Lightning Rod Lightning-Attracting Demon Tower

In the early morning, Norrent Castle was shrouded in a faint, thin mist.

After yesterday's thrilling Bishop's inspection incident, the Rose Courtyard seemed exceptionally peaceful today. Only a few unknown birds landed on the windowsill, chirping and discussing the terrifying, suffocating aura from last night.

In the study, Lynch was staring blankly out the window.

Although he had successfully fooled the overly nervous Bishop Simon with excuses of a ley line disorder and an alchemy furnace explosion, the matter was not over yet.

Since a lie has been told, it must be covered up completely.

Lynch stroked his chin, frowning slightly. Although the bishop has left, he will definitely send someone to keep an eye on this place. If there is no subsequent sign of managing the ley lines, that old man will definitely get suspicious.

Moreover, the Territory Security Hidden Danger prompt on the system panel was still flashing.

[Prompt: Detected that the energy field in the territory has been extremely unstable recently (due to the frequent magical battles between a certain Holy Son and a certain Witch). It is recommended that the host build an energy diversion system as soon as possible to prevent innocent buildings from being affected during the next furnace explosion.]

[Task Issued: Ley Line Acupuncturist] [Task Description: Establish an energy diversion device at the highest point of the castle to channel the restless charges and magic residue in the air into the ground.] [Recommended Blueprint: Franklin-style Lightning Rod (Magically Modified Version).] [Task Reward: General Building Points x500; Special Blueprint: High-Voltage Energy Storage Battery Pack.]

Understood.

Lynch snapped his fingers. To put it bluntly, it's just installing a lightning rod! By the way, I can also use this as a magical artifact to suppress the ley lines, showing the church folks that I am seriously doing scientific research to manage the environment.

He did as he said.

Lynch immediately exchanged a batch of high-purity copper ingots from the system mall, dug out a few rolls of insulating tape and a carving knife used to draw alchemy arrays (which were actually circuit diagrams), and rushed to the castle's back garden in a flurry.

...

Clang, clang...

The crisp knocking sounds broke the tranquility of the morning.

In the garden pavilion, Lokina was slouched on a lounge chair without any regard for her image, holding a bowl of iced mung bean soup she had just swiped from the kitchen, squinting her eyes in comfort.

This is life...

The former Holy Son sighed. No morning classes, no prayers, and no rigid bishop. Only delicious mung bean soup and... noise?

She opened her eyes in dissatisfaction and looked toward the source of the sound.

She saw Lynch, wearing a work uniform stained with copper rust, directing a few servants to erect a massive copper pillar a full ten meters tall on one side of the Rose Courtyard.

The copper pillar was bare, its top polished to a sharp point, and its base connected to several thick metal wires that extended deep underground.

What is this doing?

Lokina slurped some mung bean soup and walked over curiously. Lynch, what strange alchemy experiment are you doing now? Is this... big iron stick used for hanging clothes to dry?

Hanging clothes?

Lynch wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned back with a smile. Teacher Lokina, this is high technology. It's called a lightning rod, specially used to... well, how should I explain it to you, it's used to bleed the sky.

Bleed?

Lokina tilted her head, her golden eyes full of clear stupidity. Can the sky get sick too?

Of course.

Lynch spouted nonsense with a straight face. Look, didn't we have an energy disorder here yesterday? That means too much resentment... oh no, electric charge, has accumulated in the air. This rod is meant to guide these bad tempers into the ground, protecting our house from being struck by lightning.

Lokina walked around the copper pillar twice.

As the former Holy Son, she still had the ability to appreciate magical devices.

But this pillar...

There is absolutely no magical fluctuation.

Lokina reached out and knocked on the copper pillar, producing a crisp clang. There is no magic core inside, no energy-gathering arrays engraved on the surface, not even the most basic reinforcement runes. This is just a pure metal stick.

Lynch, were you scared silly by that bishop?

Lokina looked at him with a gaze meant for caring for the mentally disabled. This kind of mortal iron, let alone attracting lightning, is even too thin to be a flagpole. What if it attracts heavenly fire during a thunderstorm and burns your courtyard down?

You don't understand, this is called physics.

Lynch smiled mysteriously without explaining much. He picked up the carving knife and began to carve the so-called suppression runes on the base of the copper pillar.

In fact, they were strings of complex physics formulas: Maxwell's equations, Ohm's law, and a large grounding symbol.

But in Lokina's eyes, these squiggles were harder to understand than the most profound divine inscriptions.

What spell is this? E=mc2? Lokina read the letters on it. It doesn't sound like Ancient Elven, nor like Dragon language... Could it be some lost Titan Divine Language?

For some reason, looking at Lynch's confident appearance, the mockery in Lokina's heart suddenly weakened a bit.

This guy... although he is an ordinary person with no magic power, the things he makes are always weird but very effective. Just like that air cannon...

Forget it, as long as it doesn't blow up my braised pork, let him toss about.

...

Right at this moment, a fragrant breeze wafted over.

Felsy walked over gracefully, holding a lace parasol. Today she wore a light purple long dress, her silver hair pinned up to reveal her slender neck, looking just like an impeccable noble lady.

Of course, that was if one ignored the instantly cold look in her eyes when she glanced at Lokina.

What? The theology teacher isn't preparing lessons, but studying such manual labor here?

Felsy walked up to Lynch, took out a handkerchief, and naturally wiped the dust off his face. Her tone instantly turned soft, Are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while?

It's fine, it will be done soon.

Lynch enjoyed his wife's service and pointed at the copper pillar to show off. Look, wifey, this is the Sea-Calming Divine Needle I made for our home. With it, no matter how big the thunderstorm is in the future, our home will be as steady as a mountain.

Felsy looked up and glanced at the spike pointing straight at the sky.

In the vision of her magic eyes, this pillar indeed had no magic power. However, its shape was extremely sharp, even carrying a kind of untamed arrogance that seemed to want to pierce the heavens.

It has no magical drive, yet he claims it can resist heavenly lightning?

Felsy's heart stirred slightly.

If it were anyone else saying this, she would have slapped them away long ago. But this was Lynch.

The man who could make double-skin milk, invent the air cannon, and even cause that rigid bishop to return in defeat.

I believe you.

Felsy smiled slightly. That trust was blind but firm. As long as it's made by you, even a piece of straw can block a dragon's breath.

However...

Her gaze swept across the joints of the copper pillar. They were fastened with screws and looked somewhat flimsy.

"Although Lynch's theory is definitely correct, this material is mortal iron after all. What if the wind is too strong and snaps it, and it hits Lynch?"

Seizing the moment when Lynch turned around to grab a tool.

Felsy's finger flicked imperceptibly.

Buzz—

An extremely obscure strand of shadow magic, as fine as a hair, silently wrapped around the copper pillar.

The magic quickly permeated the interior of the metal, altering the molecular structure of the copper and elevating its hardness to a level comparable to adamantine. At the same time, she laid down a Shadow Devouring Array around the underground grounding grid.

"Whether it draws down ordinary lightning or heavenly tribulations, devouring it all will do." "I suppose this counts as... a trivial little 'reinforcement' for my husband's little invention."

Having done all this, Felsy casually retracted her hand and continued to hand Lynch his water.

Lokina, who witnessed everything from the side: "..."

"Cheating! This is absolute cheating!" "What physics! It's clearly a magical artifact blessed by a witch!" "That fool Lynch actually thinks he's the amazing one... This couple is simply beyond saving."

...

In the afternoon.

The device was finally installed.

This ten-meter-tall lightning rod stood like a lone sword at the highest point of Norlent Castle—the top of the Rose Garden's tower.

Lynch stood below, clapping his hands in satisfaction.

"Mission accomplished!"

"Butler Sebas, please record this: 'Norlent Castle Energy Diversion Tower Number One' is completed today. If anyone asks in the future, just tell them it is a 'suppression array' built to calm the restless ley lines."

"Yes, sir."

The old butler, Sebas, had appeared in the shadows at some unknown time, still holding that thick diary in his hands.

He looked up, his cloudy old eyes staring intently at the spike at the top of the tower.

At this moment, it was the prelude to an afternoon thunderstorm.

Dark clouds began to gather on the horizon, and the faint rolling of thunder could be heard.

Under the gloomy sky, that spike gleamed with a chilling light that made one's heart palpitate. Especially those "physics formulas" carved by Lynch, which, in Sebas's eyes, were faintly glowing along with the flow of surrounding magic (in reality, it was the residual magic from Felsy's reinforcement).

Sebas's hands began to tremble.

His breathing grew rapid, and the fanaticism in his eyes practically overflowed.

"What... what an overbearing method!"

He lowered his head and wrote rapidly in the diary:

Observation Log: Magic Calendar Year 784, Late Spring.

Today, the great Lord Lynch finally no longer conceals his ambition.

He has built a tower. A 'lightning rod' in the eyes of mortals, but in reality... it is a 'Heaven-Defying Magic Tower' declaring war on the heavens!

Look at those runes (referring to E=mc²)! Those are no ordinary magic circuits; they are the truth that analyzes the origin of the world and alters its laws!

What he called 'diverting into the earth' is not for defense at all! He intends to use this magic tower to actively trigger the heavenly tribulations from the nine heavens! To forcefully capture that tyrannical lightning capable of destroying all things, and inject it into the underground of the castle!

He wants to use heavenly lightning to temper this demon's lair! He wants to use the wrath of the gods to power Lady witch's bedchamber!

'Make the sky bleed'... Heavens, what an arrogant yet fascinating declaration!

Even the Lady witch personally took action, blessing this magic tower with the laws of shadow. Light and dark, lightning and shadow, have reached a perfect conspiracy in this moment!

Writing up to here, Sebas was so excited that tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

It was as if he could already see the scene where, amidst the thunderous might, Lord Lynch stood at the top of the tower, grasping lightning in his hand, looking down upon all living beings.

"Lord Lynch..."

Sebas closed the diary, bowed deeply, and spoke with a tone more respectful than ever before, "Your wisdom has long surpassed mortal imagination. This old servant... is truly amazed."

Lynch: "?"

"Um, Butler Sebas, there's no need to exaggerate like that."

Lynch scratched his head, "This is actually just a basic educational science facility. If a primary school is built in the town in the future, I can even bring the children here to visit and learn."

Sebas's heart skipped a beat: Visit and learn? Is he trying to cultivate the children's desire to 'defy heaven and change their fate' from a young age? Is he trying to build an army of demon children who fear no divine might? Brilliant! Truly brilliant!

"This old servant understands. I will go arrange the 'security work' right away, and absolutely will not let the church's spies come even half a step close to this sacred tower."

...

Perhaps it was the system's arrangement, or perhaps it was a coincidence.

Less than half an hour after the lightning rod was erected, a true spring thunderstorm suddenly arrived.

Rumble—!!!

Dark clouds pressed down on the city, and electric snakes danced wildly.

The entire Broken Gold Town was shrouded in an apocalyptic darkness.

On a hillside on the outskirts of the castle, several figures wearing gray cloaks were lurking in the woods.

"The Bishop has ordered us to keep an eye on Norlent Castle."

One of them said in a low voice, "If any outbreak of heretical energy is discovered, send a signal immediately."

"Captain, look!"

Another person pointed toward the castle in terror, "What is that?!"

Amidst the storm, the spire at the highest point of the castle suddenly lit up with a blinding light.

Crack—!!!

A bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket, seemingly drawn by some invisible force, did not strike the surrounding trees or buildings. Instead, it struck the top of that copper pillar precisely, fiercely, and directly!

"Heaven's punishment! This is Heaven's punishment!"

That spy was so frightened that his legs went soft. "A demon must be born; even the heavens cannot tolerate it!"

However.

The next second, a scene occurred that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

That terrifying lightning, which was enough to level the entire castle to the ground, the moment it touched the copper pillar, unexpectedly acted like a tamed fire snake, flowing down the copper pillar obediently.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

The blue electric light traveled along the wire and instantly vanished into the earth.

There was no explosion.

There was no fire.

Even the copper pillar itself did not suffer the slightest damage.

And illuminated by the sky full of lightning, three figures were standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Rose Garden.

The man in the middle (Lynch), holding a cup of coffee, looked calmly at the thunderstorm outside the window, as if enjoying a free fireworks show.

The silver-haired woman on the left (Felsy) leaned against him, a cold smile mocking the heavens hanging on the corner of her mouth.

The blonde girl on the right (Lokina), although covering her ears and shivering, still stubbornly gripped an ear of corn in her hand.

"This... how is this possible?!"

The spies' jaws almost dropped. "The lightning... was eaten?!"

"That man... he's controlling the lightning?!"

"Quick! Hurry back and report to the Bishop!"

The leading spy's voice trembled, "Norlent Castle... is not just as simple as ley line disturbances! They are... they are enslaving natural disasters!!!"

...

Inside the castle.

"Wow! So loud!"

Lokina was so terrified that she threw her corn away and dived straight under the table. "Lynch! Is this thing of yours really reliable? It looked like that lightning bolt was coming right at us!"

"Relax, this is just the principle of a lightning rod."

Lynch calmly took a sip of his coffee. Looking at the wildly jumping Energy Collection Progress Bar on his system panel, he was in an excellent mood.

System Notification: High-voltage charge input detected... Energy channeling successful... High-voltage accumulator battery pack charging... Current progress: 15 percent... 30 percent...

"See? Everything is fine, isn't it?"

Lynch pointed out the window. "The lightning has already been grounded into the earth. This should have also scattered a lot of the stagnant blood blockages in the ley lines."

"Hmph, a petty trick."

Although Felsy said so, her eyes were filled with pride as she looked at Lynch's profile.

"As expected of the man I've set my sights on." "To think he can play with such violent forces of nature in the palm of his hand using just a few copper wires." "Perhaps... compared to magic, this 'science' he speaks of is the power that truly touches the essence of the world?"

She reached out and wrapped her arms around Lynch's.

"Lynch."

"Hmm?"

"Next time there's a thunderstorm, could you channel a bit of that... 'electricity' to the bathroom?"

"What for?"

"I want to try... that 'electric water heater' you mentioned."

Lynch was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"No problem! Not just a water heater, in the future we'll have electric lights, refrigerators, and even... we'll be able to watch movies!"

Amidst the booming backdrop of thunder, Lynch could almost envision a magically modified castle full of modern flair rising up.

But little did he know.

In a distant parish church, Bishop Simon listened to his scout's report. Watching the lightning continuously striking in the direction of Nolent Castle outside his window, he squeezed the cross in his hand so hard that it deformed.

"Enslaving natural disasters... drawing lightning to temper the body..."

Bishop Simon muttered to himself, his face deathly pale. "Just what kind of monster... is that Lynch?!"