Mage Adam-Chapter "354"

Adam had never heard of anything like a “magic crystal.” There were energy stones, yes—but those were crude, low-grade imitations. Once the energy was drained, they were nothing more than useless rocks. Aether crystals, however, could be wholly converted into energy, leaving not a single remnant behind.

The technique by which the True Spirit Archmage conjured an Aether crystal out of thin air was nothing short of astonishing. Adam had always assumed Aether crystals were manufactured by some elaborate device. But clearly…

“The First Elemental Tower, also called the First Aether Tower,” Julius the Super Dimensional whispered by Adam’s ear. “Every Aether crystal circulating in the Mage World comes from the First Tower. They are the richest of all mages.

“Prometheus, His Excellency, gained True Spirit status through knowledge of energy innovation. In his Mage Armor lies an energy-conversion circuit capable of drawing Aether directly from the void. It was precisely thanks to His Excellency’s breakthroughs that modern mages gained the energy reserves needed to wage wars across the void.

“Which is why his application of chain fission technology matters so much—both to him and to the First Tower.”

Adam was stunned. The only Tower capable of producing Aether crystals—that was equivalent to holding absolute control over both the energy system and the currency system of the Mage World. To call them the wealthiest was no exaggeration.

No wonder Prometheus had been so generous toward him. Compared to the benefits the First Tower would gain if this technology could be realized, the expense of building Adam a Mage Tower was negligible.

It was then that His Excellency voiced his second point.

“For mages below True Spirit, attempting to conduct Aether fission directly within body and soul is nearly impossible. Your bodies and souls simply cannot withstand the violent surge of energy. If you forced it, you would be torn apart before you ever enjoyed the power. By my calculations, even I must reach a certain efficiency threshold in Aether fission before I can perfectly control it.”

“In other words, for mages below Super Dimensional , there is absolutely no possibility of using this new technique. But for Super Dimensional s and above, it may be possible—provided I can successfully weave the chain-fission reaction into meditation methods, and use Mage Armor as the buffer and medium.”

“Mage Armor?” someone asked doubtfully.

“Yes,” Prometheus said. “Even if magic could suddenly surge in vast amounts, if a mage’s soul remained unchanged, it could never absorb it all. Thus, the chain fission must be integrated into Mage Armor, storing the excess magic within it. That is the only viable method at present.”

Adam pictured it—it would be like carrying a massive mobile power bank, one that could recharge itself at any time. It reminded him of the pseudo-infinite magic he had once encountered while exploring Katos.

The eyes of the other mages gradually lit up as well. Though it was regrettable the technique couldn’t be applied directly to the body, this was already excellent. On campaigns, their personal magic consumption was enormous—sometimes amounting to a third of an entire legion. If Aether chain fission succeeded, the resources saved would multiply their gains.

Three months later.

With Prometheus the True Spirit Archmage personally involved, funding from the Mage Council never suffered delay again. Whenever finances grew tight, His Excellency directly exercised his authority to draw funds. With his support, the pace of research quickened considerably.

His methods of calculation were ancient. He did not use modern devices; instead he spread parchment across a great table, and with spiritual power guided a quill to write ceaselessly. The method was old, but the speed not inferior—every second, dozens of parchments were filled and replaced.

He concealed nothing, not even when dismantling and recombining his Mage Armor before their eyes. Yet Adam quickly realized he could not comprehend a thing. It looked like Mage Armor, yes—but in truth it was utterly unlike any meditation method known, whether psychokinetic or otherwise. It was entirely his own knowledge, belonging solely to the Aether Void Mage World.

Prometheus was amiable. When Adam’s curiosity grew during the final calculations, he explained:

“You cannot yet understand the principles behind my Mage Armor, and I cannot simply tell you. But think of the crystal wall system of the Mage World. That is, in essence, my Mage Armor magnified.”

A glimpse of True Spirit power, revealed casually. Adam knew well the Mage World’s vastness—and that it was still expanding—but he could not imagine how His Excellency accomplished such a feat.

After speaking, Prometheus cleared the parchments from the table, then produced an immense sheet of golden paper. Handing Adam a quill, he said:

“Sign your name upon this.”

Adam refused at once. “That wouldn’t be right.”

Prometheus only smiled, placing the quill in his hand.

“There’s nothing wrong. My current identity here is as an ordinary researcher of this Institute. Any results belong to the Institute. And you, as its director, are fully entitled to sign.”

“Besides, belonging to the Institute is no bad thing. I have high hopes for your research—I expect it to broaden and enrich the cognitive world of mages.”

Adam could not find a reason to argue further. But instead of writing his own name, he penned Atomic Research Institute. The results—models of fission, fusion, particle structures—were not his work alone. He would not claim credit.

Prometheus did not mind. Taking the quill back, he began to inscribe the final results.

With each stroke, radiant brilliance burst forth, growing ever brighter, piercing every barrier until all within the Institute beheld it. They set aside their work and gathered in reverence around him.

Across the entire Katos plane, an astonishing storm of magic erupted. Every being below True Spirit in the Inner World was forced to the ground. Mages everywhere turned toward the Institute and saluted—they knew a monumental discovery had been born.

At last, with the final stroke, the chain-fission rune matrix was complete, fusing seamlessly into the Mage Armor. Prometheus’s will-projection dissipated with the golden parchment. In a shift of space, Adam and all around him found themselves in the Material World.

They looked up. The crystal wall system rippled in a graceful frequency, and then, from each of its nodes, torrents of Aether surged forth, sweeping across the world.

Even ordinary mortals could see it—a boundless tsunami of magic waves, rolling to heights beyond imagination.

“This is His Excellency’s magic… the Breath of the World.”