Chapter 37 - Spell Research

Editor: Atlas StudiosThe next moment, the first thing that appeared in Richard’s sight was a bouncing, plump, and large gray hare. Then came a monkey, followed closely by a goat, a large antlered deer, and then a gray fox, wild buffalo, and wild boar…

A mighty animal army walked out of the forest from the same direction, lined up to the water’s edge, drinking in an orderly sequence before quickly leaving, without any conflict between them, harmoniously unlike anything else.

Suddenly, a slight commotion appeared in the middle of the line, caused by a wild boar using its snout to push forward, trying to cut in line for a drink. However, in the next moment, the wild boar’s body froze on the spot as a pink fist quickly loomed larger in its eyes.

“Bang!”

The wild boar’s entire body shook violently and, with a thud, was slammed to the ground, its four short legs trembling frantically before struggling to stand.

Pandora stood next to the wild boar, her face cold. She pointed to the back, and the boar squealed twice, lowered its head, and frantically ran to the end of the line, obediently queuing.

Richard suddenly understood. The harmony of this animal army was established under Pandora’s terrifying violence, no wonder…

But… how was this list of water-drinking animals determined? Why could these animals drink now, but the cheetah and black bear earlier couldn’t?

Was it because the cheetah and black bear were carnivores? No, the gray fox and hyena in the line were also carnivores.

Was it because the cheetah and black bear were larger in size? That’s not right either, as the wild boar and wild buffalo in the line were even larger.

Could it be because the cheetah and black bear were uglier? Well, maybe it was.

However, the most likely reason was that the cheetah and black bear were drinking for the first time and didn’t know the rules. Not only did they not queue, but they also jumped ahead of the animal army. Naturally, they were beaten.

Alright, alright!

Richard watched as the animal army continued to drink water, shook his head, and turned to walk back up the hill.

Instead of fighting with a group of animals for the water source, Richard used the “Water Droplet Condensation” spell to liquify some water for himself, washed simply, and began his research.

From the suitcase in the palace room, Richard took out his materials and read through the contents of the Monroe Chapter. When he encountered something that needed careful consideration, he would use materials for experimental tests, occasionally going to the empty space outside the old castle when there was bigger noise.

After a few instances, Gregory came out of the Dragon Cave with a dark face, watching Richard’s every move, and after a long sigh, he yawned and spoke in a buzzing voice, “Hey, kid, what are you doing! Can’t you see I’m sleeping?”

Richard glanced at Gregory and said, “Doing something interesting, researching the principles of spells.”

“What nonsense, I don’t understand,” Gregory responded.

Richard looked at Gregory and said, “To put it simply, I’m analyzing the most fundamental principles that make spells possible. Once I successfully analyze them, I can figure out many things. Like why I can release burning flames, why condensation can occur in water vapor, like why you can fly in the sky, and why you can switch between two different bodies… things like that.”

Gregory’s eyes flashed, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What’s the use of that?”

“Of course, it’s useful,” Richard said. “Once you understand the principles, you can truly understand it, master it, and make it part of your own strength. Otherwise… you’ll always be under someone else’s control.”

“Strange kid, I’ve never seen anyone else do that,” Gregory remarked.

Richard shook his head. “Strange? I think those who don’t do this are the really strange ones, those who defy logic.”

Richard asked aloud, “Gregory, if you encountered something strange, would you try to figure it out, or would you completely accept it, even if it’s extremely unreasonable? For example, one day you suddenly find out you’ve grown eight legs. Would you think you were supposed to have eight legs and continue to live normally?”

“Of course not.”

“Exactly,” Richard said. “The current situation is like suddenly growing eight legs. No matter what, you must find a way to understand the reason. Once you understand it, you can try to restore the number of legs to normal. Or, you might find that more legs are useful and figure out how to grow even more.

Similarly, understanding the reason behind releasing flames allows you to release more powerful flames or prevent others from doing so. Understanding why condensation happens with water vapor lets you condense a greater quantity of water vapor, or maybe even something different. Understanding why you fly in the sky allows you to do the same, or find a way to make you fall during flight.”

“You…” Gregory’s eyes widened, looking at Richard, growing an odd sense of emotion. This seemingly frail boy, who often spoke words he could barely understand, sometimes gave him an inexplicable sense of pressure. After hearing his words, he began to worry that if one day he flew, he might indeed inexplicably fall. He thought he should fly lower and slower from now on. Damn it, bringing him here—is it right or wrong?

After a moment of silence, Gregory asked, “Are you sure you can really do these things?”

“Right now, I’m just conducting some preliminary research. I can’t do it yet, but if there’s a breakthrough in the research, I will be able to,” Richard said.

“So… what you’re saying is, there’s no use for it now, right?” Gregory asked, feeling somewhat reassured.

“Not necessarily,” Richard replied. “Research is a long road; it’s not just about reaching the end to be considered successful. In fact, progress at any point offers corresponding rewards, like this.”

Richard quickly chanted an incantation, and a ghostly blue flame appeared in his hand.

“Spell, Phosphorus Candle!”

“This is a Zero-Circle Low-Level Magic used for illumination, and its essence is combustion.”

Waving his hand to disperse the magic, Richard recited another incantation, and a blood-red flame appeared.

“Spell, Flame Impact!”

“This is also a Zero-Circle Low-Level Magic used for attack. Its essence is still combustion.”

“So?”

“Despite both being combustion, why is the color completely different?”

“How should I know…” Gregory muttered.

“Combustion is an exothermic, luminous chemical reaction,” Richard slowly explained. “The process is complex, but the principle is a free radical chain reaction, and the phenomenon involves light and heat. Because the flame elements’ spectra differ, the flame color reactions differ. For example, the Phosphorus Candle Magic combusts phosphorus oxide, making it blue.

Furthermore, temperature significantly affects flame color. When the flame temperature is very low, around 200 to 300 degrees Celsius, incomplete combustion causes much black smoke to be produced, resulting in a black flame. When the temperature is slightly higher, rising to about 500 or 600 degrees Celsius, the flame turns dark red.

As the temperature continues to rise, the flame’s color becomes brighter, turning to cherry red, scarlet, and blood red. For example, the Fiery Flame Impact is blood red, with a temperature reaching 1000 degrees Celsius.”