Chapter 17

Asmodeas gradually slipped into a routine that while being both physically and mentally draining, was also inherently satisfying and rewarding. Under Colin’s hands-on tutelage, Az’s skill with the spear and his offensive magic was improving in leaps and bounds. Colin had been almost comically happy that Az was finally taking the study of a weapon seriously, even if the spear was not his own weapon of choice. The former soldier was honing his pupil’s body and mind into a weapon with an intensity and enthusiasm that matched Az’s own desire to grow stronger. Classes were progressing steadily more or less without incident, and soon the tournament began to draw near, the days blurring into each other as Az threw himself into his training with singular focus. His only real allowances to himself were his visits to Marc and Peel, a smattering of hours during which he allowed himself to forget about the lonesome path of a mage he had willingly set down and just enjoyed the company of others.

During the week, Body Enhancement class had definitely seen a slight shift in focus towards the study of combat applications of the various techniques taught to the students, as the Dueling elective was quite popular, and the topic of the upcoming tournament was on everyone’s minds, even those not competing.

Spellcrafting with Kayla was continuing at a ather languid pace, Az thought, as many in the class group seemed to be struggling with the more complex spellforms, for a variety of reasons. For many, their mana reserves were the source of difficulty. Those that had entered the academy without having ever consumed spirit fruits or other nexus-strengthening foods were behind their more fortunate peers in terms of the amount of mana contained within their nexus. As such, the mana demands of more complicated spells were simply beyond them for the time being. Time and practice would see them catching up to the majority of those ahead of them.

There was another source of difficulty for quite a few students in the class that Az found quite surprising. For the spellforms making use of around five or more runes, the greatest challenge for a young mage to successfully perform the spell was the strength of will and control of mana required to accurately power the runes in the correct sequence. It took time to power each rune, and once a given rune was completed, the mage had to maintain control of that channeled mana even as they moved onto the next. For each rune added, it became exponentially more taxing on a mage’s focus and will. The realization that Dorian’s infuriating teaching methods had actually already given him an advantage over his peers was one that Az had come to with quite mixed feelings. One one hand, he would take any advantage he could get, on the other… it was Dorian. Regardless, the class had slowed down quite a bit as they waited for the ability of the class to mature. Focus was instead put on expanding the students’ knowledge of lower level spellforms and practising the useful ones, while studying the underlying theory.

Zim’s battlemagic class had never been dull, and even now, weeks into the semester, each class was an adrenaline fueled hour full of explosions, magical projectiles flying overhead, shields cracking as the old battlemage directed students to “test” their classmates’ defensive capabilities. Az was reasonably confident that the man would not allow anyone to actually get injured in the class, but he certainly made it seem like he didn’t find the possibility too worrying.

Ms. Lare had been running her class - who were all participating with renewed enthusiasm - through a crash course in dueling techniques and practices. Special attention was given to footwork and movement during single combat, as well as common offensive and defensive spells. There were a few dueling matches to break up the tedium of training. Lare had been tight-lipped regarding the specifics of the coming tournament, preferring to keep the details of the logistics private until a few days prior to the first matchups. Most of what she was focusing on Az was also working on privately during his training with Colin. It was interesting to compare his two mentor’s approaches to the same topic. Colin seemed to favor overwhelming offense, while Ms. Lare was a more cautious fighter, advising careful consideration of an opponent’s capabilities before engaging them. Az found he was more naturally predisposed to Colin’s methods. Perhaps charging in would get him in trouble some day, but if he was confident in his own abilities then he didn’t see the merit in sitting back and allowing his opponent to make the first move.

Introductory Magical Theory remained rather abstract, and in Az’s opinion, frankly quite dull. Some of the concepts presented were admittedly interesting, and he had managed to apply some of the principles of magic explained during class to his study of enchanting. Most of his efforts in the field of enchanting were devoted towards attempting to create an enchanted spear that he could make use of during the tournament. One problem facing him was the question of acquiring the raw materials needed for his experimentation. There were magical materials -some natural, others man made - that were frequently used in enchanting for their unique properties. Some were materials that were more durable or malleable than most mundane metals, while others had more particular attributes; increased ability to store mana, better conduction of mana or spell effects... There were a dizzying number of variables to consider when choosing the right material for an enchanted object. Some of the more common magical metals were available for a small fee to students of the academy, but Az eventually decided to just use regular steel for his first attempts. It felt wasteful to use such incredible materials for a spear that he would likely destroy through his own inexperience. Perhaps when he improved as an enchanter he would create an improved iteration of his design using a more valuable metal.

After some deliberation, Az had settled on attempting to enchant spears of steel, a few of which he had liberated from his family’s stores, though he had recently found that it was not too difficult to purchase a lump of steel and mold it into the shape of a spear using simple heating spells to liquefy the metal and raw mana to move it into the required shape. He was slowly but surely arriving at a design for a spear that could give him an edge in combat, but Az had yet to create a working prototype. He felt he was coming close to a point where he could begin making some early iterations, however.

Overall, Asmodeas felt quite satisfied with his progress over the last several days, though for every step he made forward he still wished he could take two.. or at least have a longer stride. It was difficult to accurately compare his progress to his peers, but he was reasonably sure he wasn’t being outdone in terms of effort at the least. He was looking forward to testing himself in the dueling ring.

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A lance of pain erupted behind Az’s eyes as he beheld his latest creation. He stood before an enchanter’s desk in one of the many crafting rooms available to students, a steel spear laid across the warded tabletop. A set of runes etched into the metal itself ringed the base of the spear, accompanied by a trio of different runes decorating the pointed tip of the weapon. Az sagged with exhaustion as he admired his handiwork. The last few minutes had been a battle of pure will, the precise carvings of the runework calling for intense concentration and mana control. He had pushed through, and it seemed his attempt had been a success.

The final design of the spear utilized a few key runes. Az had created a small mana storage space within the base of the shaft, allowing him to carry an additional reserve of mana into battle. It wasn’t a large amount of mana, perhaps only a fifth or a quarter of his total reserves, but it was definitely a nice advantage to have. He could draw on the stored power directly if he was in dire need. The stored mana would mainly be drawn on by the spear to power its other functions. It was these that, in Az’s opinion, made the spear a valuable asset.

With the spear in hand, Az simply had to channel mana into an activation rune on the spear’s base, and then maintain a small flow of mana between his nexus and the spear. While this connection was active, when he then began the process of casting a spell, the mana stored within would power a series of runes encircling the tip of the spear that would condense and enhance the effect of the spell he was casting. Az had tested this functionality for the basic Force Lance and Lightning Spike spell, and it was exactly what he was looking for. He suspected it would fail if he tried to use it with more complex spellforms, but it was perfect for simple attack spells. In essence, it was as if for a given spellform, the spear would add on additional runes that concentrated the spell’s power and increased its potency. He wasn’t sure if his design was the most efficient way of improving a spell’s effect, but he was thrilled with the result.

Empowered by the spear, Az’s Force Lance and Lightning Spikes went forth with shocking power and precision, tearing through the air with true ferocity. Hours and hours of study and experimentation had resulted in a truly powerful weapon being added to the young mage’s arsenal. He couldn’t be happier with the fruits of his labor. The great weapons and artifacts of antiquity had all carried names, but though it was tempting Az did not feel that what he had created was at that level... not yet. Even with his first success in his hands, Az was already thinking of how the spear could be improved, and how it could earn a name of its own.

His preparations for the tournament were starting to come to their natural conclusion. He had a weapon to carry with him into the dueling ring, and he had honed his arsenal of offensive and defensive magic to a razor edge. The one avenue of success still eluding him was the problem of a Haste spell. So far, he had not succeeded in finding one that worked for him and felt right. Az would keep trying until the last moment. He wanted a spell that could provide him with the reflexes and speed he still lacked, without putting too heavy a burden on his body or mind. The only real type of Haste spells remaining for him to investigate were those that utilized elemental mana to produce their effects. Some mages ignited their aura with flaming mana, granting them explosive strength and speed. Perhaps that was the solution for his problem, but after trying to reproduce the spell just around a single hand it had just felt… wrong. Thinking back to Dorian’s musing’s on elemental affinities Az wondered if he was simply not compatible with fire magic on a deeper level.

Regardless of the outcome of his search for a working Haste spell, Az was extremely pleased with his work thus far. None could point at him and say he did not give all he had to his training, that he had not come into the tournament in the best shape of his life. The finish line was approaching, his victory was in sight; all he had to do was not to stumble on the last hurdle.