Could I push that to ten mana and get my Enchanter attunement to Carnelian in a week?
It was worth trying. I was tired of feeling weak, and having two Carnelian shrouds would make me a lot safer. They still wouldn’t equate to a single Sunstone shroud, but I’d take any extra defense I could get.
Thinking about exercising, it had been a while since I had worked on making any mana crystals.
I still had a couple practice molds, so I worked on filling one up with mana from my right hand.
The process only took me about ten seconds.
I stared at the finished product in disbelief, carefully cracking open the mold…and there it was, a pure crystal of gray mana. The density of the mana was so low that it wouldn’t be of much use, just like the ones I’d crafted before, but I’d made it fast.
Just a week ago, the process would have taken me several minutes. My power increase wasn’t sufficient to justify that degree of change. That meant there was another explanation.
I made another one, this time drawing from my Enchanter attunement as a mana source, but still channeling it through my right hand.
It still only took about fifteen seconds.
It took me a few more minutes of testing to feel comfortable with my conclusion. I tried transferring mana from my other hand next, then transferring mana from my hand into my phoenix sigil.
After that, I dug through my bags until I found something I hadn’t enchanted at all yet. All I found was an extra metal disc like what I’d used to make the phoenix sigils, but that was fine. I’d just make another phoenix sigil with it.
I cut the runes, then tested filling them with my mana.
In all cases, I was transferring mana several times faster than before. Probably around ten to twenty times faster, if I had to guess.
As much as I obsessed over my mana watch, I still didn’t have a regular watch.
But I’d learned what I needed to learn from the tests, and it was important.
My new attunement was letting me transfer mana faster. Either that was an inherent property of the Arbiter attunement, or perhaps it was having a synergistic effect with my Enchanter attunement. They both were primarily focused on transferring mana in different ways, so a compounding effect was definitely possible.
This helped support one of my other suspicions, too — the “brand” I had before was probably a nascent Arbiter attunement even before Katashi activated it. That might have been part of why I’d found it so easy to perform enchantments in the spire. The spire’s own properties contributed, too, but my unfinished attunement was likely already working to a limited degree.
If I’d known how the brand worked at the time, would I have done anything differently?
Maybe I could have transferred mana into Sera directly, instead of giving her the potion, and saved her from these scars…but no, that wouldn’t have been enough power.
We needed Seiryu, and even if I’d managed to push her to Carnelian, she probably couldn’t have handled summoning her.
Moreover, I don’t know if the attunement’s purification function was active at that point, even if it was already making it easier for me to enchant.
With some effort, I brushed those thoughts aside and got back to work.
I had something to attempt that I’d been failing at for weeks.
I put my hands together, closed my eyes, and focused.
It took me the better part of two hours before I opened my hands and gazed at the crystal within.
I’d made it without a mold.
I grinned, tossed the crystal on a nearby table, and continued to work.
I had a world of new options now, and it was time to start exploiting them.
Chapter V – Options
I got uncharacteristically overzealous about my new enchanting prospects, making crystal after crystal until my hand was throbbing and my temples were searing.
When I was done, I checked my mana with my mana watch. My hand registered at 14/82 and my Enchanting attunement was down to 18/50. That was much lower than I was used to going, even while focusing on deliberately exercising. The excitement helped me push past my fear, at least to a point.
My reward was a table littered with crystals. Mostly gray, but some transference mana and some mental mana.
They weren’t worth much, but I was getting better in two ways. First, I was getting used to making them without the shells. Second, I’d been focusing on making the new ones at progressively higher levels of density. My original crystals weren’t even a full point of mana, but my latest ones each held about three mana each.
That still was less than a Class 1 mana gem, but I was getting there. And I was confident I could get even further with practice.
Not bad at all for a day of work.
As excited as I was, though, I still didn’t have anything to give as a suitable gift. I went downstairs to talk to everyone, which was the point when I realized that it was the middle of the night.
Oops.
I wasn’t quite alone, though.
I found a familiar figure sitting next to the fireplace, reading a book. He looked up as I approached. “Ah, Master Cadence. I was wondering if you would bother to make an appearance this evening.”
I blinked. “Lord…Teft? What are you doing here?”
He waved to offer me a chair across from his. “Playing the role of your guardian for the evening, it would seem.”
I frowned, taking a seat and folding my arms. “I seem to have acquired quite a few of those recently.”
“You have made yourself a figure of some significance, but lack the power necessary to defend yourself adequately.” Teft raised a hand to silence any objections.
“I did not say that you lack skill. You are young yet, and your magic will grow over time. But the circumstances you have found yourself in are dangerous — that can no longer be in any doubt. I do not expect that anyone would be foolish enough to strike at you in the heart of Master Hartigan’s home, but it is wise to be prepared.”
I sighed. I couldn’t entirely disagree. “Preparations are fine, but I suspect that Derek and Keras are quite enough for any threats that might emerge.”
“Ah, is that who the man in the masquerade mask was? I suspected from your prior description, but I was uncertain. Nay, the pair of them left somewhat earlier, and will not be returning this eve. Thus, I am here. Much to our mutual dismay, I’m certain.”
I was a bit surprised by that. “Gone? Where? To the tower?”
“I would prefer that in some senses, even if I would disapprove of going with only two people. Nay, it is far worse. They have gone to a place of ill repute.”
I blinked. “What?… Like a brothel?”
He shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. “No, no. Although I have little doubt such services are offered, such would be positively mundane compared to the depths of depravity where they have gone. It is a place representing the worst of our society. Dark dealings, gambling, and all forms of excess.” After a brief pause, he clasped his hands dramatically, “A casino.”
I’d heard of casinos, but I’d never been to one. They sounded rather entertaining. I had a number of questions, but the first one was simple enough. “Why?”
“It would seem that Master Hartigan has gotten it into his head that reputable sources of information are insufficient for his investigations. And thus, he turns to those who would sell anything for the right price, information being one service of many.” Teft lowered his head. He looked tired, as well as disapproving.