Wayne could not help smiling as he watched Lynn savor his tea.
Few people knew how to appreciate the tea he brewed. He sat down as well, turning his teacup in his hands.
"I've been meaning to find a chance to talk to you."
Lynn set down his cup. "About what?"
"Your Stigmata Domain." Wayne placed his teacup on the table and ran a finger lightly around its rim.
"Over the years, I've seen far too many Stigmata Domains. Death, souls, shadows, ice, holy light..."
"But... yours alone is different." Lynn did not respond.
Wayne looked at him and waited a few moments. Seeing that Lynn had no intention of speaking, he continued.
"So this is the Myriad Phenomena Stigma... There seems to be an entire, complete network of rules within your domain. Three thousand rule chains, every one of them in motion. I'm very curious how you managed it."
"I stood on the shoulders of those who came before me," Lynn said. "My mentor, Gregor, has been researching ways to fuse rules all along."
"He proposed the Myriad Phenomena Path. I merely inherited his legacy and worked out the beginnings of that path."
Wayne's finger stopped.
He looked at Lynn, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Gregor. I know that name. He's been at the Academy for many years, stuck at the peak of the Third Ring."
"Some say he took the wrong path. Others say he lacks talent. Still others say... he's a madman."
Wayne lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"Now it seems there's nothing wrong with his path. It's just beyond most people's ability to follow. He's fortunate, too, to have found someone who could inherit his legacy."
Lynn said nothing.
Wayne set down his cup and tapped the tabletop lightly twice. "Few in the Academy