Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 4: Rune-Tech Magic II

CH4 Rune-Tech Magic II

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Through a network of gateways and enchanted lifting stages, Alex swiftly reached the uppermost floor of the soaring five-hundred-meter central Enclave spire, where Merlin's workspace resided.

"Alex, you've arrived? I wasn't anticipating you for another thirty minutes. The Tower Master hasn't returned yet." Zora lifted her gaze from the towering stacks of papers that had overwhelmed her.

Alex's excitement faded in a flash.

He aimed to share his fuzzy notion with his mentor before the burst of creativity slipped away.

Zora spotted the shift in the young man's face.

"Do you have something pressing to share with the Tower Master? Does it concern your Class?"

Alex nodded, "Yes. I've just come up with an idea for my class, but I'm unsure if it's viable, let alone practical. I hoped to discuss it with Master."

Zora glanced at the heaps of paperwork on her desk, then turned back to the boy.

"You know what? I've been seeking a reason to escape this paperwork. Would you like me to hear your concept? It might help refine it before you show it to the Tower Master."

"Really? Are you certain? You look quite occupied."

"Don't fret. I'm positive."

"Very well then." Alex grinned.

For an unexplained reason, Alex sensed a deep sincerity from Zora.

It stemmed not from reason, but from pure instinct.

He'd initially chalked it up to her striking beauty, yet he soon recognized it ran deeper.

Regardless, he was eager to reveal his plan to her.

Besides, neither she nor anyone else could truly execute it except for him.

Alex struggled to organize his tangled thoughts.

"Don't push it. Just allow it to emerge naturally." Zora advised abruptly.

Her soothing smile eased the boy. He nodded and followed her guidance, simply speaking his mind.

"The guidance Master offered for selecting a Class was to pick the one that drew me in the most. Perhaps a Class with a magical effect I favored or one that could aid my goals.

"My purpose in studying magic here is to acquire power—both individual prowess and strategic force—to claim leadership of my family as its true successor. With that in mind, I resolved to select a Class that could deliver both."

Zora nodded, grasping the point.

"I imagine that wasn't straightforward." She remarked.

"It wasn't. The options either favored one aspect heavily or fell short in both." Alex agreed. "I saw that I couldn't obtain my desires via existing routes—at least not without a hefty cost.

"I determined I had to forge my own route... I needed to innovate beyond conventions to seize what I sought. Thus, I reviewed every lecture from the past month, and the solution emerged...

"Runes!"

"Runes? Do you plan to become a Runesmith or an Array Master?"

"No, Runesmiths inscribe established Runes to enhance weapons and artifacts in preset ways, while Array Masters deploy Runes to construct vast spell formations impacting their environment. Both paths are outwardly focused. Though they could bolster my strategic power, neither easily advances personal might. Moreover, they rely solely on familiar runes. My vision extends beyond that."

He met her eyes and proclaimed, "I aim to dominate every rune."

At once, Alex detected the trace of doubt in Zora's expression.

At best, one might call her dubious of his notion.

At worst, she viewed it as the lofty fantasy of a child.

"Please, let me explain fully." Alex urged hastily. "This isn't mere childish fancy, I assure you."

Zora regarded him briefly. Sensing his earnestness, she chose to withhold judgment until his full account.

"Alright, proceed."

"So, during my latest lecture, the instructor mentioned something that grabbed my attention. Every plane possesses laws and power structures that demand respect for growth within it. This resonated because it suggests planes function via a logical framework. Therefore, a core set of directives must govern that framework."

Alex lifted his hand and swiftly invoked the Magic Arrow Spell. As before, the arcane projectile lingered above his palm, unlaunched.

He deliberately toned down the spell, shrinking the arrow. The projectile itself wasn't his focus for her. Rather, it was the underlying Spell Circle.

With his Spiritual force, he rendered the Spell Circle as clear as possible.

"When we incant a spell, our Spiritual force automatically shapes a spell circle composed of runes, channeling mana to trigger the effect.

"Observe here: by adjusting the incantation and my focus, I can reshape the spell circle, thereby modifying the spell."

Alex indicated sections of the spell circle. At each point he highlighted, Zora observed shifts in the minute rune symbols composing it. These alterations mirrored changes in the suspended magic arrow.

Guided by Alex, it expanded, contracted, rotated sideways, and then upright. Evidently, the boy commanded the spell completely.

Regardless of else, his command over the magic compelled even Zora—a prodigious Elite Mage in her twenties—to regard him with gravity.

"From this, I inferred that the logical framework for mana—in our Pangea plane and similar mana-based realms—relies on mages employing runes via spell circles to direct mana toward specific outcomes.

"Thus, with total command of runes, one could theoretically dictate any order to mana. For instance, I could invoke any spell, bypassing all prerequisites. Provided a spell draws on mana, rune mastery would enable its use.

"A plane and its laws are intertwined. If such a law or logical mechanism permits this, it signifies acceptance within the plane's power structure. Hence, should I attain this, my conceptual magic would qualify as a legitimate Class in the system."

Zora stared at Alex with a hint of astonishment. The depth and sophistication of his reasoning surpassed what she'd ever imagined from a ten-year-old.

"Your logic holds solid ground. Yet that's the extent of it." A resonant voice interjected before Zora could respond.

Merlin had returned.

Unnoticed by Alex and Zora, a gateway had materialized in the chamber at some juncture.

The DragonHold Enclave Tower Master eyed his newest apprentice with evident regard.

He settled into a chair and pressed on, "Forming a new Class demands more than a sound concept. It requires practicality. Throughout history, many have sought to conquer runes as you propose. None prevailed. What convinces you of your success where these brilliant scholars and mages of eras past faltered?"

"I won't unravel the enigmas of runes alone. Rather, I'll enlist the plane's logical framework and the runes comprising it to guide me in mastering them." Alex countered.

Given their earlier discussion, neither Merlin nor Zora brushed off his claim. They awaited his elaboration.

Alex hesitated briefly, pondering how to convey his notion—rooted in his past life's AI endeavors—to those unfamiliar with coding.

"In Spell Formation lessons, we learned of three tiers in Runic inscriptions: Single Runes, Rune Circuits, and Runic Arrays.

"This led me to see each rune as a basic directive to mana. For instance, a Heat Rune instructs mana to warm or ignite an item, a Light Rune commands glow, and the like.

"A Rune Circuit, conversely, connects runes into something like a phrase. Consider a circuit of Heat Rune + Activation Rune + Threshold Rune: it enables the item to warm upon contact (Activation Rune) but limits the heat (Threshold Rune) via the rune bonds.

"Such a circuit outperforms a lone rune by curbing mana leakage. In essence, we've built automation—a triggered reaction. This mirrors basic conditional logic, akin to a simple toggle.

"Turning to arrays, we find not a single chain but interwoven circuits tied to a shared power core, adapting mutually to ongoing conditions.

"From this pattern, runes prove flexible, evolving with circumstances. Therefore, by weaving the precise sequence of directives through an interconnected mesh of Rune Circuits and Arrays, I can train my rune construct to infer unknown runes and their functions. It would then incorporate these into the structure to uncover further runes, progressing until every rune is comprehended."

Only upon concluding did Alex realize his geeky outburst. Unsure if they'd followed, he clarified,

"In essence, I'm aiming to craft a formulaic model. Inputting known runes into it would allow derivation of unknowns. The model would then absorb these novelties, refining itself to generate even more, fueling an endless self-sustaining learning cycle until it grasps all runes.

"Should it work, I could trace every rune to its origin,"

"And upon doing so, you'd merely command the array to execute a task, and it would assemble the rune chain to realize it." Zora noted. "That's why you believe this setup grants access to all magic."

"Yes! Precisely that." Alex exhaled in relief, glad Zora had grasped it.

Even in his former era, amid widespread computing, elucidating self-evolving systems—known as AIs—to novices proved challenging.

It comforted him that someone lacking that foundation still comprehended.

Zora and Merlin exchanged glances. Parent and child mirrored awe in their stares.

Had this originated from a sage of Merlin's age, surprise might've been muted. But this groundbreaking vision sprang from a mere ten-year-old!

"Your concept is undeniably... Innovative." Merlin observed. "What resources do you require to bring it to life?"

"Knowledge... I crave every scrap of insight into runes and spell circles available. The broader my base of runes for the core structure, the stronger it stands." Alex answered.

Merlin inclined his head. Silently, he assembled a schedule of courses to bolster Alex's pursuit.

"Your notion captivates. Yet currently, it's merely that. Per your description, wielding all magic varieties through rune assembly won't manifest quickly. It may demand years, perhaps decades, to realize. Still, I discern its promise as the bedrock of a novel magical Class.

"Your immediate task is to deliver a tangible demonstration. Prove your theory bears fruit in reality."

Alex nodded, comprehending. Prototyping served as the standard method to validate a concept beyond mere theory.

"How long do I get?" He inquired.

"Typically, I'd allot six months, but given the bold originality of your venture, I'll extend it to your first year as my pupil. Produce concrete results by then, or you'll follow the path I select." Merlin stated solemnly.

Alex merely smiled. Deadlines were familiar territory.

Far from daunted as Merlin anticipated, he felt invigorated, right at home.

Abruptly, Zora nudged her father. She gestured discreetly with her chin.

Merlin divined her aim. Grimacing, he reluctantly added,

"Furthermore, you'll gain the Enclave's funding to fuel your inquiry. All costs—for courses, learning aids, and approved materials—will receive a 30% reduction—"

"Cough!" Zora simulated a cough.

"50%." Merlin amended.

"Moreover, upon success, the Enclave will fund the groundwork for your magic's establishment." Zora appended.

Merlin's gaze ignited. Evidently, this crossed his limits.

Before protest, Zora nodded at the paperwork avalanche on her desk.

Merlin's ire evaporated. He even flashed a conciliatory grin. Zora snorted and faced Alex again, who chuckled at the parents' wordless banter.

"Incidentally, have you considered a name for this prospective magic, should it thrive?"

Alex pondered momentarily.

'Titling never was my forte... Still, it blends runic and arcane lore with tech and science from my old world. Thus...'

"Rune-Tech Magic!" Alex declared.

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