bookrebus Chapter 710 Steam Armor
Chapter 710 Steam Armor
Stephen's carriage stopped outside the research institute. As soon as the sound of the wheels rolling over the ground subsided, he pushed open the carriage door and walked straight to the exclusive experimental area for the steam armor.
As he walked through several corridors, the low rumble of machinery and the hissing of leaking steam gradually reached his ears. These sounds eased his tense nerves slightly. Compared to the endless accidents on the other side of the portal, the development of the steam armor was progressing in the expected direction, which made him feel a more tangible sense of progress.
The experimental area was brightly lit, and the air was filled with a faint smell of engine oil mixed with steam.
A researcher is standing not far away, constantly issuing instructions to the experimenters in front of him.
"Okay, okay, walk over slowly."
The guided experimenter was only equipped with the leg components of a steam armor. The heavy metal structure encased his legs, with fine gears meshing and turning at the joints. Each step was accompanied by a dull metallic clanging sound.
The armor on his lower body alone made him significantly taller, and the cylindrical steam backpack on his back constantly emitted white mist. Occasionally, a wisp of air would leak from the pipes on the side of the backpack, emitting a brief hissing sound.
"Turn left! Turn left!"
The researchers' voices rang out again, their eyes fixed on the mechanical joints of the experimenter's legs, their hands holding a recording board to constantly mark the data.
The experimenters took a deep breath and focused their attention on feeling the power transmitted from the armor.
The energy provided by the steam backpack is delivered to the leg joints through pipes, driving the gears to turn. Each turn requires precise control of the internal forces and the linkage between the armor.
His steps were initially a bit stiff, and the metal plates at his knees made a clicking sound as they collided, but as the instructions were repeated, his movements gradually became smoother, and the shift of his center of gravity when turning became more and more stable.
Stephen stood quietly to one side for a long time, his gaze fixed on the transmission structure of the armor's legs, watching how the gears meshed precisely and how the steam drove the pistons, while he pondered the connection plan for the subsequent upper body armor.
He noted that the fit between the armor and the body could be improved when the experimenters were running, but overall, the progress had exceeded initial expectations.
After the experimenters completed a set of basic movement tests and stopped to rest, Stephen walked towards the research group leader who was not far away.
The team leader was organizing the experimental data in his hands when he noticed someone approaching, so he looked up at Stephen.
Stephen's gaze fell on the record board in the team leader's hand, and he asked directly.
"What stage is the experimental project at now?"
The team leader put away the record board, his tone tinged with excitement.
"The experiments on the lower body of the steam armor are almost complete. The testers can now walk and run normally, and they can also turn and stop suddenly. The data fluctuations are all within a reasonable range. Now all that's left is to install the upper body armor and conduct a full set of tests."
Stephen nodded slightly, feeling relieved.
He had previously worried that there would be problems with the weight-bearing capacity and dynamic balance of his lower body, since the steam armor was quite heavy and even a slight deviation could lead to inconvenience or structural damage.
"The progress is much faster than I expected. What made the experiment suddenly go so smoothly?"
"It mainly relies on the group of people recruited by His Majesty."
The team leader explained.
"They can all use magic to avoid the damage caused by the steam."
This group of people can be roughly divided into two categories: one group suddenly mastered some simple magic, and the other group claimed to have been chosen by angels and called themselves the chosen ones.
Regardless of the type, they can all use Netherworld energy to form a protective layer to block the high temperatures generated inside the steam armor.
The experiment previously stalled because ordinary researchers couldn't withstand the heat inside the armor; now, with their help, the test can proceed smoothly.
Stephen understood; the application of Netherworld energy was indeed key. He hadn't expected that the Netherworld creatures and related energy research brought by the portal would come in handy in the steam armor project.
Those who can manipulate the energy of the Netherworld are essentially natural-born fitters.
He secretly rejoiced that His Majesty had managed to recruit such talent in time; otherwise, the project would likely have been delayed for much longer.
"Come on, let's take a look at the steam-powered mech."
After Stephen finished speaking, he took the lead and walked deeper into the experimental area.
The team leader quickly followed, and the two walked through an area filled with various mechanical parts and tools, arriving at a huge iron gate.
The iron gate was made of heavy alloy, and a soldier with a weapon stood on each side, guarding it vigilantly.
Stephen stopped and nodded to the soldiers.
"Open it."
Upon receiving the order, the two soldiers exchanged a glance and simultaneously exerted their strength, gripping the handles on both sides of the iron gate with both hands, slowly and steadily pushing the iron gate open to the sides.
Accompanied by a piercing metallic scraping sound, the scene behind the door gradually came into view.
What comes into view is a set of steam-powered armor, over two meters tall, standing silently in the center of the room, like a silent giant.
The armor is forged from a dark gray alloy and its surface is covered with intricate pipes and gears. The interface on the back is perfectly compatible with the steam backpack worn by the previous test subjects.
Its left hand holds a huge hammer with a thick head and sharp edges. The side of the hammer head is engraved with a guide groove to facilitate the steam ejection and enhance the impact force. Its right hand holds a long greatsword with a wide blade and a cold, sharp light. The hilt is tightly connected to the arm structure of the armor to ensure stability when wielding it.
Stephen walked slowly closer, his gaze carefully sweeping over every part of the armor.
The shoulder armor plates are designed just right, ensuring protection without restricting the range of motion of the arms. There is a transparent observation window in the core area of the chest, allowing you to see the gears running inside. The leg structure is the same as the lower body components tested earlier, but the overall assembly has smoother lines and reinforced protection at the joints.
"According to your plan, we have completed all the feasible designs."
The team leader stood beside Stephen, his tone tinged with pride.
"All parts of the armor are flexible, and the switching and use of weapons have been simulated and tested, and there are no problems at all. In addition to this melee configuration, we have also built another one, adding ranged weapons, mainly steam-driven jet devices that can fire specially designed projectiles."
Stephen reached out and gently touched the chest armor of the suit. He could feel the powerful force contained within the armor. As long as the wearer could skillfully control it, this steam armor would be enough to deal with most of the threats from the Netherworld creatures, and could even play a huge role on the battlefield.
Compared to those uncontrollable portals and ghostly creatures, steam armor is a power that can truly be held in one's own hands.
Stephen felt a surge of accomplishment; all his hard work and waiting had paid off.
He turned to look at the team leader, his eyes resolute.
"Alright, then get ready. We'll be conducting a full-scale steam armor experiment tomorrow."
"clear."
The team leader responded immediately.
"We will complete the final debugging tonight, check the connection of all components to ensure stable energy transmission, and arrange suitable test personnel to familiarize them with the control logic of the entire suit of armor in advance."
Stephen nodded, saying nothing more, but turned his gaze back to the steam armor.
It stood there quietly, as if it were ready to be tested. Although the steam backpack had not yet been started, one could vaguely feel the surging power contained within it.
Stephen was looking forward to tomorrow's experiment, believing that the steam armor, which embodied the hard work of all the researchers, would surely bring satisfactory results.
He lingered there for a moment, carefully examining several key parts of the armor. Finding no obvious flaws, he then turned and walked towards the door.
Before leaving, he specifically instructed the guards to be on high alert, as this set of steam armor was the most important achievement of the research institute and no accidents could be tolerated.
As Stephen approached the entrance to the experimental area, he glanced back at the tightly closed iron gate, already mentally planning the specific procedures for tomorrow's experiment.
He needs to be present to supervise and record every piece of data. If any problems are found, he must immediately organize personnel to make adjustments.
Compared to the uncertainties on the other side of the portal, the experiment with the steam armor requires even more rigor and meticulousness, allowing no room for carelessness.
With that in mind, Stephen quickened his pace. He needed to go back and organize the previous experimental data to make full preparations for tomorrow's full set of tests.
After all, this was the closest they had ever come to success, and he didn't want to ruin everything because of any oversight.