The next day, after breakfast, the search continued. He set aside the five rune combinations that worked and addressed the other fifteen. A handful had obvious errors in compatibility which he rectified. The remaining ones perplexed him. They should work, but obviously, they did not. He was unclear about the problem, and the books were not helpful either. The only thing he could do was ignore them for now. Lights flashed as he tested the new Magic Circles. This time, just two of them worked. Adding the five from before, that was seven rune combinations. While that sounded like a lot, it would take close to ten times that amount before the final Magic Circle could be assembled. And the chances of it working the first time were slim. He would need to constantly revise and experiment until it reached perfection. The process was bound to be a long one…
He ate his lunch in silence. It was tasty, but somewhat lonely. Nassandra would have accompanied him usually. A deep sigh escaped his lips. In the afternoon, Freon looked up Magic Perception-related spell in the books, hoping for inspiration. As expected though, there were slim pickings. Most were incomplete or untested. After all, one had to be a Low Condensed Drop Arcanist to try it, and how many were willing to subject themselves to someone else's experiment? Nobody would! That said, this type of spell did exist. Freon had seen it for himself from Ten Dawn Iris, the White Healer. The Cisvernia Family probably had her spells recorded somewhere. He could ask to see them, except now that he became the so-called patriarch of the Arcellius Family, that option closed.
Without any inspiration, his progress slowed. This was one of the disadvantages of a low Attainment Stage. Attainment Stages reflected a person's understanding of a field. It encompassed theory and application, often giving birth to new insights and instincts. Freon's highest Attainment Stage was Major Fire Form. This meant he had a good understanding of every fire spell in the Zino Kingdom. Even for spells never seen before, he could deconstruct their inner working based on first principles. It worked both ways, because it enabled him to create new and innovative spells easier. The gap between an expert and a novice was vast. Currently, Freon was that novice in sensory-type spells. He struggled to find the right direction.
The day ended with eleven rune combinations. His goal was to create a new movement, recovery, and sensory spell before the month ended, but, at this rate, it might take him months for the sensory spell alone. He second-guessed himself. Should he pivot to a movement or recovery spell for now? Or could he somehow use his fire Attainment Stage here? What would a fire-based Magic Perception spell even look like? Despite his various thoughts, he drifted to sleep eventually. The morning played out similarly. He finished breakfast, reviewed his runes, and tested the Magic Circles. His afternoon was welcomed by Nassandra. She seemed to be feeling better and wanted to visit. Freon was happy to see her. As she approached, she saw the mess of Magic Circles.
"You're making a new spell?"
He nodded. "I wanted to make something for my Magic Perception, but I'm stuck. Any ideas?"
"Let me see…" She reviewed his work with a furrowed brow. "How should I say this? I don't think this will work. The runes here and here won't work together. If you combine them into a Magic Circle, it will break apart. This one is missing two runes. And this…"
"Are you sure? I checked the books and I didn't see anything there."
"The books aren't very thorough when it comes to Magic Perception. I wouldn't trust them that much. And did you forget? I'm a Ten Dawn! I chatted with Ten Dawn Iris, Rosemary, and Tengon before, and they told me how their spells worked, so I roughly know about a Magic Perception spell." Her smugness shined through.
Freon asked, "Then do you remember their Magic Circles? It would help with creating my own."
Her face crumpled. "I do remember, but… we shouldn't do that, brother."
"I don't see the problem. I'm only using them as reference material."
"Even then, Ten Dawn Iris, Rosemary, and Tengon… aren't here anymore. I don't want to disrespect them."
"Ah," he remarked. "No, you're right. It's my fault. Sorry, I mentioned it."
"You're always like this," she groaned.
He laughed awkwardly. "Then can you help me with the spell? In exchange, I'll help you with your combat system."
"Really?" Nassandra was stunned. "I thought you didn't want to train me."
"That's right, but I realize I can't protect you every time. On the Mordrigan Peaks, I couldn't even protect myself. So, it would be better if you got stronger too." He smiled. "You don't have to fight gods or demons. Just a baseline strength is good enough."
"I see…"
"Are you disappointed? You didn't want me training before."
"No, that isn't it." She recalled her experiences in the cave. "While I'm still upset, I can understand the desire to protect someone dear. I wouldn't want to give up either. Besides, it sounds like a win-win situation for both of us."
It was Freon's turn to be stunned, leaving Nassandra to laugh at his silly face. Having made up their minds, they began with his spell. Freon realized it might have been the first time they worked together. That was understandable, considering he became a Low Condensed Drop Arcanist quite recently. Before that, the gap between them was too big. He could not help her, and she refrained out of respect. It became a sore subject for everyone, but not anymore. They could finally speak on equal terms. He gained that qualification! To be honest, he wanted to see exactly how great of a prodigy Nassandra was. The youngest Ten Dawn in history, becoming a Condensed Drop Arcanist when she was twelve years old… Her accomplishments were easily more monstrous than his own. However, she hated showing off. She preferred to stay as simple Nassandra, and not Ten Dawn Nassandra. That gave him little opportunity to witness her talents until today that is.
It was her instincts that quickly stood out. She would have a feeling about what might work or not work. They were not always correct, or even specific for that matter, except it did guide them in the right direction. Compared to earlier, when he fumbled in the dark, the difference was like night and day. It seemed to be unrelated to Nassandra's Attainment Stages. It was her natural born talent! Fortunately, Freon pulled his own weight too and, as the saying goes, two heads were greater than one. Their speed soared! Despite working in an unfamiliar field, they yielded almost forty rune combinations by nighttime! It was a staggering amount of progress.
But to Freon, the most important thing was that they enjoyed themselves. They laughed. They argued. And they pondered together. The trauma of the Mordrigan Peaks was gradually being erased. Of course, he knew that it could not be healed that easily. Their injuries were the best proof of that. Regardless, he treasured this one moment. It made his struggles worthwhile!
He went to sleep with a chuckle. It was hard to believe, but Nassandra was really a terrifying genius, truly worthy of being called a once-in-a-generation prodigy. No wonder their uncle had high hopes for her! Given enough time, she might really become a Blue Depth Arcanist! Freon felt nothing, but pride. As expected of his sister. Funnily enough, Nassandra thought the same way about Freon. To survive all those crazy battles, such as the Battle of Liguang, the Siege on Yongtein, and the most recent Mordrigan Peaks without breaking down, and even becoming a Condensed Drop Arcanist. Who else could do that? They were both proud of each other!
In the morning, Nassandra joined him for breakfast before they continued where they left off. The fifty or so rune combinations were assembled into large Magic Circles. Next came testing them. The risk did increase due to the number of runes, but it was manageable. A backlash would only sting like a light punch. They took turns casting and observing. Most of the time, things went wrong or needed major improvement, whether it was the flow of Magic Energy, casting speed, stability, or something else. Those Magic Circles would be reviewed, adjusted, and tested again. Then, if they remained unfixable, they would be discarded, forcing Freon and Nassandra to start over. Very rarely did things play out as planned. Finally, right before they needed to sleep, a complete Magic Circle laid before them.