OverXelous
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42. Training Wheels
🕑 Added 2025-02-10 14:00:17 +0000 UTCAlex sat in his desk chair, leaning back and staring into the space over his hand. Several books lay open on the surface in front of him, their pages filled with a mix of runes, notes, and the occasional ritual sketch.
His eyebrows came together subconsciously as he concentrated on the thin strands of mana hovering above his hand. He guided them through the air with all of his Willpower and used slight twitching movements of his fingers to help nudge them into the correct positions without disturbing the flow of the others.
The thread glowed in his mana sight, and he did his best to keep the moving threads within the practice outline for a rune that he’d created. His downtime and focus had been shifted almost completely to learning the patterns for the activation and spark rune. If he could understand and master the pattern required to set the rune, he could begin his tests to supplement the runes into the modified rituals when the workshop was ready.
Maintaining the exact angles and curves within the confines of the rune was something he found somewhat challenging, but his control over his mana made that part of the exercises somewhat easy. It was more daunting to keep over ten threads active at once and have them flowing next to each other or in different directions, as the pattern demanded.
He felt his control slipping as he directed one tri-folded strand to turn the corner of the rune, and he felt his concentration waver. Dropping the exercises, he released his breath and let his head fall back on the chair.
Frustration welled up in his chest and he knew that he still wasn’t anywhere close to being able to utilize his full Willpower. While he thought through the issue, he idly used two stands of mana to practice one of the Willpower games that Eura had shown him.
It’s just too slow and requires too much focus. If this was in combat, even with practice, it will take too long unless I’m actively able to use all of my Willpower.
Alex thought through the problem. He knew that what was slowing him down the most was attempting to combine multiple threads to fill the rune’s size requirement to maintain its proper dimensions.
But those dimensions are that size because the manuals are anticipating people to inscribe and etch them into an item, right? What if I just made it smaller?
He turned the idea over in his head, leaning forward and flipping through several pages. He found the section he’d been looking for and frowned.
‘A rune’s size is not merely an aesthetic choice; it governs the mana it can channel, the effect it produces, the size and power of its effect, and the challenges of its creation. Larger runes are reservoirs of power, capable of creating impressive effects. However, they demand greater energy and precision to activate, often sacrificing efficiency for magnitude. Traditional training teaches students to leave runes at their intended size. While increasing its size might have a larger or flashier effect, the cost may not be worth the price. It’s most effective to stick with the established theory.’
Leaning back, he thought through the section and how it only seemed to mention an enchanter’s desire to make the rune larger. If he considered the pros and cons of making a rune larger and assumed that they would be the reverse of making one smaller, he could assume that it would be a weaker effect from the rune but likely cost less mana.
That seems better for me, anyway. I’m just not sure that I want a wimpy effect from the rune. Unless… No, I’m thinking about it wrong. I don’t need the rune’s effect to be strong. While the rune will add some power to the spell, it’s not the rune that’s providing most of the power. It will be the modified ritual circle. The rune is just there for its intent and concept to slot in the catalyst node. I’ll have to test it, but if size doesn’t matter, could I just write them in at a smaller size based on the proper patterns?
He had the mental image of writing the runes in a thin, almost cursive-like font within the catalyst node. If they were just wide enough to allow for the proper setting mana flows, then he may only need a few strands to write in the rune. That could increase the speed he could write them, as well as the mana cost.
A soft snore from the corner drew his attention. Valtherion lay curled on the higher section of his cat tree, oblivious to Alex’s tense focus and theory crafting. Alex chuckled softly at how his companion barely seemed to fit on the cat tree after his transformation, especially with a portion of the platform being taken up by his small stash of Mana Stones. He stretched his arms over his head and as soon as he shifted, he saw one slitted golden eye slowly open and look at him.
The door creaked open at that moment, and Mark’s familiar grin poked through. “Hey, man. Got a minute?”
Alex nodded. “Of course, what’s up?”
Mark walked in. “Just wanted to say thanks for all of the help and training in the last few weeks. We made a ton of progress and I don’t know if you saw the event shop yet, to spend contribution points, but man there is some awesome stuff in there. I’m still not even sure what I want to get.”
“What? Duh, of course, man. I’m happy to help you guys, it’s almost all I could think about in the Rift. I was an idiot for not telling you sooner. The least I can do is help get everyone set up and caught up so we can keep going together.”
Mark’s smile faltered slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that… I’ve been thinking. I want to keep pushing myself, ya know? Maybe join a few other groups for some Rift runs, see how I stack up, that kind of thing.”
Alex felt a twinge in his chest and wasn’t sure if it was jealousy or nervousness that his friend might get hurt. “Oh? Why do you feel you need more of a challenge?”
“It’s not that,” Mark said quickly. “It’s just I don’t want to always rely on you and Sam. You guys are like training wheels… uh- I mean that in the best way possible. But I need to see what I can do on my own.”
Alex nodded slowly and did his best to take in Mark’s words without feeling a bit of a sting. Part of him wanted to insist on staying together and for Mark to wait until Alex could join him, but he knew what his friend was feeling.
“I get it,” Alex said finally. “You’re right. We can’t always be joined at the hip. It’s good for you guys to branch out. I just want you to be safe.”
Mark’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “Thanks, man. I was worried you’d take it the wrong way. I’m not leaving the team or anything. We’re still a kickass duo.”
“Absolutely. If I’m being honest, there’s so much I want to do here with my magic, and I feel like going out and jumping into Rifts right now is only going to pull my focus from that.” They both laughed, and Alex felt a burden he hadn’t even been aware he was carrying lifting from his shoulders. “So, got any specific plans in mind?”
Mark, still grinning, answered. “I’ve got a few leads on some groups running E-Rank Rifts. Two people reached out to me already just from our team being in the top five from the teams event. It seems like a tank position is just as needed in real life as it is in the games!” They both got another laugh out of the crazy situation that they and their world were now in.
“Sounds solid. Just be careful, alright? Keep me posted, and ask Edwin for at least one Health Potion to take with you. I’m honestly less worried about me being with you than I am for Sam not being there to watch your back.”
“Will do, boss man,” Mark said with a mock salute. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back to show off my gains before you know it.”
As Mark moved to leave, the door swung open again, revealing Olivia. ”Am I interrupting?”
Mark shook his head. “Nah, I was just about to head out. Catch ya later!”
As the door closed behind Mark, Olivia’s demeanor shifted. “We need to talk about the Rylan situation.”
Alex sighed and gestured for her to join him at the desk. “I’ve already seen a few things on the forums. How bad is it from your side?”
“Could be worse,” Olivia said as she sat. “The video footage of the incident has helped quell some of those nasty rumors that popped up yesterday. But there’s still some chatter. It’s just weird. I’ve even seen the video. I wasn’t there, and knowing you two, I’m sure things were a bit tense, but this stuff seems so blown out of proportion. The things people were saying about you don’t even make sense if someone has ever met you before or have even watched the video. They’re just wild and there are so many new people that don’t know you that I guess some of them are willing to believe what they hear.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Great. Just what we need… more drama."
"Speaking of which," Olivia continued, "I'm supposed to officially 'reprimand' you.” There was a brief pause as they looked at each other. “Consider yourself reprimanded."
Alex snorted. "Glad to see the Guild taking this so seriously."
Olivia's lips twitched. "They are, actually. I’m just not. I know you well enough to know that you’re not out there throwing your weight around…” She paused and then added, “And for what it’s worth, Rylan got officially reprimanded too. Elana did it herself, publicly, with other Moderators and Peacekeepers present. He was pretty sour about the whole thing.”
“Really?” Alex couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Yeah. Regardless of how things started, the video clearly shows him trying to attack Val off the mats, plus him pinning you down and continuing to say something while you were done fighting and trying to get to Val…” She shook her head. “Even without the audio, it looked bad. It was clearly too aggressive for what was supposed to be a friendly match.”
“But…?” Alex asked, feeling the word hang in the air.
“I just see two people not willing to back down. I wasn’t there, so I’m guessing he had to say some pretty nasty stuff to get you worked up enough to agree to a fight. But can’t you just ignore him? Be the bigger man and all that.” She added the last part with a weak smile.
“Yeah, and I know I probably should have. He just really seems to press my buttons, is all. I don’t think I feel like I’m being crazy and just reading into his shit sometimes, but then the next moment, I remember that Mark and Sarah were there and clearly saw it too. He’s weirdly good at gaslighting the hell out of the situation, and even watching the video on the forums, he looks like he’s being pretty respectful. Even offering a health potion after the fight— I’m the one that looks like a sore loser for pushing his hand away… but the audio just isn’t there and they don’t know the backstory…”
There was a pause before Olivia broke the awkward silence. “You know, someone mentioned that this whole thing feels childish. They bet the Hunters Association doesn't deal with people butting heads like this."
"Nah, they're probably dealing with the same stuff," Alex laughed. "I feel like any people getting power and wealth like this are going to butt heads. Did you hear about their success with that Rift Break, though? Saved an entire town out in the mid-west."
"Yeah," Olivia nodded. "Between that and international travel getting reopened to the public… it makes our squabbles feel pretty petty in comparison."
Alex raised an eyebrow at her but took the hint. "Yeah," he said.
He drummed his fingers on the desk and felt a question that had been nagging at him rise to the surface. "You know, I've been thinking… what if we just left the Guild?"
Olivia's eyes widened a bit. "What? Left? Where is that coming from?"
"Honestly? I'm tired of the political bullshit. Tired of Rylan constantly popping up and either taking digs at me or making tension for literally no reason. I'm tired of spending mental energy on things that don't actually matter, when we could be focusing on getting stronger. You'd think that my home and the Guild would be places where we could go to relax and decompress from the dangers of a Rift, but it honestly feels the opposite."
"And going solo would solve that?" She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. The words sounded a bit harsh, but Alex could see the genuine concern and curiosity on her face.
"Maybe. No politics, no popularity contests. It'd just be us focusing on what we want."
"It's not really that simple though," she said while shaking her head and causing her ponytail to swing back and forth. "The Guild gives us access to secured Rifts. You know how many independents get ambushed leaving a Rift or entering one? I've seen a lot of stories about people getting robbed or even killed for their quest rewards…" Her voice dropped. "Two Peacekeepers in Utah had to help a team last week after they got cornered by some thugs in an unaffiliated Rift. One of the women in the group lost her arm."
Alex's jaw tightened and he looked down at the desk.
"I'm not saying it happens all over the place, but often enough that I even hear about it." She stood and moved to the side of the desk near him and leaned against it to sit on the edge. "Then there's the information network we have access to, the forum, and the Auction House, too. We'd lose access to gear, resources, training, and the ability to sell the things we get…"
"We could find other ways…"
"Sure. With ten times the effort and a hundred times the risk." Her eyes softened. "Look, I get it. Rylan's an ass. But leaving the Guild because of one person? There's got to be a good way for us to separate ourselves from him and those like him, while not cutting ourselves off from a huge community of like-minded people. He's strong, and there are going to be tons of people stronger than you and me who are total assholes… With the way that the world is going, I don't really see a way around that, other than us getting stronger ourselves and acting as a counter to people like that."
Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You like it there, don't you? I know you don't like the Hunters Association, so if we leave, we'd definitely be independents."
"I do like it." A small smile crossed her face. "I believe in what Elana's trying to build. Yeah, there's drama, but they're constantly trying to fix problems that weren't anticipated. Things are changing fast. Like, did you know that in the training area, there were runes and enchantments to prevent you from getting cut badly, but they hadn't anticipated bonded companions in there yet, since we've only got like two other people with them…? Those adjustments are already made to the sparring area." She shrugged. "Plus, I'm good at my job and I wouldn't want to go do it for the government."
Alex thought through her points and nodded in agreement. "You're right. Leaving now would be shortsighted. But maybe we should start thinking about how to be more self-sufficient. Not totally independent, but at least less dependent on the Guild. Shore up those weaknesses, you know?"
"That's always smart," Olivia agreed. "Just don't let Rylan drive your decisions. Before all of this, would you have ever thought about fighting someone to settle an issue?"
Alex blinked. "No, actually. I wouldn't."
"So why start now? Ignore the prick and let's keep focusing on our own team." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "You've got your own power. Focus on your rituals and research, keep getting stronger. Let Rylan live out his power fantasy, and I can almost guarantee if you do that you'll pass him anyway."
Another silence fell between them, and he could tell by her posture that there was something else. So, he waited, knowing that she'd tell him when she was ready. It only took a few more moments before she stood and walked over to Val's tree. "I'm going on that European mission for the Guild. The one I mentioned a week or so ago."
“That’s great. They’re not wasting any time on the travel restrictions being lifted. What’s the problem?”
“Rylan’s going too,” she said, looking over her shoulder to watch his reaction. “As one of the strongest in the Guild, the Moderators have asked him to go as a show of strength and prove that the Guild is a force that could help them if there was a branch over there.”
Alex felt his jaw clench. “Okay, well, that sucks. He’s not even a Peacekeeper, but going to be a rep for the Guild?” There was a swirl of emotions in Alex’s stomach. As he thought through them, he was surprised to note that part of him didn’t want Olivia to spend so much time with the man. But more than that, it was that Rylan was turning into some sort of Guild figurehead and that it had likely been his own loss that solidified his position as such. “When do you leave?” He asked, pushing his personal feelings aside.
I trust Olivia and have no worries about something happening there. Will someone as selfish and power-hungry as Rylan really look out for a team overseas, though? What is Elana thinking…
“Wednesday,” she replied. “Which works out since that means I’ll be here for your test tomorrow.”
Alex leaned back in his chair and processed the information. The thought of Olivia working closely with Rylan set his teeth on edge, but he knew she could handle herself.
"Be careful," he said finally. "And keep an eye on him. I don't trust Rylan as far as I can throw him."
Olivia nodded, standing up. "I will. And Alex? Don't let this distract you from your test. Focus on what you need to do." She walked over and gave him a kiss before saying she was heading down to the gym.
As she left, Alex turned to look out the window. The upcoming test with his ritual, Rylan’s inclusion in such an important mission overseas, and Mark’s decision to branch out… things were happening fast, and Alex wanted to reel everything back in.
“Prick mean. Oli, be safe.”
Olivia giggled and detoured to the cat tree once more before walking out of the door. “Thanks for looking out for me, you little mana noodle.”
“Noodle?”
Both Alex and Olivia laughed and he could feel hunger and interest come through the shared emotions of their bond.
After Olivia left for the gym, Alex took a moment to reset his thoughts and shake off the big emotions that had surfaced during their conversation. With the test the next day, he didn’t want those distractions clouding his mind.
Moments later, the door opened as Edwin entered with a small box. He set it on the desk and said, "Master Moore. The items you requested."
"Great. Thanks, Edwin." He leaned forward and reached into the box, where there were a dozen of two different items. The first he grabbed was a small silver bell, the size of the top joint of his thumb. He shook it gently, and the soft tinkling sounded through the office.
Edwin gave a slight bow before leaving, and Alex sat back again to look at the bell.
Time to switch gears for a bit. I can’t keep pushing much further with the runes until the workshop out back is finished.
With his trial run having gone so successfully with the alarm ritual, Alex was excited to begin testing it and learning more about its limitations. He had grand ideas about setting up magical protections around the house.
Standing, he palmed the bell and moved to the other side of his desk. He activated [Mana Thread] to begin laying out the new and modified ritual circle. It only took a few seconds for him to make one that was five feet wide and lay the bell in the Catalyst Node. He placed a mana stone in it as well to keep it running and felt his excitement rising as he pulsed his mana and activated it.
The bell was consumed, and he watched it for a few seconds. Nothing happened, and to his normal eye, it looked like there was nothing there at all. Even to his mana vision, it only appeared that there was the faintest outline of the ritual circle. It didn't glow like a normally activated skill.
For a second, Alex thought he'd done something wrong and that it hadn't activated. He crouched again and reached his hand forward to touch the faint outline he saw through his Heavenly Eye. As soon as he did, a loud sound began to blare throughout his office. The beeping was something that reminded him of the fire alarm in his old apartment, and he panicked as he tried to figure out how to make it stop.
Valtherion jumped up and flailed his wings around wildly, clearly startled by the sudden noise.
It took a few seconds of fumbling around for Alex to pulse his mana through the ritual once more, finally causing it to fall silent. He let out a breath of relief and started laughing as Valtherion swooped down and began harassing him with his wings.
After placating his companion and getting him to settle back on his perch, Alex relocated to the backyard to avoid disturbing anyone else.
He went through several tests with the ritual. Having touched it directly the first time, he started by stepping over it and then even tossing several items up into the air and into the circle. Each time, the ritual went off, and Alex realized that it was clearly activated by something crossing the threshold of the ritual.
It was after the fifth test that Sam came out to see what Alex was doing.
"Just seeing what it can do and how it can be used," Alex answered.
"Why do you sound bummed?"
"It's just not quite what I was hoping for." He chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought. "I wanted to use this to potentially set up some magical defenses for the house, but I don't think it'll work."
"Why?" Sam asked as he picked up one of the silver bells from his box.
"Well, it just makes the noise and alert locally. Meaning if I set up this ritual at the front of the driveway, I'd have no way to know it was going off from my office. I'm guessing if I want something like that, I'll need to make some sort of two-part ritual that is connected, but I haven't seen anything like that yet."
"That makes sense. So what is this used for, then?"
"I'm guessing it would be good to put around something you wanted to keep protected or around a small camp or tent in a Rift. So if we were staying inside of the Ritual and didn't plan to leave, we would know immediately if something crossed the threshold into the camp… but there is still a lot of value for me here."
Sam rang the bell as he listened to Alex talk.
"There are actually two big things I can get from this ritual, though. The first is that it's threshold-activated. Before, I had to manually activate my rituals with a thread. So the fact that this will allow me to set one like an actual trap, and I don't have to be there, is huge. The other thing is that it somehow dulls the mana signature once it's set. This should make them a lot harder to see, even if someone has a mana sight skill."
“Wow that does sound really useful,” Sam said. “What’s this for?” He picked up the second item within the box.
“Hm? Oh, that’s just a different catalyst that I want to try. The bell works as an alarm, but I think that I can use the cat’s eye gem to do something more visual. Maybe an alert and blinking light if I don’t want the loud blaring noise. Something to get to later, for sure.”
“Neat,” he answered with a nod.
“Here, want to help me with a test? I was going to make the ritual small and see if I could put it on a surface horizontally. Then if I activate it, the threshold would work from a much further distance. Then I could almost use it like how lasers are used in expensive alarm systems. If it works, I could maybe put it across a doorway or something.”
“Yeah, sounds cool.” Sam stood and wiped his hands off.
Alex directed him to move a few dozen feet away before they continued testing the limits of the ritual.
Comments
OverXelous
I'm glad you're enjoying the story. This is meant to feel a little weird, if you want a spoiler you can read the paragraph below. I'm hoping things become more clear in a few chapters. Even for those who don't want the spoiler! I will say though, maybe I need to fix the wording that is said to the group when they got to the event. It's more like the pre-event started before they got there. Alex and them showed up to attend the podium event, which they ended up skipping at the end. The recruiting event and all of the PR shenanigans are what started an hour before they were there. SPOILER: Rylan is working behind the scenes with considerable effort. Elana is definitely distracted, but also (especially with them looking to expand and getting pushed from the HA) is looking for a powerful person to center the Guild around. At this point, it's teetering between Sam and Rylan. Alex denied the offer to even be a Peacekeeper, so while he's strong and she keeps a friendly demeanor and line open between the two, it's not the same. With her brother having turned a corner in the last few weeks and making a noticeable difference in his attitude publicly and how much he's helping with the Guild, I think that she and the other Moderators are leaning toward Rylan for this role, especially with his increased power. The fact that he beats Alex here sort of just cements that line of thinking. Especially since Alex and friends are largely separate and do their own thing, with Olivia being their main connection to actually being involved. Rylan though, has been much much more involved.
Jax9d8
Thanks for the chapter! Love the story, this slower arc is nice and I'm enjoying how the Magic, System, and Characters are getting fleshed out. However, I do want to comment on the Guild stuff happening. Mostly I'm confused about why they're being so hands off with Alex, specifically Elana. The reprimand makes sense, but no text or call like "Sorry my brother hurt your pet real bad, I thought he was over the rivalry thing. However, please don't go starting fights at official Guild events." seems strange. Also, why didn't they let Alex and co. know the event started an hour before they expected? Has she dismissed Alex as a key asset and is only trying to entice Sam? Is she not aware of how close the two are? It's just feeling a little like Rylan is the only guild member that matters and Elana is too busy to care about anything. Like, there's probably a video of Alex getting summarily beat then yielding without issue, then being covered in blood and holding Val protectively. That's a PR nightmare and I'd expect Elana to take note if she's so organizationally minded. There's quite a few other things that feel strange about this stuff given Elana's characterization and how scenes are playing out.
julian hu
Lol ehy wpuld the guild reprimand him? He was attacked with his back to rylan. The excuse with bla bla monster should be seen through by basically everyone imo
