Von placed his hand upon the grip but found his aura too weak to try to send it into the weapon. Shaking his head in defeat, he said, "I don't know."
As Von moved around the forge watching Master Oren, he discovered, not only was his aura weak, but his system was also having issues as well. It was unable to absorb more knowledge, unable to keep notes, nothing. Something happened when Marshfang tried to absorb his essence, and it wasn't good.
Feeling a sense of frustration and unease gnawing at him, Von couldn't help but worry about the implications of Marshfang's failed imbuing process. The sudden weakness in his aura and the malfunctioning of his system were troubling signs, hinting at deeper repercussions from his reckless experimentation with magic.
As he watched Master Oren work, Von couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension that lingered in the back of his mind. What if Marshfang's failed imbuing had somehow damaged his own magical abilities? What if he had inadvertently unleashed forces beyond his control, endangering not only himself but those around him?
With a heavy heart, Von realized that he needed to seek guidance and assistance in understanding the extent of the damage. He couldn't afford to ignore the warning signs or dismiss them as mere coincidence. Whatever had happened, it was clear that he needed help to unravel the mystery and find a way to restore his aura and system to their former state.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Von approached Master Oren, his expression a mix of concern and determination. "Master Oren," he began, his voice tinged with urgency, "I think something went wrong with the imbuing process for Marshfang. My aura still feels weak, and my magic doesn't seem to be working quite right. I don't know what to do."
Master Oren turned to him; his gaze thoughtful as he listened to Von's words. With a solemn nod, he placed a reassuring hand on Von's shoulder. "Fear not, lad," he said gently, his voice a steady presence amidst the turmoil. "We'll figure this out together. But first, we need to understand the extent of the damage. Let's see if we can find someone who can help us. Wait here."
Von sat on the bench and repeatedly tried to contact his system but to no avail. No matter how many times he addressed it, nothing happened. Finally, he remembered the phosphomancy focus he kept with him. His system needed this for the next upgrade. He reached into his pouch and removed the mesmerizing luminescent crystal orb watching as the light played against it and refocused.
Holding it, he could feel a small tug of his aura trying to reach it, but it was weak. System, can you absorb the orb?
He waited. Again, after ten minutes, nothing happened. He concentrated on absorbing the light magic focus into his aura without the use of his system. Von continued to focus his attention on the mesmerizing orb of light, he felt a faint stirring within his aura, a subtle resonance which seemed to respond to the presence of the phosphomancy focus. With each passing moment, he concentrated harder, channeling his remaining strength and willpower into the task at hand.
Slowly but steadily, the faint tug of his aura grew stronger, enveloping the orb in a gentle embrace. The light magic within the focus seemed to shimmer and dance in response, as if eager to merge with Von's aura and become one with it.
With a surge of determination, Von continued to pour his energy into the process, willing his aura to absorb the essence of the phosphomancy focus. He felt a faint spark of connection as the light magic began to intertwine with his own, merging and blending together in a harmonious symphony of energy.
Then, in a sudden rush of sensation, Von felt a surge of power course through him as the absorption process reached its culmination. The orb dimmed slightly, its light now a part of Von's aura, infusing him with newfound strength and vitality and suddenly the orb flew around him shining brightly before turning into tiny motes of light which surrounded Von's body before landing on his skin and disappearing.
With a sense of satisfaction, Von knew that he had succeeded. Despite the setbacks and challenges he had faced; he had managed to absorb the light magic focus into his aura without the assistance of his system. It was a small victory, but it meant a lot to him. It was a significant step forward in his journey to restore his magical abilities and he felt he would need them to overcome any obstacles in his future.
Having accomplished this on his own, he slumped to the floor and leaned against the workbench. Although he absorbed the focus, he still felt weak. Magic was not responding as he wanted, and he was unable to remove his fatigue. He waited on the floor for the assistance from the knowledgeable individuals within the academy with the hope that together, they would unravel the mystery of Marshfang's failed imbuing and restore his aura and his mysterious system to their former strength.
Von was completely asleep when the help arrived. Not from the academy, but from the other smiths. Grimdon, the short stocky man was looking at the sleeping figure on the floor before asking Oren, "Where's this ugly blade he made?"
Oren directed Grimdon and the fiery haired dwarf's attention to the end of the workbench where a piece of silk was covering something. The female dwarf hastily moved to draw the sheet of silk from the weapon. Folding the silk and setting it to the side, she furled her brow at the strange green thing laying on workbench.
As the two smiths inspected the weapon, they exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and concern. The fiery-haired dwarf reached out tentatively to touch the blade, her fingers tracing along its smooth surface with a cautious touch. Vorolen finally spoke. "It's definitely not pretty, unless maybe you're a druid."
Grimdon, on the other hand, leaned in closer, squinting as he examined the intricate details etched into the metal. His brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to discern any abnormalities or flaws in the craftsmanship. Finding no flaws, he continued to gaze at the weapon.
After a few moments of silent inspection, Grimdon finally spoke up, his voice gruff and authoritative. "This ain't like any blade I've seen before," he remarked, his tone filled with a hint of admiration despite his initial skepticism. "It's got a strange aura about it, like it's alive or somethin'."
The fiery-haired dwarf nodded in agreement; her expression thoughtful. "Aye, and look at these markings," she added, pointing to the intricate runes etched along the blade's surface. "They ain't like any runes I've seen before. It's as if they're pulsing with magic."
Oren watched the two smiths with a mixture of pride and concern. He knew that Von had put everything he had into crafting Marshfang, but the unexpected outcome left him feeling uneasy. It was clear the weapon held a power beyond their understanding, and Oren couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay hidden within its mysterious depths.
As the trio continued to examine the weapon, Von stirred from his slumber, his eyes fluttering open as he groggily sat up. Seeing the other two smiths with Oren gathered around Marshfang, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation mixed with trepidation.
Seeing the boy now sitting, Vorolen asked, "What were you trying to do? Oren says you was trying to skip a step and name it while adding the magic to it. Is this true?"
Von rubbed his eyes, still feeling the lingering effects of his ordeal, before nodding slowly. "Yes, it's true," he admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of embarrassment. "I thought... I thought I could save time and energy by imbuing and naming the sword at the same time. I wanted to see if I could channel my aura directly into the weapon to bring out its magic and give it a name all at once."
He paused, feeling a sense of guilt wash over him as he recalled the consequences of his impulsive decision. "But something went wrong," he continued, his tone filled with regret. "I lost control of the magic, and it... it nearly consumed me. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
Von looked down at Marshfang, his gaze filled with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "I never imagined that something like this could happen," he admitted softly. "I just wanted to create something special, something powerful. But now... now I don't know what to do."
He glanced up at Vorolen and the others, his eyes searching for guidance and reassurance. "Can you help me?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Can you help me understand what went wrong, how to fix it, and then help me fix it?"