Spell Weaver-Chapter 101. Trial Run

The front door of the large mansion swung open to reveal Edwin. The white-haired and mustachioed butler watched the weary group as they climbed the stairs. Alex walked in first, and despite the tiredness that had settled over him in the car home, he felt excited at the prospect of pushing forward.

“Alright, I think I’ve got it!” He spun around, nearly colliding with Mark.

Mark steadied Alex with a hand on his shoulder. “Woah there, buddy. Got what, exactly?”

Sarah stepped in with a hesitant look of concern. “Alex, why did you want to wait until we got home to discuss whatever your ideas are? It freaks me out that you’re asking Sam to be present for whatever it is.”

“Well I… it’s about the… hang on.” He paused, collecting his thoughts. “Sorry, my thoughts are still going at full speed, but I think my mind is tired.”

“Probably from running that skill all night every day this week,” Sam said.

“Yeah, just…” Alex trailed off. “Look, I’ve got two theories that I want to run by you all. It’s important.”

Mark and Sarah exchanged glances before Mark spoke up. “Maybe you should get some sleep first, dude. We can talk about this in the morning.”

Alex nodded, surprising them all. “You’re right. I should sleep. But can we just discuss the ideas real quick? I promise, no actual attempts or magic tonight. I just want to explain my thoughts while they’re fresh.”

The group shared another look before agreeing. They all followed Alex to the office, and the familiar, calming space was a welcome change from the hectic environment earlier in the day.

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Val swooped in through the open doorway and settled onto his cat tree. He curled his wing close to his body, though, even in a tight coil, Valtherion barely fit onto the small wooden ledge that was meant for cats. Even though there was no trace of the wound or a scar from the injury, thanks to Sam’s healing, he still began to lick the area repeatedly, as if cleaning it himself.

Sarah perched on a stool near the table and pulled her cardigan closer around her shoulders and chest. Mark leaned against the bookshelf, preferring to stand, while Sam sat cross-legged on the floor between them.

Alex took a deep breath and did his best to center himself. He focused his thoughts and forced his mind to organize itself. “Okay, I’ve got two theories that I’ve been working through, but the second one is probably the most realistic to pursue right now.”

“Alright,” Sarah said in a cautious tone. “Let’s hear them.”

Alex nodded, his excitement tempered somewhat by his fatigue. “The first theory is about combining runes with rituals. I think I could use runes to replace the reagents that I’ve been using with rituals. It could make them way more convenient to use, and if the concept works, there are so many different directions that I could take the concept.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “That… actually sounds pretty overpowered. But I’m guessing there’s a catch?”

“Yeah,” Alex admitted. “We should probably wait for the workshop to finish out back first. The potential for, uh, unexpected results is sort of high. I have no idea how they interact, and if I do something wrong or there needs to be tweaking to the ritual circle I’m using, there could be some sort of backlash.”

“Like, explosions?” Sam asked.

Alex chuckled. “I don’t think anything that dramatic, Sam. But definitely not something I want to try in the house. Remind me to tell you later about that one time I turned my apartment into a shooting range for my wand.” He shook his head. “That’s why it’s just a theory for now.”

Sarah nodded, relieved. “Okay, that makes sense. What’s the second theory?”

“I think I’ve figured out how to use the Heavenly Eye to scan a ritual in a better way than the last time.”

The room fell silent for a moment before everyone reacted at once. Sarah and Mark spoke up at the same time, Mark straightening from his leaning position against the wall. Sam leaned forward and was shaking his head at Alex.

“Alex,” Sarah began. She spoke hesitantly, as if not wanting to start an argument. “Are you sure that’s wise? After what happened last time…”

“Dude, come on! Why? There are so many other ways you could get stronger.”

“I know,” Alex said quickly. “But hear me out here. I think I understand what went wrong last time, and I’ve got a new approach. It involves using [Parallel Mind] to split my consciousness and approach it gradually. Plus, I think I can combine it with [Ritual Insight] in a way that would lessen the load on my mental energy and maybe even be more powerful.”

Mark frowned. “That sounds pretty complicated. And like a lot of ‘I think’s and an ‘if’ is thrown in there.”

“It is,” Alex said through a laugh. “But I think it’s my best shot at getting a substantial jump in power. I’m not focused on gaining levels. That would mean I have to go into higher-level Rifts, likely without you guys. I don’t want to do that- I want us to do that together, and once you all catch up, we can keep going up as one. But this, this is a way to expand my power base for where I’m at.”

“This is just you being frustrated with losing to Rylan?” Sarah said, though it came out as a question.

Alex shrugged. “That definitely didn’t help, but I’ve been sitting on both ideas for a week or more. As far as I can tell, the theory is sound. I’m trying to do this right by talking with you guys about it and having Sam here this time. I’ve been playing so passive and not taking any risks, but I really just feel like that’s not the world we’re living in anymore.”

Sam leaned forward, and his voice was eager. “I think it sounds like it could work. I’ll definitely feel better if I’m here, and I’m getting better at healing, right? With my new passive, I can probably stay calm and keep my trait going the whole time.”

Sarah shot Sam a look, then turned back to Alex. "Okay, walk us through it. Slowly. And remember, we're not doing anything tonight."

Alex smiled, grateful for their willingness to listen. "Of course. Okay, so last time I tried to use the Heavenly Eye on a ritual, I pushed too hard and too fast. When I tried, I felt like there was a mental wall there, and I pushed against it. That’s what caused the strain.”

Sarah nodded grimly.

“But now,” Alex continued, “I have [Parallel Mind]. I can split my consciousness and approach it gradually. It should significantly reduce the strain if my Willpower is reduced, and I can be a lot more aware of what’s happening since I’ve done it once before.”

“And how does your [Ritual Insight] play into this?” Mark asked.

“That’s the key,” Alex said, clapping his hands together for emphasis. “Remember the wind ritual I grabbed you for last week, Sam? When I tried to use the skill slowly?” Sam nodded, and he continued. “Well, I figured something out about the skill. Usually, I use it instantly, and it dumps all the information in my brain at once. But, with the wind ritual, I tried using it slowly, and it lasted for about two minutes.”

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“Why’s the longer time important?”

“Because I think it changes everything. See, [Ritual Insight] gives me hints on how to improve the ritual. The Heavenly Eye, on the other hand, scans the ritual exactly. I can see minor discrepancies and really 'know' the ritual better. Here, look at the description.”

[Ritual Insight] - Allows the Ritualist to gain insights into the functionality of a new ritual and potential enhancements for a known ritual.

He paused to make sure they were following. "My theory is that if I can 'know' the ritual while still using [Ritual Insight], there's a chance I could continue to gain insights over the whole time rather than just in that instant.”

Sarah shook her head. "Alex, this sounds incredibly risky. Last time, you were hospitalized for two days. Two days!" she emphasized.

Mark rubbed his chin. "I see the logic, but Sarah's right. The risks are big."

Sam, however, leaned over and stood up. "I think it'll work! And if anything goes wrong, I can heal you, no problem!"

Alex held up his hands placatingly. "I get what you guys are saying. That's why I wanted to talk it through first. I promise to be careful. Tonight, I'll just set things up and think through the process more. No actual attempts." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "To be honest, I'm exhausted from running [Parallel Mind] every night this week. It might be part of why I acted so rashly with Rylan earlier. I probably shouldn't have let myself be baited in the first place but damn… I definitely thought I would beat him. I didn’t think he’d already have reached D Rank and I got caught so off guard by whatever that CC Breaking skill was…"

The admission seemed to soften his friends' expressions slightly.

"This is meant to be taken slowly and as a test," Alex continued. "I won't push it too hard; just see if it works. If it does, then I want to try it with one of the advanced rituals from Eura's manuals. Understanding one of those and the layering of those more complex rituals could give me a huge edge in magic. The level gap between me and people like Rylan might not matter as much then."

A heavy silence fell over the room at the admission. Alex knew it was shocking to his friends to see him lose as well, especially so thoroughly.

Finally, Mark spoke up, his tone light with a quip. "Well, if we're doing this tomorrow, you should definitely get some sleep. And don't forget breakfast: it helps the brain in the morning."

The tension broke as they all chuckled at Mark's practical advice.

"Alright," Sarah said while pushing up from her stool. "We'll talk more in the morning.”

“I won’t do anything tonight. Promise. I’m trying to get better about the whole ‘rushing into things without telling my best friends’ thing.”

Mark and Sarah nodded as they walked out of the office together, while Sam seemed to beam at the inclusion of Alex’s best friends. He practically bounced as they walked from the room.

Alex felt excitement pushing his tiredness to the side. He knew he should rest and his mind felt exhausted, but decided to review some of his notes before heading to get some sleep. Standing, he walked to the shelf to retrieve one of his ritual manuals and pulled out some paper and a pen.

One moment, Alex was resting his head on his left hand while scribbling notes with his right hand.

Then, the very next moment, he felt someone gently shaking him.

“Alex,” Olivia said softly.

“Hm?” Alex sat up, looking around. He felt pressure on his left cheek, as it had been pressed on his forearm-pillow on the desk. “Oh…”

“Come on, let’s head to bed.” She grabbed his hand and urged him to stand.

He looked down at his notes, still trying to remember when he’d fallen asleep. “Man, I must be more tired than I realized. When did you get here? What time is it?”

“Just past midnight. I had to stay at the event for a while but came over after we had everything shut down. I just got here and Edwin told me you were up here working still.”

Giving a tired chuckle, Alex gestured at the notes. “Well, I was working.”

She nodded, “I really want to hear about what happened. But you need sleep. We can talk in the morning. Come on.”

“Alright,” he said.

She guided him into his large bed and walked to the bathroom. The last thing Alex heard before drifting off to sleep was the sound of the door clicking close and his shower turning on.

The sun filtered through the office windows and Alex stood behind his cleared desk. A stack of large paper sheets lay in a neat pile in front of him, ready. Sarah, Mark, Olivia, and Sam were positioned around the room. They all wore mixed emotions on their face, ranging from concern to anticipation. Even Edwin hovered near the door, his usual calm and stoic attitude showing his worry by the way he paced to check on many things around the upstairs.

Alex picked up the pen in front of him and began to draw out the ritual circle on the paper. It was different than many of the ones he’d been using lately. Rather than the smaller, modified ritual circles he’d been using for his own purposes, the one he planned to use for the test was a standard ritual.

“What are you going to do the test on?” Mark said as he watched his friend sketch the complex diagram. “You’ve been pretty vague about it.”

“I was only vague because I wasn’t sure. But I decided to pick a ritual I haven’t studied yet but have been wanting to.”

“Why?”

“Mainly because if I’m starting with no knowledge of the test, it should give me a better idea of exactly how much information I get. I want to see how much I can learn and improve, starting from almost zero. Anyway, this is an Alarm Ritual schematic from one of the Novice Ritual Manuals. It’s like the traditional wide area rituals, meant to cover a bit of space, instead of the smaller rituals I’ve been using lately.”

“An alarm?” Olivia asked, sounding interested.

“Yeah, well, you remember we talked about making this place more secure. Hopefully, this works, and I can ask you to come test the security sooner than we thought.” He gave her a wink and then continued drawing.

Sam's chimed in, "That sounds pretty cool. Like a magical security system.”

“So you’re not just testing the method, you’re aiming for practical results too,” Sarah said.

“That’s the plan.”

“Just remember not to push too hard,” Mark said. “Think of it like lifting weights. You have to know your limits. You’re not just going to step up to a world record bench press in your first week in the gym.”

Alex nodded and then closed his eyes. He activated [Parallel Mind], feeling his consciousness split. Opening his eyes, he looked down at his drawing. With one half of his mind, he initiated [Ritual Insight] while pushing inward against the skill to slow the information to a trickle. Simultaneously, he activated his Heavenly Eye with the other half of his focus and carefully probed the mental barrier that was presented by the schematic.

At first, the sensations were overwhelming with two streams of information flowing into his mind. They were both separated and intertwined at the same time. He forced himself to relax and let the knowledge wash over him from both skills.

It took a lot of concentration to push in on the insight skill and slow its rush of knowledge while the other half of his brain pushed outward on the schematic itself, forcing the mental powers of the Heavenly Eye to yield information to him.

Long, tense moments ticked by. His eyebrows drew together, but he felt no signs of distress or fatigue this time around. He went until he felt both skills beginning to slow, and he tore away the top sheet of paper and began drawing rapidly on a fresh one. His hand moved as quickly as it could without losing the accuracy needed for the ritual dimensions.

This time, the ritual had changes to it, compared to the first one that he’d copied from the manual.

“It’s working,” he murmured.

The cycle continued. Alex absorbed information through [Ritual Insight], then used the Heavenly Eye to scrutinize the new patterns that he’d drawn. This, in turn, sparked fresh insights from his class skill, which led to cyclical refinements.

After what felt like both a long time, and no time at all, Alex set down his pen. He blinked and let his [Parallel Mind] skill end, as he felt that his class skill wouldn’t be able to continue any longer.

“That was… incredible,” he said, staring open-mouthed at the drawing. The ritual schematic was far more complex than anything he’d worked with before, yet he understood it in every detail. It was even more complicated than the Weight Reducing ritual, which he’d used the [Ritual Insight] skill on more than once since he’d gotten the class. There were different mechanics to the ritual, such as a trigger mechanism and a brilliant pattern in the center to contain mana over time.

Sam rushed forward first. “How do you feel?” He cast [Rejuvenation] on Alex before he could even answer.

Alex grinned, feelings of triumph coursing through him despite the mental fatigue that he could feel. “I’m fine. Tired, but nowhere near like the last time. Guys… this changes everything.”

Mark whistled as he walked up behind Sam and looked over him at the drawing. “That looks way crazier than anything you’ve shown me before.”

“It is,” Alex confirmed. “I feel like I’ve gained weeks of study in just a few minutes. It feels almost like cheating. It’s so effective.”

Sarah’s relief was palpable. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Olivia nodded and walked around to his side of the desk. “Be careful with this. But you shouldn’t feel like this is cheating. You’re using the tools the System has given you. Granted, it’s in a little bit of a weird way, but it clearly works.”

He snorted. “I’ll be careful. I want to try this again in a few days when [Ritual Insight] is off cooldown. I think I can make the attempt on Tuesday. With my trait and these skills… the possibilities are endless.”

Now I just need to figure out which Ritual I want to try next.