Lowen read over most of the chapter on [Magic Tool Inscription].

In doing so he learned that in order to summon a spell you must have a magic tool with the specific spell you want to use inscribed on it. Also, the magic tool needs a control inscription inscribed on it.

A Control Inscription places a fixed limiter on the magic tool determining how many spells are summoned at once. So a Mage can't summon multiple spells at once unless the Control Inscription is inscribed a certain way. Once a Control Inscription is placed on a magic tool it can not be removed or altered in any way, one must get a craftsman to make a new magic tool with a new Control Inscription. The Control Inscription also deals with multiple spells. In order to have multiple spells inscribed on a magic tool, the control inscription must be able to link each spell together forming a connecting circle. Without a Control Inscription when a Mage feeds magic to the magic tool, the magic tool will try and summon one or multiple spells a random number of times. In doing so the magic tool will either overload and break or the opposite route either failing at summoning the spell or summoning a spell of inferior power, creating an underwhelming product, to say the least.

Reading further ahead, there was also information about dual elemental spells but Lowen wasn't too interested in that since he could only use one element but as he skimmed over that part of the chapter one thing about dual elemental spells caught his attention.

In order to have different elemental spells inscribed on a magic tool they must be in perfect balance with each other, otherwise, the magic tool will absolutely not work. The dual energies will cancel each other out causing a nullifying effect.

Reading this part caused Lowen to immediately think about his two energies.

(So different elements can be used together as long as they are in perfect balance. Could that mean that I could use both earth energy and ki together at the same time as long as they are in perfect balance with each other?)

Lowen had tried to use earth energy with his ki multiple times and found that his ki would completely suppress and sometimes even destroy his earth energy. The only way he could use both at the same time was when he remained perfectly still which till this day made no sense to Lowen.

(I wonder if ki could be substituted as an element and then be used in conjunction with earth energy.)

*Splash*

As Lowen was distracted by his thoughts the sound of something splashing nearby caught his attention, snapping him out of it. Just 30 or so feet away on the opposite side of the river's edge, a large red crab nearly 3 feet across held a purple eel in its left claw. It had dragged the eel to the land where it held an advantage. As the eel struggled and squirmed, the large red crabs left claw began to turn purple, it seemed the eel was poisonous. The large crab however ignored the poison, using the claw it held the eel with, it easily cut the purple eel in two killing it instantly. As the crabs left claw turned more and more purple, the crab simply cut its left claw off with its right and prepared to leave. Lowen seeing this couldn't turn down a free meal. Grabbing a rock, Lowen shot it over with great speed, its target, of course, was the crab, however to Lowen's surprise the rock did not fully penetrate the crab’s armored back, instead, it left a crack only a few inches long. The large red crab turned around and stared at Lowen, seeing its new enemy there was no backing down. Lowen though stood there like a criminal caught in the act.

"Hehe, you're probably mad, too bad you look so delicious."

Picking up another rock Lowen filled his throwing arm with ki, with precision and power Lowen aimed at the exact same spot before launching the rock like a meteor.

*Whoosh*

This time the rock penetrated the Large crab's tough armor, entering one side and out the other before shattering itself on another rock in the distance, the crab was dead before it even hit the ground. Lowen with a huge grin on his face jumped from his side of the river to the crab's side, although 30 feet wasn't too far of a distance to leap for Lowen, anyone in the village witnessing this would think him a little monster. Picking up the crab Lowen was surprised at how much it weighed although it was only 3 feet wide it weighed at least 150 lbs. With Lowen's new found strength though it wasn't too heavy to lift at all. Lowen figured that now his arms possessed the strength to lift maybe 500 lbs, the leap in power he just achieved was simply astonishing. Jumping back to the other side Lowen began making preparations. Grabbing plenty of firewood from his surroundings Lowen threw on his fur cloth and raced back to Nia's and got things ready.

Picking up the new knife he had traded for a week or so ago, he quickly tried to crack open the crab but of course that didn't work. With a loud clang, the brand new knife fragmented into a few pieces turning into metal shards. With this loud noise, both Nia and Ben woke up in a panic not only that the first thing they saw was a large dead crab they quickly cried out in fear. Only after telling the two repeatedly what happened did they both calm down. At the same time the two just now noticed his body's appearance.

"Big bro, what happened, how did you grow your hair so long?"

Lowen's hair which was previously just past his shoulders now fell at the middle of his back.

"Well, after I became a Mage it just sort of happened haha."

Ben then stood next to Lowen and with a wave of his hand compared their heights. With a surprised expression, he said.

"Even this, you can grow taller by getting stronger."

Lowen neither agreed nor disagreed with Ben's words instead he just put on a mysterious smile. Ben though seemed to take it all to heart as he excitedly jumped around.

"Big bro, that's amazing, when can we do that? I want to be strong too."

Lowen thought for a moment, the only way to use ki was to form a ki seed within the body and to do that one needed to connect the body, the mind, and the soul. By simply meditating one could connect their mind and body so Lowen didn't worry about that at all. What caused him to contemplate was the matter of the soul, to feel something that isn't physical let alone control it, is something almost mystical. The only way Lowen knew how to even begin to feel the soul involved a life and death experience. Only by coming close to the edge of death did he first interact with his own soul. Lowen didn't know if he could put the two through that.

(Hmm, this is the difficult part when it comes to ki isn't it.)

Lowen recalled what Roland had said the previous night before.

(Roland told me he could make me a Mage within a day, in order for that to work he would either need to move my soul for me in order to connect it with my Mage Core or he would have to teach me a method on how to control my soul on my own. Either way with his method I should be able to use it to help these two form a ki seed if I'm right.)

Lowen looked at Little Ben and nodded his head.

"Hopefully soon, I believe I just need to get one thing and after that, you and your sister's strength should develop quite quickly with my support."

Ben once more jumped around in wild joy while even Nia's eyes seem to light up in anticipation. Meanwhile, Lowen was still trying to pry open the crab. Nia seeing this as well as the pieces of a knife on the floor thought for a moment before she grabbed something and walked over to Lowen.

Holding the object in front of him, it was his family sword, on the inscription it read [Toren]. Seeing this sword Lowen had almost never used it. Although it carried his family name, to him he truly wasn't connected to this so-called family, that was the boy who previously inhabited this body. That day, that boy and his parents died, Lowen, however, took over a corpse and lived.

Lowen couldn't help but think how strange life was. After a short pause, Lowen remembered how sharp this sword was, with a simple nod he thanked Nia before grasping the sword, as he did he immediately felt the earth energy within his body began to move and flow toward the sword as though it wanted to be devoured by it. This caused Lowen to almost jump in surprise.

(What the hell, there's another mark.)

It was now that Lowen noticed something beneath the inscribed name [Toren]. Underneath the name Toren, there seemed to be 2 more inscriptions, smaller in size by almost a hundred times compared to the first but these other two inscriptions were much more complicated and intricate in detail. Before he had no way of seeing something so small but now that Lowen's body had grown comparably better including his vision, he could now clearly see these other 2 inscriptions. Taking out his Divine Blacksmith, Lowen jumped to inscriptions, flipping thru more than 100 inscription pages Lowen finally found it. Comparing the inscriptions they were seemed to match what was on the sword, reading the descriptions they said...

[Sharpness]

Simple by design but effective in its action. With a capability of cutting iron as though it were mud, as long as this magic tool is supplied with magical energy it will always remain sharp and never go dull.

[Flexible]

To bend and twist is a second form of natural. With a capability of bending like rubber, as long as this magic tool is supplied with magical energy it will always bend to the user's will.

Lowen began to wonder.

(Roland had said that his magic tool had cost him a small fortune and it only holds 4 spells. This one holds 2 so maybe it wouldn't cost a fortune but no one normal should be able to afford it. Just who was this boy's, well I guess I should say, my father?)

As Lowen seemed to be contemplating something deeply Nia couldn't help but notice Lowen's sharp amethyst colored eyes she too started to become lost until Ben's loud voice broke the silence.

"Big bro are you gonna cut it or not? I'm starving."

Lowen started to break out in laughter as Ben began to rub his little stomach. Lowen looked at Nia in curiosity as she seemed to be a little red but with little thought to it, he just ignored it. Taking the sword high above his head he said.

"Ok, Ben I'll get to it now, so you and Nia take a step back."

As they did Lowen allowed the sword to consume some of his earth energy and as the sword sucked in this bit of energy it seemed to resonate just a bit. On the surface and edges of the sword, a small green glow shined on it. With a powerful swing, Lowen brought the sword down slashing at the crab expertly.

*Swoosh*

The sword lived up to its name and cut through the crab’s hardened armored back as though it were mud cleaving it in two. Lowen was actually surprised he had used too much force and almost fell forward, thankfully he caught himself or that would have been another embarrassing sight he would have showed the two. After prepping everything Lowen asked Nia something and after a bit of convincing she hesitatingly agreed. Lowen then left and returned a few minutes later, behind him was Luna the older aunt that had made him herbal soup the other day. With a small trade, he gave Luna some of the crabs, in exchange, she would teach the three of them how to cook. Seeing as how she seemed to be the best cook in the village and Lowen could easily procure ingredients he decided he wanted to learn, whether this was to spite Ben or because of actual interest, the others had no way of knowing. Like that the four made a delicious breakfast of crab and egg.

After a while, Luna had left with some crab and Nia and Ben were both relaxing before they had to go train. Lowen sat outside with 2 piles of sticks on either side of him. With the [Divine Blacksmith] sitting in his lap, he was going over the [Magic Tool Inscription] pages. As he studied it closely, Lowen picked up a stick. Using his fingernail he began to carefully carve a small inscription into the stick. After a few minutes, Lowen shook his head and threw the stick in a used pile next to him.

*Sigh*

(Damn another failure, hmph.)

Lowen with both hands slapped his face.

*Phew*

(No worries no worries, let's do it again.)

Picking up another stick Lowen once more began to carve out inscriptions carefully and slowly, hoping this time it would work.