OverXelous
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Chapter 23 - Ritual Magic
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 01:59:28 +0000 UTCEDIT (11/15/2024): I added a few hundred words here, mainly in the latter half of the chapter. I wanted to adjust a bit of how Alex interacted with people based on his current Willpower and also to have Olivia give a bit more information about how Stat Points work from Classes and how they are NOT tied to levels.
It was also important to me to tease more information about how she and others are getting information from these sources in the Guild.
I'll be posting this chapter this way on RR this morning. If I make any sort of substantial changes from a chapter here and what's going on Royal Road, I want to ping you guys to make sure you're not missing out!
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Alex sat at one of the long tables under heaters at the Voss Estate. Of the five people here training at Elana’s place that morning, Alex was the only one to completely monopolize a table and sit for most of the day.
In my defense, I’ve made some tremendous progress.
Alex placed his hands firmly on the table and pushed himself up to look at his sketches, which were spread liberally across the wooden tabletop. While Alex didn’t consider himself to be one of the brightest students, he felt that if it meant he could learn magic, he was willing to stubbornly grind through learning material until he got something through his thick skull.
As if to emphasize the point, Val gently head-butted him and made a chittering noise within his head.
“Haha, yeah, yeah.” Alex laughed and gave him a gentle pat before pushing the wyrm away. A louder call followed, and Val resumed his idle loops around Alex’s chair.
The patterns are really starting to make more sense.
He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders while stretching his back. Deciding that he needed a break, he walked away from the table and wandered over to the mats where Olivia was currently sparring with one of the other new Peacekeepers.
As he watched the two practice, he tried to observe how they fought. Both were fast and light on their feet, and they both used daggers.
“Who do you think will win?” A voice asked from beside him.
“Oh, John. Hey. Hmm, I’m not sure; they seem similar to me.” Alex answered noncommittally.
John Riley, as tall and handsome as the first time Alex met him, chuckled. “It might seem like that, but watch them move. They both want to fight in really different ways. Watch how Ian lunges and stabs. He uses his Agility for explosive speed. In contrast, Olivia uses her Agility to keep a center balance and almost dance away. Her way is a lot harder to do, and for most people, his is more effective. It’s always been that way in a brawl, even before the System. Unless you have a lot more fighting experience than the other person, the aggressor is usually at a big advantage.”
Now that the older man pointed it out, Alex could see the difference in the way that the two moved. Olivia kept her back straight and her feet seemed to sweep across the ground, where the other man, Ian, seemed to crouch and spring with power.
Alex was thankful that it was pointed out to him. Since he now knew what he was looking at, he saw Olivia’s victory for what it was- inevitable. She patiently waited until Ian committed to another full-on rush and countered him by manipulating his momentum. Her two practice daggers both found vital points the next moment.
“Ahh shit. How do you keep doing that?” The boy said. His voice was quite nasally, and even though his eyebrows looked severe, he had a friendly smile on his face.
“You just keep charging at me, and I have the speed to react in time. I doubt John could do the same. Don’t worry, Ian, keep doing what you’re doing, but maybe when fighting someone like us, just slow it down a bit, yeah?” Olivia said as she extended her hand to help him up.
“Yea, he is slow, huh?”
They laughed and shook hands before stepping off of the mat. John called out to Ian, challenging him. “Hey, Ian. Get back over here. Let’s see if you can get away with that with someone ‘slow’ like me.’”
Olivia approached Alex as he watched the two men banter and begin wrestling before they could even grab practice weapons.
“Meatheads, all of ‘em,” Olivia said. She smiled at Alex, “How’s your research going over there? I was beginning to wonder if you’d just come all the way out here for a bigger table.”
“Eh, I feel like I’m getting a grasp on it. I’m so close, I can feel it.”
“Aren’t you tired? We looked over those designs for hours yesterday.” Olivia asked.
“I love this kind of stuff. Before all the Awakened nonsense, I’d spend hours zoning out while drawing. In my mind, I might be able to turn drawings into actual magic circles soon.” He answered.
Wouldn’t that would be pretty fucking cool.
He smiled to himself.
“Yeah, that’s pretty fuckin’ cool,” Olivia said, barely paying attention to their conversation as she looked toward the two wrestling on the mat.
His head turned to her sharply, and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
Across the yard, yelling interrupted his thoughts, and most of those in the training area turned toward the huge house that belonged to Elana Voss.
“…you know that I don’t care. I will get it if I really want it. You won’t stop me.” Rylan Voss’s words came through the crisp afternoon air. His tone was full of conflict and confidence.
“Rylan, just come back inside. We can-”
“No, Elana. Enough. I’m leaving. I’ll talk to you later.” Rylan turned and stormed down the stone stairs. He shot the group a condescending glare before disappearing into the garage.
Elana bent her head and covered her face with her hand. Her shoulders could be seen lifting through a deep breath and she squared her shoulders before shaking her head toward the departing car.
She nodded tersely to the group before turning and walking back inside the house.
“Wow, he’s such a prima donna,” Olivia said in a completely neutral voice.
Several snorts could be heard from Ian and John from where they’d been frozen mid-wrestling. That devolved as they fell back onto the mats with laughter and let go of one another.
Alex couldn’t contain a slight grin either.
“Hey, you better knock off that laughing and get back to training you two. Until you can beat me, you had better get to it.”
“Aw, come on, Olivia. When I hit level ten and get my class, too, I know it’ll be a closer match.” Ian complained.
Olivia has her class already?
“Excuses,” she said before turning and walking toward the table Alex had been working at. Val was sniffing around the top of Alex’s bag.
“Val! Get out of there. You already had one this morning.” Alex called as he ran pasted Olivia to protect his wallet.
Olivia laughed as she approached, and Val flew over to her and spun around her head a few times.
“I swear, he’s going to be more expensive than any spell I can find on the Auction House soon. He’s eating one or two Mana Stones a day! That’s crazy, forget making enough to make a steady living.” Alex let his shoulders slump in mock defeat.
“Aww, come on. Look at the little guy, he’s so-”
“Cute? You want him?” Alex grinned evilly as Val seemed to understand what was happening. “I’ll sell him to you for five, no four Mana Stones!”
An indignant keening could be heard in Alex’s mind as Val wobbled back and forth in the air.
Olivia laughed and grabbed her sides, “Don’t tease the poor guy like that. Look at him!” She reached out and patted the little wyrm’s head.
He smiled and held his hand out, which Valtherion promptly swam-flew over to rub the side of his head against the open palm. The teeth that stuck up from his underbite brushed against his palm, but they weren’t so sharp as to hurt from such minor contact.
“Anyway, I didn’t know you hit level ten. Congrats, that’s big!”
Of course, you didn’t know, moron. You guys spent the entire day yesterday looking at your new companion and all your shiny new rituals. You didn’t ask about her at all.
“No big deal. I’ve been an Awakened for almost a month now. So, I’m actually going pretty slow.” Olivia shrugged and just continued to look at the drawings on the table.
Man, she seems so calm and unphased by everything. Where does all of that confidence come from?
“So… what was it like?” Alex asked.
“Hm?”
“Hitting level ten, picking a class. What was it like?”
Olivia paused for a moment and tilted her head to the side while looking up at the rafters. “Well, I’ve been reading most of what I can relate to picking a class. It wasn’t much different than others have reported. I had a few options based on my life and how I’ve done things as an Awakened so far. The System confirmed that you can change your class later, but you know how it is.” She shrugged, “The System is really vague on a lot of things. While I got to see the class name and a brief description, I didn’t know what abilities I’d get. It does tell you what the main stats are, but not exactly how many you’ll get. I did see an article written by one of those Guild representative sources that always seem to be weirdly accurate… They said that Common Classes only get two Stat Points from their class per level. From there, it double for each rarity.”
“Stat Points? We won’t get the free points at each level anymore?” Alex asked, feeling panic begin to rise in his chest.
“Not quite. You’re talking about Free Points, right? Stat Points are different. You get Free Points every time you level, and it’s always the same. But Stat Points are something you get related to your class. For example, my class gives me eight Stat Points each time I level. That happens every level while I have this class, regardless of where I put my Free Points.”
Alex settled down at that.
Wait a second…
Alex pulled up his Status Window after Olivia finished explaining the difference.
***
Status
Name: Alex Moore - Level 5
Class: None
HP: 50/50
MP: 210/210
Traits: (1/3)
{Primordial Will}
Physical Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Constitution: 5
Vitality: 6
Magical Stats:
Intellect: 6
Willpower: 39
Mana: 6 + 15
Wisdom: 6
Bond Skills:
[Mana Siphon] (Novice - Level 1)
Primary Stat Shared - Mana
Active Skills:
[Mana Shaping] (Novice - Level 6)
[Mana Infusion] (Novice - Level 5)
[Empowered Step] (Novice - Level 2)
Passive Skills:
(None)
***
He was particularly interested in pulling up the description of his Trait again. He hadn’t looked at it since he got it more than two weeks ago.
Before he pulled it up, though, he got distracted and smiled at seeing how high his mana number was after bonding with Val.
That alone is worth feeding the little worm with Mana Stones.
As if on queue, Val bumped against his arm. Alex smiled again and rubbed his fingers along the ethereal fin that ran down his spine.
Alright, where was I?
***
{Primordial Will} - (Weighted Stat): You are the Chosen of Zaamis. Harnessing your inner strength, your mastery of magic becomes more defined, echoing whispers from the lost Primordials. Your Free Points may only be put into Willpower.
***
“Oh fuck yes.”
“What was that?” Olivia said, her head popping up next to Alex.
“Ah!” Alex called out, startled. He jumped and tried to recover smoothly, embarrassed that he’d been so focused on the screens. “Sorry, uh- it’s nothing. I just got distracted by my Status Window.”
It specifically says Free Points. So, if we get other points from our class, does that mean that I could get points in other stats?
Alex’s head spun as the implications and possibilities suddenly opened up to him.
Should I just try to get a tank class or something to give me a bunch of health? That could save me from being stepped on at later levels, right?
“Hey, you’re zonin’ out again,” Olivia said, waving her hand in front of his face.
They both laughed and Alex sat back down in his chair. He debated just telling her everything then and there. She’d been extremely helpful when thinking through the ritual schematics.
Hell, she was the one who gave me the idea for rituals to begin with.
“Anyway, don’t worry too much about it. It tells you that you can change your class later, so people in The Guild are just saying to pick what you think works best for you now.” Olivia continued, oblivious to Alex’s internal thoughts.
“Wouldn’t it be smart to pick a higher rarity class though?” Alex leaned back and looked at the rafters. “If you get points at every level, wouldn’t picking a lower Rarity class waste potential points? Also, what happens to the points you gain if you get rid of your class? Do you go back to level one?”
Olivia laughed at him, and he felt heat rise in his cheeks. “Well, yes. Obviously, people have only made it so far, so we’re just taking some of these articles as gospel. They haven’t been wrong yet. So, yes, grab a high rarity class, but you want to make sure that it’s what you want to be doing. Apparently, classes aren’t tied to your level. Your levels are your experience in life and combat, whereas your class is more like a job.” She saw his questioning look and explained, “The article gave this example: You might gain stats as a warrior all your life and want to change to a teacher thirty years down the road. You can change classes, and the new class will start back at Novice, but you keep your stats from being a warrior. Those stats are apparently a part of us. The changes happen to our mind and body and aren’t taken away. It did mention that leveling is harder later, so your early choices do still seem to matter the most, as that’s when you’ll get the largest influx of points.”
He nodded and looked across his drawings on the table. This would definitely require more thought and some planning. He didn’t want to make any hasty decisions, and if getting a class could help shore up some of his early stat problems, he might have a hard decision to make.
She sat down opposite him and turned a few pages to face her direction. “These are getting more complex. Have you tried to make one yet?” She asked.
“No, not yet. I wanted to try and gather the proper materials for it. I have some of them,” he said, patting his camping backpack that was on the ground next to his chair.
“What else do you need?”
“Honestly, not much. Most of the catalyst material is pretty mundane if it actually exists on Earth. The ritual material is what I’m trying to decide on. Most of them don’t even specific the base material. I think that they are often drawn with chalk or painted on surfaces, but there are certain mentions of more potent circles being created by mages combining their mana pools and making the entire construct of mana.” Alex rambled a bit as his head went back and forth from side to side as if it might help him see the drawings in a different light.
Not that I’d have the mana to do that. The tendrils of mana I create take up too much mana to even make small shapes complex or 3d. I guess that’s why the notes mention multiple ritualists.
“Well then, if all it takes is the drawing on a flat surface, you could probably try one now. What if you did a little one here? This area is meant for magical training. You’re not going to find a much better place to do it.” She gestured to the side where the pavilion area was clear of tables and was an open space under the covering. “It’s all made of cement, as long as you don’t pick something destructive, I feel like Elana wouldn’t care.”
Alex thought about it and felt slightly nervous.
If I try it here and it fails, that would be pretty embarrassing…
“I don’t know-“
“Oh, come on. What? Are you going to try and do this in your apartment? That would be so idiotic. You’ve clearly got this basic stuff down. Here, let me see the book.” She held out her hand.
Alex passed it over and watched as she flipped through the pages.
“What materials do you have in that pack of yours?”
He didn’t answer but instead pulled a list from his smaller pocket notebook that he’d begun to carry around with him. The loose sheet of paper slid across the table, and she glanced at it.
Olivia’s eyebrow slowly rose. “You have all of this stuff in your bag? Just carrying it around?”
Alex scratched the back of his head and looked down at the fully packed bag. “Heh, well, if this is how I’m going to do magic… I might as well be prepared. Right?”
She laughed and pushed a loose hair from her face before standing and walking away with the book and list.
Alex watched her and watched as Val followed after her, his head tilting to the side as he did so.
“Alright, bring a Mana Stone, a feather, ash, and your stick of chalk.”
Just from hearing the list of materials, Alex knew which ritual she’d picked.
Alex smiled and got the materials from the bag, along with an extra feather. He walked over and bent down with the chalk and began to draw.
He started with the central shape, a pentagon. It’s base was also used as the base of the triangle that was placed within it. While he drew, he talked himself through it but also went over it with Olivia.
“The pentagon is for balance and multiple components like the ritual structure, gravity, weight, and the influence of mana. The triangle is what the rituals use for directing the flow of mana to a point, but since this is a small area ritual, the curved lines double back alongside the triangle, depicting that it will flow upward instead of directly from the point of the shape.”
Before drawing the final shape, he added the two main catalysts while tucking the chalk into his pocket. Val sniffed at his hand, clearly interested in the Mana Stone he was carrying around in the open.
“The feather sits in this small node at the base of the pentagon and triangle, while the ashes are spread evenly along the curved lines. The last two components are the containment circle and Mana Stone.”
Alex tried his best to focus on the circle and make it as smooth as possible. While he was able to create almost perfect circles on a page, that became much harder when making one several meters in diameter. The chalk created a gritty feeling of resistance as it slid in a large arc across the concrete.
At the top of the circle, over where the point of the triangle was, he made a small square node with two lines coming out parallel to the containment circle.
“This node is for the Mana Stone,” he said. “It should help to regulate the mana from the stone and spread it evenly through the ritual. The book mentioned that the ritual would last about ten minutes without adjustment, and the feather and ashes would be completely consumed while only part of the mana within the stone would be used. “
He stood up and pocketed the chalk again, clapping his hands back and forth to get the dirt and excess chalk off of them. He took a small step back and observed the ritual circle. To his eyes, it looked almost identical to the schematic he’d studied in the manual.
A small applause took his attention away, and color rose to his cheeks as he saw Olivia smiling at him and several of the other having gathered behind her to watch.
“Dang, that looks pretty wild,” Ian said as his head poked up from behind John’s broad shoulders.
“What does it do?” John asked.
“What’re you waiting for, huh? Set it off already!” Olivia said happily, closing the manual in her hands with a snap.
Alex would have preferred to use the manual to check over his work, but the way she smiled at him and tucked it under her arm made him feel embarrassed to ask.
No, it would be more embarrassing to fail. Stop being dumb. Just ask her.
He did, and she even looked a little sheepish as she realized that she’d considered him done. It only took him a few moments to check his work, and soon, he sighed with a smile of excitement. He crouched down and held his hand over the ritual while using his [Mana Infusion] to pulse his mana into the activation node.
The entire circle began to glow, and the areas where the three catalysts were grew brighter and brighter. It was a beautiful blue that reminded Alex of the blue motes of experience that would rise up from monsters.
This must be the color of mana? It’s often blue in games or stories; it’s surprising that it actually looks like this.
After a few long heartbeats, the ritual stopped glowing, and the group stared at it.
“Well, shit. That was a bit lame.” Ian said in the silence.
Olivia and John both laughed while Val flew over to Alex.
Alex stood and stepped into the circle; now that the ritual had been activated, he wasn’t worried about smearing the circle. With the mana having charged through it, it would be as sturdy as the cement it had been drawn on for the duration.
He looked at his feet and smiled as he could already feel the effects. With an effort, he crouched down and jumped as high as he could.
Laughing like a maniac, Alex flew up toward the rafters overhead. He made it so high that he was almost able to touch them.
“Woah!” John and Ian called out at the same time.
Alex landed and encouraged the others to step in and try. While he knew it was childish, it felt like stepping on a trampoline with his brother. The sense of weightlessness took over his stomach and granted a sense of wonder.
When he stepped away to look at the two others jumping and flipping around in the circle like a trampoline park.
Olivia nudged him. “Pretty cool.” She said.
“Not sure how it’ll help me kill more monsters, but it’s a start,” Alex said with a smile.
That smile lingered as others came over to inspect and test the phenomenon. All the while, Val flew around and under those who were joining him in the air.
Comments
OverXelous
Good catch! Fixed, thank you!
Akkido
Watch how Ian lunches->lunges and stabs.
Al
Could be little of A and B. She clearly likes magic, but also seems to be a rogue type. She probably can't do everything and this way she can see a theory and help a guy out whose inclined to do something anyway.
Beeees!
Quite wholesome. Now is Olivia just a mana nerd that is interested in seeing him work? Or is there some more nefarious or at least selfish reason she is pushing him 🤔
