Chapter 89 - Running Out of Time

Valadir picked up another book, but this one wasn’t floating around the room. It was sitting inside a cabinet with a glass door.

"This book contains some of the most basic runes for creating your own spells," he said. "You should start from here."

Arthur took the book from his hand and read the introductory page. It basically said that spells were created by mixing runes together, which he already knew.

But there was a problem. Only a handful of spells had their rune combinations known and written down. Spell creation was a lost ancient art that no one practiced anymore.

It used to be common back when the system wasn’t handing out classes and levels. A different era. Now it was much easier to learn spells with the system’s assistance, even for NPCs.

Despite what he had just read, Arthur was still really excited. Spell creation meant he could use any type of spell he wanted, without needing a specific class for it. And the possibilities were endless! Different rune combinations could result in spells never seen before.

"Quick question," Arthur said, raising his hand like a respectful student. "How many runes do I need for a basic fire spell, like the fireball?"

The fireball was the spell most mages used, and the fire mage was the most common archetype too. Not because everyone loved it dearly, but because it was the one they got early. Learning the other elements required more, and not all players could manage it.

Valadir thought for a moment. "If I’m not mistaken, the fireball in its weaker version requires around 110 runes."

Arthur blinked a few times, staring at Valadir.

’Fuck.’

He had been expecting something like 5 or 10 runes for a basic spell, but 110? That was just too much. Maybe that was why spell creation wasn’t commonly used anymore. It had great potential, but it wasn’t easy.

Valadir noticed the sudden change in Arthur’s expression.

"Relax, my disciple. This is why you have me. I can print the knowledge of the initial 150 or 200 runes into your head, and with them you can create lots of basic spells. For the more advanced stuff, you’ll have to learn on your own. Printing that much knowledge may leave you mindless."

The sight of those mindless humans crossed Arthur’s mind for a second, and he didn’t want to become one of them. But the first 150 to 200 runes straight into his mind? Well, that was already good enough.

"Thank you, master," Arthur said, clasping his hands. "You’re such a kind soul."

Valadir liked being praised, and a smile formed on his face almost instantly.

"It’s nothing. Just my duty as a good master. Come closer, my disciple."

Arthur walked over to him. Valadir placed a hand on Arthur’s head, and moments later, the knowledge of 200 runes was imprinted in his mind! Flashes of information passed before his eyes, and a painful headache took over. Gritting his teeth, Arthur did his best to endure it.

The game still let players feel pain, but only as a slight discomfort. No one wanted to feel a sword cutting through their chest or the agony of losing a limb. Still, the pain he felt when Valadir passed that knowledge to him was worse than he expected. If it weren’t for the system, Arthur would be rolling on the ground with both hands around his head, screaming.

Valadir was growing fonder of Arthur by the second.

"You learn fast, and you absorbed all of this knowledge so easily. I wonder if you could endure the advanced runes..."

He shook his head. "Never mind. It’s not worth the risk. Besides, it’s better for you to learn those on your own, or else you won’t get the necessary mastery over your spells."

The pain didn’t linger, and Arthur was back to normal. But his mind now held knowledge he never thought he would have.

"Does this mean I can use lots of spells now?" Arthur asked.

"No, it doesn’t work like that. You know the runes, but that isn’t enough to use the spells. Control over them, the right order, and how to mix them together are things you must master as well. But this will cut off a lot of time, at least."

Even so, Arthur was happy. He wanted to start practicing right away, trying to produce a novice fireball. But his friends were waiting for him to clear the dungeon again, and he couldn’t keep them waiting forever.

"Thank you for all the insights, master Valadir," Arthur said, bowing. "I have to head back, as I have some business to attend to. But I’ll return soon, and when I do, I’ll show you my first created spell."

Valadir laughed. "That’s the spirit. Let me teleport you outside. Once you use the stone I gave you, you’ll return to this place."

Before leaving, Arthur said goodbye to Leonard, who was still in a daze, staring at that book. He hadn’t made any progress yet, but Leonard was certain he would soon.

"When you return, I’ll show you what I learned as well," Leonard said, a confident smile on his face. "Just you wait."

Valadir snapped his fingers and Arthur was back outside, right in front of the abandoned mine. He messaged his friends, telling them to meet him at the elven settlement shortly. Then he summoned his pegasus, Cloud Chaser, and flew away.

On the way there, his mind was busy with many things.

’Will I have to change my classes? Contracting magic-related classes will give me better stats if I become a mage... Also, I’ll have to respec my attributes and put all these agility points into intelligence.’

Deep down, Arthur preferred the more magical archetype, for sure. It looked more badass, and now that he could create spells from all kinds of magical classes, he would be the most versatile mage in the game. That alone would make his class even stronger, with better potential.

But right now, his focus was on clearing the dungeon to get the first clear reward, the full group reward.

Before, he had been so excited to get the blueprints and craft his new armor and weapon set, but now? Did it still matter? If he changed his path, looking for blueprints related to magical items would be better. Improving his enchantment and jewelry crafting would be important too.

Just like that, his plans for the future had changed, all because of the mysterious NPC he found and the spell creation he unlocked.

Arthur’s group was waiting for him at the elven settlement. After some greetings, they headed to the dungeon together. Point Blank walked beside him, wondering what he had found inside that mine. She didn’t ask, since it was their secret.

Shadow Cloak was really shocked by Arthur’s level.

"How are you leveling up so fast?" she asked. "It doesn’t make any sense. Point Blank said you left to mine ores, and now you show up what, 3 levels ahead? 4? The fuck?"

Every single time, Arthur loved seeing her envious.

Inside the dungeon, Arthur explained the same things he had explained to Point Blank the first time they tried to clear it.

After that, the group went in. Arthur was sure they would clear it quite fast. However, another group was almost clearing the dungeon near Snow Pine city!

"We need to hurry," Shadow Cloak said. "Did you see they’re almost done with that dungeon? They’re facing the last boss. If they clear it, we’ll lose our precious reward."

"Really?" Arthur frowned.

He hadn’t expected players to almost clear a dungeon in less than a day with no prior knowledge. How were they doing it?