Hyacine's life settled into a peaceful routine. She went to school with Pela every day, daydreaming through the morning classes until lunchtime, and then daydreaming again in the afternoon until it was time to go home and cook dinner. She spent her evenings practicing singing and dancing before going to bed early, ensuring she never carried fatigue into the next day.
Half a month later, Anaxa published a paper on his "Magic Power Loss Theory," causing a massive uproar throughout the Arcane Federation. Countless wizards clamored to meet him, but he refused them all, retreating into a purely reclusive life devoted entirely to reading and study.
It's worth noting that Tribios had privately mentioned Anaxa's work to Melly long before the publication. Melly's reaction was one of complete indifference, dismissing it as "just another outdated theory, nothing to worry about."
Instead, Melly grew more intrigued by Tribios' description of Anaxa: "A Demigod of Reason? Does he possess vast knowledge? Could I meet him?"
Tribios replied, "Perhaps when he returns to Okhema. There will be opportunities then."
In her mind, she scoffed: "Isn't this exactly why Anaxa infiltrated the Arcane Federation to steal knowledge in the first place?"
Time continued to pass. By the second moon, Anaxa had devoured all the public books in the Arcane Federation's Grand Library, memorizing and fully comprehending every word.
In the third moon, Anaxa sought out Heinrich, the Tower Master of the Transmutation Tower, and proposed a knowledge exchange.
Beyond the public knowledge in the Grand Library, the most advanced knowledge was held privately by the powerful Wizards of the Eight Mage Towers, considered their "personal property."
After dedicating their lives to magical research, these Wizards couldn't simply donate their findings to the Library the moment they finished, right? Thus, "knowledge exchange" became a fundamental practice among these Great Mages.
I'll trade a magic I've researched for ages for one you've researched for ages. That's how it should work in theory. But Heinrich shook his head. "You've already given so much," he said. "Feel free to study any knowledge in the Transmutation Tower—all the fruits of my research over the years are yours to peruse."
The "payment" Heinrich referred to was, of course, the research paper Anaxa had published. He explained, "Ideally, I believe all knowledge should be shared openly, allowing us to research together and advance collectively. But unfortunately, some people spend their entire lives developing a single magic spell, and I can't exactly force them to hand it over, can I?"
"That's why I deeply admire your decision to openly share your knowledge. When you came to me, there was no need to mention exchanging knowledge. You're welcome to study my magic as you please, and I'm sure others who've read your paper would feel the same way—they'd be happy to share their knowledge with you freely."
Heinrich continued, "However, Anaxagoras, would you be interested in joining my research group? We're working on a project that could really benefit from your expertise."
A "research group" was essentially a gathering of elite wizards working together on challenging problems, all striving toward a common goal. For example, Anaxa knew that at the Prophecy Tower, there were research groups focused on "The Sky" and "Okhema." The former was dedicated to uncovering what lies beyond the 9,000-meter mark in the upper atmosphere.
The latter group, as the name suggests, was organized by the Prophet Old Mage—the very wizard who had witnessed Mydei's single strike annihilate the Imperial Army during the Grand Duchy of Kandela campaign. Their mission was to unravel the secrets of Okhema. Anaxa had briefly looked into their work but found their progress painfully slow due to the scarcity of clues.
Beyond this, the Transmutation Tower was researching the "Creation of Mimetic Dragons," the Necromancy Tower was studying the "Soul Casket," and the Illusion Tower was exploring the "Materialization of Illusions." Even different Schools collaborated on research projects; for instance, some Wizards from the Transmutation and Evocation Towers were working together on a super bomb called the "Blood of Lava."
At their core, all Wizards were scientists and inventors, making collaborative research a perfectly normal practice.
Anaxa didn't immediately reject Heinrich's invitation. Instead, he asked, "Your research group? What are you working on?"
Heinrich replied, "This needs to remain confidential. I can only reveal the details once you agree to join. For now, let's just call it Project X."
Hearing that, Anaxa lost interest. He had only asked out of curiosity, but if it was such a closely guarded secret, he'd rather not bother. His primary focus remained his studies.
This was the dilemma of a "Scholar." Unlike other Demigods, who could summon formidable combat power instantly, making them immediately useful, Anaxa had to learn. He had to retrace the paths of his predecessors, mastering all the knowledge they had accumulated. Only when he reached the end of that road, with nothing left to learn from the past, could he truly shine, advance further, and create new knowledge.
Time was short, and the task was immense. In three months, Anaxa had only managed to grasp the publicly available foundational knowledge of the Arcane Federation. With so much left to learn, how could he possibly spare time for Heinrich's "Project X"?
Anaxa declined Heinrich's invitation. He had previously borrowed books from the Library, but now he began borrowing them from Heinrich's home. It had to be said, Heinrich's personal collection was vast and incredibly profound.
His expertise wasn't limited to the Transmutation School alone. As a founder of the Arcane Federation, Heinrich was equally proficient in all Eight Great Schools.
By the fifth moon, Anaxa's frequent interactions with Heinrich, the Transmutation Tower Master, inevitably led him to encounter the Tower Masters of other Mage Towers. To his surprise, one of them turned out to be an acquaintance from the past.
A tall, slender young woman with black hair pulled back into a single ponytail, dressed in a short skirt and white knee-high stockings, looking barely past adolescence. Her black hair framed striking crimson eyes, and she was none other than Friedrich Smith, the Necromancy Tower Master.
While this name might not ring a bell for many, her other identity revealed that she was none other than Jay's introductory mentor from three centuries ago!
How could she still be alive?
When Anaxa first saw the Necromancy Tower Master, he visibly froze for a moment. Heinrich, standing beside him, mistook his reaction for surprise at seeing such a young and charming Tower Master. He chuckled, "Don't let her looks fool you—she's older than even I am, practically an ancient crone."
Anaxa silently retorted, No, I even know she used to be a man!
The Necromancy Tower Master, upon seeing Anaxa, also froze visibly, her expression one of astonishment.