Chapter 3: Continuous Supply Coating Technique

Duke, who had traversed into this otherworldly realm, wasn't sure about the specific terminology to use.

In his predecessor's memories, the Seven Towers Federation marked the boundary of his knowledge. He had no idea about what the Seven Towers Federation represented, how large it was, or what kind of political system it adhered to.

All he knew was that he lived in Snakehead Town beneath the Sunken Dragon City.

This place was also the territory of the Black Snake Clan, and most industries in the small town were under the control of the Black Snake Clan. Although the Black Snake Clan's population was not large, direct blood relations were rarely seen.

However, he knew one thing—there were extraordinary powers in this world.

Opening one of the three seas—Qi Sea, Blood Sea, or Spirit Sea—allowed ordinary people to cultivate these extraordinary powers and become a powerful class surpassing ordinary folks.

"I've failed in opening the Qi Sea and Blood Sea. There won't be a second chance, so the only hope I can hold onto is this boundless star sea!"

In the dream, Duke roamed freely.

His eyes focused only on those two dazzling lights—a light shaped like a phone and another shaped like a pistol.

"I was playing with guns at the Falcon Club the night before my traversal. Just as I answered a customer's call, there was an explosion outside... I don't know the details, but without a doubt, my phone and gun came through with me and are hanging in my Spirit Sea, waiting for me to unlock them." He gazed forward.

The light mass shaped like a phone was composed of complex and densely packed light circuits. These circuits twisted and turned seemingly in an orderly manner, with no intersections between any two lines, no matter how many times he stared at them. They remained independently infinite.

As for the other light mass shaped like a pistol, it was formed by a simple light circuit, resembling a circle twisted into the shape of a pistol.

"These light circuits are made up of spiritual energy, forming energy circuits—rings!"

In the spiritual magic system, rings were the core keys of spirituality, like DNA. A complete ring could exhibit extraordinary and unimaginable power.

A closed energy circuit was one ring.

"This pistol is one ring. As for the phone, the light circuits are overly complex, and I can't distinguish how many closed circuits there are. In any case, there should be many rings."

Duke tried to reach out and touch.

But the multi-ring phone and the single-ring pistol showed no response. Last night, in his dream, he tried every method, but he couldn't make the slightest touch. "So, the only way is to open my Spirit Sea, and then I can get my cheat system!"

...

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The neighbor's rooster, which was raised by the household next door, started crowing before dawn, waking Duke up along with his biological clock. He hastily prepared breakfast and finished it. Then, Duke rushed off to work.

Being an apprentice in the card repair shop was his only source of income for now.

Until he found another source of income, he couldn't afford to lose the job that sustained him.

"Before the traversal, I was the owner of a small factory. Unexpectedly, after crossing, I started a 996 work life..." Reflecting on the hardships of the world, Duke seriously began wiping the machines.

At a quarter past nine, the card repairman, Best, arrived at Little Sam's Card Repair Shop as usual.

"Coffee, Duke!"

"Coming."

"Pay attention and learn seriously!" Best, who had finished his coffee and was in a good mood, didn't scold Duke this time. Instead, he invited Duke to learn card repair skills with him.

As an officially opened Spirit Sea card repairman, Best wasn't afraid of Duke learning the core technology.

After all, the core technology of card repair required support from the Spirit Sea.

"Turn on the envelope machine for preheating. Later, you'll put a cover on the envelope of the spiritual card." Best quickly repaired a slightly damaged spiritual card, gesturing for Duke to put a cover on the spiritual card envelope later.

Spirit cards were delicate items that required protection with a cover.

"Alright, teacher."

Duke skillfully powered on the machine, then took the spirit card and placed it in the device.

The coating nozzle hummed, spraying several streams of hot liquid, followed by transparent coating that evenly spurted onto the surface of the spirit card, much like glue.

Both sides needed uniform coating, taking about five minutes.

Duke operated the machine with boredom, his thoughts wandering to how to make money. Unknowingly, his hand trembled, causing the spirit card to tilt, and the sprayed coating became uneven.

The coating solidified upon contact with the air, making it impossible to smooth out.

"Oh." Duke quickly stopped the coating machine.

Best turned around and immediately exploded in anger, scolding him, "Idiot! You can't even cover the coating properly, truly useless! You wasted the coating, get out! You don't deserve to learn card repair!"

Taking the spirit card with a distressed expression, Best peeled off the damaged cover and personally re-covered it.

In reality, the coating wasn't expensive, but it couldn't come into contact with air and needed to be sealed in a specific box. These boxes were disposable and costly.

Best could deduct a few coating boxes from the shop every month by saving on coating applications, earning him an extra two or three silver dragons a month.

Being wasted by Duke meant a furious scolding.

Duke showed the obedient demeanor expected of an apprentice, but as he lowered his head, his eyes suddenly lit up. He thought of a way to make money.

...

In Duke's view, the coating machine was like a printer.

Although their functions were different, they had a striking similarity in the supply of ink and coating. Printers relied on ink cartridges for ink supply, while coating machines relied on coating boxes.

Ink cartridges included disposable ones, reusable ones, and even continuous ink supply systems.

However, the coating boxes for coating machines were only disposable, and after use, they would be exposed to air, making it impossible to refill the coating. They had to be discarded.

"If I design a continuous coating supply system for the coating machine, won't I be able to make a fortune?"

The technical difficulty of a continuous supply coating system wasn't high. This was just an idea that others hadn't discovered yet. Duke happened to have some knowledge of printers, which inspired him.

"If I really get to work on making it, under my current conditions, I might not be able to produce a complete continuous supply coating system. However, the technical principle is simple and clear. I should be able to sell it for quite a sum!"

"So, who should I sell it to?"

From the memories of his predecessor, he recalled that the Seven Towers Federation placed great importance on patent rights and the transformation of spiritual magic technology from the extraordinary domain to the social sphere.

"It seems that to register a patent, I have to go to the Comprehensive Tower in the city."

The spiritual magic system was vast, and there were various types of magicians. Among them, there was a group called scholars who were dedicated to developing the applications of spiritual magic in society—similar to the products like the spiritual rice cooker and the coating machine, all of which were invented by scholars.

Similarly.

The Comprehensive Tower established by scholars was responsible for managing all patents in the Seven Towers Federation, and its strictness exceeded that of Earth.

"But here's the problem."

Duke touched his chin, which was still hairless and hadn't grown a beard. "I'm just an ordinary person, and I'm only fifteen years old. Can I successfully apply for a patent for the continuous supply coating technique?"

The predecessor in his memories had lived in Snakehead Town from childhood to adulthood and had never been to Sunken Dragon City.

He had a vague understanding of the Seven Towers Federation from others' accounts. The real workings of the Seven Towers Federation and its societal atmosphere were unknown to him.

"Even in Snakehead Town, most industries are monopolized by the Black Snake Clan, and ordinary people have no chance to get involved... The law of the jungle is an eternal truth."

"If I rashly go to Sunken Dragon City, I'm afraid I won't even be able to enter the gate of the Comprehensive Tower."

"If I seek help from scalpers, will they encroach on my patent?"

Applying for a patent was indeed a one-time effort, but the risks were enormous. Especially in this extraordinary world, facing potential malice as an ordinary person, he was defenseless.

"I need to be cautious!"

After thinking it over, he decided to give up on applying for a patent. "What I need now is just a startup capital of twenty-three silver dragons. Other benefits can be discarded."

After understanding this, he relaxed completely.

"In that case, let's go find Old Sam."