Chapter 84: The Fall of Valerius

Yet, within the auditorium, a truly earth-shattering impact resonated through the crowd.

A series of faint ‘puffs’ then rippled through the audience, one after another.

At that very instant, several mages who rigidly adhered to the hierarchy theory stared, their eyes wide and unblinking, their expressions frozen in a tableau of profound horror and bewilderment.

Their bodies sat stiffly upright as trickles of crimson blood slowly seeped from their nostrils, ears, and even the corners of their eyes, before they slumped limply in their seats, utterly devoid of life.

Lia’s fingertips grew subtly cold.

The sudden collapse of so many into a deathly silence left her momentarily disoriented and at a loss.

She instinctively lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over the agitated crowd, seeking out that familiar silhouette.

Klein met Lia’s gaze, offering a gentle nod to reassure her.

Lia straightened her posture, and the faint unease in her chest instantly dissipated.

***

“Silence!”

The host’s voice, amplified by a magical array, resonated with an imposing aura of authority.

He betrayed not a hint of surprise at the unfolding scene.

“Medical team, clear the seats in Sections B, F, and G.”

“Uninvolved personnel, remain quiet and do not move about freely!”

Several teams of healing mages clad in white robes swiftly entered the hall, skillfully carrying away the mages who had lost their vital signs, and administering healing spells to the fortunate few who had only suffered mental trauma and bled from their orifices.

A profound silence descended upon the auditorium.

Horace rubbed his hands together with unconcealed excitement, whispering to his wife:

“See? I told you that girl could do it! Those old fogies have finally hit a wall!”

Eleonora paid no heed to her husband, her gaze tightly fixed on Lia, her eyes sparkling with an unusual brilliance.

The apprentices behind Lavoisier were flushed with excitement, waving their periodic tables and mouthing Lia’s name in silent shouts.

***

“I… I still have a question!”

Just then, a trembling yet resolute voice broke the silence.

A meticulously dressed middle-aged mage rose from his seat, pale-faced, yet his gaze held an unusual tenacity.

“I am Valerius, a Sixth-Ring Elemental Mage.”

He introduced himself, then pointedly directed his challenge at Lia.

“I concede that your experiment… is truly astonishing. But this merely proves the identical material composition of diamond and coal ash; it utterly fails to explain the fundamental nature of magic!”

He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his voice.

“The very foundation of magic lies in resonance! Natural diamonds, having slumbered beneath the earth for eons, forge a unique resonance with the world’s mana! That is precisely why they can bear potent protective arrays!”

“The one you synthesized from coal ash, however, is nothing more than a soulless husk! It lacks that noble magical resonance!”

Valerius grew increasingly fervent with each word, convinced he had found an unassailable vantage point, one that no experiment could possibly refute.

“Therefore, your table remains flawed! It only perceives the physical form of matter, utterly disregarding the mystique of the elements!

True order, therefore, must be established upon the hierarchical ranks of this magical resonance!”

Lia watched him, as one might regard a hapless prey willingly stepping into a trap.

“Master Valerius, are you suggesting that a substance’s magical properties depend on a metaphysical attribute you term ‘resonance’?”

“Precisely!” Valerius declared proudly. “That is the very essence of elemental magic!”

“Then, according to your theory,” Lia inquired, “the elemental constituent of coal ash, carbon, must possess a lowly resonance rank, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Naturally! It is but the residue of combustion, a very synonym for defilement!”

“Excellent.” Lia nodded. “So, this diamond, synthesized from lowly carbon, must also possess a lowly resonance rank, correct?”

“Completely correct!” A triumphant smile spread across Valerius’s face. “It is a mere counterfeit, all appearance and no substance!”

Lia did not immediately refute him. Instead, she posed a seemingly unrelated question.

“Master, in my periodic table, I have placed life-giving oxygen and hell-representing sulfur in the same group.”

“According to your resonance theory, oxygen’s resonance is pure and sacred, while sulfur’s resonance is defiled and wicked, correct?”

“Of course! That can be proven by facts!” Valerius responded without hesitation.

Lia’s composure steadily returned as the conversation progressed, her questions precisely cleaving to the core of his theory.

‘Then why would a sacred element and a wicked element possess similar chemical properties, leading me to place them in the same group?’

“That is because…” Valerius faltered.

He found himself unable to explain.

Lia afforded him no time for contemplation, pressing on with another query.

“Allow me another question.

Graphite, like diamond, is also composed of carbon. It is frequently used in the creation of low-tier enchantment scrolls due to its excellent mana conductivity.

Is this excellent mana conductivity a manifestation of noble resonance, or of lowly resonance?”

A fine sheen of sweat began to prickle Valerius’s forehead.

To call it noble would be tantamount to admitting that the lowly carbon element could produce noble resonance.

Yet to declare it lowly would leave unexplained its utility as an enchanting material.

“That’s… that’s conductivity! It’s completely different from resonance!” he forcefully retorted.

“Oh?” Lia’s emotions gradually relaxed. “So, a substance can simultaneously possess both lowly resonance and excellent mana conductivity—two seemingly contradictory attributes?”

“Yes!” Valerius exclaimed, like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline.

“Then, what truly determines whether a substance can be used for enchantment? Is it your ethereal resonance ranks, or its tangible mana conductivity?”

Lia’s questions pressed in, relentless and unforgiving.

“It’s… it’s resonance that determines conductivity!” Valerius practically bellowed.

“Then how does a lowly resonance determine excellent conductivity?”

“And why does the noble diamond possess such abysmal conductivity?”

“What precisely are the criteria for judging your theoretical resonance ranks?”

Lia’s voice grew ever clearer in the profound silence.

“Is it the objective properties of matter, or… merely your own subjective perceptions?”

Leaning slightly forward, she delivered her final, devastating blow:

“In other words, Master Valerius, have you truly spent your life researching the world’s truth, or merely your own delusions?”

The barrage of questions caused Valerius’s face to cycle from white to red, then to a mottled green.

His mind raced, desperately attempting to patch the gaping holes in his flawed theory.

‘Noble resonance… lowly elements… excellent properties…

Contradictory manifestations…

How could an absolute hierarchy possibly explain such relative properties?’

Puff!

Another soft sound.

The light in Valerius’s eyes instantly dimmed. His mouth hung open, as if he still wished to speak, but his body betrayed him first, slumping softly to the ground.

If Balthazar’s collapse had been shocking, Valerius’s fall, however, carried a distinct touch of the farcical.

Someone, unable to restrain themselves, let out a stifled snicker.

That single laugh, like a spark, instantly ignited the suppressed atmosphere of the entire hall.

A burst of uproarious laughter erupted throughout the auditorium, filled with both absurdity and relief.

The host pressed a hand to his forehead, emitting a weary sigh.

“Medical team… never mind. He’s beyond saving. Just take him away.”

He waved a hand listlessly, then scanned the hall and inquired.

“Does anyone else wish to ask a question?”

The entire hall remained utterly silent.

No one else rose.

The host cleared his throat, ascended the high platform, and solemnly declared.

“I announce that Miss Lia Faren has won this academic debate!”

A thunderous applause erupted, echoing without end.

The host turned towards the seats of the Theoretical Council, bowing slightly.

“I now formally request the Theoretical Council to render its final judgment on the thesis, ‘On the Periodic Law of Elements and the Fundamental Elemental Table.'”