I looked at the book with runes. In truth, my objective was trying to find a rune to delay the effects.

Sadly, the known runes weren’t correctly translated and didn’t get registered in my own book so I actually had to experiment.

Maybe, I needed to check out Altgar’s magic circles as well.

Getting up, I watched as Misaki slowly drew her katana, and wind rapidly gathered on her blade just before she rapidly did the iai, the technique of drawing, slashing and sheathing, sending a wind blade that is almost five times sharper than the common spell.

I walk to Havorine who was aiding Marian.

“Havorine, I have a question about the magic system of this world?” I asked.

“Oh? Please ask,” he said.

“Have you ever heard of magic circles?” I asked.

“Circle… ah you mean magic formation. Yes, I have. We still use them but what we have are only things we could find in ruins and old archives. We have teleportation formations, but they take up a massive amount of mana to activate so they aren’t used often, and they are basically all built by the elves.” he said.

“Are they by chance run by runes?” I asked.

He smiles wryly and nodded.

“Awesome, just with this already makes things better,” I said and began to think how I should continue.

“Most of the runes are unknown to us and only one or two we can identify in the entire teleportation ruin, so it's not like we can actually do more with them. Even so, we have been able to copy, and make new ones since we simply need to place the circle formation down,” Havorine said.

I raised a brow and nodded.

“Oh, and the summoning spell we used for summoning you all also runs on runes. Unlike us, only the most ancient empires who are too powerful to even care about the common nations on this world still know the full extent of runes.”

“Is that way the queen had such a keen interest in me?” I asked.

“Of course. Runes are considered the magical language, even if you aren’t sent to fight the demons, the queen will put more resources to help your own research so that our overall military and magical strength will increase,” he said.

“I see, well I got what I needed, I just need to start training now,” I said.

He pulled out a book.

“This is a book on how to manipulate mana and elements. Before you start, you should learn this so that it will further help you,” he said.

“Alright, thanks you for the help,” I said, taking the book and walking to the corner.

I opened the book and started to read it over.

Mana is the most common energy in this world, and more than 95% of the creatures incorporate this into their being and use it every day with only a few rare beasts that use unknown powers.

Mana being present in all beings means it can be controlled. Controlling mana requires imagining your desire then putting forth your will onto it. When mana exits the body you will require imagination to turn the pure mana into a spell. Normal people use chants to help them focus on an image, but those with clear thoughts can manipulate the mana as they please altering spells to different power levels and strength.

One requirement to be called a master mage, warlock or any sort of magic user is the ability to cast without chanting because only then will you be able to fight to your fullest and bring out the most potential of your mana and that of the surrounding mana.

Meditation can help in control. As such…

Step 1: Imagine your desire.

Step 2: Control it with your will.

Step 3: Put forth your image and expel your mana with said image.

Reading the introduction, it pretty much explained it all, but in the following pages it went into the detailed knowledge that had been picked out in the subject.

“So just imagination is key,” I muttered and began to imagine a fireball.

I slowly formed the image in my head.

I didn’t notice how the book had begun floating and opened to the rune page.

When I opened my eyes, I put my hand forward and the runes for fireball appeared and vanished in an instant as it hung in the air.

I blinked and wondered if I was seeing things.

I looked at my mana and saw it had dropped by 30 mana.

“Havorine, how much mana does it take to make a fireball spell?” I called out.

“Around 30 for professionals and 45 for an adept mage, novices usually use around 60 mana until they learn mana control.”

I thought for a moment and looked at the floating book. The ‘Fire’ and ‘Ball’ runes were shimmering.

I began to imagine something a bit different. With a football shape spinning. I keep my eyes on the book and notice how the ‘Fire,’ ‘Ball,’ and ‘Spin’ runes lit up. Then I put the intent to accelerate forward, and both respective runes lit up. When I stuck my hand out the five runes appeared for an instant before spinning themselves into a football shaped fireball that was spinning and rapidly accelerated forward and slammed into the wall causing the fire to spread to around three meters around the impact area.

Havorine looked my way shocked.

“You were able to cast a spell so soon?” he asked.

“Tell me, when you use magic, do runes appear before making the spell?” I asked.

“No, since I use a staff my spell appear from the tip but I never saw runes appearing,” he said.

I looked at the staff in his hand and then at the orb in his hand and saw nothing engraved at the top.

I nodded then took out the other book that remained untranslated.

“Let's see…” I muttered.

The others had their eyes on me.

“Let's go with ‘Water’ and ‘Ball’ plus this one that is supposed to mean ‘Compress,’ and ‘Accelerate’ plus ‘Forward,’” I said taking out my pen. In the air, I carefully wrote each rune in the following order.

‘Compressed Water Ball Accelerate Forward.’

As the final rune shone, it spun and formed a water ball that became as small as a pebble and shot forward making a ‘plop’ sound like a droplet hitting the ground as it hit the wall.

You have discovered the ‘Shrink’ rune.

“Okay not what I expected…” I muttered but looked at my index and saw the new rune flash into existence.

I thought for a moment and flipped through the book finding ‘pillar.’ I started a new spell.

‘Air Pillar Spin.’

I wrote facing up, and quickly got out of the way, but what I got was dense wind balls rapid firing upwards in a spinning fashion from the runes that cast them.

You have discovered the ‘Shards’ rune.

“Shards huh…”

Next I wrote, ‘Earth Shards Accelerate Forwards Spin.’

I felt a bit dizzy, but I saw a group of five earth shards springing out, spinning and hitting the wall.

“Ace, please calm down with the spells, you're using too much mana,” Havorine said. “Focus on control training first. Leave experiments for a little later.”

“Fine, later can you get someone to bring any books about magic formations to my room. I am searching for a rune to delay the activation for now, but once I do I want to make projectile formations,” I said.

“That is fine, here drink this and try to control yourself a bit,” he said and I nodded.

For the next few hours, I alternated between meditating, reading through the books, and controlling my mana trying to make effects with the mana like making a fireball without the runes. I could make a mana ball but any of the elements I had runes for needed a rune before the spell activated. That said, I compared it to Misaki's own fireball when she learned it and it seemed that mine always came out about 10% bigger and stronger.

It might be the effect of runes as a magic symbol, and it was a good thing to know since I would naturally be a stronger magic user the more I studied.

After that, I split up from Misaki and was led out of the castle into a different building at the back of the castle area where a large workshop was located.

Inside was a blacksmith.

“This is our royal blacksmith, Grunt Drift. He will be your blacksmith master,” the maid that was leading me said.

The smith in question was a giant of a man. A huge belly, about one and a half meters wide, muscular arms that looked to be as big as my head, and he was over two meters tall.

“So squirt, you're my new protégé? Looks a bit squishy for my taste? Ever forged?” he asked.

“My world was already industrialized so forging was something near extinction already,” I said.

He sighed.

“I heard you’re some dungeon builder or something,” he said.

“Yeah, I think it’s different than what is commonly known, I guess I make a dungeon to kill monsters with traps to kill them and not people,” I said.

“How do you build something like that?” he asked. I shrugged and pulled out the book.

“Said I needed to store the layouts, so I think I am supposed to build corridor sections, then in the book I plan out the layout. Same for the rooms,” I said.

“I see. In other words at this moment you need blacksmith basics to learn to make basic stuff like nails for just a basic room and corridors,” he said nodding. “Good, I get that I am not getting some master crafter so let's get started.”

He pulled me inside, and until long after the sunset I worked back breaking work with him before returning to my bed and falling asleep.

Your previous day’s training has rewarded you with status points.

For figuring out a few function of the world's magic system, +2 wisdom.

For training magic control, +2 intelligence.

For doing manual work in Blacksmithing, +2 strength and +3 endurance.

You have learned your first craft. Skill Crafter has leveled up to level 1, Blacksmithing has been added to crafting skill repertoire.

For training magic control and meditation you have gained the skills ‘Mana Manipulation,’ and ‘Meditation.’

Mana Manipulation

Level 1

A skill that shows your skill in controlling mana and using magic.

Decreases mana consumption by 1%.

Increases control of magic by 1%.

Meditation

Level 1

Meditation is the art of calming one's mind and controlling the flow of energy in one's body. When used properly it allows you to gather mana from the air at a faster pace and counter the effects of mana exhaustion.

Increases rate of mana recovery by 1%.

I woke up with a strange window about new stat points. After blinking a few times and waking up, I read it carefully and understood something new about this world. You didn’t immediately receive stats or skills unless it was knowledge based like runic writing/language skill. You needed to rest and let your body recuperate, and the system would cause your body to strengthen during your sleep so that you could adapt better to your work. The harder you worked during the day the more you would gain. That must explain why I didn’t get anything for the sword skill.

Frowning, I got out of bed and felt the morning chill. I got up and put my clothes on—it was still the butler like clothes—and grabbed my artifacts. In the dining room, the maids were setting up food for the already awakened heroes.

The longsword guy was there and so was Misaki. Most of them were eating rather quick, so I did the same.

As I finished and looked at the waiting Misaki, I got up as did she and we headed to the training ground.

“Try and guide me and fix my form, let's put our all in to sparring from now on,” I said.

“Of course,” she said. We found a corner where I started trying to attack her, and she used a wooden blade to attack me while correcting me in a painful manner, by hitting all the weak points.

By the end of the sword training, I was hurting all over.

“Did I go too far?” she asked

“You're asking that now?” I asked.

She simply diverted her eyes with a blank expression.

I sighed and forced myself up on slightly trembling legs. “I will simply learn some healing magic to deal with this then,” I said as we both headed inside while the others remained outside. Only those that gained close range classes were actually outside, but we had extra time for magic approved by the queen.

We reached the training room and I went to a corner where I opened the book of runic language.

“Heal, heal, heal… oh regeneration… wait the system didn’t record it so that means it's not it. Hmm maybe I can be creative in this,” I muttered and took my pen.

‘Regeneration Light Ball.’

I wrote and the runes crumbled into dust.

“Not it huh… let's see… how’s about just regeneration light,” I muttered and wrote the runes. They collided forming a single rune that began to release a gentle green pulsing light, and when it washed over my body, I began to feel relief from my injures.

You have discovered the ‘Slow Healing’ rune.

“Nice, an AOE heal spell,” I said and began to move around it, finding it had three meter diameter, so one and a half meter radius.

“Small scale but useful,” I said.

I moved my pen and found that I could move the ball around.

After a minute, the rune crumbled to dust. When it ended, I finally noticed how the others were looking at me.

“What?” I asked.

“That was healing magic right?” Misaki asked.

“The system called it the slow heal rune. The combo I did was regeneration and light runes in this book so yeah it was healing magic,” I said.

“Slow heal is the lowest class heal over time magic that lasts one minute,” Havorine said and cast it in the same manner. “So, the runes for it are that one and the light rune, interesting,” he said and walked over to examine them before casting the spell again. At that time, I noticed the two runes appear, merge, then release a strong gentle light hiding themselves inside.

“Interesting, the runes stabilize the magic. Yes, quite interesting,” he muttered.

I pulled away my book because I didn’t feel comfortable with him getting free knowledge and getting stronger.

I ignored his inquisitiveness and sat down to begin meditating and doing mana control until he left. I recovered my mana a bit before getting back to experimenting.

By the end of the day, I found three more runes successfully. Explode, lunge, and upwards.

Also, it seemed that every five runes I discovered gave me a level in runic language.

I had a basic list of spells, but I still hadn’t found a delay rune. I also got a magic formation book to see how they made it, and found it was a large number of unknown runes so I could only sigh and look at the structure to see if I could make a small scale one.

At night, I reported to Grunt the blacksmith Grunt and began another night of gruelling work learning to forge.