I scratch a copy of the magic circle that is my [Summoner's Beacon] skill into a copper plate.

Now what? I ask myself.

Simply making the image isn't going to do anything. There needs to be mana involved. Last time I simply ran mana through it.

I take control of the mana in the air using [Mana Manipulation] and make it flow through the etched pattern. Once the circle is formed, the mana is burned away, and it continues to draw mana from the air. Each mana particle drawn into the pattern makes one complete circuit of the magic framework, then burns away. I move the plate, but the magic circle doesn't move with it. Because I drew the magic circle in the void of the scratches, using them as a guide but not actually attaching the circle to them, the magic circle remains floating in the air.

This isn’t what I wanted, but it’s certainly a breakthrough in this field of study. Anyone skilled with some form of mana control can form these, if they have access to the magic circle for reference, but how do I stop it?

I prevent mana from getting close to the magic circle, forming a sphere of mana vacuum. The mana runs out after a few seconds and the magic circle dissolves.

So once the mana runs out, it ceases functioning.

I make another circle in the air, to study in greater depth. The mana is pulled in from the outer ring and flows through lines to the middle ring, where the framework gets complicated. Then it flows through more lines to the inner ring that borders the magic circle's core framework, and yet further in to the very center where it burns away.

Now, how do I make a magic circle on the copper plate, rather than in the gaps? The only answer I have for now is mana-saturated ink.

I go down to Dad's workshop and gather copper shavings, and begin to infuse as much beauty mana as I can into the metal. The mana gathers around the copper atoms’ protons, neutrons, and electrons, forming mana structures along some forces holding the atoms together. Somehow the mana is interacting with, or being influenced by, the weak and strong nuclear forces… or something similar.

I need the copper shavings to be a lot finer to make a good ink base, so I use an earth spell to do the job. Next, I take some oil and mix the copper dust into that, making copper ink. I go back into my room and fill the scratches on the copper plate with the ink. Once the ink completes the magic circle, the mana is burned out and starts the process of drawing in more mana, but at a slower rate than before.

I pick up the copper plate, and, to my delight, the magic circle moves with it. With the prototype working, my tails jitter with excitement. I take a deep breath to calm myself. This is just the first step, there's more work to be done, but half of me wants to celebrate and brag to Kayafe about my findings.

With the help of [Calm Mind], I control myself. Now, I need to break the magic circle. It's a little sad to do this, but I need to understand how to stop it. However, to my surprise, the copper plate begins to absorb incredible amounts of mana, way more than what the magic circle is drawing in. Mana rushes into the copper plate and it begins to change and warp, shifting into a beautiful circular shape, with words engraved around the edges of the now-pristine grooves of the magic circle I had carelessly scratched into a piece of scrap.

The First Inscription (Exalted) (Artifact):

Made by Alysara, a pioneer and visionary in the field of mana and magic; this is the first stable magic inscription made in history. This is the start of a revolution that may change the world. This item will stabilize all spells within a two thousand kilometer radius.

Maybe it's because I used beauty mana in the ink, or maybe it's because this is an Exalted-tier item, but what was previously a scrap piece of metal is now a beautiful work of art. The words around the magic circle are in Runalymo, a fluffy description of what's going on with the magic circle and what it does. It is worth noting that each letter is touching the magic circle, so maybe the words themselves have some purpose? Tests for later.

The name of this magic item is certainly a lie; it isn't the first 'inscription', but it does also clarify that it is the first stable inscription. As for its range, it is equal to its tier bonus, so the base is one kilometer, which is quite a lot even before the other changes that may have been at play. It is also Artifact-tier, after all.

The inscription still consumes mana at the normal rate, and, with a simple thought, the magic stops. I turn it back on, and it starts consuming mana again. I turn it off and set it down. My hands shake, and my tails tremble. This is – let’s not mention the Mana Arc – the highest tier magic item the Runalymo have ever had! Exalted-tier! I want to jump up and down in excitement; I want to show the world what I have discovered!

I pick up The First Inscription and almost run downstairs to show my parents, but halfway down, I stop. Mom and Dad won't really know what this means. They know what Exalted-tier means, theoretically, but they won't understand the full scope of what I have accomplished. Kayafe will understand, but, being unable to actually see my work; she can't fully appreciate it.

There’s a pit in my stomach. There is no one who can fully share in my success, as always. Dejected, I slowly walk back to my room, but then I remember that there is someone who can fully understand the scope of this; however, Safyr isn't exactly one to celebrate or get excited about any of this.

I don't know what I want. Do I want them to praise me and tell me how smart I am? No. Do I want attention? I've never really wanted any of that. I guess I just want somebody to relate to me, to know what it's like to pioneer a field of study, to know what it's like to have to tiptoe around cursed skills and to work around their Bond.

I smack my forehead as a sudden realization hits me. I know what this is all about; teenage fucking angst! I can't wait to grow out of this shit; I hate feeling like this, I hate how my emotions are controlling me so much, I hate the cringe after I realize what's going on.

I go back downstairs to celebrate properly. Who cares if Mom and Dad don't fully understand the magnitude of this? Who cares if Kayafe can't fully appreciate it? They will want me to share regardless!

"Momara!" I hold up the magic item with a grin.

Mom tilts her head for a second then gasps as she identifies the copper plate as a magic item.

"Exalted!? Aly, how did you do it? I'm so proud of you!" Mom pulls me into a hug. "Kanato! Come here, Aly made an Exalted item!"

A clang of metal being dropped came from the forge, and soon Dad emerges from the doorway, a hint of disbelief on her face. However, once she [Analyzes] the copper plate, there is no denying it.

"That's amazing! You've got to show it off at this Lojyo!"

“I-I don't think I am ready for that yet; I still need to study what these inscriptions are capable of," I stammer nervously.

After spending a moment with my parents, I go back to my room with a new piece of scrap and scratch a new magic circle into it. I fill it in with ink and then test the destruction of the circle. Once interrupted, the magic circle ceases to function.

There is a ton of potential here, but it's going to take a long time to study useful magic circles, time that I do not have. For now, I just need an object that can help me operate my clones past the dungeon entrance.

I begin testing ways to build a physical bridge to cross the entrance. First, I test a plate with a line connecting the outermost rings of two circles; seeing as how the mana is drawn inward, it predictably doesn't work. Next, I drill a hole in the very center of the circle and make a link to connect to the outer ring of another. This partially works: one circle draws in mana and transfers it to the other. I wonder if this can be used to make a mana collection array; if so, then maybe making liquid mana will become easy.

My third test works as intended; instead of drilling a hole in the center, I drill a hole somewhere in the middle section of the magic circle, close to a line that I can draw mana from without interrupting any 'circuitry'. I draw a line from one magic circle to the other, and, as both draw in mana, there is a connection from one to the other. However, there seems to be an issue: the connection only goes one way, for obvious reasons. In order for this to work, both magic circles need to share. I redo the third test, but this time I do it properly.

Now for the real tests! I fly over to the dungeon and insert my three test cases halfway into the dungeon. With any luck, I'll finally be able to send a clone over to the other side and still control it. I summon a clone and have it walk through. After a moment, I order it to walk back. It does not walk back; the tests have failed.

I half expected this; it would have probably worked if I could have inscribed my clone skill onto the plates, but it's a Bond skill, and those seemingly don't have magic frameworks.

Maybe I should start simpler? I need to copy my [Sense Magic] skill onto copper plates. If it works, then I should be able to see past the entrance and then I won’t have to mess around with clones.

I redo the tests with my perception instead, hoping that the complicated nature of the Bond was messing with the experiment. No luck. The problem, now that I’ve eliminated some of the other issues, is probably that there is nothing that connects me to the magic circles, the bridge. So now I need to find some way to link to the bridge, and for that I need an enchanted item.

I've made link stones before, so that's not an issue; the real problem is the fact that link stones are made of mana, which will be consumed by the bridge. I pace in my room, trying to figure this new problem out.

I just need to feed the magic circle more mana than it consumes; that way, it won't eat the link stone. To accomplish that, I need a mana collection array… which I just figured out by accident anyway, conveniently. I build a metal box with magic circles etched onto its surfaces, then drill the cores of the magic circles out and have lines running down tubes to concentrate mana in the center.

I watch in amazement as large quantities of mana are drawn in, and I realize that the core of magic frameworks does the actual magic; the rest does… something, aside from just moving the mana around, but I don't know what, yet.

I don't think what inscriptions do can truly be called magic, more of a false magic. True magic is the formation of magic items, which does not need magic frameworks to accomplish its effects. This false magic requires the magic circles, which help bring order to the chaos that is true magic.

Inscriptions may be what bridge spells and true magic, however. There is definitely mana involved, and it's more than just consuming it. I will have to run tons of experiments to see if the type of mana matters, how the formation of magic circles works, and what each part of the framework actually does. The best way to figure out how something works is to break it. If it stops working, then I know what makes it stop; if it doesn't, then I know what is optional for what I want to accomplish.

I'll need to start small. I need to figure out the most efficient magic circle that draws in mana, that will be a good starting point. However, that is all for later; for now, I need to get this bridge working.

I insert half of the bridge into the mana collection array and have a mana-collecting magic circle redirect the mana to the link stone, which then feeds into the rest of the bridge.

My second experimental bridge has the same setup, but mirrored on both sides of the bridge; I need to know if one works better. I fly over to the dungeon entrance and place both test subjects halfway in the entrance… and suddenly the inside of the dungeon becomes visible!