The Infinite Richess!
Tia sat in silence on her bed, her gaze fixed upon the pot cradling two glittering, glowing gems—red and transparent, each as large as peanuts.
Beside them, a human heart shined and pulsed with an otherworldly radiance. As she focused her energy, a mesmerizing magic circle began to emit a soft, ethereal glow while under her skilled guidance, mana gracefully swirled around the heart, gradually intensifying in its power.
'A bit more, and it should crystalize the heart, using the two gems as seeds.'
The heart melted while bubbling, slowly melting into a liquid that shone like liquified light of various colors. In a graceful dance, it flowed and swirled, enveloping the two gems and cleansing their smooth, shiny surfaces.
Tia gently closed her eyes, and as she did, the gems within the smaller outer rings ignited with even more intense brilliance. The swirling liquified mana hastened its rotation, slowly thickening until it started to stick to gems that slowly grew smaller and smaller.
Gradually, the gems melted, and the residual mana dissipated, leaving behind a red liquid full of mud-like impurities, enough to fill a tiny ampule. Its beauty held an enigmatic allure, mesmerizing the pair of eyes watching it.
'It looks like the mana liquidification worked well.' In a similar way as mana could be extracted and infused, it could also be liquified and crystalized by increasing its concentration.
'I wish I could create enough mana pressure to create a crystal focus, but the liquid one must be enough for now. Still better than using those tiny mana stones.'
Ding!
//
Thanks to your hard work, you have learned a new skill: [Material Assessment (lv 1)]
+1 to INT
//
Ding!
//
Assessment:
Name: Unnamed
Type: Liquified mana
Primary affinities: Fire, Null, Blood
Quality: Poor
Tier: II
//
'Tier two? That isn't so bad. I will name you Fire Blood.'
With this, Tia nodded and grabbed the stick while the glowing liquid floated into the air in a swarm of droplets. Under her will, the stick became malleable, its center vanishing, drilling a hole all the way from its bottom to its tip.
It was imbued with mana controlled and influenced by her, giving her control over it.
The liquid flowed into the hole, reaching its tip from the inside, before it closed and mended, leaving behind only the reddish rod.
'Now, I will only make the core. There is no need to make it separate for such a basic wand. I will just engrave the core enchantment onto its surface.'
She focused again, and four intricate runic letters appeared on it, brightly glowing as mana circulated through them.
Even though her memories were hazy, and it was almost impossible to remember the details, the basic knowledge from her level-one skill helped her.
'Enchant linked with Strength, Control, and Focus' Each rune symbolized a single word, meaning, and concept that controlled the mana and rules of the universe, like console commands controlling computers.
'This is the limit. This focus and conductor can't handle more.'
The conductor only connected the parts together, allowing mana to freely flow while focus directed and overcharged mana and also fueled the core runes that transformed and affected mana flowing through it.
The glowing runes dimmed down, leaving behind only the simple, reddish-white wand that could be mistaken for a dirigent's stick.
Ding!
//
Evaluating the finished product!
Please wait...
//
'Here we go. I can't wait for my hard work to be criticized and made fun of.' She frowned as she saw how imperfect her creation was; it was as if a former university student was sent back to daycare only to realize she wasn't much better than the kids around.
It hurt her self-esteem so much.
Ding!
//
Type: Liquid Focus Integrated-core Wand
Difficulty: You did well with your available materials and tools | [+15 points]
Creation Speed: You rested too long, wasting your time. The next time, try harder | [+3 points]
Mana control improvement factor: x 0.95 null, x 1.10 fire, x 1.10 blood, x 0.95 others | [+10 points]
Spell-magnification factor: x 1.30 null, x 1.80 fire, x 1.40 blood, x 0.80 others | [+13 points]
Special features:
Fire Affinity E | [+10 points]
Null Affinity F | [+5 points]
Blood Affinity F | [+5 points]
Calculating total points, please wait...
//
'Just hurry up with that! How can you calculate it for so long? I would bet you are just doing it to piss me off. You never took so long before!'
Ding!
//
A parasite stealing computation power was detected...
Please wait, as the estimated time needed for calculation may be prolonged.
//
'Come on! It is just a simple addition that you have to do, so stop messing around.'
Ding!
//
Total points: 58
Your reward: +2 WP
Skill progress: [Apprentice Artificing] 0% -> 25%
//
'This isn't that bad. Now, let's see if it will truly work with my Esper powers as they are using the same power as spells.'
With an excited gleam in her eyes, Tia channeled a surge of her power into the wand, causing the tendrils of her telekinesis to extend outward. As she held the wood in her hand, a delightful warmth suffused through it, emphasizing its intricate veins that seemed to pulse as if they were alive.
With childish excitement, Tia playfully waved the wand, and to her utter delight, all the gems, the pot, and even the droplets of blood gracefully ascended into the air, seemingly weightless as if submerged in a gentle underwater current.
Her eyes widened with wonder, resembling radiant stars, as she reveled in the sheer joy and exhilaration of witnessing the ease at which it moved pleasantly surprised her.
'So the wand is not only affecting my magic powers but also my esper powers. You will be perfect until I gather materials for focus rings or even gloves.' She could already see all the money she could make.
'Corporations, powerful espers, and even governments would be willing to wage wars for this. I can literally turn cheap magic wood into pure money!'
Abruptly, the doors groaned on their hinges as they swung open. Startled, Tia spun around to face them, causing all the previously floating objects to descend back to the ground with a cacophonous clanging sound.
The handler stood at the doors, her posture frozen in place, a mix of shock and disapproval evident on her face. "What on earth has happened here?" she questioned sternly, her gaze sweeping over the scene with incredulity. "Were you drawing with blood on the floor? And what in the world is with that pot? Were you eating from it?" Her accusatory tone only added to Tia's unease.
Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Tia shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the handler's cold stare.
The room suddenly felt suffocating as the awkwardness of the situation intensified. She longed to vanish, to escape the judgmental gaze that seemed to penetrate her very being and the shame.
'After this, there is no way they would question my insanity.'
"Doesn't matter. I will send someone to clean it up. Now follow me. It is time for your training."