READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 21
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“Then, Yujin, we’ll take our leave.”
“Sure, go on in.”
After finishing the meal with Hugo and his crew, Yujin accepted the settlement they insisted on giving, returning inside the inn while receiving their farewells.
After casually greeting Mary, who was clearing the dishes, he made his way back to his room…
“So, assuming I write that paper, where will I conduct my research?”
Tiamat asked him where he intended to do his research.
“In the space pocket, I suppose. It looks like there are quite a few research materials there.”
“That’s true…”
“Oh, but before that, I’ll need paper and a pen.”
Fortunately, the inn was equipped with at least a pen and some paper, so Yujin quickly headed to the stairs leading to the first floor.
“Innkeeper!”
“Huh? Yujin, why are you calling me?”
“Would it be possible to borrow some paper and a pen? I’ll pay for it!”
“Oh, come on, pay? Just take it! If you need more, just ask!”
Mary cheerfully said that and sent Yujin off.
With that sorted, Yujin grabbed the paper and pen from Mary’s husband’s room and entered the space pocket.
A pitch-black space. Inside were the treasures Yujin had gathered from Tiamat’s Tomb.
He rummaged through and pulled out items that seemed useful for his research, saying,
“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”
“Need any help? Of course, being a dragon, you must have some inherent talent for magic… But outside of that, your knowledge might be lacking.”
“Hmm… Let me try to figure it out on my own. If I get stuck, then I’ll ask for your help.”
“I admire that attitude, but… Well, do ask if you find it too difficult.”
Not wanting to dissuade him from trying, Tiamat began to quietly watch Yujin from behind.
Of course, Yujin had his own thoughts.
‘Knowledge…’
While Tiamat had directly passed down magical knowledge, most of it revolved around dragon powers.
He hardly knew anything else about magic, let alone how the magical system worked here.
But that didn’t matter.
‘Let’s rely on scientific reasoning and intuition.’
He intended to leverage both the scientific understanding from Earth and the intuitive sense gained from becoming a dragon. He muttered,
“[Gravity is the bending of space-time.]”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
He smiled as he recalled the scientific principles from Earth.
***
The general theory of relativity.
It’s the most successful theory of gravity in modern physics, one of the foundations of the field.
Developed by Earth’s genius scientist Albert Einstein, it interpreted gravity not as a simple classical force but as a new type of phenomenon related to the geometric characteristics of space-time.
While the explanation can get complex, the fundamental relationship between space-time and gravity is this:
Strong gravity distorts space-time.
However, that’s actually a bit of a misstatement.
A more accurate expression would be that gravity is a byproduct of space-time distortion.
In short, everything that generates gravity, even in the tiniest sense, causes some degree of distortion in space-time.
But here’s the interesting part.
‘Tiamat, could you share a little knowledge about gravity magic?’
“Sure.”
In this world, gravity magic exists.
Magic to increase gravity, reverse it, or change its direction.
There are already quite a few spells related to gravity.
And it was the same on Earth.
Some awakened ones in Earth’s magic circles were also able to use gravity-related spells, and there had been attempts to discover space-time magic using their abilities.
Of course, those attempts had failed.
But Yujin was different.
‘Teleportation, space pockets… the reason these can exist…’
Mana is a power that transcends the laws of physics; it can create miracles that ordinarily could not happen.
In physics terms, it’s akin to a singularity.
‘I don’t need to base myself on gravity magic itself.’
Yujin believed in his intuitive reasoning and the computational abilities derived from it.
Having become a dragon, he gained the ability to perceive magical flows of time and vibrations of space.
Something impossible for any human or living being’s senses.
He sought to combine that inspiration with his understanding of space-time and scientific knowledge.
While he wasn’t exactly a scientist, he did have relevant knowledge. He hadn’t just started as an awakened one; he had completed a college course.
Among other subjects, he diligently followed classes on physics, which had begun to fade in significance since mana appeared. Perhaps the emergence of mana struck a chord in him, reminding him of his parents.
‘Nah, that might be a silly thought.’
Chuckling at his sudden train of thought, he started writing something down on the paper.
Tiamat watched on, quite amazed.
‘What kind of knowledge is this? This thought process is refreshing.’
Born into a world suffused with mana, Tiamat found the academia of physics both unfamiliar and fresh. It was only natural.
The four fundamental forces, including mana, divine power, and magic, transcend the laws of physics. Dragons rule over mana.
Their very existence proves that the laws of physics hold no sway over them. So, how could an academic discipline like physics possibly develop?
Yet, Yujin’s knowledge from another world provided her with new inspiration. She felt like she was beginning to understand the concept of space-time, which she had only perceived through intuition until now, in a more systematic way.
Unconsciously, she spoke up.
“Yujin, let me tell you about space-time magic.”
“Huh? You don’t have to do that just yet.”
“No, I’m just curious. I want to know how far this knowledge could develop if integrated with traditional magic.”
…”Hmm, if it’s that, then…”
Yujin accepted the knowledge Tiamat offered about space-time magic. He completely grasped how the time stop spell he previously used in dragon language could come into being.
‘This is interesting. Shall we continue.’
Fundamentally, space-time magic wasn’t easily usable by mortals, but Yujin felt that maybe, just maybe, he could pull it off.
It might even transform into a kind of magic that allows ordinary mortals to use basic spells.
***
Three days later.
“Done.”
“You’ve finished.”
Yujin, having completed his paper, and Tiamat, who had been watching him, murmured.
He had officially concluded his foundational research on the new space-time magic.
Before him on the makeshift desk was a pile of documents divided into two sections.
One was a detailed paper that contained everything about the newly established space-time magic, while the other was a submission paper that outlined the theory and concepts of space-time magic, along with a mere handful of magic circles.
Key magical formulas and easily comprehensible magical theories were excluded, and even the foundational theories would be impossible to interpret for anyone lacking a solid understanding of modern physics.
As the name “submission paper” suggests, Yujin intended to submit this version. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone stealing his magic.
Above all, Yujin had no intention of revealing the entire content of his paper. Technologies carry no inherent morality, but the humans who use them do.
Given that he had no way of knowing how his newly developed space-time magic could be misused, he had no desire to democratize his magic recklessly.
Yujin grabbed the submission paper and smiled as he walked out of the space pocket.
Just as he was about to leave the inn, Mary, who was cleaning, called out to him.
“Yujin! Are you coming out to eat?”
She knew Yujin had been holed up in his room, immersed in research. She had often brought him food since he wasn’t taking any.
Was he finally coming out for a meal?
“Oh, I’ll eat later. I need to submit this to the Mage Association right now.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
When Mary saw the submission paper Yujin was holding, he smiled and said,
“It’s the result of my research over the last three days.”
“Wait, you finished already?”
“Yep. So I’ll hurry to submit this and come back. I’ll eat then.”
With that, Yujin left the inn and headed straight for the Mage Association building in Maze City.
‘The Mage Association is a place that values knowledge above all. No matter how skilled a mage you are, if you lack academic knowledge, you will never be acknowledged.’
So he had prepared a card that could make the Mage Association owe him a favor.
At least this way, the association wouldn’t bother him with magical matters in Maze City. Wouldn’t Tiamat be satisfied with that?
As he thought about this, he arrived at the Mage Association building, only to be stopped by a mage who seemed to be on guard.
“Halt! This is the headquarters of the Mage Association. What business do you have here?”
“I’m here to submit a paper.”
“Submit a paper…?”
At those words, the mage looked at the pile of documents in Yujin’s hand. However, upon seeing Yujin’s appearance, he frowned.
“You’re a human from the East, aren’t you? What would someone from a place with no relation to magic know about submitting a paper?”
“But I’m also a mage.”
As he casually ignited a flame in his hand, the guard’s expression became slightly more complex. But that was about all.
“Ha, sure. Let’s just ask some questions. What’s the topic of your paper?”
“Space-time magic.”
…”What?”
At Yujin’s answer, the mage’s face twisted in disbelief, but upon seeing Yujin’s serious expression, he chuckled.
“Ha, does this guy really think he can joke about magic? Does he think all mages are the same? A nobody from the East, huh? Space-time? Stop with these silly jokes and get lost…”
“Would you like some proof?”
“What?”
With that, Yujin pulled out a gold coin from his space pocket. The mage’s eyes widened as he realized Yujin was a practitioner of space pockets, but what followed had him staring in shock.
As Yujin snapped his fingers, the gold coin was tossed into the air. He pointed at the thrown coin.
Then, as a magic circle unfolded at his fingertips,
it froze.
“….!!!”
The gold coin came to a halt in mid-air.
The color around the coin turned a grayish hue, forming a sphere, and not a single hint of magical power or air currents could be detected.
It was as if time itself had stopped.
“Uh, uh…”
“Do you believe me now?”
Yujin smiled at the stammering mage.
And shortly after, the Mage Association was thrown into chaos.
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