"So this... is the so-called Mother Flame?"
After following Vegapunk for a long time, Michael finally arrived at this top-secret area.
Raising his head, he saw an eternal flame burning fiercely within a transparent liquid inside a massive containment device.
"Correct. In my vision, this could provide limitless energy for the world..."
"But at the same time, it could also... become the power source to drive the Ancient Weapons!"
Michael gazed at the Mother Flame before him, murmuring to himself.
As a transmigrator, he naturally knew the purpose of the Mother Flame, and that the destruction of Lulusia Kingdom in the original story was actually an experiment testing the compatibility between Uranus and the Mother Flame.
So the first thought that came to Michael's mind upon seeing the Mother Flame wasn't what it could do...
But rather, how to destroy this thing without creating a rift between himself and Vegapunk.
Yet this thought lasted only a moment.
As Vegapunk's greatest cheat, this energy source comparable to nuclear power yet clean and pollution-free—even someone as scientifically illiterate as Michael knew—could become a blessing for the entire world beyond just weaponization.
No matter what, Michael wouldn't choose to give up eating for fear of choking.
"This issue... I have indeed considered it."
A trace of struggle appeared on Vegapunk's face, "That's precisely why I chose to cooperate with the Revolutionary Army. Unlike the World Government, who cares nothing for civilians beyond maintaining control... you would never abuse the Mother Flame for weapons."
Looking at the earnest Vegapunk before him, Michael nodded.
Dragon had once told him that Vegapunk would absolutely never create weapons of mass destruction.
The fact that he could develop flowers blooming from gunpowder demonstrated his aversion to war.
"Alright, Vegapunk, let's set aside these serious topics for now." Michael said with a smile.
"Ever since my Lineage Factor altered the flames of the Seraphim earlier, you've been looking at me differently... Why is that?"
"You noticed." Vegapunk sighed before continuing, "I was just overjoyed... Initially, we used the Lunarian Race's flames as the foundation for researching the Mother Flame. While we succeeded in creating it, the Mother Flame inherited the Lunarian flames' characteristic... their periodic transformation."
Hearing this, Michael nodded in understanding.
The Lunarian Race possesses flames on their bodies, which have a certain degree of aggressiveness.
These flames periodically vanish, and when they do, their own speed is greatly enhanced...
However, their defensive capabilities decrease during this time.
This was originally a unique racial trait, but unexpectedly, the Mother Flame shares this characteristic.
For the Lunarian Race, this trait has shaped their distinctive combat techniques and habits...
But for an energy source, such fluctuations signify...
Instability.
"Unstable energy isn't exactly a good thing," Michael muttered with a twitch of his lips, casting a wary glance at the Mother Flame.
"Egghead must've suffered quite a few explosions, huh?"
"Not really... I discovered this issue immediately. To prevent the energy from turning into a bomb, I modified it. The good news is, I eliminated this periodic problem..." Vegapunk reached out and placed his hand on the Mother Flame's casing.
"But the bad news is, this turned what could have been a nearly eternal infinite energy source into a finite one... and one that must be fully discharged in a single use."
As he spoke, a hint of concern flickered in Vegapunk's eyes.
"A Mother Flame like this... is ironically more suitable for powering weapons of mass destruction..."
"So... you want me to help you alter the nature of the Mother Flame?" Michael raised an eyebrow with keen interest.
"Is it because... my Holy Flame and Holy Light can modify the fire of the Lunarian Race?"
"Exactly," Vegapunk affirmed with a nod. "If it can change the flames of the Lunarians, then the Mother Flame, which is based on them, can surely be altered as well."
Michael lifted his gaze to observe the Mother Flame contained within its apparatus...
To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
If this clean energy source could truly be deployed worldwide...
It wouldn't just bring a qualitative change to civilian life.
It could reshape the entire industrial landscape of the world.
And Vegapunk's genius was far too valuable.
With such an almost limitless source of clean energy, the technologies he could create would be boundless...
"Vegapunk... indeed, you are the only one who can bring an end to the Great Age of Pirates."
"Such praise is more than I deserve."
As Vegapunk spoke, he reached out and pulled down the control lever.
The transparent liquid insulating the Eternal Fire within the Mother Flame began to drain away.
Without its barrier, the Eternal Fire immediately began expanding uncontrollably.
Watching this scene that defied the physical laws of his previous life, Michael felt little surprise.
After all, this was a world born from fantasy... where so-called physical laws weren't necessarily universal.
"What should I do?"
"I don't know either," Vegapunk spread his hands. "Just improvise."
"...What kind of scientist are you, you bastard!?"
"Science is sometimes born from the most unexpected actions."
With those words, Vegapunk had already scurried aside to don a fireproof suit.
Michael rolled his eyes.
Vegapunk's words sounded profound, but upon closer thought...
Weren't they just another way of saying "I reckon" and "brute force makes miracles"?
Before he could continue his internal critique, the flames had already expanded to fill the entire Mother Flame apparatus.
Frowning, Michael channeled his Holy Flame through a nearby pipe into the Mother Flame's chamber.
The next instant, an anomaly occurred.
The orange Eternal Fire trembled violently the moment it touched the Holy Flame.
Then...
It began to shrink continuously.
Though its volume decreased, the energy it contained didn't diminish at all.
Instead, under the influence of the Holy Flame, it grew increasingly stable...
And the orange flames, through this continuous transformation...
Began to be dyed pure white.
Just like the Seraphim influenced by his Lineage Factor, the Eternal Fire within the Mother Flame was assimilated by him.
Only the very center remained orange.