24 Choosing a spell
Sorin surveyed the spell formulas carefully.
After reading through the initial pages the books provided, Sorin had selected some spells that would be beneficial to him.
Four spells lay before him, each brimming with potential.
As he pondered his options, Sorin knew that he was missing three essential types of spells, crucial for any Arcanist engaging in a battle.
In the order of importance, the first spell he sought was a defensive one. The very core of survival in the Arcanist world, a defensive spell was a guardian of one's life.
It was a shield against the thundering forces of enemy magic and the dangers that lurk in the world.
With a defensive spell, Sorin could deflect the deadliest of blows, ensuring his safety.
As a Tier 1 Arcanist, though Sorin was now more durable due to consuming a treasure, spells would still make quick work of him if he wasn't prepared.
Second on his list was a mobility spell, a magic that would be essential for his battles, allowing him to nimbly dance across the battlefield.
Mobility was a key to staying one step ahead of his adversaries, enabling him to position himself strategically and launch his spells with precision.
A mobility spell would offer him both escape and pursuit, a means to control the flow of the battle.
Lastly, Sorin needed an offensive spell. While the first two spells were the shield and the wings, the offensive spell was the weapon, the blade he would wield to strike down his foes.
Though formidable in its own right, an offensive spell wasn't the highest priority. Sorin, as a Tier 1 Arcanist, knew that battles of his rank didn't require this type of spell.
Poison, traps or simply a lethal blow is all it takes to kill a Tier 1 Arcanist. The defensive capabilities of Tier 1 Arcanists were rather meagre.
In the hierarchy of his magical arsenal, the offensive spell took the third seat.
Though a powerful and useful type of spell, it's not essential in fights between Tier 1 Arcanists.
Sorin's unorthodox thoughts would leave many bewildered. Most people would simply think of learning a destructive spell to completely destroy their enemies. However, Sorin has meticulously thought out how he should progress as an Arcanist.
The four spells Sorin took an interest in was two offensive spells, one defensive spell and one mobility spell.
The two offensive spells that Sorin had picked were "Pressure blast," a spell that condenses and releases wind of powerful force, and "Cyclone Blades," summoning razor-sharp wind blades.
Sorin was intrigued by Pressure Blast as he thought of a few ways to incorporate it into his fighting style. With Sorin's powerful body, it would be a waste to not make use of it.
Sorin picked Cyclone Blades as the description was simple and the effects seemed powerful.
"Zephyr's Embrace" was a defensive spell he had chosen.
Casting the spell would envelope Sorin in a protective barrier of gentle zephyrs, the barrier having a repulsing property. It was a more effective version of what Sorin had created using Wind Formation to redirect spells.
It repels both magical and physical assaults with wind, granting him time to strategise and shield against threats.
For mobility, Sorin had chosen "Gale dash." This spell uses wind to propel himself, allowing him to swiftly traverse the battlefield or dodge, granting him unmatched freedom of movement to outmaneuver his foes.
However, Sorin must be careful not to harm himself. The erratic and sudden changes in speeds could disorientate him or lead him to make mistakes.
Mistakes in life or death battles would cost your life. If Sorin chooses this spell, he not only has to master the meaning of the spell, he would also need to garner enough experience before he could utilise it in combat.
Sorin pondered over the spells he had picked. All of the spells would be useful to Sorin, however he can only choose one at a time. Renting multiple spells at once would be very foolish.
Sorin could always comeback to learn these spells when he masters the spell he had chosen.
After contemplating for a moment, Sorin decided on the defensive spell.
Sorin carefully carried his selected spell book to the elderly Arcanist in charge of the library.
The old woman's eyes, though wrinkled and wise, sparkled with an inner vitality that hinted at her deep connection with the magical arts.
"Pay by contribution points or arcane crystals?" The old woman spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Arcane crystals," Sorin replied.
Sorin first handed her 8 medium grade arcane crystals. Sorin is going to rent this spell and return it when he masters it and store it within his Mana Cube.
For everyday that it takes Sorin to learn the spell formula, he would have to pay 8 medium grade arcane crystals.
This meant if he spent 10 days trying to master the spell, he would have to pay 80 arcane crystals!
With Sorin's wind affinity being medium-high, on average, he needs to spend 15 days to master a wind element spell.
However, spells are vastly different from eachother. Some might take longer or some might be quicker to master.
When Sorin had learnt Wind Formation, he had done a few sleepless nights trying to grasp the deep meaning and intricacies of the spell. However, it took him 14 days to master it. This showed the complexity of the spell.
Whereas a spell like Heat Wave that should have taken more than 28 days to learn, only took 22 days.
The old woman nodded as Sorin presented his chosen tome.
With ancient and delicate hands, she opened the spell book, revealing its blank ancient pages.
Her fingers, almost dancing, traced patterns within the air, weaving the mana as runes gradually appeared and etched itself onto the pages.
As she chanted a softly spoken incantation, the entire book began to radiate a subtle luminescence.
Then, like a well-orchestrated symphony, the pages themselves responded to the Arcanist's touch. One by one, they flipped open, revealing the information previously hidden.
The pages seemed to come alive, each rune and symbol glowing with an otherworldly light as the text emerged, now clear and comprehensible.
It was as if the knowledge within the book had been awakened by a masterful conductor, and Sorin marveled at the sight.
The elderly Arcanist smiled at Sorin as she handed back the spell book, now fully unlocked and ready to share its secrets.
The old woman's eyes held a knowing glint, as if she understood the significance of Sorin's quest for power in this vast world of Arcanists.
Afterall, she herself had experienced the life of an Arcanist, embarking on a vast journey trying to unveil the mysteries of the arcane way.
-
Sorin entered his room, setting the leather satchel on the table with a sense of anticipation. He carefully extracted the spell book, placing it beside the satchel, its pages filled with the secrets of arcane magic.
Learning a spell was a complex endeavor, akin to deciphering an intricate language. The symbols and cryptic information within the book seemed like hieroglyphs from a forgotten civilization.
An Arcanist's initial attempt to comprehend the spell would be met with confusion and frustration. They would quickly realise that they were, in essence, deciphering a new language.
To begin, he gathered a stack of blank papers and various writing instruments. Learning this spell required meticulous notes and a deep understanding of each symbol.
The symbols, etched using mana, were the key to unraveling the spell formula.
Sorin delved into the text, carefully examining each symbol and its context within the spell. His fingers traced the lines as his mind diligently made notes.
His lecture notes on magic theory became his guides, helping him connect the dots between the cryptic symbols and their elemental meanings.
Senior Arcanists would know all these symbols off by heart. However, a novice Arcanist such as Sorin needed to have a reference or he would be completely lost.
These symbols also resonates with your affinity. The higher your affinity, the easier it is to understand these enigmatic symbols.
The magic symbols are the 'language' of Arcanists. It is needed to cast spells. These symbols are created by the exertion of your will that links with your soul and Mana Cube that resides within.
The soul is created by the conscious choices and desires that are deeply connected to our inner essence, emotions, and experiences.
Or in short, the will.
These two facets of our being are intertwined, with our choices reflecting our inner self and our inner self being shaped by our choices.
Mana is the mystical life force that underlies all existance.
Each individual's soul is a reservoir of potential, and it's through the will, manifested in the intricate symbols, that this potential is harnessed and channelled into the physical world.
One's affinity becomes the reflection of the soul's unique resonance with the fundamental forces of the universe.
Just as each individual's soul is inherently different, so too are their affinities.
An affinity acts as a bridge between the soul and the symbols of spellcasting, aligning one's being with certain elements or laws governing the universe.
This harmonious connection between affinity and soul paves the way for a deeper understanding of the symbols associated with that affinity.
"The world of Arcanist is truly a strange and mysterious place. The laws that govern this universe is completely different to modern earth in my previous life." Sorin pondered.
As time passed, patterns started to slowly make sense to Sorin. By decoding these symbols, he gained insight into the secrets embedded within the spell.
The complexities deepened as he recognised the strange symbols and their interactions. Spells worked by creating intricate relationships between them.
Weaving mana into the spells you learnt requires you to have a deep understanding on the various symbols and the relationships between each of them. It requires your thoughts and handling of mana to be extremely precise.
This is perhaps the reason why promoting to a higher Tier grants the person an overall boost to their cognitive abilities.
Moreover, this is why the Mana Cube is essential for an Arcanist.
Storing a spell within your Mana Cube meant storing its symbols.
Having spells stored within it meant not having to think about all the symbols that interact with eachother as you cast the spell.
Furthermore, it boosts the overall power and efficency of the spell.
This is the reason why casting spells stored within your Mana Cube is much faster, nearly instantaneous compared to weaving the mana into a spell.
If one were to cast higher tier spells such as tier 3 and 4 without the Mana Cube, it would either take an extremely long time or it would be impossible.
Sorin had to understand not only the individual symbols but also how they harmonised.
Then came the practical aspect. Sorin attempted to cast the spell using his awful understanding towards the magic formula.
The outcome was predicable, failure.
However, Sorin's goal was to test how the symbols reacted together then slowly begin changing and adapting it.
He faced numerous failures, each serving as a valuable lesson, and each success inching him closer to mastering the spell.
[A/N]
I've changed some stuff.
The world of Arcanists will not have anything Sci-fi or modern elements in it. I quickly realised how it wouldn't fit into the story with where I'm taking it. However, the changes aren't too drastic.
I simply changed phones to magic instruments provided by the Academy called Arcom.
They pretty much work just like phones with fewer features. It would have an alarm, shows the time, general knowledge built into it, record messages, receive announcements from the school.
These magic instruments only exist in magic Academies for the students. The Academy has a magic network meaning the Arcom can only function within it's vicinity.
