The enchantment rooms are small, private chambers provided by the guild for enchanters to practice their craft. Renting one costs ten crowns per hour, roughly equivalent to ten dollars. At first glance, this might seem expensive, but considering the amenities—a spacious worktable, proper lighting, and specialized enchanting equipment—it's a fair price.
Stepping inside, I approach the table and find two old books, their covers worn and their pages yellowed with age.
The first book, Basic Guide to the Enchantment Art, is exactly what its name suggests. It details the history of enchantments, the nature of Arcanum, and fundamental techniques for performing basic enchantments. Since I've already memorized its contents back in the library, I set it aside.
The second book, Enchantment Codex for Beginners, is a thick binder filled with enchantment blueprints—a must-have for novice enchanters.
In a way, enchanters are like fantasy programmers, copying pre-designed sequences of Arcanum symbols from blueprints and applying them to objects. Before attempting an enchantment, an enchanter would typically study the codex, memorizing the necessary symbols. However, this book only contains lower-tier, common enchantments. The truly powerful ones—the ones I found in the upper floors of the library—are far beyond what's recorded here. Of course, I have already committed all of them to memory.
With that, there's no reason to waste time. It's time to begin.
But first, I want to see how Sophia does it.
Enchanters are divided into four ranks based on their proficiency in reading and writing Arcanum: Novice, Apprentice, Master, and Grandmaster. Sophia, being a Master Enchanter, is an expert in the field. As she told me earlier, her father was once an enchanter as well, having even reached the esteemed rank of Grandmaster.
"Sophia, can you show me the enchantment process?" I ask, eager to watch an expert at work.
"Of course! Which enchantment should I start with?" she replies.
"Let's go with Sharpness."
Reaching into my bag, I retrieve a simple dagger—a practice weapon I purchased for ten crowns. It's plain, unremarkable, and completely unenchanted, making it a perfect test subject. I hand it to Sophia, and she places it beneath a device called the Appraisal Lens.
This microscope-like tool is specially designed for enchanters, equipped with two key enchantments: Magnifying Vision and Common Item Appraisal. The first allows users to see even the most intricate Arcanum engravings, while the latter provides a breakdown of an item's properties. It's an essential instrument for evaluating enchantments.
Sophia leans forward, adjusting the focus and securing the dagger on the tray.
"Hmmm, let's see…," she muses. "You just place the item like this, look through the scope, and wait about five seconds for the text to appear. And voilà! Easy!"
Now it's my turn.
I peer through the lens, and a detailed readout materializes before my eyes.
—————
[Steel dagger]
- Weapon Rating: 24
- Weight: 512 grams
Attributes:
- Sharpness: 10Durability: 144/145
Special Ability:
- None
Enchantment
- None
- Enchantment points: 26
—————-
"Can you see it? Do you want me to go over the basics again?" Sophia asks.
"Yes, I can see. But there's no need to explain the basics to me. I've already memorized them from the books I read," I reply.
"Well, if you say so…" Sophia sighs.
She still seems skeptical, likely because I haven't told her about Sapphire, my AI chip.
But there's no time for that now.
With the dagger's full status displayed, my focus sharpens on two key factors—weapon rating and enchantment points. The rating determines an item's overall strength, and at only 24, this dagger is far from impressive. The enchantment points, on the other hand, dictate how many enhancements can be applied. At 26 points, our options are fairly limited.
Still, I'm eager to see how much Sophia can improve it.
"Sophia, you may begin," I say, sliding the enchantment ink and pen toward her.
She blinks. "Wait. If you already know all the theory, do you even need me to teach you now?"
"Of course!" I grin. "I might know the theory, but when it comes to actual hands-on experience? Zero."
Sophia's eyes light up with excitement. "Oh! That makes sense!" Her voice brims with enthusiasm. "Then watch closely! As a Master Enchanter, I will show you the proper way of enchanting an item!"
"Yep, you're the teacher now."
"Good!" Sophia dips the enchantment pen into the special ink, her fingers steady, her expression shifting to one of absolute focus.
Then, she closes her eyes briefly and whispers, "Enchanter's Sight—activate!"
A soft glow ignites in her pupils, dilating them slightly, as if unlocking a hidden dimension of vision. When she opens them again, they shimmer with an ethereal brilliance.
Taking a deep breath, she presses the pen to the steel, carefully etching the first enchantment glyph.
The moment the ink touches the blade, something shifts in the air.
A quiet hum vibrates through the dagger as Sophia weaves the language of the gods into its very core.
And I watch, mesmerized, as the true art of enchantment unfolds before my eyes.