Chapter 23

“You all know why you’re here, I suppose?”

Larek looked around at the faces staring up at him from where they were sitting, each of them in their own miniature throne of pillows that mimicked his own, though on a much smaller and more compact scale. It was something that he had suggested as a necessity for his students, if he were to start teaching the Volunteers about Fusions, along with the portable walls that they could place around themselves, which held Muffle Sound Fusions that he’d created a few days ago (during his marathon of Fusion creation), all of which would aid in limiting distractions. Not that he expected that they would be starting on even creating any Fusions today, as many of his students were still getting used to working with their Mana to shape spells. While some of them had already successfully cast a spell by this point, the others were still learning.

What Larek was trying to do today was give an overview of what Fusions were and the basics of how they were constructed. He thought back on his first days at Crystalview and tried to remember what Professor Annika had taught him and the other students in the Academy, modeling his approach somewhat after that – though with some large changes.

Who’d have thought that I would be teaching students of my own, as if I was some sort of trained Professor? Not something I thought I’d ever do.

Granted, he’d taught some things to other Mages before, including other Professors when he discovered his Focused Division Skill, but that felt different from this situation. Everyone he’d taught before was experienced with being a Mage, and they were, if not experienced, at least knowledgeable about more than a few spells and Fusions, even if they weren’t very adept at the latter. These students, on the other hand, were practically new to the whole situation of having potential, and while they’d been practicing spellcasting – in addition to Martial-type training – in other classes, this was their first interaction with Fusions on an academic level.

Simply using the Fusions that Larek had made wasn’t the same as actually knowing how they functioned or how they were created in the first place.

Thankfully, unlike at the Academy, where everyone had to take classes on Fusions, Larek’s classroom was filled with those who actually wanted to learn about Fusions. He hoped it would help with their enthusiasm and speed of learning about the formations and procedures that made them so versatile and wonderful.

Everyone nodded at his question, their comfortable-looking, matching dark grey shirts and pants reminding him a little of his few years at the Academies he attended, though the dress code wasn’t as enforced as it was back then. Still, the fact that they all appeared similar seemed to give them a sense of belonging, as if it was a deliberate choice to bring them all together toward a common goal. He supposed that that philosophy was what the entire Volunteer organization was about, so it made more sense when he saw it that way.

“First, I’d like to introduce myself properly, because if we’re going to be working closely together to learn Fusions, I’d prefer for the tone to be a lot less formal than in the Academies where I learned. With that said, you may call me Larek; no honorifics are necessary or even wanted within this classroom, as they tend to make me uncomfortable.

“Second, here’s a little bit of background about me that I think you should know. As you’ve no doubt heard, I’m both half-Human and half-Gergasi, not through any choice of my mother, who is full-blooded Human. I didn’t discover my heritage until after I had already entered Copperleaf Academy a few years ago, and I vehemently oppose the Gergasi and their mind-controlling magic with every fiber of my being. That’s why, in addition to clearing your head of bugs that would otherwise try to control you, the Fusion you all have in the back of your head also prevents the Dominion magic that the Gergasi can use from taking hold of your mind.

“I tell you all this because I want you to understand what a Fusion can do for you, if you know how to leverage your focus, and if you design it the way you desire. How? Well, I was once told that the symbols that are used in Fusions are only placeholders for the Effect we intend, and I’ve found that to be one of the truest statements I’ve ever encountered.

“Even now, as I’ve broken through to the Fusionist Scion Specialization because many of my Fusion-related Skills have topped Level 100, I’m consistently finding opportunities to utilize Fusions in new and unique ways that I never considered before. There is no limit to what you can achieve with Fusions, and it is my hope that you apply the knowledge you learn here to aid your fellow Volunteers, to save those who need your help, and to change the world for the better. It’s what I’ve endeavored to do from the moment I created my first Fusion. And while my priorities have changed over the years, I’ve always wanted my Fusions to be used by those who could benefit from them the most, and not for any particular monetary gain.

“To that end, I’m going to come around and impart some knowledge to you, which will help you on your way toward mastering not only Fusions, but also the integral Skills needed to advance your ability with Pattern Cohesion.”

As Larek began to move through the classroom, which was filled with 32 students, none of them particularly familiar to him, he touched each one on the head and willed into them his knowledge of Pattern Formation, Pattern Recognition, Pattern Manipulation, and Pattern Restoration. Many of them already had Pattern Formation or Pattern Recognition due to their experience with spellcasting and spell formations, but no one had the latter two that he’d had to discover on his own. While he imparted these Skills to them, he began to describe the most basic knowledge they needed about Fusions, Fusion formations, and the different sections of a 2-by-2 grid, which included Effect, Activation Method, Magnitude, and Mana Cost.

The initial nervousness he’d felt walking into the class disappeared as he kept talking, as he got lost in the descriptions of each section and how they worked together in the formation to produce the Fusion they desired. The importance of focus and intent was stressed upon, as well as the dangers of letting one’s focus waver while creating a Fusion, before he launched into the different types of basic Fusions that they would soon learn how to create.

Then he went into a practical demonstration of these basic formations as he used his Pattern Cohesion to visually show how they were created, moving around the room as he created them, though he didn’t actually feed Mana into them yet. The Pattern-related Skills that he’d imparted allowed them to see his process better than they would’ve been able to see without them, and he could see the light of comprehension in every single student by the time class was finished. He ended his demonstrations with a finished Illuminate +2 Fusion on a piece of wood he had brought with him, allowing them to see how he funneled Mana into the Mana Cost section to finalize it, before it snapped into place.

“Any questions?” he asked at the end, which was a mistake when all of them had their hands raised. He spent another half-hour answering their questions to the best of his ability or deflecting them to be answered later when they had their next class. “Alright, that’s enough for now,” he told them, cutting off any further questions. “Over the next few days, I want you to practice manipulating your Pattern Cohesion to start making the basis of Fusion formations, but do not add any Mana yet! I would like to monitor your process before you start actually feeding them with Mana to power them up, and I don’t want anything to go wrong. Oh, and study the symbols on the papers that were handed out at the beginning of class, as those will be the most common ones that will make it easier to learn. Eventually, you’ll be creating your own symbols to connect with your intended Effects, but for now, these symbols will be imperative to getting the basics covered. See you next class.” He nodded to them, pleased with how attentive they had been during the entire three hours of his lecture, and started collecting his stuff from the desk up front.

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“Thank you, Professor Larek!” they all shouted in near unison, before they started to get up. He winced at the “Professor” part, but he ignored it while he waved to them as they were leaving. When they were all gone, Larek sat down on the edge of his desk and let out a heavy breath, amazed at himself that he’d actually gotten through the class without any problems. He’d been nervous earlier going into the class, as he still didn’t see himself as any sort of teacher, trainer, or especially a Professor, but he quickly discovered that when he was talking about Fusions, his lecture seemed to come naturally to him.

Taking his leave of the large complex that the Volunteers had been using to train the budding Guardians, which he supposed was still the best term for those with full Mage and Martial potential, he lifted himself into the air with a Pattern platform construct under his feet, which speedily brought him back home. He entered and Nedira greeted him just inside the door, giving him a huge hug as she led him inside to the table for lunch. Realizing he was starving, he dug in and consumed enough for three people, and it was only when he started to slow down that Nedira spoke to him.

“The first one of decent size finally activated an hour ago… and it works! The larger ones are still forming, but we should hopefully know some more results by the end of the day.”

It took him a second to realize what she was talking about, but when he did, he smiled happily and nodded, glad that they had worked out. He’d spent almost all of the day before carefully creating larger and larger Traveling Gate Fusions, after the success of the smallest one, and Verne along with Norde had taken it upon themselves to do the testing of them a bit further away from the city, so as not to startle anyone.

While Larek didn’t have many doubts that they would work, they were supposed to have done a full-person test today with one of the larger Magnitudes, and apparently it was successful.

“Which Magnitude was it?” he asked.

Nedira thought about it for a second or two. “Magnitude 4, I believe? I think 2 and 3 were too small.”

The Fusionist brought up the description for the Magnitude 4 version of Traveling Gate to see how large it was.

Traveling Gate +4

Activation Method(s): Reactive

Effect(s): Strengthens steel

Effect(s): Creates a rectangular box made of condensed air that increases the weight of everything contained in its interior

Effect(s): Gradually forms a filled circular hoop away from the Fusion that combines Mana, Stama, Pattern Cohesion, Pure Aetheric Force, and Corrupted Aetheric Force to create Primal Essence

Effect(s): Entangles two identical constructs together so they act as one

Effect(s): Using non-invasive mental manipulation, activates or deactivates Activatable Activation Method upon detection of mental phrasing by individual in direct contact with object

Variable(s): Mental phrasing “Activate Portal”, “Magnitude four, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten”

Variables(s): Stage 1 Primal Essence, Stage 2 Primal Essence, Stage 3 Primal Essence, Stage 4 Primal Essence

Input(s): Primal Essence Levels

Magnitude(s): 400% stronger steel, 4,000% weight increase, 4-foot diameter

Mana Cost: 2,500,000

Pattern Cohesion: 14,000

Fusion Time: 150 hours

The Magnitude 4 version of the Gate Fusion had a 4-foot diameter opening, which he supposed was enough to fit someone through it. Larek would have to be bent over double in order to fit through, but most others would simply have to duck a bit. As he looked at the Fusion description, he remembered how expensive in terms of Mana these particular Fusions had been, and they would only go up a little bit as he changed the Magnitudes on the auxiliary Effects in the future. For these test ones, they were kept at the same Magnitude as the rest of the Fusion for the sake of consistency, but he was still planning on increasing them dramatically in the future to ensure they weren’t destroyed or moved by someone whom they didn’t want moving them.

“Excellent. How long did it take the Magnitude 4 version to fully open?”

Nedira didn’t have to think about it too long before she answered. “Approximately 16 hours. I believe Magnitude 2 took 4 and a half hours, and Magnitude 3 opened at around 10 hours.”

Hmm… doesn’t sound like it’s a full linear progression; but then again, neither were the Gate diameter sizes.

“And how does it… feel?” he asked.

“Definitely different from the one you activated. It’s both more intense as you go up in Magnitude and it can be felt further away.” She thought about it for a moment. “It’s somewhat similar to a Scission, but it doesn’t feel as… hmm… menacing, I guess would be the word I’m looking for.”

“But they’ll catch the attention of the Factions?”

Nedira nodded. “Oh, yes, definitely. The Factions won’t be able to ignore them.”

“Good. Which Magnitude do you think will work best? You’ll trade off size with the time it takes to fully open the Gates, as you know. I’d like to get those done before I start on my next projects.”

His betrothed tapped her finger against her lips as she considered what he asked. After a few seconds, she said, “Based on the timeline they are expecting for Magnitude 5, which should be a little under 24 hours, I think that one might be best. What was the size of that one again?”

Larek pulled up the description for it. “It’s got a 7-foot diameter. As a reminder, Magnitude 6 has a 12-foot diameter, Magnitude 7 has a 20-foot diameter, and the Magnitude 8 one is all the way up to 34 feet.”

The last two had taken him almost an hour together, as it required 30 million Mana for Magnitude 7 and 50 million for Magnitude 8. As for the Pattern Cohesion required for them, the former was 70,000 and the latter 105,000; the only reason he was able to even create them – due to having to create two simultaneously using Focused Division – was solely because of the reduction in Pattern Cohesion cost from his Specializations. He didn’t dare attempt a larger Traveling Gate at Magnitude 9 or higher, as he wasn’t sure that even his extraordinarily high Pattern Cohesion could handle it.

“Hmm… Perhaps a mixture of Magnitude 5 and 6? Guesstimates put the Magnitude 6 at two days to fully open, while the larger ones will take much longer.”

“That’s probably a good idea, not to go too big, as I’m assuming that it will take a lot of energy to keep it open. Magnitude 5 and 6 won’t be as big of a drain, despite the fact that I’ll be setting their areas of ambience far enough away that it shouldn’t matter all that much. How many pairs do you think we need?”

This time, she had her answer almost immediately. “To cover all of the Faction towns and cities that are a direct threat to us, we need 47. We could also use another 30 or so of Magnitude 5 versions to help set up a network between Thanesh and our border towns.”

Larek did some quick calculations. His experience with creating the different Magnitudes of Traveling Gates the day before helped to speed up his creation of them, but at the moment his limit was how fast he could fill the formations with his Mana. A Traveling Gate +5 Fusion, for instance, required 5 million Mana as a base; with his Specializations bonuses, that was cut by 45% to nearly half of that. With preparation and ensuring that he kept his focus on everything properly aligned, he estimated that he could get a single Magnitude 5 Fusion done in about 5 minutes when funneling approximately 12,000 Mana into the formation every second. His Mana regeneration and his Mana Control were great enough to maintain that pace, and he might be able to push it a little further than that, but to be safe, 5 minutes was approximately how long each one would take.

A Magnitude 6 Gate Fusion, at 12.5 million Mana, would take about 12 minutes on the safe side.

If I created 15 Mag 6 versions, that would take me about 3 hours. If the remaining 62 were Mag 5 versions, that would take me a little over 5 hours. I guess 8 hours total isn’t too much time to safeguard the Volunteers from the Factions – but I’d better get to work.

Letting out a contented sigh as he sat back down in his pillow throne, he took the first stack of steel plates and got to work. The first thing he did was alter the auxiliary Effects to make them stronger, and since he didn’t have to worry too much about exceeding his Pattern Cohesion limit on these Magnitude 5 and 6 versions, he ramped them all the way up to Magnitude 15. He’d found that after Magnitude 10, the increase in their effectiveness was more exponential than linear, so he expected each plate to weigh the equivalent of 50,000 pounds or more, and their strength would be in the realm of needing someone stronger than a powerful Gergasi to damage it.

After the first one was done, he discovered that he added another million Mana to its cost and another 15,000 to its Pattern Cohesion, but both of those were well within his limits. It would add another few hours to his time, but he didn’t think that was too big of a deal. Once he finished, he was planning on sleeping for the night, anyway.

Tomorrow, though, was devoted to creating some new Fusions. He needed to work on a method of moving monsters into the Gates once they were set up, but after that, he was planning on having some fun with some offensive and defensive Fusions that could potentially save some lives.

He had another Fusion class in a few days that he had to teach, and he wanted to be done with his new Fusions by then. Because after that class, it was finally time to deal with the SIC.