Victor had dedicated weeks to improving the village's infrastructure, but this effort only intensified his curiosity about the full potential of mana. He became fixated on the idea of merging science with magic, realizing that combat would serve as the ideal testing ground for his theories.The wilderness surrounding the village was notorious for its dangers, and Victor understood that it was there he would discover the raw mana essential for his research. However, this time, he wouldn't be using magic in the same way the villagers did. He intended to approach it scientifically—employing formulas, chemical reactions, and principles of physics to achieve his combat objectives.
Mira, who had observed Victor's advancements in the village, expressed her worries.
"Victor, the wilds are unpredictable. It's not just the beasts; the unstable mana fields pose a threat too. You must be cautious."
Victor acknowledged her concern.
"I'll take a scientific approach, Mira. I won't depend on brute strength or instinct. I'll treat magic as I would any experiment."
With a heavy backpack filled with tools, notes, and materials for his scientific inquiries, Victor ventured into the wilderness.
The air thickened with untamed mana as he delved deeper. The environment was hostile—wild mana surged like electricity, chaotic and unrestrained. It was the perfect setting for someone like Victor to explore and test his ideas.
His first encounter was sudden. As he navigated through the dense forest, the rustling leaves signaled movement nearby.
A massive creature, its form flickering in and out of the shadows, charged at him from the underbrush. Its body was covered in scales that glimmered with raw elemental mana, and its claws crackled with energy.
Rather than retreating or relying on basic spells, Victor immediately began to assess the situation. The creature's aggressive charge was predictable; it relied on brute force—its size, speed, and magical aura were its weapons.
But Victor understood that he didn't need to match that raw power. Instead, he needed to manipulate the environment with precision.
He quickly reached into his pack and pulled out a few rocks, using mana to change their molecular structure just enough to make them dense and compact. With his understanding of chemical reactions, Victor knew that the rock would become highly unstable when it came into contact with oxygen.
He mentally formulated the equation for a controlled combustion reaction.
Adjusting the mana flow through a set of small crystals embedded in his equipment, he initiated the reaction.
The rocks exploded outward violently, propelled by the explosive chemical combustion. The first rock struck the creature's head, stunning it momentarily.
Victor wasted no time. He repeated the process, using a rock with more precise energy control to direct the propulsion. The rocks flew, and with the added force of controlled combustion, each one struck with deadly accuracy.
The creature roared in pain and staggered back, but it wasn't defeated yet.Victor observed its behavior, calculating his next move in real time. He didn't rely on instinct—he applied the same logic he would in a laboratory. The beast was strong, but it had a predictable energy signature.
Victor switched tactics. He pulled out a small vial of liquid nitrogen—another formula he had perfected. Using a mana channelling device, he infused the liquid nitrogen with mana to enhance its freezing properties beyond the norm.
With a precise calculation of pressure and temperature, he unleashed a blast of supercooled gas toward the creature.
The blast struck its limbs, causing the mana-infused scales to freeze and crack. The creature's movements became sluggish as the nitrogen reacted with the mana in its body, freezing the magical energy in place.
Victor didn't stop there. While the creature was momentarily immobilized, he applied his knowledge of thermodynamics and mana's properties to make the nitrogen boil rapidly, creating a violent gas expansion.The pressure from the expanding gas exploded outward, forcing the creature to retreat.
The freezing had temporarily immobilized it, but the expansion of gas created a force that pushed it away.
Breathing heavily yet confident in his method, Victor observed as the creature staggered off, its aggressive charge halted for the moment.
Victor marveled at the results.
"It's all about the formula. Chemical combustion, controlled freezing, and precise mana manipulation. These aren't just spells; they are scientific equations applied to combat."
He settled onto a nearby rock, pulling out his notes to make calculations.The creature was retreating, but Victor wasn't satisfied yet. He hadn't merely used raw magic; he had engineered his response, blending basic principles of chemistry and physics with his understanding of mana's flow.
This was his approach: treating combat magic as a science, something to be controlled and perfected.
Days passed as Victor continued to experiment.
He utilized his knowledge of chemical reactions to manipulate the environment around him, creating explosions with carefully calculated reactions, manipulating air pressure to generate strong gusts of wind, and even applying the principles of physics to create barriers of compressed air or sudden bursts of heat to disorient his foes.
He also began using his understanding of matter and energy conversion to manipulate solid objects, propelling them with explosive reactions or altering their state to form shields of ice or molten lava.
Every battle was an experiment.
Victor didn't rely on intuition or instinct like the natural-born mages. Instead, he applied his knowledge of the world's fundamental forces to refine and perfect his techniques.
Each spell, each formula, was a calculated response to the environment. Whether it was the chemical combustion of rocks, freezing with nitrogen, or propelling objects through controlled energy, every action was governed by scientific principles.After weeks of honing his combat skills in the wilderness, Victor felt assured that he had absorbed all he could from the untamed surroundings.He had harnessed science to transform mana into a dependable and precise weapon in battle.The era of depending on instinct and mysticism was now a thing of the past.Victor made his way back to the village, excited to share his findings.He had not only acquired significant knowledge but had also demonstrated that magic, much like any other force, could be comprehended and mastered through scientific principles.