Atticus's gaze widened. That image… it was perfect.
'How is this possible?' he wondered.
His mind swirled. He had been so baffled that his thoughts stuttered. What the instructor had just done might seem normal to many, but only those who had used the fire element before knew just how much of a feat this was. It was incredible.
The other group members noticed Atticus's shock, but none of them reacted. They had expressed the same shock when they had first seen the instructor's display.
To them, his reaction was justified. In fact, the small fact that he had shown such shock had been the surprising part.
To think he actually recognized how profound a feat the creation of that image was…
The perfect, identical image of Magnus stood in front of the group, its majesty enveloping the area despite being just an image.
Atticus's gaze flashed as he saw the other group members turning away their gazes from the instructor and stretching their hands in front of them, trying to replicate what he had just done.
He turned his gaze around, noting that the other groups were also trying to achieve the same feat.
'Wait, is that all? No explanation?'
Atticus's gaze eventually landed on the instructor of their group, and it was as though he read Atticus's mind, a small smile appearing on his face.
"That is all. Replicate this and you will be allowed to advance. Burn it in your memory; it will clear up in 10 minutes," the instructor said.
Atticus didn't waste time pondering the fairness and complexity of it all. While he had already memorized the image with his first glance, Atticus gave it a more intense scrutiny, making sure to note down everything about the image.
'Its temperature too,' he reminded himself.
After a few seconds, Atticus was finally done.
He paused, took a deep breath, and exhaled in the next instant.
Clearing his head of all other thoughts, Atticus closed his eyes, his mind working.
Atticus played back everything without missing a single detail. As soon as the instructor had said he could only do it once, Atticus had ramped up his perception to the highest level possible.
He had even gone as far as using his sense of touch. Because of that, Atticus had been able to note down every single detail of the instructor's display.
Truly, Atticus had been expecting an explanation of how the instructor had done it; it was only natural given the fact that this was a school. However, even without it, Atticus believed he had understood a whole lot.
From the display, Atticus had learned something profound.
The way he had been controlling the fire element since he awakened had been all wrong!
Atticus had always simply followed his feelings when it came to manipulating the elements. He had never really given it a deeper thought before.
To Atticus, increasing his mastery and ranks of his bloodline would enable him to increase his firepower and how much of his element he could control and utilize in battle. This had been the goal.
However, what the instructor had just shown him had completely shattered that goal. He had been chasing the wrong goal from the beginning!
It wasn't just about how much fire he could wield; it was about understanding every nuance of it. It was about knowing the intricate dance of its creation, the catalysts that could ignite its fiercest flames, and the vulnerabilities that could snuff it out in an instant. It was about becoming one with the fire, and mastering not just its power, but its very essence.
How did Atticus create fire out of thin air?
Atticus had simply been relying on feelings all this while. To him, he would simply focus on a point in the air or on his body and then, fire materialized.
However, the instructor had shown him the real and true way to create fire.
It was in the air.
Certain molecules, to be exact.
Atticus's perception had been so potent that seeing these microscopic particles was possible. Plus, he had been using his sense of feel; he had felt them.
Atticus wasn't exactly sure which was which, but what he did know was that it involved two different molecules. From his knowledge, he had been able to narrow it down somewhat.
Oxygen molecules were essential in the creation of fire, and in this case, hydrogen was also involved. Atticus would've never imagined that these molecules, which could be found on Earth, were the cause of these supernatural feats. But of course, there was a catalyst that made this possible: something that didn't exist back on Earth, mana.
In actuality, their bloodline—the ability to control fire—granted them control over these molecules of oxygen and hydrogen! They were each laying dormant and peaceful in the air, and anytime they wanted to create fire, it was these molecules that would first react.
The process by which the instructor had created fire was simple.
He willed for fire to be created, thereby connecting with the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in the air. This connection would make each of these molecules react, thereby enabling them to absorb mana from the atmosphere, causing a reaction that would immediately combust.
The hydrogen would act as the fuel, igniting and producing intense heat and light, while oxygen would support the combustion process.
Without a doubt, all this science talk took away the fun about being able to create fire from thin air.
However, it was truly a great find for Atticus. Mana interacted with the molecules to create fire—amazing.
But this was just the beginning.
Atticus suddenly raised his palm and focused all his attention on the air around it.
With a thought, a small flame flickered into existence, and despite it being a normal-looking fire, the smile on Atticus's face suggested something else.
It had been a normal flame, truly, but Atticus had discovered the difference between how he had been utilizing fire and how the instructor had done.
Both ways were the same but at the same time a lot different. Atticus's way had been far too disorganized. He had never paid any attention to it before, but now that he did, he had been able to see what was wrong.
Before, when Atticus would form a connection with the molecules in the air, he had done it without any uniformity. This would, in turn, lead to each molecule absorbing mana at their own pace and timing, leading to a fire that was inconsistent in different parts.
He could still control its temperature, he could still move it around and unleash devastating attacks with it, but at the end of the day, it simply wasn't perfect.
It didn't end at just creating fire. Atticus had been glad to find out that making sure the molecules reacted at the exact same time and pace would create a fire so perfect and uniform that he could do anything he wanted with it.
It made it profoundly easier for him to control and manipulate.
Atticus's flames could not even dream of doing what the instructor's flame had just done. He would need a change.
Atticus turned his gaze around, noting the other group members engrossed in their tasks. They were each trying to take control of the molecules in the air and attempting to make a perfect fire.
However, it seemed it wasn't as simple as it appeared. They were each failing miserably, the sounds of sudden combustions and the clicking of tongues filling the space.
It seemed as though it required every single bit of their focus to connect with and control each molecule simultaneously, or perhaps it needed a bit of practice.
'Let's give it a shot,' Atticus thought.
However, Atticus was feeling completely different. It didn't feel as though he had just found out about the existence of these molecules; it was as if he had always been instinctively aware of them.
Atticus had noted it from the beginning: his primordial elemental bloodline was innately different compared to the bloodlines of other Ravenstein family members.
His connection to the elements was deeper, and not only that, they were more potent and powerful, making it easier for Atticus to utilize the elements.
Since he had just figured out the base material for the element of fire, the next events weren't shocking.
Atticus suddenly closed his eyes, entering a state of absolute focus.
The aged man in charge of Atticus's group watched each member with a sharp gaze.
'Looks like there won't be anyone ascending anytime soon,' the aged man sighed. It had always been like this. Passing the test of the first summit alone took months for many people, and during this time, he had no other option but to watch them silently.
The rules of the sanctum were absolute; they were only allowed to demonstrate, not guide, not that he even saw anything to guide.
'But it's still great,' the aged man nodded his head in approval of the number of people attending the sanctum. Those alone on the first summit numbered more than a hundred. It was good news for the Ravenstein family.
For each attendee, there was at the very least a 39% chance that said individual would eventually become a grandmaster.
The aged man's gaze suddenly flashed. 'That's right, where's the genius kid?' he suddenly remembered Atticus, who had reached the first summit in a matter of minutes. Magnus had only told Dekai of the current situation and not the other instructors.
While he knew Atticus's identity, he and most were still at a loss as to why he was here. The Ravenstein family valued power over everything. If not for the main family's overwhelming might, they would've been eaten up already.
No one valued using their status to easily get privileges that most worked hard for. It was the same case here, or so people believed. 'If he wants to be accepted, he will have to prove himself,' the aged man thought.
His gaze found its way towards the back where he saw Atticus simply standing still with his eyes closed.
'What's he doing?'
His question was answered in the next instant.
Atticus suddenly raised both his arms, the molecules around him seemingly vibrating and trembling in unison.
They each moved as though they were one, siphoning mana from the atmosphere with speed.
The air around Atticus combusted, and the gaze of the aged man widened as both his arms dropped by his sides.