After leaving Wind on the first floor, I head up to the second floor of the to find a [Magecrafting] station so I can start my weapon-crafting project. I’m a bit nervous about leaving my big brother downstairs since this is our first time working on our crafts in separate areas. I’m already used to being separated from him since we go to different schools in real life, but not in . He did say I have to learn some independence since he wasn't always going to be there to help me, but I feel like I am not ready to go alone yet. Then again, he might've just wanted me to be brave and not rely on others so much, for my own sake. For now, I decided to start getting used to being alone for now and work on my magical gear.

I eventually manage to find a station a few meters away from the stairs. The station has several things one could find in a magic lair, such as a black cauldron to make potions, several wands in multiple sizes, some chalk, and some runes and magical circles spread around the bordered small walls and table. Compared to my previous station from before, it is somewhat flashy and magical, which doesn't surprise me considering that it was a station for [Magecrafting] instead of [Alchemy]. And unlike my usual [Alchemy] tool kit, I have to use several extra tools for this [Mastery], which means that I might have to spend more money than I usually do at the general store.

[Beginner Enchantment Kit]

[A toolkit that provides several stones, magical potions, and a magical circle board to any aspiring magician.

Quality: 10]

[Beginner Rune Tome]

[A book that contains information on any basic runes. It is recommended to any aspiring magician who wants to create their very own magical gear.

Quality: 10]

[Beginner Magical Guide]

[A special spellbook that contains special spells for enchantment and magic creation. It is recommended to any aspiring magician who wants to create their very own magical gear.

Quality: 10]

I feel a bit guilty that I have to use some of my allowances to buy these tools, but since we’re going to try [Masteries] that we’ve never tried out before, I feel it’s a small sacrifice to pay to upgrade our equipment. Besides, Wind is currently working on his new bow with his [Woodcrafting] skill, so I won't be surprised if he does the same with his crafting tools.

However, the biggest dilemma on my mind was how different [Magecrafting] is to other [Masteries]. While most of them rely a lot on real-life experiences such as [Blacksmithing], [Woodcutting], and [Cooking] as well as [Alchemy], the latter of which is simply making medicine as the people did in the olden days, which I believe the fantasy novels managed to popularize by putting their own spin on it or combining it with real-life alchemy like this game. But for [Magecrafting], I have no clue how I was going to make a staff or a grimoire out of these tools and materials I have on hand since this was the only [Mastery] so far that had no real-life reference on how to create them. Even as I look around the floor after settling into my station, I see far more tailors and leather makers than magecrafters in here. And while I have managed to see some at other stations, I saw that they have only embedded magical stones in their stand, and some are using the crafting menu for at least half of their process while others are using it for the entire process.

I guess that because of its vague description in the official site and wiki, no one has been able to use [Magecrafting] without the aid of a crafting menu. Just looking at these magecrafters makes me worry over how I’m going to make my magical gear. But I also don't want my playthrough to be plain and easy in my very first VRMMO. I want to make my experience feel more realistic and similar to the heroes of Seraph! Giving up isn't going to help me improve my skills and abilities as a magician.

So how am I going to make my magical gears without the aid of a crafting menu? Well, the keys are my crafting tools' flavor texts and my station's magical circles, and the other equipment provided for me. If I can figure out how to use them more efficiently, I might able to figure out how to bypass the lack of real-life applications to this [Mastery]. Though now that I think about it, the game's lore has a unique take on its magical system and how we were able to cast any spells with our staves, wands, and grimoires. I took a sneak peek at a book on the world's magic back at the library before we logged out, and it pretty much answered most of my questions regarding the basics of magic.

I’ve known beforehand that [Mana] is needed to cast any spell, and every living being possesses some since their birth, especially with the [Beastfolk] race (though in a low amount comparing to other races). However, I also learned from the book that chanting an incantation wasn't enough to invoke a spell. By creating an image of the spell they wanted to cast in their head, magecrafters have been able to cast them more proficiently and even got the chance to make weaker spells stronger than their high-level successors. And if they used their imagination more carefully and creatively, they could cast a spell with no incantation at all! I’m a bit surprised at this when I read that section, but it makes me wonder if I can handle this feat. The game didn't say I have to chant an incantation out loud, but I have to practice and master it if I wanted to do any non-verbal spells in the future.

That aside, I start to wonder about the other aspect of casting a spell, namely using my imagination. I wonder if I could apply that to [Magecrafting] since it is practically the same thing as casting spells in battle. The [Beginner Enchantment Kit] did provide me with magical stones and potions I can use for the craft, so they are also keys to creating the gear. Either way, it never hurts to try. I already have the materials needed for my test staff and I don't want to waste any more time thinking up theories and what-if scenarios.

So as always, I bring out the needed materials for my craft.

2x [Staff Base]

[A wooden staff that serves as the main base for any magical staff.]

2x [Mana Stone]

[A stone made of mana. It's widely used for staves, wands, and magical accessories.]

6x [Feather of Artificial Phoenix]

[A feather that was plucked from an [Artificial Phoenix]. Due to its species are artificially bred by the [Insignis] race, its mana is a bit weaker than a real phoenix.]

Since this is just a test run, most of the materials came from in-game instructions on making a basic magical staff. I would’ve asked Wind to make me a [Staff Base], but it might've taken a while for him to finish and I don't want to disturb him from working on his new bow. So that’s another 500 [Lapi] down to the drain. But it’s worth another sacrifice for my debut as a magecrafter. The instructions say to start by embedding the [Mana Stone] in the top of the staff like the others were doing with their own, but I decide not to follow the said example.

Instead, the first thing I do is set up a magical circle board from the kit and draw a basic pentagram from the design that the magical guide provided me. It’s nothing special since it was like any old magical pentagram one would see in novels and anime. Once that’s done, I placed the [Staff Base] and the drawn pentagram on top of each other in the middle of the table. Sure, it seems to be a bit loony to do this because of the [Mana Stone], but I know it’s not enough to make a staff without considering the base itself. In place of a leather handle and stronger wood, I decided that some enchantments could be another way to make it more durable and prevent any slips or breakage during the heat of a battle.

Once everything is set up, I closed my eyes and placed both of my hands on the pentagram. There is a special incantation written in the tome, which for some reason, the system translates its weird language. However, for some reason, it only works specifically on a basic staff, so I have to improvise on future incantations for my next craft. Now all that’s left is to chant it.

"Embers of the sun, raindrops from the storm, I call upon the mana that descends and ascends from our world. Turn this mere branch into part of nature once more and strengthen it to defend its master." As I said this, the pentagram began to glow green, and the staff began to absorb the energy that started to seep from it. At least that’s one good sign. "Now envelop this staff with your power become one with mine!"

I’m hoping that the [Mana] would just absorb into the staff and harden itself or something once I finished my chant. But as I stare at it, a bright green light suddenly flashes right before my eyes. I quickly cover them once I realized this, and as the light starts to simmer down, I see a glowing staff covered in magical circles around its wooden body. This isn't what I expected from my menu-less crafting, but I’m very amazed at how the [Staff Base] has transformed with a single spell.

[Magical Staff Base]

[A wooden staff that serves as the main base for any magical staff. It has been enchanted by a spell that allows strong durability to the base and adhesive spell to provide extra grip in any battle.]

Those are the exact effects I want for this staff! It's as if the game read my mind while I was crafting this. But amazement aside, I still need to insert the [Mana Stone] at the center of the staff's tip. So I carve out a hole with my hammer using a few gentle taps while measuring the size making sure it is enough to fit a jewel before I sand the edges down a bit. Once I finish with that, a new pop-up window confirms that it is finished!

[Reinforced Mana Staff]

[A magical staff that is imbued with a light amount of [Mana]. It was also imbued and enhanced the staff's body for extra grip and durability against other humans.

Creator:

Effects: +9 Magic ATK

Quality: 10]

That is a good name. [Reinforced Mana Staff]! Not to mention it has such decent quality in terms of what I could do in the kitchen. My first time making my staff and yet, I’m now holding my first real-life staff since the old starter one I got on the first day of the launch. But despite its quality, its magic attack is a bit bad for my taste. The whole comparison between them is a bit obvious.

[Beginner Rod]

[A simple staff that is imbued by magic and enhancements.

Effects: +11 Magic ATK

Quality: 10]

While I like the detail of these weapons, I’m worried that I won’t be able to use this staff as my upgraded weapon in my next fight. But it does help me learn how to cast a spell using my imagination. So now that that is done, perhaps I could make more experiences with additional material?

3x [Burning Gemstone]

[A special stone that is well-known for creating flames and explosions. Proceed with caution.]

2x [Sparking Gemstone]

[A special stone that is well-known for creating uncontrollable electricity. Proceed with caution.]

I found these gemstones and the feathers in a vending store a few days ago, and when I read their flavor texts, I felt they could be useful for my new staff. The [Sparking Gemstone] sounded useful because I possess [Thunder] magic, but the burning one was one of my main concerns. For one, I don’t have any [Fire] spells on hand, so making a separate staff would be a waste of materials and [Lapi], not to mention it could be might be completely useless or very dangerous if I crush it up and use it for [Alchemy]. If I could combine the power of two stones in one staff, it can lessen my worries a bit.

...

Wait... combine them?

It just might work, but did such an item exist in at all? I’ve never heard of a staff that has two different kinds of gems. But what consequences could result from this? What could happen if I even try to cast a spell with it? Could it create disastrous calamity in ? I start to become worried as I realize the negative points of this hypothetical staff. I then decide that I should try adding one more material to stabilize its power. It might not be much, but if it is going to balance its [Mana], it would be one less accident to worry about. In any case, I have nothing to lose, so I decided to just give it a shot and hope for the best.

After I store my new [Reinforced Mana Staff] into my inventory, I prepare another [Staff Base] and another set of the same materials I used before. Using the same method to enhance my last staff, I transform it into another [Magical Staff Base] and this time, I grab a hammer and a gouge chisel and carve out three holes at its tip.

I decide on three holes instead of two, because I’m not only inserting the [Burning Gemstone] and [Sparking Gemstone] into the base, but I also decide to add a [Mana Stone], which can serve as a stabilizer of sorts to balance out the powerful gemstones (and hopefully not explode in my face). One would think that inserting these stones would finish the staff, but I feel it’s still not enough. If I want to avoid any accidents, I have to do everything to make sure this staff is safe for use in future battles.

So instead of just waiting for a pop-up window, I pull out my board and drew several different kinds of magical pentagrams on it. Unlike before, I just draw each pentagram on top of a previous one and repeat the process until it looks like some sort of triangular pentagrams. And yeah, just saying those words is a bit confusing, but just think of it as a large circle with two circles at the top of it.

Magical pentagrams aside, I place the staff at the top of the circle and prepare my hands for another enchantment process. I already have a bit of an idea after reading the incantation, so I take a deep breath and start my own.

"Embers of the sun, raindrops from the storm, I call upon the mana that descends and ascends from our world. Combine the flames and thunder into one and let their magic flow into mine!" Like before, the circles begin to glow around the staff as it absorbs the mana around it. "As I release my spells through this staff, show the might and speed of these elements as I call on nature's wrath!"

I was hoping that it would have the same effect when it transformed my [Staff Base] into a durable [Magical Staff Base], but fate had other plans for me. Because when I lower my hands to see the full effects of my improvised incantation, flames, and lightning suddenly spit out of the circles and fly around out of my station and all over the rest of the second floor. I am so shocked at what has just happened that I can only scream in shock and back away from my station. Game mechanics or not, my worst fear has come true. I can even see several artisans and mages running and ducking trying to escape from the lightning and fire bolts that have been released from my spell to the point they are running towards the stairs.

Oh man, what had I gotten myself into?! I just hoped that Wind didn't s-

"Kaz?!"

My eyes widen when I heard that familiar voice. And unfortunately, it’s Wind's. I know right then and there that I’m in big trouble...

Wind's Masteries

[Archery] Level 11

[Woodcrafting] Level 6

[Swordsmanship] Level 10

[Cooking] Level 4

[Wind] Level 9

[Physical Enhancement] Level 3

[Hunting] Level 10

Kazu's Masteries

[Arcana] Level 10

[Thunder] Level 11

[Wind] Level 7

[Alchemy] Level 12

[Magecrafting] Level 8

[Magical Affinity] Level 11

[Scribe] Level 4