"So, kid, what exactly are you trying to say?" Gregory was a bit confused.
"What I'm trying to say is, the same burning flames can have different powers and manifestations due to various reasons. If everything is understood, then it's possible to make changes in some way to release more powerful spells, even breaking the limits of strength. By using some Zero-Circle magic in combination, one can release power comparable to First Circle or even Second Circle spells.
For example, before you brought me here, I was conducting rather interesting research. That was using wind magic to change the pressure of the air, then using 'Condensed Water Drops' spell to try liquefying the oxygen in the air at a certain temperature."
"Liquefy oxygen?"
"Yes, liquefy oxygen." Richard nodded, "Oxygen is needed by all living things, including you and me, and without oxygen, ninety-nine point nine percent of all life in this world would die, with only anaerobic bacteria remaining.
Normally, oxygen only exists in a gaseous state, but at 10 standard atmospheres, lowering the temperature to -183℃ will liquefy it.
10 atmospheres is manageable, but -183℃ is quite difficult. Although the principle of the Water Droplet Condensation spell is cooling, it cannot lower the temperature to this extent. I've been trying for a long time, attempting to stack effects and using techniques recorded in a wizard book, until I barely succeeded."
As he spoke, Richard straightened his expression, waved his hand to cancel the "Fiery Flame Impact" spell, and began chanting long incantations. The air around moved rapidly, gathering toward his palm. After a while, drops of liquid appeared, forming a group, suspended one centimeter above Richard's palm.
"Whew," Richard exhaled lightly, showing it to Gregory, "this is liquid oxygen, and when it ignites, its volume explosively increases by over 800 times, releasing powerful energy and causing an explosion."
With that, Richard's expression became serious again, he chanted the spell, and the next moment focused his gaze, throwing the liquid oxygen group forcefully, a mass of blood-red flames appeared on its surface.
To the naked eye, the liquid oxygen group flew far away, the blood-red flames on the surface flickered briefly, then burst into a light brighter than the sun, followed by a "boom" sound, as if a thunderclap exploded.
The dirt flew, raising dust several meters high. The shockwave was born, sweeping across the entire mountaintop like a gale, where it passed, grass and trees bowed, and Gregory could feel his clothes tightly pressed against his body by the wind, only returning to normal after a long time.
Sound waves propagated outward, causing a large number of birds in the forest to take off in confusion, flying far, far away…
When everything settled down, looking at the place dozens of meters away, a charred pit a few decimeters deep appeared.
This!
Gregory was a bit surprised.
To be honest, in terms of actual power, this "liquid oxygen group" was no match for his fire breath in dragon form, but the problem was that it was released by Richard.
He knew very well, Richard was just a weak wizard apprentice, and this power clearly exceeded Richard's limits. This meant that everything Richard said earlier was indeed possible.
A mere wizard apprentice could release First Circle spells, even Second Circle ones, then…
Gregory's eyes flickered, looking at Richard, he spoke: "No! There is a problem!"
"Hm?"
"Although what you created is very powerful, you also spent a long time, and in the same time in battle, you would have been killed by the enemy dozens of times already, so no matter how powerful you are, you wouldn't have a chance to release it."
"I've considered this problem, and the result is… solvable."
"How could it be possible?"
"Because in the spells of wizards, there is a type of spell called… magic rune spells."
"You can understand them?"
"I think I can."
"..." Gregory suddenly became silent.
After a long moment, Gregory looked at Richard, softly but tentatively asked: "Why don't I fly you back?"
"Uh, no need. Before you brought me here, I was already preparing to leave that place, but I hadn't decided where to go. So, staying here isn't a problem, and I can be a playmate for your daughter."
"Hearing you say that, I am not reassured…"
"Not reassured about what?"
"Pandora…"
"I can't beat her," Richard said, thinking for a moment, "at least according to what she's shown now, I'm not her opponent."
"But that's just for now," Gregory said seriously in a buzzing voice, "for the safety of my daughter, Pandora, I think it's necessary to send you away."
"Isn't that exaggerated? Aren't you here, Gregory?"
"..." Gregory went silent again, after a long moment continuing in a buzzing voice, "No matter what, sooner or later I will send you away. If not now, it will be someday in the future…"
After saying that, Gregory turned around and walked into the Dragon Cave.
Richard watched his back and shrugged.
...
In the evening, in a room on the first floor of the ancient castle.
Richard took a porcelain bottle from the suitcase, poured fat into an ancient bronze oil lamp, then inserted a treated lampwick grass and used magic to ignite it.
With a "whoosh," a small flame lit up, illuminating the room, bringing a bit of light to the dark castle.
Richard opened the Monroe Chapter, continuing to study its content.
After a moment, he took out a piece of white jade from the suitcase, seven or eight centimeters long and three centimeters wide, thin like a slide used under a microscope.
In the medieval era, the West and the East had two completely different cultures—gem culture and jade culture.
Due to the lack of origin, the precious jade of the East was rare in the West and not favored, its value was almost like that of rocks. But according to the records in the Monroe Chapter, jade, gemstones, and crystal could all be used as materials for magic tools.
With a flip of his hand, a small carving knife appeared in his palm. Richard squinted his eyes, aimed it at the white jade, and etched, the sharp blade cutting across the surface, jade chips flying, leaving strange carvings rapidly appearing on it.
Richard carved with extreme concentration, occasionally pausing to think, pondering for a moment to determine the depth and angle of the next carve.
Finally, when the carving was complete, the entire piece of white jade looked vastly different, both sides were covered with peculiar patterns. Those markings were not designs, there was no symmetry or beauty, rather it was mostly complex and intricate.
Richard put down the carving knife and exhaled heavily. Even for him, completing such a piece of white jade was quite labor-intensive. And this was just the simplest and most basic application of magic runes.
Reaching to grasp the white jade piece, Richard slightly squinted his eyes, controlling the mana within him to surge from the magic origin, through the veins to his fingertips and then into the white jade piece. In an instant, the mana was absorbed by the white jade, some mysterious change occurring within the white jade.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
The white jade vibrated, and the next moment, accompanied by a "crack" sound, it split open, and a ghostly blue flame emerged.