Hermera
The 28th of Thargelion
The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals
Arche was deep inside his mindscape. It was the only place where he could be in total control of his environment and still monitor the Mana channeling through his body. He floated cross-legged above the orange pool, the manifestation of his Manam while in the sky, far above his head, the orange sun of his second Divine Spark cast his mindscape into eternal twilight. Methodically, Arche attached threads between the sun and the Spark deep within the pool.
With each connection, he could feel new pathways form. The second Spark wasn’t directly connected to his Mana when he’d absorbed it but, as he connected it now, he could feel how much easier his Mana flowed. It was like digging new channels into a river. As long as the sluicegates remained shut, it would flow just as strongly as before, but when it was time to open up, it would cover that much more ground. Theoretically, it would allow him to squeeze more power out of Divine Body, though it meant it would drastically decrease the amount of time he could keep the skill active. What was more important, however, was that it would reduce the stress on each of his Mana pathways, which should make them harder to scar.
It was also good practice for his Mana Manipulation skill.
Mana Manipulation has reached Level 18.
+2% Control of Mana Flow (+36%)
+2% Speed of Mana Flow (+36%)
+1 Willpower
It was, he decided, the best use of his time until he could read the next of Rune’s skillbooks. Unlike spellbooks, skillbooks came with a cooldown before he could move on to the next. The difference came in the sheer amount of knowledge imparted.
A spellbook’s knowledge was instinctual. It primed the Mana pathways to move a certain way, shaping and molding the Mana as it was cast. Arche could no more explain how he cast Minor Heal than he could explain how his brain formed thoughts. It was simply something that happened as he willed it. He could track the use of Mana through his body, focus it on an injured portion, but he didn’t know how it encouraged the body to repair itself. That took study and was only tangentially related to the casting of the spell itself. Spell theory, Helwan had told him, was an entire discipline at the Lyceum. It was important, as it was often the research that led to the creation of new spells, but it was often difficult to conceptualize and, according to Helwan, unpopular among new students.
Skillbooks, however, were entirely designed to impart information. It wouldn’t give him the muscle memory of how to enchant, but the theory behind it, and Rune had known a lot of theory. Each skillbook had come with a twelve-hour cooldown, during which period he couldn’t use any more magic books. This was likely for the best, as after each use his head felt like it was going to burst from all the information dumped into it and it took hours just to absorb it all. He had yet to meet Rune’s junior enchanter that was supposed to be accompanying them, which was frustrating as he had wanted to spend as much of the trip as possible preparing his Trade. Without that instruction, reduced as it may be from his Pathfinder Trait, he was left to puzzle through the information alone.
It was still quite a bit of information, however.
You have learned a Skill.
Enchanting Theory — Level 1
The why and how of permanent magic.
Each level in this skill improves your innate knowledge of Enchanting.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Intelligence and Wisdom by 1.
+3% Effectiveness of Enchantments (+3%)
+3% Chance of Enchantment Success (+3%)
Enchanting Theory had been as historical as it had been practical. The idea behind it was that all magic had a signature and that certain shapes were designed to help contain that signature and could be used to keep the magic in perpetuity. The shapes existed not only physically but also metaphysically, impacted by the enchanter’s focus and will. It was Mana-intensive work and often dangerous, as it was easy for the Mana to destabilize, which apparently had destructive results.
Learning the theory had also taught him that enchantments were inherently attached to each school of magic, but there was an additional, neutral school that enchantments could be created through. It required cycling Mana outside one’s body until it was purified of any Mana signatures by the caster. Easier said than done. Arche had tried while he waited for the cooldown to expire but he lost control of the Mana as soon as it left him.
You have learned a Skill.
Runescript — Level 1
The unspoken language of magic.
Each level in this skill improves your ability to write and retain runes.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Dexterity and Intelligence by 1.
+1% Effectiveness of Runes (+1%)
+2% Speed of Rune Writing (+2%)
Runescript had been an interesting learn. It had imparted a handful of Beginner rank runes into his head, along with the theory behind why each rune was suited to do what it could do. He had access to three schools of magic: biomancy, eremancy, and pyromancy. The runes attached to each were a bit vague in their simplicity, but useful, nonetheless.
Rune of Lesser Vitality
Rarity: Common
School: Biomancy
Rank: Beginner
Description: This rune can confer Beginner enchantments designed to Heal or Regenerate.
Rune of Slender Shadows
Rarity: Common
School: Eremancy
Rank: Beginner
Description: This rune can confer Beginner enchantments designed to Darken or Obscure.
Rune of Candlelight
Rarity: Common
School: Pyromancy
Rank: Beginner
Description: This rune can confer Beginner enchantments designed to Brighten or Burn.
Along with the skillbooks, Rune had also given him a regular book with a number of Beginner and Novice runes. He ignored them for the time being as he couldn’t use any of them yet. When he started enchanting, these three would be the ones he worked with. He was especially interested in the Rune of Lesser Vitality, as it insinuated he could make items that would grant regeneration. Not only would that be incredibly useful for him personally, but in the hands of Myriatos’ guards and citizens, it could drastically increase the survivability of their people.
After the healing items, the rune of candlelight could be useful for lighting indoor areas without having to rely on lanterns or torches. He doubted the light given off by the rune would be anything special, given its Beginner rank, but with time, practice, and learning more runes, he’d probably be able to make something that could mimic electric lighting.
The next skill was also promising.
You have learned a Skill.
Enchanting — Level 1
The bread and butter of the craft.
Each level in this skill improves your ability to create enchantments.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Dexterity and Intelligence by 1.
+1% Effectiveness of Enchantments (+1%)
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+1% Chance of Enchantment Success (+1%)
The base skill itself. This was the skill that had actually taught him how to use the tools he’d been given to carve runes and channel Mana into an enchantment. The temptation to start trying immediately was high, but Helwan and Tess talked him out of it. If things went wrong, which was likely until he got the hang of it, he didn’t want to blow a hole in the side of Ryan’s ship. Besides, there had been more books to read.
You have learned a Skill.
Mana Battery — Level 1
Charging ahead? Now easier than ever.
Each level in this skill improves your ability to create Mana storage devices.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Intelligence and Willpower by 1.
+2% Chance of Success (+2%)
Mana storage was a game changer. Of course, it came with several limitations that had been painstakingly outlined in his studying of enchanting theory. First, Mana batteries had attrition over time. It wasn’t until the Advanced Rank that the natural Mana loss was so small as to be negligible and not until the Master Rank that it disappeared altogether. There were also multiple types of batteries and it was very difficult to mix them.
The general consensus seemed to be that there were three attributes of Mana batteries: capacity, retention, and flow. A good battery could pick any two, but marrying all three together was more a stroke of luck than of deliberate practice. A battery with high capacity and high retention would be slow in giving up Mana when used. A battery with high capacity and high flow would bleed Mana quickly over time, needing to be constantly refilled. Lastly, a battery with high retention and high flow would be very limited in the amount of Mana it could store.
Creating a battery was actually fairly easy as it didn’t have any material requirements. Instead, the skill imparted a technique to harden Mana into a crystal, which acted as the storage device. The finer the crystal, the better the storage. Arche’s first attempts looked like muddy rocks. He’d tried to cycle the Mana in the crystals to purify it, hoping to refine it into neutral magic, but it destabilized the whole structure and he was forced to stop when the battery cracked and exploded. It had been incredibly small, about the size of a fingernail, and stored about ten Mana, but it had still stung his fingers.
That was when he decided to hold off on creating Mana batteries and instead work on his mindscape until the cooldown wore off and he could read the final book. As he attached the sixth thread between his two Divine Sparks, he felt the timer hit zero. He opened his eyes and produced the final book Rune had given him.
Information flooded into his mind.
You have learned a Skill.
Inspect Artifact — Level 1
Learn the mysteries of magic from those who came before.
Each level in this skill improves your ability to identify magical items and their effects.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Wisdom and Perception by 1.
Can identify magical effects up to the Beginner Rank.
+2% Speed of Inspection (+2%)
Another notification appeared immediately.
Compatible skills detected.
Combine Inspect Artifact (Uncommon) and Examine (Rare)?
WARNING
Combined skills cannot be separated.
Yes
No
Still reeling from the flood of raw information, Arche stared at the notification for a long minute. Then he stood and poked his head out into the common room.
“Helwan, Tess, can I talk to you two for a minute?”
Helwan had been quietly playing his pan pipes while Tess sat in a chair near the porthole, reading. Both looked up, apparently surprised to see him. In fairness, he’d been pretty shut in the whole trip, trying to sift through all the new things his brain had downloaded. Once they were all in the relative privacy of his room, Arche explained the situation.
“Skill combination, eh?” Helwan commented. “That’s pretty uncommon.”
“What exactly do these skills do?” Tess asked.
“Inspect Artifact tells me what kind of magic is enchanted or affecting objects and Examine gives me insight into people’s profiles as well as lets me identify some magical objects.” Arche said.
Both of their eyes widened at that.
“You’ve been looking at people’s profiles?” Helwan asked in a low voice.
“Yeah, why?”
“A lot of people would kill you for something like that,” Tess said, her eyes wide. “If for nothing else than to keep their secrets safe.”
“Wait, you didn’t know? I thought our mind-meld showed it to you.”
“I don’t have a perfect memory, Arche, and I was rather distracted with imminent death.”
“What kind of information does it tell you?” Helwan asked, wringing his hands together.
Arche shrugged. “Not much, right now. Name, level, race, and vitals. I could probably get more information later but I’m still in the Beginner Rank with it.”
“How did you get such a skill?”
Arche hesitated, thinking about how Lord Cypress of Dawnwood had given it to him and advised him to keep it secret. These were his friends, damn it. If he trusted them with the details of the skill, he could trust them with the source.
“The Lord of Dawnwood gave it to me.”
Helwan gave a low whistle.
“That’s a rare gift, indeed. To your initial question, I think the skills are similar enough that it would be all right to combine them, but there’s a risk. You may lose some of the ability to look at profiles, though that might not be a bad thing.”
“I disagree,” Tess said. “I don’t think you should mix them. Examine could give you an edge against anyone you come up against. That’s too much to risk.”
“It doesn’t work on everyone,” Arche explained. “There’s several in the city, including the captain, that it doesn’t give a response on.”
“That’s what he meant,” Tess said, snapping her fingers. When Arche frowned at her, she shrugged. “I’ve been trying to figure out what he meant by sneaking a peek. I just thought he took you for a pervert.”
“Thanks, Tess.”
“You’re welcome. What are you going to do?”
Arche looked back to the notification hanging in his vision and thought about it. He was risking a powerful skill if he chose yes, but there was the possibility that the resulting combined skill could be even stronger. Then again, if he lost the ability to Examine people, he would have to start guessing at everyone’s power ranges, which wasn’t easy. Examine had come in handy in several situations, the most recent being his fight against Medea.
“Fortune favors the bold,” Arche muttered. “I’m going to do it.”
He indicated yes.
Skills Inspect Artifact (Uncommon) and Examine (Rare) have been combined.
You have learned a Skill.
Scrutinize — Level 4
You are on the path to discovering all of life’s secrets.
Each level in this skill improves the extent at which you can view another’s profile, inspect magical artifacts, and identify magic affecting people or objects.
Every 5 levels in this skill increases your Wisdom and Perception by 1.
-1 Perception
+3% Examine Speed (+12%)
“Well?” Tess asked when he didn’t say anything.
“I think it worked. Helwan, do you mind?”
The satyr shrugged. “Go ahead.”
Arche focused on him and activated the new skill.
Helwan Panysk
Level: 19
Race: Satyr
Age: 36
Height: 155 centimeters
Weight: 72.5 kilograms
Profession: Megaloscholar
Trade: Researcher
Traits: N/A
Companions: N/A
Adventuring Party: N/A
Schools: Gaiamancy, Phosphomancy
Health: 440 / 440
100%
Stamina: 245 / 245
100%
Mana: 510 / 510
100%
“Whoa.”
“What is it?”
“I can see a lot more now. Do you have any spells you can cast on yourself? Like a buff or an effect?”
“One moment.” Helwan closed his eyes, then a soft green glow collected around his body as he turned slightly gray.
A tag appeared beneath Helwan’s vitals.
Stoneskin — Level 16
“All right.” Arche took a deep breath. “I can now see age, height, weight, profession, trade, schools of magic, and active magical effects. All that in addition to what I could see before.”
There was no reason to mention traits, it would only cause problems.
“Gracious me,” Helwan said. “There’ll be no hiding anything from you, now.”
“You’re lucky. It could have just as easily gone in the other direction,” Tess said with crossed arms.
“I know. Thank you both for your insights. I think I’m going to wade through the last of this information and then take a nap.”
Helwan shook his head as he left, clearly still in shock. Tess narrowed her eyes and nodded as Arche shut the door behind them. The blinking flash of a notification waited for him.
The Trade Skill Enchanting and 4 related skills have been detected.
Choose Enchanting as your Trade?
You will gain the following:
+20% Skill Experience in Skills related to Enchanting
+5% Chance of Enchanting Success per Enchanting Rank
Access to Trade Quests
You can only have one Trade active at a time.
You must wait 1 year between changing Trades.
Yes
No
There was no need to ask the others for advice here, this had been the goal all along. Arche indicated ‘yes’ and a quest notification appeared before him.
Beginner Enchanting I
You have declared yourself an Enchanter. Now is your time to prove it.
Objectives
· Create 5 Enchantments of Beginner Rank or higher (0/5)
Rewards
· 100 Experience
“Not bad,” Arche muttered. “Not bad at all.”
Thoughts of enchanting ran through his head as he buried his face into the pillow. With all the thinking he’d been forced to do, he was asleep in seconds.