"How are things below?" Lev asked during his resting period. His mana was low, and his mind was also fried from the manipulation practice earlier that day.

  "Do you really want to know?"

  "Of course?" Lev gave him a confused glance. "If I'm causing it, then it is also my responsibility."

  "Is it really?" Drakys questioned back, looking at him intently.

  Lev thought for a few seconds before replying. "I get where you're coming from. I'm just a newly evolved mage while the world is sending monsters my way that need an Exalted to deal with. It is beyond unfair but at the same time, the alternative is not caring. Even if I get nothing out of risking my life for others, becoming indifferent to the value of life is something I will prevent at all costs."

  Drakys exhaled, regretful about the answer he was going to give. "They're horrible. In the past 15 days, I have killed 233 third-threshold monsters, along with many, many more weaker ones."

  Nobody spoke for a while. Both now knew something had to change. Lev was already contemplating where he would stay after Drakys left to put nobody in danger, while Drakys was thinking of how to give Lev a safe environment to practice in.

  "What are you thinking?"

  "Considering where I can best train with my team. Once I am done here, I will go to Windkeep and request Sherron to be stationed there if possible. That way, I can deal with the constant waves, observe new hunters and how teams cooperate, and also eventually reach Master by hunting at the edges of the dreadwoods."

  "The plan is sound, except these underground monsters don't hold a candle to the creaturess roaming the dreadwoods. How do you plan to deal with them?"

  "I was only planning to go if Sherron was also present."

  "The range would indeed allow some freedom of movement, but you can't expect her to accompany you at all times, can you?"

  "I wasn't going to ask her to in the first place. As long as she's present on the wall, I can safely hunt at the edges of the woods."

  Drakys chuckled. "Fair enough. Though I doubt she would say no to staying by your side."

  "… I think I will let her decide," Lev grinned back. "Either way, it will work out in my favor. What's next on the agenda?"

  "Your armor. I will teach you several formations, ranging from incredibly basic to something I am still working on. Rest for today."

  Lev did just that. For a long while, he did some light practice with mana streams. It barely cost him anything but at least he didn't have to sit idly the entire time.

  After just an hour, it got boring. Without giving it his all, time passed very slowly, especially because he was not holding back his perception. Every second was longer.

  Getting up, Lev moved to the edge of the sphere closest to the wall in the distance. The spells being launched at the monsters were visible even at such a great distance, courtesy of explosive elements producing so much light.

  Drakys had vanished, so he let his thoughts wander while keeping an eye on his surroundings. The people at the wall could test the limits of their skills freely but Lev didn't regret going to the pit. Where it had taken three months for his skill to reach the end of the second rank, they would've taken a year or more down here.

  Despite that, Lev wondered what a normal life would've been like. If he wasn't connected to a past life, and also didn't have the titles and advantages he did.

  He wouldn't have met his mentor or his friends. He would still be goofing around somewhere with kids his age, living a normal life. Not becoming a hunter was out of the equation. If something drastic didn't change his nature, Lev couldn't imagine his alternate self shying away from jumping amidst the hordes.

  What would he have chosen, then? Lev only chose barriers because he was going to ask a famous barrier mage to teach him. Without that influence, he would've definitely picked a warrior class. Who would've taught him, or what his preferences would've been, Lev didn't know.

  That brought his thoughts to his future team. What were they doing right now, and why was the answer training? A chuckle escaped his lips. If Orianna had chosen them because they could match Lev's ambitions, then they were definitely pushing themselves right now.

  Healer, Warrior, and Defender. Shield is the official term for a tank, and Defender is the most generally used term. I can't imagine someone without a matching personality ever picking that road, so I'm definitely curious about what kind of gentleman he is going to be.

  The girls… what am I supposed to even think about them? The Healer will most definitely be someone kind or the complete opposite, though I'm more inclined to believe it will be the former. The warrior on the other hand, will be fierce. Fire and Sword, a combo that would require a matching will. If someone will be my rival, it will likely be her.

  The prospect did not sound negative in the least. If he could push his teammates further with a friendly rivalry, all the better. The other two would surely follow. Lev doubted they weren't great friends if they were already a team.

  Several scenarios of how he could create obstacles similar to the ones Drakys made for him flashed through Lev's mind. He kept note of all of them, always coming up with new things to help his team improve. He wondered if they knew how strong he would be compared to them.

  Perhaps it is better if they don't. Without knowing the exact difference, they wouldn't get dependent on my presence if I don't reveal too much. Or maybe they already know.

  Only time would tell. Sighing, Lev got ready to practice mana manipulation again. The spells shot from atop the walls never stopped as he pushed the stream of mana through increasingly complex pathways.

  The current obstacle was separating the stream into five and then sending them down a maze of thin pathways. It was hellish, and Lev wasn't taking it seriously either. He needed to remain fresh for when Drakys returned.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  ****

  "What level is your repository?"

  "One," Lev replied, looking at the list of runes blankly. "These are the most basic runes?"

  "They are. Runes that use willpower are much more complex than normal runes, but they are similarly versatile. To be a proper enchantment instead of a hindrance, this is the minimum level of complexity you can get away with. Believe me, these are incredibly simple in nature."

  "I … see. Do skills make such a big difference to create such formations on the fly?"

  "Skills help," Drakys agreed, "but they are not the greatest factor. When you have proper control over your aura and willpower after becoming a Master, a part of your mind can work automatically without requiring input as long as you practice enough. Your subconsciousness knows what to do and takes over, letting you enchant without requiring much focus."

  "Willpower again," Lev moved to the next page of runes. "I hope my title makes a noticeable difference."

  Drakys shook his head, smiling. "Each of us Exalted would do anything to have that title. You are lucky to have it, especially with your chosen class."

  "Time will tell if it really is that good," Lev shrugged. He had yet to notice any benefit from the title, and his attributes had increased quite a bit already.

  [

  Wanderer's Repository has reached Level 2

  ]

  "What parts do the levels improve the most in the repository?"

  "Capacity, mostly. The rest see little improvements. Our version does not make it any easier to learn runes. If the event is not significant enough for you, there's little chance of finding runes. Or at least, that is what I have observed. Despite fighting monsters that could kill thousands of humans in seconds, I rarely stumble upon new runes."

  Lev took in that information. "Mine just leveled."

  Drakys nodded before explaining the real purpose of the runes. "The large ones you see are the ones that use willpower. I've increased their size for your convenience and because your armor is devoid of any formations, so you aren't pressed for space. The first is a directed empowerment rune. It will be the main bridge between your mind and the enchantment. If you want to throw a kick, it will take some mental gymnastics for the rune to empower the kick in the right direction.

  "The second rune is a simple funnel. It will allow precise control over the flow of mana, which will let you throttle the empowerment at will. The third rune is a higher-quality connector. It has no actual uses beyond letting you exert willpower easier and allowing your armor to handle the strain of the formation better. The rest are supportive runes, things like controlling direction, setting boundaries for limbs, clear mana flow, overflow runes, and the like. Start by practicing the three largest runes on your barriers."

  Having no questions, Lev formed a round shield and started carving. His first few attempts were unsurprisingly horrendous. It took half a minute to gradually hollow out the barrier in the shape of the largest rune, yet it was still wobbly.

  The upside was that the practice took practically no mana. It was covered entirely by his regeneration with a lot to spare.

  The next hour passed in silence. Carving in his barriers produced no sounds and Drakys also vanished again.

  [

  Barrier Carving has reached Level 2

  ]

  By the 200th attempt, Lev considered the rune adequate. Its efficiency would still be average, around 70%, but that would increase with practice and familiarity.

  He started working on the second rune after that. It was considerably easier, though he suspected he wouldn't have felt that before the last hour of practice.

  Drakys returned after a few hours when Lev was cycling through every single rune needed for the formation. The largest of the rune he could form within a few seconds, rarely more than ten. The small runes took three seconds each at most. By constantly carving runes and then filling up his barrier again to erase them, the practice progressed smoothly.

  "You don't need to practice specific runes so much," Drakys off-handedly commented after returning, more a reminder just in case Lev had forgotten.

  "I know," Lev replied, still focused on the carving. "Focusing on speed right now and how little mistakes affect the overall efficiency. It is hard to guess exactly right now but after so much repetition, I can gauge how much every little error is affecting the whole thing."

  "Shelve that for now. Finishing a formation for the first time is a valuable experience. Let's work towards that first."

  "What do I need to do?"

  Drakys focused on the air in front of them, forming a transparent barrier before a complete formation appeared on it. The whole process took only a second, leaving Lev stupidly blinking at the display.

  "You simply have to carve this on your armor's chest. Even though it doesn't really matter, keep it centered."

  "Very simple," Lev muttered before sitting on the stone chair in the center of the sphere. The chair was quickly becoming a comfort spot.

  His barrier armor covered him in an instant, smaller now because Lev now remained outside of the illusion armor.

  The three middle runes are the most troublesome, so I will start with them first. The smaller runes can be done between finishing the larger ones.

  Cracking his neck, Lev got to work. The first rune he carved was directed empowerment, the most complex of the three. It was as large as the size of his palm, riddled with twists and turns.

  He took his time. Several minutes passed before it was finished. Comparing it to the formation drawn by Drakys, Lev deemed it passable. Runes connected only to the first rune formed afterwards before he carved the second large rune.

  Ten minutes later, Lev finished the last stroke of the rune to complete the formation. Without prompting, he sent a small amount of mana into it. It took a moment for the mana to cycle through the entire formation before a connection snapped into place.

  Lev blinked, tilting his head at the new sensation. Not unlike his barriers, he could now feel a bridge between his mind and the formation on his armor. He silently probed the cool new addition without powering the enchantment. It was impressively stable, and Lev knew he could dump a lot of mana inside the formation without a problem. The amount would only be hindered by his Constitution as mana still needed to enter the armor through his body.

  "How does the connection feel?"

  "Straightforward for now. I can tell it will be difficult to get used to giving manual input to the enchantments," Lev replied. "How do I do that?"

  Drakys didn't reply straight away. "What do you mean straightforward?"

  "Hmm? I can sort of feel the entire formation through the connection. The feedback will likely become clearer once I cycle mana through it."

  "And you were worrying about the title not paying off," Drakys mused with a smile. "This formation is simple by my standards. You were supposed to have problems connecting with all of it, let alone utilize it properly."

  "Is this not normal?" Lev questioned, not feeling any mental strain from the connection.

  "Not really. Using a formation like this is trivial for the average Master. Willpower can also be improved through practice and specific training, like a muscle, so even Adepts can utilize such enchantments to an impressive degree. You however, have no prior experience in utilizing willpower. Forming and maintaining a connection should not have been so easy."

  "Does blocking attacks with barriers not count as willpower training?"

  "No, that is a more direct use of your mental faculties. Willpower requires intent, and keeping barriers in place is a very basic application of that."

  I would like to apologize, my dear title. You are absolutely gorgeous just the way you are.

  "What are we waiting for then? How do I use this enchantment, and what is it even called?"

  "Controlled Enhancement is the name but yours is a simplified version of it. Take a few moments to move around and see if that affects the formation in any way."