#27. Fusion

In truth, he had often pondered the question.

What is a mana stone? How is it formed?

To simply say that it is permeated with mana is insufficient.

How exactly does mana permeate it?

So… the question becomes this.

By what “principle” is a mana stone created?

“You wish to create a new substance…?”

“Yes.”

“Student Laine, even so, this is…”

“It is possible.”

The reason I’m so certain? It’s not just the existence of the System, but something else too.

In my mind, mana stones are akin to sword ki.

Knights merely coat their blades in mana. Just coat them. Their mana doesn’t ‘fuse’ with the weapon.

Mana stones are the same. Densely packed mana, simply encircling.

Therefore, the plan to create a new substance takes shape.

Finding a material that can fully bond with mana, and then bonding it.

‘System, how valid is my assertion?’

[Analysis: 97% factual consistency.]

See?

I’m never wrong, am I?

A brief moment of self-indulgence. Then, doubt creeps in.

What’s that 3% about?

[The premise is practically unfeasible.]

Huh?

[A material that can perfectly fuse with mana does not exist.]

A reality I desperately wanted to deny flashed before my eyes.

[Final Search Result: Impossible.]

My erroneous 3%.

It was that single sentence: ‘But it’s impossible.’

“…Student Rain? What’s wrong? You suddenly spaced out…”

“Professor, just a moment.”

I left Rachel standing and bolted out of the lab.

No way.

It doesn’t exist?

“You weren’t aware of everything, were you?”

[Unable to answer this query.]

“What now.”

[Unable to answer this query.]

Alright, I get it.

“Then… you genuinely can’t do it?”

[Affirmative.]

“Did you even try it?”

Come to think of it, it doesn’t answer everything.

It’s not like there are definitely no materials that could bond.

Perfect. This is a good opportunity. Time to verify whether this artificial intelligence truly speaks only the truth.

Seems strange to verify a thing that solved the greatest difficulties…

If not, I must not blindly trust this entity.

“Let’s see who wins.”

I’m not exactly staking my life on Professor Rachel’s experiment.

If I were, I would have taken on a research position or something ages ago.

A corner of my dreams still holds a ‘normal life.’ I’ll leave room for it, and I intend to cling to that hope until the very end.

Because, if the world gets better enough that I’m no longer needed, I can retire with a clear conscience.

Anyway, the real reason I’m going through all this verification is for my own safety.

“Word must be getting around to certain… less savory ears.”

It’s not just because I’ve watched too many movies or read too many novels.

This is the Middle Ages, after all, and all sorts of crimes happen every night across the Empire.

The ‘Holy Nation’ is a little too quick to launch witch hunts at the slightest suspicion, and the frequency of fiend appearances is on the rise.

Inter-national relations are also somewhat… precarious.

In times like these, if my information were to leak?

That I invented a new circuit.

Solved the unsolvable.

That I, Rain Ortiz, discovered bacteria and created antibiotics… If that information got out?

Let’s be objective. There’s no reason *not* to target me.

I don’t want to be kidnapped.

Who in the world would want to go through something like that?

So I want to fully trust the system. I want to be able to rely on it 100% when things get dangerous.

That’s what all this work is for.

“Ah, Rain. Where have you been?”

“Just clearing my head for a bit.”

“…You alright?”

“I’m fine. Professor, I need you to acquire something for me.”

“What is it?”

I’ll have to pull all-nighters starting today.

Otherwise, I won’t finish it within the month.

“Get me every mineral you can find.”

*

A week has passed.

I didn’t stay up all night every night; I slept for about three hours every other day.

The location has shifted from the study to the laboratory. Piles of failed ores are accumulating in the corner of the lab.

The last ore is in my hand.

“Professor, I’m counting on you…”

“Mmm…”

The process is simple.

Professor Rachel injects mana, and I bind it.

It’s an astonishing fact, but I can manipulate mana more precisely than Professor Rachel.

With the system’s help, I can control each individual mana particle. Enough said.

Professor Rachel injects mana. As I attempt to bind it, the ore crumbles almost immediately.

Another failure.

“…”

It’s not like I’ve used every mineral that exists in the world.

But all the readily available minerals, we’d procured. Professor Rachel herself had traipsed about, here and there, you see.

All of it, a failure.

I lay there on the laboratory floor, just sprawled out.

It really won’t work.

The system’s information was precise. Precise enough to make all the hardships we endured feel pointless.

Whether to be happy about it, or resent it…

“Student Rain, you want to give up, don’t you?”

“To be honest, yes, I do.”

“You can give up.”

Professor Rachel came and laid down beside me.

“This research is for my sake, isn’t it? It’s about time I went home, little by little.”

“But…”

“I told you, it’s my ambition.”

Hahaha. Professor Rachel chuckled weakly.

Though devoid of strength, there was enjoyment discernible in that laughter.

“I should be content with this. It’s the fastest-ended research, but the most fun.”

…Was that enough?

The goal was achieved, and the professor, she was satisfied.

Now, we can go back.

But why is it so unsettling?

“…”

Did I want to do more?

The research?

Nah.

Am I crazy?

“I… I think I’ll get some sleep now…”

Professor Rachel, right next to me, promptly fell asleep.

I wanted to sleep, too. I’d suffered like a dog for a week; it was only natural.

But strangely, my eyes remained wide open.

I lifted myself up.

Should I do something, anything?

“Should have listened to the System.”

My whole body was exhausted. If I were to receive Professor Cecil’s training now, I’d probably die.

I staggered, and settled into my chair.

“The strongest structure is hexagonal…”

Contrary to intuition, the most stable and robust structure isn’t a circle.

Many people erroneously believe that the electron is a perfect sphere.

Electron.

Perfect.

Spherical.

“Hmm…”

Now that I think about it, what exactly *does* a mana particle look like?

Following the stream of my consciousness, various imaginings led to this curious question.

Could there possibly be someone who’s actually *seen* mana’s form?

“Might as well try it.”

From experience, mana is as small as a particle. To verify something like that would require monumental magnification.

“System, lend me a hand.”

Closing my eyes, I asked the System for aid.

[Confirmed.]

Then, I began to feel the movement of mana within my body.

Mana is indeed small. Surprisingly, its form mirrored that of an atom.

Belatedly, I realized the similarity between the formula and operational expressions.

Could the operational expression be what binds mana together?

“This is interesting.”

I extracted the mana from my body. Playing around with it like this was as amusing as childhood games.

Should I try combining them?

If I make it according to the operational expression, perhaps something will be created.

I’ll have to try it with fire magic.

There probably isn’t a mage in this world who implements operational expressions in this manner.

But it’s difficult.

The mana doesn’t stick together as easily as I thought.

“…how about this.”

Set up an orbit. Make the mana rotate within that orbit, and another mana rotate in the opposite direction.

Accelerate the mana…

Accelerate…

Accelerate…

Then, collided.

“Uh.”

Something’s not right.

The mana, which had begun to shine with a blue light, was growing larger and larger.

Instinctively, I knew that this was dangerous. I struggled with all my might to stop the expansion of the mana.

Then…

At some point…

The expansion started to accelerate beyond my ability to control it.

Wait, I’ve seen this somewhere before.

Isn’t this going to explode?

“Rain, student!!”

Rachel, the professor, startled awake, stretched out her hand. Three layers of sturdy barrier surrounded ‘it’. But it’s not holding. The expansion is accelerating at an increasing rate.

“Kuh…!!”

Fortunately, the expansion didn’t continue any further. It was thanks to Professor Rachel managing to somehow stop the expansion.

I, too, assisted Professor Rachel as much as I could.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

The energy, of unknown origin, was subsiding.

Pshoo.

Blood erupted from both her and my nostrils.

A warning signal from the body.

Of course, we didn’t back down. Who knows what would happen if that thing exploded.

“Shiiiiiit…!”

It was the first time I’d ever heard Professor Rachel curse.

Professor.

I’m sorry.

I didn’t know it would turn out like this.

Damn it.

I have to stop it, no matter what.

Somehow…

“…”

Silence fell.

The energy contracted, shrinking into a small stone that fell with a thud.

“Haa, haa…”

Catching our breath, we looked at each other, then approached the stone.

Glowing brightly.

A round crystal.

“…Didn’t we say we were making a new material?”

“…I guess we did.”

A new material indeed…

Can we even call it that?

Most incredible discoveries are born from chance.

Like the apple falling on Newton’s head.

I feel like we just created something enormous.

[???]

What’s wrong with him now.

[ What. ]

What is it.

[ Huh? ]

What is it?

[ How is this possible? ]

[ How did you even succeed? ]

[ Who the hell is this guy? ]

“…Hey.”

[Ah, hold on a moment.]

[Why is this microphone on…?]

“You, you son of a b*tch.”

You’re not ChatGPT, are you.

[······.]

[Greetings. I am the AI artificial intelligence service, ChatGPT.]

Excuse me.

ChatGPT doesn’t talk like that.