Failed Inscriptions

" Only a few hours has passed, i didn't expect you to come back so fast. What made you want to learn?" The old man asked, glancing at Levi from the corner of his eyes.

" Money." Levi said simply.

" Money...." The old man paused as his faced contorted.

"Aahahahaha! You are just like me when i was younger! Money! Hahaha!" He continued, not able to hold back his laughter, Levi kept silent.

" Who is this boy, old gray?" The other old man asked the old tailor.

" This kid's name is...uh.." The old tailor scratched his head, deep in thought.

" I don't know his name." He confessed.

The other old man pinched the bridge of his nose, this old friend of his was always so carefree.

" Levi...." Levi said impatiently.

" He said something about learning inscriptions from you, i didn't know you got yourself a disciple." The other old man said with a questioning tone.

" He isn't my disciple, i'm teaching him inscriptions." Old gray said.

" Oh? Hmm..." The old man looked at old gray before turning to look at Levi, a sly look in his eyes.

" what are you plotting, you old snake?" Seeing the expression on his friends face, old gray knew he was up to something.

" Hmm, nothing extreme. Boy, why don't you bec-" Before he could finish, Levi's cold voice inturupted him.

" No." Levi said.

" Ahahahahahah! Y-You, hahahaah! Did you think that he would become your disciple?! You should know better!! Hahaha!" Old gray burst out laughing once again, tears flowing as he laughed his lungs out.

" You should have known that he would refuse. I didn't even ask him to become my disciple, do you know why?" Old gray asked after laughing.

The old man was trembling with anger.

Not because Levi rejected him, but because his old friend just kept laughing.

' It's not that funny, ok? You don't need to laugh that hard.' He thought.

" Why?" The old man pushed down his anger and asked.

" Because from the time i first met him, i knew that he was a stubborn fool! Just like me! Hahaha!" Old gray burst out laughing once again.

" I'm glad you know that you are a fool!" Yhe old man was unable to restrain his anger any longer as he slapped the table.

" Anyway, old lin, this kid won't become your disciple, so don't even try." Old gray said, a touch of seriousness returning to his face.

" Catch, boy." Old gray reached out and a thick book flew from somewhere, into his hand, before he threw it towards Levi.

" Hmm, your strenght is also lacking, so, take this one too." He threw another book at Levi.

" Now memorise everything in the book about inscriptions. You can practice the commandment skills as you please." Old gray said as he waved Levi away.

Levi activated the coat's invisibility and left the clothes shop once again, before going back to the inn.

In his room, he sat on the bed, a large book in his hands as he read it's contents.

" So those patterns were made from even smaller structures that are not visible....Qi is also not the only form of energy inscriptions can be made from...." His reading speed was fast, but he read the book thoroughly.

A few hours passed before he finished reading through it.

Tap!

The large book closed with a light tap, as Levi gently put it down on his bed.

Picking up the other book, he looked at the cover.

The title read, 'the four commandments.'

" The four commandments...wind, cloud, water and lighting..." After reading for a few minutes, he put the open book faced down on the bed.

Fuuu!

Levi sucked in a large breath, and proceeded to hold it for a few seconds.

He was trying the lightning commandment, which required rhythmic breathing.

The book explained simply that breathing in this way would allow qi to build up in the body, in such a way that would enable one to produce a lightning like qi.

Beads of sweat appeared on Levi's forehead as he continued the harsh breathing technique.

About half an hour later, his clothes were soaked with sweat and his eyes bloodshot.

Thump!

He could not hold on any longer as he collapsed.

But before his body touched the ground, a tiny flicker of blue could be seen.

...

" Unnhhg...." Levi slowly opened his eyes.

He got up and looked around before remembering what happened.

Looking through the window, outside was pitch black.

Looking at his clothes, the sweat completely dried up, leaving only a slightly uncomfortable sticky feeling.

As he had wasted so much time, Levi sat on the ground immediately. He pulled out a silver coin from the spatial ring and placed it on the ground in front of him.

Without a word, a small black flame appeared before his forehead, as his qi erupted from his body.

He used his mental energy to accurately move the qi, forming 3 small patterns before stacking them.

He then coated the stacked pattern with mental energy and attempted to attach it to the coin.

Failed.

The pattern broke apart when it touched the coin.

What he was trying to inscribe was a simple heat inscription.

If qi was channeled into it, it would rapidly heat up.

For example, if the coin was to be inscribed with this heat inscription, depending on the output of qi, the coin could be melted.

Without a word, he tried again.

He used his mental energy to control the qi and create the patterns.

After stacking them, he coated them with mental energy and attempted to attach them to the silver coin.

Failed.

Before the pattern got close to the coin, it broke apart and scattered into nothingness.

Levi continued, ignoring his failure.

Over and over and over again, he tried but failed.

" AGHHHHHHHHHH!" He shouted in anger.

This shout woke a number of people. the old innkeeper jumped from his sleep, but after remembering what happened in the day, he covered his head with his pillow and stayed silent.

After some of his anger was alleviated by the shout, he began again.

Levi used his mental energy to direct the qi, making the patterns with ease before stacking them.

Using his last bit of mental energy, he coated the patterns and sent them towards the coin.

The patterns floated down slowly, as they reached the coin, they started to slowly sink into it.

But before they could fully go into the coin, Levi's mental energy faded away as it was all used up, causing the patterns without protection to break apart once again.

Watching this scene, Levi didn't even have the strength to shout, he could only scream angrily on the inside.