[DCI] Chapter 39 - The Witch's New Abode

“So, what’s next? Are we going to give our new friend a test run in the Dungeon?” Aisha asked after turning her smartwatch off.

I shook my head. “Slow down. I know you are excited to get back there and see Levia in action but she doesn’t even have any viable weapon yet. Just the robes won’t cut it, no matter how good they are.”

“Right. But, she mentioned something about not using a staff or other focus. What was it?”

“A medium similar to talismans,” Levia reminded my forgetful partner in a calm tone.

“Yeah, that. Sorry, but it doesn’t say a lot. Care to elaborate a little?” Aisha raised a brow at her.

“I think it will be faster to hold a brief presentation.” The quiet Witch glanced around. “Could I receive a sheet of paper and a piece of coal?”

“No issue with paper but I don’t really have coal on hand. Is it necessary?” I asked while turning to my desk and opening one of the drawers.

“A piece of burnt wood will do fine. I need it to draw on the paper,” she answered, observing my movements.

“If you need something to draw then I have a bunch of pencils available.”

I gestured at her to come closer and Levia obliged, reaching my side. Taking out a few A4-sized sheets of paper, I placed them in front of us. After rummaging through the drawer for a moment longer, I fished out the pencils and held them out to the blue-skinned lady. She took one from me and examined the tip.

A few seconds later, she held it back towards me. “I’m afraid that it is too thin for me to use. I prefer thicker things.”

Aisha’s quite apparent snort reached my ears from behind but I chose to ignore it. We didn’t need her chiming in with the usual comments. While I had already gotten used to watching my words as we speak to avoid giving her too many chances to tease me, I felt like a new source of opportunities had just shown up. Levia certainly had a quite unique way of expressing herself.

Giving another drawer a try, I picked up a black marker with a decently thick tip. “Will this do?”

Levia took a glance at the pen and nodded. “Yes, this one shall suffice.”

“Great. These are all yours, then.” I gestured at the empty pages.

She ran her fingers over the white surface and paused for a brief moment. Then, the curious Witch laid the marker down and picked up one of the sheets, giving it a few pokes, tugs, and bends.

“Is this really paper? It’s so smooth yet so durable,” she mused quietly.

“If that’s getting you all amazed already then oh boy.” Aisha snickered.

“I guess it somewhat differs from what you are used to. Will this be a problem? We can try finding something that matches your requirements on the D-Shop,” I suggested.

“Unnecessary.” She shook her head. “I think it will do much better than the paper I usually had access to in my previous life. I shall begin now.”

I gave Levia some space and Aisha joined us by moving closer to peek at what the Witch was doing from her left side. We watched her skillfully trace beautiful and enchanting patterns near the top left corner of the page. Her movements looked like something out of those videos on the web where talented people slowly drew fancy fonts stroke by stroke but done in a flash. It was closer to watching a programmed machine follow the given commands rather than a person using a black marker.

After just fifteen seconds, Levia had created a rectangle with a stylish border and filled the inside with mysterious sigils. Then, she raised the pen from the paper and her eyes scrutinized every little bit of her work. Most likely happy with the result, she put it away and took the sheet into her slender fingers.

And, with the same, completely perfected movements, she bent the page two times, once near the bottom of the drawn patterns and once near their right border. A quiet ripping noise broke the silence that had filled the apartment as she tugged on the bent edges and tore the rectangle away from the sheet. I wasn’t sure if I could achieve such a flawless cut even with scissors.

Turning her face to me, she held the separated piece of marked paper between her pointer and index fingers. It was more or less the size of a common playing card, just missing the rounded edges. An intricate magic circle was present in its very middle.

“This is closer to a low-level talisman but illustrates the idea decently well,” she said and briefly closed her eyes. “Ember.”

The lines and symbols suddenly glowed orange and a flame consumed the entire piece of paper, burning it away in an instant. But, even after the fuel was gone, a fist-sized orb of fire kept dancing above Levia’s extended fingers, showing no signs of stopping.

“Interesting,” the Witch commented, observing the flame. “Ember usually takes a much smaller form, closer to a candle flame. Either this paper or this unusual pen is enhancing it. Or both are.”

“That’s neat. It’s like we’ve got a little mage on our team now. How powerful can these get?” Aisha asked, genuinely impressed.

“It depends on a number of factors. For talismans, it would usually be the spiritual ink besides the potency and strength of the user’s mana. For this kind of medium, which I call arcana, both the base material and the compound used for the patterns matter greatly. Another important variable is the accuracy of the drawn elements, which isn’t that crucial for talismans. To put it simply, the less uneven, rough, irregular, jagged the lines are, the more efficient the magic is,” Levia explained.

“I assume that depending on these, there are limits to what magic can one use?” I asked.

“Correct.” She nodded faintly. “It is impossible to reach the level of actual spells cast by the spellcasting Classes with the use of a proper focus or catalyst, no matter how amazing the materials are. But, the time to cast is greatly reduced, with the spell often being activated by a keyword.”

“Still, that’s quite impressive. You came up with this alone?” Aisha poked the still-going flame with her finger.

“It took a lot of trial and error but I managed to find ways to bring out spells of various levels from such mediums. Most of that time was spent on mixing correct ratios of multiple magical ingredients to create a blend with enough spiritual conductivity to withstand the pressure behind the energy coursing through the drawn circuits. The second most time-consuming element was designing the proper sigils, symbols, and patterns that associate well with the desired spell,” Levia continued.

“This might be a stupid question but all of this is quite new to me. How is this any different from talismans and how the Talisman Masters you mentioned earlier do their magic?” My drakan mate raised a brow at our new friend.

If the request to elaborate further bothered Levia in any way, she certainly didn’t show it. Her somewhat droopy eyes and calm, neutral face remained just as they usually were. She just switched her attention from me to the other woman. It was hard to get a read on her.

“Talismans have two main functions, either to store spells and techniques for later activation or to guide the caster’s spiritual energy and thoughts into taking the form associated with the desired magic. Meanwhile, in the case of my arcanas, they have only one function, which is to evoke the spell through the combination of the material, the patterns, the paint or other resource used to draw things, and the user’s mana. That’s why I couldn’t have used that pencil earlier. The lines making the circuit responsible for evoking Ember would have been way too thin.”

“It’s a really versatile system. But also extremely complex and difficult. You have to put a lot of work into each step to manifest the spell you are aiming for.” I rubbed my chin. “I’m in awe of your dedication and patience. It’s fascinating to see someone overcome the boundaries of their Class with pure wits.”

“I appreciate the praise.” She made a tiny nod towards me.

“Yeah, I feel like you two are equally obsessed with being a perfectionist in your approach.” Aisha chuckled and winked at me. “These fancy slices of paper aren’t all you can do though, right? You still have your Class-specific magic. Do you need anything else for it?”

“You are not mistaken. In the case of my Voodoo Magic, I can still use my self-invented medium for most of the spells. Ritual Magic is unfortunately too complex to be contained in such a small area, no matter how intricate and efficient the circuits would be. Additionally, there are many other conditions that have to be met for it to work. For my Hex, I usually require either something closely related to the target or a piece of matter from their body,” Levia answered, snapping her fingers and finally dismissing the flame.

“Now, I would like to ask a question. What are Voodoo Magic and Hex capable of?” I scooped some remaining ash into one small pile on the desk.

“The former focuses on small curses and blessings, often involving environment and items rather than entities directly. They combine well with enchanted trinkets, mixtures, potions, and even weapons. It’s possible to curse a dagger to inflict rot on the wound immediately after dealing a blow. Therefore, Voodoo Magic is often synonymous with Curse Magic.” She slowly drew another arcana while speaking. “As for the latter, it’s like a powerful curse or negative effect cast on the chosen target. Hexes vary in what they can do, ranging from sapping on the target’s strength, vitality, or mana, through making them blind, deaf, or disoriented, ending at making them more susceptible to various elements and types of damage.”

“Then besides that arcana of yours, you are pretty much a supporting Class, huh,” Aisha added.

“Witches were always a mix of debuff and production aspects,” I replied. “Their main means of direct fighting was throwing acidic and poisonous concoctions alongside their curses. Voodoo Magic was able to lay magical traps too if I’m not misremembering things. It’s just that Levia brought so much more versatility to her Class with what she has developed. This is way more than I had in mind when choosing her as our next companion.”

“You seem to possess quite a deep knowledge about Witches.” Levia turned her neutral face to me.

“This guy is like a walking library when it comes to that.” Aisha smacked my shoulder with a big grin. “I bet he is already looking through all the books sitting in his brain to pick the best path for you to take.”

“Right now I’m thinking about these.” I pointed at the slip of paper Levia had just finished drawing. “It must be hard to store them properly and keep them intact from external influence. If I understood correctly, getting wrinkled can lower their effectiveness or even cause the spell to malfunction.”

“Yes. That’s why I’ve been researching different types of materials to improve that aspect. Unfortunately, before I managed to reach a satisfying conclusion, I lost my life in a Dungeon. Naturally, I still remember all the progress I made before that, but the lack of proper equipment and materials will slow down that process.” Levia examined the finished arcana and I could discern a tinge of sadness in her purple eyes.

“Well, we better fix that, then.” I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly at the Witch. “Care to grab another package, Aisha? I have an idea.”

“One more time and you will exceed your limit of free deliveries. Each subsequent request after that, I will need to be properly rewarded for my effort.” She shot me a mischievous smirk and I knew instantly that she was up to no good.

Waving my hand at the playful drakan, I turned my attention to the monitor in front of me. Grabbing the mouse again, I navigated into the D-Shop and switched to the General Goods section, which offered products from my own world. Levia’s eyes followed the changes on the screen, absorbing the unknown with visible interest.

After finding the category that I was looking for, I browsed through a few types of products and decided to throw three different ones into the shopping cart just so that she could test them out. The doorbell rang and Aisha soon returned with a small package in her hands.

“They are clearly hiding something,” she huffed in annoyance. “I stood outside and kept an eye on all angles when I suddenly felt a presence behind me and my head snapped towards the source just to see nothing. When I looked ahead again, the box was already on the ground.”

I chuckled while taking it from her. “One day we’ll get them.”

Quickly opening the package, I brought out a palm-sized, rectangular box made of cardboard and handed it to the curious Witch. Levia figured out how to gain access to its treasures and spilled the contents onto her hand.

“Are those cards?” she asked curiously.

Picking one from her, I nodded. “That’s right. But, they aren’t your typical playing cards. These have one side empty so that you can draw or write anything you want on them. They are decently durable and the inner surface prevents smudges and smears from appearing as long as the patterns dry up properly. Coupled with correct markers which I’ll get later, they should work wonders. What do you think?”

Levia wasted no time pondering over them and began drawing the familiar patterns on one of the cards. The different, slicker coating surprised her and she made a small mistake, drawing a tiny bump on one of the paths. She had most likely expected the same rough surface that the normal paper had.

But, as she paused with a tiny, clearly disappointed in herself frown, I came to the rescue and used a piece of cloth I kept nearby to wipe the black patterns off. Her brows rose just a little bit at the sight of a fully clear once more card and I smiled as she glanced at me. Thankfully, the marker I had handed her wasn’t a permanent one.

Receiving another chance, she hastily got to it again, keeping in mind her earlier experience. This time, she finished all the lines, sigils, and circuits without a hitch and brought the finished arcana up between her fingers just like before. I fully recognized Ember’s patterns and that was exactly what she cast by using the same keyword.

After the drawings flashed orange, they disappeared from the card and it was enveloped by a fist-sized flame. But, there was one major difference. The paper hadn’t burned away. The card remained still between Levia’s fingers, in the very middle of an ongoing flame. I had no explanation for how it was completely unaffected by it so I just went with the usual one, which was magic.

“These cards are of surprising quality. It looks like they can withstand multiple activations. This is extremely good. If I were to pair them with an equally good compound, it might even be possible to cast the same spell a few times without having to recreate the circuit.” She got rid of the flame and checked the card for any changes but there were none visible.

“Great. Now I know who not to play poker with. I bet you could create fakes almost indiscernible from the real ones.” Aisha snickered. “Imagine having cards with multiple layers which can disappear when infused with mana. You just can’t lose with such a deck.”

“I’m glad to hear that they are to your liking. Now, since we are already at it, let’s make sure that you will be able to work on those compounds you mentioned, and everything else too, in the best possible environment,” I said, zooming through various menus again.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this! Are we using the permit?” My enthusiastic mate pushed herself into my back to leer over my shoulder.

“Of course. Levia deserves nothing less.” I chuckled and tried to ignore the soft, pleasant sensation pressing into me from behind.

The blue-skinned girl hadn’t yet caught up with our intentions and just observed the two of us from the side. I easily found my way into the Residence Management submenu and started browsing options available to turn into reality with the use of the permit we had received from our last Dungeon clear.

“It looks like there are quite a few variants to choose from,” I mused, reading the detailed descriptions of different chambers called Witch’s Den, Witch’s Study, Witch’s Lair, and such. “The question is, should we go with something more traditional or pick one with a slightly more modern touch.”

“Even I was able to grasp most of the incredible technology of your world so there’s no doubt someone as intelligent as her will have no issues getting at home with it,” Aisha commented.

“Hey now, you can be pretty smart whenever you want to.” I snickered and she rolled her eyes as the corners of her lips rose a little. “In the end, what would the soon-to-be-owner wish for?”

“What are we talking about exactly?” Levia asked, perhaps not yet able to decipher the quickly moving text and schematics displayed on the monitor. Aisha had already gotten used to my browsing speed.

“Your new lab and workshop,” the drakan lady replied. “Lucas is wondering if you’d prefer it to be equipped with things you are familiar with from your realm or if you’d like it to be improved with his world’s technology. Personally, I would go with the latter.”

“I did not expect to receive such an opportunity this early.” The usually expressionless Witch showed a decent deal of surprise on her face. “Are you certain that you want to use your valuable permit for it?”

“Without a doubt.” I nodded. “We’ve been holding onto it for this exact situation after summoning the next person. The two of us already have pretty much all we need while you could definitely use a well-equipped space for your craft. So?”

We gave Levia a moment to think about her decision. She stared at the monitor absent-mindedly, most likely pondering deeply over her answer. Honestly, I was curious to see how the modern version would turn out. Would it look like a true, advanced drug den or chemical lab?

“Is it perhaps possible to find something in between?” she asked after a while.

“I’ll see what we can do.”

I filtered out the full fantasy and modern options, which was a very nice feature, and focused on checking the mixed variants. As expected, only two options remained on the screen. Having a bunch of them just for a Witch’s workshop was a surprise already.

“Alright. This one sounds good. Where are we going to put it, though? It’s literally the size of the apartment, minus the bathroom and kitchen.” I scratched my head.

“Since the storage and the forge are both on one side, why not set it past the opposite wall? Maybe position the entrance in the kitchen? She wouldn’t have to walk far to get water or whatever else,” Aisha suggested.

“Yeah. Let’s do that. Here it goes, then.”

I dragged the massive block around the floorplan of my apartment and watched it literally double in size after I placed the new section down and confirmed my choice. At the current pace of things, it wouldn’t take long before my little nest stopped being so little. One or two people more and it would grow into the size of a small mansion.

Aisha peeled herself off me the very moment the new addition had materialized and bounded towards the kitchen complex. I gestured at Levia with a smile and the two of us followed the eager drakan. An impressive metal door had appeared in the west wall, getting rid of one of the hanging cupboards and a cabinet with drawers standing on the ground. I just hoped that they had been thrown into the inventory or something.

We walked into the new room and looked around. At first sight, it looked anything but modern. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of light brown wood and planks, giving the entire place a neat atmosphere. Plenty of darker cupboards, cabinets, wardrobes, long counters, and various types of hanging and standing racks were spread throughout the chamber.

One wall was covered entirely in small drawers, most likely used to store and organize ingredients. In one of the corners, ceiling-tall shelves filled about one-fifth of the room, arranged in three rows. An impressive fire pit was placed in the very middle, with a massive cauldron hanging right above it on adjustable chains which were attached to the ceiling. A bunch of lamps fitted with purplish crystals decorated the walls, bathing the chamber in a mystical, violet shade.

As I stood at the entrance and took in the sights, Aisha hopped around the workshop and took a closer look at various appliances. Levia started doing the same, though at a much slower pace. She must still be a little smitten by the vastness of her new lair. There was a chance she had something much bigger and more complex in the past but this was a good starting point for sure.

Curious about the other things besides the visible equipment, I walked up to the nearest counter with hanging cabinets and examined their contents. As expected, they were filled to the brim with glass vials, cups, containers, jars, plates, and a plethora of other items. Most of them had a decently modern look with white or black painted measuring markings all over the surface.

Besides those, I found some tools and utensils like knives, spatulas, mortars, bowls of different sizes, and plenty of stuff I had not the slightest idea what they were used for. One thing was certain, this chamber had come equipped to the brim and definitely didn’t lack anything Levia could need for her mixing, brewing, cooking, crafting, or whatever else. Well, besides the materials and ingredients, of course, but those would be provided by me and the Dungeons.

I caught up to the short Witch as she was studying one of the measuring cups in her fingers. Not wanting to spook her, I stepped into her field of vision with enough movement to catch her attention.

“Acceptable?” I asked with a soft smile as she looked up at me.

“These tools and appliances are much more precise than my previous ones. I’m sure that I should be able to limit wasting the ingredients to the minimum with their help. I shall humbly accept this gift and do my best to surpass your expectations of me.” She made a small bow towards me.

“I’m sure you will. There’s no rush, though. First, make yourself at home here. If there’s anything lacking, let me know right away and we’ll get it for you.” I brought her back up and patted her shoulder.

“Are we done here, then?” Aisha appeared next to us with a big grin and hands on her hips.

I sighed with a wry smile. “More or less. I guess we can feed Levia a bit by giving her a quick carry through the Dungeon already. Since we wouldn’t be going too far, she doesn’t need to prepare lots of her arcana. This could potentially let her figure out a thing or two that can help us with the monsters.”

“Good idea. I was starting to get hungry too.” Aisha rubbed her stomach.

“I can walk by myself perfectly fine.” Levia glanced at her legs.

Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. “I meant it as to feed her experience, but sure, let’s grab a bite anyway and show our new friend what materials we have in store before heading out.”

“Perfect!” Aisha threw her arm over Levia’s shoulders. “Come on! You really need to try sushi! I swear you will love it!”

I exchanged glances with Rose, who hovered next to my head, and we watched the two women walk back into my apartment. It looked like my life was going to get even more fun and entertaining from now on.