Arcanum, as legend has it, is the language used by the creator gods to shape the world. It encompasses all natural laws and magical forces, powerful and sacred, yet it has been forgotten through the ages. More precisely, humans lost this divine language when they fell from Heaven after consuming a forbidden fruit.
Despite that, remnants of this ancient knowledge can still be salvaged by studying magic and nature. Over time, more aspects of this divine language have been rediscovered. By inscribing these 'divine codes,' one can alter and shape matter at will, draw power from surrounding elements, or even bend the laws of physics. Thus, this divine power forms the foundation for all magic and enchantments known to mankind.
This is exactly what stated in the 'Complete Guide to Enchantment' about the history of Arcanum. When I first read it, I was both shocked and intrigued, as the story bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain book we had on Earth.
There was the man's fall from heaven…
And there was a forbidden fruit…
Now, as the Arcanum letters glow on the dagger while Sophia writes, I can see it clearly.
"So this is how you write in Arcanum," I murmur, fascinated.
The language of the gods is such an enigmatic thing. The reason why I wanted Sophia to demonstrate her enchantment process was not just to learn the practical aspect, but also because the books I've read all failed to explain this highly complex language, leaving me with many questions. Like any other language, Arcanum has three aspects—reading, speaking, and writing. However, there is much more beneath the surface.
First off, reading. There are two universal rules for reading Arcanum. Rule number one: do not read Arcanum for too long. This is the divine language, the language of the gods, and looking at it is like looking at the sun itself. Staring at it for too long makes a person dizzy and tired. Ignoring these warning signs risks falling into madness, seeing hallucinations, and non-existent things. Then, there is rule number two: avoid reading forbidden words, including enchantments that surpass one's skill level or words forbidden due to their extreme consequences.
Regarding speaking, Arcanum has to be spoken with intention. Any word, even if it is as holy as the gods themselves, is useless without intention behind it. 'Intention' might be imagination, like visualizing a fireball when casting a spell, or it could be desires, emotions, or even hatred. There are curses that grow stronger with the caster's hatred. Conversely, there are healing magics that resonate with a person's loving heart. Similarly to reading, there is also a rule against speaking forbidden Arcanum words, as doing so could unleash calamity upon the speaker.
And lastly, writing.
One simply does not write Arcanum with a pencil and paper.
Arcanum is the fire of creation, the flame of the gods. Therefore, like any fire, it needs fuel to exist. Enchantment ink is required to write Arcanum. Without it, the words disappear right away without any effect. But not just any ink suffices. The ink has to match the level of the enchantment, meaning more advanced enchantments demand higher quality inks.
But that isn't all. The real complexity of Arcanum lies in its method of inscription.
It has to be written in 3D, not just 2D.
Well, the books don't exactly state that, but it is just my conclusion after doing a bunch of theoretical research.
This aspect of Arcanum is particularly peculiar and weird. An Arcanum word has to be inscribed following an exact order of strokes, with the thickness of each stroke mattering. Then, unlike normal writing, Arcanum letters can stack on top of each other, rather than being aligned in a line. This means that one can theoretically inscribe an entire book's worth of information in a single letter's space, and it would appear as a single ink dot. This makes it possible to enchant small items, but only really good enchanters can do so. And of course, such a method would render the inscription unreadable.
So, even when it is the most basic enchantment, Sophia is still extremely focused and careful.
Then, after ten minutes of intense writing…
"Finished!"
The dagger emits a bright glow as she pulls the pen away. Her face beams with pride as she inspects the weapon's newly enhanced stats.
"You're smiling. Was it a success?" I ask.
"Big success!" Sophia replies triumphantly. "Behold, Jack, this is my enchanted masterpiece! You literally cannot enchant Sharpness better than this!"
Intrigued, I lean in to examine the dagger through the appraisal lens.
Indeed. She did it!
The stats of the dagger have been significantly improved!
[Steel dagger]
- Weapon Rating: 79 (up by 55)
- Weight: 512 grams
Attributes:
- Sharpness: 27 (up by 17)
- Durability: 144/145
Special Ability:
- None
Enchantment
- Sharpness + 9
- Sharpness + 8
Enchantment points: 2 (decreased by 24)
And now, it is my turn to try.
I take out another blank dagger with similar initial stats, and try enchanting it myself for the very first time.