Alex slumped deeper into the extra reading chair in his office. Several tis over the last hour, he had relocated within the small space to change the environnt as much as he could. Now, though, the weight of the amulet hung heavy against his chest. Valtherion floated nearby, and his usually energetic attitude was dulled significantly from their constant channeling of mana through the early afternoon.
“Val hungry,” the little creature grumbled. His voice was barely above a whisper.
Alex’s fingers twitched, and he forced himself not to grab his phone and attempt to do sothing to distract himself. His excitent had tapered off long ago, leaving him feeling bored and frustrated at the amount of mana required to activate the spirit item.
“Soon, buddy,” Alex murmured. “I think we’re close.”
If I realized it was this expensive, I probably would have just used a mana stone or two…
He took a deep breath and channeled the last portion of his mana into the artifact. As he pushed his mana into the piece of tal clasped in his hand, he concentrated on the steady stream that was being devoured.
For a mont, he thought he could sense a subtle change, and then—there! He felt an ancient and powerful presence stirring from within. Alex leaned forward, feeling so of his earlier excitent return.
As he felt the consciousness begin to rise up, Alex grew more and more excited. It beca apparent that the spirit within the amulet was much more than just an unthinking spirit item. It was clear how smart and powerful the spirit was, to where Alex actually withdrew for a mont, worried and shocked at the breadth of the mind within the item.
Wow, this is really going to happen! I’m going to get an advanced runic teacher. This is perfect!
“Co on,” he whispered. “Wake up.”
The air in the office seed to freeze, and Alex could feel the muscles in his back and shoulders tense in anticipation. With little to no fanfare, a voice resonated in Alex’s mind. It sounded deep and gravelly and dripped with a sense of weariness.
There was a great, long sigh within Alex’s mind. “Great. Another one. What kind of novice has the System dumped on this ti?”
Alex straightened in his chair and tried to ignore the slight shakiness in his limbs and the gradually creeping migraine from hours of borderline mana exhaustion. “I’m Alex Moore,” he said aloud, unsure of how he could best respond to the disembodied voice in his mind. “Who are you?”
"My na is Maelis Torvyn." The voice in his mind paused as if expecting so amount of recognition. When none ca, a bitter laugh followed his words. "Used to an sothing - Runemaster of the Seventh Sphere, The Wandering Scholar, all of that... bah, forget it. Not like any of that matters on this backwater world.”
“It’s great to et you, Maelis,” Alex said, nodding his head out of habit despite the lack of a visual presence. He couldn’t help but look around, curious to see if there would be so sort of floating spirit watching. “I’ve been excited to learn about runic magic since I received the amulet.”
A sensation of skepticism washed over Alex as if Maelis were examining him from within. “Eager, are you? And how long have you been awakened? It doesn’t seem like your foundation is very well established. You must be a prodigy of unparalleled talent for the System to grant you an artifact of my caliber.”
Alex hesitated. “About three months, maybe five months if you consider my ti in an Epic Rift.”
A groan of disbelief and exasperation flooded through the ntal link. “Three months? By Grimalkin’s balls, is the System on so Dust?” Maelis’s voice grew louder in Alex’s mind. “In my day, one would study for years before even touching an enchantnt, let alone wielding an artifact like myself.”
Alex felt the imdiate need to be defensive despite not even being sure what the spirit ant. “Well, our world is changing fast, and I’m just trying to keep up and adapt. The System took one of my skills and so knowledge that I had, and in exchange, you were my reward.”
"Right, right." Maelis's tone dripped with familiar weariness. "So what makes you think you're different from the last thousand kids who thought they were special? You really think you can learn what I know in a few months when, back in my day, people used to spend decades just learning the basics?”
Alex took a breath to rein in his frustration.
Did I just really get back-in-my-day’ed by an ancient spirit?
There was so amusent from Maelis, but Alex pushed ahead, ready to explain his theory and how he hoped to use runes in combination with modified rituals rather than the traditional way that they were used in enchanting.
But before he could speak, Maelis’s voice cut through his thoughts once more. "Hold up, kid. Don't bother answering that." Maelis's voice carried the weight of countless similar conversations. "Let guess - you've got an entire speech prepared about how different you are. Save it. Just... tell what you can actually do. What's your Status look like?”
Alex frowned but settled back into his chair, preparing for a long conversation. He glanced over at Valtherion, who was eagerly attempting to stick his head inside the Oreo flap to grab multiple cookies out of the tray.
Sighing, Alex ran his hand through his hair. This skeptical old man wasn’t quite the ntor he had been hoping for. Still, he was determined to make the best of the situation and felt that not all hope was lost. Perhaps Maelis was just a potentially strict teacher and not one who might actively try to waste his ti.
Alex thought back to his ti with Eura and how, when they’d begun to train together, the wise celestial had started with an assessnt of his current skills in order to create a custom training.
“Alright, Maelis, I’ll tell you about my status.”
He started explaining his levels and stats, but Maelis wanted to focus on the skills Alex had gained and what he knew about magic so far. Changing gears, Alex went over what he had learned about runes from Evan and his own studies in the Foundation’s manual.
There was a mont when Maelis seed impressed to a small degree at how quickly Alex had leveled, though when Alex explained how he had t the mana spinners and had gained levels rapidly while running from the Shadow Sect, he snorted in derision and all but dismissed Alex.
"Yeah, yeah, fascinating stuff," Maelis interrupted, his voice heavy with familiar cynicism. "So, you stumbled face-first into power like a drunk finding the ground. And yeah, stumbled is exactly the right word.”
Alex bristled. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”
"Sure you have, brat." A tired sigh echoed through their connection. "Look, let's get sothing straight. This isn't a full-ti thing. If you want my help, you’ve got to charge up the amulet. System says I have to teach whoever I get stuck with, so I'll show you the basics. Nothing fancy, nothing advanced. You’ll learn the proper way to use runes. Then, as you progress, you get to learn more. That's the deal. Got it?”
Alex’s brows ca together, and he felt his fist tighten at his side. The spirit had gone from grumpy to interested to now outright sarcastic and rude. Alex wondered if it was too late to try to trade the item in for sothing different.
Maelis imdiately began droning on about the fundantals of runes, his tone suggesting he expected Alex to be overwheld imdiately.
Alex listened intently, but as Maelis delved into the story of the first rune, he couldn’t help but interrupt, hoping to save them both so ti. “Maelis, this is really interesting, and I do want to learn this stuff, but I have a theory about combining runes into my modified ritual circles. I think we could-”
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"Oh, you've got to be kidding .” Maelis’s voice cut through Alex’s mind as he was interrupted from his lesson. "A theory? After what, three whole months of fumbling around with magic?”
Alex pressed on, so of his enthusiasm returning and taking over his caution. “Yes. Let show you my notes. See, if we integrate runes into the structure of these modified rituals through the catalyst node, I think I could potentially amplify the effects and totally get rid of the need for—”
“Enough,” Maelis thundered, causing Alex to wince at the interruption and the sheer volu of the spirit’s voice in his head. "Listen, hotshot. I've watched entire civilizations burn. Seen countless 'geniuses' just like you turn themselves into ash because they thought they were too smart to follow the rules. But sure, you've got it all figured out after three months.”
“I’m not saying that I’ve got it figured out, I just-”
“Yeah, yeah. Spill out your theory if you want. You’re only wasting your ti, kid, since the mana in the amulet is running out. But I’m telling you, I’ve heard this sa thing before.”
“Wait… you’ve heard of soone putting runes and rituals together?”
Maelis snorted. “No. No one I’ve known before was stupid enough to even have the thought. I’m saying I’ve had students who co in with huge ideas, thinking that learning runes their way is going to solve all of their problems. Looking for so kind of shortcut to power, rather than learning the basics and proper theory.”
Alex fell silent and felt the sudden urge to take off the amulet and throw it across the room, but he pulled his emotions in line.
“I’m sure you know more than . I barely know anything. But what I do know, and from how much I’ve used this magic already… it just feels like there is sothing there. I’m going to keep going on the theory.”
"Fine." A dark, amusent colored Maelis's voice. "Let's make a bet. You actually pull this off— and I an actually make it work, not just blow yourself up - I'll teach you whatever you want. But when it fails? You leave alone for the next century. Let get so actual sleep for once. How's that sound, genius?”
Alex felt his jaw drop at the absurdity of the offer. One very small competitive part of him felt the desire to accept, if only to push himself harder and feel the satisfaction of the spirit’s reaction if he won. However, he knew better than to agree to impossible terms.
“Yeah, no. There’s no way that I’m accepting terms to a bet like that when I’m not even sure my theory will work. That’s exactly why it’s called a theory. I have high hopes that it will work, and I think it would work better and faster if I actually had soone teaching . But no, for what I lost to get you, I’m not going to risk giving you my word not to awaken you for a hundred more years based on a theory.”
There was a mont of silence before Maelis let out a grumpy humph. “Well, at least you show a glimr of sense. Maybe there is a bit of Wisdom in your build so far.”
Alex allowed himself a small smile and found it a little strange how Maelis referred to stats as such a natural thing.
"So, you want to leave you to your groundbreaking research?" The sarcasm in Maelis's voice could have stripped paint.
Alex thought about it for a mont and realized that there was no sense in wasting the ti he did have with Maelis, even if all he was learning were the foundations.
“No, please continue with your lesson however you’d like to. Since our ti is limited, I should at least get to learn sothing. I’ll continue to work on my theory on my own and bring it back up when I’ve got so concrete proof that it works.”
Maelis made a grumbling sound before continuing.
"Right. Guess we're doing this. First thing you need to know about runes - and try to actually pay attention - is the concept of the pri rune.” Suddenly, a complex symbol appeared in Alex’s mind’s eye. A light blue, almost holographic image of a complex rune appeared as suddenly as a System window might, and Alex instinctively ducked down to his right and rolled his left shoulder forward, anticipating so sort of blow to land.
“What the…?” he exclaid. He stood up from his chair and looked around, and no matter how he moved, the floating rune stayed anchored in space where it had originally appeared as if a real floating object.
Val stirred from his cookie-induced slumber. He only lifted his head for a brief mont before curling tighter into a coil on the desk, surrounded by Oreo crumbs.
"Huh. Never seen that trick before, have you?" Maelis's voice carried a hint of smug satisfaction. "Built that feature into the amulet myself, back before... well, doesn't matter now. The point is, I can show you things only you can see.”
Alex shook his head and crouched down to look up at the illusion from a different angle. “But that doesn’t make any sense. There’s no actual mana there. How is there an illusion?”
"Because it's not out there, kid. It's all in your head." A derisive snort echoed through their connection.
“Wow, that’s really cool,” Alex said. “What are the limitations of this ability? How else could we potentially use this?”
"Look, it's all pretty simple. I can only show you stuff where you're looking. Can't touch anything, can't talk to anyone else unless they’re wearing , and nobody else can see what I show you. That's it. Just a teaching tool, nothing fancy.”
Alex nodded, still a bit wary but fascinated by the possibilities. “All right, I think I understand. Sorry, what were you saying about this symbol?”
"This isn't the actual pri rune - that's been gone longer than I've been around. It's just... think of it as an echo. The basic building block of everything. Order and chaos in harmony with one another. Everything else cos from this.”
As Maelis began to explain the various components and concepts of runic magic, Alex couldn’t help but feel himself being drawn in despite his earlier frustration with the spirit. Maelis’s knowledge was clearly superior to any manual he had seen so far, and even in his grumpiness, he was a good teacher when discussing the topic at hand.
Alex grabbed one of his leather notebooks and furiously took notes. Even though there was a lot of overlap with the foundations that Maelis was teaching and what Alex and Evan had learned from one of the early manuals, the biggest difference was that Maelis was clearly confident and could answer questions while showing almost interactive images.
"We're about done here." Weariness crept back into Maelis's voice. "Do yourself a favor and drop this theory of yours. You've got a teacher right here who actually knows what they're talking about. But no, you'll probably go right ahead and ignore centuries of proven thods. They always do.”
Alex was already shaking his head before Maelis even finished the sentence. “No, I’m sorry, but I am almost positive that it will work. It may require so more tinkering with the ritual schematics, but I’m almost positive that it will.”
A long, suffering sigh filled Alex's mind. "What's your Willpower stat? Because you've got an A-Rank Rune Mage telling you to drop this nonsense, and you're still dead set on cramming two types of magic together like a square peg in a round hole. You get how crazy that sounds, right?"
Alex gave a nervous chuckle and told the spirit the number his willpower had recently reached. The silence that followed stretched uncomfortably long.
"Well, that’s absurd… and definitely explains it." Maelis's voice carried a mix of resignation and dark amusent. "I don’t know what you’ve got going on, but the System really did a number on you, didn't it? Gave you enough Willpower to be dangerous. Too bad your body still isn’t D-rank. It’s causing your mind to cling to what you want and can't keep up with your oversized ego. I doubt you’re effectively using even half of that…"
Alex shrugged and couldn't bring himself to say anything or argue. He knew he was being stubborn on the topic and needed to grow more into his Willpower, but sothing in his gut told him that the idea would work, even if it took a bit more ti and effort.
"We're done here." Maelis's presence began to fade. "You want so actual advice? Slow down. Learn the basics. I've seen too many kids like you rush in thinking they're special, only to end up as cautionary tales. Magic's not a race. You trying to sprint through it just ans you'll trip harder."
As the spirit’s presence faded, Alex leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. Despite Maelis’s warnings, he felt more determined than ever to pursue his theory. “Well, it wasn’t a total waste, but I don’t feel like I got enough out of that for how much mana Valtherion and I put into the amulet.” He glanced at Val, who was still asleep on the desk with the flap of the Oreo container partly ajar. “What do you think, buddy? Ready to ignore ‘millennia of established teachings’ and change the world of magic?” When he said the words “millennia of established teaching,” Alex did his best to mimic the grumpy voice of Maelis from within his head.
He paused for a mont and looked up at the ceiling before sending innocent thoughts its way.
Well, not really change the world of magic. Not doing anything related to cheating or two broken skills. Just… standard magical research?
Val stirred slightly and mumbled sothing that sounded suspiciously like “more cookies.”
Alex laughed and reached for his phone on the main desk. He wanted to talk to Evan and share what he’d learned with his study partner, and get his perspective on integrating the new concepts into what they’d studied about runes so far. He wasn’t quite sure if he should share the knowledge of the amulet with Evan just yet, but so far, he hadn’t done anything to appear untrustworthy.
As he typed out a ssage to Evan, Alex wondered if Maelis was still able to see through his own eyes or the surroundings, even when the amulet wasn’t active. He decided that before they had another lesson, he would need to spend more ti talking with the spirit to understand all the functions and limitations. But he pushed those feelings aside for now.
While he respected Maelis’s knowledge, even if the amulet’s attitude grated against his nerves, he felt it was more important to trust his own instincts.
“Sorry, Maelis,” he muttered, “I have to try.”
He sent the ssage to Evan to see if he wanted to get together and set down his phone. Then, he scooped up the notebook he'd used recently to take notes on his progress with the spark rune and laid it out on the desk. With his left hand, he began practicing the mana-shaping exercises for the rune while his main focus was on the drawings of his most recent ritual experint. With his increased knowledge of the ritual, he knew it was ant to be used as a supporting construct on other rituals, like the body tempering ones that it had co from, but he felt that there had to be more he could do with it, especially if there were any slight tweaks or modifications to be made. He worked on both tasks at the sa ti after activating [Parallel Mind].
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