(Beginning of the End of the World)
In front of the burning lava, on the way down, following the small river of lava that runs into the mountain. Robert watched his new creation work…
It had been six months since he began searching the earth, and now he was observing his first major achievement. Of course, to get to this, he first had to solve the pressing problem of food ...
His initial goal was to create useful objects, which will help him survive on the surface. But he could not simply inscribe circuits on the earth or rocks, because the circuits required a stable flow of energy, and in these materials it was impossible, because they were composed of dispersed elements, creating different levels of resistance to magic, interrupting the flow of energy. manna; Not to mention its durability, which could be broken by just the flow of mana.
So he wanted to find metals and melt them into small molds that he had carved out of the ground. But he didn't know anything about mining, he couldn't tell which rocks contained metal and which didn't. So he just separated them into similar colors, and tried each of them.
Melting them was even more difficult. Although he could control mana very well, and creating fire did not cause him any difficulty; it ended up being too inefficient, the energy wouldn't stop dispersing, and the heat didn't increase enough to melt the minerals. I spend hours and hours trying to concentrate the heat in a confined space, to reach the right temperature. It was a very strenuous task, he could see how useful a fire spell would be, if he had one, he could save so many hours of effort. And in results, his own ability to create fire, he had even managed to melt metals, it was a completely useless skill in battle, in a short time it would only cause slight burns, it would only serve, at most, to scare fools.
After trying many rocks, he managed to melt some of them, he did not know what metals they were, but they were all of some grayish tone and a rough texture. It didn't take an expert to figure it out, the metal pieces were full of impurities, imperfections and cracks, it was a regrettable result, but also the only thing that was at hand.
For days he melted metals and trained the magic circuit inscription skill, without even needing the terminal's auto-run, he knew that skill very well.
On the tenth day of that new training, the message from the main system granted him a different option for his plans.
[Achievement Unlocked: Elemental Explorer (Earth).]
[Survive for six months without breaks, in an elemental cloak.]
[Obtain resources and materials worth one hundred coins.]
[Optional: Improve control over the Kindred element of the cap. (Incomplete)]
[Optional: Take down a small creature. (Incomplete)]
[Optional: Kill a medium-sized creature. (Incomplete)]
[Optional: Take down a large creature. (Incomplete)]
[Optional: Explore a thousand-kilometer area. (Incomplete)]
[Reward:
Cloak Unlocked: Life. (Abundant flora and fauna. Stable cloak.)]
…
[Hint: You must complete all non-optional requirements to unlock an achievement.
Optional requirements grant an additional reward.
Incomplete optional requirements can be completed at any time.]
[Help: Achievements are hidden missions. The information about these missions is at the complete disposal of the user.]
[The achievements panel has been added in the information section of the terminal.]
…
To look for food, and also to take a bath, I had tried to go to the rest of elemental layers, it was there that he realized how lucky he had all this time. He could not travel more than a few meters, before having to hurry back, whether frightened by beasts or under the inclemency of natural disasters, the elemental layers were a hell for life.
But going to the surface, where there should be fierce competition, gave a strong sense of uncertainty. That was why he was preparing. But, the description of this new cape was completely different from the previous ones, it even seemed to encourage him, and for that small possibility, he should try his luck.
That new layer was dazzling, vivid and multi-colored, with no constant explosions, no storms, no meteorites falling on your head, with just that, it was a huge improvement, but that world even seemed to breathe, as if it were truly alive.
He was in a valley, with a shallow river, completely crystalline and calm, surrounded by a forest that grew thicker in the distance, and a gentle wind that made the trees rustle.
After taking a deep breath of fresh air, smiling, he jumped into the river, where his rags that were practically dirt, dissolved, forcing him to a new lifestyle: "naturally", free, as he came into the world.
But that style did not last long, it began to be covered with some wide leaves that grew near the river, since after a while with the wind blowing in its dark areas, the discomfort produced was unbearable.
He started looking for food. Drooling he imagined the animals he was going to hunt, and how juicy their meat would be, but reality quickly woke him up. when after a long search, the smallest animals were a species of rodents, a little larger than a cat, of a very light mustard color, with the exception of the fur on the ears and head, which was a shade more dark, but above all, they had a long tail, capable of perfectly cutting a wide rock more than five meters away.
Between five to fifteen rodents were grouped, striking a wide tree with their tails, eating the pieces of wood that fell. They were peaceful most of the time, unless you got too close, and while they didn't seem all that dangerous for their size, they could butcher much larger beasts, when in a group.
Robert did not have the strength to defeat them, not even individually. He had to give up meat. He thought of the fish, but even though there were fish in the river, they were too fast, no matter how much or how he tried, he couldn't even hit their shadows.
(# exhausted sigh #)
Nature forced him to look for fruit in the trees like a monkey, after a long search between branch and branch, he found a completely spherical orange species of a dull red color, and quickly learned the obvious lesson of not eating anything you find in the forest. The stomach pain lasted for two days, where he regretfully thought how to avoid eating something poisonous, which could have been the worst result, given his stupidity.
He created a small metal bowl, its entire surface covered in magic circuits, where he poured his blood along with the food he was going to analyze. He let his mana flow until he was completely in control of his blood, concentrating on the smallest changes that arose between contact with the various elements he tasted, after many days of testing, he had managed to pass a few edible products.
But Robert had forgotten about biology, he did not remember that the structure of food must be destroyed, so that the blood can absorb; that, depending on different chemical reactions, the results could be wrong.
Still, he had found food that wouldn't send him to his grave. Because and despite the complaints of many, he would not magically obtain the information, of everything he collects or swallows.
Although his idea was seriously flawed, it would at least serve to rule out the obvious poisons. But there was certainly a better solution, and it didn't seem like Robert was going to notice.
After doing his analysis, he discovered that the opaque red spherical fruit was not harmful, it was simply still immature, it could be eaten when its color turned black and its peel almost peeled off by itself, it leaves a mild ice cream flavor. Along with a kind of golden pear and some blue blackberries, with a very sweet and sour taste respectively, they were all fruits that would not kill him. But he didn't want to eat only fruits, he was really eager for meat, so much so that he was willing to eat insects.
He searched among the roots of the trees, apart from some spiders that seemed very poisonous, and some aggressive ants that bit him all over his body, he found a beetle hidden underground. After hours of hitting the beetle with all his movements, without being able to open a single crack, full of anger, he threw the immobile beetle away. As he huffed angrily, he noticed small soft sacks at the roots of the tree.
Robert: -- If I can not eat you, I will eat your offspring (# malicious laugh #) -- laughed like a villain, while looking up at the sky.
(# malicious laugh #)
laughAfter laughing like crazy for a while, he cooked the beetle's eggs, and did his blood test, after being a bit calmer, he ate it ... it felt refreshing and full of energy, although he had a Doughy texture and a bit bitter taste, the benefits were very sweet.
But he still wanted meat, he seriously planned to take on those cut-tailed rodents. In a small part of his subconscious he wondered: since when he was so picky about food, in the step he had eaten the same thing for months, not caring too much, and now he was about to risk his life, just for one bite.
Although he had many doubts, he still wanted to try. It was when he discovered that this new world was a turn-based game, which took him by surprise, almost causing him to lose his mind from a cut.
Scared and scratched, he hurried back to his cave. Full of anger he began to rant against the "genius" who had the brilliant (silly) idea of making the world much more confused.
SFX: Fall.
With a thunderous sound, his cave collapsed, as if it were the divine punishment of the one who decided the rules, his powerful hammer struck the earth, to punish those who blaspheme against his decisions, or, it was just the wear caused by digging so many holes.
After cleaning his cave he was quite angry, somewhat distracted, yelling at the walls. But no matter that he didn't get meat, at least now, he would no longer starve.
Aside from looking for food, he spent all his time uncovering the secrets of magic circuit inscription (obviously, he was also sleeping and going to the bathroom).
The magic circuit inscription was very simple at its base. Like the magic circuits within the body, they were only channels through which mana flows, only a more direct application, without worrying about damage. The inscription of magic circuits, in short, was only to guide the magic energy to its different components, according to the purpose of the inscriber; But if it were only that simple, it wouldn't be called an art. Just as in a painting there were infinite forms and possibilities of expressing the will of the painter, the inscriber of magical circuits could create from small magical structures with simple functions, until reaching enough complexity to alter reality. Otherwise Robert would never have been so excited.
With just the three magic circuit designs he possessed: Absorption, Emission, and Transformation, he could create endless magical devices.
The absorption circuits captured the mana, which was guided through the channels until it reached the emission circuit, which expelled the mana in conjunction with the transformation circuit, which changed the mana to some element.
Without much fuss, a lighter or flamethrower could be created.
The designs faithfully fulfilled the functions that their names indicate; but, they were not immutable or restrictive components, but rather a design pattern that could be modified to a great extent, increasing the existing possibilities by countless numbers:
The absorption pattern could be carved in a scattered way, when looking to absorb mana of the environment, carving small points that absorb little mana, but in a wider area. If you want to get mana from a storage source, the pattern must be a closed figure with direct connections. Or, if the magic power source is the user himself, the circuit pattern should cover the contact surface, with wide open lines.
In a magic sword, it would have the absorption circuits in the handle, when it is going to be activated by the user, or surrounding a slot to use mana stones, or in the blade (Wider surface) to absorb the mana from the environment.
In the emission pattern, the changes were not visible to the naked eye, but their uses and variations could not be counted. By making small changes to its structure, it was possible to precisely control the different aspects of mana, density, flow, quantity, speed ... Depending on the purpose, it could require the mana in a specific setting.
The transformation pattern transformed mana into magic, giving it a target. Transforming it into one of the five natural elements (fire, water, earth, wind, lightning), or into an empty transformation circuit, which allowed to record spells. Just as it could be used to transform the energy of the elements, it could be reversed and transform the elements into pure mana (neutral, no will). Because it is the only type of mana that can circulate through the inscribed magic circuits, any modification of the energy would result in an internal failure; destroying the circuit in the process.
Unlike elemental transformation circuits, which are highly restrictive, empty transformation circuits allow a greater range of uses: spells could be inscribed, to copy the structure of magic and be able to use it from magical devices. Or the will itself could be inscribed, as a wildcard for complex tasks; But as said in the dream, using magic in that way has an unimaginable cost, and it is completely inefficient.
Any type of desire could be inscribed, no matter how absurd it may be, but the amount of mana required and the limit of resistance of the circuits, would make that device never activate.
There is a correct way to directly inscribe the will, but Robert had yet to figure it out.
The last way to use the empty transformation circuit was by copying the result directly, that is, exposing the circuit to stimuli to copy its attributes. How much and what is capable of copying depends on the skills of the registrant.
…
After months of training, he managed to improve proficiency over 40%, but lately his progress has not increased at all, along with the high failure rate from defective materials. Robert decided that his first device should be a smelting furnace.
But the world has complex laws, it could not be expected that a newbie with only months of practice, will manage to create devices that amaze everyone. What could change those results is ingenuity and luck. In Robert's case, his stubbornness.
Robert used the clumsiest and slowest method, trying an infinite number of times, changing variables and details, until he found the result he was looking for. Although his method is extremely tedious, the immense accumulation of data would bring impressive results in the future.
…
Since he needed an energy source for his smelting furnace, he might as well harness the energy from the river of lava. I carve the inscriptions to absorb energy on a long metal bar shaped like an "L", plunging the short side into the lava.
SFX: Burn.
The failure was inevitable. Not only did the metal melt, but the magic circuits also exceeded the amount of energy they could withstand and were burned (destroyed).
How unfortunate not to be a protagonist in a novel, he thought, where your heaven-defying talent would easily solve this problem.
(# self-deprecating laugh #)
But this was not the time to give up, not when after so many explanations, it would finally get exciting.
Solving the problems one by one, was the best option to follow:
So that the magic circuits do not explode, they should be improved, but the attributes depend on the inscriber, and those circuits were Robert's best effort, improving them in a short time, it would be simply impossible.
But if it can't be improved, you just need to increase the number of circuits, distributing the power into smaller parts. He created a thicker bar, with different absorption circuits and separate connections. To complete his work, I create output circuits, to vent the excess energy; But Robert lacked control components that could analyze how much energy exceeded the resistance limit, so he had to manually calculate, increasing or decreasing the energy expelled, until the circuits were stable.
Ignoring the ugly lumpy metal, the simple piece of the device left an exciting impression.
But, it was still melting into lava. After several tests, he placed a layer of mana, similar to magic fortification, covering the metal with a barrier that would protect it from being melted.
Initially it worked, but once the barrier started working, it would also isolate the absorption circuits, causing it to run out of power, deactivating the barrier, allowing it to fill with energy once more, to reactivate the barrier. Making the metal bar melt step by step.
(#annoyed snort #)
After trying many times, I came to the realization of an idea, which would be extremely useful to you.
He used the empty transformation circuits to inscribe the absorption circuits within them and project them using condensed mana. It was a very useful idea in various circumstances, but every centimeter of separation between the projection and the original inscription had an exponential increase in the cost of energy, reaching a limit of five centimeters of separation. After all, magic circuits were not simple drawings made with mana, but structures of laws of will. Trying to get a soulless machine to project the will on its own takes a heavy cost, trying to force that will only destroy it.
Two inches is more than enough, projecting the absorption circuits onto the mana barrier, making it functional. He completed the power source.
The rest was simpler, for the smelting furnace, he used a copy of the lava, inscribed in an empty transformation circuit, to transform the pure mana back into heat. Encapsulated in the air by mana barriers, which contained the materials and enclosed the heat.
For the mold where to deposit the molten metal, in a moment of inspiration, I created a thousand components that created mana barriers, to be able to modify the mold to your liking, avoiding the annoying work of digging molds in the earth.
He called it: elevated smelting furnace. And the first thing he created was a new oven, with improved materials.
The materials still had many imperfections, but a hobbyist would not notice. Still, the difference in inscribing magic circuits was enormous.
Robert was motionless, excited admiring his work:
Three "L" shaped bars obtained energy from the river of lava.
A metal plate a meter and a half above the ground, spat fire to increase the heat.
Two bars parallel to its side, contained the barrier devices, where to melt the metal.
A wide plate on the ground, allowed to create the mold, for the final result.
Robert was really excited, he had created something from scratch by himself, obviously if an expert were to review it, he would list endless mistakes. But even so, it was a great achievement, it reduced the days of manual labor time, to a few hours with that machine.
Robert was very excited. At last he would create the weapons needed to hunt down those cut-tailed rodents. And finally eat meat.