Trinity of Magic

Chapter 25: The Greatest Genius that has ever lived.

Zeke stared at Maximilian in disbelief after having figured out what the third spell of the Trinity Project did. Maximilian simply looked at him and said, "Tell me how much you've figured out."

Zeke nodded, collecting his thoughts. Slowly, he started to explain what he had deduced. "The function of [Perfect Sensory Recall] is the same as [Record & Recall], it perfectly records all the information the caster experiences. But because the Mana cost would be way too high to keep this spell on at all times, even when engraved, it uses the effect of [Sensory Isolation] to only record the information of a single sense."

Maximilian listened intently as Zeke explained, nodding in approval as he spoke. "I first thought that the sense that would be recorded was sight, but that would create a lot of problems. Then I finally understood: the sense that is recorded is my [Perfect Spatial awareness]." Another approving nod from Maximilian, "and this is where [Language Comprehension] comes in. To compensate for the missing sound, I will just need to have to 'comprehend' the sound waves I can see with my [Perfect Spatial awareness]. And to compensate for my taste, touch, and smell, I just need to 'comprehend' the signals my body sends through my nerves to my brain. This should not be too hard at all, given that my [Perfect Body Control] lets me understand all of my body's functions with ease."

Maximilian was now grinning widely, but there was also a hint of pride in his eyes as Zeke continued to explain the final part of his deduction. "This would allow me to record and at the same time comprehend all the information that enters my sphere of awareness and the only downside would be that this puts a tremendous amount of stress on my brain, but with perfect body control, I can learn to accelerate my brain to the point where it is able to handle the strain."

Maximilian nodded in agreement, impressed by the depth of Zeke's understanding of the spell. After Zeke finished speaking, he wordlessly stared at Maximilian, searching for the words to describe what he was feeling. After a while, he started to speak: "How-" but he immediately cut himself off again, going back to his contemplation. A few minutes passed before he finally started to speak again. "You must be the greatest genius that has ever lived, Maximilian. I didn't comprehend it before, but I can see it clearly now."

Zeke stared at Maximilian in awe, struggling to find the words to express his admiration and disbelief. "Not only did you invent three absolute masterpieces of magic theory with [Perfect Body Control], [Perfect Spatial Awareness], and [Perfect Sensory Recall]," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "But you also created all the devices necessary to learn those spells, despite the fact that you have neither Blood, Space, nor Mind Magic yourself. I can not even begin to comprehend how this is possible." Maximilian's face grew serious, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes as he listened to Zeke's words. He knew that what he had accomplished was nothing short of revolutionary, and it was humbling to see the effect it had on someone as talented as Zeke. He had spent decades researching and experimenting, driven by his boundless curiosity and his desire to push the boundaries of what was thought to be possible. But the truth was, that he had no blood, space or mind magic himself, it was the knowledge of the systems of the body and magic itself that let him create those spells and devices. He was a true master of the arcane sciences, not bound by the limitations of magic affinity. Zeke could not help but feel a deep sense of respect for the old man standing before him. He realized that Maximilian was not only a genius, but a true visionary who had changed the course of magic history.

The old mage took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice gravelly with emotion. "Zeke, my boy, you have no idea how much your words mean to me. I have dedicated my entire life to studying magic, to understanding its intricacies and how to make it work for us. I have poured every ounce of my being into creating these spells and the devices to learn them, and to have you, a true prodigy, understand their significance and potential is the greatest reward I could ask for." He pauses, his eyes misty with unshed tears, before continuing. "You are right, I do not possess any of the required magic affinities, but I have always been able to see the bigger picture, to understand how the different schools of magic could work together to create something truly extraordinary. I have always known that I would never be able to use the magic I created, that I would never be able to see the world I have envisioned, but with you, my boy, with your tri-affinity, the Trinity Project will change the world of magic as we know it." He clapped Zeke on the shoulder, his grip firm and proud.

Zeke struggled to grasp the level of dedication and sacrifice that must have been required for Maximilian to work for centuries towards a goal that he would likely never live to see come to fruition. The idea of devoting a lifetime to a project was one thing, but to work for hundreds of years with the knowledge that all of one's research and discoveries would ultimately benefit others was a level of conviction and selflessness that was almost incomprehensible to Zeke. The sheer magnitude of the task and the sacrifices made in pursuit of it left him in awe of the old mage standing before him.

At this moment, Zeke swore in his heart that if a time ever came where he became known as the genius who revolutionized the field of magic, he would let everybody know who the true hero of humanity was. He would make sure the people knew of the man who had given his blood and sweat, time and dedication, all for the benefit of others - He would tell the people of Maximilian Bombastus von Hohenheim, the greatest genius that had ever lived.

There was a fire in Zeke's very being that had not been there before as he brought his emotions under control. Maximilian watched as a light seemed to shine within Ezekiel's golden eyes. It was clear that Ezekiel felt a newfound sense of responsibility to achieve greatness, as if he owed nothing less to the man who had devoted his entire life to giving him this chance. With this newfound determination, Ezekiel stepped forward and pulled Maximilian into a long embrace.

After a moment, Ezekiel stepped back and looked up at Maximilian, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. His voice was full of determination, so much so that it surprised Maximilian as Zeke said, "How do we start?"

At first, Maximilian was a little flustered by the sudden intensity from Ezekiel, but he quickly collected himself and turned his attention to the task at hand. He knew that Ezekiel needed to learn the three mind magic spells that he had previously told him about before they could proceed further.

"First things first," Maximilian said, his voice steady and measured, "You need to master these mind magic spells. Once you have done that, we can move on to combining them. Our first step will be to record your spatial awareness using the first two spells." He took a breath before continuing, "Once we have that, we will work on adding the 'comprehending' component to it. Finally, we will work on extending the duration so that you can keep this spell up."

Maximilian placed a hand on Ezekiel's shoulder, looking into his eyes, "By the time you can use this spell for over an hour continuously, you'll be ready to engrave it." He gave a firm nod, "But first, we must master the foundation, that is essential to the process, and that's what we will start with."

Ezekiel listened intently as Maximilian outlined the steps he would need to take in order to master the mind magic spells. He agreed with this approach, knowing that a solid foundation was crucial to build upon later.

Maximilian then went on to explain the various devices he had invented that would aid in the learning of the memory, isolation and comprehension spells. Ezekiel couldn't help but be impressed by the ingenuity of his mentor, but after the surprise of earlier, he felt as if nothing could truly shock him anymore. He was ready to take on the challenge with a clear head, with the will and motivation to master the spell as his mentor had set out.

In the week leading up to the midterm exams, Ezekiel devoted all his time to mastering the new mind magic spells that Maximilian had taught him. He spent his days practicing, honing his skills, and drilling the spells into muscle memory. He also took the time to study up on the theory, filling in any gaps in his knowledge.

As the day of the exams approached, Ezekiel felt as ready as he ever could be. His training and dedication had paid off, and he was confident in his abilities. Viola, who had been helping him train, had not come around as much since he had mastered the spell, but she still came by from time to time to chat and coordinate with him for their planned adventure over the summer break. The two of them had formed a good friendship, and she was supporting him in his journey. With her encouragement, he walked into the exams with a calm and determined mindset, ready to show off his hard-earned skills.