On their way back to the school's lounge, Harof and Lynn discussed the topic of how magic affects spatial curvature.
Lynn, being well-versed in the field of magic, responded eloquently to Harof's inquiries. He even presented the optimal magical structure for discussion, openly asking about areas he didn't fully understand.
While Harof answered each question, he couldn't help but be amazed. Even a third-tier wizard like Lynn had a profound understanding of the connection between magic and spacetime. How could the legendary wizards of the Society of Mystical Arts remain ignorant of the best magical structures, he thought? Maybe he had overestimated their knowledge.
Perhaps he had asked too simplistic questions, and they were simply too trivial for the Society's experts to answer.
With these thoughts in mind, Harof's expression suddenly changed, as if he had heard something. A hint of resignation appeared on his face, but he continued to speak.
"I have a friend who is very interested in that shining glass mirror. Do you have any in stock?"
Lynn raised an eyebrow, a peculiar look in his eyes. He didn't expect Harof, a legendary wizard who usually dressed casually, to be interested in glass mirrors. Perhaps it was for academic research or as a gift for someone.
Without hesitation, Lynn handed the large round mirror he had removed from the balance device to Harof.
"Is it twenty gold coins, right? I'll have Carol bring it to you tomorrow," Harof said, taking the mirror and passing it to someone standing nearby.
Under Lynn's watchful gaze, the mirror disappeared silently. Did Harof have some sort of storage device? Lynn had never heard of such a thing before.
Surprisingly, he didn't ask, and after bidding farewell to Harof, he returned to the school's lounge.
He couldn't wait to test his theory. With the Council's support, Lynn had perfected the Law of Universal Gravitation. He had a feeling that he might not need additional computational power to cast certain forcefield spells.
This wasn't just a baseless hunch. Casting spells as a wizard was like running a program or solving a complex equation. When faced with unknown variables, you had to try different values repeatedly, using the process of elimination to find the answer.
By making two of those variables known – the universal gravitational constant and the spacetime curvature at the surface – the computational power required for casting forcefield spells decreased significantly. That was why Harof and others believed that the Law of Universal Gravitation would become the cornerstone of spatial magic theory.
So, while waiting for the award ceremony, Lynn secluded himself in his room and focused on refining the spell models for forcefield magic. He delegated other matters to Philip and the others, instructing them to purchase suitable property in the bustling area of Greenville, which would serve as the future base for the Iyeta Academy.
After all, it wasn't practical to stay at the Magic Symposium's lounge every time he visited. Although the lounge was spacious, it was always crowded and not very convenient.
During the past six months in the Wizard's Land, Lynn had accumulated nearly five thousand magic gold coins from the income generated by the airship and the looted Radak Castle. It was enough to buy a decent estate in any location outside the busy district of Greenville.
***
[Magic Missiles]
The next evening, on the training field, a young girl softly shouted as a dozen shimmering magic missiles appeared in the air.
Beside her, Elok, Pierce, and others didn't want to be outdone. They each used their most potent magic. Several fireballs and ice blades intertwined and headed straight for Lynn, who was not far in front of them.
However, Lynn didn't make a move, and the flames and ice blades were mysteriously diverted by some force before touching him. They flew past him and hit the wall behind him.
At first glance, it seemed like the apprentices had deliberately avoided hitting Lynn, like they were drawing the outline of a person on a shooting target.
However, Elok and Pierce knew that, at a distance of just a dozen meters, they couldn't miss a stationary target like Lynn.
"Huh?" Lynn, who had easily deflected their attacks, didn't let his guard down. He noticed that Jenny's magic missiles were moving slower than he expected and, after encountering the deflecting forcefield, they burst apart.
Although there seemed to be nothing inside them, Lynn could sense a rapid increase in the hydrogen content in the air around him.
At the same moment, Jenny extended her left hand and intertwined her right hand on her left wrist, which was the starting position for Flame Touch
A faint flame expanded rapidly within a second, igniting the hydrogen around Lynn.
This caused a violent explosion that filled the training room with thick smoke and a scorching blaze. Elok and Pierce had shocked expressions on their faces – this level of destruction was almost on par with third-tier magic.
It was the first time they had seen Jenny display such power.
"Is Professor Lynn... injured?" Elok stared at the rising smoke, and when there was no movement for a while, he said uncertainly.
Impossible. Jenny gave Elok a dismissive look. She was still panting, and precision magic like this consumed a lot of computational power. Even for a formal wizard like Jenny, it wasn't an easy task.
In the billowing smoke, Lynn's voice came through loud and clear.
"Hydrogen explosion? Interesting... it seems you've learned well, Jenny. But your hydrogen-to-oxygen ratio was a bit off. The correct ratio should be 2:1."
Once the smoke cleared, Elok and the others realized that Lynn was unharmed, not a hair out of place, and his robe undisturbed. This left Elok feeling a little numb.
Even an attack almost on the level of third-tier magic couldn't make Lynn budge. How were they supposed to fight this?
Though it was just practice, Elok and Pierce were already considering retreating. Jenny, however, was determined to measure herself against her professor.
"Now it's my turn. Are you ready?" Lynn said with a smile.
Elok and Pierce swallowed nervously, and Jenny remained resolute. Under the watchful gaze of the three, Lynn extended his hand, and his index and middle fingers trembled slightly, as if he were plucking the strings of a harp.