Chương 15: 182. Game Plan

"What is it?" Alex asked, genuinely curious about his excitement.

"Here, look." Scout handed him back his spatial ring, turning to breathe heavily after he did. Alex accepted the ring and frowned as he attempted to push his consciousness into it.

"I can't really tell."

"You've gotten too used to the Realm Walker's Storage Bracer," Warrior said. Alex gave him a look.

"Here, you try. If you can't tell, then you have to unload it and make sure we got everything." Warrior groaned, knowing he'd already lost.

"I'm not doing that. We already know he got everything; you just have to check your memories." Waving his hand, Alex took the ring back and did just that. He checked his memories and sifted through Scout's time in the trading district of their local Safe Zone. There was a moment that drew his attention, mainly from the emotions tied to it. There was a lot of humor tied up in those emotions. Alex rolled his eyes. Now that he knew what to look for, it was easy to call it from the ring with a thought.

A staff, almost as tall as he was, appeared in his hand. It was well-worn, and there were several runes along its length. He knew immediately that Scout had thought it was funny to continue building on the image of a wizard. Already stuck with the hat because of its usefulness, the staff could be the second of the four key pieces of being a wizard.

"Now you're just missing the beard!" Warrior laughed.

"Don't forget the tower!" Scout cheered.

"You know we can't grow a beard," Mage said solemnly.

"Would you guys knock it off," Alex said.

"It's exhausting."

"Aw, come on. We don't mean anything by it. It's just too fun when you know all the right buttons to press." Ignoring them, he scanned the item with his eye, interested to see what the System gave him on the item. E Rank Item - Walking Stick Rarity: Common Type: Staff Enchantment - Pathfinder"What does the enchantment do? Did you test it?"

"I tested it and it works pretty well. It makes your body get less tired when not walking on a path or road." Alex's eyebrow rose.

"That sounds handy. This doesn't seem like such a gag gift."

"Well, it was mostly just to be funny, but I figured it would be practical enough that you'll probably want to use it. That's why I got it." Scout grinned as he watched Alex. Shifting hands along the staff, he felt like it was sturdy and could take some damage.

"It will be a good travel item, but I don't think it'll do much for me in combat. You know? I think I kinda like it," he said.

"Oh, come on. You're faking. I know what you're thinking, and you don't like it." Alex held it up to the light as if admiring it, before setting it down firmly and striking a pose.

"Well?" All three of his clones laughed, and he joined them.

"All right, we've been goofing off too much. Let's get back to some training. I don't want to take more than a week to get to Philly. We'll rest tonight and make a plan for our travel training and routine." The clones split ways, but Scout approached him before Alex got too into the items he'd brought back.

"Hey, I passed a Rift on my way back in. I'm pretty sure I can find my way back. I left some marks in the ground to follow back."

"Okay, nice. We'll check it out when we head out. The fact that we found a rare Rift already is pretty great... Actually, let me call Edwin."

"Wait, I know what you're thinking," Scout interrupted him as he removed his phone.

"If we're going to do that, you might as well think about this, too." Alex reached out through their mental link and could sense what he was thinking. The thought came through clearly, along with Scout's earlier thoughts and ideas.

"I don't know, that seems like a big step. We are talking about pulling on a lot of people, though…" He paused to think about it.

"Okay, I'll put it on his radar, and if something works out, then we'll do it." Scout moved away to rest while Alex stayed outside the camp to call Edwin.

"Master Moore, how may I be of service?" Edwin answered on the second ring, his voice smooth and calm.

"I think we need to look at spending some more of our Mana Stones. There are some big things we can get that will help our growth or set us up down the road, and I feel like now is the time to make it happen. Two things I want you to look at pretty seriously, the third is… well, a little extravagant."

"Of course, sir. Shall I prioritize discretion or expediency in these transactions?"

"A mix, but maybe lean toward faster purchases. I want you to look at purchasing the old golf course to the north west of our property. It's just on the other side of the Eagle Rock Reservation, if I remember correctly. It might put us in a bit of an awkward situation, since I doubt the government will part with that land, but there's a Rare Rift out here, and I want to get as much claim on it as possible. Later, I can talk with the HA about some sort of agreement for us to free range the reservation or something.

The golf course looks like it's been abandoned for a while, so I think it should be easy to scoop up. The other thing is to look to the east. Just in the general direction of the safe zone, without getting too close. I think they're going to keep expanding, and I don't want to risk buying something that will just get seized later."

"Understood, sir. What am I looking for in the second property?" Alex could hear the tapping of keys through the line.

"Look for an apartment complex or a gated community of town duplexes. Let's get something that's already developed and will let people start moving in and getting their own lives set up. The house is starting to get a little busy between the staff and potential future hires."

"There is a modest gated community three miles to the east, but I believe that it does encroach quite close to the territory that could get annexed by the Safe Zone." There was a pause and some more clicking.

"Alternatively, there is a promising prospect at the edge of the Montclair Golf Club you referenced. Of course, it's not in the direction you wanted, but it seems like a perfect fit. It's the Residence Inn West Orange. Looks to have 128 rooms and was put up for sale more than a month ago, and is currently closed to the public."

"Hm, okay. Go ahead and grab that. See how low you can talk them down. If it's just been sitting there for months, we might be able to get it for a pittance. Also, in all of these purchases, can you look into whatever credit system they have going on? The value of even an E Rank Mana Stone seems to have skyrocketed. We could use a fraction of the Mana Stones if we transfer a handful of D Ranks into the credit system and make our purchases with that."

"As you wish, sir. I already have a line open with a reputable bank in the Safe Zone for the house. We saved a substantial amount of money on repairs by doing just that."

"Knew you'd be on top of it," Alex chuckled.

"You are too kind, sir. What of the extravagant purchase?"

"Oh, right. Look into what it'll take for us to get a helicopter."

"As you wish, sir." There was a pause, and he let out a nervous laugh.

"' As you wish?' That's it?"

"Sir?" Alex shook his head and changed his pacing direction, moving back toward the camp.

"I don't know what I was expecting. A lecture or something? Asking you to buy a helicopter for me sounds absurd."

"Not in the slightest, sir. If you don't mind me saying so, I know you quite well after the last few months of service. I am sure that you've thought through reasons for getting such a large purchase, and I highly doubt it's just to impress your yacht club friends." It sounded to Alex like there was a backstory there, but he didn't prod further.

"Well, let's just see what it looks like. We'd have to have somewhere to keep it, fuel it, and someone to fly it. Just more to add to the list. But, even with that potential headache, it could be invaluable in finding Rifts more easily. Using that and Valtherion's ability to sense mana, we could really start hunting and clearing out Rifts."

"I'll see to it, Master Moore."

"Thanks, Edwin. Make sure to check on Val for me."

"Of course, sir. Safe travels." Alex ended the call and felt a bit guilty at the thought of making such large purchases.

"I'll need to spend time really figuring out pay and hiring when we get back," he mumbled to himself as he reentered the camp and activated the ward net.

"Yeah, you should probably just hire someone for that," Mage said, without looking up. Opting just to answer with a grunt, Alex sat down in the camping chair and rubbed his forehead. The Magician's Cap shifted on his head, and he straightened it, having become so used to it that he often forgot it was there. He looked around and, when he noticed Scout was gone, reached out through their mental link to locate him. After finding the clone sleeping in the tent, he shook his head but smiled with understanding.

Alex stood again and moved to a clear section of their small camp before placing his hand on the storage bracer and removing a large crate. It was one of the now-empty crates, emptied of its original herbal contents when they were given to Sam. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He popped open the top side and ensured it was empty. Satisfied, he began pulling out the tools that Scout had brought back, first going through the more mundane foraging tools.

Scout had been able to acquire everything on the list, including the more basic things like heavy, oiled canvas, ratchet straps, wooden pallets, and jars for storage. Alex had been worried about the tools, but even those were pulled from the ring and placed into the crate for future use. Pickaxes, lumber axes, hatchets, knives, heavy leather gloves, and shovels were all stacked into the large crate.

Satisfied with the preparations, he replaced the lid and tested the crate's stability now that it had some additional weight to it. Confident it wouldn't fall over with a bit of pressure, he pulled out his tablet and started the hotspot on his phone. The signal was weak, and everything loaded slowly, but he was thankful to get that much. Setting his leather journal next to the tablet, he made a note to look at how to get better service.

Whether that be by getting a mana-enhanced device when it came out, or getting something satellite-connected in the meantime. He put in the directions from their current location to Philadelphia and found the route to be 87 miles. The team had done more than their fair share of covering ground in the Shadow Rift, so he knew the distance itself wouldn't be a problem. As he thought, Warrior wandered over and peered over his shoulder. Alex glanced up and shared his thoughts.

"I think this is more than doable in a few days, even if we stay off of major roads and look for Rifts. It's just that the vegetation and terrain are going to be more difficult to travel through here than in the Rift."

"A lot more underbrush," Warrior agreed.

"The dead forest was good for something after all." Grunting, Alex nodded at the iPad and made a winding line with his pen, hovering over the glass screen.

"I think we go something like this and check on some of these smaller areas along the way. Even if we don't stop to actually help, we can report on their situation to the HA when we get to the Safe Zone."

"I like it."

"Main goals, though, have to be to keep things moving. While we make our way, we spread out and find Rifts where we can. I'll step in and cull some of the monsters or knock out the Rift quest to close it if it's simple."

"What about foraging?"

"Hmm, yeah. I'll dismiss Scout tonight and keep myself at 50%. Then, when I step into a Rift, I'll resummon him to forage for mana-rich minerals while I practice fighting with the muscle memory and new spells from you and Mage." He nodded to himself as the plan formed.

"When we're done, I'll come out, and we can keep moving or set up camp around the Rift like we did here. While sleeping and traveling with the two minds, I can activate and start talking with Maelis about the next set of runes. Once he runs out of charge, I'll start to try and figure out some of this new Spectral Eye."

"So, five days. We'll need to make it around these zones each day?" Warrior took a screenshot on the tablet and circled areas in five increments along the winding path Alex made.

"Looks good to me. We'll need to keep rest in mind," Alex said, nodding his head toward where Scout slept.

"Even though [Sleep Resistance] is working like normal, the split physical stats aren't letting us push like before."

"To be honest, we probably should have been doing that more anyway. Also, I know what you and Mage are thinking about that new swift spell circle. Abusing it is definitely going to lead to issues. You know that."

"I know, I know. I'm hoping that as our Intellect increases, the mind will be stronger and more resistant to issues from stuff like that. In the meantime, I'll be cautious."

"And traveling in armor isn't going to help that."

"It's gonna suck," Alex agreed.

"It's something we should just get used to, though. At least you don't have to deal with the discomfort of pain or sore muscles."

"True. It's still an effort to get that kind of weight moving through, and awkward as all hell," Warrior said.

"That's what getting used to it is supposed to help with," Alex quipped, turning off the tablet and turning his attention to the remaining items Scout had brought from his errand.

"Now, on to the exciting stuff." One at a time, he pulled out the specialized tools he hoped to leverage with his enchanting and engraving skills. He hadn't wanted to go too crazy with a list from the start, only starting with the things that immediately came to mind. There hadn't ever been a reason for him to look into such things in the past, but a quick bit of searching had his mind racing with ideas. Carefully, Alex unrolled the first object. It was a nylon woven case that rolled in on itself.

Once unrolled, there were a myriad of fine detailing tools for woodworking and sculpting. Running his fingers across the cool metal, he chose one at random to inspect. Satisfied that they were made of sturdy material, he replaced them and withdrew the next item. This one came in a bright orange plastic case that opened like a narrow book. He lifted the item and flipped the switch to test the battery's charge. Without issue, the Dremel tool turned on.

The whirring sound seemed loud in the late afternoon, and he quickly shut it off, placing it back among the other attachments in the case. There were only two other items he'd wanted Scout to get. He left one in the storage, feeling minimal need to inspect or toy with the metal rods that he'd bought. They were slightly longer than his forearm and about the width of a pencil, so there wasn't much to them. It was the final item he was excited to test. Calling it from the ring with a thought, Alex looked down at the…

Helmet? Hat?

"Hey," he said to Warrior.

"What would you call this? A hat?"

"More like a headband than a hat?" Warrior said, though it came out just as much of a question. He shrugged. Alex twisted the nob on the back to loosen the plastic band behind the lenses before sliding it down over his head. Once it was resting above his brow, he twisted the knob the other way to tighten it in place. He chuckled as he looked back up at Warrior, feeling like a mad scientist.

"Where did you even find that?" his clone asked.

"Scout found it in a watchmaker's shop. The magnifying lenses over the right eye should help me with some of the finer, enchanting work. At least, I hope so."

"Your eye looks huge," Warrior pointed to the lens hanging down from the headband, over his eye.

"Yeah, I'm sure it looks crazy. Anyway, I'm excited to try it out, even if it looks goofy."

"Good. Now, you go get some rest. I'll work out the watch schedule with Mage. We'll wake you in the morning." Packing up the rest of the materials, Alex fist-bumped the clone and made his way back to his tent. Seeing an opportunity based on his plans, he also dismissed Scout's clone, reabsorbing its physical stats and second consciousness as well. Settling down for another round of rest, Alex pulsed mana into the Runic Apprentice amulet and felt Maelis's mind join his second consciousness.

"Brat," he said by way of greeting. Old goat.

"What do you want?" Time to keep training, of course. While my lazier half and body get some rest, we need to start talking about runes.

"Of course. Always training with you. Don't kids ever go outside and play, or something?" We are literally camping outside right now. Maelis grumbled.

"Jokes aside, kid. Remember to keep that Willpower in check. Fixating on magic is a great thing, but letting it consume your whole life, now multiple times over, isn't." There's just so much to get done.

"There always will be. All I'm saying is to be aware of it, at least until you have the Intellect to combat it." Alex remembered the body tempering ritual that he was saving for C Rank. It'll come soon enough. We're only a few levels away now. What I need your help with now is figuring out what rune to use. He dove into a lengthy recap of his trial with the Elven ritual and his current hurdle to overcome.

When he started to mention the idea of a mana battery or storage, Maelis seemed to understand where he wanted to go.

"It's not a bad idea. Yes, it's something that you can do now. Since you're not learning enchanting, though, I'd suggest you use a Store Rune. It's got much less capacity, but you only need one rune to make it work. Two is better, but one will work." Alex remembered his early enchanting lessons with Evan and the young rune mage telling him about the store rune being one of the basic control runes to learn for its usefulness. Are there other options? If there is an option with enchanting, tell me about it.

I am thinking about trying to make an enchantment with the spell circles.

"Oh?" The spirit chuckled, as if talking to a child proposing dessert before dinner. ** Well, why not? Both runes and rituals can be engraved or set into materials. If I use the concept of setting intent like I do with runes in wards, why wouldn't a spell circle work? Alex could sense the spirit's hesitation. Just walk me through it, you old goat. Worst case, we waste some time testing it out, but I'll need to learn this stuff eventually, anyway"Fine, fine. Stop your squawking.

In enchanting, there are two main ways to store mana. Through the use of a Store Rune, linked into an enchantment, or through the use of a secondary enchanted item, linked to the item. Usually, the second is done through the use of a jewel or gem, as those minerals tend to be the most apt at storing mana for long periods of time. Organic materials are often better at channeling mana, while the compressed minerals are better at absorbing and holding on to it." The second one is definitely what I've been imagining.

What are the differences?

"Mainly efficiency and storage. The storage route can be used on enchantments on any material, even if the item itself is poor at holding mana; the rune will do the heavy lifting. It's also efficient. You put in 2 points of mana; most of those 2 points go into the rune. The exact number varies slightly based on what the rune is linked to, but you get the point.

"The container enchantment is common, though often a specialty entirely unto itself. This mana container is often a Journeyman step down a route that is very lucrative and sought after. The upside is that the storage size is based on the material that you use and the power of the enchantment used. A three-link container enchantment on a rock will be very inefficient and only store a few points of mana.

A six-link, layered array on a Mountain's Heart will double the mana you put in it and can even cultivate its own over time, likely holding more mana than you could produce in your lifetime." Alex's mental jaw dropped. That's insane.

"Indeed. There is more skill to the container, but early on, the downsides come to efficiency and materials. No one wants to sponsor you with rare materials if you're making baby enchantments. At least not in the Wider Worlds." Well, that's the route I need to go. Either we learn the primary rune in that enchantment now, and it works with spell circles, or we give that enchantment to someone like Evan and see what he can do with it.

"Best place to start will be with the Container Rune, then. You're already learning a similar rune to Store with your training for the elven ritual, anyway. Storage is a more advanced concept of the same rune. Your circle for the Container Rune will need to account for absorbing and directing the mana into the container rune, or through a point that feeds the actual container item." Okay, one sec. Alex mentally probed at Mage's mind and passed along the details of the conversation.

With a direction in mind, Mage was able to focus on the work he'd done earlier and have some more focused notes waiting for their journey tomorrow. Excitement bubbled up in Alex's mind as he refocused on his mentor and eagerly dove into the next rune in his repertoire. The following morning passed in a blur as their small group packed up the campsite and started to make their way south to check out the Rift Scout had passed the previous evening.

After marking the Common E Rank Rift on their map and Alex sticking his head in, they continued on to their next stop. The Residence Inn that Edwin had mentioned was a bit smaller in height than he'd been picturing in his mind during their call. It was more like a sprawling, two-story, upscale motel, rather than the many-story hotel he'd been picturing. Either way, it would give them the space and rooms he was looking for, so he sent Edwin a confirmation text before heading out toward Philadelphia.

They made ground slower than he'd wanted, but they spent a good deal of time testing traveling methods with the new swift spell. The combinations and multiple applications seemed almost endless to him, and he had an immense amount of fun pushing through the trial and error. It wasn't until later in the afternoon, when many of the quirks and kinks of the ability had been worked out, that he found his perfect combination.

"All right, that's definitely it," he said, somewhat breathless.

"Really, you like walking more?" Scout asked.

"I'm telling you, it just feels more natural," Warrior said.

"I've got to agree," Alex affirmed.

"Running, and [Running], with the swift spell active covers more ground, but I don't think it's ever going to stop feeling weird. Moving like that just relies too much on the muscle mechanics and gravity. The speed that my legs move makes me feel like I should be exploding off the ground, or taking really long strides… but then what? My legs want to move a million miles an hour while I stride 5-10 meters? I'm left flailing like a fish out of water."

"The skill makes up for that, though," Scout argued.

"Sure, but eventually we want to move away from all that. I don't see a reason to get used to it. Walking feels way more natural and can cover almost the same amount of distance. Puts some crazy strain on my calves, but once we figured out how to infuse mana into the right areas, it feels ten times better."

"Yeah, okay. Fair." As they all settled in to camp for the evening, Alex groaned, the only one of the group to actually suffer through the pain of sore muscles; while unanimously agreeing to test more travel methods the next day using the new staff to feel the difference. The clones picked up the watch shifts, and Alex sat to consolidate his thoughts and ideas.

He'd had ideas rolling around in his head all day as they traveled, and even had time to chat idly with Scout while he gathered some colorful rock clusters in a Rift, but nothing excited him quite like this. He knew the next few days would pass in a blur of testing and training. The sense of freedom from a few days before hadn't dimmed in the least; if anything, being out with the clones made the feeling fester into an eager desire for more.

While he was willing to help the HA, especially because it sounded like innocents needed his help, part of him didn't want the fun of testing and travel to end anytime soon. The fire crackled, and he shifted his weight back while pulling his knees up. Resting his leather notebook on one leg, he set pen to paper and began to sketch ideas for his first container prototype—for his first spell circle enchantment.