Felicity looked at Lynn, and for once, a rare smile appeared on his face.
Although he had agreed to Lynn's earlier request, in truth, he hadn't held out much hope.
In fact, Felicity had already begun shifting his focus to a new line of research.
What he hadn't expected was that only a single day later, Lynn would come to him again, this time bringing news that thrilled him beyond measure.
"To understand what the Spiritual Fog affects," Felicity said slowly, his tone uncharacteristically patient and gentle, "you must first understand what the Spiritual Fog is."
He gestured for Lynn to come closer. The two of them sat down side by side at the workbench.
"You may have heard crude explanations that the Spiritual Fog is like a misty shroud surrounding a mortal's spirit when viewed through extrasensory perception.
"But have you ever considered why that mist exists? Why do third-rank and second-rank apprentices still have it, yet first-rank apprentices no longer do?"
Felicity looked at Lynn expectantly.
After a moment's thought, Lynn replied,
"Could it be because of extrasensory perception itself? When a first-rank apprentice ascends, they awaken their extrasensory vision, and it is the existence of that perception that causes the Spiritual Fog to vanish.
"In other words, the fog exists only because one lacks extrasensory perception."
"Exactly." Felicity's smile widened, clearly pleased. Though he didn't voice any praise, his expression said it all.
"The so-called 'fog', once you can truly see, it is no longer fog at all."
He rose to his feet and fetched a palm-sized glass jar from a nearby cabinet.
Inside was an eyeball, a human eyeball.
"This," Felicity explained, "is a rare human eye I happened to acquire."
He pointed to his black robe. "What color is this robe, to you?"
"Black."
"Correct. But to this eye, it appears with far more nuance and richness.
"Ordinary people can see only three primary colors. This eye, however, perceives a fourth.
"The difference may sound small, but the number of possible color combinations is vastly different, millions compared to billions.
"A normal Guern's vision perceives only a few million shades. Someone with this eye perceives hundreds of millions."
He handed the jar to Lynn, his smile faint.
"Tell me, do you think the Spiritual Fog of someone with four-color vision would be the same as that of an ordinary person?"
"…Probably not?" Lynn said cautiously, studying the seemingly ordinary eye in his hands.
"Correct." Felicity nodded. "Difficult as it may be to grasp, sometimes the way you observe can fundamentally change the thing being observed."
Lynn's expression grew thoughtful. His mind drifted to his past life and the paradoxes of quantum mechanics.
"Of course," Felicity went on, "the Spiritual Fog is shaped not only by perception, but also by the strength of one's spirit.
"And once you understand that, you should also understand why we've been unable to split the spirit."
Lynn raised his head, considered for a moment, then said,
"So, our failure to split the spirit isn't truly caused by the Spiritual Fog itself, but by the limitations of our perception?"
"You're very perceptive, Lynn." Felicity half-closed his eyes, gazing at the silver crystal marrow on the table. He murmured almost to himself:
"Anything tied to observation is tied to the very essence of the Astral World… For this knowledge to be influenced by observation, it's far more valuable than I had imagined.
"It seems I'll have to summon back those apprentices and erase their memories."
A chill instinctively ran down Lynn's spine. Then the old man turned his cold gaze toward him, only to smile.
"Don't worry, Lynn. You're different. It was you who uncovered the true peculiarity of this knowledge. That alone grants you the right to keep it."
"…Thank you, Lord Felicity."
Felicity gave a small nod. Then, as though remembering something, he said:
"I promised you one request. You may name it now."
"I don't need to continue assisting you with attempts to split the spirit?"
"No," Felicity said firmly. "The problem has already been solved. I now have every confidence in success."
Felicity shook his head. Though splitting the spirit was, by all accounts, not particularly dangerous, there was still some measure of risk involved.
In the past, he wouldn't have cared. But after speaking with Lynn at length, he had unexpectedly developed a faint sense of appreciation for the young man's talent. He no longer wished to expose Lynn to such risks.
Besides, he intended to recall the other three first-rank apprentices who had been privy to this knowledge; they would serve well enough as test subjects.
Lynn simply nodded. As for splitting the spirit, he wasn't too concerned.
After all, he had already resolved to cultivate Void White Lightning eventually. That step was unavoidable, and if Felicity were there to assist him when the time came, so much the better.
"Then, Lord Felicity," Lynn said directly after some thought, "I would like the weapon in your possession. May I have it?"
"You mean the orb that contains Knowledge No. 016?"
"Yes, Lord Felicity."
"You wish to cultivate this knowledge?" Felicity quickly guessed Lynn's intent, his tone tinged with curiosity.
"I do. I'd like to give it a try," Lynn answered calmly.
Cultivating a piece of otherworldly knowledge, especially one that Felicity had already half-adapted, was not a shocking ambition. There was no reason to hide it.
"You must be clear-eyed about this," Felicity cautioned seriously. "Although this orb can indeed contain magic, that doesn't necessarily mean it can replicate the knowledge's full effect.
"With my adapted version, you can reach entry-level, yes, but if the energy issue is not fully resolved, the ultimate power of this knowledge may not be what you imagine."
His warning was earnest. But Lynn had already made up his mind. He simply shook his head.
Felicity frowned slightly, thinking the boy perhaps a touch too arrogant.
But Lynn continued with a smile, explaining,
"Thank you for the warning, Lord Felicity. Truly. But I'm not pursuing it for overwhelming power. I just find the knowledge fascinating, and I'd like to study it for myself."
Felicity's expression softened. He patted Lynn on the shoulder.
"So long as it is out of interest, then I have no objection. But I must remind you, don't let it consume too much of your time.
"I've read your file. You've only just advanced to a first-rank apprentice. What you need now is to master a few reliable defensive spells, focus on strengthening your spirit, and do everything you can to acquire a high-quality Seed of Talent to advance to First Rank.
"At that point, your lifespan will double, and you'll have all the time in the world to pursue knowledge like this."
"I understand. Thank you, Lord Felicity," Lynn replied earnestly. He could tell the advice came from genuine concern, so he treated it with due seriousness.
"Good." Felicity picked up the orb of silver crystal marrow and began working on it.
"Before I hand it to you, I'll need to remove the inscribed knowledge.
"Don't worry, it won't damage the weapon. Its structure is simple enough… In fact, I'll even do a full refurbishment for you. Consider it the fulfillment of my promise."
Lynn expressed his gratitude quickly, watching with anticipation as Felicity set to work.
Roughly an hour later, the old wizard finished his task.
Though the orb looked largely unchanged from the outside, Lynn knew Felicity had done extensive work.
Beyond the essential silver crystal marrow core, most of the other materials had been enhanced or replaced with superior components. Certain structures had been carefully optimized.
Unfortunately, due to his own limited knowledge, Lynn could only understand part of the modifications.
"You have some knowledge of runic arrays?" Felicity asked curiously, noting Lynn's thoughtful look as he examined the orb.
"A little."
"What did I just do?"
"You erased the inscriptions, replaced the outer casing… and finally, you optimized the energy circuit." Lynn studied the orb in his hand and relayed the portions he had been able to follow.
Felicity's eyes lit up. Once again, this young apprentice surprised him.
Though Lynn hadn't understood everything, the fact that he had comprehended as much as he did showed that his grasp of runic arrays was far from poor.
And more impressively, he had understood quite a lot.
What a shame… Felicity thought, a faint regret tugging at him. If only he had more time and energy, he might well have considered taking Lynn on as a true student.
"Your answers are good, though a few points weren't entirely accurate," Felicity said aloud.
He then spent another half-hour explaining the details Lynn had missed, even deconstructing the orb's entire structure for him.
Finally, he concluded,
"Compared to before, this sword-orb's performance has improved across the board… Overall, I'd estimate a twenty-five percent increase in efficiency. It should serve you well at least until you reach First Rank."
Lynn expressed his gratitude once more, sincerely and at length.
Felicity waved it off with a smile.
"No need. If there's nothing else, you should see to your own affairs. I, too, have much to occupy me."
"Understood, Lord Felicity." Lynn rose, clutching the refurbished orb, his heart burning with anticipation.
...
...
Walking on his way back home, Lynn kept one hand in his pocket, fingers turning the sword-orb within. His heart was brimming with excitement.
Since arriving in this strange world, he had come across many wondrous artifacts infused with extraordinary powers.
But even so, holding this orb, now christened White Lightning, still filled him with exhilaration.
Part of it was the immense power hidden within.
But part of it, too, was the orb's unique form.
Surely, Lynn thought, any boy raised in the culture of his previous life's Huaxia must, at some point, have fantasized about soaring through the skies and slaying enemies with a flying sword.
Quickening his pace, Lynn could hardly wait to return to his dormitory and begin cultivating Void White Lightning at once!
...
In the days that followed, his life fell into an orderly rhythm. Apart from attending the free public lectures he'd managed to secure, he secluded himself entirely in his quarters, devoting himself wholly to cultivation.
Thanks to uncovering the true flaw in Felicity's version of Void White Lightning, Lynn succeeded on the very first day. After taking a draught of Senseless Potion, he split off a shard of spirit, a spirit seed, and merged it into the White Lightning sword-orb.
This step took him only a few hours.
The next stage, weaving a special model-structure around the seed within the orb, also failed to stump him. With his spirit's strength, it was a relatively easy task.
The power of Void White Lightning, its level of mastery, was tied directly to how many layers of these structures were woven within the orb.
In total, the art comprised two great parts:
The first portion, six layers deep, corresponds to the apprentice stage.
The second portion, two layers deep, corresponds to a First Rank wizard.
In just three days, Lynn had built it up to the fifth layer.
According to the manuals, if powered by crystal energy, at this level, its power would already stand at the very peak of the Zero Ring, surpassing every other attack he possessed.
But without crystal energy, Lynn could only power it with magic. And with magic, its strength dropped abruptly down to the mid-tier of Zero Ring, and its fine control weakened noticeably.
He was not discouraged. Instead, he calmly waited for his source-energy to replenish, preparing to probe the art with Insight.
...
On the fifth day, before his source energy had fully recovered, another good piece of news arrived:
He had successfully mastered the Golden Mist Phantom Technique.
Perhaps it was due to his long use of the Golden Phantom Pendant; after only a little practice, his command of the spell reached the Proficient level, already superior to the pendant's effect.
For Lynn, this achievement was no surprise. He accepted it with calm composure.
The next day, after verifying that his energy reserves were fully restored, he entered the meditation chamber at dawn, eager to peer into Void White Lightning.
Perhaps because Felicity had carefully explained the orb's structure to him beforehand, this time the Insight was smoother than he ever imagined.
He found the solution immediately.
A way to modify the original model structures inside the orb into a new form perfectly compatible with magic.
The original design had been tailored for crystal energy. Lynn's revisions allowed the orb to function flawlessly with magic.
Over the next two days, he dismantled and rebuilt every layer from the start, reconstructing them up to the fifth level once again.
This time, Void White Lightning finally displayed its true might.
Now, the sword-orb not only accepted magic as its fuel but could also replenish spent magic on its own, just like the original.
Moreover, thanks to Felicity's refinements, the orb's power and efficiency exceeded the original design!
...
During these experiments, Lynn also gained sudden inspiration regarding his White Crow mana cluster.
Seated cross-legged in the meditation chamber, he floated the silver-white mini-sword before him.
Raising a finger, he snapped.
Fwoosh.
A flame flickered into life at his fingertip.
The simplest of cantrips, something any apprentice could cast.
But Lynn was stunned.
Because this time, he had not drawn upon the magic within his abdomen. He had cast it entirely with the White Crow mana cluster.
That chaotic, impure energy, once only fit for conjuring White Crow sword qi, had now become usable for proper spells.
So it's true, Lynn thought, his heart racing. The White Crow cluster is essentially the same as the sword-orb, a special spiritual structure binding energy together. If I remodel the structure based on the sword-orb's patterns, the energy it gathers becomes indistinguishable from magic!
His chest tightened with exhilaration.
If he could form multiple such mana clusters, the advantage in combat would be overwhelming.
Canceling the flame, he tried spell after spell.
An hour later, Lynn leaned back, grinning broadly.
Not just cantrips, every spell he attempted could now be cast through the White Crow cluster.
This means my total magic reserves are at least twice that of a typical apprentice at my level!
Not only will this vastly extend my endurance in battle, but it also means… I might even be able to use certain high-cost spells once beyond an apprentice's usual capacity, as long as they don't demand extreme spiritual control.
His laughter echoed in the meditation chamber.
At that very moment, a pulse of light flashed across his chest.
From the Silver Ring badge came a simple communiqué.
Lynn extended his spirit to receive it, and the very first thing he saw was the sender's name.
Daphne Lottie.
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