"Are you sure your god is fine with me being here?"

"Natch, master! This area is for everyone."

image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/101.png]

"It's just sooo... So grand."

"He's a god, master!"

"Of course, of course. Alright, so you wanted to try inscription here?"

"Yes, I feel most comfortable here. Plus, since I've gained so much thanks to Chronomet, I feel confident I'll do a better job under his guidance."

Master begins placing items down on a table I asked another dragon to set up.

*skkth*

*krrth*

"Fine, here's your supplies. Begin."

I immediately start forming the inscription.

*krratch*

It goes much more smoothly than I'd expected; I feel like my understanding of inscription is increasing even as I draw this simple line.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the temple array's Consolidative Improvement inscription glowing brighter than it should. Argh, don't get distracted by stuff like that!

"SLOW! TOO SLOW!"

"Not this time, master. I'm still going!"

Hreh, I even have room to taunt him. Why's it going so well today? I again catch the temple array's inscriptions out of the corner of my eye. This time, the Interconnective and Reconfigurative Improvement sigils are also glowing.

Achk, still distracted!

As I draw the inscription, with increasing fluency and ease, I suddenly hit a snag. No? This part— this isn't efficient! I dip the line down in a sharp divot, which I know is not the correct way to draw this sigil.

"Ah?"

Master is confused too, but I keep going. My mind is spinning faster and faster, while my clawed hand moves like a dexterous painter's.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Again, another defect! This time, I draw a sharp zig-zag in place of the line, then double back and draw a weak slash through it. A resistive line with a longer shunt to slightly decrease the Mana throughput.

How do I know that? Nobody taught me.

It doesn't matter; I keep going. My arm now moves with blazing speed. My mind spins up new ideas like its casting out grain after grain of red sand. A swish here, a back tick there, a completely different sigil from what's supposed to go in this spot.

It looks nothing like what I've been taught.

But this— it just looks 'right.'

My inscription's complexity begins to grow far beyond the basic pattern I was supposed to copy, but I keep going. So many ideas, so many routes, and it keeps getting better. I can't stop! Even though I'm nearing the end, I loop off and start another complex sigil. This time, master tilts his head.

Don't you see? This Mana Distribution sigil is MEANT to be here. It's at the end, and that's usually useless, but for what I'm making? It's oh-so perfect! I loop back and finish the previous sigil, then draw a thick line around the edge to cast off heat.

I put down my inscription pen. I then look to my master.

"Master? Is everything okay?"

He doesn't look well.

"How. How did you surpass my skill level in a single day?"

Uh?

"I'm sorry, master? I don't understand?"

"You, you dragons! Aitia! This is not a Mana Gathering inscription; it's a Mana Purification inscription! This... Inscriptionists have been trying to perfect it for decades."

He looks closer.

"But you just did it! I can tell it's correct! Please, I beg you! Take me as your apprentice!"

He drops to the floor.

*thump*

"Aum, master, I—."

"I am NOT your master, YOU are a grandmaster! Please, let me be your apprentice! I wish to learn from you!"

I remember Chronomet's words. Build others' lives, and they too... Will build yours.

"Yes! Okay, master— I mean, my apprentice. What questions do you have?"

I feel awkward, but I must accept that my achievement today is glorious. If what my apprentice says is true, I may be a genius of inscription. I cannot act foolishly as that would tarnish Chronomet's matchless prestige!

"I simply must know, how did you realize that a Mana Distribution sigil at the end would fix the distribution problems earlier in the sigil chain?"

I think about it for a moment. Yes, there's a reason I wanted that there. He's right! I'm learning by teaching.

"Impurities become much harder to remove when the Mana is compressed, yes? As I was drawing this inscription, I realized that a Mana Distribution sigil at the end would reduce the strain on the remainder by reducing that same pressure. That caused some purification stages to achieve efficiencies they otherwise wouldn't. These changes then obviated the need for heat venting. This was the important part: heat venting traces would get in the way of far too many other components."

"That's the key to solving this decades-old problem?"

"Correct! I pulled Mana through the inscription faster than it would move normally. This put most of the heat generation at the end where it's less of an issue. It's simple, but it goes against common practice!"

The old man nods his head excitedly like a little dragon whelp.

"Thank you, master! Please, I wish to see you create another inscription. Will you do it?"

I feel almost compelled to do exactly that regardless, so I pull out another inscription slab from a bag.

*shkap*

I begin drawing.

*shk*

I catch a glimpse of the three sigils on the temple array glowing brighter than ever. I feel like Chronomet is here with me, guiding me, right now.

Somehow, I just know. This one?

It's gonna be way better.