I swallow down the saliva in my mouth as I stare into the screen… 'personal and Debilitating..?'
So what, I'd lose an eye? Or a different body part? Maybe something more, personal? An ability of mine? Possibly even a value?
And what of the test? Would I be transported somewhere? Or would it take place in my psyche? Would it be an magical test or a physical one? What would I have to study for if anything at all?
There were far too many questions to go about this recklessly,
A thought struck me then, 'this is just a more extreme version of the Mana Seed… possibly, if it were to be taken out of the system it could try and tempt me like the Mana Seed did…'
Stop. Before we have a panic attack again, let's formulate a plan.
Step one: finish all long term odd jobs you haven't been able to, in the process, get through soul book and fiddle with the system to see if I can make myself an advantage of some kind… oh yea and get my debts settled
Step two: convince the Heartes and Mr. Allen to let me set out on my own, for a few months… (Possibly best to leave a message…)
Step three: just in case the process destroys something, go so deep into the blizzard Wild Mana Zone that no one will be able to find me, they will at best assume I died… at worst they will think still alive, and keep searching
Step four: dig a grave in case I actually do die
Step five: activate the Pixie Stick (wtf is with that name) and try to make sure my life won't completely fall apart due to my pursuit of power
Step six: get through both as fast as I can as competently as I can and acclimatize to the newly gained abilities and potentially lost ones…
Step seven: return back to Ilshard and go on with my life, DO NOT BECOME A MAGIC KNIGHT!
And try not to cry if anything goes wrong!
I ask the system a very crucial question, "what happens if I deny this reward?" I ask, hope fluttering in my chest
[User. Is. Already. Past. The. Point. Of. Reward. Refusal.]
[reward's. Manifesting. Will. Take. Three. Months. One. Week. Thirteen. hours.]
… that's both good and bad, it's good because I'll have plenty of time to focus on getting my affairs in order, it's bad because I can't stop it…
- - - -
I have cleaning out Mrs. Gurtrude's chicken coop, I have to do that three more times before spring comes…
Then I have to help Mr. Marlin with the extension to his house,
And finally I have to help out with prep for the solstice, so that's gunna take some time.
Ilshard, being a town that lays on the edge of the grand mana zone of ice and snow, naturally deeply effects the people that live here, to the point that for eight months in the year it snows here, and the other four months are still cold, wet, and cloudy, just without the ice and squalls…
Hmmm, I have enough Yul to pay off my expenses to the hospital, I should ask if the Halesons are doing well while I'm there.
Is should also check out the runic board,
Lots to do…
But for now, let's get some rest.
- - - -
After the last few days of stress it was good to sleep in my own bed, though of course it's not very comfortable but that's a price I have to pay for habit.
My feet bring me toward the odd job board like they always do, Samwine needs a horn from any beast, Dorothy Henderson's in need of an ear to listen to her ramble as she knits… the Alberforth's eldest is of age to gain a Grimoire so they need a babysitter.
But none of it matters, because I just had to sacrifice a random stone in the wal-
"Shepard, you ok?" A voice calls out to me
I turn my head to the right and see, Sean Henderson, the only other kid my age that takes odd jobs, and one of the only children in the village that looks at me like a person…
I blink at him and say "huh? Umm yeah I- um I'm ok" I lie with a tight feeling in my throat
He looks at me, concerned and says "'ve never seen ya cry before, ya sure her fine?" It's only after he says it that I realize my cheeks are covered in fresh tears and snot is dribbling from my nose.
I wipe it away and calm myself, and say "yeah, yeah I'm good, just, uhh, guess I recently got a reminder of somethin' really important…" I say then turn away from the board.
Before I can take a step a hand is on my shoulder and a voice from behind me says," hey, no one's gonna judge ya for taking time after the Alderbeste, ok? Yer apart a this community too, right?" He pats my shoulder lightly.
… he misunderstood, but I suppose he was also right, I look back at him, and say with a smile I can't make anything other than fragile "thanks, but I already know." And he hesitantly let's his hand off my shoulder,
About to walk away, I slowly come to a halt with a slightly forced cheeky grin, a part of me knows it's just a lie, but for now this mask is the best to show the world but regardless I turn to him and say with a voice I know most find annoying "seems like the Alberforth Twins need some sitting, try not to burn their house down, ya' 'ear?" He looks delighted for a moment the pales at my words and mumbles, "but… tha twins hate me…" I laugh in his face before leaving for Mrs. Gurtrude's to clean out her chicken coop again, for some reason every month it gets covered in feathers and bird shit, even though she hasn't owned any kind of fowl since I was about nine…
Oh well, she pays good anyway, so it doesn't really matter…
- - - -
After a rotten smelling half an hour and 600 Yul
I go to the 'better' side of town to repay that debt but am pushed away for smelling too bad,
I smell myself and flinch at the stench, so I go home and have myself a bath and give a good wash to my clothes.
While wash boarding my clothes so I have something clean to wear after I take the bath I ask the system "in greater detail, what exactly does the Runic Board do?"
[ ding ]
[The Runic Board Is A Simulation Device, Where The User Can Draw Out And Test Any Runes, Weather They Are Ones That Already Exist Or Not, Does Not Matter.]
I perk up with interest "oh? Could you open the Board then?" My clothes temporarily forgotten I look at the Board intently
[Affirmative]
[Runic Board Activated]
On the left side are a bunch of knobs for things like 'Length', 'Width', … 'Glowyness'? And a few others that seem pretty understandable for a simulation
The right side has a bunch of collapsed dialogue menus, one says 'Environment', another says 'Temperature', one says 'Surface' and there one that says 'Velocity'
There's a counter to the bottom right that says Ma/min with a little information bubble next to it, I click it and it says [Ma/min Stands For Mana Per minute.] I nod and move on.
On the bottom left there are four of Dials one was labeled 'Grav', another that was labeled 'Electro' the third was labeled 'Weak ' and the fourth that was labeled 'Strong', pretty easy to surmise as the four basic forces
In the upper right we're several switches either on or off one of which was called 'Simplify' it was in the off position so I switched it on and most of the options disappeared, leaving the space looking far less cluttered, the dials below has been turned into a drop box that was currently reading 'Universal Average'
And velocity and temperature had both disappeared as well. length and width had been condensed into 'Size' and about half the switches on the upper right disappeared as well.
On top of all that a blank bar in the upper left hand side had appeared, under it, a small bit of text read 'Rune Array Name'
…
I poked the center of the Board and a small bit of… chalk? Or something appeared where I had touched and a red glowing button appeared below the Board, it read 'Simulate'
Tempted I pressed it, only for nothing to happen,
Then another board appeared, it had written on it
[Simulation Failed, Reason For Failure, Improperly Sized Rune Circuit, A Simple Way To Circumvent This Issue In The Future, Is For The User To Make Sure They Draw The Rune Circuit Bigger And Or Smaller And Or Redraw Shape To Be More Consistent.]
I slowly nod my head, now with a slight idea of what I was supposed to do, I draw out a 'Ripper' runic array and press the 'Simulate' button again.
This time the simulation of the Rune goes smoothly and the 'Ripper' works as it would in reality,
[Simulation Results Of Unnamed Runic Array;
1. Dismantles The Structural Support Of Any Material Equal To Or Weaker Than The Amount Of Mana Used In It's Creation.
2. Can Only Dismantle What Ever Material Is Currently In The Path Of Any Arcane Slash It Produces.
3. Any Arcane Slash Produced By This Rune Will Circle Back To The Rune And Destroy It In The Process.
- Analysis: Add A Complementary Shape To The Center Of The Array, This Will Stop The Array From Destroying Itself, As The Extra Shape Would Act As A Guide To Keep The Slashes From Dismantling The Material The Rune Was Written On Or Carved Into, And Therefore Allow The Rune To No Longer Waste Mana By Keeping It Active Until All Mana Inside Runs Out, This Would Increase Efficiency By 23% -
Unnamed Runic Array Rating: 4/12*]
As I read it's detailed description and analysis on the short comings of my only Array, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, as I felt it that array was really quite good, but I also felt like smacking my forehead at not thinking of modifying the rune, sure I was a bit afraid that it would go haywire and kill me, but even adding something as simple as another shape on the inside of the rune to stabilize it and allow it to function out it's life span?
I was under the impression that was something that only someone with a specialization in Runic Magic could.. do… hey… wait a minute… now that I think about it, I've never read about Runic Magic in any historical texts or even any fairy tails… sure i've hear about historical figures who used Trap Magic or Sealing Magic, but never Runic Magic…even in Black Clover, however muddy the memories are in four years, never even mentioned Runes being involved in any kind of magic for them specifically… the only other mention is… runic arrays themselves… which anyone can use and is therefore a form of Generalized Magic… come to think of it.. the only place I remember hearing about Runic Magic being a Specialized is… the same place I learnt the Rune itself…
- - - -
It was summer. I was Freshly ten and just out of another panic attack about how I would get instantly killed by even the weakest of elves once canon started, I had just gotten up the courage a month ago to start taking on forest gathering jobs, but back then, I was even too afraid to talk to Old Man Allen, let alone anyone else in the village… up until that month ago, was living Yul to Yul, off of the kindness of a people that looked at me like trash and any job I could get my hands on that kept me in the village walls, it was day like most others, grey skies, chilly air, but it was also the one day of the month that merchants would come to town, here to sell wears and buy the rare minerals the town often mined, I had just gotten enough Yul to warrant paying for something for the first time, and it was with the shaky feet of a first time shopper that I entered the Perverbial lions den.
Now don't get me wrong, this was not my first time shopping at a bizarre or any shop, at Least, I think… most of my specific memories from my last life are hazy at best, gone at worst, so I was once again going in blind.
As I made my way through the busy street I couldn't help but realize that no one was looking at me, all too focused on deals and haggling to notice a little street rat like me walking around… I saw many things, from Alien looking fruit covered in caremel to fried sticks of cheese covered what seemed to be dried bread crumbs..?
It all smelled so tantalizing, but a part of me knew I was here to buy something that would help me in the long run, far more than eating something would right now, I saw a merchant selling swords and another selling enchanted memorabilia, but one caught my eye more than the rest, it was an old lady, running a shop that sold old books…
The one that caught my eye was a navy blue color and said on it's cover; Basic Runes anyone can cast! For only 9,999 Yul.* (*Price negotiable)
I looked at the book then back at her and started to negotiate at first I was hesitant and a bit shy, but as she goaded me into saying what I wanted, blinded by my frustration I didn't realize my hesitation had melted into a burning conviction to get what I wanted.
As she looked down on me, smug, as if she got something she was looking for, we settled on 6,500 Yul, which is actually very good, as I only had 7,000 Yul on me…
- - - -
As the Young Girl had already scuttered back to the alley way where she slept and put her things, she didn't realize that the old lady's expression had turned a bit cold, as she looked at the retreating girl she muttered "so, the slight disturbance in time came from a child… what was I so worried about again? That such a weak little thing could become a threat to the clover kingdom? Hahh… what a fool I am…" as the woman said this, the cart and the lady both disappeared, as if they were never there to begin with…
- - - -
As the young girl entered the alley way, sat down and started to read, it crossed her mind that the old lady looked vaguely familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before… but then she shook her head and got back to reading the technical work of Runic Arrays, most of it flew right over her head, and the book only had one spell in it, a basic one called the 'Ripper' Runic Array…
- - - -
Shepard shook herself out of that flashback esque trance she was just in and began analyzing the sequence of events again, now that my mind is fueled by food and is more clear, I can say with at least a 75% confidence, that might have been Julius Novachrono, in his old lady desguise… but why the fuck would someone one the highest point of the totem pole care about some podunk village like Ilshard…?
Let alone come there to sell magic books…
Before I could think myself into a downward spiral I looked at the board again with a better understanding of what exactly it could do, a shit eating grin developed on my face as I realized I could experiment with runes to my heart's content with this and never actually get hurt, unless I cast them in reality to see if their properties matched up with the simulation that is…
Hmm… but for now, I should finish with my clothes and then restart on the soul book.
Much to do. much to do…
- - - -
Lotta cut aways and even a flash back in this chapter! Quite the big one if I do say so myself!
Hope you enjoyed