Claude gazed silently at the three books laid out on the desk, their titles gleaming under the dim light.
Storm Surge.
This spell was the original form of the Tier 0 spell Spark, which Claude had already mastered. Learning it would undoubtedly be easier than picking up an entirely new spell from scratch, as he was already familiar with some of its underlying principles.
Winter's Grasp.
Similar to Storm Surge, this spell would also be easier for Claude to learn. His past experiments with ice-based magic, particularly his various modifications of Water Orb, had given him a strong foundation.
Breath of Plague.
Unlike the other two, mastering this spell would take far longer. However, it offered something invaluable—the ability to strike multiple foes simultaneously. Currently, Claude could only engage multiple enemies using brute force, spreading himself thin. With this spell, he could significantly improve his ability to handle fights on multiple fronts.
Still...
Claude narrowed his eyes. 'I can only pick one...' He crossed his arms, his fingers restlessly tapping against his sleeve.
'Unless...!' His gaze snapped to Zal. "You mentioned earlier that novel discoveries could be exchanged for new spells?"
Zal raised an eyebrow. "Why, of course, they can."
Claude fell silent for a moment before asking, "Could I exchange the formula for a potion to obtain more than one spell?"
"That is not impossible..." Zal murmured, stroking his grey beard thoughtfully. "But it depends on the potion in question."
Claude gave a slight nod. "The potion I'm offering aids in the recovery of mental energy," he explained before quickly adding, "but it has not been tested on Mage Apprentices yet..." A sigh escaped him as he admitted the flaw.
Offering up an incomplete formula was far from ideal, but he had no other choice. As an Official Mage, his increased mental reserves had rendered the potion redundant. Moreover, he lacked the means to test it on Mage Apprentices, preventing him from refining it further.
Zal did not answer immediately. He squinted, sinking into contemplation. "May I see the formulation?"
Claude did not hesitate, reciting the formula from memory. "One sprig of hyssop, finely crushed. A half-pinch of wood betony. The root of lemon balm, dried for no less than three days, then ground to a fine powder. Pink chamomile, precisely three petals, steeped in boiling water..."
He held nothing back. Though he did not fully trust Zal, he knew the man meant him no harm. This exchange would not only secure him another spell but also serve as a test of Zal's integrity.
Despite this, he would not trade any of the advanced knowledge he had learned from the Sacra Machina archives. After all, how was he to explain where he came across such things? Claude had no desire to display the Subspace Network to the mages of Elysium. He could not bear to fathom the consequences of such foolhardy behaviour.
Zal listened intently to Claude's words before giving a soft a nod. "While this potion has not been tested on Mage Apprentices, it still retains some value. Although Elysium possesses a few potions with similar effects, your choice of herbs is unique." He stroked his beard once more. "This should be sufficient to grant you an additional Tier 1 spell."
Claude's eyes brightened. With this, he would have two spells instead of one.
"Normally, Elysium would require formal verification of the potion's effects," Zal continued before chuckling, his sharp gaze meeting Claude's. "But... I trust you."
-----
----------
----------------
Returning from the library, Claude sat behind his desk, several books spread before him. Initially, Claude had decided to learn Winter's Grasp and Breath of Plague, as they would grant him greater versatility.
One would allow him to control the terrain and hinder his foes, while the other would help him combat multiple opponents simultaneously. Both were far more valuable than Storm Surge, which offered only a linear increase in combat strength.
Despite this, Zal used up some of his own contributions, allowing Claude to take the third spell as well.
The only reason for Zal's generosity must be his connection to Raymond... which remains a mystery to me.
The true nature of their bond seemed even more peculiar considering Zal's status. A true Mage Grandmaster.
Previously, Claude had assumed Zal was merely an Official Mage. Yet, during his time in Elysium, he grew to better understand who Zal was.
Arbiter Zal. The Bane of Cultists. High Arbiter of the Inquisition. A Quasi-Mage Lord.
This revelation forced him to reconsider how Zal and Raymond had crossed paths.
Why would a Grandmaster forge such a bond with a mortal?
A bond so strong that he would utter such words to someone merely associated with Raymond.
"I trust you."
Those words echoed in Claude's mind. It wasn't the sentiment itself that unsettled him—it was something else.
How many years had it been since someone had given him unreserved trust?
How many years had it been since he had someone he could truly call family?
Trust. Family.
Two things that felt as distant to him as the stars beyond the night sky. He had spent so long walking this path alone, convinced that solitude was his only companion. But what if it didn't have to be? Was that what Raymond had seen? Was that what he had tried to warn him about?
His gaze shifted to the unlit lamp hanging above him. Is this what Raymond meant in his diary when he warned me about this path?
If he had chosen differently, would he be walking one of those futures shown to him by that eye? A future with family, friends, joy, and hope?
Or was solitude the only thing that awaited him now?
"No." Shutting his eyes, he forced the words out. "This is merely the beginning. I will keep growing. Family? Friends? On the journey to seek the truth, they would only be burdens..."
Still, even as he said it, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered: Then why does it feel like a loss?
Nevertheless, he put those three books away and took out another book he had borrowed from the library. This one was no spell and was instead from the first level of the library, thus requiring no contribution. Its title reflected in Claude's serene eyes as he traced the spine of the book.
Understanding Gravitons and Limitations In The Model—Adrien Cavendish.
Turning the page, he scanned through the flood of words that littered the page.
Gravitons are the fundamental particles responsible for the force we know as gravity. According to quantum theory, they are massless, neutral particles that travel at the speed of light, mediating the force of gravity between objects with mass. These particles are described as "force carriers," similar to how photons carry the electromagnetic force.
In the Standard Model of particle physics, gravitons have yet to be directly observed, but their existence is supported by the theory of quantum gravity. Their theoretical masslessness means that they do not interact with electromagnetic forces or other fundamental forces, making them incredibly elusive to detection. Despite this, gravitons are thought to be the essential building blocks that give rise to the gravitational forces we observe in our universe.
...However, we propose that gravitons may not exist in the capacity we believe them to...