Awaken Online: Ember (Tarot #1)

by Bagwell, Travis

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Cost: 50 Mana

  Effect: Creates a ball of flame that deals 100 + (INT x 50%) damage.

  Finn snorted in amusement as he read the prompt.

  Although, his good humor was short-lived, his eyes dropping back to the spellbooks strewn about the stone floor. The truth was that Fireball was the only spell in the novice fire spellbook that he hadn’t learned already. The rest of the notes outlined the incantation and gestures for Magma Armor and Fire Nova.

  He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Fireball would certainly be useful. He needed a ranged attack, after all. However, he had been hoping for something more interesting and versatile.

  Finn had also confirmed that the other spellbooks contained only the primary three spells that all mages were taught upon their induction into the Mage Guild. It seemed Nefreet really did intend to dole spells out to novices slowly. Although, the spellbooks had made it abundantly clear that these spells weren’t all there was to learn.

  There was so much more to this magic system.

  The most intriguing part of the spellbooks had been Bilel’s handwritten notes. It had quickly become clear that they were actually workbooks. Bilel had been creating these spells first-hand – a point made evident by the notes in the margins outlining his many failed attempts. Where Bilel had lacked the requisite affinity, he had conscripted other mages to help him in his studies. However, the fact that the mage had managed to eventually create the spells was definitive proof that it was possible to craft spells in a systematic way.

  Finn shook his head. How could the other students not have noticed this?

  The answer seemed to be that there was typically no need to purchase the novice spellbooks. If the novices were taught these initial spells as part of their introduction to the guild, it would only be people like Finn – who had deviated from the regular path – that would notice these details. Lamia had certainly not gone into any depth regarding how spells were crafted during her classes. His training in Veridian had also likely helped. Even with the memory dump, Finn had noticed that students struggled to read the arcane language. Raw information alone wasn’t enough – the knowledge still needed to be put into practice.

  Even more fascinating were Bilel’s notes regarding the nature of spellcrafting and mana generally. The mage had written at length, positing his theories behind the structure and nature of mana. He had almost treated the workbooks as a series of personal journals, providing his observations and opinions as he had tested different spells.

  Notably, Bilel posited that mana existed as ambient energy in the world that permeated all objects. Humans had a naturally high carrying capacity, and the mage’s theory helped to explain the way their mana regenerated after casting a spell. A mage effectively absorbed ambient mana from the world around them. Most living and non-living materials then converted that energy into a specific affinity. Bilel hadn’t said this explicitly, but he indicated that humans acted as a sort of high-efficiency converter of ambient mana.

  The mage had also alluded to a sense that he didn’t create spells, so much as discover existing spells. As though he was somehow decoding natural laws as part of his studies. The implications of that were like a shot of adrenaline for Finn. Did that mean that there were a static number of spells in the world? Or perhaps that was misleading. Perhaps the spells weren’t finite, there were simply immutable rules behind how they were formed? A sort of magical code for this world?

  That would mean that spells were discoverable in a methodical way, wouldn’t it?

  Finn could feel a familiar burning sensation in his chest, his fire mana responding to his excitement. He wanted to get started.

  “Daniel,” Finn said aloud.

  The AI immediately flashed into existence, a burning orange-and-red ball that danced and spun next to Finn. “Yes, sir. What can I assist you with today?” Daniel asked, sounding a bit petulant. Perhaps it had been a while since Finn had last summoned him.

  “Scan all four of these books,” Finn ordered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the AI as he waved at the spellbooks on the floor. “Compile the incantations and hand gestures for all twelve spells. Specifically, I want you to look for patterns in the syntax and diction of the incantations.”

  “Sure… fine,” the AI groused before diving toward the books. In a flash, Daniel had scanned the four books, bobbing and dancing in the air as he processed the information.

  “I do notice several patterns,” Daniel said a moment later. His voice sounded slightly distracted, as though he was processing the information.

  “Show me,” Finn ordered.

  The UI in front of Finn suddenly shifted. The incantations for all twelve spells floated in front of him, the arcane symbols painted a translucent blue. Daniel began to parse each line of symbols, identifying similarities between the text and highlighting specific phrases and symbols among the various incantations. Many were observations that Finn had made using his small sample set of spells.

  Each incantation was broken into a rhyming couplet composed of two lines and a certain number of syllables – which also translated to brush strokes for the written symbols. Finn’s assumption was that more-complicated spells likely contained additional lines, which had been at least partially confirmed by the fragments of Brutus’ golem spell he had managed to record.

  Then Daniel began highlighting certain specific symbols among the text, showing alternating patterns. The AI didn’t propose a theory, only showing similarities in brush strokes, basic symbols, and meaning.

  Finn’s eyes suddenly widened, something clicking in his head.

  “Stop,” he ordered. “Go back two patterns.”

  The AI did as he instructed, words highlighted in each of the twelve incantations.

  “Now cluster these spells together,” Finn said, tapping at the incantations. Daniel had soon organized the spells into three groups.

  “I’m an idiot,” Finn muttered to himself.

  The answer was staring him in the face.

  One category of spells was all single-target. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Ice Bolt, and Slow. Each incantation had incorporated this designator symbol into the body of the spell. Placement didn’t seem important, only that the symbol denoting the spell type was included. The same key phrases also appeared in area-of-effect and defensive spells like Magma Armor or Fire Nova.

  In short, each novice spellbook contained one single-target spell, one AOE spell, and one defensive spell and each spell contained a clear designator among the incantation. This was also an interesting takeaway. It meant that nearly all the novice mages would be working with these same basic three categories.

  “Shift forward one pattern,” Finn said.

  New symbols were now highlighted, denoting a specific affinity. For example, all of the fire spells contained a variant of the “fire” symbol, with only minor brush strokes altering the meaning. The same pattern was replicated among the other three spell groups.

  Finn couldn’t believe that he hadn’t noticed this before – although he supposed it would have been difficult with a sample set of only two spells.

  His mind was racing. He now had a basic set of rules. The question was whether this was enough to let him create something new.

  There was really only one way to find out.

  “Daniel, incorporate these four rules into the mod. Syntax, symbol limits, and these two required keyword types,” he instructed, tapping the two spells. “For higher-ranked spells, journeyman-level and above, let’s assume we need to add a second couplet as well as at least one new keyword,” Finn said slowly, speaking partly to himself.

  “Also, identify possible keywords and their synonyms. These will be general categories of spells. Single target, AOE, defense, utility.” Finn was already mentally reviewing his vocabulary lessons, and he realized that there were very few synonyms for these categories. Perhaps this was a telling fact.

  “Of course, si
r,” Daniel replied, sounding pleased that he could be helpful. A few seconds passed. “The changes have been made.”

  Now was the moment of truth.

  Finn just needed to decide what he wanted to try to create. He looked down at a book, noting that he had been using the dagger Julia had given him as a bookmark to keep track of one page. A stray idea crossed his mind, and he snatched at the blade.

  Finn set the dagger on the stone floor in front of him.

  “Icarus,” he said aloud. The mod’s UI shifted, showing the spell creation panel.

  Finn made several assumptions immediately. “Journeyman spell,” he instructed. The UI shifted, showing four lines comprised of two couplets.

  “Enchantment, fire,” Finn said, identifying the affinity and one category keyword. The requisite symbols soon hovered near the first two lines.

  What would the second category keyword be? he thought to himself.

  “Utility,” he said aloud. The word sprang to his lips almost without conscious thought. This keyword now floated near the second couplet along with the symbol for fire again. Daniel must have noticed a pattern in the fragment of Brutus’ spell. Finn gave him an appreciative nod and the glowing orange cloud flashed once in response.

  “Can you show the different possible iterations with this basic spell structure?” Finn asked, holding his breath. He could practically feel his heart thudding in his ears.

  The words shifted as Daniel sorted through dozens of possible incantations. Invalid versions turned red and disappeared at a rapid pace. Soon, only three variants hovered in front of Finn.

  Without giving himself time to second-guess his reasoning, Finn’s hands began moving as he recited the first incantation. The hand gestures were entirely intuition. Finn knew he needed to direct the flow of mana from his body and into the dagger. That was enough. Or at least he hoped it was enough.

  As he finished the first incantation, nothing happened.

  The dagger still lay there – plain and unchanged.

  “Shit,” Finn muttered. Then he began the next spell.

  This time, the process felt different. He could sense his mana responding to the hand gestures, flowing out of his body. He also felt a subtle “click” as he recited each word as though they were tumblers in some sort of arcane lock. He could see flames begin to materialize around the blade, twisting and writhing like a living thing as the metal began to glow with a dull red light.

  Then Finn spoke the final word of the incantation.

  The flames squeezed against the blade, becoming a solid mass of fire that burned along the metal. A flaming dagger rested on the cool stone, charring the dust on the floor.

  With trembling fingers, Finn reached forward and grabbed the hilt. Despite the flames and the heated metal, it only felt warm to the touch – much like his Magma Armor.

  Two notifications appeared in his peripheral vision.

  New Spell: Imbue Fire

  You have discovered a new spell, granting you the ability to imbue weapons with fire. This spell grants offensive bonuses, causing the blade to deal fire damage. Masters of this art may also imbue objects for defensive purposes, creating flaming armor or altering their environment to their advantage.

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Cost: 100 Mana

  Effect: Imbues a weapon with fire mana, increasing the weapon’s base damage by INT x 5%. Can only be used on unenchanted metal weapons.

  New Skill: Spellcrafting

  Through intensive study, you have discovered the forgotten art of spellcrafting, allowing you to create new spells. The spellcrafters of old were a fearsome breed, capable of using this world’s magical laws to weave together magics in a dazzling array of devastation and carnage. You should keep this skill to yourself, as many of these mages were hunted for the danger they represented to both themselves and to others.

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Effect: Ability to create novice and journeyman-ranked spells.

  “Spell created successfully,” Daniel reported belatedly. Finn’s UI updated automatically as the AI added Imbue Fire into Finn’s regular spellbook.

  Finn couldn’t help but bark out a laugh, the sound echoing harshly in the empty stone room. The triumphant smile painted across his face was illuminated by the flickering light of the burning dagger in his hand. His feverish study and preparation had finally paid off.

  Now it was time to see how he fared in the duels.

  Chapter 23 - Fiery

  When Finn arrived at the guild courtyard the next morning, he was surprised to see the throng of students already in attendance. Several hundred novices were clustered in the center of the field, their feet kicking up a fine cloud of dust. Hundreds more mages lined the nearby terraces – presumably higher-ranked members of the guild who couldn’t compete in the competition.

  The tension in the air was palpable. Finn could have sworn that if he squinted, he would be able to see streamers of anxiety, fear, and excitement dancing in the air above the crowd of novices. The group was oddly quiet, the combination of low murmurs and whispers creating a faint, worried buzz.

  For his part, Finn didn’t feel that concerned. Instead, excitement burned in his chest and it was a struggle to restrain his fire mana. Here was his chance to finally put all his training and study into practice.

  Finn scanned the crowd briefly, picking out Kyyle’s form nearby. “Hey, how’s it going?” he greeted as he approached the earth mage.

  “Fantastic, actually,” Kyyle replied in a dry voice. “Today, I get to start competing in an ongoing deathmatch for the next two weeks straight. Didn’t care for sleeping or eating much anyway,” he muttered.

  Finn had to chuckle at that. Indeed, with the way the competition was structured, the victor might very well be the player who was able to stay logged in the longest. “But think of what you’ll win!” he replied. “An all-expenses-paid trip to some sort of mega-death gauntlet competing against two other guilds for control of this messed-up slave city!”

  Kyyle barked out a laugh, the sound seeming out of place among the crowd of worried novices. The other students must have agreed since they glared in their general direction.

  A thought occurred to Finn then, something that had been pestering him since he studied the novice spellbooks. He had concluded that the novice mages all knew basically the same three spells. However, the spell that Kyyle had cast in their bout with Brutus was new. The way he had dissolved the sand beneath the golems and their instructor was nothing like any of the spells Finn had found in the workbooks. Thinking back to the monk-like man that had sponsored Kyyle, his guess was that some of the faculty had been bending the rules.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Finn began cautiously. “How did you learn that spell you used against Brutus? I haven’t met any other earth mages that know that spell.”

  “So, you’ve been talking to other students?” Kyyle replied, side-eyeing Finn with a grin. “That seems out of character. I thought you just disappeared in a puff of smoke as soon as you were done with your single class. You’ve barely spoken to anyone.” The earth mage shifted his gaze back to the stone podium in the center of the courtyard. “Maybe I should be asking you what you’ve been up to in the northern complex. I thought it was abandoned,” Kyyle continued.

  Damn, this kid is observant. He needed to be more careful in the future.

  Finn shrugged, grinning slightly, and trying to dissemble. “What can I say, I’m an enigma wrapped in a mystery.” He didn’t nudge Kyyle, just let his original question linger in the air.

  The other mage sighed. “Okay, I might have found a spellbook that Gaius left lying out,” Kyyle said, lowering his voice and glancing at the nearby students.

  “And I guess we’re assuming this was an accident…” Finn offered, trailing off and letting the implicit question hang there.

  Kyyle smiled. “We’re actually not going to question that too hard.”

  So, Gaius was cheating, F
inn thought. He supposed Brutus might have done something similar with Finn since he had taught him Multi-Casting. That had interesting implications. The faculty had a stake in this competition, after all. Whoever won would not only control the city but the guild as well. Which meant that with the right amount of discretion, the teachers could play favorites and dole out additional spells and skills. That meant that some of the other students might have a few tricks up their sleeves as well.

  “Good morning,” a voice whispered through the air. Finn whirled. It almost felt like the person was speaking over his shoulder, yet there was nothing when he turned to look – just other wide-eyed students looking similarly confused.

  As his gaze shifted back to the stone platform in the center of the courtyard, Finn saw Abbad standing calmly upon the stone surface, flanked by a group of more veteran mages.

  The librarian continued in a normal voice, yet his words were carried upon the wind, making it seem like he was standing right beside each person in the crowd – as though he was speaking just to them. “This morning, we will start the duels. As the headmaster explained, there will be some variations from our normal rules.

  “To summarize, anyone may initiate a duel by touching one of the pedestals on the dais with your token. At that point, you will be unable to leave the dais and will be randomly assigned to an opponent. If you have been summoned to a duel, your token will flash with a unique symbol. Once you have been notified of the duel, you will have 15 minutes to return to the courtyard. If you fail to show up to the dais on time, points will automatically be given to whoever initiated the duel. To enter the duel, you and your opponent need only tap your tokens together.”

  Abbad’s gaze swept across the field, meeting Finn’s eyes for a fraction of a second. “The competitors will then be teleported to a random environment. Please be aware that these areas are locations within the world, and they may contain ambient wildlife.