20-02 Great Success
Jin quickly checked Reiko’s condition. Fortunately, she had suffered no damage, as expected from a world-class automaton made of rare materials.
“Reiko, I need your help to fix the laboratory. Can you assist me?” Jin asked after Reiko had stopped bowing.
“Yes, Father. I will also ask Soleil and Luna for assistance,” Reiko replied obediently.
“That’s a good idea.”
Reiko’s assistant golems, Soleil and Luna, had been taking care of Jin’s house beside the laboratory lately. Since they were nearby when Reiko broke through the laboratory wall, Jin decided to enlist their help in repairing the outer wall.
Thankfully, the damage was confined to a vacant room. Jin assembled the fragments and used engineering magic, “Fusion Fusion,” to restore the laboratory to its original state in less than 30 minutes.
“Phew, that should do it. Thank you, Soleil and Luna.”
“Yes, we will return home now.”
“If you need anything, please call us.”
Soleil and Luna bowed and returned to Jin’s house. Jin turned to Reiko.
“Reiko, do you know what caused this recent incident?”
“Yes, Father. It was due to the magical energy reactor, the Magillia Reactor’s output being too high, even though it was less than one percent…”
“That low, yet… I see.” Jin had a vague idea. The Force Generator, a field generator, had exceptional efficiency.
“When we used gravity magic to reduce weight to nearly zero, we required around 20 percent output. Is this new Force Generator really that efficient?”
Jin nodded. “Ah, I see. Gravity magic generates gravitational acceleration, affecting all points on an imaginary straight line. In contrast, a Force Generator operates at just one point, which is why the efficiency differs.”
Jin wasn’t a physicist, but he understood enough to apply it.
In the case of “Stone Bullet,” Jin realized that with less waste, it could be possible to launch a large stone with even less magic power. He added, “I understand. Next, I’ll try it with even less magic power.”
“Wait. It might not be safe here. Let’s go to the coast.”
So Jin and Reiko traveled to the coast on Pegasus 1.
They arrived at Tatsumi Bay, where Marine 1 and Aqua 1 were drying tengusa (seaweed substitute). Aqua 1 asked, “What’s the matter, Master?”
Jin explained, “I came to test Reiko’s new function. Since it might be dangerous, could you stay a bit further away?”
“Understood.”
Jin created a solid barrier, recalling the danger of Reiko’s earlier rampage. However, Reiko couldn’t control only the magnitude of power, not its direction, so there was no need to worry.
“Alright, good.”
Ken activated the physical barrier and signaled through the mana communicator. Reiko responded, saying, “Yes, Father. I’m going now.”
Reiko began to sprint toward the sea at about 50 kilometers per hour. She left a line in the sand as she moved, even though she wasn’t using her legs.
Reaching the shoreline, Reiko made an instant turn and came to a stop right in front of Jin. She had grasped her new function well.
“Father, I think I’ve got the hang of it.”
“It seems so.”
Next, Reiko attempted three-dimensional mobility, and she slowly ascended to an altitude of about 10 meters before stopping.
“Father, please take a look.”
After those words, Reiko moved horizontally at an impressive speed, heading towards the sea. She executed a series of somersaults, figure-eights, and more.
Reiko continued to test her new function. Rapidly ascending and descending, she flew horizontally in large arcs. With time, her speed increased, and her turning radius became smaller. Ken watched in excitement.
Then, Reiko forcefully ascended at an angle, creating a sonic boom as she broke the sound barrier. In an instant, she returned, stopping above the sea. She moved gently and landed next to Ken.
“Father, is this level suitable for testing?”
Ken deactivated the barrier and picked up Reiko, exclaiming, “Yes, it’s enough. Amazing, Reiko! It’s a great success!” However, he quickly let her go with an “Ouch.”
Reiko, who had been flying at supersonic speeds, generated considerable heat due to adiabatic compression of the air.
“Are you okay, Father?”
Thanks to Reiko’s temperature regulation system, she remained only slightly warm.
“It’s alright,” Ken replied, still smiling happily.
“Reiko, have you noticed anything wrong?”
“No, there is nothing wrong, but I have noticed that controlling the body’s rotation is somewhat challenging.”
Ken agreed, “I see.”
He realized that adding rotational movement capability would allow free movement within three-dimensional space and changes in orientation.
“All right, let’s start improving it right away.”
Jin and Reiko boarded Pegasus 1 and returned to the laboratory.
Muttering to himself, Jin began working on the improvements. He added force field generators, known as force generators, on Reiko’s shoulders and hips to allow free orientation.
“This should do it. Reiko, give it a try.”
After a recheck, they conducted the third test. Reiko ascended up to 100 meters into the air and started with a slow rotation around the body’s axis, gradually increasing the speed. If she were human, dizziness or fainting would have been likely, but Reiko remained composed.
As Reiko executed various movements, Jin watched from a hundred meters above on Pegasus 1.
“Um, at this point, we really need to consider the issue of air resistance…”
To achieve supersonic speed with an object shaped like Reiko, efficiency was indeed a problem. Heating due to adiabatic compression of air was also an issue.
“I wonder if we could apply the Wind Barrier to somehow solve it…”
While Reiko freely maneuvered through the air, Jin began to formulate new ideas.