Encouraged by Qianjue, Charlie gained a substantial boost in confidence. As someone who had been through a similar journey, Qianjue undoubtedly had a deeper understanding of the path ahead.
When Charlie returned to the apprentice laboratory, it was nearing midnight. Unlike the environment above ground, where alchemical devices controlled the lighting and temperature to create a warm, comfortable glow even at night, the underground world was always brightly lit but felt eternally dark and cold due to its eerie atmosphere.
Anthony's laboratory remained slightly illuminated; since returning from the Inspection Department, he had entered a state of seclusion.
Erin was already asleep, leaving two books on the bedside table for Charlie.
Stellar Meditation had become a daily essential for Charlie. It replaced part of his sleep time, ensuring he spent at least three hours in meditation every day, which could increase his magic capacity by 5 points, and with good luck, even 6 points.
At this rate of cultivation, by the end of the year, Charlie's personal magic pool could reach over 1600 points, close to Master Narl's expectations.
Seeing the two books made it impossible for Charlie to sleep. His desire for advanced magic compelled him to open them.
After reading about ancient magic, Charlie realized how far current magical civilization had progressed.
Over three hundred years ago, casting a Fireball spell required at least four items: a wand, dried fireflower pollen, a magic storage bottle, and a pair of anti-magic gloves.
The following is the procedure for casting the spell:
Fireflower pollen served as a casting material and acted as an accelerant, enhancing the Fireball spell's damage. During the casting process, one hand held the wand while the other, wearing anti-magic gloves, retrieved pollen from the magic storage bottle.
The wizard would chant an incantation while waving the wand and performing specific gestures. Simultaneously, mental energy would construct the magic pattern for the Fireball in their mind.
The sparks emitted from the wand ignited the pollen, while the chant would channel magical power and absorb energy from the pollen to form a Fireball, which could then be launched at a target by focusing one's mental energy.
This was the entire process of casting the Fireball spell, and just reading through it felt quite complex.
The book also recorded the record for casting a Fireball during that era.
Marx Payne, a powerful mage with a fire affinity, created the record of 3.5 seconds, regarded as the fastest speed of his time.
Now, however, any random magic apprentice can typically cast a Fireball in about 1.8 seconds, marking a significant advancement in civilization.
It must be said that Mr. Faraday was a highly innovative magic master, able to see the essential truths behind superficial appearances.
The casting materials were secondary; their role was merely to supplement insufficient magical power. The gestures were also secondary, serving only to coordinate the tone and rhythm of the incantation.
By stripping away these secondary elements, both the casting materials and the casting process were halved in complexity.
Then, Faraday discovered the ultimate function of chanting and constructing the magic pattern with mental energy: they simulated a certain frequency of mental fluctuations. As long as the fluctuation frequency matched and sufficient magical power was provided, magic could be released correctly.
In the book, Faraday illustrated a vibrating string corresponding to the magic frequency of the Fireball spell, which represented the essence of the spell.
So, how could one simulate this frequency?
Faraday thought of sound; rhythmic and cadenced sounds could mimic such fluctuating frequencies.
Using his extensive knowledge of linguistics, he restructured numerous basic spells' incantations, ultimately constructing a framework for simplified magic. Thus, a new form of "Elemental Magic" was born.
The efficiency of casting numerous low-tier spells increased by 50%, and some even saw an 80% improvement. This significantly enhanced the combat power of wizards, directly allowing them to easily crush equally ranked combat professionals and remarkably improving the status of wizards. A magical tide swept across the entire continent.
Charlie read through the entire book in one breath. It was over 200 pages long, and he spent more than two hours finishing it. It contained over thirty elementary spells across nine schools, with the spell frequency wave being the essence of the book and Faraday's most valuable achievement, firmly etched in Charlie's mind.
Charlie finally understood why advanced spells were difficult to simplify.
First-tier spells typically involved brief, single sine waves, while a few third-tier spells exhibited more complex, compact, and variable wave structures, greatly complicating the incantation.
Moreover, some intricate third-tier spells in illusion, prophecy, and transformation magic even exhibited multiple waveforms running in parallel. They were not impossible to simplify but were limited by the human vocal system's inability to express complex wave frequencies, leading to simplification failures.
As magical tiers increased, the complexity of magic frequencies grew more intricate, to the point where Faraday had no idea how to depict them. This involved theories of wave strings and spatial geometry. Some third-tier spells that had been simplified revealed flaws in human physical structure; even simplified, they could not be used.
At this point, Faraday had reached a dead end.
The postscript of the book revealed how reluctant he was; originally, elemental magic could have been even greater, potentially altering the course of magical civilization on the continent, but it was constrained by the limitations of the human body, hindering any significant changes in the high-end landscape and severely diminishing its impact.
Upon reaching this point, Charlie couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for this great man. In truth, the human body's shortcomings were secondary; the main issue was that Faraday was hindered by the primitive theoretical knowledge system of the Warglan continent, which slowed his progress.
In Haines City, Charlie had come to realize this; now, in the Arcane Circle, within the continent's magical sanctum, he felt the same: the overly advanced applications of magic were seriously hindered by outdated magical theories, resulting in many high-level applications hitting bottlenecks.
If Faraday were here in front of Charlie, he would want to say: "Respected Mr. Faraday, sound waves are waves, and brain waves are also waves!"
At this moment, countless sparks of inspiration flickered in Charlie's mind.
Since Faraday had outlined the magic patterns using mental energy and ultimately discovered the rules of fluctuation for elementary magic, he could apply reverse thinking based on this phenomenon.
Could it be that to release such a fluctuating frequency, one only needed to outline the magic pattern using mental energy?!
Charlie inquired within his mind to the chip: "Can Sigma draw the waveform of my brain waves?"
"Certainly," the chip confirmed.
Great!
Charlie brought up the magic pattern symbol and fluctuation frequency for the Flame Hand spell, then began to try outlining the magic pattern in his mind.
The first waveform he drew appeared jagged and random, quite far from the fluctuation frequency of the Flame Hand.
The chip immediately provided feedback: "Host has too many distracting thoughts, causing interference in brain waves."
This was the advantage of the chip. Perhaps Faraday had experienced similar inspirations but didn't know that the brain's thought processes generated electromagnetic waves and lacked a precise assisting tool like the chip. Once he encountered obstacles, he might have rejected the idea altogether.
Charlie closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind of distractions, focusing completely.
After a moment, he began to outline the magic pattern for the Flame Hand spell.
"The waveform is getting closer; however, the host is drawing too quickly, causing the peaks to be too dense and misaligned," the chip corrected him.
Charlie waited a few seconds and tried again.
"The rhythm is incorrect; the drawing process should not be at a constant speed throughout."
Charlie decided to pause, silently reciting the incantation, trying to experience the tone and rhythm of the spell, repeating it over and over until he gradually familiarized himself with the rhythm.
Trying once more, Charlie followed the rhythm of the incantation meticulously, thinking perhaps this time it would be accurate!
"The waveform is incorrect; it's misaligned."
"Why is it misaligned?"
"The drawing order is reversed."
Charlie couldn't help but feel exasperated. The magic pattern for the Flame Hand spell was just a simple S-shaped curve, easily drawn with one stroke. Yet, such a simple magic pattern had caused him multiple failures. It was no wonder Faraday's research faltered here.
Charlie closed his eyes again, focused his mind, and drew the magic pattern in the reverse direction, smoothly following the rhythm of the incantation in one go.
This time, his consciousness was enveloped in silence, so much so that it felt strange to Charlie.
Unable to restrain his curiosity, he asked, "What's wrong this time?"
"Host, please open your eyes."
Charlie complied, and a flicker of orange-red flame danced silently above his right hand.
A surge of immense joy filled his chest, and his heart raced with excitement as he felt like shouting to the heavens!
This was just a small Flame Hand spell, but Charlie understood that he hadn't used the incantation; to describe this phenomenon with a professional term, it was:
Magic Silent Casting.
Charlie felt a wave of exhilaration wash over him as he realized the significance of what he had just accomplished. The concept of Magic Silent Casting was a groundbreaking revelation that could change everything for him.
He had tapped into the essence of magic in a way that transcended the traditional methods taught at the academy. Instead of relying on incantations and physical gestures, he had discovered a more intimate connection with the magical frequencies through his mental energy. This realization ignited a spark of inspiration within him, pushing the boundaries of what he thought was possible.
As the flickering flame danced on his palm, Charlie couldn't help but experiment further. He focused on the Flame Hand spell, drawing from the feelings of control and power that surged within him.
"Let's see if I can do more," he thought.
With a concentrated effort, he envisioned the magic pattern for another basic spell—the Frostbolt. He recalled the details from the book he had read and began to outline the corresponding magic pattern in his mind, channeling his mental energy with precision.
As he focused, his consciousness began to resonate with the specific frequency associated with the Frostbolt spell, and he could feel the temperature around him drop slightly, a sign of the magic forming.
"Come on, come on…" he whispered to himself, urging the magic to manifest in his hand.
Suddenly, a small, icy-blue bolt formed at his fingertips, crackling with energy. The exhilaration surged through him again. He had successfully created a second spell without uttering a word or making a single gesture!
"This is incredible!" he exclaimed silently, marveling at the newfound potential he had unlocked.
Charlie spent the next few hours experimenting with various spells, each time building on the concepts he had learned from Faraday's book. He felt as if he were on the brink of something monumental, a discovery that could revolutionize the practice of magic. He practiced the Ice Spear, the Lightning Strike, and even more complex spells, each one becoming easier and more fluid as he grew accustomed to harnessing his mental energy.
As dawn began to break outside, Charlie finally took a step back, feeling a combination of exhaustion and triumph. The room was illuminated by the soft light of the morning sun, casting a warm glow over his workspace.
"Who would have thought that magic could be so intuitive?" Charlie pondered, still riding the high of his success.
He knew that he had only scratched the surface of what he could achieve with Magic Silent Casting. With continued practice, he could refine his control and expand his repertoire of spells, potentially becoming a formidable wizard in his own right.
However, he also understood that this newfound ability came with its own set of challenges. The deeper he delved into this method of casting, the more he would need to comprehend the underlying principles of magic—principles that few had truly explored.
"Faraday had the right idea, but perhaps I can take his work even further," Charlie thought, determined to honor the legacy of the great mage while forging his own path within the world of magic.
With renewed ambition, Charlie made a silent vow to continue his studies, pushing the boundaries of magic and seeking to unlock the full potential of his abilities. He felt invigorated, ready to embrace the challenges ahead, and excited to see where this journey would take him.
As the first rays of sunlight streamed into the laboratory, Charlie smiled, knowing that a new chapter in his magical journey had just begun.