Ethan was just beginning to settle into the new rhythm of his life in the guild when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway of the bustling hall.
Faye Asfalis, the elven mentor who had promised to return and personally teach more about the world and Quillmancy. She strode into the room with a measured grace that commanded attention. Her silver hair shimmered even though it's daytime, and her cerulean eyes sparkled with quiet wisdom. A soft smile curled at the corner of her lips as she scanned the guild's lively atmosphere. It had been exactly four days since Ethan and Ashley had seen her last, yet a sharp pang of nostalgia welled up inside of them.
"Faye!" Ethan called, grinning as he waved her over to his table where Ashley and Peachy sat, casually enjoying the post-conflict reconstruction of the guild.
"I see you've been building the reputation while I was away," Faye remarked with a teasing glint in her eye as she joined them. "One dubbed with many names, wild-rose, femme fatale, Ash the Giant, Ash the Angel... and the other, Beckoner of Calamity."
"Wha– that can't be right. I get who wild rose is, but beckoner of calamity surely does not describe me, does it?" Ethan replied with visible confusion.
"Your monicker and Edgar's report correlates. Even the infamous Night Brigade had trouble dealing with Grendel, you should know that the Night Brigade has faced a horde of wyverns and survived" Faye replied. "But I'm not here for that, Ethan. I'm here to see how you've been progressing with your abilities."
Ethan nodded, still mildly affected by the deaths of the Night Brigade members. He had learned a lot since their last encounter, and much of that had been self-taught or pieced together while observing other adventurers. Yet, he felt like there was still a fundamental gap in his understanding of how to tap into the potential of his Quillmancer abilities. His journey so far had been filled with surprises, and this gap was something that had weighed on his mind.
"I've been working on controlling my macro skills and encoding, but sometimes it feels like I hit a wall," Ethan admitted, glancing at his unique item, Lexcalibre, resting by his side. "I can do some amazing things, but there's a limit to what I can express with my ink."
Faye nodded thoughtfully. "That's the nature of power when it is in its raw form. A budding Quillmancer uses their own soul as ink similar to how writers pen books. Their whole being is reflected over their work. There's a problem with it though, the quality and potential of your encoded spell will be reliant on your own personal biases and beliefs, your range of vocabulary and understanding would either be a detriment or a boon to your encoded spells. That's what both of you have been doing up until now. This technique, while versatile, has dangerous volatility," Faye pauses for a moment letting them mentally digest the information.
"To truly understand how to use it, you must first understand its nature—its substance. And the key to this understanding lies within the very ink that fuels your abilities," she continues.
A spark of recognition lit in Ethan's mind. He knew that ink, in this world, was no ordinary substance. He had already come to realize that a Quillmancer's ink was not just a material— it was something far more complex. His teacher's words hinted at a deeper truth.
Faye reached a finger on the empty space in front of her and begun scribbling over the air. She spread it out across what seemed to be a three columned table, with the letters K-W-L written at the top of each column, revealing a diagram that reminded Ethan of something he had used multiple times during his teaching career back on Earth—a KWL chart.
"Do you recognize this method?" Faye asked with a smirk, noting Ethan's raised eyebrow.
"You're using the KWL chart?" Ethan replied, smiling inwardly. He had always appreciated that learning method back in his previous world. For Faye to use it, he knew it was going to be a thorough and structured lesson.
"Indeed," Faye replied, her voice warm but firm. "What we know, what we want to know, and what we've learned. It's a reliable tool to frame the unknown."
Ethan read aloud the first column as she pointed to it, "What we Know."
"We know," Faye began, "thata Quillmancers' power is drawn from ink, primarily soul ink—this ink is not just a simple substance, it is a conduit. But soul ink is limited to the number of literature one has read in a life, the number isn't constant, one can improve their Lexical Reservoir by reading more books or leveling up. In this world, books are hard to come by. They are especially expensive and scarce. Not everyone can afford one."
"We also know that your ability is limited by the ink's properties and your ability to express them. The more fluid your expression, the greater the power. But the question remains: how do you obtain and refine an ink that's more stable?"
Ashley thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps, by gathering raw materials and synthesizing them?"
"Precisely," Faye said, gesturing for both of them to follow her. "In this world, there are various types of ink, and they're not all created equal. Some are potent, others weak. Some can be harvested from magical sources, while others come from natural materials like plants, minerals, or even creatures."
"Using your Soul Ink. You can write with even just your fingers, as I'm doing now. Pens however, can be equipped with special inks. There are various kinds of ink out there. And understanding them will allow you to control your Quillmancy in more sophisticated ways." She gestured for them to stand. "Now, let's get our hands dirty."
The trio followed Faye out of the guild hall and into the surrounding forest. The trees towered overhead, casting shadows that seemed to sway in rhythm with the breeze. They encountered dangerous creatures from time to time, but it seems like they instinctively avoided them.
As they walked, Faye explained the process of obtaining the materials for synthesizing ink.
"Some of the main ingredient come from plants," Faye explained, crouching down to examine a vine wrapped around a nearby tree. "For example, the Elderwood Sap. It produces a dark, thick liquid, the primary ingredient used to make inks that can be used for powerful, long-lasting effects. But you must harvest it carefully. The vines are a bit sensitive. You must begin harvesting the moment after you make a small cut. If you squeeze the vine too hard, the ink will spoil. Gentle strokes are necessary."
Ethan and Ashley crouched next to her, their hands moving with care as they replicated her movements. Ashley pressed the vine between her fingers, gently coaxing the ink to emerge. The liquid was rich and dark, almost like oil. Ethan on the other hand, well, he squeezed a little too harder and the liquid came out with a pungent smell.
"Ethan, you'll have to do it with another vine. That ink is unusable. It's all about the balance," Faye continued. "Extracting too much, too quickly, and you'll drain it of its power. Harvesting the raw material for ink is an art that requires patience, just like using it."
As they made their way deeper into the forest, Faye introduced them to other sources of raw material. They harvested from shimmering crystals, from the sap of rare trees, and from the scales of magical creatures. Some raw material are drained, crushed into powder, and so on. Each had different properties—some enhanced strength and speed, others magnified elemental affinities, and still others were used for wards and healing minor injuries.
After hours of extracting raw materials under the instruction of Faye, Ethan and Ashley finally had an inkling of the essence of gathering, harvesting and synthesizing ink materials. By mastering the nuances and each raw material's property, they could theoretically produce inks that caters to their needs and abilities. Adjusting them for different effects—precision, strength, or subtlety.
As the day came to a close, Faye smiled proudly at her student. "You've made excellent progress, Now that you have acquired the raw materials, we shall begin synthesizing tomorrow. Also, I need you to write a reflection paper highlighting the things you learned today, submit it to me first thing in the morning."
"Great. A homework is what I've always wanted to do in an isekai. Just great," Ashley sarcastically complained.
Listening to her, Faye was determined to not let it slide, "I'm adding an essay on good conduct as well, 1000 words."
Ethan however, was ecstatic. He wasn't bothered by the assignment, in fact, he used to be those rare kids who loves doing homework even though that spark has long been gone in his adult life. Feeling like a child again, he beams a smile "I'm ready," Ethan said, already thinking ahead to the challenges that lay before him. He had unlocked a new layer of his potential—but now, it was time to refine it. There was a slight spring to his steps as Ethan hummed and thought to himself,
My training arc has finally begun.