62nd of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd imperial era

As it turned out, Blackfist knew a lot about realm cores and elemental theory. And his opinion could be described in a single polite sentence - the ruling elemental theory was nonsense. Four elements theory, even with advanced states variants such as ice, lightning, and metal, just upped the number to twelve elements, which was nowhere near enough to explain the world and natural phenomena.

According to Blackfist, lightning was not a mix of air, fire, and water, despite being hot and flowing through the air. He said it was closer to a separate element, which advanced states theory claimed it to be, but lightning was really just pure energy free of matter. Newt could wrap his head around the fact, but even energy needed to have an elemental nature. For example, heat generated by the technique combining Magmin Flames and Magmin Scales was fire-attributed.

Lightning also needed an attribute.

"Lightning can give birth to fire - that is why its nature is predominantly air, with a seed of fire. I don't know why water, though," Newt offered his opinion.

"They added water because electricity flows like a current," Blackfist said, but didn't argue further. "Wood is another element that I find nonsensical. Why is it earth and not water? Wood is mostly water. But let's ignore that; why make it an element in the first place? Whoever came up with the concept did not believe men and beasts were an element, but plants are. They are not inanimate objects. Some of them can even move and communicate."

While Blackfist's mood appeared on the border between amused and annoyed, and he obviously had strong opinions on the subject, Newt had never considered the matter. He just accepted the theory his father and Stronggrow had taught him and moved on.

"And what do you think about realm shapes?" Newt tried to steer the conversation in the direction he was interested in.

"I think they are also nonsense." The townlord calmed. "The first realm is made to draw energy from the world and build a solid foundation for the rest, but why does it need to be a building or object which forces the awakened to work it manually to draw the extra energy?

"From what I have read, all the recommended forms have only two things in common. They require active use, and they produce movement to draw the energy into the realm through the realm core, probably by creating a void at the source, which siphons outside energy.

"I am certain there is a way to achieve the same result through passive forms, ones which do not require the hypothetical awakened's active involvement. There has to be a way, and while my experiments have brought me a step or three forward, finding the solution is proving frustratingly difficult."

Newt's heart raced. Blackfist was searching for a way to recreate his Magmin's technique from scratch, completely disregarding tradition. Did that mean his view on elements was also valid? Newt didn't know, and another question bothered him.

Should I tell him?

"You know something," the perceptive townlord said before Newt reached a decision.

"I—" Newt still hesitated, but Blackfist did not care for his excuses.

"I have shared the knowledge I have gathered and advised you without asking for anything in return. My knowledge came at an enormous cost in library access and a lifetime of experience. If you know something, please tell me. I was about to tell you something else once I finished explaining my ideas on shapes for the first realm."

"What did you want to say?" Newt tried to change the subject, but his clumsy attempt earned him a cocked eyebrow. Still, the townlord humored him.

"I will shatter my realm and start over from scratch."

Newt gaped at the madman. "You can do that?"

"Yes," Blackfist nodded. "The procedure is dangerous, and I would never recommend it to others. Based on what I have read, I have a fifty percent chance of dying outright, another twenty percent of crippling myself permanently. And even if I survive and preserve a healthy foundation, my mind might snap and I could remain a vegetable."

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Newt wanted to say something when he realized his mouth was hanging open.

"You are insane. Why?" he said after a pause.

"Because my foundation is poor, and my future is extremely boring and limited if things remain the way they are. I would have liked to start from the peak of the first realm, but it's not possible with the approach I have in mind."

"But your odds are miserable!" Newt couldn't help but shout. "Is it really worth risking your life?"

The black-haired man took a sip of his tea and stared at Newt before speaking. "Is this cramped life worth keeping, when an opportunity for cosmic power exists within arm's reach, waiting for the bold to seize it?"

Blackfist sighed despondently. "If only I knew how to gather mana passively."

He shot Newt a meaningful glance, and the youth lowered his gaze.

"Do you know what these are?" Newt traced the glyphs from his realm, deciding he would give clues to Blackfist, if he could solve that mystery for him. Newt had a guess, but that guess required scouring the library, which in turn required time and money.

"Innate runes for earth and fire, glyphs of power which form naturally under certain conditions, empowered by the heavens and earth. We use them for forging, alchemy, and other crafts when we wish to add certain attributes to our creations. But I fail to see what connection they have with drawing energy." Blackfist once more graced Newt with his meaningful gaze, and the youth surrendered.

"What if we used natural features instead of man-made objects to draw energy into our realm?"

Blackfist's brows furrowed, his eyes rapidly shifting from confusion to contemplation to realization.

"You mean shaping something like a spring into the first realm? It has to be elevated, otherwise it would become a stagnant puddle, so a mountain spring to keep the water flowing." The townlord lowered his cup and stared at the ceiling. "But once it hits the lowest level, the water would just pool along the edge of the realm barrier and, in time, it would once more become a shallow puddle. No, the mountain needs to keep growing to keep the water from covering everything. It can even constantly pressure the realm barrier, contributing to its expansion.

"Yes," he beamed a smile and looked back at Newt. "You truly are a genius. You use fire and earth, you are not using a water spring, but a volcano; that keeps the mountain growing taller as your realm expands."

What are you? Newt once more had a feeling he was conversing with a monster rather than a human. And he thinks I'm a genius?

"Ah, I see," Blackfist said, tapping a nail against the table. "You use innate runes to empower your abilities, but simply writing earth and fire is a subpar option despite being functional. I experimented with man-made runic seals in my realm, and they work properly, so you have a much wider range of runes at your disposal. Like, Strength, Endurance, Resilience, Empowerment… There are thousands of different nuances which can achieve specific tasks and purposes you require if aligned properly. All you need is extensive education, years spent reading books and hoarding knowledge."

"You won't harm me?" Newt asked, feeling rightfully afraid.

"Harm you? Amiability! I will reward and trust you, my young friend!" Blackfist grinned. "My choice is already paying dividends! I have a proposal for you, a way to earn good money."

Blackfist started talking faster, his excitement radiant. "I will place my life in your hands. You will protect me while I reform my realm. That will take a dozen weeks. In return I will do the following. I will give you a suggested realm blueprint designed to cater to your specific needs and desires once you share them. I will provide you with enough resources to reach the peak of the second realm. I could even protect you as you expand and shape it, assuming you trust me enough to expose your back to me."

Blackfist stared into Newt's eyes with a madman's ferocity and fanaticism, none of which Newt could understand.

"What if you fail to dissipate your realm? What if you die or go insane?"

"I never met a man who starts a plan with 'After I die…' or 'Once I go insane…'" Blackfist shrugged. "But if it happens, you can keep all my belongings. You will have enough resources to reach the third or fourth stage of the third realm. I do not believe you will lose out should I fail to survive."

"Why do you trust me that much? What if I covet your belongings and kill you while you are in seclusion?"

"For one, I have been keeping an eye on you from the moment I learned of your circumstances. My intelligence network has gathered information about you ever since you took over as the patriarch of your clan. You are suffering from a guilty conscience from slaying a man who sold your parents into slavery and threw you into a hole to dig for scraps and die a miserable death. I do not see that person stealing a few tonics, especially when the alternative reward is enhancing your power and increasing your chances of reaching a high realm."

Newt gulped. Blackfist was right. Newt was no thief, and what the townlord offered was more than enough to compensate him for a few moons of his time. But something did not add up. Newt could feel it, but failed to put his finger on it.

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