Magic Rune Spells

"So, kid, what exactly are you trying to say?" Gregory asked, somewhat confused.

"What I mean is that even flames that burn can differ in power and behavior for all sorts of reasons. If we figure all of that out, we can make changes through certain methods, releasing spells with greater power and even breaking through the limits of one's strength. By combining some Zero-Ring Spells, we could unleash power comparable to One-Ring Spells or even Two-Ring Spells.

"For example, before you brought me here, I'd been conducting a rather interesting experiment. I used Wind Spells to alter the air pressure, then used the Water Droplet Condensation spell to try to liquefy the oxygen in the air at a certain temperature."

"Liquefy oxygen?"

"That's right, liquefy oxygen." Richard nodded. "Oxygen is something every living creature, including you and me, needs. Without oxygen, 99.9 percent of the living things in this world would die. The remainder would be anaerobic bacteria.

"Under normal circumstances, oxygen exists only as a gas. But at ten standard atmospheres, lowering the temperature to -183°C can liquefy it.

"Ten atmospheres aren't too difficult, but the low temperature of -183°C is rather troublesome. Though the principle behind Water Droplet Condensation is cooling, it can't lower the temperature that far. I spent a long time experimenting, trying to stack the effects, and only barely succeeded by using a technique recorded in a Wizard Book."

As he spoke, Richard's expression turned serious. He waved away the Flame Impact spell and began chanting a lengthy incantation. The surrounding air swiftly surged toward his palm. After quite some time, droplets appeared one after another, gathering into a cluster that floated one centimeter above Richard's palm.

Richard let out a soft breath and showed it to Gregory. "This is liquid oxygen. Once ignited, its volume instantly expands more than eight hundredfold, releasing tremendous energy and causing an explosion."

With that, Richard's expression grew solemn again. He chanted an incantation, and in the next moment, his gaze sharpened. He forcefully threw the Liquid Oxygen Cluster in his hand, and a ball of Blood-Red Flame immediately appeared on its surface.

Visible to the naked eye, the Liquid Oxygen Cluster flew far away. The Blood-Red Flame on its surface flickered, then burst forth with a radiance brighter than the sun. This was followed by a boom, like a thunderclap exploding.

Dirt sprayed into the air, raising dust several meters high. A shockwave arose and turned into a gale that swept across the entire mountaintop. Wherever it passed, grass and trees bent low. Gregory could feel his clothes being pressed tightly against his body by the wind, only returning to normal after a long while.

The sound waves spread outward. Countless birds in the forest took flight in alarm, frantically flying farther and farther away...

When the dust finally settled, a charred crater several dozen centimeters deep had appeared dozens of meters away.

This! Gregory was somewhat astonished.

To be honest, in terms of actual power, this Liquid Oxygen Cluster could not compare to the fire breath he used in his dragon form. But the problem was that Richard had released it.

He knew very well that Richard was merely a weak Wizard Apprentice, yet this power had clearly exceeded the limit of what Richard should have been able to wield. In other words, everything Richard had said earlier might actually be possible.

A mere Wizard Apprentice could release power equal to a One-Ring Spell, or even a Two-Ring Spell. Then...

Gregory's eyes flickered as he looked at Richard. "No! There's a problem!"

"Hm?"

"Although this thing you made is powerful, it takes far too long. In that same amount of time during a battle, you'd have already been killed by your enemy more than ten times. So no matter how powerful it is, you wouldn't have the chance to release it."

"I've considered that problem too. The answer is... it can be solved."

"How is that possible?"

"Because among a Wizard's spells, there is a category called... Magic Rune Spells."

"You can understand them?"

"I think I can."

"..." Gregory suddenly fell silent.

After quite some time, Gregory looked at Richard and slowly asked in a probing tone, "How about... I make another trip and take you back?"

"Uh, no need. Before you brought me here, I was already planning to leave that place. I just hadn't decided where to go. So there's nothing wrong with staying here. I can even keep your daughter company."

"That doesn't make me feel any better..."

"What are you worried about?"

"Pandora..."

"I can't beat her." Richard paused to think. "At least, based on what she's shown so far, I'm no match for her."

"But that only applies for now." Gregory's voice rumbled, his expression serious. "For the sake of my daughter Pandora's safety, I still think it's necessary to send you away."

"Isn't that a little exaggerated? Aren't you here too, Gregory?"

"..." Gregory fell silent again. After a while, he continued in his rumbling voice, "No matter what, sooner or later, I'll send you away. If not now, then someday in the future..."

After saying that, Gregory turned and walked into the Dragon Cave.

Richard watched his retreating back and shrugged.

At dusk, inside a room on the first floor of the ancient castle.

Richard took a porcelain bottle from his suitcase and poured grease into an antique bronze oil lamp. He then placed in a prepared rush wick and lit it with a spell.

With a whoosh, a small flame began to burn, illuminating the room and bringing a little light to the pitch-black ancient castle.

Richard opened the Chapter of Munro and continued studying its contents.

A moment later, he took a White Jade Shard from his suitcase. It was seven or eight centimeters long and three centimeters wide, thin like a microscope slide.

In the Middle Ages, the West and the East had two entirely different cultures—gem culture and jade culture.

Because there were few sources of it, jade, which was incomparably precious in the East, was rare in the West and not highly valued. It was worth about the same as ordinary stone. Yet according to the records in the Chapter of Munro, jade, gemstones, and crystals could all be used as materials for magical tools.

With a flick of his hand, a small carving knife appeared in his palm. Richard narrowed his eyes and carved into the White Jade Shard. The sharp blade passed over its surface, scattering jade dust as strange grooves rapidly appeared.

Richard carved with utmost concentration. From time to time, he stopped to think, carefully considering the depth and angle of the next groove.

By the time he finished, the entire White Jade Shard had completely changed. Both sides were covered in strange patterns. They were not decorative patterns, with no symmetry or beauty to speak of. They were simply intricate and precise.

Richard put down the carving knife and let out a long breath. Even for him, completing a White Jade Shard like this had taken considerable effort. And this was only the simplest and most basic application of Magic Rune Spells.

Grasping the White Jade Shard, Richard narrowed his eyes slightly and controlled the mana within his body to flow out from his mana source, pass through his blood vessels to the tips of his fingers, and then enter the White Jade Shard. In an instant, the shard absorbed the mana, and some mysterious transformation took place within it.

Bzzzz!

The White Jade Shard vibrated. In the next moment, it cracked open with a crack, and a cluster of dark blue flame appeared.

PS: Let me explain something here. Explosions can be divided into six types: nuclear explosions, chemical explosions, electrical explosions, high-speed collisions, explosions caused by lasers, X-rays, or other high-energy particle beams, and physical explosions.

Some people say liquid oxygen cannot explode. In reality, because liquid oxygen cannot burn, it indeed cannot undergo a chemical explosion, but it can undergo a physical explosion.

A physical explosion is caused by physical changes, such as temperature, volume, and pressure. Before and after the explosion, the properties and chemical composition of the explosive material remain unchanged.

A boiler explosion is a typical physical explosion. Overheated water rapidly evaporates into a large amount of steam, continuously increasing steam pressure. When the pressure exceeds the boiler's maximum strength, an explosion occurs. Likewise, when an oxygen cylinder is heated, the gas pressure rises. Once it exceeds the cylinder's maximum strength, it explodes. During a physical explosion, the energy contained within gases or vapors is released in an instant, causing immense destruction and injury. These physical explosions are instantaneous manifestations of the expansion force of steam and gas, and their destructive power depends on the pressure of the steam or gas.

The liquid oxygen explosion here occurred because Flame Impact rapidly turned the liquid oxygen into gaseous oxygen, thereby creating a high-pressure physical explosion.