Chapter 89: Experimental Method 1

The First Magic—Denial of Nothingness sounded similar to thought-based magecraft.

After all, when one perfected thought magecraft to its highest degree, it was possible to shape reality with the force of will, creating something seemingly from nothing. However, the two were fundamentally different.

The First Magic truly created matter from nothing, while thought magecraft merely bent or modified the existing rules of the world through immense mental energy and willpower.

In comparison, the First Magic was far superior. At the very least, it didn't drain the user's mental reserves the way thought magecraft did.

As for the elusive Fourth Magic, it remained the most mysterious of them all.

Modern knowledge about it was practically nonexistent. What little information existed only confirmed its authenticity, its existence wasn't a myth, but its effects and workings were completely unknown.

"Chihiro, are you alright?"

Zhang Jiao, noticing Chihiro standing frozen in thought after opening his treasure chest, waved his hand in front of the young man's face.

Chihiro snapped out of his daze, smiling lightly. "It's nothing. I just opened something amazing."

Zhang Jiao raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be?"

Without hesitation, Chihiro explained the First Magic he had just acquired.

"The First Magic? A form of sorcery?" Zhang Jiao murmured in shock, stroking his beard as he inspected Chihiro curiously.

"What's with that look, Zhang Jiao?" Chihiro asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his companion's scrutinizing gaze.

"I was just thinking," Zhang Jiao replied with a chuckle, "how someone as ordinary as you can have such extraordinary luck. If I were skilled at divination, I'd want to read your fate and see what kind of fortune you carry."

Zhang Jiao then sighed in admiration. "Even among the gods, it seems no one has fully mastered this ability. The First Magic truly lives up to its legend."

Sigurd, standing nearby, joined the conversation. "Is it difficult to use this magic?"

"It depends entirely on what you're trying to create," Chihiro admitted, rubbing his hands together. "Simpler things should be relatively easy."

To test his newfound power, Chihiro decided to start small. With a focused mind, he created a piece of paper.

However, the result left much to be desired. What appeared in his hands was limp and flimsy, more akin to toilet paper than a proper sheet of A4.

"It seems precision is critical when using the First Magic," Chihiro muttered, immediately understanding his mistake.

He realized that when creating an object, it wasn't enough to visualize just its appearance. One also had to account for its texture, material, and other defining characteristics. His earlier lapse in concentration had caused his thoughts to drift toward toilet paper, resulting in the current outcome.

Being skilled in mental discipline from his training, Chihiro refocused his thoughts. This time, he successfully produced a proper sheet of A4 paper, identical in every way to the ones he used regularly.

Encouraged by his success, Chihiro decided to experiment further. His next creation was a steamed bun.

The bun looked perfect white, fluffy, and soft to the touch. But when Chihiro took a bite, his excitement quickly turned to disappointment.

The bun was tasteless.

The dough had no sweetness, and the filling, while having the texture of meat, lacked any flavor. It was as if he were eating a hollow imitation.

Chihiro frowned. Did this mean that, in addition to imagining the appearance and texture of food, he also had to envision its flavor?

Determined, he tried again, this time concentrating on the taste of the bun. The next creation was a significant improvement, both the dough and the meat filling had flavor.

However, when he bit into it, he noticed another problem.

The bun was cold.

Clearly, he needed to factor in the temperature as well.

On his third attempt, Chihiro managed to create a warm bun. But as he raised it to his mouth, another issue struck him—it had no aroma.

So, scent was a separate factor from flavor.

Finally, on his fourth try, Chihiro created a perfect steamed bun. It was warm, fragrant, and delicious, indistinguishable from the real thing.

"Unbelievable," Zhang Jiao said, marveling as he took a bite of the bun. "To think even food can be created."

Sigurd nodded in agreement, equally impressed.

Emboldened by his success, Chihiro continued experimenting.

When he tried to create a cell phone, the result was disappointing. While the exterior looked flawless, the phone was merely an empty shell, Chihiro lacked the technical knowledge to replicate its internal components.

Similarly, when he attempted to create ginseng, the result was just an ordinary tree root. Without an understanding of the plant's medicinal properties, he couldn't replicate its true nature.

However, when it came to a weapon, Chihiro managed to create something unique. The sword he produced was remarkably thin, almost paper-like in appearance, yet it possessed the hardness of steel and incredible sharpness.

Sigurd inspected the weapon in awe. "A blade like this couldn't possibly exist in reality. Its composition defies all known limits of material strength. This must be a result of the 'rules' you assigned to it when you created it."

"Let's try something alive next," Chihiro suggested, eager to push the boundaries further.

Instead of attempting something grandiose, he started with a simple mosquito.

Slowly, a tiny mosquito materialized in his palm. It flapped its wings and hovered in front of him.

But there was something off. The mosquito didn't behave like a real creature—it simply floated there, unmoving.

"It's alive, but it has no consciousness," Zhang Jiao pointed out.

Chihiro nodded thoughtfully and tried again. This time, the mosquito moved as expected, flying to his hand and starting to suck his blood.

However, things quickly spiraled out of control. The mosquito didn't stop feeding, its abdomen swelling unnaturally until it eventually burst. Even then, its severed head continued sucking blood until Chihiro incinerated it with a flicker of flame.

"You still didn't give it true consciousness," Zhang Jiao explained. "It's just like a puppet, mindlessly following a single directive."

Chihiro understood. To grant a living creature full consciousness, he would need to include emotions, thoughts, memories, and instincts, an extraordinarily complex task.

No wonder the Kuonji family had opted to use fairy tales as a template for creating familiars. The predefined characters and personalities within those stories saved them from having to build everything from scratch.

Recognizing the limits of his current ability, Chihiro decided to end the experiments for the day. The repeated use of the First Magic had drained his mental energy significantly.

As Zhang Jiao and the others opened their own treasure chests, the atmosphere lightened.

Zhang Jiao's chest contained a single-use magical attribute card labeled "Imaginary Number." This rare item could grant its user access to the Imaginary Numbers attribute. Zhang Jiao, however, wasn't certain whether to use it or save it for later.

Meanwhile, Hassan of the Hundred Faces opened an exclusive item—Library of Hundred Men specifically tailored to enhance the skills of his clones. Unfortunately, with only a few clones available at present, its potential couldn't yet be fully realized.

Sigurd, on the other hand, received a gift depicting a familiar blue-eyed woman wearing a kimono. Chihiro immediately recognized her as Aozaki Aoko—the inheritor of the Fifth Magic.

Sigurd's reward, a gem called the "Moonstone," increased the user's charm drastically. Finding it useless for himself, Sigurd handed it over to Chihiro without hesitation.

Feeling exhausted, Chihiro excused himself and returned to his room, where two unopened treasure chests awaited him.

Starting with the silver chest, he found a photograph of a beautiful woman with burgundy hair, seated against a wall with her clothing loose enough to expose her pale skin and ample figure.

From the open neckline, it was clear she wore nothing underneath.

***

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