NOVEL WEB Chapter 99: One-Time Runes
A piece of magicalized beast hide, a Spider Velvet Rune Brush, and a box of elements ink, these are the tools he needed for a one-time runes inscription.
"Whether it's apothecary or enchantment, the initial investment is quite substantial, it's really tough for new apprentices." Looking at his own enchantment tools, Ivan couldn't help but feel worried for other newcomers.
The hide came from a magicalized wild beast with an affinity for Earth-type energy. This processed hide was an excellent material for carrying runes, which the enchanters referred to as 'rune scrolls'. These rune scrolls had good stability and were suitable for novice enchanters, but they weren't cheap, costing 1 magic stone for 3 small pieces.
The Spider Velvet Rune Brush was produced by a species known as the Guardians, the Eight-legged Black Spiders that asked for the password from Sorcerer Bernardson upon entering the academy. They were a friendly and intelligent race that had formed an alliance with the academy and guarded it day and night.
A good quality Spider Velvet Brush cost 5 magic stones.
Elements ink was made by mixing element powder with swamp octopus ink, which could be considered a special potion. The runes inscribed with it had good water, fire, and corrosion resistance, dried quickly, wouldn't fade easily, and had excellent conductivity for energy particles.
To be cautious, Ivan didn't attempt to mix his own elements ink but chose to buy a high-quality ink cartridge directly from the store instead. The cartridge had four compartments, each filled with Plant-type, Water-type, Earth-type, and Fire-type elements ink, with the large box valued at 10 magic stones.
"I've simulated it hundreds of times, but it feels different when it comes down to the real thing."
He lifted the rune brush twice, pondered for a moment, and then set it down again, hesitating to make the first stroke, always feeling that something might not have been fully considered.
This was a very different situation from when he worked on potions.
During apothecary, it was often only when small mishaps occurred during the process that he would feel this sense of difficulty in successful concoction. But now, it wasn't the case, as he felt the enchantment was unlikely to succeed even before he started, which was why he hesitated to begin.
As the book says, runes are ever-changing, and an enchanter must understand runes from their own perspective.
In fact, the rune lines he was now learning were one sorcerer's understanding of 3D runes, this sorcerer was named 'Nidaham', hence people called it the 'Nidaham language'.
The Nidaham language is just one of the many rune lines used to interpret 3D runes, and it is one of the more widely used ones.
The meaning behind the saying that runes are ever-changing is that one should not inscribe rune lines by rote but should have their own ideas. Only by doing so can one become a qualified enchanter.
Inscribing runes required adapting to the environment and material at hand. In the current case, it meant inscribing the most suitable rune lines on the beast hide itself to maximize the potential of the 'Solidify Runes'.
"Failure is just failure, it's not the end of the world."
Ivan knew the fundamental reason for his hesitation, having too many good ideas but unable to discern which was the best. He reminded himself not to be overly ambitious.
The beast hide was processed for easy use by novices.
After examining it again, he focused for a few seconds, channeling his mental power and Mana to the tip of the brush, dipped it in the ink, and resolutely began to inscribe the Plant-type 'Solidify Runes' interpretive rune lines on the hide, quickly and steadily.
Done in one go.
In the blink of an eye, the inscription was completed.
Ivan set the rune brush aside and started to admire his work.
The ink on the hide dried quickly, and even after drying, it retained a unique vivacity as though it could still flow along the lines.
"As expected from high-quality elements ink, it's pleasing to the eye."
The external appearance was good, but he tuned into its essence, beginning to assess it according to the standards of Enchantment Skill.
Before long, he came to a conclusion: the completion rate was only 23%, meaning it could only display two-tenths of the rune's potential power, which was undoubtedly an unsuccessful enchantment.
Having made a judgment, he casually activated the rune. A tuft of emerald energy emerged, visibly dissipating once it left the hide, scattering completely into the air. The hide in his hand transitioned from flexible to as hard as sun-baked ground, covered with cracks.
"Indeed, it failed."
He muttered to himself, with a 20% completion rate making him realize the limitations of his so-called good idea.
Unlike truly skilled enchanters, they could simply pick a spot, glance over, and have an idea in mind. Then they'd take up a rune brush and carve the rune lines, easily revealing the full might of runes, and set up a runes sorcery array on the spot. Those were the real good ideas.
However, he wasn't discouraged, for he believed that he would eventually become such an enchanter.
In the following days, making disposable rune scrolls became an important part of his daily routine, and his understanding of runes and enchantment gradually increased.
That day, Ivan was attending a paid course on biological dissection.
[Biology Expertise Experience Point +1]
[Biology Expertise: lv2(1/200)]
As expected, his Biology Expertise advanced to level 2. The Small Light of Wisdom swirled around him, giving him a deeper understanding of biological dissection and creatures like the rapid wood silkworm, while he also obtained a level 2 Light of Wisdom.
Two days later, Ivan fed the Ginger Summer Water to the rapid wood silkworm and watched as it absorbed the potion, merging with the curse power within.
[Curse Skill Experience Point +1]
[Curse Skill: lv2(1/200)]
The Curse Skill advanced to level 2. Despite the aid of the Small Light of Wisdom, his knowledge of curses was still rudimentary, but fortunately, he acquired a level 2 Light of Wisdom.
The consecutive upgrades in his subjects made him reflect that coming to the Sorcerers Academy was the right decision.
As time passed, twelve days had gone by since his last visit to the apothecary store, and Ivan stepped into the potion store for the third time.
"Mr. Ivan, please come in," Auric, who had been lounging like a salted fish, sprang up immediately upon seeing him, his face beaming with a smile. "Are you tired from the journey? Why don't you lie down on my chair for a while—"
"There's no need; I have other matters to attend to shortly," Ivan interrupted, not accustomed to Auric's way of treating a big customer, to prevent him from making even more exaggerated statements.
"That's too bad. If you have any requests, just let me know. As long as it's feasible, I, Auric, will definitely not be vague," Auric assured him earnestly while examining the potions Ivan had brought out, almost slapping his chest with his hand to guarantee it.
Ivan had a thought and subtly sent a message through his mental power, paying close attention to the other person's expression.
"What kind of materials do you need this time? Rest assured, the materials here are definitely the best, selected with the utmost care, and I'll arrange everything perfectly for you," Auric said, seemingly oblivious to the message, promoting his materials as usual.
A moment later, Ivan left with many raw materials and an additional 370 low-grade magic stones in his pocket, seeming to have been underpaid by 60 magic stones.
By the door of the apothecary store, Conley looked on in surprise at Ivan's rapidly retreating figure. He wanted to call out to him but hesitated as Ivan moved quickly and soon vanished around the corner.
"Strange, why is Ivan buying so many materials? Could it be that he's already capable of concocting basic potions?"
Conley stood at the doorway, frowning in thought, feeling that this was the most likely possibility. Recalling what Ivan had said before, he suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
Afterward, he went into the apothary store and saw that the shopkeeper was lying back on that lounge chair, with no intention of getting up to welcome the guest.
In fact, Auric had sneakily glanced over.
He remembered that Conley had come once before, fussing over buying a set of second-hand apothecary tools, along with 1 magic stone worth of hemostatic potion materials. Such a person was hardly worth Auric's effort to stand up, especially since he had just made a large sum of money and deserved a good rest after being so tired.
Conley, unaware that he was being looked down on, would probably turn green with rage if he knew about Auric's differential treatment toward him and Ivan. After all, he was a prince of a dukedom, never having been treated so differently before.