Chapter 006: Extracting Magical Substance

If the Fire Bear indeed belongs to the brown bear species, then it seems too small.

Currently lying on the ground, the Fire Bear is only about 1.8 meters in length and weighs around 300 pounds.

Compared to an average Asian black bear, it appears slightly larger but still within the normal range.

However, when compared to a fully grown brown bear, which measures up to 3 meters and weighs over a thousand pounds, it is significantly smaller.

"So, this might just be a juvenile Fire Bear?" Richard mused, his gaze growing more serious as he recalled the half-meter-high blue flames the Fire Bear had displayed earlier.

If such high-temperature flames could be produced by just a juvenile Fire Bear, what kind of power would a fully grown Fire Bear possess?

And what causes the Fire Bear to release such high-temperature flames?

Richard bent down again for a closer inspection but found no special organs or glands on the Fire Bear's skin. It looked identical to an ordinary juvenile brown bear.

As for why it could be engulfed in flames without getting hurt, Richard couldn't figure it out. At least not until he conducted a more thorough dissection.

With this in mind, Richard decided not to waste any more time.

He turned to Tuku and said, "Take the body. Let's head back to the castle."

"Yes, sir." Tuku nodded, then motioned to a few members of the guard unit to securely tie the Fire Bear with ropes and drag it behind two horses, quickly heading out of the forest towards the baron's castle.

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At dusk.

The ground was dyed golden by the setting sun, the western clouds aflame.

A team of riders hurried into the black castle of the baron.

Richard directed Tuku and a few others to carry the Fire Bear's body up to the laboratory in the side tower, then turned to find the maid, Lucy.

"Prepare bathwater for me. I need to bathe. Then, get a complete set of knives ready in the lab and bring out the distilled alcohol. I will need it."

"Yes, sir." The obedient Lucy nodded and immediately set off to make the arrangements.

Soon, enough hot water was prepared in the kitchen under Lucy's orders, and Richard began his bath.

After bathing, he changed into clean, loose clothes and dried his hair.

Upon entering the lab, he saw that Lucy had already laid out a complete set of knives neatly on a table by the wall and carefully placed the distilled alcohol.

Her eyes, filled with curiosity and fear, glanced towards the center of the lab where a large, brownish-red creature lay on two tables.

"Master, is that the Fire Bear?"

"Yes." Richard nodded. Without giving Lucy time to ask more questions, he said, "Alright, there's nothing more for you to do here. Wait outside."

"What?!" Lucy was shocked, looking up with wide eyes and cautiously asking, "Did I... did I do something wrong, Master? Why don't you need my help? It's never been like this before."

"Because... things might get a bit bloody later, and I don't want you to see that." Richard explained, then pointed to the door, uncompromisingly, "Go out."

"Uh, okay."Lucy lowered her head and left.

Taking a deep breath, Richard began his preparations for the dissection. He carefully tied his sleeves and pant legs with fine linen strings and disinfected his hands with alcohol.

After soaking the knives in alcohol, Richard picked up one and approached the Fire Bear's body on the central table.

His hand rested on the Fire Bear's chest, feeling around before pressing a spot below the throat.

With a swift motion, a sharp dagger pierced down from the pressed spot and cut downward. Feeling resistance from the knife, Richard gradually increased the pressure.

He eventually switched between three different knives and spent most of the day completely opening the Fire Bear's chest, revealing its internal organs.

Richard discarded the knife, washed the blood from his hands, and began a careful examination.

"Magical creature? Fire Bear? If it can be engulfed in flames, there must be some unique physiological structure. What could it be? A magical core? An inner elixir? A mutated organ?"

Richard muttered, comparing every inch of the Fire Bear's internal structure with that of a normal brown bear.

After a while, Richard was somewhat disappointed.

"No differences? All organs are the same, none extra or missing, no mutations, completely identical to a normal bear?"

Richard frowned slightly.

"It shouldn't be. Without any differences, how could the body surface produce flames? How could the fur not burn?"

Pacing in the lab, Richard's eyes gleamed as his suspicion fell on the Fire Bear's fur.

"Slash!"

Richard picked up a knife again, cut off a palm-sized piece of skin and flesh from the Fire Bear's chest, and approached the wall where he poured stored alcohol into a clay bowl and lit it.

As orange-red flames rose, he threw in the piece of Fire Bear's skin and watched closely.

The flames continued to burn, the alcohol gradually depleting, but the Fire Bear's skin and flesh remained intact.

"The temperature of an alcohol lamp ranges between 400 to 600 degrees Celsius, and the Fire Bear's skin and flesh didn't burn. This means that even after being separated from the body, the skin and flesh can withstand high temperatures that humans cannot. In that case..."

Richard looked again at the clay bowl, noticing that after the alcohol had completely burned away. The flames didn't extinguish but clung to the Fire Bear's skin, it burnt brighter.

The color of the flames changed from orange-red to bright red, and finally to yellow-orange.

Feeling the heat, Richard estimated the flame's temperature to be at least 1,300 degrees Celsius.

"So, the secret lies in the Fire Bear's skin and flesh?" Richard's eyes brightened as his mind raced to form a plausible explanation.

"There might be an unknown substance in the Fire Bear's skin, similar to oil or alcohol, which burns at high temperatures. During combustion, this substance would evaporate, carrying away large amounts of heat and protecting the fur from charring."

"If the Fire Bear is considered a 'magical creature', then this unknown substance plays a crucial role. If extracted, could it serve as a magical material? Could it provide magical energy?"

Richard's eyes shone even brighter.

Without further ado, he set to work.

Using the knives, he cut pieces of the Fire Bear's skin and flesh, placing them in a pot of water to boil.

Richard wasn't sure where exactly the so-called "magical substance" was located within the skin and flesh, so he resorted to the simplest extraction method.

The water in the pot quickly boiled, evaporating bit by bit, while a thick layer of dark red oil gradually accumulated at the bottom, resembling solidified blood.

Richard paid no mind and continued boiling. Once all the water had evaporated, he removed the shriveled skin and flesh, leaving about a pound of dark red oil.