Magic Is Science!

Could it be that he had transmigrated into a fantasy world?

After a brief moment of shock, Lynn quickly regained his composure. He had already transmigrated, after all. He could not even be sure whether he was still in his original universe, so nothing was impossible.

Naturally, Lynn was immensely interested in something as miraculous as magic. His intense desire to investigate it even briefly overwhelmed the fear brought by the Church's pursuit!

As a Wizard Apprentice who had only studied for half a year, Carl knew very limited magic—only five spells in total.

Among them, [Basic Material Deconstruction], [Water Condensation], and [Mage Hand] were all the most basic Zero-Ring Magic. Though important, they possessed no offensive capability.

The more advanced First-Ring spell [Fireball] required corresponding magical materials, while Carl had yet to master the other First-Ring spell, [Blade of Ice].

Lynn lowered his head and searched through the cloth pouch hanging at his waist, taking out his meager possessions one by one.

Two crimson firestones, three Secas silver coins, more than ten copper coins, seven drafts covered in complex magical formulas, a yellowed copy of Elemental Analysis, and a small pouch of gray powder—these were the casting materials for [Fireball], [Ember of Crimson Fire].

Lynn pinched up a small amount of the fine powder, feeling eager to try. Carl's memories contained the complete casting procedure for [Fireball].

First, use [Basic Material Deconstruction] to analyze the casting material. Then cast [Mage Hand] and make [Ember of Crimson Fire] vibrate at a specific frequency to activate the spell.

The process sounded cumbersome, but the most time-consuming step, analyzing the casting material, could be completed beforehand. With enough proficiency, [Fireball] could be activated in just one second...

Lynn could hardly wait to experience the power of the supernatural, but he ultimately held himself back.

This small pinch of [Ember of Crimson Fire] was worth five Secas silver coins and was only enough for three casts of [Fireball]. He absolutely could not waste it carelessly. For his first spellcasting attempt, it would be better to choose something simpler.

After thinking for a while, Lynn chose [Water Condensation] as the target of his first spellcasting attempt.

As one of the compulsory Zero-Ring spells, if [Basic Material Deconstruction] was the key to using magical materials and [Mage Hand] was a wizard's greatest assistant, then [Water Condensation] was the apprentice's introductory lesson!

This basic spell, as well as its superior spell [Blade of Ice], did not require casting materials to be prepared in advance. Or rather, the casting materials could be extracted directly from the Elemental World!

Following the method given in his memories, Lynn closed his eyes and meditated. Perhaps Carl's original body had laid a solid foundation for him, because after only two or three seconds, he successfully opened the door to a new world!

After closing his eyes, he entered an incomparably wondrous world. Through the perception of Mental Power, Lynn could clearly "see" countless faintly glowing magical elements filling the entire room.

Ten billion, a hundred billion, a trillion?

No, numbers alone could not calculate their enormous quantity. They shone like stars glittering in a dark universe.

Most of these elements were highly active, constantly shifting their positions. The most abundant among them was an element called [Seru], making up roughly seventy percent of the total. His mentor Coru had called it a useless element.

The magnificent sight left Lynn deeply shocked. It took him a long time to recover and focus his mind on using magic.

The process of casting [Water Condensation] was not complicated. It required extracting two elements related to water and combining them at a ratio of two to one.

The former accounted for a considerable proportion of the Elemental World, roughly twenty to thirty percent, while the latter was relatively scarce and required careful searching.

However, there was an easier method. The Elemental World itself contained a small amount of ready-made water elements. As long as they were gathered and reorganized with [Basic Material Deconstruction], they could be used freely.

Thanks to the original Carl's obsession with magic, he had practiced these basic spells hundreds of times and built an extremely solid foundation. After getting past his initial unfamiliarity, Lynn quickly grasped the method.

Still, this so-called Elemental World gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

When Lynn opened his eyes again, a marble-sized ball of water slowly floated above his palm, supported by [Mage Hand].

"Good, it worked!" The corners of Lynn's lips rose slightly. Yet that brief distraction immediately caused the water ball to collapse, dripping through the gaps between his fingers.

As though someone had dumped a basin of cold water over his head, Lynn quickly broke free from the joy of successfully casting magic.

As a Wizard Apprentice, he was still being hunted by the Church. How could he become complacent over such a minor achievement?

Not to mention that a marble-sized water ball was utterly useless in battle...

It was probably not even enough to quench an enemy's thirst!

Still, he had seen his predecessor's mentor Coru use [Water Condensation] as a preliminary spell before unleashing the Second-Ring spell [Mass Ice Blade Technique] against enemies.

More than a dozen fist-sized water balls formed in an instant, then transformed into solid diamond-shaped ice blades that shot toward the attacking bandits like a swarm of locusts.

That one strike completely routed every enemy who had come at them!

Thinking of this, Lynn prepared to sense the Elemental World and try again.

Perhaps because his memories had merged after transmigration, Lynn's Mental Power was far more abundant than the original Carl's, and he could also mobilize more magic power.

Using [Water Condensation] just now had caused him negligible depletion. He had a feeling that he could do much more.

Lynn closed his eyes and soon entered the Elemental World again. This time, he did not rush to cast [Water Condensation]. Instead, he tried using Mental Power to influence every kind of element he could find around him.

These elements all looked different, yet they vaguely gave Lynn a familiar feeling. Some were even incredibly "heavy"; moving them even slightly made him feel mentally exhausted.

Once he fully immersed himself, Lynn suddenly noticed a strange phenomenon.

The elements floating before him were being drawn into his body at a peculiar frequency, then expelled again, repeating the cycle over and over.

Did a wizard's body need to regularly absorb these magical elements?

This question suddenly surfaced in Lynn's mind. Upon closer observation, he made an astonishing discovery—the phenomenon was clearly caused by his breathing...

Wait... wasn't this fucking oxygen?

Lynn froze for a moment and sharply inhaled. The lofty and mysterious image of magical elements in his mind instantly collapsed.

He had not recognized them immediately because he was not directly seeing these [elements]. Instead, he was perceiving them through Mental Power in a highly mystical manner, then influencing them with magic power...

Moreover, the proportions of chemical elements in this world's air differed somewhat from those in his previous life, so Lynn had not considered that possibility at first.

But with this theory, the previous process of capturing elements to create water also had a new explanation.

What was water?

It was an inorganic substance composed of the two chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen!

The air indeed contained a small amount of water vapor, which might have been the water element spoken of by wizards.

So he had not been using magic just now. He had been conducting a chemistry experiment?

Were wizards actually just a bunch of chemists?

The conclusion made Lynn pause, but he quickly shook his head. This world possessed the miraculous thing known as magic power. Judging from his spellcasting just now, magic power might be able to manipulate matter on a microscopic level!

Without any limits, wizards would practically be gods!

According to the scientific theories of his previous life, all matter in the world was made up of atoms. If magic power could manipulate matter on that level, it could create and destroy everything.

Lynn soon lost himself in fantasy, keenly realizing just how terrifying the chemistry and physics knowledge he had learned in his previous life would become when combined with magic!

If the scientific theories of his previous life created all kinds of machines to transform the world, then wizards could use magic power to directly turn those theories into spells and gather immense power within themselves!

Lynn extended his hand again. The hydrogen and oxygen in the air around him were separated out and formed a small ball of water floating above his palm.

Then another question surfaced in his mind. Hydrogen and oxygen usually had to combine through a combustion reaction to form water. Where had the high temperature and energy produced in that process gone?

Could magic power have absorbed it?

The unknown field of magic contained every possibility, and Lynn could not be certain. Still, that was a question he could only properly investigate once he had the conditions for experimentation.

Lynn quickly turned his attention to the other spells. If his guess was correct, then the key to the so-called First-Ring spell [Blade of Ice] was changing water from a liquid state into a solid state, thereby increasing its lethality!

To do that, he needed to lower the water's temperature...

Lynn recalled the physics he had learned in his previous life. Temperature was a manifestation of the average kinetic energy of molecules within an object. Molecules collided with one another, generating and transferring heat...

In other words, he needed to slow down the movement of water molecules!

With a thought from Lynn, the extremely active water molecules in his palm gradually slowed under the influence of magic power, packed tightly together, and almost instantly the small water ball condensed into a transparent ice crystal.

Just as Lynn rejoiced that his guess had proven correct, a notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Special energy detected... source unknown, no record in database. Create a relevant file?]

Lynn was stunned at first, then disbelief immediately appeared on his face.

He knew that voice all too well.

But had he not transmigrated? Even his body had been replaced, so the auxiliary chip implanted in him before should no longer exist...

"071, do you know how we transmigrated here? Are there any corresponding records in the system?" Lynn urgently asked.

[Due to an unknown cause, the system shut down and restarted. No records exist for the entire process.]

Lynn frowned, unable to hide his disappointment. Still, he quickly composed himself and asked again. "Then how long can your remaining energy keep you running?"

Since he had already arrived in this other world and faced the constant risk of being hunted down, Lynn could only search for every possible way to survive.

The auxiliary intelligence that had followed him here was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. Although the intelligence of personally implanted auxiliary chips was extremely limited due to the Federation Correction Act, Lynn's identity as a data archivist in his previous life meant that 071 contained a vast amount of technological information from that world...

In this strange world where science and magic overlapped, the importance of that information went without saying...

[Energy remaining: 37.6%. Special energy detected. It may be used to sustain system operation...]

Special energy... did it mean magic power?

Lynn fell into thought. The various characteristics displayed by magic power left him incredibly fascinated. If he were still in his previous life, he would probably have plunged headfirst into a laboratory by now.

Unfortunately, he was now only a poor, powerless Wizard Apprentice being hunted by the Church. Whether he would even see tomorrow's sunrise was uncertain...

Lynn sighed, then spoke solemnly. "071, create a new file. Name this special energy magic power!"

[Loading into database...]

Taking advantage of this pause, Lynn turned to look at the diamond-shaped ice blade floating above his palm.

Because it was infused with magic power, this ice blade differed from ordinary solid ice. It constantly radiated chilling cold air. Its tip was conical, while its overall shape was streamlined.

Calling it an ice blade, it was actually more appropriate to describe it as an ice arrow.

This shape was known as the [Coru Configuration], capable of minimizing air resistance as much as possible.

It seemed his mentor Coru had no small attainments in Fluid Dynamics...

Lynn complained inwardly, then his expression became somewhat strange. Compared to the [Blade of Ice] Coru had cast in his memories, the one in his hand was truly much smaller.

Although the hydrogen content in this world's air was considerably higher than in his previous life, even if he gathered all of it, he still could not produce enough water.

Thinking of this, Lynn could not help wondering how his mentor had cast the Second-Ring spell [Mass Ice Blade Technique].

Surely Coru had not instantly extracted all the hydrogen, oxygen, and water vapor within several hundred meters?

If he possessed that ability, Coru would not have needed to cast [Multiple Ice Blades]. His enemies would probably have suffocated from oxygen deprivation on their own.

Unable to figure it out for the moment, Lynn did not dwell on it. Looking at the floating ice blade before him, an idea suddenly came to mind.

"071, retrieve information related to Armor-Piercing Arrows and Barbed Arrows," Lynn silently ordered in his mind.

The next moment, an enormous stream of data flashed across his retina. Countless images, documents, and simulated three-dimensional models made Lynn's head ache.

"Replace the manufacturing material with ice. Optimize and reorganize it with stability, reduced air resistance, and maximum lethality as the objectives!" Lynn stroked his chin and spoke again.

The images floating over his retina rapidly faded. Just one second later, an entirely new three-dimensional model appeared before him.

Lynn firmly memorized the three-dimensional image before him. When he loosely clenched his right hand, the floating ice blade immediately shattered.

Zero-Ring Magic—[Basic Material Deconstruction]

The instantly shattered ice blade returned to its most basic elements. Bound by magic power, they compressed within his palm and continuously changed shape, growing closer and closer to the image on his retina before soon stabilizing.

Compared to the previous one, the newly condensed ice blade was much narrower. Its conical tip had been changed into a triangular shape better suited for piercing armor and causing bleeding, while two long barbs extended from beneath it. One could imagine that once the ice blade struck a target and pierced flesh, it would leave them too overwhelmed to say a word.

The successful magical improvement experiment gave Lynn hope of surviving. However, [Blade of Ice] had limited power, and no amount of optimizing its shape could grant it a major increase. Thus, Lynn quickly shifted his focus to the second First-Ring spell Carl had mastered, [Fireball]!

Unlike [Blade of Ice], which could extract "raw materials" from the air, [Fireball] required the magical material [Ember of Crimson Fire] for activation.

Lynn guessed it was a flammable substance that could rapidly expand and burn once friction raised its temperature under the restraint of magic power.

If his guess was correct, did that mean he could use other flammable substances to cast this spell...

"071, search for information on the production and use of white phosphorus..." Lynn silently ordered in his mind.

White phosphorus was a colorless or pale yellow, translucent waxy substance with a strong pungent odor. Its ignition point was extremely low, and it would burn violently upon contact with oxygen, reaching temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius...

Even more terrifyingly, this White Phosphorus Fire was difficult to extinguish and possessed extremely strong adhesion. Once it touched the human body, it would rapidly burn through skin and muscle until it reached the bone marrow, while the gases produced by its combustion were also highly toxic.

As a data archivist in his previous life, Lynn had once witnessed the Federation launch a new type of white phosphorus bomb. It was an absolutely unforgettable and terrifying sight.

The instant the missile exploded in the air, an endless rain of fire poured down from the sky, igniting an inextinguishable sea of flames across several kilometers.

The scorching temperatures, inextinguishable nature, and horrifying toxicity meant that even those hiding in bunkers could not escape death.

Precisely because white phosphorus bombs were so terrifying, they had been classified as inhumane weapons and banned as early as the previous century. The various Federation regions only dared research them in secret...

However, the process of making white phosphorus was not actually complicated. The auxiliary intelligence contained detailed records, and as long as he found the materials, he had a way to make it even without instruments.

Just as Lynn was considering this, a dull pounding against the door suddenly sounded behind him.

Lynn's expression changed sharply.

He was currently hiding in the Slums of Nordland Territory. Under normal circumstances, no one would dare disturb him so rashly.

Unless...

The Witch Hunter Squad sent by the Inquisition had arrived!