The epiphany from the previous day settled deep within Elian. The scientists, for all their brilliance, were missing the bedrock of understanding. It wasn't enough to just build grand machines; he had to lay the groundwork, piece by agonizing piece. He needed to re-introduce the very first principles.
He cleared his throat. "Gentlemen," he began, pulling out fresh parchment. "Before we delve into grand weapons, I believe we must first address a more fundamental concept. A different kind of power. One that exists within the very fabric of the physical world, separate from the Spirit World's influence."
Master Arion, the eldest and most renowned of the group, raised an eyebrow. "Separate from mana, Young Master? All power ultimately stems from mana, from the Spirit World's influence, manifested by the Great Sage's teachings."
Elian nodded. "Indeed, that is the established truth. In this world, magic is a shortcut. You learn a diagram, an incantation, you channel mana, and the Spirit World responds. You wish to lift a heavy object? A levitation spell, a mana diagram, and it floats. You don't ask how the force is generated, only that it is. You don't question the fundamental forces acting upon it. The magic is the answer."
He paused, looking at their contemplative faces. "But what if we could achieve results using only the physical world? No mana, no Spirit World manipulation. Consider something as simple as friction." He picked up a rough stone and vigorously rubbed it against a piece of wood. A faint wisp of smoke, then a tiny spark, appeared. "Heat. Generated by mere physical interaction."
The scientists watched, intrigued. They understood friction, of course, but as a minor inconvenience, easily overcome by a mana-slick or ignored by a magical enhancement. They never saw it as a source of anything.
"Now," Elian continued, holding up a piece of amber and rubbing it with a scrap of fur. Tiny, almost invisible sparks crackled, making the fine hairs on his arm stand on end. "This. This is also an unseen force. A power within matter itself. We call it static electricity." He then quickly drew a simple diagram. "And what causes the light and the sound of thunder? Not mana directly, but a rapid, uncontrolled release of this accumulated energy through the air. What if we could control that release? What if we could generate this 'thunder element' power, steadily, without needing a mana crystal or an incantation, using only mundane materials?"
The scientists looked at him with polite confusion. "Generate power without mana? Without mana crystals? That is… unheard of, Young Master," Master Arion stated, his brow furrowed. "Light and energy are products of channeled mana, a manifestation of Spirit World influence."
"Not impossible," Elian insisted, his eyes alight with a familiar fire. "Just… different. It will require trial and error. Discovering which materials conduct this 'energy,' which resist it. Which materials interact to create a sustained flow." He then moved to a more complex demonstration, assembling a crude stack of alternating copper and zinc discs, separated by cloth soaked in a mild acid Eldorian alchemists used for dyes. He connected a thin, fine wire to each end. "This," he announced, "is a rudimentary device to generate a continuous flow of this 'electricity.'"
The scientists watched, their faces a mixture of skepticism and dawning bewilderment, as Elian touched the ends of the wire together. A tiny, almost imperceptible spark jumped, followed by a faint hum from the stack of discs. It was weak, insignificant by Eldorian magical standards, but it was there. Produced entirely by mundane materials, through chemical reaction.
"It... it truly generates something!" Seraphina whispered, her eyes wide. "But what use is such a feeble current?"
"It is just a beginning," Elian countered, a tired but triumphant grin on his face. "This principle, of generating power from chemical reactions within materials, can be scaled. And once we can generate it, we can store it. Imagine a stable, portable reservoir of this energy. We could call it a battery." He then quickly drew a schematic for a more refined battery. "And you, Master Arion, Seraphina, and your colleagues, will be crucial. Your mastery over elemental manipulation, particularly lightning-element mana, could provide a more potent initial 'charge' for our experiments, helping us understand and scale this phenomenon faster, even if your magic isn't strictly necessary for the 'electricity' itself."
The scientists, though still grappling with the core concept, found their skepticism giving way to an intense, academic curiosity. To see raw energy generated without mana crystals or complex spells, even in such a small amount, was a profound shock to their understanding of the world. Their minds, for decades attuned only to the nuances of mana, began to tentatively open to a new, forgotten science.
After countless failed attempts, burnt wires, and frustrated sighs, Elian finally held up a crudely fashioned glass bulb, inside it a thin, carbonized filament—a carefully treated strand of plant fiber. With a trembling hand, he connected the bulb to his now charged "battery."
A faint, orange glow flickered within the bulb. It was dim, far less bright than even the weakest mana lamp, but it was there. A light born not of magical energy, but of fundamental physics. The workshop fell silent.
Master Arion peered closely, his spectacles slipping down his nose. "It... it glows. Without mana crystals. Without incantation." He looked at Elian, his skepticism finally cracking, replaced by a dawning, almost fearful, curiosity. "How...?"
Elian smiled. "This, gentlemen, is a lightbulb. And it is just the beginning." He knew the real battle was only just starting—not just to build wondrous machines, but to re-educate an entire world about the forgotten power of science.