The rune engraver is a profession capable of creating miracles, and Charlie had gained some understanding of it while Nahr was analyzing modern magical history with him. However, today he learned for the first time that there was an even higher level within this profession.
Unable to restrain his curiosity, Charlie asked, "So what is the ultimate goal?"
"The ultimate goal is to become a rune architect, known as 'the weaver of magical arts.' Almost every rune architect has made significant contributions to history. To become a rune architect, one must publish an original composite rune and gain recognition from the Continental Mage Association."
"Have there ever been rune architects in history?" Just as he asked this question, Charlie felt a bit foolish, likely stunned by the title itself.
Nahr laughed, "Well, where do you think composite runes come from if there are no rune architects? However, the threshold for becoming a rune architect has increasingly risen, which is a widely recognized issue. The Arcane Circle has not awarded the title of rune architect in many years.
In fact, the standards for becoming a rune architect have been lowered repeatedly; it originally required proposing ten valuable composite runes, but now it has changed to just one—it has ironically become more difficult. You should understand the reasoning behind this. The easier combinations have mostly been discovered, and the difficulty of innovation is increasing."
Charlie nodded, indicating his understanding.
Seeing Charlie's sketches, Nahr felt pleasant and, taking advantage of the moment, said, "Since we're talking about this, why not start now? You don't have any plans for the rest of the day, do you?"
"No!" Charlie shook his head and smiled, "Even if I did, I would cancel them."
Nahr smiled and gently swept the drafts off his desk. He walked over to a nearby bookshelf, took down a dusty bottle of ink, a specially made feather quill, and from the bottom shelf, pulled out a stack of dusty parchment, selecting one from the middle.
Then, Nahr placed these three items in front of Charlie.
"The pen, ink, and parchment are the three essentials for drawing scrolls."
Upon hearing this, a surge of fiery curiosity ignited within Charlie.
What was the first thing that made him experience the wonders of magic?
It was a zero-mana scroll signed in his mother's name, the Arcane Missile and Mana Shield, which had allowed him to shine during the werewolf war. Charlie had dreamed of learning how to create scrolls, and now that goal was within reach.
Despite this, Charlie suppressed his inner excitement and asked, "Aren't you going to teach me the basic runes? Why are we drawing scrolls instead?"
"This is not a contradiction. For a rune engraver apprentice, drawing scrolls is the simplest way to start." Nahr pointed to the three items on the table, "This pen is a magical dip pen, a more advanced version than ordinary feather quills, made from the hair of the Silvermoon Wolf. It can retain magic power and reduces natural evaporation.
The ink is starlight ink, made from crushed starstone powder, elemental water, and mana oil, classified as mid-tier ink, capable of creating up to level five magical scrolls.
The parchment has been enchanted to seal in magic and prevent mana loss. A blank sheet of this enchanted parchment is worth around 600 gold coins."
Charlie couldn't help but click his tongue; if a blank sheet of parchment was worth 600 gold coins, how much would a finished scroll be worth? Although he didn't lack money now, he couldn't help but sigh when recalling his previous embarrassing situation outside Hainai City.
Charlie asked, "Teacher, do these materials come in different tiers?"
Nahr nodded, "Yes, the requirements for the pen are not particularly strict, but a good pen can undoubtedly improve the success rate of drawing scrolls; that's unquestionable.
The quality of the ink and parchment is more significant. Generally speaking, ordinary parchment and pale ink can only create level three and below magical scrolls; enchanted parchment and starlight ink can create level four to five magical scrolls; star-patterned paper and dream ink can create level six scrolls; while level seven scrolls require more energy-rich ethereal ink and higher-capacity dragon skin parchment.
As for higher-level scrolls, no one wants to create them because the costs are too high and not worth it, except for churches that create some level eight divine scrolls, as divinity is relatively cheap for deities, especially in churches rich in faith power."
Master Nahr provided a detailed explanation, giving Charlie a lot of common knowledge.
"Then using these materials is quite wasteful, isn't it?"
Nahr said earnestly, "If you finish this bottle of ink and create a level three scroll, then it wouldn't be considered wasteful."
Charlie nodded.
Then, Nahr picked up the pen, dipped it into the starlight ink, and the pen tip immediately displayed a midnight blue color, the pure deep blue flecked with sparkling stars, proving that the name "starlight ink" was well-deserved.
"There are currently known to be over 150 basic runes, which are divided into three categories: functional, connecting, and non-standard types. Functional runes, as the name implies, have special functional effects; connecting runes are typically used to link runes to runes and runes to magic arrays; non-standard runes can be temporarily disregarded as they are still not mature and are under research, with their specific functions yet to be determined."
As Nahr spoke, he casually waved the pen, the tip moving back and forth to sketch a simple magical symbol. The starlight sparkled in the deep blue ink, almost as if it were breathing.
"This is a standard 'Storage' rune. Its primary function is to condense the magic of the ink, absorbing free magical units from the air and storing a few units of magical energy. Thus, it is classified as a functional basic rune.
If drawn with pale ink, its capacity would be 3 to 5 units of magical energy; if drawn with starlight ink, its capacity could reach 15 to 19. That's the difference in raw materials. Of course, the extra magical units do not increase the power of the spell, as they are limited by the spell model."
As he spoke, Nahr continued to sketch, drawing another rune next to the recovery rune, connecting it to the previous one.
"This is a connecting rune without a name; it is responsible for linking the runes and the magic array diagram, primarily serving to transfer energy." He continued, sketching a simple magic array diagram, "Here! This is the magic array diagram for the Arcane Missile, connected to the previous two runes. Finally, I'll add a functional rune called 'Activate,' which has the ability to connect to the magic array itself, so no additional connecting rune is needed.
Energy source, connection, magic array diagram, and activation—three basic runes plus one magic array diagram complete a standard zero-mana scroll."
Master Nahr finished his drawing, and the four runes were arranged beautifully. He flicked his finger, injecting a thread of magic into the scroll, "The final step of the scroll is to check it. Inject a small amount of magic tentatively and trace along the pen marks; if the magic flows smoothly without any interruptions, divergences, or confusion, and it travels completely from start to finish, then it indicates that it is a qualified scroll."
As soon as Nahr finished speaking, the magic flowed smoothly. The magic survey lit up all the lines, indicating that a complete scroll had already formed.
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, coming out of his focused state.
Nahr picked up the scroll and shook it, smiling, "Originally, a blank enchanted parchment is worth 600 gold coins, but after drawing the Arcane Missile on it, its value drops to about 200 gold coins."
Charlie asked in confusion, "Why is that?"
"In the market, a zero-mana Arcane Missile scroll usually sells for around 140 gold coins. Although we used higher-grade materials, it doesn't change the fact that it is a first-level magic scroll. The extra magic units from the storage rune are wasted; why should it sell for a high price?"
Alright!
Charlie suddenly understood. He had finally witnessed the scroll-making process. Master Nahr's explanation was both detailed and comprehensive, making him eager to try.
Nahr seemed to sense his mindset and smiled, "Don't rush; today I'll teach you ten basic runes. You will start with some sketch practice. As long as your proficiency satisfies me, I'll let you attempt to draw a complete scroll on the enchanted parchment."
Charlie eagerly found a sheet of paper and an ordinary feather quill. Without hesitation, he quickly sketched the several runes that Nahr had just mentioned.
"Wow! You're learning quickly!" Nahr took the paper, examined it closely, and was amazed.
After confirming it was correct, Nahr then drew several new basic runes on the parchment.
This time, Charlie took longer to emulate them before handing them to Master Nahr, leaving him speechless.
"Let's try a few slightly more complex basic runes." Master Nahr muttered to himself, having a competitive spirit and wanting to see where Charlie's limits lay.
Moments later, the results left Nahr at a loss for words again.
Nahr looked at Charlie in astonishment and couldn't help but ask, "Have you studied runes before?"
"Teacher, do you think that's possible? I haven't been involved with magic for more than half a year."
Nahr shook his head repeatedly, "That's really strange; how can someone have such a good memory and control? Logically, being good at sketching can help, but it shouldn't be this obvious!"
Charlie smiled internally, Charlie smiled internally, thinking to himself, "Do you really think I would tell you the secret behind it?"
Nahr pushed the paper away and said, "Today I taught you twelve basic runes. When you go back, draw each one 100 times. I want to check your homework tomorrow, and no slacking off!"
He didn't mention the idea of having Charlie try something more serious. Charlie understood that it wasn't due to reluctance; as a magician, Nahr had faced a significant blow. This apprentice had caused even a master mage to feel pressure.
Records are meant to be surpassed! Nahr had been called a "genius" and "prodigy" in his youth, breaking many records, and today some of those records were quietly broken by Charlie, without any suspense, which was enough to make one feel disheartened.
Charlie wasn't upset, simply bowing slightly to his teacher, saying, "Then I'll head back now."
"Go on! Don't blame your teacher for being stingy! There's a difference between an ordinary magic pen and a dip pen; you'll understand that in time, so don't rush to achieve everything at once.
I'm also saving you some effort; the scrolls you practice on will count as your achievements, and when you take them to the Sky Harbor, there will definitely be people eager to buy them. Consider it a little compensation for you."
Charlie smiled brightly, "Thank you, teacher."