Nyx Shadowbrook sat at his desk, looking at his money and plans. A soft magic light helped him see as he worked. He had made a lot of gold recently, and now he had to decide how to use it wisely.
"Okay," he said to himself, "let's figure this out."
The four Nyx talked about what spells to learn. They needed magic for attack, defense, and helping themselves. They also wanted spells that would work well with their clone ability and help with farming and making potions.
As night turned to morning, they talked about bigger plans. Nyx wanted to start making magic items and doing advanced enchanting. He could make a lot of money, but it would be hard to learn.
"We'd need to learn how to make things with metal and jewels," Nyx said. "That could take years to get good at."
One clone got excited. "But if we all work together, we could learn faster. It would cost a lot, but think about how much we could make later!"
Nyx nodded. "You're right. If we each learn different parts, we could easily make up to 1,500 gold every day once we're good enough. It's a big investment, but..."
"But it's about having different ways to make money," another clone finished. "We can't just sell potions forever. There's only so many people who will buy, and if we scale up operations people will start to come around the farm asking questions."
By the time the sun came up, Nyx and his clones had a big plan for learning and making money. It would be hard and expensive, but they were ready to try.
"We can do this," Nyx said firmly.
"Magical item creation," Nyx thought out loud. "Advanced enchantments, blacksmithing, jewelry making."
With his rough plan taken care of, Nyx headed to the city's teleportation hub. He had a plan, and it would take him far beyond Arcanum City.
Over the next few weeks, Nyx visited nearby cities. He found master craftsmen, famous enchanters, rune smith, and skilled artisans. In each place, they arranged for special, one-on-one training.
Nyx wanted to see how far away his clones could be from him. He came up with a plan to use the cities magic portals called teleportation arrays to send his clones off to different cities. Each clone would learn from a master, and then come back to the farm on different days.
Here's how Nyx's experiment worked:
Nyx would step onto a teleportation array in Arcanum City.He'd pay the fee and travel to a new city in a flash of blue light.Once there, Nyx would find a safe, quiet spot.He'd summon a clone and wait for a few hours to make sure everything was okay.If the clone was fine, Nyx would leave for another city.The clone would stay behind to learn information about the city.At the end of the day, if all went well, the clone would head back to the farm.
Nyx repeated this process for each city he visited. He went to Ironhold to learn blacksmithing, Sapphire Bay for jewelry making, and Aetherspire for magical item creation.
In the evening, Nyx waited nervously at the farm. He wondered if his clones would make it back safely from so far away. When each clone returned, Nyx felt excited and relieved. He was amazed that his magic worked even when his clones were miles and miles away from him.
This experiment taught Nyx a lot about his clone ability. He learned that his clones could exist far away from him and still be okay. This opened up many new possibilities for learning and working in different places at the same time.
The first clone, Nyx went to Ironhold, a town full of blacksmiths. He stepped on a glowing circle in Arcanum City, paid some gold, and in a flash of blue light, he was there! The air smelled like smoke from all the forges. Nyx clone was going to learn swords and tools making from a grumpy dwarf named Thorin Ironhammer.
Nyx stepped off the glowing teleportation circle and looked around in wonder. Ironhold was unlike any place he'd ever seen!
The city was built in a big circle, with roads spreading out like wheel spokes from a central plaza. Tall chimneys poked up everywhere, puffing out smoke that made the air hazy. The constant clanging of hammers on anvils filled the air.
In the middle of the city stood a huge statue of an anvil made of shiny black metal. People said it was made from the first piece of iron ever mined in the area. Around the statue, blacksmiths showed off their best work in open-air stall market.
The buildings in Ironhold were mostly made of stone, with metal decorations everywhere. Even the street signs were fancy iron works of art!
Nyx's nose twitched at the smells. There was smoke, of course, but also the scent of fresh bread from the bakeries. Ironhold was famous for its "coal bread" a dark, crusty loaf that stayed warm for hours. Perfect for long days at the forge!
As Nyx walked through the city, he saw a tavern called "The Molten Mug." Its sign was a big iron mug with steam rising from it. He made a note to try their special drink, "Miners Rage" a spicy cider that blacksmiths loved.
Finally, Nyx found the forge of Thorin Ironhammer. Thorin was a dwarf with arms as thick as tree trunks. His long beard was braided with metal beads, and his eyebrows looked like two caterpillars above his bright blue eyes.
Thorin's voice was as rough as gravel when he spoke. "So, you're the new apprentice, eh? Well, don't just stand there gawking! Grab an apron and let's see what you're made of!"
Nyx grinned. He could tell learning from Thorin would be tough, but also a lot of fun. He couldn't wait to start making swords and tools in this amazing city of metal and fire!
The next clone, Nyx traveled to Sapphire Bay, a pretty city by the sea. When he got there, he could smell the salty ocean right away. He went to learn how to make jewelry from a famous artist named Elara Moonstone.
Nyx stepped off the teleportation circle and gasped. Sapphire Bay was beautiful!
The city was built on a series of small islands connected by graceful bridges. Colorful buildings with red-tiled roofs lined winding streets that led down to the sparkling blue sea. Everywhere Nyx looked, he saw shimmering water.
In the center of the main island stood a tall lighthouse made of white stone. Its light was magical, changing colors to match the sea and sky. At night, it lit up the whole bay with a soft, pretty glow.
The air smelled like salt and flowers. Nyx saw a lot of people wearing bright clothes and shiny jewelry. Many carried baskets full of fresh fish or tropical fruits.
As he walked through the city, Nyx noticed a big open-air market. Sellers called out, offering everything from pearls to magic seashells. He stopped to try some "mermaid's kiss" a sweet treat made from coconut and lime.
Near the market, Nyx found a restaurant famous for its "rainbow fish stew." The dish changed color as you ate it, and people said each spoonful tasted different!
Finally, Nyx reached Elara Moonstone's workshop. It was a beautiful building made of sea glass and mother-of-pearl. The windows sparkled like gems in the sunlight.
Elara herself was tall and graceful, with long silver hair that seemed to glow. Her fingers were long and delicate, perfect for working with tiny gems and intricate designs. Her eyes were a swirling mix of blue and green, like the sea itself.
When Elara spoke, her voice was soft and musical. "Welcome, young one," she said with a kind smile. "Are you ready to learn the art of capturing beauty in metal and stone?"
Nyx nodded eagerly. He could already tell that learning from Elara would be amazing. He couldn't wait to start making beautiful jewelry in this magical seaside city!
The last clone, Nyx went to Aetherspire, a magical city floating in the sky! The magic circle there was on a platform way up in the clouds.
Nyx stepped onto a see-through platform and felt his stomach do a flip. He was standing on air! Far below, he could see fluffy white clouds.
Aetherspire was unlike any city Nyx had ever seen. It floated in the sky, held up by powerful magic. The city was built on giant floating islands connected by bridges made of light. Some islands slowly moved around, changing the city's shape all the time.
The buildings in Aetherspire were tall and thin, with twisting spires that reached towards the stars. They were made of a special stone that changed color with the light, so the whole city shimmered like a rainbow.
In the center of Aetherspire stood the Arcane Spire, a massive tower that glowed with magic. At its top was a giant crystal that shot beams of colorful light into the sky. People said it was the source of the city's flying magic.
As Nyx walked through the floating streets, he saw other mages going by. In one square, he watched a group of students practicing levitation spells, giggling as they floated a few feet off the ground.
The air in Aetherspire tingled with magic. It smelled like ozone after a lightning storm, mixed with the sweet scent of star fruit. Nyx tried a popular snack called "cloud puffs" little balls of fluff that melted in his mouth.
Finally, Nyx found Caelynn Starweaver's workshop. It was a dome-shaped building that seemed to be made of starlight. The walls sparkled and shifted, showing glimpses of distant galaxies.
Caelynn herself was an elf who looked both young and ancient at the same time. Her hair was white like moonlight and flowed around her as if she was underwater. Her eyes were deep purple and had tiny stars twinkling in them. When she moved, she seemed to leave a trail of stardust behind her.
When Caelynn spoke, her voice sounded like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. "Welcome, seeker of knowledge," she said with a mysterious smile. "Are you prepared to unravel the secrets of the universe and weave them into magic?"
Nyx nodded, feeling excited and a little nervous. He knew that learning from Caelynn would be challenging, but also incredible. He couldn't wait to start creating magical items in this amazing city among the clouds!
While all this was happening, Nyx hired some carpenters to build two new workshops on the farm. He also decided to rent apartments in each city where his clones were learning. This way, the clones had places to stay and didn't have to come back every day.
Back on the farm, Original Nyx kept making potions. He also started learning about rune smithing from books. Rune smithing is a special language engraved on objects. A way to make magical items even more powerful.