Chapter 163: The Direction of Rune Modification Within Spellbooks
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: The Direction of Rune Modification Within Spellbooks
Morning.
"Mmm... is it already this late?"
I checked the time after waking up. It seemed my internal clock hadn't woken me as usual; I’d slept in. It looked like yesterday’s events had drained too many of my brain cells.
After a quick wash, I changed into fresh clothes... Right, I should probably prepare a few spare sets. If these get ruined, I won’t have anything to change into.
Once I reached the Arena, I found a seat and sat down. I had a few things to do before today’s matches began.
For instance... doing a bit of research on my Wind Blade Spell.
I didn't expect to be able to use Wind Blade with the same terrifying proficiency as my Fireball Spell in such a short time, but I should at least modify it into something more practical.
The wind element is naturally flighty. It can’t be balled up into a fixed point like a Fireball Spell; a Wind Blade doesn't even have a fixed shape.
Consequently, when I modified the Wind Blade Spell so it wouldn't fire immediately, it turned into a spell that just spun in place. Then... it truly became a self-rotating orb of wind.
This state of constant motion seemed quite interesting...
"Eh? What spell is that? It’s amazing. Is it a Wind Vortex?"
"Hmm? Oh, it’s just a Wind Blade Spell." I looked up at the newcomer. It was Erica, the Class 13 Monitor. According to the seating chart, she was right next to me.
I hadn't expected so many people to be here so early. Playing with spells here felt a bit impolite—like fiddling with a grenade in public. Was that okay?
Probably not.
"Wind Blade? Huh? Wind Blades aren't supposed to look like that, are they?"
"There are so many Wind Blade spellbooks in the world; some of them are bound to look like this. Don't worry about it," I reassured her. This neighbor of mine certainly had a heavy dose of curiosity.
Judging by her expression, she must have advanced. I hadn't seen her yesterday afternoon. I just hoped I wouldn't run into her today.
"What kind of twisted logic is that, hey!"
However, I didn't have much mental energy to spare for her feelings at the moment. I was currently stuck in a bit of a dilemma.
It was something I hadn't paid much attention to before, but now I realized that the rune application within the spellbook was a bit too advanced—so advanced that I didn't even know what some of them were for.
Take my most familiar spell, the Fireball Spell, for example.
I had mastered the entire spellbook, from its internal structure and how it guided mana into the book to be converted into the corresponding element, to the ritual and structural composition that condensed it into a fireball.
Every single part was perfect. There didn't seem to be much involvement from rune rituals; the primary component was the "Array Ritual." So... what role did this dense thicket of runes inside the spellbook play?
They seemed to be everywhere, yet every part of the operation seemed capable of functioning without them.
The Wind Blade Spell appeared to be the same. The runes in the magic ritual that were visible to the naked eye were actually composite runes, but they only accounted for a tiny fraction of the total.
The majority of the runes could only be seen on "another level" by using my Spirit Vision.
They operated like precision gears—interlocking, layered, and stacked. I couldn't understand them, yet I could sense their complex beauty.
I couldn't even comprehend what these runes were made of.
Normal runes were actually quite simple: mental power and transcendent energy could form a rune. If the formation was successful, the rune took effect immediately; if it failed, the rune shattered, the transcendent energy dissipated, and the caster suffered a minor backlash of mental power.
But what were the runes inside the spellbook made of?
Energy? Mental power?
Where would the mental power come from? Where would the energy come from?
Whose mental power? What kind of energy?
I didn't know any of this. I only had a vague feeling that these were the things that constituted the entire spellbook.
I had been deliberately avoiding a question: what exactly was a spellbook made of?
Was it energy? No, it only had an outer protective energy shell. What about the inside? Was it just these runes?
So, was the complex information feedback I saw with my Spirit Vision when I first looked at a spellbook actually these runes?
Now that I had a deeper understanding of runes, the information from my Spirit Vision didn't give me as much of a shock. It just gave me a headache from looking at the sheer density of it. In the end, what truly shocked me was the unknown.
So, how much of the unknown had I been ignoring?
Floating World level Spirit Vision certainly couldn't be limited to just this. From childhood until now, I had been forcing myself to ignore the unknown, to the point where I no longer knew how much I had overlooked.
Looking at it now, I was essentially discarding the utility of Spirit Vision because the "me" of that time couldn't handle such an ability. The best way was to let it go.
It wasn't easy to pick up something I had spent so many years trying to put down.
Not unless I broke through my own subconscious and gained total control over it.
The two accidents with Tan Han had significantly improved my control over Spirit Vision, which allowed me to test the limits of my baseline.
Ultimately, my Spirit Vision was "Floating World" level, but the degree to which I could utilize it now probably didn't reach the true Floating World level.
Perhaps it was below the "Threshold of Madness"? Yet, I could accomplish things that even the Transcendent Witch teachers couldn't.
In short, it was complicated. It was better to... just let nature take its course.
"Hey~ Xiao Han, it's time to get ready, okay?"
"Huh? Oh."
Suddenly, Erica tapped me, and I snapped out of it.
I had been so engrossed in studying the Wind Blade and its rune structure that I’d lost track of time. I checked my phone; a lot of time had passed, even though it felt like I hadn't done much.
I looked up at the arena. It was now bustling with noise, every seat filled. The massive arena below had once again been divided into many smaller fields.
The light screens above were constantly broadcasting exciting live footage from below, while other screens displayed the match groupings for the next batch.
"The assignments are already done?"
"Yeah. I saw you spacing out just now. What on earth were you doing?" Erica asked curiously. "If I hadn't seen your eyes were open, I would've thought you were in a deep meditative state. Do you meditate with your eyes open? Is this how geniuses cultivate?"
"How is that possible! I was just thinking about some things. By the way, which arena am I in, and who am I up against?" I asked.
"I didn't pay much attention. See for yourself; isn't it on the light screen? It looks like you're in the next batch. See, the others are already standing up to go prepare."
"Oh, thanks for the reminder."
I hurried to my feet and headed toward the preparation area. As I walked, I caught sight of the match table above.
I was in Arena No. 12, and my opponent was No. 223, named Chen Yu. From the image, she looked like a tall, lively girl. I didn't know anything about her combat ability.
But regardless, I would use her to test my Wind Blade Spell.
I naturally wouldn't touch the runes whose functions I didn't know, but I could certainly experiment with the runes within the ritual. At worst, I’d just ruin a spellbook.
At this stage, the one thing I didn't lack was spellbooks. Though, I would still feel a bit of a sting if one actually got scrapped.
Even a small spellbook without a ritual was quite expensive.
Selling one would be enough to keep me from worrying about money for a long time.
"Hello~ I'm Chen Yu from Class 223. Um, please go a little easy on me later~"
After stepping onto the field, Chen Yu was the first to greet me, her attitude very sincere.
Even though she knew my strength, she didn't surrender immediately. Instead, she asked me to be gentle. It made sense; after all, in a confrontation match like this, surrendering without a fight would probably lead to being looked down upon.
"Mm, you do your best too~"
I smiled, trying to make my expression as gentle as possible. But this was a battlefield, and I would never be half-hearted when it was time to be serious.
"Are both sides ready?" the referee asked, standing between us.
"Ready!"
"Yes, ready." I nodded as well.
"Then, let the match begin!"
As soon as the referee made the announcement, Chen Yu lunged toward me.
I could clearly see the ritual on her spellbook light up. Unsurprisingly, it was a transformation spell.
As expected, my mindset was different when facing an average contestant. I didn't even feel much tension; I could directly analyze the opponent's various conditions.
Based on this, I could react immediately. I started by simply layering an energy shield on myself, then opened with a Wind Blade Spell to interfere with her.
This was the advantage of casting speed. She looked a bit frantic as she dodged; she likely didn't have any alchemy items for support. I also saw what her transformation spell was.
It seemed to be a cat-type transformation as well.
Her degree of beastification was even more intense than my cat-person transformation. Moreover, she was surrounded by flames after transforming—likely something like a Flame Cat. Her transformation completely abandoned human aesthetics; she was just one step away from walking on all fours.
However, the trade-off was terrifying explosive power and the ability to control fire.
With a sudden burst of speed, she charged right in front of me.
I didn't deliberately try to open up distance, so the very first moment of engagement was already close-quarters combat.
There really are so many people using transformation spells. And since I don't know any martial arts... This was my final internal complaint.
Her hand had already turned into a paw with extended sharp claws, swiping directly at my face. But the strike clearly slammed into the energy shield.
The sharp claws, bolstered by flames, left cracks on my energy shield, but the fire was completely blocked.
She clearly had more than just one strike, though. As soon as that one was blocked, she transitioned into a combo from a different angle.
But I obviously wouldn't give her that chance. After stacking several more layers of shields in quick succession, I found an opening.
"Right here?"
I thrust out the slender magic wand held in my right hand. From the tip of the wand, a wind blade shot out. The speed of the wind blade was even more terrifying than a fireball, especially when released at such close range.
Unfortunately, the Wind Blade Spell didn't explode or anything.
The strike hit her transformation ritual directly. However, transformation spells were mostly known for making the user tough and durable; a single ordinary Wind Blade Spell couldn't directly break her form.
But at the moment of impact, the effect granted by the spell also caused her to lose part of her spell effects, as if her power had been cut. Without the powerful boost from the transformation spell, she was sent flying by the force of the wind blade.
And at such close range, the wind blade hadn't lost any momentum; she took the full brunt of it.
Chen Yu looked quite disheveled as she tumbled back. Her transformation spell was failing, and the signs of beastification on her body were receding.
But she knew very well that if the transformation spell was broken and dispelled in this manner, she would definitely suffer a mental power backlash. What chance would she have to counterattack then?
So even in this situation, she quickly flipped and adjusted her posture. At the very least, she couldn't face her opponent by falling flat on her face.
The effects granted by the transformation spell made her instinctively drop to all fours to stabilize herself, but she soon realized that the beastification on her right hand had already faded, returning to its original human form.
She quickly locked eyes with me, her heart filled with immense complexity.
Is this the person who can go toe-to-toe with that monster Tan Han? A single strike had put her in such a pathetic state, and her opponent was definitely holding back!
She hadn't even used that terrifying fireball spell, and now she wasn't even following up with a finishing blow.
Thinking about it, Tan Han used a transformation spell, and so did she, yet both were broken by a single strike from this girl... This wasn't some "Explosive Witch"; this was a "Transformation Spell Nemesis"!
Regardless of what Chen Yu was thinking, I just wanted to test the Wind Blade Spell. Eliminating her too quickly would be useless. If I didn't learn or gain anything from a fight, then that fight was a failure.
Had I learned anything yet?
Not really. Even my modified Wind Blade hadn't been used.
"Attack! I don't need you to go easy on me!"
"Wait a second, I'm experimenting with something." I ignored her request for a "quick death." Sorry, but before I get enough data, please don't "die" just yet.
Let's try this: the runes in the mana conversion structure. What if I swap them for the style used in the Fireball Spell?
"Experimenting?" Chen Yu quickly adjusted her state. She didn't know what the other girl was experimenting with. Originally, she had thought about being defeated honorably and leaving the stage, but clearly, her opponent wasn't giving her that chance.
In that case, she couldn't just wait around to be eliminated.
She’d be a laughingstock.
Dispelling the transformation spell now could mitigate the damage from the mental power backlash, but the spell would enter a "cooldown" period. After all, the spellbook needed a break; there was still a lot of residual energy inside. If the residue from the last use hadn't dissipated, there was a high probability of failure if she used the spell again—and failure meant mental power backlash.
But aside from the transformation spell, she only knew a few fire-type spells. Those were all meant to complement her Burst Flame Cat transformation...
Should she just surrender?
"This... should work..."
Clearly, after changing a few runes, the spellbook was ready. I didn't know what the final effect would be. Would the Wind Blade turn into a Fire Blade?
After all, I had modified the runes for energy conversion, using the Fireball Spell's runes as a reference.
I hoped it wouldn't explode. Wind and fire elements shouldn't explode like ice elements, right?
Probably...
In any case, the spellbook began to draw mana and convert it.
Soon, a wind blade appeared, but it didn't seem to be the fire blade I was hoping for.
The wind blade circled my hand, staying there like a wind vortex.
But the more I observed it, the more I felt something was off. The heat from this wind was abnormal.
The wind element seemed to have suppressed the fire element. The fire element was definitely there, but it didn't manifest externally as flames. However, the constantly rising temperature told me that the fire element was indeed inside.
Didn't this mean it was now a dual-element composite spell?
I looked at the modified spellbook and quickly spotted the problem. Modifying it this way created too many consumption issues, and the mana conversion rate was extremely low!
In other words, a momentary whim wasn't perfect enough; it needed further research. But this also gave me a brand-new direction to explore.
Fortunately, the runes I moved weren't the low-level internal runes of the spellbook; otherwise, I was really afraid I’d break the thing.
"My patience has limits! What do you mean by ignoring me like this!"
"Sorry, I forgot to deal with you. Try this."
I watched her figure charge at me again. Her transformation spell had already been dispelled, but the spell in her hand was clearly a close-range spell meant to be used in tandem with the transformation.
Little sister, haven't you learned any long-range spells?
I flung the wind vortex in my hand. The shooting wind blade transformed into a crescent arc. The extreme temperature caused the air it passed through to distort. The tail of the wind blade now flickered with transparent flames, slamming into Chen Yu's flaming cat claws with intense heat. Anyway, I didn't know the name of her spell; it just looked like it should be called that.
"Another wind blade?"
The wind blade was incredibly fast. Chen Yu had no way to dodge, especially since she had just committed to this final charge. She hadn't expected her opponent to "sneak attack" like this.
She's already at an advantage, yet she still fights dirty!
But if it was just a wind blade... she felt she could catch it. After all, a wind blade wouldn't explode like a fireball; it was just extreme speed and the sharp cutting force of the wind element. She understood that much common sense.
But when she raised her Blazing Claws to block the wind blade, its sharpness exceeded her expectations. She even felt a violent sensation, like fire.
A blast of scorching wind carrying high-temperature flames swept over her body.
This definitely wasn't the fire from her own spell!
The Blazing Claws spell was designed not to burn the caster; it only looked intimidating. All the fire elements were condensed into sharp claws to enhance cutting ability.
Right now, she felt like the clothes on her body were about to catch fire, and the long hair on her forehead was curling and deforming from the heat.
"It's... it's on fire!"
At this moment, the live commentary for Arena No. 12 was in an uproar. The commentator didn't even know how to describe it.
"Contestant No. 223 in Arena 12 used a fire spell, only to be set on fire by Contestant No. 14's wind element. This is truly another classic moment..."
"Very well, Contestant No. 223 has chosen to surrender. The referee is also quickly checking on her condition. So... let us congratulate Contestant No. 14 on her final victory."