[Noether’s Lock] was the kind of spell that Orion doubted could be cast by anyone but him.
He was sure a tier four mage might be able to brute-force the issue or replicate his work with alternative methods easily, but actually casting the spell? No, that was simply impossible without Knowledge of advanced relativity.
It was a spell that fully exploited the malleability of reality in this dimension, influenced by the Mana Field, and set conditions that would otherwise be impossible, such as making atomic movements much more energy-intensive.
[Slow] could be achieved using the same principle, if only applied to energy instead of matter.
It may have been overkill to bring universal principles into what should have been a simple spell, but Orion was trying to push it far beyond its original limits.
“It’s become clear why I haven’t seen crystalized spells for sale. Enchantments that pull mana out of the Mana Field are one thing, but no one is making already-cast spells. Or if they are, they are keeping it a secret.” Either way, Orion was pretty sure he was about to do something revolutionary.
The enormous strategic advantage of being able to cast magic without using mana was already enough to disrupt the balance among the factions, especially if he figured out how to produce crystals for higher-tier spells, and not just basic cantrips.
That’s probably a while off, since I still need to learn how to reliably craft them. But one day… one day, I could be a one-man army.
This knowledge was dangerous. Not in the same way as his casting style or other spells he’d developed, which, if made public, would reveal to the world that he was like an alien. No. This was more like Samuel Colt’s “invention” of the revolver.
He wasn’t the first to come up with the idea, nor the first to turn it into a reality, but his product was so good that it shifted from a niche item to being mass-produced, fundamentally changing warfare and providing everyone with a deadly option that wouldn’t be depleted after one use.
This was a tough dilemma for a scientist. Anyone with a basic understanding of history knew that seemingly innocent discoveries could often lead to the development of terrible weapons, but that was a secondary consequence. Here, he would be making the weapon himself.
I might need to keep this to myself, even after I start teaching my style. Not necessarily forever, but I need a clearer understanding of the consequences. This means I should be cautious with how I use these for now. No showing, I guess.
That decided, Orion got to work. The first step was to break down the basic formula he had created for [Slow] into parts, feeding it to the Computing Crystal to separate the actual quantitative data from the make-believe.
Secondly, he started developing an actual formula to represent his Intent and Knowledge.
To do that, he needed to determine the Hamiltonian, which was easily accomplished by simply translating his work from [Noether’s Lock]. More challenging was determining the relative time compression, and since he was aiming for indefinite timekeeping, he had to get that as close to infinite as possible. Finally, he had to ensure energy stability apart from himself, but for that, he plugged in the data he’d obtained from watching Set cast.
Eventually, he arrived at a formula he was certain would do the job. U_Slow(t) = exp[ ? i H T_eff(t) ∕ ? ].
Still, he wasn’t finished. He could feel this metaspell would work, but he had another card to play, especially since he could only invest so much mana into a tier one metaspell like this. That meant there was a hard limit on how long he could keep spells in stasis.
As it stands, I can probably contain magic in a crystal for a few hours. That’s better than the seconds I could do at first, but I know I can get better results.
Feeding the formula to the CC, Orion settled on the floor, focusing on its inner workings and trying to improve efficiency as much as possible.
U_Slow(t) = exp[ ?i H ( t ? (1 ? χ) Λ(t) ) / ? ]
χ = exp( ?κ E_s )
Λ(t) = ∫?^t W(τ; t?, ΔT) dτ
if E_s → ∞ :
χ → 0
U_Slow(t) = exp[ ?i H ( t ? Λ(t) ) / ? ]
? T_eff = constant (stasisRetrieve:
release_key → set χ = 1
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
? U_Slow(t) resumes normal evolution
An hour later, he opened his eyes with a smile, and on the edge of his mind, a System notification blinked to life.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
+21.200 Exp
Level up!
Giddy about his success on something that had stumped him for days, Orion didn’t hesitate to take out the quartz piece he’d first tried to enchant and ran the new spell code through the CC, feeling the mana smoothly settle into it.
The spell he had decided to capture was once again the humble [Torchlight], as even if it went off later than expected, it wouldn’t cause any harm besides possibly waking him up in the middle of the night, but he was confident that wouldn’t happen, not with how smoothly everything had gone.
I suppose I’ll find out in a couple of days. A sevenfold increase in mana efficiency from the formula I devised is almost discouraging, but it only encourages me to improve. I can’t wait to outgrow the CC and create a new version.
Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too far off in the future. With this new level, Orion had reached forty-three, meaning he only needed seven more to get to tier two, where his class bonuses would increase, and his Traits would improve even further.
It almost felt unfair how much better I was compared to the other students at the Sanctum, but after coming to Valderun, I realized it was naive. There are some real monsters roaming around, even outside the spotlight that being a member of a major faction casts on you.
He was good, there was no denying that, and false modesty had never been part of his nature. But he wasn’t good enough to step up as a major player.
Fortunately, he still had time before he had to leave. For now, his only concern was handling small issues, like Isobel’s smiling face greeting him as he stepped out of the training room, which felt more ominous than he was comfortable with.
“Hello there,” she said, tilting her head just right to catch the crystal light twinkling off her sharp horns. “The Guildmaster has asked to see you once you're finished with your session.”
For a moment, Orion seriously considered stepping back inside and slamming the door in her face, barricading himself long enough to make Pauline search for him. He didn’t like surprises, especially not an encounter with a tier four monster like Vatat’akon, but this could also be a chance if he played his cards right.
“Yeah, I’m done,” he replied with a sigh, and Isobel smiled as if he had answered with enthusiasm.
“Wonderful, then follow me, I’ll take you to him.”
And so they took the staircase, leaving behind the training rooms, and stepping back onto the main floor, only for Isobel to lead him through several side corridors and up another flight of stairs.
“This part of the Guild is off-limits to outsiders,” she said before adding, “Usually, that is. Old friends of the Guildmaster sometimes come and go, but there isn’t much that can be done to stop those guys.”
Her laughter was gentle, and her tone just right—sympathetic, but not too much so—to encourage him to open up without coming across as fake.
The Orion of Earth would have failed to see through it. He would have taken the bait and complained about his own problems with the powerhouses that had taken an interest in him. The him of now knew exactly what she was doing, even though he didn't understand why she would probe him.
“Is it really tough to deal with people like that?” He asked, not adding anything else.
Isobel didn’t show any discomfort with her failure and shrugged. “Sometimes. I tend to stay away, as halfbreeds like me aren’t usually liked, but the types who are friends with the Guildmaster aren’t ones to care about stuff like that. I imagine it’s much the same for you, considering all the changes happening in the Collegium. Staying under the radar is key for kids like us.”
Her eyes shimmered in the sunlight flowing through the windows, and he could barely detect the annoyance there at his dodging her question. That she would probe again, using her own sob story as bait, told him she was far more ruthless than she initially appeared, but he supposed a city like Valderun would turn even a newborn bunny into a fierce beast.
Ah, that’s right. I did make her think I was part of the Collegium. Is that what’s going on here? They think I have an inside scoop on what’s happening as they prepare for the Senate vote?
Meeting Set probably only worsened the problem, and now that he thought about it, his elderly friend had mentioned that they had known each other since he could barely read, which could technically mean just before his exile to the Sanctum.
Oh man, this might be a bit of an issue.
“I wouldn’t know,” he replied evasively, which only seemed to sharpen Isobel’s interest, if the predatory gleam in her eyes was any clue.
Fortunately for him, even the Guild wasn’t endless, and they reached a warm, honey-brown door that was ajar. Before either of the two could say anything to break the silence, a voice called from inside.
“Come in, boy.”
Orion’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he turned to see Isobel click her tongue, then nod at him before turning on her heels. Apparently, not being called in meant she couldn’t join the discussion.
He sighed and pushed the door all the way open and walked in.
I really need to stop making a habit of meeting powerful elders in secret. One day, it’s going to go wrong, and there won't be anyone to save me.
Of course, that assumed he even had the power to stop being forced to go to these meetings at all…
The office was the same rich color as the door, with wooden paneling covering the walls, ceiling, and floor, while plush rugs softened his steps.
It was quite impressive and would have made the old Dean of his university green with envy, given the numerous hunting trophies covering the walls, but Orion had eyes only for Vatat’akon, who sat behind a solid wooden desk, staring at him with hooded eyes.
“Sit down,” the half-dragonkin grunted.
He didn’t have horns or other physical signals like Isobel, but his eyes were clearly draconic, and Orion was pretty sure he was doing something to hide parts of his appearance, even if the spell was too advanced for [Verification Principle] to analyze. That, and his name was a dead giveaway. Who else but a dragonkin would be named Vatat’akon?
He obeyed the man’s command, taking a seat on one of the two wooden chairs in front of the desk, and forced himself to sit still and silent. He had been summoned, and since he was in the man’s territory, he couldn’t refuse, but he wouldn’t submit to every whim, especially not to petty intimidation tactics like these.
Eventually, it was the Guildmaster who broke the silence, “I have known Suketh for almost a century. I have seen him rise and fall in the Collegium’s hierarchy, sometimes through his own machinations, and sometimes because of his enemies. When he was exiled, many thought he’d be gone for good, having finally stepped on Mallon’s toes too hard, but I never did. I know what kind of manipulative, cold creature hides in his heart, and still consider him my friend.”
Again, Orion remained silent. He couldn’t say he fully agreed with the picture Vatat’akon was painting, but he admitted that he didn’t know Set as well as the man in front of him.
“So imagine my surprise when he calls on me after returning and doesn’t mention his plans for coming back. He doesn’t bring up the favors he needs to cash in to manipulate the Senate into doing his bidding. No, the only thing he wanted to talk about was you.” Vatat’akon grunted, seeming close to snarling. “So, what are the two of you doing? Are you acting as your father’s messenger?”
