While people were taking care of Auric's problem, the person in question was chilling at his house.
He was lying down on his bed while reading a book.
"So, do you think they will come for you again?" Lindwurm asked. "You have even chosen to take a day off today."
"Well, maybe not." Auric answered casually. "I have set several traps. President Gunther thought I had a secret master, and after showing my potential, I made him believe I might be chosen by my master because of it."
Lindwurm gasped. "So, that was your goal."
"Yeah." Auric snapped his fingers before getting up. He put the book on the table after noticing something in his idea. "I think I understand this one."
"Which one?" Lindwurm took a peek at the book.
Auric had been writing down notes on everything he had found about battle techniques so far. He combined all that knowledge to create a technique that he wanted.
Auric explained, "When people absorb magical energy from materials, they can't absorb everything cleanly, right?"
"That's right. The energy lingers in their heart, but then leaves. How much remains will depend on your affinity grade."
"Exactly. That's why, if you want to increase the amount of energy you can absorb, it is not about the absorption technique. You can just swallow it and get everything from it. The problem is how to retain it."
"Yes." Lindwurm acknowledged the problem. "No one has ever been able to create such a technique."
"That's why I wonder if I can use the 'Gathering Technique' to help a person absorb more energy."
"What do you mean?" Lindwurm asked. Auric wasn't the type of person to talk nonsense, so he might have gotten some rough ideas.
"If you use a gathering technique while absorbing materials, it will help with the absorption, right? To be precise, it will increase the amount of energy that can be absorbed, but once the limit is reached, the gathering technique won't be effective anymore."
"That's why the gathering technique can't be said to increase one's affinity grade."
Auric nodded before raising one finger. "So, I'm thinking about using a part of the gathering technique. Since we absorb energy, and the energy that can remain in the heart depends on our grade, why can't we use the gathering technique to forcefully bring back the magical energy that is about to leave?"
Lindwurm raised his eyebrows. "Now, that's a theory I have never heard before."
Auric continued, "However, if we use too much of the gathering technique, it will just become a variation of it. So, I am wondering if we can somehow forcefully integrate them into the heart? Like letting them stay in the heart as long as possible until they are unable to leave?"
Lindwurm thought for a moment. "I don't think it's possible. There is no research in that area. If it can somehow linger because it has been assimilated due to prolonged exposure, there should have been some successful research already."
"I see. That doesn't work, huh?" Auric crossed his arms before coming up with another idea. "In that case, what do you think about creating a wall in our hearts? Its purpose is to keep the energy inside, like a backup reserve?"
"I don't know. It might be possible, but this will just be like a normal battle technique, not exactly raising one's affinity. It won't raise the amount of energy reflected in your bracelet."
"Fair point." Auric scratched the back of his head. He couldn't really figure out how to achieve what he truly wanted.
The concept of affinity was quite simple. The higher the affinity grade, the more energy that becomes part of the heart.
The rest of the energy would leave the body. What he wanted was to create a way to let the energy stick to the heart, thus increasing the affinity without making it the same as the gathering technique.
"Let's talk about my constitution. My constitution allows me to absorb energy better. But there is not much that I know about my constitution, at least not yet. We might be able to figure something out from my body," explained Auric.
"We might find an answer that way." Lindwurm nodded in agreement. There was no immediate solution. If it were that easy, researchers all around the world would have found it a long time ago.
The gathering techniques alone would have created a storm across the world, let alone a technique that could increase an affinity grade.
Auric muttered, "I don't have an affinity. That also means there is no anchor point formed by the specific element. As a result, there is a vacuum inside my heart."
"What are you getting at?"
Auric raised one finger. "What if we create a technique that forms the same vacuum in everyone's heart while still being connected to the main heart?"
Lindwurm tilted his head several times while looking up. After a few minutes, Lindwurm replied, "It might work. By creating a vacuum in their heart, it will be possible. However, it's going to be impossible to create a perfect vacuum like yours."
"I know. At most, I will probably be able to create a pseudo-vacuum that can hold only one specific element. However, it still needs to be connected to the heart." Auric explained.
"Yes. It has to be connected and linked for evolution. But do you think you can create something like that?"
"I am not sure. However, I do have clues that no one has." Auric smiled. He had two clues. One was his own body. By examining his body, he might figure out how to create a vacuum.
The second clue was the particles. He could see elements better than anyone else.
"A heart within a heart. It will still function like a normal heart and will be able to help the main heart," muttered Auric.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Create the technique first, and think of a name later." Lindwurm waved his hands. "For this, I'm going to help in any way I can too."
"I'm quite curious about one thing, though."
"And what is that?"
"If I use this technique, will I be able to absorb faster, or does it have any other function?"
"That's for you to find out." Lindwurm shrugged.
"Fine." Auric chuckled. "Anyway, I should get a call any time soon."
"A call?" Lindwurm couldn't think of anyone who would call him. "Whose call are you talking about?"
Auric suddenly felt his phone vibrate. "Aha."
Auric grabbed his phone and showed it to Lindwurm.
'Teacher.'
…
Thirty minutes prior.
"What the hell are you doing?" Maya slammed the table while glaring at the dean of the Evolution Department. "I've let him enter your department and look at what you've done. You can't even protect him? It took just one day for him to get bullied?"
The dean was speechless. "I believe this is outside our influence. The class is over, and he is not within our department."
"Really? That's the best you can tell me?" Maya gasped. "You are really leaving me speechless. Look at his state right now. He's not here today. What about tomorrow? You surely don't want to have a big headline tomorrow, stating, 'A big genius gets bullied after entering the Evolution Department?' What do you think will happen?"
The answer was rather obvious. Auric was a genius supported even by the mayor, so when such a headline appeared, the reaction would be obvious.
The Evolution Association would speak up first. They would take care of all the evolution masters within the association. They wouldn't let people think they could bully the Evolution Association.
If a genius ended up getting bullied, no talented people would want to join their Evolution Department anymore.
"That's not what happened." The dean raised his hand, stopping her. "We are helping him in any way we can, but we can't control everything."
"You are just trying to wash your hands of this matter. I'm really disappointed." Maya shook her head in disbelief. "Just you wait. I'm going to talk to Auric right now and tell him to quit the Evolution Department right away."
"What? You can't do that!" The dean stood up.
"I can, actually. Oh, by the way, I found out what was going on yesterday. He was supposed to meet the president of the Evolution Association to get his second certificate. Let's see how it's going to hold up, shall we?" Maya snorted.
The dean could imagine what would happen after Maya made a fuss about this matter.
The dean gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"
Maya glanced at him coldly. It would be satisfying to make a fuss about this matter, but that would also mean harming the Grand Magica College's reputation.
Even though she came here because of a demotion, it didn't change the fact that she was now the vice dean of the Element Department.
Hence, it was better to settle the matter privately.
Of course, that meant getting the most benefits for Auric.
They were the ones who demanded that Auric come to their department in the first place, so it would be good to squeeze their pockets a bit.
Auric didn't really have any interest in those materials. However, he'd definitely love to have more battle techniques.
So Maya demanded, "I want battle techniques, of course, for beginners. I don't know if you are aware of it or not, but my student is more accurate at assessing people's energy by letting them perform their battle technique. So, of course, he wants to study more battle techniques. The elements don't matter."
These battle techniques didn't need to be returned because they were given directly instead of rented from the library.
The dean frowned. He didn't want to give even a single one, but it looked like he had no choice but to give in this time.
The dean stood up and grabbed two books from his bookshelf. "Take these two."
Maya took a glance at the titles.
Rain of Fire.
Piercing Thunder.
Maya grabbed them with a smile. "All right. Let bygones be bygones. Now, I'm going to convince my student first. Bye."
"…" The dean was glaring at Maya, but he wasn't in a position to speak.
…
That was why Maya called Auric.
"Hello, Teacher. Do you need something from me?"
"Well, come back to class tomorrow. I've gotten two battle techniques for you from their dean. It's not really a big deal anyway."
"Yeah. Well, it's good to take a day off. I've got to clear my mind."
"Good. By the way, your relationship with the Evolution Department might not really be good from now on."
"It doesn't matter. As long as I can still take their classes, it doesn't matter to me whether I get special treatment or not."
"That's a good mindset. However, you might want to do something."
"What is it?" Auric sounded confused.
"After all these small tricks you've pulled, do you know what you need the most?"
Auric considered his answer carefully. "Connections."
"Exactly. They can bully other people because of connections. If they can't beat you, they will call their brothers, uncles, fathers, or whoever. Even their ancestors could come out of their graves to avenge them. So, you need to beat their elders first. Doing it right away will be impossible, so you need connections… connections that are on the same level, if not higher than theirs."
"I've got a few names."
"Not enough. That's why I'm wondering if you are going to take on another challenge."
"What kind of challenge are you talking about?"
"There is a certain conglomerate whose son is in trouble. He has an earth element, so I want you to help him evolve. Don't worry, his avatar is still in the baby form. If you can help him, this guy will definitely owe you a favor."
"Sorry? If he's that rich, can't he afford a silver, maybe a gold-grade evolution master?"
"The problem is not simple. I will ask him to send you the records. But to put it simply, the son was almost assassinated. The assassin used a poison that contained fire and lightning elements. Flushing the fire element poison would cause the lightning element to erupt, and vice versa."
"Hmm…" Auric understood the problem. "You want me to use both elements to help him evolve."
"Yeah. According to another evolution master, allowing him to evolve could flush out both poisons. As you already know, there are no two evolution masters with those elements who can work together. If their energies meet, it might kill him. But you…"
"Because I'm alone, the two elements won't cause a conflict in his body…"
"You may not be able to achieve the fusion of two elements, but surely they won't conflict, right? So, do you want to take this job?"