigid hollow copper pipe frame, comprised of a longitudinal beam along the belly, 24 long staves, and 16 frameworks.

A considerable amount of longitudinal and transverse cables are utilized to enhance structural strength.

The outer frame of the craft is wrapped in waterproof cloth, and inside, there are 17 airbags, with a total volume of 12,000 cubic meters, offering a buoyancy of 13 tons.

Thanks to the improved multi-airbag design, which can function like water-tight compartments on a ship, even if one or two are damaged, flight is unaffected, greatly enhancing flight safety.

Powered by steam, its estimated flight speed can reach 24 kilometers per hour, which is already sufficient for combat deployment, provided it doesn't encounter anti-aircraft artillery.

"Attention all, get ready!"

Following the analysis machine's calculations on the firepower chart, the experimental stage [High-pressure Steam Cannons] adjusted their gun barrels, aiming at the enormous live target released by the airship ten kilometers away.

It was a massive Demon with a body length exceeding five meters, scales all over like a supersized crocodile.

Moreover, unlike conventional Demons, this "crocodile" not only had a huge body but also sharp horns growing from its head, and it carried an exceedingly thick smell of sulfur.

Even as enchanted steel cables securely bound it, its nostrils continuously spewed fiery lava.

This was a "Demon-like" creature transformed by upper-rank Demons, and an after-acquired Demon modeled on Material World creatures.

This was also the key for the [High-pressure Steam Gun] and [High-pressure Steam Cannon] projects to fast-track, equipping the military.

Three years ago.

In Solomon's letter, the so-called "tumult has arrived" explained the most fundamental issue, Aiven was yet to adapt to the concept of time from an Immortal's perspective.

Those past times were consistently calm, brewed over three years, until recently, when signs of turbulence slowly appeared in the Material World.

Mainly because those cunning Demon Gods arriving for "vitality" in the Material World could not carry much power if they wanted to breach realm barriers.

Even if they succeeded in descending, they would cautiously hide and grow slowly over decades or centuries.

Of course, some that are bold have already begun secretly hunting humans, even continuously creating "Demon-like" creatures that were once humans but are now Demons to confuse the audience.

As the strongest human alliance suppressing the Material World, the Tulip Alliance possesses the broadest land and governs the largest population, this is also the issue Aiven and Liweina must confront now.

"Open fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

With two rounds of rapid firing, the projectiles carrying enormous kinetic energy easily tore apart that "crocodile demon-like" equivalent to Tier 3 into pieces.

The [High-pressure Steam Cannon] surpasses the current shipborne artillery on sail battleships in both firing rate and power, promising a bright future.

As the test ended, Liweina turned expectantly:

"Aiven, Hesi, the good stuff you told me about that can deal with Demon Gods should be taken out now, right?"