Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3509

’This exercise must be a variation on the previous one. I need to change the minimum number of runes necessary to create a working enchantment without disrupting the bond between the pseudo core and the metal.

’If I do, putting the pseudo core back into the staff would need a Forgemastery circle and create imperfections I would have to fix.’

As soon as Lith conjured his mana, Menadion cloaked him from Solus’ vision so as not to let him influence her work.

Lith tried and failed a few times before giving up on rewriting the pseudo core while it was still inside the staff. The enchanted metal surrounding the pseudo core absorbed and deflected his mana, neutralizing the effects of Dismantle.

’I knew it was too good to be true.’ Lith called upon the pseudo core, pulling it out of the Orichalcum and weakening its energy link with the metal while being careful not to sever it.

Then, he unfolded the pseudo into strings of runes and fixed them one by one.

’Wait a minute, I’m doing this the wrong way.’ He thought. ’A pseudo core doesn’t require Runesmithing’s precise positioning of the runes that form the enchantment over the surface of the metal.

’The runes of a pseudo core only need to form a stable energy sphere. Why am I wasting so much time and mana trying to find among the spells I know one that matches Ripha’s pseudo core when I can just reshape Ripha’s pseudo core into a spell I know?’ _{ƒrēewebnovel.com}

A wave of his hand rewrote the runes into a working enchantment. The pseudo core Menadion had imbued in the staff had several more runes than Lith’s yet the solution was simple.

He converted the extra runes into pure energy and divided it evenly between the runes forming the new pseudo core. This way, even though the two enchantments were completely different they possessed the same amount of energy

When he stood up to bring his staff to Menadion, the cloaking field faded and he saw Solus going back to her desk with a beaming smile on her face.

"Yes, she finished earlier than you." Ripha answered his silent question. "What took you so long?"

"I tried to keep the same number of runes and used your pseudo core as a base instead of turning it into my own." Lith replied.

"It’s a rookie mistake but an understandable one." Menadion nodded. "Excellent job. You know what to do."

She changed the enchantment into one comprised by two pseudo cores and returned the staff to him.

Lith sat down at his desk and rewrote the two enchantments. This time, the two pseudo cores not only had to work on their own but also not to hinder each other.

At the fifth attempt, Menadion put Solus and Lith to work on a simple power core formed by five different enchantments. Each time they succeeded, she increased the difficulty of the exercise by adding a new pseudo core.

As the situation grew more complex and delicate, Lith and Solus needed sheer focus to rewrite the multiple pseudo cores forming the power core and balance them with each other before the staff exploded in their faces.

"You guys are amazing." There were a few hours left before dinner but Lith and Solus were mentally and physically exhausted. "You have only one exercise left but that can wait until tomorrow."

"And what’s that?" Solus panted, her voice lacking any trace of her usual enthusiasm for the Forgemastering arts.

"Putting everything you’ve learned together." Menadion replied with a proud smile. "Tomorrow, you work on a real artifact."

***

Elina, Kamila, the children, and the babies were overjoyed to see Lith and Solus return much earlier than usual but they had each a different reason.