Chương 23: Third Planet Problems

Enzo glanced down at his latest design. Sometime between having the epiphany and completing his sketches, Sumi had wandered inside in search of food. Murph had gone with her. Kenzo and Val had moved on from further integrating Burst into their different combat styles. Now she had the big man sitting in the middle of the street, cross-legged, looking like a monk being reprimanded by a tiny teacher. He tuned them out. His new design was… elegant.

So much so that the previous designs looked like rough drafts by comparison. Assuming it worked. A circular base with a structural cross-shaped reinforcement. Then four wavy threads, the type he'd discovered when creating Telekinesis, replaced the original inverted V-shaped vectors. They would run from equidistant points along the circular base to the top of the bolt and form a more U-shaped form, while still carrying the concept of a directional vector.

He was torn between calling the wavy type of mana denatured or destructured threads. They were going to need to develop terminology for these things if the Guide refused to provide them. Then, a reinforcing beam connected the center of the base, at the middle of the X, to the tip where the wavy threads bent. Finally, a spiral thread wound from the tip of the bolt, widening as it went, wrapping around the outside of the bolt, all the way to the base, where it looped around the X and trailed behind. Nine threads.

Four improvements. A reinforced structure. Wavy containment allowing the mana to expand the shape like a plastic bag. Then the spiral thread, wrapped around it, pulled taut, compressing the form and adding rotation at the same time. Elegant. Now he just needed to stop procrastinating and do it. Stop imagining the spell form exploding in his face again. Enzo blew out a breath and placed the spellbook next to his cane. Then he climbed to his feet and held out a hand, taking aim at a tree across the street.

The first thread formed the circle, conceptualizing containment and a base. He reinforced it with two additional threads, intersecting in the middle. Pinned each thread with a fraction of his attention. The fourth thread formed the central spine. Another reinforcement that he hoped would help focus the energy at the point of impact. The next four threads were difficult.

Shaping two pairs of them into more of a U than a V wasn't hard, but destructuring them to be formless and wavy while embracing the concept of an expanding shell was. They alone took almost two minutes to complete, and when they stabilized under his focus, he felt the subtle hollowness that warned his mana reserves were running low.

"Stupid. Should have topped up first," he muttered.

"Please don't blow up on me again." The hollowness grew as Enzo reached for the last thread. This one was extra long. But there was enough. He attached the thread to the top of the bolt, then forced himself to control his breathing. To keep calm. He really didn't want to get punched in the face by magic again. He'd learned his lesson. Then he began wrapping it in a spiral down the length of the spell construct. At the bottom, he tied the thread around the base for leverage. And held it. He breathed in. Then out.

It remained stable. Enzo pictured the mana building until near bursting, then the form collapsing into a complete spell, while yanking on the combined compression and rip cord the instant it fired. He released the spell. The bolt materialized. He had only a fraction of a heartbeat to witness the pulsing purple mana expand, then suddenly twist from tip to end as the energy projectile compressed, spun, and fired. Enzo failed to track the trajectory.

There was an explosion across the road as his eyes shifted minutely to take in the massive redwood tree he'd been aiming at when he began constructing the spell form. Bark and wood fragments were still raining down from where the spell had detonated with pure force, leaving a two-meter wide crater in the trunk. He collapsed onto his good knee as the emptiness inside finally hit, his mana all but spent. His stomach clawed at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Val and Kenzo sprinting down the street toward him. They were shouting something, but all he could hear was a buzzing inside his head as a sense of weakness grabbed at the core of him. Enzo raised a hand.

"I'm fine. Just completely out of mana." He groaned.

"That doesn't feel good at all. Have you ever been fully depleted?" Val slowed with a huff of annoyance.

"Yep. It sucked. Felt like I hadn't eaten for days." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Kenzo was approaching the trunk on the other side of the road, a hand reaching out to touch the impact crater.

"Holy shit, bro. What did you hit it with?" Enzo let himself fall back onto his butt with a sigh.

"Upgraded my bolt spell."

"Damn. I'd ask you to teach me, but I'm guessing that's wizard stuff." Enzo glanced at Val.

"You didn't explain the basics to him?" She had the decency to look ashamed.

"We were busy!"

"My fault, bro," Kenzo said, walking back over to them, rubbing his head.

"She was telling me, but I asked to see the moves she was talking about. Then we ended up training after that." Enzo shook his head.

"I'm going to recover, then grab something to eat. Will you two be ready by then?" Val nodded.

"Okay." Enzo's eyes closed. He held up a hand, forming the third-eye lens, and began drawing in ambient mana. Val and Kenzo left a few moments later, returning to their own training. With a thought, he pulled up his notifications.

— Mana Control (Level 9) → Mana Control (Level 10)* Spell Forms (Level 5) → Spell Forms (Level 7) Attunement (Level 6) → Attunement (Level 7) — Spell Breakthrough: Bolt (Level 10) → Bolt (Level 11) Type: Arcane Modifiers: Power-, Piercing-, Charged- Description: Projects concentrated mana as a damaging projectile. — New Guide Entry: Spell and Technique Modifiers Classification: Advanced Simplified Invocation Feature Spells and Techniques may always be Invoked in their base form.

As mages experiment and develop their understanding of mana, forms and circulations inevitably change. The Universal Training Guide tracks modifications to existing abilities, overwriting user records with direct improvements. When changes increase mana cost, caster strain, or casting time, the Simplified Invocation feature incorporates them as modifiers instead.

At the cost of additional mana, Spells may be Invoked with any compatible combination of form or circulation modifiers using the prefix and affix advanced features. Note: As Spells and Techniques often overlap in functionality and design, the Guide may recommend mergers to reduce mana overhead and to decrease the likelihood of a mage plateauing during development stages. Warning: As spell forms and technique circulations grow in complexity, the risk of mana backlash and magical deviation increases.

You have been warned. Legal Disclaimer: The Universal Training Guide does not accept any responsibility for harm, death, or deviation caused in the pursuit of magic. Consult an experienced mentor or a duly appointed magical technician should any issues arise. — Notification Skill breakthrough threshold reached. Thresholds begin at level 10, followed by every 20 levels thereafter. Your ability will not continue progressing until a breakthrough is achieved.

As this is your first time reaching the limit of a Skill, the Universal Training Guide is authorized to provide additional information and assistance. Note: You are not required to follow the suggestions provided. The purpose of the guide is not to direct you down any particular development pathway. Magic begins without ending and ends without beginning. One path walked rarely precludes another path explored. Skill breakthroughs differ from Spells and Techniques.

Where Spell and Technique breakthroughs are personalized expressions of magic, requiring the user to adapt Form or Circulation, Skill advancements are complex, layered adaptations to existing mana abilities. These adaptations represent one of the advanced applications of the Universal Training Guide, unlocked only upon reaching the necessary threshold.

Wizards apply Skill adaptations as semi-permanent Spell Forms linked to their brains, while Sorcerers apply them as semi-permanent Circulations, affecting their hearts and blood vessels. Evaluating… Skill breakthrough detected. Codified Skill: Mana Control. Congratulations: You are the 17th mage to reach a Skill breakthrough threshold within your society. No Mana Control adaptations have been recorded at this time.

For future Skill breakthroughs, you may select from existing adaptations if any have been recorded, gaining insight into their design. As none exist, you must create your own or wait for another mage to record one. Analyzing… Connecting to the Universal Training Guide Library… Accessing Skill adaptation information. … Always remember, Magus Locke, that the Guide is but a tool. Rely on it to survive. Build upon it to stay alive. Move beyond its limitations to thrive. … Connection closed.

— New Guide Entry: Skill Adaptation Framework Classification: Advanced Application of the Universal Training Guide The Universal Training Guide operates as a spell construct embedded within the mage's activated mana center. It cannot be directly perceived through Mana Sense, as its signature is integrated with the mage's own mana. Skill adaptations are spell forms that interface with the construct. They do not exist independently.

They extend the Universal Training Guide's existing functionality for a specific skill. To construct an adaptation and connect it to the Universal Training Guide personal endpoint, please refer to your training, review known options available from the selections discovered by your society, or discuss with a mentor. The Universal Training Guide will provide automatic assistance during first-time adaptation attachment.

Warning: The Universal Training Guide will reject known self-harmful designs, but due to mana's conceptual binding principle, it is impossible to fully eliminate risks. Warning: All Skill adaptations result in visual mana signatures. Wizards develop what is called a Halo, Cloak, or Armament. Cultivators develop a variety of signatures, ranging from glowing eyes and visible mana tracing abstract patterns beneath the skin to physical mutations that range from simple to extensive.

Greater mana expression inevitably attracts Eaters. Warning: Skill adaptations can be deconstructed and reconstructed at will. However, the Universal Training Guide only assists in creation during the first advancement. The mage must perform all subsequent advancements and changes. Legal Requirements: For Tier 1 and 2 mages, the Universal Training Guide spell subsidizes all mana requirements as per Mandate X1-324-501-889.

Tier 3 mages must assume full responsibility for mana requirements to retain access to the Universal Training Guide and all functions, including Skill adaptations. Legal Disclaimer: The Universal Training Guide does not accept any responsibility for harm, death, or deviation caused in the pursuit of magic. Consult an experienced mentor or a duly appointed magical technician should any issues arise. — Enzo's excitement over the Bolt breakthrough faded as he kept reading.

Then he reread the guide entry on Skill adaptations just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He hadn't.

"Fucking assholes."