As for ancient Roman cement, the volcano next to the city was a natural furnace. The temperature inside the crater could reach 1800 degrees Celsius, and the volcanic ash produced by calcining it was naturally the best cement clinker.
The monks' homemade cement was made from slag from blacksmith shops. Although its main component was also silicon dioxide, the furnace temperature was generally only around 900 degrees Celsius due to the limitations of medieval furnace technology and fuel supply materials. Naturally, it was impossible to produce qualified cement materials.
So how should we increase the furnace temperature?
The cement kilns of the past were not as simple as the "farmer's furnace" used for refining silver. They were assembled from a cylinder, tires, and hopper made of special materials, requiring extremely strict sealing. Moreover, the fuel used—high-ash coal powder—required multiple processing steps. For those without professional knowledge and relevant experience, building one was nothing short of a pipe dream.
But what if we use supernatural abilities to increase the furnace temperature?
This method is indeed feasible. For example, Leslie, a variant of the "Flame Breath" ability, once used his own power in conjunction with Rachel's "telekinesis" to create some parts for the printing press. However, the manufacture of just three printing presses exhausted Leslie, and for several days, he was unable to use his "Flame Breath" ability again.
Therefore, unless the number of mutants reaches a certain scale, it is probably unrealistic to rely on the existing 'Flame Breath' mutants in Muxi Town to carry out large-scale cement production.
While pondering these questions and planning to return to the church, Todd passed by the "Sisters' Hotel" and suddenly saw Rachel leading Karin out of the hotel, carrying a large basket.
Todd stepped forward and, after the two women declined, offered to help them carry the baskets to the vegetable garden behind the hotel.
What's in here?
Rachel lifted the cloth, revealing baskets filled with rotten food. She said, "The weather's been so hot lately, a lot of the food in the cellar has gone bad."
Karin stood beside Todd, supporting his arm, and tilted her head as she said, "A while ago, Uncle Hudgens brought us some ice from the north, but it all melted after only a few days."
Todd sighed upon hearing this. He thought of his "power reservoir"—those petri dishes filled with alien bacteria—and how he had to spend an hour every two days transferring the bacteria, a meticulous and arduous task. If he had a temperature-controlled freezer like the one in his previous life's laboratory, he could simply use the bacterial cryopreservation method, saving a great deal of time and effort.
But constant temperature cold storage is not an easy device to manufacture.
To build a biological laboratory freezer that meets even the minimum requirements, one would need at least a digital temperature control device, a finned evaporator, a foamed enclosure, and an anti-corrosion coating, etc. In the Middle Ages, building such a thing would probably only be a dream come true.
Karin pursed her lips and said, "These past few nights, the room has been stuffy and hot. If it weren't for Pamela, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all."
Todd glanced at the girl with black hair and black eyes and asked, "Pamela? The girl who can use the 'freezing' ability?"
"That's right, at night, her body emits a slight coolness, and it's most comfortable to sleep while holding her!"
Todd laughed at this, but the first image that came to his mind was two girls, disheveled, embracing each other. After carrying the basket to the vegetable garden behind the hotel, he said goodbye to the two nuns and returned to his small laboratory building.
Sitting down in the chair, Todd began to organize his thoughts from the day, categorizing them and writing them down on paper.
The first thing written down was 'cement' followed by a long string of logical formulas: cement — silicon dioxide — furnace temperature — kiln or 'fire breath'
As Todd wrote this, he muttered to himself, "To make cement, you have to raise the furnace temperature; there are two ways to raise the furnace temperature: one is to build a kiln, and the other is to use the 'Flame Breath' ability. I have no idea how to build a kiln, so..."
Todd crossed out the word "kiln".
Looking at the remaining word "Breath of Flames," Todd frowned and crossed his arms.
“Although the ‘Flame Breath’ ability can raise the furnace temperature and obtain silica suitable for cement production, there is only one ‘Flame Breath’ mutant, Leslie. He needs to rest for a period of time after each use of the ability, so large-scale production is completely impossible…” Todd thought of this, put a question mark after ‘Flame Breath’, and said, “Perhaps I can inject the mutant bacteria into other people’s bodies to create a batch of ‘Flame Breath’ mutants?”
After a moment's thought, Todd immediately rejected the idea.
Large-scale alien modification would not only cause social unrest but also bring a host of unnecessary troubles. This method is not feasible, at least not now.
Having exhausted all his ideas, Todd had no choice but to temporarily abandon his thoughts on cement and begin writing down the second word: "icebox".
Pamela's superpower is "freezing," which can be activated actively or passively. When she activates her power, she can quickly lower the temperature around her skin in a short period of time; when she falls asleep, her skin slowly releases cold air, maintaining the surrounding space in a relatively stable low-temperature environment.
If Pamela could remain asleep indefinitely, theoretically, the cold air surrounding her could transform the room into a temperature-controlled freezer. However, the girl cannot remain asleep indefinitely; otherwise, her brain and body would suffer hypothermic shock within a few days.
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