65 - N2

Lynn's gaze swept over the ten first-tier magics. After much deliberation, he chose [Icy Touch] as the subject of his improvement.

The principle of this magic was quite simple – manipulating the elemental air to lower temperatures, condense it to interfere with the enemy. Its effectiveness in battle was quite limited unless one pursued the advanced magic, "Frost Domain." Few were willing to learn it without that incentive.

Lynn had no intention of learning it but rather planned to modify the magic based on its principle, like using a different element to cast it.

His chosen element was... nitrogen!

In the wizards' land, this element was called "Sylu." In Kora's manuscripts, it was even classified as a useless element.

Considering that nitrogen rarely reacted with other substances, it was reasonable for some wizards to dismiss it.

But Lynn knew that nitrogen wasn't as useless as they claimed. It could be used for making fertilizers, serving as a protective gas and, when combined with hydrogen, could form another poisonous gas, ammonia.

The most important aspect was that the boiling point of nitrogen was at a chilling -196°C. Such a terrifyingly low temperature could freeze most things in a very short amount of time.

Of course, due to the Leidenfrost effect, the human body could briefly withstand extreme temperatures, but this protection formed by the vapour layer was very fragile, breaking apart in just two seconds.

Then, the fragile skin would be subjected to an incredibly sharp subzero cold, causing the epidermal cells to rapidly decay and fall off, followed by the solidification of all fat, muscles, and blood in an instant!

The second reason Lynn chose nitrogen was that it was abundant in the atmosphere, making up around seventy to eighty percent. This meant he didn't need to expend extra magical power to create this element; he could create a large subzero territory.

"071, activate overload mode..."

Lynn silently muttered in his mind, then closed his eyes and began to sense the active nitrogen elements in the vast sea of elements. Nitrogen elements were everywhere, so controlling them was relatively easy.

About four to five seconds later, the temperature around him began to drop rapidly. Nearly liquefied nitrogen manifested as a white mist, spreading in all directions.

Crack!

A slight sound echoed in the room as the tea Lynn had left on the table instantly solidified into ice crystals after the white mist passed. Not only that, but the tables, sofas, and various decorations in the room were all covered in a layer of frost.

A gecko that had been hunting a moth on the wall was about to pounce when the white mist arrived. Accompanied by a bone-chilling cold, its skin, bones, and blood instantly froze. The gecko, maintaining its pouncing posture, was frozen in mid-air, supported by its tail. The moth was similarly trapped in its last moment, both turned into ice sculptures.

"It's so cold," Lynn shivered and quickly opened his eyes, then ignited the fireplace in the room using a fireball spell.

The system's prompt sounded in his mind.

[5% energy consumed.

Remaining energy: 53.7%]

"Did it consume that much?" Lynn furrowed his brow. While eliminating the need for the conversion step saved energy, controlling such a large number of elements demanded significant computational power.

Perhaps reducing the control range or focusing it in a single direction, like "Icy Touch," would be a good approach.

Moreover, the casting speed just now was a bit too slow. If this were in the midst of a battle, Lynn knew he wouldn't have a minute to cast. It seemed he needed to intensify his practice on regular days.

As Lynn summarized the strengths and weaknesses of this new magic, he glanced around the room, which now resembled an ice-crystal world. He couldn't help but pat his forehead. However, when he saw the gecko stuck to the wall, its body frozen stiff like an ice sculpture, curiosity got the better of him.

For creatures frozen by subzero temperatures, if it hadn't been too long, there might still be a glimmer of life left.

But as Lynn took a few steps closer, the gecko's long tail, unable to support the weight of its body, snapped and fell to the ground with a clatter, shattering into ice shards.

Well, it was beyond saving now.

Lynn shook his head and used a fire spell to get rid of the ice fragments that littered the floor.

"I shouldn't have done experiments here," Lynn mused as he looked at the frost-covered room. He sighed, realizing he needed to establish an alchemy workshop as soon as possible. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have a hidden place to practice his magic. If some ignorant apprentice were to barge in during his next casting, the consequences would be severe.

Money, oh, money...

Lynn muttered a few words of lament and changed into a robe that had gotten a bit of liquid nitrogen on it. He grabbed his teaching badge and headed out to make some money.

***

In the evening, on the west side of Iyeta Harbor, inside a secluded workshop.

A halfling named Darren was fiddling with a small gadget made by Lydia. It was a T-shaped flying toy crafted from hollow wood, and when you rotated it vigorously in your hand, it could take off with the help of the wind.

But why could this thing fly, while larger flying contraptions couldn't? Darren couldn't figure it out.

Just as Darren was pondering this mystery, the wind chime hanging at the door suddenly jingled.

"Welcome to the Halfling Workshop..."

Darren quickly set down the gadget he was holding and turned to look at the entrance.

It was Lynn.

He wasn't dressed as conspicuously this time. He hadn't put on the official robe from Iyeta Academy or pinned on any medals, but Darren quickly recognized him as a wizard. A few days ago, Lynn had been seen at the square next to the Grand Wizard Herlram, and they had seemed to have had a pleasant conversation.

Realizing this was a valuable customer, Darren immediately perked up, stood up from his chair, and eagerly rubbed his hands together. With respect and humility, he inquired, "Esteemed wizard, is there anything you need?"

"There are plenty of fascinating gadgets in the workshop," Darren replied. "You can take a look at this handheld fan. It doesn't require magic; you can spin it yourself. Also, there's this steamboat model. Put it in the water, and pull the rope at the back. It actually moves..."

TL/n -

The Leidenfrost effect occurs when a liquid encounters a surface hotter than its boiling point and forms an insulating vapor layer, preventing rapid boiling. The insulating vapor makes liquid droplets hover over very hot surfaces