Seeing Nikka's dazed expression as he fell into intense thought, Lucian quickly cut him off and said directly, "This is the power of the earth. We also call it gravity."
"The power of the earth?" In this nascent era that the world inhabited, even the concepts of earth, fire, water, and wind had yet to be articulated, so Nikka wore that same expression of bewilderment and eager thirst for answers.
Lucian smiled faintly. "The power of the earth holds us upon its surface, makes the sun, moon, and stars orbit around it, and forces birds to flap their wings in order to resist it and fly freely…"
As he spoke, Lucian cast "Gravitational Disruption," causing small objects on the table to drift upward one moment and plunge downward the next.
Nikka picked up what appeared to be the heart of some unknown creature, hurled it upward with force, then watched intently as it plummeted to the ground with a dull thud. His expression grew serious and solemn. "The power of the earth…"
The little boy nearby, however, had eyes wide with wonder. "Guest, are—are you also a Sage?"
The boy's voice pulled Nikka back to his senses. He looked at Lucian with an almost manic intensity. "Could you explain it to me in detail? And also the division problem you mentioned earlier."
"We have urgent matters that require us to leave soon, but I'll leave you some books to reference afterward." Lucian pointed to the wound on Natasha's left arm. "Mister Nikka, have you ever seen a flower that's blood-red from stem to petal? It feeds on small animals."
Since he didn't know how they referred to the "Bloody Carnivore" here, Lucian used a description of its appearance.
Nikka paused, frowning slightly. "You mean the Grorning flower? Yashi, go fetch one to show this gentleman."
The little boy, Yashi, pulled his gaze away from his curiosity and hurried off to the storage room next door.
Only then did Nikka notice that both visitors were injured. He reined in his fevered expression. "You two guests — have you come seeking my treatment?"
"No need. I know Arcane Magic myself. I just need to brew a few potions to help with the healing." Lucian waved his hand dismissively.
"Arcane Magic?" Nikka felt that everything he'd heard today was utterly novel, every word something he'd never encountered before.
Lucian tilted his chin upward at him with a grin. "It's the extraordinary power you currently command."
Nikka fell briefly silent, thinking this guest was far too mysterious, while beside him Natasha — seemingly weakened by her deteriorated constitution — simply listened with a smile as Lucian "poached" talent.
Just then, Yashi came back carrying a freshly picked flower dripping with vivid crimson. It was roughly the size of a fist. The moment Lucian saw it, he rose with a smile and accepted the bloom. "That's the one. Mister Nikka, could you lend me an empty room to use?"
As a competent mage, Lucian carried an alchemical lodge on his person at all times.
Nikka was not skilled in social pleasantries. Hearing Lucian's request, he nodded quickly, completely forgetting that the Bloody Carnivore belonged to him. "Yashi, take our two guests to the empty guest room."
Lucian pressed his left hand to his chest and bowed slightly. "As a token of my gratitude, I've prepared a small gift for you, Mister Nikka. Please bring as many sheets of sheepskin parchment or papyrus as you can."
Nikka shook his head. "You are my guests. Helping you is only natural. There's no need for gifts — after all, we can have a proper discussion afterward…"
"The gift is books on Arcane Magic." Lucian cut him off.
Nikka's expression instantly turned fervent. "Yashi! Go quickly and bring out every last sheet of my parchment!"
"All of it? Ha ha — Lucian, you mages can be so refreshingly direct sometimes," Natasha commented with a laugh through their mental link. "For instance, you've still been holed up in the laboratory all this time and haven't even kissed a girl once, ha ha!"
Yashi, seeing his teacher so solemn and excited, was likewise stirred, even though he didn't understand what Arcane Magic was. He dashed across to the study on the other side and came running back with an armful of sheepskin parchment taller than himself.
"Principles of Arcane Magic and Their Mapping to Model Construction, The Symbolic Meaning of Constructed Geometric Figures, Fundamentals of Magical Geometry, The Elemental Equations Behind Arcane Formulas, An Introduction to the Elements, A Classification of Low-Level Meditation Methods, An Introduction to Alchemy…" Nikka stood pressed right next to Lucian, reading aloud the title of each book as Lucian finished transcribing it from the Soul Library. His body trembled with excitement, his eyes shining like stars in the night sky, completely forgetting everything else in the world.
Lucian transcribed a full set of the introductory Magic Apprentice series from the Soul Library, converting them into the Babur script, then said to Nikka with a smile, "Once you've finished studying these, you'll be able to sort through and streamline your existing knowledge, allowing you to grasp it at a much deeper level."
Someone with this degree of talent for Arcane Magic was precisely the kind of person Lucian wanted to guide to the Council.
"Thank you, thank you!" Nikka could tell from the titles alone how valuable these books were, and he thanked Lucian repeatedly. Then, a little sheepishly, he asked, "Honored guest, does any of this contain knowledge about the power of the earth you mentioned?"
Lucian paused in thought. Seeing that there was still plenty of parchment remaining, he once again placed his hand upon it and transcribed three thick volumes. "These three books: one covers the theory of gravity and related concepts while providing more advanced computational tools; one is a classic treatise on electromagnetism; and the third presents the latest theoretical framework for elements and alchemy. You'll likely have difficulty understanding them in the short term, but reading them will help you construct your own knowledge system from a higher vantage point and establish an initial, relatively complete framework."
"The Mathematical Principles of Arcane Philosophy, Electromagnetic Theory, New Alchemy." Nikka wished he could glue his eyes to those three books.
Little Yashi also stared in a daze at the books spread across the table and asked in a mixture of confusion and excitement he didn't quite understand, "Teacher, what are all these books?"
Lucian took Natasha's hand and was about to head for the guest room when he suddenly stopped. "Mister Nikka, do you happen to have any iron blocks that look like ice crystals?"
Seizing this opportunity to repair the Holme Crown Ring would be a useful help.
"I do! Take as much as you'd like!" Nikka said without a moment's hesitation, already engrossed in flipping through the books in his hands.