Chapter 351: The Atomic Bomb  

The reason neutrons were chosen for the experiment was that they are electrically neutral. This neutrality means that when they bombarded the atomic nucleus, they were not affected by the electrostatic force. 

This made it much easier for them to penetrate the Coulomb barrier, which was a significant challenge when using charged particles.

As for the "precision equipment" Adam referred to, it was a particle accelerator. Accelerators were crucial. These high-tech machines are essential for studying high-energy physics and particles, enabling scientists to explore the smallest components of matter.

Building the accelerator in advance had its advantages. Although it wasn’t immediately necessary, it would eventually become crucial for their experiment.

To bombard uranium nuclei with neutrons, a stable neutron source was needed. There were several possible sources, but the most convenient and effective choice was metal californium (Cf).

Adam set up a sealed room for the experiment, where only Yurius, the californium sealed in a lead box, and the uranium target in the path of the particle beam were present. 

Other mages, busy with their own projects, gathered around. They knew that Yurius, originally in charge of the institute, had started this research project. 

Although they doubted the experiment would lead to anything, they were still curious. If something new was discovered, it would be great; if not, they’d be able to mock Yurius later.

Once everything was in place, Adam announced, “The first neutron bombardment of the uranium experiment begins.”

Yurius carefully moved the shield away from the lead box, but nothing happened. There was no energy release, no new substances formed, and no mysterious phenomena. 

The room had been equipped with the most advanced magical arrays, ensuring that every corner of the space was under surveillance. 

However, even these high-level magical arrays couldn’t capture the appearance of the neutron beam, as the particles were just too small.

The mages exchanged glances. They didn’t say anything, but their disappointment was evident. The first experiment had clearly failed.

Neither Adam nor Yurius was discouraged, though. Adam knew that the chances of triggering fission with just low-energy neutrons were slim. 

Yurius, a mage of great resolve, was no stranger to failure. Having gone through countless experiments and failures over the years, his determination remained unshaken. 

He had risen to the level of an eighth-level transdimensional mage, and one failure would not break his spirit.

One purification spell after another was cast to restore the room to its initial state, and Adam announced, “The second experiment begins.”

But again, nothing happened.

They tried again. The third and fourth attempts followed. A full twenty-four hours passed, but no success in any of the experiments.

After a day, Yurius walked out of the room, ignoring the others, and went straight to Adam. They discussed adjusting the experimental parameters, and then Yurius returned to continue the experiment.

For the next few days, neither of them showed any signs of fatigue. With thousands of failed attempts, the other mages slowly lost interest in continuing to watch. Finally, Adam isolated the area, leaving only himself and Yurius to continue.

After five days of relentless work, the room, which had been silent for so long, suddenly erupted with the sound of the energy indicator alarm. 

Both Yurius and Adam froze for a moment. Yurius instantly teleported to the uranium target, while Adam pressed his face to the monitor.

“We did it!” They both exclaimed in unison.  

The voices of Adam and Yurius immediately attracted the attention of all the mages. Almost at the same time, they teleported to Adam's side, eagerly asking, "Did you succeed? What did you find?"

Yurius, still in disbelief and excitement, replied, “The uranium nucleus was hit by a neutron and split into two medium-sized atomic nuclei!”

Adam, equally exhilarated, added, “A large amount of energy was released during the fission process, and two neutrons were also emitted!”

At first, the other mages were confused. An atomic nucleus splitting into two and releasing a small amount of energy didn’t seem like a big deal. 

After all, each of them could easily release far more energy with a single spell.

“So? What does this mean?” one of them asked, clearly puzzled.

Adam glanced at Yurius, thinking that this explanation should come from him. However, the transdimensional mage was so absorbed in the success of the experiment that he didn’t even acknowledge the others. He was already preparing for the next round of tests, eager to ensure that this wasn’t just a fluke.

Seeing this, Adam stepped in to explain. “The success means that nuclear fission reactions can now happen in the Mage World, in the Ether Void. The uranium target was too small this time, but if the uranium were larger, it could trigger a chain reaction. And if contained within a certain range, it would generate an immense amount of power.”

The room fell silent for a moment, and then one mage asked, “Uh, and then what? A new alchemical weapon?”

At that point, Adam finally gathered the confidence to share his vision. “No, the significance isn’t in creating weapons. It’s about applying this method of energy generation to ourselves.”

The mages’ eyes lit up at Adam’s words. One mage cautiously asked, “You mean mana, magical powers?”

Adam nodded firmly. “Exactly. Mana. If we can apply the fission process to our own mana, then…”

“Then, whether it’s instant output or energy reserves, both could increase exponentially!” someone finished excitedly.

---

The news of the success of the first experiment, along with Adam’s groundbreaking explanation, quickly spread among the mages. 

The Mage Council reacted immediately. Resources were funneled directly into the Atomic Energy Research Institute, and within a month, the first-generation particle accelerator was completed.

In addition to the original team, the Mage World’s most skilled transdimensional mages from all the Towers rushed to join the project, dropping their other responsibilities to focus entirely on solving the chain reaction problem.

When the personal chip research began, the Mage World had only provided a small fraction of its strength to Adam. But now, all the resources of the Mage World were at his disposal.

With this newfound support, research progressed at a staggering pace. The challenges that had once seemed insurmountable were resolved faster than anyone had anticipated, thanks to the combined intellect of the mages.

Of course, the funding needed for such an ambitious project was enormous. 

The Mage Council allocated millions of ether crystals every two weeks to support the research. 

The pressure of managing and spending this vast amount of resources weighed heavily on Adam. He knew he had to deliver results as quickly as possible.

This pressure, however, only fueled his drive. Six months later, just before the twelfth round of funding ran out, Adam and all the mages in the research institute let out a cheer of triumph. 

They had finally created the Mage World’s first atomic bomb, with a yield of two million tons.

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