Within the cells of the body, energy flows continuously, yet since the diary deliberately mentions it, this energy must not count. Another type of energy, one that has yet to be experienced, is needed to exert influence. But what kind of energy could that be?
Magical energy?
Could it be that one must orally ingest the crimson liquid extracted from the fire bear? Yet even if it were consumed, this liquid would simply travel down the throat into the esophagus, then into the stomach, progressing through the intestines, only to be expelled from the body after traversing the entire digestive system, not truly flowing throughout the body.
Then, is it intravenous injection? Much akin to the infusion employed in modern Earth? However, the problem lies in that liquid, once injected into the veins, merely follows the blood circulation; though it reaches more areas than in the digestive system, it still cannot arrive at places devoid of the vascular network within the body. Thus, it also does not count as flowing throughout the body.
What, then, could it be...?
In the laboratory, Richard pondered deeply, while the little maid, Lucy, stood quietly to the side, fearful of interrupting Richard's train of thought. Yet after a long while, Richard still gleaned no answers.
Turning his gaze to the little maid Lucy, he noticed her evident boredom, so he casually picked up a scroll of papyrus filled with writing from the table and handed it to her, saying, "Place this on the shelf where I keep my notes, and then bring me two new scrolls of papyrus."
"Yes," Lucy replied, her eyes lighting up with purpose, as she reached out to take it.
As the scroll was held in Richard's hand, Lucy took it from him, and her fingers lightly brushed against his. Suddenly, a sharp sting surged through her, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!"
At the same moment, Richard felt a faint electric shock-like sensation.
"This is... static electricity!" Richard was momentarily taken aback, and his eyes sharpened suddenly, and he stood up quickly.
The little maid, startled, looked over and stuttered, "M-Master, what is it?"
"Nothing," he waved his hand dismissively, but his eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yes, it is static electricity; it is electricity!"
"The body is a conductor; if there is a form of energy that can traverse the entire body, it must be electrical energy. Yes, electrical energy!"
"Ha," Richard exhaled slowly, having found a direction to tackle the second problem, and now he needed to figure out how to obtain electrical energy.
"Batteries? Generators?" Countless ideas flashed through Richard's mind, and ultimately, he decided to start with the simplest concept. He turned to the little maid and instructed, "Prepare some materials for me—saltwater, iron rods..."
Before long, all the materials Richard needed were assembled.
Richard utilized the items prepared and embarked on his first experiment: the creation of the ancestor of dry batteries—the voltaic pile.
The voltaic pile was the first documented electrical generator invented in 1800 by the Italian professor Alessandro Volta. Its structure is incredibly simple; it consists merely of alternating layers of zinc and copper discs, with paper soaked in saltwater in between, which generates electric current. The principle is based on the differing reactivity of zinc and copper in the saline solution, resulting in a redox reaction that yields electrons and produces current.
This knowledge is well within the grasp of Richard from his high school chemistry classes. In no time at all, he crafted a nearly perfect voltaic pile, but upon testing it, he was disappointed to find the resultant current was exceedingly weak, not nearly sufficient for his needs, so he had to make improvements.
Richard placed the zinc and copper discs into cups filled with saltwater, connecting multiple cups of the same design, yet the current produced was still inadequate. To achieve the desired effect, he would need to connect hundreds of saltwater cups in series.
Reluctantly, Richard abandoned the voltaic pile and attempted to create another type of special dry battery—The Baghdad Battery.
The Baghdad Battery, speaking of it, is quite a marvelous artifact.
It emerged from the Tigris-Euphrates region in the 3rd century BC, predating the widely recognized ancestor of dry batteries—the voltaic pile—by over two thousand years. It is unfathomable how such a creation could arise in that era, and its excavation has astounded and puzzled scientists around the globe, who offered no reasonable explanation.
Richard, however, was not keen on researching the reasons for the emergence of the Baghdad Battery in the 3rd century BC, but simply wished to replicate its functionality.
Constructurally, the Baghdad Battery is more complex than the voltaic pile. Its body consists of a ceramic pot filled with asphalt, within which stands a copper tube encased in a layer of asphalt, surrounding an iron rod. The iron rod protrudes slightly above the copper tube and is enclosed in a lead block to ensure complete isolation between them, forming the positive and negative terminals of the battery. When an acid solution is poured into this pot, electric current can be generated.
After considerable effort, Richard finally constructed the so-called Baghdad Battery, but upon testing it, he felt dismayed once again. Though the electric current generated was significantly stronger than that of the voltaic pile, it was merely a fewfold increase and bore no essential difference, rendering it unable to propagate throughout his body.
"In that case, the dry batteries cannot suffice, for the current is far too minimal. I need to consider other means," Richard mused. "It seems that relying upon convenient methods is inadequate; I must employ something more intricate, like constructing a generator."
"Construct a generator, you say?" Richard's eyes narrowed. He instructed the little maid Lucy to fetch a pristine scroll of papyrus as he began, contemplating while sketching the design of the generator.
There are many types of generators: hydroelectric, wind, and human-powered generators. After careful consideration, Richard deemed it prudent to first attempt the construction of a wind generator.
Simply put, a wind generator consists of two primary components: the generator responsible for producing electricity and the windmill.
Richard quickly sketched on the papyrus, making adjustments as he went, and before long, the draft was complete. Glancing outside where the sky was still bright, he turned to the little maid and commanded, "Go notify Tuku; I want him to accompany me to find Mark."
The design was complete, yet Richard did not wish to undertake the labor himself, as it constituted a considerable workload; it was best left to a skilled craftsman.
The little maid Lucy nodded obediently, swiftly darting out.
Shortly thereafter, as Richard descended from the attic, he saw Tuku already waiting at the door.
"Let us go," Richard said without further elaboration, turning toward the row of cottages behind the main fortress, with Tuku following closely.
As they approached the cottages, a foul odor began to waft, reeking of horse dung, mingled with the musty, fermented scent of damp fodder.
Tuku frowned, yet Richard remained expressionless as he continued toward one side of the stable.
On that side, a dilapidated shed stood, and upon entering, Richard beheld a man lying atop a filthy blanket, fast asleep.