Most of the funds had been spent on the magic laboratory...
By the way, conducting magic experiments is an extremely costly endeavor! Freyr had deeply realized this... Ryan would request various materials every couple of days, and not only were these items consumed quickly, but they were also quite expensive!
In just a matter of days, Freyr had thrown nearly fifty gold coins into it, yet Ryan hadn't made any significant progress.
What was Ryan researching?
He had two tasks at hand. First, he needed to extract a certain amount of "fire elements" daily, which Freyr referred to as gunpowder.
Second, Ryan was exploring a method to overcome the obstacle of his inability to enhance his magical power.
Previously, Ryan could use the magical elements he created to cunningly perform some low-level magic. However, due to his limited sensory ability, he could never use higher-level magic. Now, he had another wild idea...
This wild idea made Freyr think... if it could truly be achieved, then even if it emptied his pockets, it would be worth it!
Fundamentally, in this magical world, magic seemed complex, but to become a qualified wizard, three conditions were essential.
Firstly, there were spells. This was actually the simplest part; as long as you apprenticed under a wizard, you could learn some spells, even if they were just the simplest low-level ones.
For Freyr and Ryan, the other two conditions were the key: magical talent and sensory ability.
Magical talent referred to mental strength. Both Freyr and Ryan belonged to a category of people who were naturally endowed with a certain level of magical talent, with mental strength superior to that of ordinary people.
However, they both lacked sensory ability. This was the major flaw that had prevented them from becoming true wizards.
Now, theoretically, Ryan had overcome this flaw. Through alchemy, he could produce various artificial magical elements, increasing the concentration of magical elements in the surrounding environment. This allowed those with weak sensory abilities to use magic... although it was limited to the lowest-level magic. But at least, in theory, this barrier had been broken.
Ryan's current research direction was focused on another aspect: magical power, or mental strength!
Freyr and Ryan belonged to the group who had magical power but lacked sensory ability.
Conversely, there were many people in the world who had keen sensory ability but no magical talent!
Since magical elements could be artificially created... what if magical power could also be enhanced artificially?
What would be the consequences...
Freyr and Ryan couldn't help but get excited at the thought!
If both sensory ability and magical power problems were resolved... it would signify the end of the era where wizards stood high above all!
You have magical power but no sensory ability? We'll provide you with sufficient magical elements! You can then use low-level magic and at least become a low-level wizard.
You have sensory ability but no magical power? We'll boost your magical power! You too can use low-level magic and at least become a low-level wizard!
Even... if you're an ordinary person with neither magical talent nor sensory ability! No problem! We'll artificially enhance both for you!
If Ryan's research succeeded, Freyr thought, it would be epoch-making!
Everyone could become a wizard!!
With such a grand goal, Freyr did his utmost to meet any of Ryan's expensive experimental needs, despite the financial strain. He had already spent hundreds of gold coins and wouldn't hesitate to spend hundreds or even thousands more if necessary!
If they could develop a potion to artificially enhance magical power...
Freyr couldn't help but occasionally fantasize:
Recruit three to five thousand soldiers! Equip each with a bottle of magical power potion and enough magical elements... then, three to five thousand soldiers, each one a wizard!
Even if they were only the lowest-level wizards... this would still be a force capable of changing the history of the continent!
A three to five thousand-strong wizard army!!
Moreover, as long as production could keep up... not just three to five thousand... even a thirty to fifty thousand-strong wizard army was theoretically possible!
Just the thought of it was thrilling!
However, despite Ryan working tirelessly, practically living in the lab, and sleeping only three to five hours a day... progress was almost zero.
Freyr had considered stimulants and such... after all, magical power was essentially mental strength. Freyr assumed that if there were drugs like stimulants from his previous life, which could excite the mind, would that equate to strengthening mental power?
Ryan had seriously considered Freyr's hypothesis but quickly dismissed it.
"There are many substances that can excite people, like a certain 'Iceberry' from the northern White Wood Forest. Consuming it can make people extremely alert, and if overused, it can even cause hallucinations. I've heard that many nobles enjoy these 'Iceberries' and use them to liven up... ahem, private parties."
Freyr's eyes lit up... could it be hallucinogen-fueled parties? It seemed that no matter how the world changed, the lives of the wealthy remained decadent...
"However, these excitants have limited effects. They can slightly boost mental alertness but do not significantly increase total mental strength. To use magic requires a much higher mental strength than an ordinary person possesses! Such stimulants fall far short of the required level. I've calculated that to elevate an ordinary person's mental strength to the level necessary for magic through stimulants alone... unless..."