The next day at noon, after waking from a dream, Roland received a truly good piece of news.
The Engineering Department and the Construction Department had finally jointly completed the site and equipment arrangement required for the "Sun's Radiance" project.
Since theoretically, fifty-two kilograms of spherical uranium-235 could reach criticality, element purification was not the biggest hurdle. Lucia had been busy until now, and the High Energy Physics Institute had accumulated hundreds of kilograms of pure uranium.
However, simply piling up uranium-235 would not fully unleash the power of the fission reaction unless the amount invested was shockingly large. But in that case, its safety and practicality would be greatly reduced. Therefore, a specific configuration was needed to stimulate its energy efficiency.
Another key point of the plan was the test explosion.
Theoretical calculations were one thing, but making it happen was another.
From the prototype device to the actual product, it was almost impossible to succeed in one go. According to statistics, the numerous weapon products Roland developed for the First Army had failed more than a dozen times during testing, even with reliable blueprints and the assistance of witches.
The "Sun's Radiance" project was undoubtedly more special.
Other weapon manufacturing, improvements, and testing could all be done in one place, but fission reactions could not. Whether the result was success or failure, a certain area would become a restricted zone.
In fact, it took nearly a month just to inspect the test site.
Although the Fertile Plains were vast, as the main direction for the future development of Neverwinter City, they were obviously not suitable as a test explosion site.
There were many isolated islands in the Fiord, but they were too far away. Shipping pressure was already high, and it was difficult to spare ships to transport various equipment.
The southern uninhabited desert seemed to be the most suitable location, but considering that a large number of "Matchmen" relics were buried there, Roland hesitated for a long time and ultimately rejected the extreme southern territory for future development and utilization.
The test site was finally set west of the Great Snow Mountain—the former Devil Outpost camp.
Although there was a possibility of encountering evil beasts and devils there, the risks were within acceptable limits. At the same time, whether the test explosion was successful or failed, it would create a contaminated area, which would indirectly improve the rear security of Neverwinter City.
Only after these two hurdles were crossed could one be considered qualified for nuclear testing.
"Your Majesty, please take me."
"And me!"
"I won't say more. As long as it's a weapon that can kill devils, I want to experience it no matter what!"
"Uh..." Upon receiving the news, Roland also received a dialogue request from the Third Border City. Looking at the three "big faces" squeezed across the light screen, he couldn't help but wipe his sweat, "This is just a prototype device test, far from a real weapon test."
Ever since he instilled the concept of "Sun's Radiance" to the witches of Taquila, Pasha and Celine had been obsessed with it. However, he didn't expect Erruya to join in, her tone seeming to carry a hint of piety.
"If it's truly as you say, enough to illuminate the clouds above humanity, then I hope to witness its birth all the way," Pasha lowered her main tendril.
"I also put in a lot of effort in manufacturing the core components of Sun's Radiance. You can't leave a participant in the plan here, can you?" Celine added.
"But there's no tunnel from the Great Snow Mountain to the test observation point..."
"Don't worry about that. There's no sun during the Evil Moon, and we'll have more time to move around outside than usual," Erruya quickly replied, seemingly afraid that he would say no, "Moreover, the passage that Fulan drilled last time is still there, and we won't attract anyone's attention when we leave the city."
Roland exchanged a helpless look with Anna, who smiled and nodded at him.
Since the three of them had said this much, it would seem a bit inhumane to disagree.
"Then I'll have the Construction Department leave you seats in the bunker. Remember to bring some God's Punishment Witches along and be careful on the way."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the three said joyfully.
Watching this scene, Roland was quite moved.
In his previous life, this type of weapon was often seen as an opportunity for self-destruction, with countless literary works and biographies depicting it as the Sword of Damocles hanging over humanity. But here, it was the dawn of hope—when darkness came, only power could protect civilization and forge a path through thorns.
He looked at Anna, "Let's set off too."
...
Fifty kilometers northwest of the Great Snow Mountain.
The snow here was much heavier than in Neverwinter City, covering not only the land corrupted by devils but also making the bunker construction extremely difficult.
Fortunately, with the help of the incredibly strong God's Punishment Witches, the construction team finally managed to take root in this uninhabited place.
To ensure the quality of the project, the workers in the team were all elites from the Northern Expedition Army. After experiencing the bloody battles on the Fertile Plains, the harsh weather could no longer be considered the most severe enemy. Moreover, they had received a notice before departure that this construction project was a top secret of Neverwinter City, concerning the future of their home and kingdom. Coupled with the high rewards offered by the Administrative Office, everyone was motivated.
In the Greycastle of the past, even if the nobles forced their subordinates, it would have been impossible to develop a camp in such a place.
It took Roland and his group nearly two days to reach the test site. After entering the command post, which was half-buried underground, the scene inside was completely different—thick brick walls blocked the wind and snow, the roaring fireplace crackled, and the project leaders held oil lamps, checking their tasks against the forms, looking incredibly busy.
Seeing his arrival, everyone's movements paused, and then they saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Continue with your work." Roland waved his hand, then looked at Karl Vanbert, "How is the situation here?"
"No devils have been detected in the past month," Karl replied, "They should have completely abandoned this place. As for the evil beasts, you can occasionally see a few dozen of them, which don't pose any threat to the garrisoned troops. The test stand and simulation equipment have been built, and if you have no other instructions, they can fully meet the requirements of the plan."
"Where is the test stand?"
"North, fifteen kilometers from here." Karl pointed to the map, "You can't see it from the command post. The snow accumulation here is too thick, and even if it's three stories high, it will be blocked by the snow."
"It doesn't matter, you'll naturally see it when it explodes." Roland smiled and turned to Anna, "Then let's start the first detonation test."
To verify feasibility, they had prepared at least three configurations for testing in half a year, and this time it was the simplest gun-type configuration.