The laboratory felt different as I descended the stairs the following morning, carrying a cup of coffee and the anticipation that came with beginning genuinely groundbreaking research. Stella was safely at her morning lessons with private tutors, giving me several hours of uninterrupted time to finally approach the challenge I had been preparing for.
Bahamut's dragon heart sat in its containment field exactly as I had left it weeks ago—a crystalline structure nearly the size of my torso, pulsing with energy so ancient and powerful it seemed to bend reality around itself. But this time, instead of feeling overwhelmed by its presence, I approached it with the systematic methodology that had enabled my seven-circle breakthrough.
"The difference between seven-circle and eight-circle magic," I murmured, activating my Soul Vision to begin detailed analysis, "is just how mana is manipulated, resulting in more power."
