Chapter 78: The Unveiling of a New Era

Adèle felt her breath catch in her throat. All the world’s sounds seemed to recede in that instant, leaving only the tranquil gaze of Lia’s eyes and the audacious proposition that had just left her lips.

“Publish it?” Adèle’s throat tightened, each word emerging as a tremor.

“Even with those… uncharted blanks?”

It was utter madness.

Never in the annals of magical history had such a treatise been conceived.

All academic breakthroughs, without exception, were unveiled to the public with utmost caution, only after undergoing countless validations and being proven unequivocally sound.

A single paper represented an author’s honor and intellect, the ultimate crystallization of their theoretical framework.

Yet, what was Lia proposing?

She intended to hurl an incomplete treasure map directly into the very face of the entire magical world!

Not only did she confidently proclaim her discovery of the fundamental laws governing all existence, but she had even pre-emptively named and charted the coordinates for elements yet to be unearthed.

It was as if she were declaring to all: ‘Behold, truth lies here; I have illuminated the path for you. All that remains is for you to personally validate the magnitude of my discovery.’

This was nothing short of a divine pronouncement.

“Senior sister, even if the two of us were to dedicate our entire lives, we would never uncover every single element.”

Lia’s voice gently roused Adèle from the profound shock, and she reiterated her point.

“The world is simply too vast. Some elements might lie hidden deep within unexplored, desolate reaches, while others may necessitate technologies we have yet to master for their isolation.”

Lia’s finger glided gently across the chart.

“We have meticulously constructed the framework and ignited the torch. Now, the time has come for everyone to join this endeavor.”

“Instead of floundering about like headless flies, it would be far more effective to let the entire magical community become our eyes and hands.

Let those alchemists who spend their days among ores, mesmerized by flames and elixirs; let those adventurous mages who brave the polar extremes and the abyssal depths—let them all partake in this grand exploration.”

Adèle’s heart began to pound fiercely, echoing Lia’s impassioned words.

Indeed… why shouldn’t they?

A torrent of thoughts cascaded through her mind.

To unveil an incomplete theory to the public was an unprecedented act in the magical academic sphere, one that would almost certainly be condemned as both arrogant and ignorant.

Yet… was it truly incomplete? No, the framework was undeniably whole, the logic inherently consistent. Those vacant spaces were not deficiencies in the theory, but rather beacons illuminating the path to truth!

What they had unearthed was a universal law, a comprehensive framework capable of encompassing all existence.

This was a truth meant for the entire world!

An unprecedented surge of exhilaration welled up from the depths of Adèle’s heart, sweeping away the weariness and frustration that had plagued her for days.

“I understand.” Adèle drew a deep breath, her voice trembling faintly with excitement. “You are absolutely right. This truth belongs to the entire world!”

***

The following morning, as the first tendrils of sunlight pierced through the windowpanes, casting a warm, dappled glow upon the desk, Lia was already seated before it, unfurling a pristine sheet of parchment.

Adèle had retired for rest, leaving the entire third floor enveloped in profound silence, the air redolent with the crisp scent of ink and ancient scrolls.

Her quill hovered silently beside Lia, yet she showed no haste in putting it to paper.

What she was poised to write was no ordinary magical treatise.

It demanded rigor, but eschewed obscurity.

It would be revolutionary, yet utterly comprehensible.

It would sound the clarion call for a new era.

After a moment of poised suspension, the quill finally descended.

The title read: ‘On the Periodic Law of Elements and the Fundamental Elemental Chart.’

“From antiquity, the ultimate quest of every sage has been to fathom the world’s very essence. From the ancient theories of four elements to the enigmatic formulae of alchemists, our pursuit has been relentless.

Yet, understanding has perpetually been veiled by the mists of empiricism; we discern *what* exists, but remain ignorant of why.”

“Today, I shall unveil a concise law hidden beneath the tapestry of all existence. It shall dispel these mists, revealing to us a material world of pristine clarity and order.”

Having completed the introduction, Lia paused.

What followed was the core of her theory.

“All matter possesses inherent properties governed by discernible laws.

When I arranged the known elements according to their atomic mass, from lightest to heaviest, a profound pattern emerged: the properties of these elements exhibited a periodic recurrence.

I hereby name this recurring pattern the ‘Periodic Law of Elements’.”

She meticulously defined the concept of atomic mass, correlating it with physical properties that mages could both comprehend and measure, thereby ensuring its meaning was accessible to any apprentice with a fundamental education.

Subsequently, she meticulously rendered the chart, capable of encompassing all elements in existence, precisely in the center of the next sheet of parchment.

“Based upon this law, I have constructed this Fundamental Elemental Chart. Within this chart, horizontal rows represent periods, and vertical columns denote groups.

All elements situated within the same group possess analogous magical and chemical properties.”

“For instance, lithium, sodium, and potassium, all residing in the first group, are uniformly soft metals, each reacting violently with water to release copious amounts of heat and light.

This is no mere happenstance, but an intrinsic law dictated by their precise placement within the Periodic Chart.”

Having concluded the foundational section, Lia’s quill shifted, moving to what was arguably the most audacious and exhilarating portion of the entire treatise.

“This chart, at present, remains incomplete. However, the lacunae within it are not oversights in my theory, but rather precise coordinates for elements yet to be discovered.

Herein, I shall proffer predictions regarding the properties of several of these unknown elements.”

“Beneath hydrogen, an unknown inert element must exist. Its atomic mass should fall between that of bromine and potassium. Provisionally, I shall name it Helium.

This element ought to be a colorless, odorless gas, its nature even more reclusive than typical helium, and its acquisition will prove far more challenging than currently imaginable.”

“Similarly, a vacant space exists between manganese and iron, which I designate as Li. Its properties ought to bear resemblance to both.

Based on this chart, I propose a bold conjecture: perhaps this element is inherently unstable in nature, thereby eluding our efforts to discover its stable form.”

She proceeded to detail several precise predictions for unknown elements, spanning atomic mass, physical properties, and potential chemical reactions. Each word resonated with an undeniable, profound confidence.

With the precise predictions for the unknown elements committed to parchment, Lia’s quill paused momentarily.

Outside the window, the sky had begun to lighten with the pale blush of dawn, and the first rays of morning light, piercing through a thin veil of mist, gilded everything within the room with a gentle, golden hue.

As she gazed upon the parchment before her, now filled with an intricate tapestry of words and symbols, an ineffable tremor of both awe and exhilaration surged within her heart.

She knew precisely what tempestuous waves would be unleashed once this treatise was unveiled to the world.

Doubt might arise, and mockery might follow, but equally, it would ignite an unquenchable flame of exploration within countless souls.

She would be the one to personally set the wheels of history in motion.

A surge of profound ambition swelled within her chest. Taking a deep breath, she penned at the parchment’s conclusion the declaration destined to be etched into the annals of history and ignite an entire epoch.

“I have charted the map leading to the very genesis of the material world, and now, I present it to all.”

“To all souls who thirst for truth, to all valiant explorers of the unknown—a grand odyssey of discovery and revelation awaits you.”

“Go forth and seek!”

The ultimate secret that comprises all existence is concealed within this humble chart!”

“Go forth to discover, to verify, to personally fill in the final blank space upon this grand tapestry!”

Having completed this declaration, she began a new line to append her acknowledgments.

“The successful execution of this research owes much to my esteemed mentor, Mr. Klein. His formidable magical prowess served as the unyielding bulwark that allowed this exploration to unfold.”

Lia’s mind conjured an image of Klein’s perpetually impassive face, and the way he had unceremoniously pressed a thick stack of eight-ring scrolls into her hands.

This man consistently conveyed his awkward solicitude and steadfast support through actions, resembling a silent yet utterly dependable mountain.

A faint smile touched her lips, and her quill resumed its steady glide.

“Concurrently, another pivotal contributor to this research is my senior colleague, Ms. Adèle.”

“With unimaginable tenacity and exquisite alchemical mastery, she toiled day and night, meticulously extracting truth from thousands upon thousands of samples.”

“Without her exceptional dedication, this chart would have remained an ephemeral abstraction forevermore.”

“Her name, therefore, rightfully deserves to be etched alongside this monumental discovery upon the annals of history.”

As the final word was inscribed, Lia gazed upon the treatise before her, a work capable of inciting a global tempest, and an ineffable tremor of both awe and exhilaration surged from the depths of her soul.