bookbashuk Chapter 46 Magic Lamp
Chapter 46 Magic Lamp
After testing Karen's theoretical knowledge, Castor led Karen to a workbench on the side of the workshop. On the workbench were several basic tools: a carving knife, metal wire, and several metal plates of different materials, about the size of coins.
"Today you'll be making the most basic alchemy tool—a magic lamp." Castor picked up a small, round copper coin. "This isn't an ordinary lamp. It can sense the user's magical energy fluctuations, automatically adjust its brightness, and it won't easily go out. You just need to inject magic energy into it periodically."
Karen leaned closer to examine it, and his Eye of Truth made him notice that there were some fine lines engraved on the surface of the copper plate. They were simple but smoothly arranged runic arrays.
"The first step in alchemy is choosing a suitable base material," Castor explained. "Copper is one of the best choices because it conducts magic very well. Next, you will inscribe runes on it."
He handed Karen a brand-new copper coin and a specially made engraving knife: "This knife has been enchanted with a sharpening spell, allowing it to carve marks on metal more easily than ordinary engraving knives. Now, according to the pattern I gave you, engrave the first rune on the copper coin—Ansuz, which represents wisdom and communication."
Karen took the tools and took a deep breath. He knew how to write Ansuz, but had never tried engraving it on such a small metal plate. He carefully made the first cut, and a thin line appeared on the copper plate.
"No!" Castor suddenly shouted, "Not brute force, but magic guidance! Just like in your matter conversion experiment, let the magic flow from your fingertips to the carving knife, resonating with the metal!"
Karen closed his eyes and tried to follow Castor's instructions. He imagined magic flowing from his body, down his arm to his fingers, and then into the carving knife. When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find a faint blue light emanating from the tip of the carving knife.
"Okay, let's try again now." Castor's voice softened.
This time, Karen's engraving knife seemed to come alive, moving smoothly across the copper plate. Through his Eye of Truth, he could see magic flowing into the copper plate along the knife's path, forming a luminous line. In less than a minute, a perfect Ansuz rune was completed.
"Not bad," Castor commented. "To achieve this level on the first try is truly talented. Now, inscribe the second rune—Eihwaz, representing transformation and breakthrough."
And so, over the next two hours, under Castor's guidance, Karen carved the three runes one by one in a specific order—Ansuz, Eihwaz, and Sowilo—forming a complete magical circuit. As he worked, he became increasingly adept at it.
"Now comes the most crucial step," Castor said solemnly. "Infuse your magic into the entire array and activate it. Remember, the magic must be evenly distributed; any node that is too strong or too weak will lead to failure."
Karen nodded and gently placed his hands on the copper plate. Through the Eye of Truth, he could clearly see the structure of the entire rune array and how magic should flow. But he didn't use the Eye of Truth on the first try; instead, he carefully guided his magic, letting it slowly spread along the engravings.
A wondrous thing happened: the engravings on the copper plate began to emit a soft blue light, which grew stronger and stronger until the entire copper plate became transparent, like a piece of glowing blue crystal.
"Excellent!" Castor's voice held a rare hint of excitement. "Now, slowly stop the magic injection!"
Karen concentrated, slowly withdrawing her own magic. The glowing copper plate began to deform and bend, conforming to the engraved runes, and finally forming an exquisite wick, like a suspended blue sphere of light.
"Perfect!" Castor picked up the finished product and carefully examined every detail. "A success on the first try, and the magic circuit is extremely stable. This lamp will last for at least several decades."
Karen wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a wave of exhaustion mixed with satisfaction. Through the Eye of Truth, he saw the magic within the wick circulating in an orderly fashion, as naturally as blood flowing through veins.
Then, the same method was used to complete the production of the outer shell. Compared to the core part, the production of the outer shell was quite simple. It only required repeating the Ansuz pattern, and the pattern was much larger. The production was completed quickly.
"Remember, the connection process must be completed in one smooth motion," Castor instructed from the side, his eyes fixed on Karen's every move. "The magic patterns on the outer casing and the wick must align perfectly. Any deviation will cause energy leakage, thereby reducing its efficiency and lifespan."
However, with Karen's talent, this step was the easiest, and the entire process of connecting the magic patterns was completed almost instantly.
After completing the task, Karen realized that he had just used the Eye of Truth to assist in the docking, and just as he was about to experiment again.
“Don’t be nervous,” Castor finally broke the silence, picking up the completed magic lamp to examine it. “I’ve said before, this talent is priceless in alchemy. But you must learn to control it; looking too much or too deeply is equally dangerous.” He added meaningfully, “Some magical structures… shouldn’t be looked at directly.”
Karen recalled the black energy he had seen coiled around Castor in the Eye of Truth. He nodded. "I'll keep an eye on it, Professor."
"Now, let's test the lamp's function." Castor changed the subject, pointing to the magic lamp, "Try to control its brightness with your mind."
Karen focused his attention and imagined the light dimming. The magic lamp immediately responded to his thought, its light gradually diminishing until it became as faint as a firefly.
"Thank you, Professor," Karen said sincerely, looking at the first alchemy piece she had completed with her own hands.
"It's getting late," Castor said, glancing at a peculiar clock on the workshop wall, its hands made of flowing mercury. "That's all for today. We'll continue at the same time on Saturday. Remember to bring your lamp; I'll teach you how to add new functions to it."
Karen nodded and carefully put the magic lamp and the new book into her bag.
"Oh, and one more thing," Castor said before seeing Karen off, "I forgot to mention before, regarding your Eye of Truth, only you, me, and the Nicos know about it. In front of others, including Albus, you'd better continue to remain silent. Nico has said he has some plans of his own, and your talent will attract his attention."
Karen nodded seriously: "I understand, Professor."
Castor smiled with satisfaction and snapped his fingers. Karen felt a sudden weightlessness again, and in the blink of an eye, she was back in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, standing next to the ordinary leather suitcase.
"Alright, go back and rest. Today's practice is over," Castor said.
When Karen finally climbed into the window of the Ravenclaw Tower, the dormitory was already pitch black, with only the star chart above Ernesto's bed still faintly glowing. He quietly put the magic lamp and the book into the bag that his teacher Castor had given him, and then quietly changed into his pajamas.
Lying on the four-poster bed, Karen stared at the canopy ceiling, recalling every detail of the evening. Although he had read many alchemy books before, the sense of accomplishment from successfully creating an alchemical tool for the first time still excited him. He imagined the various magical items he could create in the future and slowly drifted off to sleep.