"Elemental fission generator?" Sain felt a pang of unfamiliarity at the term; he had never come across it in public classes or in basic materials at the library.
Phyr lowered her voice and explained, "It's an alchemical device capable of forcibly decomposing and reassembling single elemental energies. A complete four-element fission generator is said to be able to simulate a mini elemental storm, or even… open a dimensional portal."
Her words sent a shock through Sain. Open a dimensional portal? That was a realm only formal sorcerers dared to imagine. He couldn't help but glance toward the center of the laboratory—Master Mosido was using a slender wand to manipulate a complex set of runes, a multitude of fiery red streams of light rushing through the metal pipes, emitting a steam-like hissing sound.
"Master is on an academy assignment," Phyr continued. "I heard it's related to the temporal rift in Shadow Valley. The vice principals want to use this device to stabilize the rift; who knows…" She abruptly stopped, warily glancing towards the main experimental table.
Following her gaze, Sain saw the eldest senior apprentice, Zoro, pouring a crystal vial filled with green slime into a secondary experimental table. The instant the slime touched the metallic surface, it coagulated into countless tiny gears, clicking and whirring under the magical influence. This intricate alchemical contraption far surpassed any magical item Sain had ever encountered.
"Don't ask too many questions," Phyr said as she handed him a recording notebook. "Our task is to note the fluctuations of the crystal ball. Do you see that red scale? If it exceeds 300, we need to report immediately."
Sain looked down at the translucent crystal on the experimental table—it was currently glowing an orange-yellow, with the numbers on its inner surface fluctuating slowly between 210 and 230. He tightened his grip on the quill, his fingertips trembling nervously. This wasn't the familiar fireball experiment; it was an exploration of truths that touched the essence of the world.
The laboratory was permeated with the mingling scents of sulfur and ozone, and magical runes wove a webs of light across the ceiling. Suddenly, Sain recalled a passage from the book Overview of the Continental Foundations he had read in the public library—it mentioned that the underground world was not a naturally formed environment but rather the remnants of an ancient dimensional war. The deep chasms and erupting lava flows were actually scars from a fractured world.
"Tick… tick…" The crystal ball's reading jumped to 257.
"Attention!" Phyr's voice grew urgent. "The master is about to perform the elemental injection!"
Sain looked up to see Master Mosido pressing his hands onto the hexagram formation at the center of the main experimental table. In an instant, streams of magical energy in four distinct colors surged in from four directions: crimson fire, azure water, bright yellow earth, and vibrant green wind. They collided and twisted at the center of the formation, forming a swirling vortex of elements.
"289…295…" Sain's pen almost broke through the paper as he wrote feverishly. "It's nearly at 300!"
Just then, the laboratory shook violently. The runic light web on the ceiling rippled, and the alchemical puppet in the corner blinked its red light furiously. The elemental vortex in the center of the main table let out a piercing shriek, and a black fissure gradually opened at its heart!
"Not good!" Master Mosido's expression changed drastically. "The elements are out of balance! Zoro, activate the stabilization runes!"
Without hesitation, Zoro slapped a silver-inscribed metal plate onto the edge of the experimental table. Countless runes lit up, forming a transparent barrier around the elemental vortex. Yet, the black fissure continued to widen, and from it emanated not elemental energy, but a sensation of… nothingness.
Sain felt a sharp pain in his mental energy, as if his very soul was being pulled toward the rift. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on his strong acid staff, the corrosive runes along its shaft flickering with a faint light, barely resisting the strange allure.
"302! It's exceeded!" Phyr exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.
Master Mosido suddenly waved his hand, sending a dark green beam of energy striking the red button on the side of the experimental table. With a hum, all magical streams vanished, and the elemental vortex and black fissure were obliterated together, leaving behind a pungent burnt odor.
Silence fell over the laboratory, interrupted only by the low rumble of the ventilation ducts. Master Mosido wiped the sweat from his brow, the metallic surface of the experiment table now covered in a web of cracks.
"It seems… we failed again," he murmured, his voice weary. "Phyr, organize the experimental data and hand it to me. Sain, you can head back; today's events… should not be spoken of."
Sain nodded silently, following Phyr as they exited the laboratory. As soon as they stepped out of Master Mosido's building, he realized he was soaked in sweat. The sense of nothingness from the black fissure reminded him of what he had read in the ancient texts at the library about the "Sea of Chaos"—a realm of void beyond dimensions where not even elements could exist.
"Did you see that?" Phyr said softly. "This is the research of formal sorcerers. Every experiment could touch upon the taboos of the world; any slight mistake could lead to…" She did not finish her sentence, but the caution in her eyes was unmistakable.
Sain looked up at the sky above Mosbra City—it was forever shrouded in a gray rock dome, concealing the sun, moon, and stars. Suddenly, he understood that the dark sorcerers pursued not just power but also sought the keys to reconnect the fractured realms hidden within this shattered world. And he, an apprentice who had just been promoted to intermediate, had gained the rare fortune to glimpse a fragment of this grand scheme.
Upon returning to their dormitory, Sain found Lina sitting by the window, meditating. The death aura around her neck had considerably diminished. Catching sight of Sain, she opened her eyes instantly. "I heard you've been promoted to intermediate apprentice? What about the mentor…"
"I was involved in an experiment," Sain interrupted, lowering his voice. "It was about the elemental fission generator and the temporal rifts in Shadow Valley. Lina, the land beneath our feet may be more… shattered than we imagine."
Lina's pupils narrowed slightly, as she was surely aware of similar rumors, given her mentorship under Master Felina. The two of them exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they read the same shock—deep within this dark realm lay horrifying secrets about the truth of the world. And they, as struggling magical apprentices, were but insignificant pawns in this grand enigma.