Chương 31: Chapter 30 - Another White Room (V)

Should he expand his search radius by increasing the amplitude of his waves? But even if he did so, using constructive interference to expand his domain at every corner of the room, even if he did end up finding the sword, then the distance would be way too far. Attraction force lessens with distance. If he wanted to attract a sword he could only barely detect by amplifying his waves, then how the hell would he manage to create enough magnetic force to make it move?

No, there had to be something else, something he was missing.

"A sword… well, there are two in the room, the one being held by the creature and the one I hold, in the physical realm. Now the first sword is meant to be there, so it should not be moved, and the second sword is physical and does not exist in the EM space… well, perhaps," he calmly walked to the place where the sword should be and put his own sword there, in exactly the same position he remembered. Nothing happened. He waited for a bit more, but it was the same.

"Now what…" He took a deep breath, trying to think clearly. He had to be missing something. There had to be a way to make the physical sword interact with the EM space. He stepped back and examined the scene, focusing on every detail. Maybe it wasn't just about placing the sword in the right spot. Maybe he needed to do something more to bridge the gap between the physical and EM realms. He pondered the possibilities, considering how he could use his abilities to make this connection.

"Should I try to reproduce the sword in the EM space? But… waves are not static, it's not like I have a pen and can draw in 3D however I please." He thought for a moment longer, then a realization struck him.

"But I can shape the waves," he muttered to himself.

"If I can manipulate the EM waves to mimic the sword's structure, even temporarily, it might be enough to create a functional copy in the EM space." He took a deep breath and focused on the sword in front of him. He began to emit EM waves, visualizing the shape and form of the sword. He had to be precise, aligning the waves to match the physical structure of the blade.

"Start with the basic outline," he instructed himself. He traced the length of the sword with his EM waves, creating a rough silhouette in the EM space.

"Now, refine the edges," he continued, concentrating on the finer details of the hilt and blade, ensuring the EM waves mimicked every contour. The process was slow and meticulous. He knew he couldn't rush it; any mistake could cause the construct to destabilize. He adjusted the amplitude and frequency of the waves, fine-tuning them to maintain the shape of the sword. Keeping the EM waves in place was a challenge. Waves are inherently dynamic, constantly moving and changing.

To make them stay and form a stable structure, he needed to create a standing wave pattern. This required precise control over the wave's interference patterns. By generating waves that constructively and destructively interfered in just the right way, he could create nodes and antinodes that would hold the shape of the sword. He began by defining an external field, an encompassing structure that would help maintain the integrity of the EM sword.

This external field acted like a container, guiding and containing the waves. He visualized the field as a series of reflective boundaries that would keep the waves bouncing back and forth within the defined space, maintaining the shape of the sword.

"Reflection points set… now, for the standing wave pattern," he muttered. He carefully adjusted the emission points, ensuring the waves would meet and interact at the right locations to form stable nodes. The waves began to resonate within the external field, creating a coherent pattern that solidified the shape. The sword began to take on a more defined form. He could see the edges becoming sharper, the hilt more pronounced.

"Just a bit more," he encouraged himself. The challenge was keeping the waves stable while refining the structure. He focused on maintaining a constant output of energy, ensuring the waves didn't lose intensity or coherence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He created a series of interference patterns, meticulously adjusting the phase and amplitude to keep the waves in place. This required constant monitoring and fine-tuning.

He used his enhanced mental capabilities to calculate the necessary adjustments in real-time, ensuring the structure remained stable.

"Interference pattern stable… external field holding… now, to fine-tune the details," he said, focusing on the final touches. He carefully adjusted the wave parameters, making sure every contour and detail of the sword was accurately represented. The hilt, the blade, the guard—everything had to be perfect. The external field began to waver, the reflective boundaries struggling to contain the increasing energy. He quickly recalculated, adjusting the reflection points to better contain the waves.

"Damn, the field strength needs to be higher," he muttered. He increased the intensity of the external field, reinforcing the boundaries to keep the waves in check. Another issue arose. The standing wave pattern began to destabilize, the nodes shifting out of alignment. He had to quickly recalibrate, adjusting the wave frequency and phase to bring the pattern back into stability.

"Come on, hold together," he urged. The sword flickered slightly, but he managed to stabilize it once more. Despite the challenges, he persisted. He knew he was close. He maintained his focus, while quickly calculating the required adjustments. Slowly but surely, the EM sword solidified, the structure becoming more stable and defined. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sword stabilized completely. The EM waves hummed in resonance, the external field holding firm. He stepped back, examining his work.

The EM sword hovered in place, a perfect replica of the physical one. Just as he did so, he noticed it—the space around him hummed to life again. His past self stared at the circle and the sword.

"It's all up to you now, buddy," he said between heavy breaths. Using his mind was proving more tiresome than he had anticipated. And no wonder, he had solved enough equations back there for a month of research. His past self stepped forward, eyes focused on the sword. He could see the determination in his own eyes, the will to overcome this trial. It was a strange feeling, watching himself from a distance, knowing that every action was a reflection of his own past struggle.

He watched intently as his past self picked the sword from the floor. But then… the scene continued?

"What the…" he muttered, expecting the EM space to shatter as it had always done at this point. But it didn't. Instead, the story continued. His past self did not face the creature directly but started practicing with the sword, going through several stances, just as he had done in the past.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" He was wide-eyed, observing the procedures. Was he meant to really wait all this time? Was the trial designed like this, or did he do something wrong?

"Perhaps I have to keep the sword stable?" he thought, not knowing what the issue could be. In any case, he moved closer to the sword of his past self as it practiced. He carefully scanned it but noticed no issue with it. It was even more stable than expected. It seemed that after the EM space came to life when he finished copying the sword, it had kept its integrity by itself, meaning he did not need to intervene again. Then… why keep him here waiting? Why not shatter the EM space and move to the next trial?

He paced around, frustration building. His past self continued to practice, oblivious to the confusion and impatience of his future self.

"There must be something I'm missing," he muttered. He retraced his steps, mentally reviewing the trial and his actions. Everything had seemed correct.

"Maybe the trial is testing something else now," he mused.

"Patience? Endurance? Observation?" He looked at his past self again, now deeply engaged in the practice. The movements were not bad, but there were still a lot of flaws, way too many. He was also quite slow and not stable enough.

"Seriously?" he muttered to himself, watching his past self stumble through a stance.

"I was that sloppy?" He couldn't help but critique each move.

"Too much weight on the front foot. Your balance is all off. And that swing? Might as well be trying to swat a fly." His past self attempted a complicated maneuver, and he winced.

"Ouch, that's not how you do it. You're telegraphing every move. No wonder I nearly died on the purple ring." Well, he had no idea what the purpose of the trial was, but… this was fun. He sat down and enjoyed the show, giving himself a moment of relief. In any case, he trusted that when his intervention was required, the space would freeze again so for now…

"Come on, tighten up your grip. Don't just wave the sword around like it's a magic wand."