Alex leaned back in his office chair and rubbed his eyes. He took a moment to himself before returning to the runic manual on his desk. He’d been studying for hours, and the sun had long gone down below the tree line outside his window. Many of the concepts of this runic magic resembled learning a language to him, whereas ritual magic had just felt like learning a new type of art style.

He used his finger to trace along the lines and mumbled the words aloud.

“The art of inscribing magic requires a deep understanding of form and structure. While many traditions involve drawing or carving magical patterns, runic magic stands apart in its demand for precision. Each line, angle, and intersection in a rune must be exact. There is no room for approximation or adjustment once the rune is inscribed.”

Alex paused, as this was a theme he’d seen through the fundamentals of this manual.

The use of runes is considered really rigid, especially when combining them into what they call arrays.

The contrast was striking. Where he could reshape and adjust ritual components to match his desire, runes seemed to only work in very specific ways.

"While this manual won't cover runic arrays in detail, it's crucial to understand that they allow even less room for error or adjustment than individual runes. The spacing and ordering of runes within an array are just as important as the formation of each rune itself. When engraving arrays, both the depth and angle of inscription must be precisely controlled to ensure proper mana flow."

He couldn’t help but think how he’d so casually shrunk and rearranged ritual components over the last few months. There had been a lot of trial and error involved, as well as advice from Eura, who had a much greater grasp of mana than he had, but he’d still been able to adjust and manipulate the rituals to become something that fit better for him. He hadn’t had any idea how unusual that flexibility was until now.

The next section caught his attention, as he was particularly interested in enchanting. He had only made it halfway through the section before he let his head droop.

Of course.

He read through the section again.

‘The pinnacle of runic magic lies in enchanting with arrays or formations. This is the permanent binding of runic arrays to physical objects. This demanding art requires not only perfect execution of individual runes and arrays but also a complete understanding of how they interact with material properties over time. Many aspiring runic masters spend years mastering basic arrays before becoming enchanters.’

Well… fuck.

Closing the book, Alex leaned back and rubbed his eyes again. Enchanting would clearly have to wait. He could continue learning and practicing the more fundamental aspects of rune craft, but he was drawn to familiar territory.

Using his threads of mana, he began weaving a small ritual circle in the air above his desk. Slouched as he was, he manipulated the circle so that it faced him rather than horizontally along the surface of the desk.

The threads glowed softly in his mana vision as they formed the patterns he’d practiced so many times. Forming the modified shapes to channel and contain the mana into the proper nodes and catalyst segments.

As he watched the circle float in a way that reminded him of a hologram, Alex had a thought that he’d attempted once before.

What if I could understand this even better?

Alex’s [Ritual Insight] was on cooldown after using it on the Ignition Ritual schematic he’d been working on.

Maybe…

He kept part of his concentration split on the ritual in the air while focusing his Heavenly Eye on the floating formation. He pushed the eye, willing the analysis functionality to activate. Immediately, he felt resistance, like trying to push his mental strength against a brick wall.

He attempted to apply pressure to the mental block, applying his high Willpower. Though, there was no budge and he felt like he was just distracting himself by having the ritual in his hand be made with threads and maintaining it.

“This isn’t working,” Alex said. Val lifted his head from where he had been dozing on the cat tree. When he realized Alex was talking to himself, he put his head back down into the coiled pile of tail under him.

Alex let the circle fully dissipate and absorbed what little mana he could from the threads as they drifted into a smoky transparent form of mana. He stood and walked over to the whiteboard with his notes on them and turned it around to the blank back side.

With a steady hand, Alex drew out the ritual circle on the board. He made sure each line was clearly made, and the shapes held the right proportions. Once he was finished, he stepped back from the board and took a deep breath.

With no need to maintain the actual ritual with his threads, he hoped that he’d be able to concentrate fully on using the Heavenly Eye on the ritual pattern. He felt the pulsing sensation run through his forehead and eye as it activated and he felt the mental resistance as before.

This time, things felt different. Rather than a brick wall, it felt like a flexible board. He pushed harder with the ability, forcing more power into his observation. He could feel information on minor details about the ritual construction begin to enter his mind.

A slightly crooked line there.

There is a possibility for mana efficiency there.

The strain built in his mind as he tried to pierce through whatever blocked his understanding.

Just a little more, come on…

He was so concentrated and determined, feeling just at the edge of a breakthrough, that he didn’t notice when his head began to feel disconnected from his body. The room started to spin, and darkness crept in at the edges of his vision. Before he could react and cut off the skill’s activation, he lost consciousness.

“-oore! Master Moore!”

Alex could tell that someone was shaking him, and he blinked groggily.

Fuck.

Edwin’s worried face swam into focus above him, with Valtherion’s blue form streaking past in the background.

“What happened, Master Moore? Are you alright? Shall I call an ambulance?” Edwin helped Alex sit up slowly, bracing his shoulder.

Alex grabbed his head and tried to think through what had happened.

He thought back to just before he’d lost consciousness and remembered pushing through the pain and clear warning signs from his ocular enhancement.

Okay, in hindsight, that was stupid.

“Stupid. Alex, stupid.”

But, even as he thought about it and Edwin pressed him with more concern, Alex realized he had more knowledge about the ritual pattern than he had previously.

Damn, this was a schematic that I used [Ritual Insight] on before, but I wonder if my new understanding would mean that I have a good enough grasp to use the skill on it again.

Better yet, he realized that his mind had made connections on better understanding the schematic. He felt like he had a fantastic grasp on the Ritual, and he had the thought of trying to use this on a schematic at the same time as his class ability.

Can they work off of each other? With the scan giving me the perfect knowledge of how it’s formed, then the [Ritual Insight] giving me knowledge on how to improve that, based on the perfect knowledge?

Alex pulled up the skill description again, just to refresh his memory of the exact wording.

[Ritual Insight] - Allows the Ritualist to gain insights into the functionality of a new ritual and potential enhancements for a known ritual.

Alex stood and put a steadying hand on the desk as he made his way to the large leather chair.

He reasoned that the description made sense. He had used [Ritual Insight] on several schematics. Most of them, he had a fairly good understanding of, so he reasoned that those counted as “enhancements for a known ritual.”

But the skill was strange in that after the enhancements were known to him, the skill didn’t seem to consider it a known ritual anymore. It was almost as if the System considered it to be a new Ritual when adjusted, and he would need to study it more and learn more about the skill before it was considered learned.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I wonder if knowing these new insights about the Ignition Ritual, I could use the [Ritual Insight] skill on it again?

Is that cheating?

He felt the world spin as he sat heavily in the chair. He squinted against the bright lights in his office and wondered why there were spotlights in his vision and tingling down his back.

Alex coughed and felt blood drip from his mouth onto his hand.

“Oh…” Alex felt his consciousness begin to slip from him again as he felt how truly exhausted his mind was.

----------------------------------------

“Alex? Can you hear me?”

The voice sounded distant and unfamiliar. Alex tried to open his eyes, but they felt heavy. He closed his eyes tightly, bringing his brows together. As his senses returned, the scent of antiseptic hit him first, followed by the steady beeping of medical equipment.

Hospital. Great.

When he finally managed to focus back on his surroundings, he found himself in a brightly lit hospital room. He rolled his head to the side and saw Mark slouched in a chair near the window while Sarah sat beside him. They were both looking at him, and he saw their faces light up as he looked over. The nurse by his bed also smiled and asked how he was feeling. Sam sat cross-legged in a chair to his other side, with Valtherion curled in his lap. Edwin stood by the door, his usually impeccable posture slightly wilted.

“What time is it?” Alex asked, squinting against the fluorescent lights. The remaining heads in the room turned to him.

“Just past eight,” the nurse answered. “How are you feeling Mr. Moore?”

“Thirsty,” Alex said with a smile.

“I’ll grab you some water and go and get the doctor. I think you’re in good hands here.” She gave him a sly smile and glanced at the packed room.

“I tried healing you at the house,” Sam added quietly, “but Edwin insisted…” He trailed off, absently stroking Val’s scales.

“Edwin said you passed out at your desk,” Sarah said, and there was a brief pause during which no one spoke.

“I meant no offense, Samuel. I know that you can heal, but… all of this is very new to me. It seems wrong to see blood and someone unconscious and not take them to the hospital.” Though Edwin gave Sam an apologetic look, his tone made it clear that he’d likely do the same thing again.

“Well, he made the right call, bringing you here,” Sarah said, clearly miffed.

“After you had already passed out on the floor the first time. What the hell were you doing, dude?”

Alex winced and looked back at the ceiling. “I just tried to use my eye on a ritual schematic. I had to push myself to do it, but it worked. I gained some great information on the details of the ritual, but I can’t believe it affected me this much. There was almost no negative feedback at all. Not like mana fatigue.”

“The doctors couldn’t even figure out what was wrong. They seem to be used to that, though. The nurse mentioned that Awakened have come in since the New Year with different symptoms or injuries that they struggle to treat. If Sam hadn’t been here to heal you, we all would have been freaking out…” Sarah grabbed her elbow and pulled her arm across her lap.

“…more than we already were,” Mark said as he ran a hand through his short brown hair.

“Master Moore,” Edwin stepped forward. Alex could tell his voice was formal, but laced with concern. “I must insist that in the future, you exercise more caution with your magical pursuits. Perhaps having someone present during such attempts would be prudent?”

Alex felt a pang of guilt as he remembered that he’d found Edwin due to the misfortune of his previous employer dying in an accident as an Awakened. Frustrated with himself, he thought back to how he’d been cautious enough to grab Sam before trying a new skill. He realized in hindsight that it would be during an unstructured bit of magical testing that he might need their healer’s focus even more so.

He felt the guilt solidify and drop in his stomach like a rock. “I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t mean to worry you. I really didn’t even realize I’d pushed myself that hard. I just wanted to push through the wall I felt and got so focused on making it happen that I must have missed some signs…”

Is this the Willpower affecting me?

“Alex, stupid.” Valtherion’s thoughts came clearly through their bond.

“Olivia’s on her way,” Sarah said. “She was at the Voss estate when I called.”

“Thanks for calling her.” Alex nodded, then immediately regretted the movement. “The doctors, did they say anything?”

“Nothing conclusive,” Sarah replied. “They ran some tests, but your vitals were fine. They said you were in a deep sleep, not unconscious. So, they said that hydration and rest were the only two things that they could do. Sam’s healing seems to have addressed any potential physical damage before we even got here, but whatever you did really strained your mind.”

“Which is why,” Mark interjected, “you’re staying here until they clear you. At least another day of monitoring. No arguments.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile at his friends. “Yeah, okay. I get it, I get it. No more dangerous magical experiments alone.”

“Or at all,” Sam added, surprising everyone with his firmness.

A soft knock at the door drew their attention. Where he expected to see a doctor enter, he instead saw Olivia enter, with Elana just behind her. “Hey,” Olivia said to him, barely glancing at the others in the room. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks,” Alex said dryly.

As his friends shifted to make room for the newcomers, Alex felt both foolish and grateful. The throbbing in his head was a strong reminder of how close he’d come to seriously injuring himself, but the presence of his friends reminded him he didn’t have to face these sorts of challenges alone.

“Hey,” Mark stood from his chair and patted Sam on the shoulder, “let’s go grab some food and take a quick walk. You’ve been here and awake all night.”

Sam nodded tiredly and gently lifted Valtherion and set him on Alex’s stomach before the two left the room. “Can we ask the nurse about those other injured Awakened she mentioned? I want to see if I can help heal some of them.”

His voice trailed off as they left the room, and Alex felt a pang of worry for Sam. He knew that healing was still very sought after, and after what happened in Tianluo, Alex was torn between telling the teen to hide his power and telling him to do what made him happy.

Mark is with him. He’ll be fine for now.

Olivia grabbed the back of Sam’s chair and slid it closer to the bedside. She reached out and squeezed Alex’s hand. He saw her eyes flick toward Elana, but whatever hesitation she seemed to have didn’t stop her from showing him a bit of physical affection in front of her boss.

“You had me worried, you know.” Her usual casual confidence was replaced with concern.

“Sorry,” Alex said, as he gently squeezed her hand back. “I didn’t even know that the scan ability could affect me like this.”

“Mana fatigue?”

He went to shake his head in response but caught himself. “No, the Eye doesn’t use mana. It’s not a skill. Eura described it as some sort of mental resource. I’ve felt a bit of a headache before by using it several times back to back, but nothing like this...”

“Hmm…” she hummed and Alex could see her gears turning. Olivia loved magic, and she knew he was usually careful and competent with what he was doing.

At least she believes me. I wasn’t doing something stupid.

“Still, I appreciate you both coming,” Alex said, glancing between Olivia and Elana. “Though, I’m sure Edwin’s just being careful. The doctors said I was just sleeping, and Sam healed me more than once.”

“A sleep so deep they couldn’t wake you,” Elana pointed out. “What were you working on that pushed you this far?”

Alex hesitated, then explained about his attempt to analyze the ritual circle. As he finished, both of the women’s expressions shifted to something more thoughtful.

“I didn’t even know that was possible. We’ve had people try to scan enchantments from the Rift and never get much information outside of the System-provided prompt. You know,” she said after a moment, “that reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to tell you. About Rylan, actually.”

Alex shifted a bit in his bed. “What about him?”

"Remember our conversation about his competitive nature? Well, since your fight in the tournament, he's been different. He's actually been showing up to Guild events and some of the Moderator meetings that I have invited him to. He's even been volunteering to help train some Recruits who are joining up." She paused. "It's the first time since his accident that I've seen him genuinely trying to help others instead of just proving himself."

"That's... unexpected," Alex said, remembering the several different versions he'd seen of Rylan in the past months.

"I know it might not last," Elana admitted. "But seeing him contribute without trying to dominate everyone around him... it means a lot. Both to me and to the Guild."

She shifted her weight, her expression growing more serious.

"Unfortunately, the timing isn't ideal. The Hunter's Association is pushing for more oversight of the Guild. They want access to our training programs, member information, and even standardized testing for abilities. They haven’t told us this directly, but I’ve heard they’re even talking about requiring registration with the Hunters Association to enter or exit the Safe Zones."

Alex noticed Sarah's slight frown at this information, and he tensed, realizing that Elana might not know Sarah was a member of the Hunters Association. He glanced between them, unsure if he should say something.

Elana caught the look and gave a small, reassuring nod. “It’s alright, Alex. I’m aware of Sarah’s position with the Hunters Association. In fact, it’s been a bit reassuring to think that there is someone near you, and the Guild, that would be able to let the Hunters Association know what we’re doing.”

Sarah’s eyebrows rose. “You knew?”

“Of course,” Elana nodded. “The Guild values the idea of transparency, and we have nothing to hide. We just have different ideas and goals than the Hunters Association, we’re not enemies and we’re not bad guys.”

“Well, just so you know, I’m not reporting anything on the Guild. I try hard to keep my personal and work lives separate and I’ve never seen anything from the Guild that would make me feel like I need to say something. You don’t need to make me sound like a spy.” She said the last bit a bit dejectedly.

“Of course not. Not a spy, but you do have an insight that others don’t.”

Alex relaxed, relieved that the potential conflict he’d imagined wasn’t an issue. He cleared his throat. “So, if you’re not enemies, what’s changed? I thought they were letting the Guild be for the time being. This feels like a move to keep people out of the Safe Zones who aren’t a part of their organization.”

"Officially? Public safety." The frustration in her voice was clear. "Unofficially, it feels a lot like they want to regulate how Awakened develop their abilities. They're particularly interested in unique cases like yours."

"Cases like mine? His eyes widened, and his eyebrows drew together. He looked at Sarah for a moment, startled by the realization. Though when she shrugged and he remembered the agents who had come by the house not too long ago, he felt a few other pieces fall into place. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

"Not anything too drastic. They're aware that you're high leveled and a Guild Member. They're mainly interested in cases like yours because you're progressing faster than their models predict." She sighed, “I know this is selfish, but it’s unfortunate that this incident puts you out of commission. I was hoping that your team would be at the top of the Teams Event. The public goodwill from this competition could go a long way to getting us some relief from the government or at least the publi-” She glanced at her phone as it buzzed. Her eyebrows came together, and her lips formed a thin line. "Sorry, I need to get back. Emergency meeting. We'll talk more later?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for coming by."

Olivia stood as if to follow her, giving Alex an apologetic look.

“No, you should stay. The meeting will just be at my place, and Rylan will be there.” She smiled at them both before leaving the room.

As Elana left, Sarah and Olivia exchanged a look that Alex couldn't quite interpret but his mind was still thinking through the idea that he was on some kind of government watchlist.

“Sarah, should I be concerned that the HA is interested in me? If they’re looking for people who are more powerful than norm, I definitely fit that. If they’re looking to recruit people, I probably fit that even more with my connection to Sarah and my brother also working for the Hunters Association.”

Sarah shrugged a bit uncomfortably before answering. “I don’t know. It would make sense that they’d be interested in you, but I really don’t have anything to do with this sort of stuff. I really do just go and do my job like anyone else.”

Before he could ask her more, Val moved closer to Alex’s head, coiling up next to his pillow. There was an exasperated fin flutter, and as he heard his companion's reprimand, he couldn’t help but smile and push the thoughts aside for a bit.

"No cookies for Alex."