MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 95: Gift
Lian followed Torin through a side door of the Rune Forge. To say Lian was excited was an understatement. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum as he imagined himself as a budding Rune Master earning money by selling artifacts under the table.
The room they entered was not too large, but it had everything needed. Several weapons were stored in a corner, inside a large box.
A central table dominated the space, illuminated by a mana lamp emitting a flickering blue light.
On the table was a standard-sized sword, made of polished steel, the best material for two reasons. One, it was easy to obtain. Two, anyone could wield it, both Bronze Mages and Iron Knights.
"So, to create an artifact, you always need the Runic Stylus?" Lian could not help but ask, observing the tool on the workbench.
"Exactly. Like a hammer for a blacksmith, think of the Runic Stylus as the essential tool for a Rune Master." Torin grabbed the sword, positioning it precisely in front of him. Then, taking the Runic Stylus, he began to channel mana.
"The first step in creating an artifact is to engrave a matrix onto it." Torin looked up, his dark eyes gleaming under the blue light. "The matrix is the heart of the artifact; it binds the enchantment to the weapon. If you mess up the pattern, the enchantment will never bind properly, resulting in an explosion."
Lian nodded, the rebellious lock of hair falling over his eyes as he approached the table. "And how do you engrave a matrix? Do you just draw on the sword?"
Torin chuckled, a dry sound that echoed in the room. "Draw? Kid, this is not a children's game with paper and pencil. You have to channel your mana through the Stylus and carve the matrix directly into the metal. Every line must be precise, every curve must reflect the enchantment's intent."
With a gesture of his hand, a Runic Seal glowing bright red appeared next to the sword. "Take that seal. It contains the standard fire enchantment we use for all melee weapons. A primary Fire element rune, a secondary rune that shapes it, Infusion, and a tertiary rune that supports it, Enhanced Power. Today, we will turn this sword into a weapon that burns its enemies."
Lian grabbed the tablet, feeling the mana pulse under his fingers. So this is what an enchantment looks like. I just need to manage to fuse all three runes of the set into a Runic Seal. Lian thought before saying, "So… the matrix must match the enchantment?"
"Exactly. Now watch." Torin took the Runic Stylus and positioned it above the blade. With a fluid motion, he began to trace a central line along the blade, mana flowing from his body to the Stylus, leaving a luminescent trail on the steel's surface. "This is the primary line, the main channel. From here, the branches extend, like veins, distributing the enchantment's energy."
Lian watched, fascinated. Torin's lines were perfect. "Incredible…"
"After creating the primary line and its branches, we just need to create the actual matrix, the place where the enchantment will be placed." Torin positioned the stylus exactly above the sword's hilt, between the grip and the blade.
With a fluid motion, Torin began to draw shapes that seemed very familiar to Lian… too familiar. "Circles?!" His expression was one of total disbelief as he watched the scene, captivated by what he saw.
Torin moved the stylus with unnatural grace, drawing a perfect circle. Inside it, another concentric circle was made with pinpoint precision, followed by a third and a fourth. A total of five concentric circles, crafted with millimetric accuracy.
"I cannot believe it—" Lian murmured in disbelief at the sight, his eyes wide, his mind in chaos.
"There we go. This is the matrix for this type of enchantment. A series of concentric circles, five in total, since the enchantment we are going to insert is Bronze 4 rank. One base circle plus four concentric ones, to be precise."
Noticing something was off due to the unnatural silence in the room, Torin turned slightly, only to find Lian with an incredulous look.
"Kid, you okay?" he said, shaking his shoulders slightly.
"Huh?" Blinking several times in a row, Lian snapped out of it, taking a second look at the matrix before turning to Torin. "I am fine… I was just amazed by your skills, that is all—"
"Flattering me will not help you, kid!" Despite his words, a satisfied smile formed on Torin's lips.
"But let us not waste more time. Now comes the simpler, but delicate part: inserting the enchantment into the matrix."
Torin grabbed the Runic Seal containing the intended Fire enchantment. With a swift gesture, his mana grasped the crimson rune, which began to lose energy visibly.
But before it could continue, Torin instantly inserted it into the matrix, perfectly at its center, or almost.
A moment later—
The entire sword was engulfed in flames, but only for an instant. Then—
Nothing.
The sword returned to normal, the enchantment absorbed by the matrix as it, along with the central line and its branches, vanished into nothing.
"Good. The enchantment was a success!" Torin nodded, satisfied, as he grabbed the sword—or rather, the artifact—and examined it more closely. "Too bad, though… I could have done better—" he sighed slightly, a bit disappointed in himself, but not overly so.
"Wow, it is stunning!" Lian suddenly exclaimed, almost drawn to the artifact. He had never seen one so closely; he was fascinated.
"I am glad you like it." Torin took the artifact by the flat of the blade with both hands, offering it to the boy. "This is my advance payment for you." A small smile formed on his lips.
Lian's eyes widened with excitement before he tilted his head, looking up at Torin with a questioning expression.
Torin let out a half-laugh with a slight huff at the end. "You do not think five sets of runes are worth an artifact, do you? If we are being honest, I would say ten sets of runes could be exchanged for an artifact. However, if you succeed in the next step—fusing the runes into a Runic Seal and creating the enchantment—then three sets would be enough to trade for an artifact."