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Chapter 1320: High-Energy Experiment (Part 1)

When he woke from the Dream World the following noon, Roland received genuinely good news.

The Ministries of Engineering and Construction had finally finished establishing the site and assembling the equipment required for the “Glory of the Sun” plan.

In theory, fifty-two kilograms was enough to achieve the critical mass of spherical Uranium-235, so elemental purity was not the primary obstacle. Lucia had been at work continuously and the Research Institute of High Energy Physics had already accumulated over a hundred kilograms of pure uranium in reserve.

But simply stacking Uranium-235 together was insufficient to release the full power of the fission reaction without a staggering additional energy input—which would destroy any practical safety margin. The effect had to be catalyzed through specific configurations.

The second essential requirement was a test detonation.

Theory and calculation were one thing. Execution was another. In the transition from experimental device to finished weapon, success in a single attempt was effectively impossible. By the statistics Roland had gathered from developing armaments for the First Army, failed trials of various weapons numbered in the double digits—and those trials had the advantage of existing blueprints and the witches’ assistance.

The “Glory of the Sun” demanded something different.

Other weapons could be built, modified, and tested at the same location without consequence. A fission reaction could not. Whether it succeeded or failed, the ground it was tested on would become a forbidden zone.

The search and survey for a test site alone had consumed nearly a month.

The Fertile Plains were vast, but unsuitable—Neverwinter planned further development in that direction. The Fjords held many small islands, but they were too remote; sea transport was already under severe strain, and finding additional ships for the necessary equipment was not realistic. The uninhabited desert to the south seemed promising, but Roland had considered the fact that relics of the “Match Men” were buried there and, after prolonged hesitation, rejected it out of concern for future development and use of the land.

In the end, the test site was assigned to the west of the Great Snow Mountain, on the grounds of former demon outpost camps.

The risk of encountering demons or demonic beasts there was real, but within an acceptable range. And regardless of the test’s outcome, the detonation would render a tract of land permanently contaminated—which would, incidentally, add a layer of protection to Neverwinter’s rear.

Only after clearing these two hurdles would they be qualified to proceed with nuclear testing.

“Your Majesty, please take me along.”

“And me.”

“I don’t think I even need to say it—as long as it is a weapon that can kill demons, I need to witness it, whatever it takes!”

Roland had been reading the news from the Third Border City when the entreaties arrived simultaneously. He stared at three enormous faces squashed together in the light curtain across from him and could not help pressing a hand briefly to his forehead. “This is only a test of the experimental device. The actual weapon is still a long way off.”

The “Glory of the Sun” had never left Pasha’s and Celine’s minds since Roland first explained the plan to the Taquila witches. That Alethea would join the petition he had not foreseen; there was something almost like reverence in her voice.

“If it truly is as you describe—enough to light up the darkness above humanity—then I want to witness the birth of this device from beginning to end.” Pasha lowered her main tentacles.

“I made significant contributions to the design of the core unit,” Celine added. “You can hardly leave one of the planners behind.”

“But there are no underground passages between the Great Snow Mountain and the observation position—”

“That is no concern. During the Months of Demons there is no sun; we can be active outside far longer than usual.” Alethea answered before the objection had even fully formed, as though she had been braced for it. “The passage Fran burrowed last time is still open. We would leave the city without drawing any notice.”

Roland exchanged a glance with Anna. She smiled at him and nodded.

Faced with this degree of persistence, refusal would have been unreasonable.

“Then I’ll have the construction team reserve space for you in the bunker. Bring a few God’s Punishment Witches with you, and travel carefully.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The three spoke as one.

Roland watched them and felt something he could not quite name settle over the moment.

In his previous life, nuclear weapons had been treated as instruments of self-destruction—the Sword of Damocles, in the phrase that appeared in so many books. Countless literary works and biographies described the bomb as a catastrophe waiting for its hour. Here, the same device was regarded as a ray of hope. In times of darkness, only strength could shield civilization and cut a path through the thorns.

He turned to Anna. “Let’s go.”

Fifty kilometers to the northwest of the Great Snow Mountain.

The snow here was heavier than anything Neverwinter saw. It had buried the land that the demons had once scarred, and it made bunker construction considerably more difficult than estimated.

The God’s Punishment Witches had made the difference. With their support, the construction crew had managed to settle into this desolate terrain.

To guarantee quality, the entire construction team had been drawn from the elite of the northern expedition. They had survived the slaughter on the Fertile Plains; harsh weather was not an enemy they found formidable. They had been told before departure that this was Neverwinter’s most strictly classified construction project, one tied to the future of their homes and kingdom—and the Administrative Office’s promised compensation was substantial. Every last person arrived at the site charged with purpose.

In the old Graycastle, no amount of noble pressure could have put laborers willingly into a camp like this.

Roland and his companions needed nearly two days to reach the test site. When they entered the half-buried command post, the interior closed around them like a different world—a thick brick wall held back the wind and snow; a fireplace crackled and threw heat; department heads moved through the space holding oil lamps aloft, checking tasks against charts, the room loud with the concentrated industry of people who knew exactly what they were doing.

When Roland entered, the work stopped.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

“Continue.” He waved them back to their stations and turned to Karl Van Bate. “What is the situation here?”

“No traces of demons in the past month,” Karl replied. “They have most likely abandoned this position entirely. Demonic beasts appear in groups of a few dozen from time to time, but they pose no threat to the garrison. The test explosion platform and simulation equipment are all complete. Unless you have other instructions, they meet every requirement of the plan.”

“Where is the test platform?”

“To the north—fifteen kilometers from here.” Karl gestured at the map. “It cannot be seen from the command post. The snow has piled so high that even a three-story structure would be buried.”

“No matter. We will see it clearly enough when it detonates.” Roland smiled, then looked at Anna. “Then let us begin the first test.”

In the past six months, the two of them had prepared at least three configurations for testing. This first one was the simplest: the gun configuration.

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