I stood a hundred yards from a group of sixty Undead, shambling around aimlessly. Trennel walked up next to me, surveying the surrounding area. I took the moment to check my notifications. I scrolled past the endless list of creature deaths until I finally got to the ones that mattered.

Ding!

Experience earned!

You have increased your level!

Current Level: 37

Stat Points allocated

+24 Free Points

I changed the reading on my Amulet to show I was Level 48 so that I could change it once more before I advanced to the next Tier.

Now several hours into it, I was no longer gaining the Experience I had just hours before, it was more than Trennel earned, but it still took hundreds of kills to receive any levels now that they were at an increasingly lower level.

Throwing my Free points into Toughness, Agility Dexterity, and Perception, as planned, I opened up my ring to see what kind of loot we had earned and was a bit disappointed to have only found Cores still, with no real drops yet.

Refined Undead Core

(Beginner)

Affinity: Death

Quantity: 312

Alchemy Ingredient

Greater Spirit Core

(Beginner)

Affinity: Death

Quantity:36

Alchemy Ingredient

Greater Beast Core

(Beginner)

Affinity: Death

Quantity: 206

The two of us had gone in a grid pattern for the better part of five hours, systematically taking out small groups of Undead, Wraiths, and a new Goblin-like creature called a Punknar. They had been about waist-height, with olive drab skin and completely white eyes. They carried primitive spears and used their large teeth to try and bite at our legs and ankles.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the corrupted domain, Trennel and I continued on our training journey. The field of battle lay before us, the eerie aura of death still lingering, but now it was illuminated by the soft glow of the sunset.

"Alright," I said, sending Mana into my Unguis and taking a defensive stance. "Last batch then we will head back."

Trennel, who had already demonstrated progress in his confidence, if not his skill in melee combat, nodded in agreement, pulling out his curved saber. His posture was straighter, and there was a glint of determination in his eyes. Not for the enemies, they were trivial to a mid-tier Novice, but for the new motivation for taking his Forms seriously.

When I had commented on it, he had told me that when he had been first trained, it was without sparring partners and strictly the technical Forms, with no opportunity to practice or learn the timing an actual fight would teach you. His family had only taught him for traditions' sake but were worried about any injuries causing an infection in his weak body.

Once he had gained his Core, his family still would not allow him to engage in any physical contact in his training, forcing Trennel to seek out his only friend; one of his bodyguards he had gotten close to over the years of service. A man named Yenet, a low Journeyman and the only one in his household who did not see the weak boy Trennel had once been.

Trennel had explained that even Yenet would go easy on him, likely out of fear of hurting him and facing repercussions from his family, so this was truly the first time he had opponents that would strike with the intent to hurt him. He had said all of this with a frantic grin on his face as he took down several pairs of Undead with his saber.

We attacked intensely, trading blows with the small horde of Undead as we honed his combat instincts. Trennel's movements were precise, and he showed an excellent grasp of timing and strategy. It was clear that he had prior experience, but as he said, It wasn't where it should have been for someone halfway through the Novice tier and going into his second year at the Academy.

Over the last few hours, we had practiced tirelessly, pushing the limits of his melee abilities, and even my own at one point when we had found ourselves outnumbered and having to focus on our own battles until we could retreat for a regroup and went back in from a better angle. Trennel's dedication to improvement was evident as he sought to refine his techniques further, not complaining about the tediousness of these summons, as I was to Mel in my head.

As the day wore on, Trennel's swordsmanship reached respectable levels, and he began to demonstrate more advanced techniques as he became more accustomed to his body.

Watching him made me miss my own sword. It had been given to me when I had finished my training with Janus.

I had left it in my room for the ceremony, and would likely not be returning any time soon to retrieve it. It was not enchanted or magical in any way, but it had been forged by an excellent Coreless blacksmith out of durable materials.

"Maybe you can have someone look for it for you?" Mel chimed in my ear.

It's too risky right now. I'm supposed to be in hiding. I don't want anyone to start asking why some unknown new Noble is asking about my sword. Even if I remain anonymous it will raise questions. I do want to look into it at some point.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

***

After the last summon was dispatched, we took a break, sitting on a nearby rock to catch our breath. Trennel wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at me with a satisfied grin.

"Thank you," he said, his voice filled with appreciation. "This was truly one of the best days of my life. You've helped me so much I don't know how to repay you."

I smiled, acknowledging his progress. "You're fine, Trennel, don't even worry about it. Consider us even for you tagging along with me."

"Your magic is impressive," I said, intrigued by his abilities. "You said Spatial affinity? Was that not a gravity spell with the disks?

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't pull them, it folds the space between the disk and the sphere, rendering it inescapable, because there is no space between the two objects for you to create distance between."

"That's...Wow, that's really awesome." I said impressed.

After our rigorous training session in the corrupted domain, Trennel and I finally decided to call it a night. We made our way back to my estate, a stark contrast to the desolate field we had left behind. The grandeur of the mansion's architecture was taunting as if a reminder of the hovels and huts in the village.

Inside, the mansion was a world of luxury and extravagance, that drove home how real it was that I was standing here. Having only been allowed in a palace once as a boy, when my father received an accommodation from the Baron that ruled over the Island nation of Quindova I had grown up on. I had ignored the scope of what my new life really entailed for the most part focusing on my goals, but now bringing someone back here, it sat poignantly in the forefront of my mind.

Walking in, the crystal chandeliers illuminated the spacious foyer, and fine tapestries adorned the walls. Trennel's footsteps echoed in the marble-floored corridors as I led him to my private study in the basement Alchemy Laboratory that I had taken to thinking of as mine, which was still a bit odd when I thought too deeply about it.

"Welcome to my sanctuary," I said with a hint of pride and sarcasm mixed together, gesturing to the room filled with shelves of ancient tomes I had pilfered from the limited stock in the upstairs library.

A large wooden workbench stood at the center, covered with scrolls and crystals from my workings earlier in the day, and an assortment of enchanted items in various stages of failure.

"It's quiet." He remarked, taking a step inside.

"It helps with concentration."

"The one in the Royal Palace has too many stations, being used by every branch family and minor noble house that could not afford the Lei-lines to be built into the foundations of their properties. There are usually a dozen people at any given time working on something or another." He sighed deeply, running his fingers across the table's pits as he walked around it.

"Lei-lines? " The moment the words left my lips, an image of a passage came to mind, as if I had just read it. It was a page out of one of the Novice Enchanting textbooks Mel had fully absorbed. Already having asked the question, and hoping to get some more insight that the book may not have held, I asked, "As in, the Mana circuits that run throughout the entire world?

I could tell this was something he took great interest in, as Trennel was more than happy to explain. He answered shaking his head. "That is where the idea came from. No, I'm talking about the artificial Lei-lines that have been extended from those. As you clearly are aware these naturally occurring circuits circulate Mana from deposits all over the world. These lines are not suitable to tap into, so a practice was devised to divert some of the Mana through manmade Lei-lines, bringing a higher abundance of Mana saturation to the more populated regions, which paved the way for heated water and inter-territorial transportation"

"If this was done to increase the magic of an entire region, why would you need to have them installed in your property to use an Enchanters table? You can use Enchanters Mats anywhere?"

"That is because the are not meant for large crafts and thus can rely solely on the ambient Mana in a given area. Constructing these lines directly into a house gives you the ability to work with more complex Runes and affinities without the fear of destroying your workstation."

I nodded as this had been in the book, though I had thought that the Lei-lines that powered each populated region had been natural ones.

"Why would they not try to make that more widely available?" I asked.

Trennel shrugged. "No idea. The creation of Lei-lines is a proprietary secret held by Master tiers. Those who can afford to buy the services of those Masters to install them at a designated location have no knowledge of how it is accomplished. My guess would be for a sort of balance. I don't know what the ramifications would be if you dispersed the natural Mana to such an extent in which it would be widely available, it could weaken the Mana in other regions by siphoning too much of a natural branch of Lei-lines."

"Makes sense. That could end with disastrous consequences, and I'm sure they are doing quite well from owning the rights."

Trennel laughed. "You're not wrong. I was curious, and as my father's aide, I have access to expense reports, so I went to take a peek. I found nothing, no receipt of transaction whatsoever. I did some more digging and found that my grandfather had liquidated several high-value assets to keep it off the books."

"Would you mind helping me, I haven't been able to have any breakthroughs in success when it comes to my Enchanting."

"I don't see why not, there were a few in my first term enchanters course, that hadn't had any successful crafts before attending, mainly combat-focused students. I will tell you the same thing my instructor told them. Do not force it. When I craft, I feel for the Mana and let it guide me, rather than the other way around. Mana is a fluid energy and seeks to keep flowing, It will move if you give it the means to."

Trennel began to inspect the materials on the table that I had been using on my last project – the fire ring.

"Let me show you a craft so you can get a better sense of the method. Watch how the Mana interacts with my own, while I do the infusing"

He meticulously selected a flawed ruby gemstone from the pile I had in a small basket hanging off the side of the table, its deep crimson hue shimmering in the Manalight.

He also replaced the iron band with a crack down its length, which was still sitting in the spatial drawer, with a fresh one made of a more Mana conductive silver from the small box I had at the edge of the table where I kept my duplicate scratch pieces of varying quality.

He pulled out the etching rod and tablet, placed the gem back into one of the cavities on the table, and sat at the chair staring intently.

As he worked, I watched in fascination, observing the precision and care he put into every step of the enchanting process. His fingers moved with a deftness that spoke of years of practice, and his knowledge of arcane Runes and elemental Mana was impressive. I thought about the mail he was wearing, understanding now that he had probably crafted it himself.

Trennel carefully inscribed additional runes onto the silver band, something far more complex than I was capable of.

Each one representing a different aspect and type of fire magic. He channeled his own mana into the table.

I watched it flow as it began mixing the particles of pure Mana with the Fire Mana in the crystal, swirling it together before pulling both down the channel directly into the ring, infusing each Rune with its elemental energy.

The ruby gemstone began to glow with an inner fire, its brilliance intensifying with each passing moment, before dimming to an opaque pinkish hue. The crystal would still be attuned to Fire Mana and able to be recharged by someone like Fras, so Trennel deposited the empty vessel into the bin next to the table that had others from my own crafting sessions.

Minutes ticked by as Trennel worked tirelessly, his concentration unbroken. The room was filled with a warm, comforting aura of fire magic. Finally, with a satisfied smile, he held up the completed ring for me to see. "Did you see it? Or do you want me to have another go?"

I Identified the ring.

Silver band of Parvus Sphera

(Rare)

Type>Item>Ring

+(1% Vitality) Armor

(Beginner)

Enchantment: Conjure a small sphere of fire. Does moderate damage based on Willpower. Cost: 10 Mana/Second when not used in combat. Cost: Equal to damage dealt. Decreased Mana cost based on Intellegence.

The ring was a work of art and a useful tool for both combat and practical applications such as lighting in dark areas and starting fires for camp. The ruby red Mana settled at the center of each rune, radiating a fiery glow before extinguishing to a dimmer tint. Trennel's enchantment had imbued each Rune giving it the effect to conjure small orbs of flames at will, around six inches in diameter, based on the sizing Rune that told the Enchantment how large to make the sphere.

I now saw where I had been going wrong, the way Trennel had suffused his Mana into the crystal was equivalent to snaking a clogged drain, whereas I had been blowing on it from the other side, hoping to dislodge the Mana from the crystal with brute force.

I'm getting really tired of obvious things not just being spelled out. It would make things so much simpler.

"Well, at least you know now right? With how long you will have in the Library, I doubt a single person would label you as a failure." Mel said, trying to cheer me up. "It's not your fault you 'pushed' on an unlabeled 'pull' door."

I groaned internally. You're not wrong. I know it will come eventually, and if I succeed I will have more time than most, but it still makes me feel dumb for not even considering it.