Ethan stood before the directory in the Teaching Area, his gaze sweeping across the densely packed list of courses.
Unlike the basic courses, the prices for these Intermediate-level courses were outrageously expensive.
【Intermediate Runic Structure】 380 magic stones
【Advanced Energy Particle Operation Mechanisms】 500 magic stones
【Deep Analysis of Rare Supernatural Materials】 420 magic stones
【Wizardry Model Optimization Theory】 450 magic stones
【Synergistic Effects of Mental Power and Energy Particles】 600 magic stones
【In-depth Study of Supernatural Biological Organ Functions】 550 magic stones
Ethan's mouth twitched slightly.
He continued scrolling down.
【Forbidden Knowledge: Cognitive Pollution and Mental Defense】 800 magic stones
【Basic Theory of Flesh Transformation】 700 magic stones
【Introduction to Curse Techniques】 650 magic stones
...
The most ridiculous part was the last few pages, where the prices jumped directly into four digits.
【Advanced Wizardry Array Construction】 1,500 magic stones
【Legendary Materials: World Fragment Analysis】 2,000 magic stones
...
Ethan closed the directory and took a deep breath.
"Knowledge is power, power is magic stones, and magic stones are life."
He muttered to himself, reopened the directory, and began to filter through them seriously.
His goal was clear. Alchemy required knowledge of materials, wood-element cantrips required knowledge related to energy particles, and all wizardry was inseparable from mental power control.
After flipping through a dozen pages, two courses caught his eye.
【Microstructure and Energy Affinity of Supernatural Materials】
Course Description: An in-depth analysis of the internal microstructure of supernatural materials and their affinity with energy particles; mastering the adaptation patterns of different materials in alchemy.
Price: 130 magic stones
Instructor: Wizard Furybolt
【Compatibility and Energy Fluctuations of Supernatural Materials】
Course Description: A study of the compatibility patterns between different supernatural materials and the reaction mechanisms of materials under energy fluctuations. A core advanced course for alchemy.
Price: 170 magic stones
Instructor: Wizard Furybolt
He took out his identity plaque and confirmed the selection immediately.
【Course Selected: Microstructure and Energy Affinity of Supernatural Materials. Instructor: Wizard Furybolt. Location: Teaching Area, Room 4-114. Please proceed within one hour.】
Room 4-114, Teaching Area.
Ethan stood at the door and raised his hand to knock.
"Come in."
A raspy voice came from inside, carrying a hint of impatience.
He pushed the door open. The room wasn't large, about forty or fifty square meters. Directly facing the door was a wide stone table, and behind it sat a middle-aged man. He was burly, wearing a dark red robe with the collar open, revealing a solid chest. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, full lips, and a short beard on his chin. Most striking were his eyes; his pupils were a dark gold, looking as if they could see right through a person.
Wizard Furybolt.
"A freshman?" He sized Ethan up, his brow furrowing. "You chose my course?"
"Yes, Wizard Furybolt." Ethan walked to the table, placed his right hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.
"How long have you been at the academy?"
"Nearly a year."
Wizard Furybolt's frown deepened. "This is an Intermediate-level course. If you haven't finished your basic courses, listening to this is just a waste of time."
Ethan took the identity plaque from his robe and handed it over with both hands.
Wizard Furybolt took the plaque and casually pressed it into a groove on the tabletop.
A pale blue light swept over it. After a few breaths, his expression changed.
The impatience on his square face froze for a moment, and his dark gold pupils contracted slightly.
He looked up and sized Ethan up again, his gaze completely different from before.
"Forty-three basic courses, all completed? Thirty-one full marks, nine ninety-eights, and two ninety-fives?"
"Yes."
Wizard Furybolt was silent for a few breaths before removing the identity plaque from the groove and tossing it back to Ethan.
"Sit down." He jerked his chin toward the chair in front of the table. The impatience in his voice had lessened, replaced by something else.
Ethan sat down.
Wizard Furybolt stared at him for a few seconds, his lips twitching into an expression that was hard to define as a smile or something else.
"Finishing the basic courses in less than a year with decent grades is one thing. But what I teach isn't that simple stuff. You'd better be prepared."
"Understood, Wizard Furybolt."
"Don't call me 'Lord,' it sounds awkward," Wizard Furybolt waved his hand. "Just call me Wizard Furybolt. I don't have many rules here, but there's one: listen to what I say and don't argue with me."
"Yes, Wizard Furybolt."
Wizard Furybolt took a knowledge crystal from a drawer and placed it on the table.
"Microstructure and Energy Affinity of Supernatural Materials. This course covers how the internal microstructure of a material affects its affinity for energy particles. It sounds abstract, but alchemy, wizardry arrays, and enchanting all depend on this for a living."
He paused, his dark gold pupils fixed on Ethan.
"The material identification taught in basic courses only tells you what a thing is called, what it looks like, and its basic characteristics. My course explains why it looks like that, why it has those characteristics, and how it coordinates with other materials. Understand?"
"I understand."
"Fine. Let's begin."
Wizard Furybolt pushed the knowledge crystal forward. Ethan took it and pressed it against his forehead.
The moment his mental power permeated it, a massive amount of information flooded into his consciousness.
It was the crystallization of Wizard Furybolt's own knowledge.
Every concept, every law, and every case within it carried a strong personal style.
Ethan closed his eyes, his mind operating at high speed.
With a learning speed over 125 times the norm, the information was branded into his mind as quickly and deeply as an engraving.
Wizard Furybolt sat across from him with his arms crossed, watching quietly.
After about half an hour, Ethan opened his eyes and brushed aside the fragments of the knowledge crystal that had turned to ash.
"Wizard Furybolt, there's something I didn't quite understand."
"Speak."
"Regarding the 'lattice resonance' phenomenon in material microstructure... You said that when the lattice vibration frequencies of two materials reach a specific ratio, their affinity increases significantly. But what exactly is this 'specific ratio'? It wasn't mentioned in the basic courses, and your knowledge crystal only mentioned it in passing without elaborating."
Wizard Furybolt's eyebrows shot up.
He pulled a palm-sized black stone slab from the drawer and swiped his finger across it several times. A string of complex runic numbers appeared on the slab.
"The optimal ratio for lattice resonance is 1:1.618. Remember this; this number is omnipresent in material science. The closer the lattice frequencies of two materials are to this ratio, the stronger the affinity. The further they deviate, the weaker the affinity."
He paused, his dark gold pupils staring at Ethan.
"But that's a theoretical value. In practice, you also have to consider temperature, pressure, the concentration of energy particles, and even the origin and age of the materials, all of which affect the resonance. That's why alchemy isn't about rote memorization; it's about the accumulation of experience."
Ethan nodded, carving the information into his mind.
"Continue."
Wizard Furybolt pulled out another knowledge crystal and tossed it over.
Rate on N.U.
