Mark of the Fool

Chapter 472: The First Staff Tests

Chapter 472: The First Staff Tests

Alex brought his thoughts back to present, eager to finish up and get home to his staff.

What was Toraka just saying? He wondered. Oh yeah, she was talking about students and how limited knowledge was a bad thing.

He picked up a block of iron with a sturdy pair of tongs, and holding them securely, carefully deposited it within an enormous machine that resembled a hulking tarantula. Pressing a glyph, Alex activated it, sending mana flowing through its eight pipes, liquifying a sizable chunk of purified carbon within the device. He consulted a gauge on the side. Looks like the carbon regulators good to go, no need to add any more carbon. But yeah, Professor Jules was saying howoh howd she put it again?

He frowned. How a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when you think you know more than you really do.

Thats one hundred percent true, Toraka said. The thing is, with first and second year students, theyve just opened their minds to a billion new possibilities in magic and science. Problems start because they dont fully understand or appreciate all the present limitations of wizardry yet. Well, that, and the fact that they havent learned how to research what theyre seeing in their heads before pushing every idea and supposed innovation they conceive of.

So, some make a lot of assumptions, like for example, assuming that theyve solved a major problem without knowing that it was solved a century or more ago, or that theres precedent for an idea theyre all excited about which was proven to not work. Alex supplied.

Exactly. Its why youre a breath of fresh air: so young, yet you actually have grounding and evidence for your ideas. He could hear the smile in her voice, despite the mask obscuring everything but her eyes. She snorted. I find first year philosophy students are even worse, by the way. They learn a few theories then become convinced that theyre masters of ethics and existence.

Really? I havent actually met many philosophy students.

Theyre not for me, shall we say, Toraka said. I prefer things to be morepractical. And speaking of students, its about time for your new classes to start, isnt it?

Tomorrow, actually. Alex set the tongs down. Im not going to lie, winter break was over before I had time to enjoy it. It feels like I blinked a couple of times and classes are ready to start again.

Toraka chuckled. Ah, memories. It was like that for me too, it was the same for my husband, for Simits always like that, she said. So what courses are you taking? Anything exciting?

Well, Im not really taking anything fancy and new, he said. Mostly building on what Ive already been taking.

Of course, and thats actually a common pattern. Toraka nodded. Most undergraduates spend their first year or two trying things out, learning different disciplines of wizardry before getting locked into their strengths. What did you decide to expand on?

Well, Ill be taking Professor Haks second year blood magic course, Alex said. And Professor Mangals summoning course. Theres the compulsory general magic theory course andthough Im technically getting an alchemy credit from the expeditionProfessor Jules strongly recommended that I enrol in her advanced magic item creation course.

Really? Toraka said in surprise. Vernia is letting a second year take advanced magic item creation? She hates letting students skip grades.

I know, it surprised me too, Alex agreed. Theres almost no way shed let me do it normally, butwell He gestured to their work. She thought it might be time to learn more advanced safety regulations thatd actually apply to what Im doing.

Torakas eyes rolled behind the lenses in her safety mask. Well, sometimes shes too stodgy. Does she really think I teach my employees nothing while theyre working here? Our safety regulations are some of the strictest in the city.

Right, that reminds me, she said something about you not sharing proprietary secrets when youre drunk? Even with friends? Alex delivered Jules' opinion.

Toraka stiffened. That littleokay, Vernia. If youre going to play it that wayanyway, weve had enough distratioOh wait, whats your last course?

What else? Alex picked his tools back up. The Art of the Wizard in Combat?

That mad old goats mad old course? Toraka scoffed. It only gets more dangerous after first yearyoure out of your mind, truthfully. Hes probably going to have you fighting demons, you know?

Yeah, well. Alexs thoughts went back to the waiting staff. I have a little something thatll help even the odds. Demons or not.

The aeld branch had always been beautiful.

But now it had grown into a work of art.

Its leaves were interspersed between fruits of crystalline power, each shone with every colour of the rainbow, shedding a glowing, multi-hued light that combined with the aelds green-golden radiance. Within the staff, crystal fibres had grown through the inner wood, reaching its upper branches and manifesting as crystal fruit.

It blazed with an abundance of power that left Alexs mouth agape; he was not only confident that it was able to conjure all the magic hed poured into it, but it would do so with greater force and strength than hed hoped for. When his magics grew, he could add more powers to the staff and it would fuel them with ease. The aeld branch also seemed to be enjoying its new transformation; feelings of delight, yearning and curiosity were wafting from it in waves.

Itisbeautiful, Claygon said, crouching beside Alex, determined to fit in the limited space at the side of the balcony. Ifeel it.

Yeah, it is beautiful, isnt it? Alex murmured, glancing at the high position of the moon. Its too bad its so latewell, so early now that its past midnight otherwise Id show off our new staff to Theresa and Selina. He considered what to do for a moment. Maybe we should just leave them since theyre sound asleep and let them see it in the morning, and besides, who knows how many more nights theyll have in this apartment.

He felt a note of curiosity from the aeld staff.

Oh, I suppose I should explain. He gestured toward the city. Remember the place where I first started crafting you? Well, thats our new home and well be moving there soonyou know, after some of us risk our lives in the hellstherell be a lot more room for all of us. The cleaners are nearly done, which means we could be moving any day now. Thats assuming Im not moving into a morgue after the hells, that is. He didnt want to scare the aeld staff, so he kept the part where he was taking it to the hells with him to himself, for now. Hed tell it later.

Iwillprotect us, father, Claygon said, patting Alex on the back, nearly knocking him over in the process.

Oh, Im only joking, Claygon Alex paused, wrapping his hand around the staff. Probably.

He took a close look at the plant pot, noting several false roots poking from the soil indicating: the process was complete. He gave the staff a nod and slowly pulled it from the rich earth.

Its glow intensified as he hoisted it in the air: green, gold and other hues danced in the moonlight. Power tickled his palm, coursing through wood, ready for use in the blink of an eye.

A grin lit his entire face.

This.

To actually hoist a mighty staff above his head, ready to unleash its power? A staff hed made with his own two hands, his wits, his magic and his will? Well, that and more, was why hed wanted to become a wizard in the first place.

It was a fantasy hed dreamt of since boyhood, and here he was, staff in hand, laughing in pure joy; a dream fulfilled.

Alright, I cant wait til morning. Ive got to go test this out right now. He glanced at Claygon. What would you say to a nice moonlight walk, buddy?

Iwould behappyI wantto seethe staff his golem said.

Brilliant, then I

It was only when he heard the whining through the balcony door that he realised his mistake. A moment later, there came a scratching of nails on wood and the whining grew urgent.

Ahright, he said. Heres a lesson for when you get your speakerbox, Claygon. Always be careful of saying the word walk around a dog. Especially one with three sets of ears.

A panting Brutus padded through the doors ahead of Alex and Claygon, stepping into the stadium. In the low light, Alex saw that the combat practice area was mostly deserted, though a few solo students were still honing their battle magic skills well into the night. Most were of races with innate night vision, like dwarves, but others simply practised by way of moonlight and various magics illuminating the field near them.

All paused, watching as a cerberus, a stone golem and a powerfully built mortal wizard strode into the stadium. Some quickly returned to what they were doing, while others let their eyes linger on Alexs glowing staff as he took up position near a practice dummy.

Brutus watched the students curiously before sniffing the ground, circling in place, and plopping down to chew on an old beef bone hed been carrying in his middle jaws. Alex considered what magic to call from the staff first.

Whatare you going to do, father? Claygon asked and the staff bubbled with powerful waves of curiosity.

Well, might as well start with the basics, Alex said.

He focused his mind, channelling power into the staff. Pouring mana into the wood through his grip, a vast wave of power rose to meet him. A vast wave of power with a mind: the aeld staffs consciousness eagerly reached out to him, ready for his mana to join its own.

Wow, I guess thats one good sign already, he reached through scores of mana pathways, trying to get a feel for the staffs inner workings. What he found was dazzling: within magical wood lay crystal pathways in an intricate network, each brimming with mana. The aelds natural power and the mana core commingled so seamlessly, he had trouble knowing where ones power ended, and the other began.

A perfect fusion, allowing his mana to slide through the staff effortlessly, providing easy access to the mana-rich inner controls for the staffs wealth of powers.

Hmmmm, alright, he mused. Theres forceball. Theres greater force armourand the other onesall the force effects are in order. Good. Good. And summoning? Ah, yeah. Its all there. Same with blood magic. And this one? Yep, its got the signature of Elder Bloddeuwedds potion all over it. Ill do that bit last. So, lets do something easy and get ourselves a baseline, Claygon.

He let his power flow into the control of a familiar spell.

The crystalline fruit flared in the staffs branches.

A tremendous rush of power flashedmore mana than hed ever channelled on his ownand then

In an instant, it was followed by the familiar crimson light of a glowing forceball dappled with tinges of gold, green and other hues. The spell floated in the airat least twice the span of any hed conjured by way of spellcraftingwith a light that burned almost as brightly as the sun in the Barrens, making him squint.

He smiled at it fondly, fighting back a rush of giddiness. Well, hello old friend! Its kinda fitting that were starting out with you, isnt it? Alex looked at Claygon, unable to suppress childlike giggles. It works! It works, buddy, it bloody works!

Congratulationsfather Claygon thought. Whydoes it lookdifferent?

Well, thats becauseto put it lightlythe staff is so much stronger than I am. It uses my mana as a catalyst to channel its power. He waved the aeld staff at the forceball, but its doing most of the work. Andwhen I was designing the mana coreI made sure that each of the staffs powers had a bit moreflexibility than a regular pesky spell array would have. It means that any of the spells it replicates can be weaker or a lot stronger than any I could normally create with spellcraft without using a lot of modifications to magic circuits.

His mana rushed to another control within the staff.

There was a flash and a burst of crimson light as a Wizards Hand appeared in the air. It was also larger than any hed ever conjured on his own, and it too glowed with a brighter light.

Thatis goodfather, Claygon said.

Yeah, but now, lets see if the really good part starts, Alex said. You see, the fun thing about subjugation type summoning spells is thatwhen you have enough poweryou can actually summon multiple monsters with one spell. And this staff is very powerful, so, if Im right

He reached into the aeld staff, finding the control to call water elementals, and at the same time, spoke a single word: Bubbles.

In an instant that strange power moved within him, touching the staff, a heartbeat later, four water elementals appeared before him, bubbling with curiosity.

Yeeesss! Alex said, jumping for joy.

Summoning magic with no interference from the Mark, just pure mana manipulation.

Incredible!

He called on the Mark, focusing it on manipulating mana through the staffand much to his delight, images of guiding his mana to the controls appeared in his mind.

Yeeeessssss! He cried. This changes everything! Lets keep going, Claygon, theres a few more powers Id like to see.