∼ Day 13 ∼
I don't waste any time as I tap into the skill and the knowledge that usually follows the purchase. It doesn't take long before I figure out the basic workings of the skill. Basically, when you have to draw the glyphs, you have to do it for each glyph individually and pay great focus not to mess them up. And this is where spell formation makes that process ten times easier to perform.
If you have already created a glyph or rather a combination of glyphs, you can use pre-made spell formations to heavily speed up the process and lower the focus required. Giddy from anticipation, I began immediately to begin forming my first glyph, the foundation glyph.
It doesn't take long before I have a decent result, as I've already become somewhat proficient in summoning it. So simply I activate the skill. Upon activation, I see a phantom image of the glyph slowly assimilate around the one I've already constructed. Ever so slowly, the phantom image fused with the constructed glyph.
Once done, the whole glyph lit up and became even more solid in nature, right before my eyes. With the process done, I dissipate the glyph and immediately try to reform it again through the spell formation I've just created for it.
To my astonishment, the speed had sped up by more than three folds. I could now construct the foundation glyph in less than five seconds, with even greater ease. It was definitely the correct choice to buy this skill.
I spend some time doing the rest of the glyphs before doing anything else drastic. While the blood glyphs are still quite time-consuming and arduous to form, there was a definite improvement to each as well.
With each glyph now processed, I could move onto what I had failed to accomplish the last two days. It was to combine glyphs with my actual mana. I've only been able to do so within my own mind so far. Since they seem to like to go poof or boom whenever I try to in the physical plane.
Waiting until I had a full tank of mana and a refreshed mind, I attempted to perform my first merge of two glyphs. My choice for the first combination was the foundation glyph and the magnet glyph. This was mostly because I've already learned my lesson in trying to combine two blood glyphs. Let me just say that the foundation glyph has its function for a purpose. One of the big holes in the hut, a testament to it.
Anyways, with much more ease, I form the two glyphs simultaneously without too much hassle. But here comes the tricky part. Which is actually merging the two. Slowly and with an intense amount of focus, I fit the magnet glyph into the foundation glyph. To my surprise, it didn't take long, and actually simply just clicked in place as if it was second nature for it.
I was honestly surprised at how much it had become easier to attempt a merge. But then I realized it must've had something to do with a certain minimum amount of stability and solidity of the glyphs required to be compatible. And now that my glyphs are even more stable than before, I was just that easy.
Inspecting the newly formed glyphs, or I suppose it's called a formation now, I don't see much change. Testing it on some blood I see the effect has become slightly more effective. But I already know that the foundation glyph isn't just for improving a singular glyph's functions but to create combinations between other glyphs and create a whole new function.
Letting the formation dissipate, I wait for another full batch of mana. This time I had to really recenter myself before attempting my next objective. I wanted to form a formation with three different glyphs, the foundation glyph, the magnet glyph, and the solidification glyph.
Sitting in a lotus position I take a deep breath. Holding out my palm facing up, I create the first glyph. One by one, a blue and two deep crimson-red glyphs float above my palm. First, the foundation glyph began merging with the magnet glyph. Of course, it went with ease as I've already completed this formation just now.
But the real trouble began when I attempted to merge the third glyph. As soon as I tried, the mental strain and drain on my mana had more than doubled. I immediately realized that each glyph merged together would have something similar to an exponential increase in difficulty and demand.
Although the process was not long, the sheer strain I had to endure for those short seconds was mind-boggling. But I succeeded.
Almost passing out I manage to get a grip before the formation dissipated. In my palm was now a complex image of a formation that was radiating a sense of pure and unadulterated magical power. I could easily see that it was quite a bit more powerful than a combination of only two basic glyphs.
While the drain on my mana had only been half my entire mana pool, the reason I almost passed out was simply the crazy mental prowess required for the merge. But at least the process would become easier from here on as I've just now completed the spell formation of these three glyphs
Not wanting to waste too much more time, I get back to work.
...
[Spell formation has reached LVL: 2]
The twin suns manage to hit midday before I'm finished with creating each combination I could. Equipped with three new formations, I'm confident in my future magical accomplishments. Now I only needed to do some testing of my new magic.
I've spent quite some effort on this, so they better damn prove useful. So to put them to the test I need live guinea pigs. Walking outside, I'm immediately met with some terror and awe-filled eyes of the goblins who manage to catch a glimpse of me. It would definitely seem I had managed to make quite the impression on these relatively meekly-minded greenskins.
Promptly after surveying the tribe and seeing that everything was normal, I take to the sky. I only manage to hear a few surprised squeaks from some goblins close to me before I'm out of range of the tribe. I inhale a deep breath of the fresh air. It's been a little while since had flown last.
It's very hard to describe the feeling of flying like this to someone who's never flown freely with wings before. It's nothing like flying in an airplane. It's simply an absolutely stunning experience. After coming to this world and having the perk of being able to fly like this, I don't think I can ever give it up.
I don't think the quote "flying free as a bird" could be anymore accurately used than in this situation.
It doesn't take long before I get pulled from my reverie as I spot the object of my search. Using my enhanced senses, I easily spot a lone rock beetle. The first thing I notice about it is its size. It's fucking massive.
Although I have yet to find another evolved or type of rock beetle, the longer you travel into the rocky hills, the larger they become. But by using the trusty help of appraisal, it wasn't hard to figure out that rock beetles have an uncanny tendency of growing larger for each level. Let's take this one into consideration for example.
[Appraisal - Rock Beetle]
Name: "???"
Race: Rock Beetle
Sex: Male
Rank: G
Level: 19/20
Health: 182/182
Stamina: 91/91
Mana: 0/0
[Attributes]
STR - 18
VIT - 20
AGI - 6
DEX - 6
INT - 3
CHR - 1
WILL - ???
MAG - 0.03
[Trait, Titles, and Skills].
Skills - ???
Traits - ???
Titles - ???
[Resistances]
Phy. Resistance - 12
Mag. Resistance - 2
Men. Resistance - ???
If I'm not remembering it wrong, this rock beetle is almost double the size of the first rock beetle I saw when first entering the rocky hills. I wonder, just how big can they get? And what about their evolutions? Well, enough beetle speculating, let's test my magic!
Swooping down, I land on the hard carapace of the beetle's back. Immediately after landing on its carapace, the beetle roared backward in an attempt to get off whatever had just decided to attack it. I get a hold on one of the carapace's joints which gives me more than enough purchase to stay firmly on it's back.
Not wasting any time, I began forming a formation. Only a few seconds later I slam my palm onto the hard carapace of its back. Kicking off the beetle's back, I do a backwards salto and land gracefully on the ground a few meters away. Smirking at my little gymnastic performance, I just look on, observing if there's any change to the beetle.
But it doesn't take long before something happens. Turning towards me, I see the rock beetle begin to slow down and become sluggish. Only after a few seconds, its movements had basically halted to a crawl. What I had done to it was to use a formation that utilized both the mark glyph and the solidification glyph.
I had tweaked in such a way so that all blood within the beetle would begin to stagnate. Causing most of its bodily functions to either slow or outright shutdown. Although using that formation had put quite the strain on my head, it seemed to be very effective.
This formation could be used to mark a target and then slowly shut down its body. It could possibly even outright kill them by shutting down the circulatory system or a vital organ but I already know that everything has a certain amount of natural magical resistance. It essentially impedes any magical influence to a certain extend.
With the amount of mana I put into the formation and the current level of skill I have with magic, was only able to drastically slow the beetle. If I put more mana into the formation it would have a greater effect but all formations and glyphs have a certain range of mana that can be put into them. If it's too little they will just fizzle out, if it's too much they'll explode. The deciding factor of this range is pretty much the level of my skills, the proficiency that I wield my magic with, and lastly my magic power attribute.