Mined Games chapter 23

There were training grounds on the guild premises, of course. I expected them to cost points, but from what I could tell, most of them didn’t. Cecily had led me here, seeming excited to hang out. I got the feeling she didn’t socialize much, and while ‘excited’ for her wasn’t really as effusive as it was for most, having opened up a bit she was much less monotone than before.

“So, what spells did you pick?” I asked as we walked back through the woods behind the guild building to reach the training area. It was a small flat field with a small waterfall feeding into a smaller pond on one side, and trees on the other, from what I could see off in the distance.

She shrugged nervously. “I decided to attempt to master a variety of less powerful fire spells. They are all extremely simple to cast. Today I will be training with Flame Dart, a weak projectile spell.”

We reached the clearing, which I could see had targets set up along the shore of the pond. Maybe it was for fire projectiles specifically. “Do you have a focus? I don’t see one?” I knew she’d need one even for this. Having a high tolerance, I could probably Demon cast same rank spells without issue, but Cecily would get mana burned if she tried.

Which was a problem actually, because I didn’t have a focus with me. I’d never had a chance to get one. Not a proper one anyway. I had a bunch of half finished products in my inventory, which could do in a pinch. Even partially crafted magic tools below the saturation threshold could process mana. Reaching in, I plucked out a pair of daggers, drawing one from each pocket. One earth mana and one fire.

I passed over the fire to Cecily, who had been looking embarrassed. She blinked down at the now glowing red metal. She held it up, staring in fascination. “This is…lovely.” She said quietly, swishing it through the air. I can feel the fire mana inside it.”

Coughing in embarrassment, I shrugged. “It wouldn’t have been much use even if I’d been able to complete it. I used a fire crystal with no formula. Would have just ended up being a battery. Still the blade is partially saturated with fire man, and it’s extremely high in Form. Which means it can’t channel much mana, but you should be able to shape the spell really well.”

She swung the blade a few times, still staring. “So.” I asked to get her mind back on practice. I’ve never cast a spell without the frames from class. Is it similar?” I knew the reactive knitting frames were designed as spell training, teaching us how the different aspects of Mana Control functioned, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to translate that.

Seemingly back on firmer ground with an educational topic to talk about, Cecily shifted into lecture mode. “Similar, yes, but more difficult. The reactive knitting is a training tool, it helps keep spells together and even aids in the formation process. Casting spells yourself requires you weave them inside your focus.”

That made sense, with the whole tolerance thing. It actually meant my high Form items were extremely useful, basically an assist when it came to shaping mana inside the focus, meaning forming the spells would be easier. It would normally take time, because Compatibility (the third aspect of smithing) was what decided how fast mana could be input, and that wasn’t something I’d learn until much later, but since I made these myself that was less of a problem.

“Ok.” I said with a deep breath. I’ll be practicing over here. If you need me let me know. I don’t want to accidentally teleport in front of a fire spell or something.” She nodded absently, and I could tell that she’d begun pouring in her mana. Since she HADN’T made the knife, and neither of us could make weapons with high Compatibility, it was going to take her a while.

I walked off to one side, away from the targets, and over toward the trees, and began to pour mana into the weapon. It poured in easily, and sure enough, the high Form of the weapon made it feel…easier, to shape the mana. Not too easy, the earth mana in the knife was an impediment to my own, like trying to work in mud, but still simpler than I’d expected.

Once the mana was input, I started shaping it. Blink was a three lattice spell. The first lattice was the mana lattice. Spatial man. Since my mana was already spatial mana, there was no need for a converter, I could just pour the mana to power the spell in directly, and that was exactly what I did.

The second lattice was a direction lattice. It wasn’t really complicated, just ‘forward’. It was a bit more nuanced, with the structure being shaped to limit the AMOUNT of forward. Nothing crazy enough to require another lattice, just ‘this is only enough forward for ten feet’.

Third was the execution lattice. It was the cap that prevented the spell from actually crystallizing, and allowed it to be executed to create an effect. It also acted as a trigger for the spell itself, beginning the translocation process.

I made them one after the other. One, two, three…poof. The spell fell apart. I’d tried to execute it without perfectly finishing the lattices. I groaned in annoyance and tried again. This time I went slower, doing my best to perfectly sculpt each lattice out of mana. When I finished the third, the spell executed, and I felt a…shift.

Suddenly, I was somewhere else. There was a rush of air being displaced, and my head spun as I scrambled to regain my balance, but I’d done it. Ten feet forward, into the middle of the clearing. I’d fucking TELEPORTED.

I turned to tell Cecily, waiting for her to finish, and surprised to see her already launching a Flame Dart at several currently burning targets. Huh. I guessed I’d taken more time shaping that spell than expected. “Hey Cece!” I yelled when she finished her spell, my face splitting wide with a grin. She jumped, having been lost in her concentration, but turned to see me beaming at her. “Check this out!”

Focusing off to one side, I repeated the process. Having shaped the mana this way before and even having experienced the spell, it was faster and easier this time. Granted, it still took me about a minute, which was WAY too long, but it was progress. I finished, and then, bam, I was ten feet in the direction I’d just been looking.

Cecily’s eyes widened in excitement. “That’s AMAZING. Transportation spells are rare and hard to use. Even with a converter, it’s difficult for people without spatial mana to create lattices for that element. They tend to be naturally confusing and difficult to structure. Your mana can be shaped into them in a straightforward way though.” She paused, looking at me intently. “Wh-what was it like?”

“Dizzying.” I said honestly. “After you trigger the Blink spell your equilibrium is thrown off for a few seconds. I think it’s a side effect of unfamiliarity and will fade with time.” I gestured to the targets. “Looks like you got your Flame Dart down.” I was impressed by how many times she could cast it.

The amount of mana in a spell could vary based on the mana lattice used in its construction, and those varied based on density. I could just barely handle the lattices for Blink. Though it was a three lattice spell, in terms of complexity and density it was closer to three and a half lattices. It was good training to help me handle four, but it made the spell incredibly draining.

I could use Blink maybe two or three times before I needed to stop and rest, allowing my crystals to refill. Cecily could cast Flame Dart much more frequently apparently. I was pretty sure she’d also used a fire condensation formula specifically suited to high density crystals, which gave her more mana to work with.

Without the complexity of spatial crystal, there was room for more densely packed energy storage. It would have been just as time consuming and draining to fill as my own formula, but the end result gave her more resources to work with.

I mentioned my theory, and she confirmed it with a nod. “My original goal was the Mage’s Tower when I was younger. I wanted enough power to cast my spells consistently without rest. Even now, my dense mana stores should aid me in the long run when it comes to blacksmithing. My mana type isn’t as useful as yours, but I do have my own advantages.” She gave me a small smile.

Walking over to sit down in the grass, I patted the spot next to me. “Let’s take a break. I don’t want to completely exhaust myself, and that spell isn’t something I can use repeatedly without consequence.” She nodded, coming to sit down next to me.

She’d dressed casually. Thick durable pants and a long sleeve shirt with a jacket, skin covered so she wouldn’t accidentally burn herself. It made the grass a non issue for her, while I had to adjust when I tried to lay down because my own short sleeved shirt left my arms exposed.

“So.” I said with a smile. “Tell me about yourself Cece. If we’re going to be friends I should know more than your name and that you’re Rala’s cousin.”

Her lips twisted in annoyance at the name, and at my questioning eyebrow she sighed. “Apologies, my relationship with my cousin is…complicated. We were close as children, but our interests diverged as we got older. She uses fire mana too, of course, but she decided to go with a simpler formula. Less energy dense and with no real special attribute, but in exchange she condensed much faster.”

I knew that Rala was one of the higher level Acolytes. But Cecily was an Apprentice like I was, and without the cheating to get there. “So how did you rank up before she did?” I asked, knowing the most likely answer.

“Sensitivity.” She said flatly. “Mine is much higher. Rala is the daughter of the current head of our clan, and receives a great many resources. Being unable to keep up made her…unhappy. We don’t get along anymore. It’s part of why I chose to become a Blacksmith, as well as why I didn’t go into the Tower earlier like she did.”

Anyone who showed promise could enter the Mage’s Tower. You didn’t need to be an Apprentice, just obviously on your way to it. If Rala had got on Cecily definitely could have, but I could understand why she wouldn’t want to deal with a jealous relative every day.

I could see it was more than that though. “You feel bad.” I said bluntly. “That you took the attention away from her. Made her feel inadequate.” That explained why Rala had never been as much of an asshole as other kids to me too. She got what it was like not having as much sensitivity as most. I owed her for that. And for giving me the device that let me get where I was. I’d be sure to pay it back.

Cecily, meanwhile, was just looking tired. “I miss my cousin. We used to spend a lot of time together. Now she barely tolerates me. She even ignores Riley now, associating my brother with me. It’s sad.”

I felt kind of bad for bringing it up now, so I decided to rely on good old fashioned deflection and hopped to my feet. “Well, I bet that burning some targets will make you feel better. Why don’t you try to show me another one of those spells. I’m sure you have something a bit more flashy.” She gave me a grateful smile but rolled her eyes as she got up. She did seem happier though, so mission accomplished.