“You’re offering me a Lampyria spell? Seriously?” Sunday asked flabbergasted. He knew the Arcanum would be stingy despite all the grand words and the prestige. Spells were finite and valuable, and while they were surely finding some use in him and the talent they suspected he had, investing too much made no sense on just clues alone.
“Lampyria? An interesting name I haven’t heard before. We know it as the Light spell, as all it does is produce a ball of light in the hands of most. It is quite common. I understand that you, as an undead might not dread darkness as humans do so this one can seem underwhelming.” Adept Ironbond answered, unbothered by Sunday’s tone or attitude, while Zihei stood to the side frowning at the spell as if it was about to jump out and bite him.
The firefly was almost frozen in the cube, but its glow was nevertheless present. It was a strange sight – like a bug encased in resin.
Arten wanted this spell as one of his. Oh, oh shit. Sunday’s eyes widened and his attention returned to the Lampyria spell. He had knocked Arten’s choices as worthless, but Pearl’s presence and the things he knew from Mera made all the difference. Inferni blood and a spell were the main ingredients of creating a spell-fused.
What if he wanted to turn into a spell-fused? Was he hesitant between the Drain spell he had, and the Lampyria? Why though? Why would this little spell be an attractive option? There were so many of them in the swamp.
“I was just surprised. You said the selection is curated, and the first thing I see is something that has no use for me. A part of me thinks you guys might be trying to swindle me, but then again it might be that this whole place is one disorganized mess held together by the sheer power of higher-ranked magi,” Sunday said. He didn’t care anymore. There was time to be silent and observe, and there were times to provoke and learn from the reactions.
Like they had done to him.
“The Arcanum—” Zihei began but quieted down as Adept Ironbond raised a hand with a smile. The adept was too in control for Sunday’s tastes. Something one would expect from older people only if they hadn’t met any.
“Both your frustrations and observations are very well placed. Magi are willful beings, and while I hold the upper hand when it comes to rank compared to Investigator Kloud, he is the one responsible for making sure our integrity is not threatened by our members. You need to understand that trust is built slowly, and we’re already showing you plenty by even entertaining your demands and believing your words and deeds. Not that lies are something that will remain undetected here. Hiding your peculiar talents and spells is normal since we have done even less to earn your trust,” Adept Ironbond said.
“Alright, alright. I get it. I’m being a greedy ass and you want me to pipe down. What’s this?” Sunday asked, knocking on the strange cube-like material holding down the spells. It didn’t feel like glass or plastic. It was strange and cold.
“A quasi-spell material called Esentia that allows a spell to be maintained for undetermined amounts of time. It mimics a soul space, gathering essence from the world and feeding it to the spell, and it is much easier and cheaper to maintain and hold than a habitat. It is also more practical when it comes to transporting spells, although some do reject it and need special accommodations.”
None of them are here. Sunday looked around and stepped up to another spell. It was a wooden needle frozen in the Esentia cube.
“This one?”
“It’s called the Wooden Arrow. Its effect is quite simple as you may gather by the name – a popular spell among those who seek combat prowess, but don’t desire close physical conflict.”
That could be interesting. I don’t have that much range, although now that I have Vision of the Berserk Moon my moths are much faster and stronger. I wonder how the moon will affect this one… a straight arrow cannot go berserk, but it might still allow for the essence-draining effect to be applied. If I can develop that further, I won't have to worry about essence.
They went through the spells one by one and Sunday slowly forgot his frustrations. Of course, nothing was on the level of his moths or the moon, but he hadn’t expected them to be.
There was a spell that allowed one to store large amounts of liquid in a tiny space, which just begged to be used as a magical booze on the tap. He briefly entertained the thought of draining the lake and then unleashing it upon his foes but the spell had quite strict limits as to the amount it could hold, and even the rank three Adept Ironbond said he could only hold a few barrelful’s worth. The limitations made it easier for Sunday to pass it over since it was worthless to his current needs. He didn’t know how many slots he would have after ranking up, and half of his thoughts were roaming toward the practice rooms, where he could easily take the last few minute steps and ascend.
Another spell allowed its users to see quite far. It was called the Eagle Eye, but it was a spell more suited to long-ranged fighters or people with strange tastes. Sunday wasn’t a long-ranged fighter nor could he think of any moral uses of the spell.
They kept walking through the Esentia cubes, while Adept Ironbond explained each of the spells in a few short words. There was no mystery, not anything complicated. Sunday knew that spells grew with their owners now, as it was a symbiotic relationship. However, there were too strict limitations that determined a lot of the potential and power of the spells. Namely, the spell’s own limits, and the mage’s limits.
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He also had two pretty good spells waiting for him. Perhaps not the Flowing Flesh one; it had left him feeling creepy and wrong, but the spear was potentially a great asset, especially once he learned to use it.
A few of the spells caught his eye though. One was called Control Sand, and as the name suggested it allowed the user control of a certain amount of sand. It was a spell used primarily by Builders like Adept Ironbond and had quite a large skill ceiling and potential. Sunday could imagine it making a potent weapon, but he wasn’t sure whether it would allow one to be like a certain comic book character.
Another similar one was Meld Stone, which worked on the sand as well, allowing it to turn small pieces into one. The two combined were a staple for most budding builders who needed to get used to manipulating hard matter while constantly channeling their spells. It was not cast it and forget as was the case with most spells Sunday knew of, but a constant effort of control and focus.
He understood that presented a challenge when it came to using the spells for combat, but also saw high potential if one mastered them. Free control of the elements, while simplistic as an idea, offered limitless possibilities and versatility. Thinking of such things, and witnessing the arrival of Adept Ironbond in the manor, was enough to give him a whole new appreciation for the Rank Three Mage.
One of the best spells present was called Shield which had nothing to do with the elements and created a pure essence shield that could stop most attacks. It was shaped by the mage’s will and with training, it could be made quite large and sturdy. It was different than the barrier Sotu had used to hold off the cultists – that was a different spell that worked best by preparing certain conditions ahead of time.
Some spells required setup and resources, which made Sunday look down on them. However, they had their strong sides, allowing one to cast and forget about them for long periods, only reinforcing them when the need arose. They were mainly used by magi who had the time and space to constantly maintain and prepare the different requirements. Such spells were worthless to one such as Sunday.
Another spell that grabbed his attention was very familiar too – a spell that had left a scar upon his honor. The small frog inside the cube didn’t look much like the one from the swamp, except in size, but Sunday was still quite drawn to it. Movement and defense were his biggest weaknesses, and while Shield was very interesting, he preferred to be mobile. Wounds were easy to take care of, and his lack of internal organs made sure that most things weren’t lethal. Perhaps an indestructible helm is what I need. It seems heads are everyone’s weakness.
The only issue was that neither type of spell had any synergy with the red moon, but considering the ease of changing his selection – excluding Phantasmal Fall – it was not that much of an issue.
“This one is called Leap,” Adept Ironbond simply said.
“Is that like Elora’s?”
“Oh, no. Elora uses something very different – a spell that allows essence to build up kinetic power in her body or parts of it. Hers is a spell with a very high mastery ceiling, but Elora is a gifted girl, and I’m sure she will do well. It does require one to pay attention to their physique and use spells and quasi-spell materials to improve the endurance of the body. There had been a few cases of ripped-off limbs and severe injuries.”
Sunday nodded at that. Elora was great, and while her path was underwhelming as far as flashiness went, it had great potential. He still felt guilty about what had happened, but the most important thing was that she was well. He tried to ignore the fact that it was only due to sheer blind luck.
“So, this one allows one to jump like a frog?” It’s not great. Will I be breaking my bones when I land, or do I have to pair it with anything? At least he didn’t feel that bad about the frog that had run away in the swamp anymore.
“Yes,” Adept Ironbond said. While the older undead seemed to try and talk up some of the spells, he didn’t do it for this one. Jumping high sounded great if they were to fight the Divine and their monsters on the basketball court, but overall, Elora’s spell was many times better and did things similarly.
The last one was yet another strange one. It was a piece of wiggly fiber Adept Ironbond called Constrictor. It was used by some of the traveling magi to wrangle beasts harmlessly, to bind enemies, rather than kill, and so on. Sunday saw its merits but decided to pass on it.
“I’ll be honest,” he finally said. “Some of the spells have caught my attention, but I don’t really need any of them. They are just options… Frankly, I’m disappointed. I understand your worries, and I’m not looking for handouts, but this won’t work.”
“You’re being difficult,” Zihei said from the side making both Sunday and Adept Ironbond look at him with surprise. “You don’t know how much effort and work it takes for one to be allowed to select a spell, much less being given such a wide selection.” The mage continued. His look had hardened and for the first time, the writer seemed to be showing some pride.
Sunday smiled, “What can I say? I’m something of an ass, who wants the best.”
“Now, now. I understand where you’re coming from. From what we’ve seen of your spells, they’re quite unique, and finding something complementary might be difficult. How about picking a spell, and we’ll add a thousand contribution points to the trade if the art you’re offering is not present in the Arcanum’s libraries? This is the best I can do for an awakening art. If you give us a soul-forging one, we might look into better spells…” Adept Ironbond offered.
So that’s it. Dangle the carrot, but use a small and bitter one, keeping the best for when I truly contribute. It’s not about my talents or the fact I’ve exorcised those fools in the manor. They just want to get the most out of me.
“Sorry, can’t help you there. However, that offer sounds good. The practice rooms are quite valuable to me, and having enough to access the library would also be a great boon. Fine. Give me the Shield, and a thousand points to use as I like throughout the Arcanum, and I’ll let you copy down the awakening art I have.”
Adept Ironbond nodded and smiled back. “We’ll have to evaluate it first. Come.”
The three left the spells behind. Sunday wondered what other secrets the Arcanum held, and what power was locked behind its doors, never to be used. It was silly storing so much away, locking it just in case it was ever needed. Most of the work looked like it was done in the shadows, out of view of the general population of Blumwin and the surrounding villages and towns, though which probably called for discretion and less flashier spells.
At least with all those points, he could lock himself and practice steadily after making enough healing wine for a few months. He couldn’t wait to step unto Rank Two, but he had to make the appropriate preparations for what was to come…
And there was a Prophet to find and kill too.