"I see you've continued your studies on light magic, Dante." said the headmaster watching in mild awe, even as his eyes tracked the movements of the spell.
Analyzing everything he could see.
"Studies? No, I just made it with a little experimentation." He replied.
Dante looked upon the shocked mages as he began to shape the spell.
Though doing so required great effort, great Will.
+1 Will...
+5 points into the Road of the Unyielding Will...
Mana manipulation has leveled up! Lvl. 8...
"Huh...this might be a good way to grind the mana manipulation skill." He said as he slowly bent every band of light to the left.
Slowly he bent them until they formed loops, creating the overall, rough, shape of a flower.
Mana manipulation has leveled up! Lvl. 9...
"We were informed you had become a cleric recently. Yesterday to be precise. Did you make this spell with the aid of your patron? Is it a divine spell?" Asked the Elven man. His voice taking on a more serious tone.
"No, I made this spell before I became a cleric." replied Dante.
The older wizards stand in stunned silence. The elven man was the first to recover.
"Then perhaps it's not a class restricted spell. May we see the spell's blue box?" He asked politely. Though his eyes betrayed him, making his fervent hunger for knowledge plain to see.
"Sure." Dante replied as he summoned the blue box for the spell and replicated it for the dozen wizards present.
He grew distracted for a moment at the applause of the crowd that had gathered for his display. He turned to look, then smiled and waved to the crowd before continuing to pass out the blue boxes.
No sooner had they get the boxes did they begin to meticulously inspect their text. Trying to dissect everything about the spell they could from its description.
"This is remarkable. A spell that even a lower level wizard could use to light a good part of if not an entire dungeon for an hour!"
"That's not even counting the increased duration from upcasting!"
"I wonder why it's erroring at the end there. Dante, do you have an idea as to why that is happening?" Asked the elven man offhandedly not truly expecting an answer.
"I have an idea of why that may be happening." He replied, eliciting silence from the wizards.
The headmaster spoke up. "Please explain it to us, Dante."
"Let me try and put this in such a way that it requires as little knowledge of Earth as possible. In basics the spell system this spell is working off of only goes up to 9th level spells. In the lore however, you could go beyond that at one time. 10th, 11th, and even a single 12th level spell were accessible, though they are no longer. The point is since it seems belief made the spell's of this system real, it would make sense that the spell's above 9th level are real as well." He said, pausing to allow them to respond.
"I thought as much. It's one of the few ways spell's could be this cheap to cast..." spoke the elven mage, clearly he had taken the lead on these discussions.
"Yes it would seem so. But while I suspect there was enough belief to bring those higher level spells into existence, their mana costs are likely...exorbitant. Actually we can check right now. System store, D&D spell Provtiv’s Move mountain." He spoke, inquiring about the system.
ERORR!...
Spell has failed to calculate!...
Item unavailable. Please check back later...
"Well it seems that's unavailable, Karsus's Avatar."
...
Calculating...
'Oh shit! That one works?!' Dante exclaimed in his mind, shocked and surprised. Having expected the same result as the last attempt.
"Now is not the right time Dante..." spoke the all too familiar voice of Rosana.
Query canceled...
'Well that's interesting.' He thought as his face of shock became one of mild disappointment.
"What happened?" asked the collected wizards who were watching him carefully.
"The first one failed completely. It errored out, then told me the item wasn't available. Second one went through, then my lady spoke to me for a moment and then the query got canceled. Makes sense for that spell." He said rubbing his chin. Feeling his whiskers from a few days of not shaving.
The archmages looked somewhat disappointed but didn't question what had been told to him. Quickly they shook off the stun and continued their conversations.
"I think I can speak for all of us when I say we would like to learn your spell Dante." Spoke the headmaster as he put his hands on Dante's shoulder. Looking to the other Archmages for a moment for confirmation, they all nodded in agreement.
"Now Dante we can't expect you to teach us something for free. So, if you teach us this spell and how you made it, we shall teach you two 2nd level wizard spells. Alternatively we could teach you 4 additional 1st level spells, or two 1st level spells and one 2nd level spell. No matter your choice it will be free of charge." Spoke the headmaster
"I can't cast those yet though, right? I'm stuck with the first level spells aren't I?" Dante questioned.
"Yes and no. Wizards are somewhat unique in that we can cast spells of one or more levels higher than what we can normally cast. The mana required to cast the spells however are doubled for every level you go above your normal ability. And of course you must actually learn the spell, or have a scroll of it. So, one above is double, two above is quadrupled, three is Octuple, and so on. We can teach you any of those combinations I have stated to you. So, do you accept this bargain?" Asked the headmaster, his eyes shining with interest.
He thought for a moment and came to an answer.
"I agree to your terms. I will take the two additional 1st level spells and a 2nd level spell. I assume that is in addition to the spells I'll learn as part of my basic wizard training?"
"Yes it will. Now since we know the spell scales, with caster level, and we want to get the full effect. Please teach us out here, but first..." The headmaster paused as he waved his arm in a wide arc.
Dante watched as a transparent dome appeared, the dome was about 100 feet in diameter. 50 feet in all directions around them.
To Dante nothing changed save the erection of the dome. To those outside it, the group vanished from sight leaving only the scenery. Not a sound could be heard through the barrier, and only those unaware dared to pass through it.
"Let's begin." said the headmaster.
Over the next 20 minutes, through trial and error Dante managed to teach the spell to Archmage Illiat, (i-ll-iat), as he discovered the Elven archmages name was, along with the other Archmages. It was more than worth it to see the amazing light shows that each of them produced when they cast the spells. Their castings filled the sky with colors. The entire sky of the tutorial zone was filled with dancing bands of colorful light. Many of the Archmages said that they had just leveled skills that hadn't leveled in years.
A wall of text filled his vision.
You have earned a rare achievement! Teach the Teacher!...
Teach the Teacher- For even an Archmage can still learn a thing or two. +2 Int and Wis on level ups...
The Teacher's Road has opened to you!...
Breakthrough!...
Student of Magic has ranked up!...
Student of Magic has risen to the Rank Rare to reflect your achievement!...
Student of Magic has leveled up! Lvl. 5->7...
For your achievements, you shall be granted 1000 experience for each Archmage you have taught this day....
+13,000 exp!...
You have leveled up!...
You have leveled up!...
You have gained levels in the, Unc. class, Wizard!...
Your achievements are not numerous, but they're commendable! One system spell tome as promised...
"Holy shit...." he said wide eyed.
He felt that door in the back of his mind open once more and this time light didn't pour out.
No, he blinked and he was there.
He stood before an open set of golden double doors. The world around him was a static filled white.
Standing in the doorway just beyond the threshold in a golden room was...
"Rosana." Dante said in surprise.
Come.
Take your prize.
He looked and saw in her outstretched hands a large tome bound in crimson leather. Upon its face was her holy symbol, a heart grasped by a skeletal hand, in golden embroidery.
He reached out and took it.
As he did so the tome burned with bright golden light.
He felt his mind being reordered.
The chaotic static of free floating spells was brought to peace and order within the pages of this tome.
He opened his eyes and the door was shut. The tome was in his hands and he knew exactly where he should put it.
He blinked from that white place and appeared within his soul space. Within the farmhouse.
He gently set the tome upon the table, smiled and then blinked from that place.
Unknown to Dante, the burning heart began to react with the new item.
Its burning flame pulsed brighter, and the heart upon the embroidered heart upon the tomes face, beat, despite the grip of death.
Badump...
With each beat of the heart, the flame pulsed brighter and dimmed in perfect sync with it.
Badump...
Badump...
---------------
After his lesson to the Archmages and wall of text, the barrier was taken down and the collected mages returned to their works, but not before they all sent him friend requests. Each stating this or that.
"I could use an apprentice like you. Come by my office later." said an older bald orc woman who had been among the archmages present.
"If you make any new discoveries, message me." Said Illiat the elven mage.
After the dozen archmages said what they had to say to him, he was led by the headmaster back to the room they had been in previously.
At that time he was given a blue box containing a list to read through.
"These are the spells the system has approved teaching you for your first few levels in wizard. Take a look." Said the headmaster.
As he looked over the spells he noticed they were all from D&D. According to his memory, they all seemed to be spells that wizards could learn.
"Why these spells?" He asked.
"These are the spell's that the system says you are most likely to be able to use effectively. Wizard training tends to be rather different from world to world so I can't readily teach you any of the spells that I know. So, these are your only options for now." Said the headmaster.
"Can I just choose all of them?" Dante asked with a cheeky smile.
The headmaster smiled too.
"No, unfortunately that's not allowed. You can learn...hum...Your Intellect is higher than anticipated. We will adjust the number of spells you can learn accordingly. You can learn 4 more cantrips from the wizard spell list. You can learn 10 1st level spells, 12 counting the 2 we owe you, and one 2nd level spell. If you wish to learn more after that, you'll have to either learn them here or buy them from the system store." said the headmaster.
Dante nodded with a wide smile on his face.
"Let's start with the cantrips shall we?" asked Dante.
The headmaster simply gestured such that it indicated, "You do what suits you."
Dante mentally went through his new system tome finding all his cleric spells inscribed within its pages.
'Ok which cantrips do I already have...Oh I have thaumaturgy! Definitely choosing Prestidigitation then. Mending, already have that...I wonder if the system has the spells from Arc's?
"A moment please headmaster. System store, oh how do I say that name?" Dante paused trying to figure out the proper way of saying what he wanted.
Speak the name and the system will know what you meant...
"Ok then. Arc's Mending." he said aloud.
(Modified versions of spells of the same name from Ar'Kendrithyst. Go check it out it's an amazing story! You can find it here on Royal Road.)
Mend (1)
Touch a small non-magical, non-complicated object and restore it to its prime.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Instant, Range: touch, Mana cost: 100 mana, Purchase price: 100 small gold
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Do you wish to purchase? Y/N
'YES! MINE!' Dante screamed in his mind as he slammed the yes button.
No RP will be awarded to you for the gaining of this spell, nor its "Leveling". Thank you for your purchase...
The door in the back of his mind opened for a moment to let light pour in before shutting once more.
He felt something else open in his mind.
---------------
Divine light poured out from the doorway and flowed out into Dante's mind only to feel an inescapable pull.
The light was pulled into it and met the waiting, empty, pages of a certain tome.
The light poured into the tome before setting into place, the tome gently closing before resting once more on the table.
The Burning heart dancing in the fireplace, excited by the display.
---------------
He saw the blue box go static before it came back, the text having changed.
Mend (4)
Touch, and or target, a medium non-magical, non-complicated object and restore it to its prime.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Instant, Range: 4 meters, Mana cost: 100 mana
'It scales with levels that I already have?!' his eye twitched.
Next he looked up Cleanse.
Cleanse (1)
Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Instant, Range: 1 meter, Mana cost: 100 mana, Purchase price: 100 small gold Do you wish to purchase? Y/N
'YOU KNOW I DO!' He exclaimed in his mind as he slammed the yes button. The headmaster giving him quizical looks as he made funny faces in his excitement.
No RP will be awarded to you for the gaining of this spell, nor its "Leveling". Thank you for your purchase...
Again the door opened, and again he felt...
'Oh that must be the system spell book opening.' Dante concluded with a smile and a slap on his own forhead.
Cleanse (4)
Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Instant, Range: 4 meters, Mana cost: 100 mana
After checking out some of the other spells from Arcs he found teleport wasn't cheap and he was told he didn't meet the requirements to purchase the spell. He did manage to pick up the only other basic Arcs spell he could remember at the moment, Grow.
Grow (1)
Cultivate a single plant, or induce growth in an area. Area equal to "level" in meters.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Variable, Range: Variable, Mana cost: 50 mana, Variable, Purchase price: 100 small gold Do you wish to purchase? Y/N
'Another 100 small gold, but well worth the modest price. Yes please!' He thought as once the song and dance of door's and light sang in his mind.
No RP will be awarded to you for the gaining of this spell, nor its "Leveling". Thank you for your purchase...
Grow (4)
Cultivate a single plant, or induce growth in an area. Area equal to "level" in meters.
Scales with caster level. Maximum (10)
Duration: Variable, Range: Variable, Mana cost: 50 mana, Variable
"Back to cantrips." he said happy with his purchases.
He began going through the cantrips first.
(For those of you wondering, he is basically going through the 5e Wizard spell list. https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spell_lists/wizard_spells/ Here you go.)
'Prestidigitation is an immediate yes. Mage hand, yes. He paused for a moment trying to decide between more utility cantrips or some of the damaging ones.
After a moment of debate he chose Ray of frost and Fire bolt.
He didn't bother checking their blue boxes as he suspected their changes weren't much worth noting right now.
He rattled off the cantrips he had chosen before asking what was next only for a new blue box to appear.
Do you wish to learn, Prestidigitation, Mage hand, Fire bolt, and Ray of frost? Y/N?
Dante looked to the headmaster curious as he pointed to the blue box. Eliciting a chuckle from the headmaster. "It's your choice."
'I'll probably buy the other cantrips later if I need them.' He thought then clicked the yes button.
He paused, relishing the feeling of that door opening and letting light pour through into his mind. Then it was over.
"Now the 1st level spells." He said with a smile. Scrolling through the blue box he examined his options for first level spells.
A few moments of weighing the scales so to speak and he came up with his 12.
Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Find Familiar because who doesn't want a pet that can never die.
Grease, Identify, for those stubborn items that didn't want to tell you what they were.
Magic Missile and Shield, obviously. Unseen Servant, Thunderwave because SHIA KAZING!
Mage Armor, Jump, and Longstrider.
He learned those spell's. But he had to spend about 12 small gold more for the material components for Find familiar.
A large Brass brazier along with the charcoal, incense and herbs needed to burn in it.
As a bonus he learned that most any materials that fit those descriptions would work for the spell.
Thinking of DND familiars reminded him of the familiars from Arc's.
"Have to check into that later. As for now, time to choose my one and only free second level spell." said Dante.
Scrolling through the list some stood out. Darkvision, alter self, enlarge/reduce, spider climb. But each time he tried to pick one of them he got the distinct feeling that he would get them later anyway.
'Cleric of Life...Maybe those are on my spell list. Ok let's go with that. We can buy them later if we're wrong. So that means we take...Oh shit! Wait, I forgot about Rope trick.' he exclaimed in his mind.
"I will take Rope trick, thank you very much."
With that he learned Rope Trick, bringing to a close this lesson from the headmaster.
"Now let's test at least one of them out. Remember this Dante, magic is self expressive in many ways. So, the same spell from two different caster may look somewhat different or entirely different for several reasons. From the way it's cast, to the words spoken. What's most important is the will behind the action." Said the headmaster with a warm smile.
Dante raised his hands and made a finger gun, and as he spoke he lowered his thumb, "Magic Missile!"
Three small darts of force leapt from his finger striking the testing dummy.
Magic Missile, Lvl. 1
You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 100 +(caster level x10) force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates additional darts for each slot level above 1st. Creates (base +(3x levels above base) darts.
Cast time: 1 second, Duration: Instant, Mana cost: 90 mana, Range: 120 +(caster level x10) feet
"Ah, a classic. Anyway, the system informs me to tell you a few things. One being that once you have 16 levels in wizard you can utilize 2nd level spells without the penalty. Second being that once you have 6 levels in Wizard you can choose your arcane tradition." spoke the headmaster.
Dante immediately snapped to attention saying, "Transmutation! I'm going to go fullmetal, wait a minute!" he suddenly pauses as a thought donned on him.
"Forgive the mess but I ...I...I..." Try as he might, the words he wanted wouldn't come forth.
"I am going to test something, and if I'm right this information will be of great value to you and the other's here." He said after taking a moment to focus.
"Very well then. I'm waiting." was the headmaster's reply.
"System store, stick of white chalk." He scrolled for a moment and found a large pack of chalk resembling something a parent would buy for their child to draw on the sidewalk with.
It had chalk sticks as wide as a quarter. It was 1 small gold.
With his newly purchased chalks he pulled the white chalk and stored the rest for later and began trying to draw a perfect circle on the wood flooring.
Drawing has leveled up! Lvl. 2...
"Shit!"
Drawing has leveled up! Lvl. 3...
"Fuck!"
Drawing has leveled up! Lvl. 4...
"Come ON!" He exclaimed, frustrated with his inability to draw a perfect circle.
The headmaster looked on with mild amusement and crossed arms at the frustrated boy before him.
Then an idea struck Dante.
+1 Wis...
Taking that as confirmation he used Cleanse to erase the chalk he had already laid down. As the spell took effect the chalk on the floor became small clouds of thick air that quickly dissipated into the atmosphere. Leaving the floor spotlessly clean.
Once that was done he got on the heel of one of his boots. Using his left hand for balance and to spin himself, he pressed the end of the white chalk stick in his right hand to the ground and began to spin.
+1 Dex...
"I suppose I haven't even been trying to train dex..." He stopped himself, shaking his head and returned to the task at hand.
"One more turn!" No sooner had he said it than the perfect circle was complete.
Breakthrough!...
You have drawn a perfect circle!...
Drawing has leveled up! Lvl. 4->12!...
A moment more of trial and error and he had completed the basic transmutation circle.
A circle with three triangles spread equally apart intersecting the circle and pointing inward.
Drawing has leveled up! Lvl. 13->15...
"Come on Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, I believe in you!" He said as he pressed both his hands to the circle.
He poured forth his will into the circle and the chalk began to glow for a moment as lightning arced from it.
He held a single image in his mind.
A wooden bird, just like Ed's first transmutation.
Mana Sense has leveled up! Lvl. 21...
The headmaster grew concerned even as his interest flared. He quickly cast a spell to erect a wall of force around Dante and the arcing circle should anything explode.
Quickly the wooden floor was shifting within the circle.
The wood seemed to almost flow up into a small wooden peg about 3 inches tall before it was shaped into the form of a bird.
Dante felt something new, a feeling of connection that hadn't been there before.
"I guess I have myself a door of truth now." He said, cracking a smile.
You have earned the title, Novice Craftsmen (Transmutation)...
You have earned the title, Novice Alchemist (Transmutation)...
--------------
Elsewhere
In a plane of all white stood a lone set of stone double doors which floated about a foot off the pure white ground.
The doors were blank, save for the depiction of a small bird with wings outspread at the very middle of it.
A lone figure stood before the door, arms crossed with a smile.
His form too was all white, the only thing to differentiate him from the white around him being the black aura that outlined his form.
"Another one huh? Things are getting interesting!"
---------
"Uh...sorry about the floor." Dante said to the headmaster who had dropped the wall of force around him and now stood over him. His eyes shining with intensity.
--------------
An hour and a half later...
Over the course of that long conversation with the headmaster he had learned that while alchemy worked it was different from how it was in the show.
In the show it worked on tectonic energy. Which almost certainly didn't exist in this pocket dimension. No, it seemed that alchemical transmutations worked similar to cantrips now. Being that they drew mana from the atmosphere to work. Which still meant that there were upper limits to the area that could be transmuted. Though that upper limit was unknown at the moment and likely variable based on several factors, said the headmaster.
Dante was glad that Alchemy was working. To get the headmaster off of him for a while he showed him Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood on the system store and said if he wanted to learn he could learn how he did. The headmaster promptly bought the show before locking himself in his office to watch it.
Dante and Califa walked out of the Mages guild still being questioned by several mages, only for him to give the same response he had given the headmaster. This seemed to satisfy them for the moment.
Seeing them distracted for a moment he grabbed Califa by the hand and they rushed away, leaving the mages to their "research".
About a block away they stopped in an alley between two buildings.
As Califa smiled to herself blushing, Dante heard something behind him.
Spinning around he saw a large orange cat laying on the floor.
It meowed weakly reaching out its paw towards him.
He saw blood.
He stepped over toward the cat quickly and was horrified.
(Trauma Warning!)
------------------
Tom was an ordinary cat.
He had been picked up by some crazy lady and then in a flash of light he found himself somewhere else.
He had fought tooth and nail escaping the women's grip and fled into the crowd.
Night fell on the first day and rose on the second...
Eventually he had made his way into the city where he had smelled so many interesting things.
There he had managed to find a few morsels that people had dropped.
The second day ended and so came the third day...
On the third day he was walking around as he had the day before, several hours had passed since the sun had risen and the sun was already high in the sky.
He heard someone calling to him.
He turned to see a woman in green robes.
She spoke and he understood her.
She held out a piece of meat for him. Offering it to him.
He approached cautiously, but tempted ever further by the smell of meat.
Before he could even take a bite however, something hit him.
He hissed and screamed as he raced away. He felt burning pain in his stomach. He wanted a place to hide, to be safe from this pain...
"Go left into the alley..." spoke a voice not unlike the other woman's. As it spoke, he understood it, and it compelled him to listen.
He felt something moving on the other side of the building.
He knew that whatever it was, it would put an end to his pain. He knew that if he listened to the voice that he would meet that thing in the alley.
He knew not how he knew, only that he knew.
There was a great crash behind him and following his instincts he darted into the alley.
Had he looked back he would have seen several guards tackling a particular rogue for quote, "Being an asshole".
There he came to rest on the ground next to the wall. The world was starting to spin.
He saw someone coming into the alley. He knew that it was them, and so he reached out his paw towards them.
-----------------
Dante saw that the cat was bleeding horrendously from its stomach. It was reaching out its left paw towards him.
"The fuck happened to you? Cure Wounds!" Dante exclaimed as he cast the spell upon the cat as he held its head.
Cure Wounds, Lvl. 1
A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 100 + INT health points. This spell has (variable) effects on undead or constructs.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by, (base +(2x levels above base), for each slot level above 1st. (+200 additional at 2nd, +400 at 3rd, +600 at 4th, so on.)
Duration: Instant, Range: Touch, Mana cost: 90 mana
But nothing happened.
He cast it again.
But still nothing happened.
The wound on the cat's stomach wouldn't heal.
It was as if something was preventing the wound from being healed.
The cat gave one last small meow, and the bleeding stopped. The cat went limp in his grasp.
Dante couldn't believe what had just happened.
In fact, he refused to believe it.
Again, and again, and again he cast Cure Wounds upon the cat.
"I am a Bishop of Rosana! A cleric of life! I won't let you die!" He spoke through gritted teeth.
It was then that he felt Califa's hand on his shoulder.
"You can stop now Dante, it's dead." She said as she knelt down and held him.
He must have cast the spell 10 times by now.
He refused.
"System Store!" He shouted, if he couldn't do it himself then he would pay for the system to do it. He didn't care if it might be a waste of money. Then a message came in.
The System Store will not provide you with the service you are seeking...
I am truly sorry Dante. This is just how it has to be...
It was then that reality truly donned on him, and he felt his heart breaking.
Or must it?...
As his tears began to flow, mourning for this small creature he had failed to save. That seemed to have been brought here for him to save.
He felt that door in the back of his mind open but a crack and an idea donned on him.
He was reminded of a single line of text from a spell's description.
The spell, Find Familiar to be precise.
'Bind a spirit to your service...' He thought.
"I have to try." He said with determination as he rubbed the cat's head.
Burning Heart has leveled up! Lvl. 5->7!...
Badump!...
You have leveled up!...
In a second the body of the cat was in his inventory.
Badump!...
He stood up. It was within his power, he was sure of it!
Badump!...
He only hoped he wasn't falling to the same hubris of the Elrich brother's.
"I'm sorry Califa. Let's go to the Adventurer's guild tomorrow." He said, speaking more a statement than a request.
Califa voiced no opposition, only her understanding.
Telling him how she had thrown up when her father had been teaching her how to slaughter the farm animals she had loved for so many years.
Dante and Califa returned to the Crystal Foot Inn and Dante went straight to his room, locking the door behind him.