DanMachi 7

It took me a whole week to learn everything I could about magic from Athena's Library. Olivia, as diligent as she was, with a lot of help from me help finally learned a spell on her second day here and then abandoned me, to practice in our yard. She was quite happy to be able to cast magic, it was a wish come true for her, and I let her have her fun. Her new spell was a projectile Ice spell, named Icicle. It fired out a fast-moving ice shard with fairly good range, and it had an incredibly short chant.

Meanwhile, I figured out how to write the runic script, my skill [Spellcode] seemingly worked with it and allowed me to manually create spell circles and engrave runes into it with mana, one by one. That's when I noticed an interesting thing. The spell circles had tiers, the more runes the spell used the more rows of circles you needed to accommodate them. You couldn't just force fifty runes into one circle, or tier-one, spell. There was a limit of runes in each circle, which grew with each tier exponentially, it started out with 8, then jumped to 64, then went to 512, and so on. The connection between Runes is established by mana pathways. That's how a Rune from a tier one circle, can be affected by a Rune in the other tiers.

There were probably many things I still haven't figured out about this world's magic and I would probably need to meet with Riveria the High-Elf or visit the elf kingdom to learn more. But at this point, I categorized around eighty different runes into three self-named categories: Class, Affinity, and Descriptors.

Let's start with the largest and most important one, Descriptors. They could be described as variables, modifiers, and inputs, and that's why I compared all of this to programming. Adding a descriptor to a class or affinity rune could change how it interacts with a connected rune or even the whole runic sequence. It can change its intensity, size, or even vector of a spell. While using an Area of Effect rune, one of the class runes, you could change its size by using an input rune. Input runes don't increase the cost of the spell, they are mana sinks and act as magical numbers. Adding the rune to the AOE Field Rune's radius input, with mana equal to a let's say eight, will force the spell to form an eight-meter radius circle. For the Cone Rune, another class-type rune, you could create a thin trail of energy shooting out of your finger that goes on for kilometers, or you could make the same energy affect a cone-like area only a meter in front of you, and vaporize everything. This is the way how an AOE Field Earth Affinity runic sequence could create a hole in the ground, bring out a pillar of earth, or even spawn a golem. Descriptors have an important group in them, I call them Recipient runes because they describe who the focus of the spell will be. They consist of four different runes, you, an ally, an enemy, or all. Keep in mind not all spells use a target, but all of them CAN use a target. You could have fun and create an AOE Field spell that would damage only you, and totally ignore everyone else. Descriptors are the main mana sink of a spell, while at the same time, most of them don't cost mana at all. They achieve this by multiplying the mana cost of the runes they interact with. Some of them have a low multiplier of 1.01, but others could go up to ten times the original cost. It all depends on the descriptor you use.

Class refers to the type of the spell, it could be grouped into three sub-groups: Shape, Area of Effect, or Targeted. Projectiles are as the name says, different kind of shapes: Balls, Needles, Slashes, and anything that can be categorized into a shape falls into this category. They tend to be paired with a few descriptors deciding their size, count, speed, or even movement. The area of effect has three main runes, Wall, Field, or Cone. A wall rune needs three Input runes next to it, selecting the start, end, and height of the wall, the field needs two, selecting height and radius, lastly, the cone has size and angle. Targeted sub-group refers to spells that could be categorized as curses, buffs, debuffs, or damage over time effects. This group almost always goes together with the Recipient runes from the Descriptors.

Affinity decides what kind of effect the spell will have. This group is pretty limited, only housing eight different runes: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Life, Death, Darkness, and Light. Each type of affinity has its own rune, and they can be mixed and matched, changing the spell effect. For example, mixing water and fire, with a Mix Descriptor rune, could result in two different results. Depending on which order the affinities go, it could produce ice or steam. Now mix in additional descriptors and you could end up in liquid ice that follows your command or flame that is cold. There are obscure uses for these runes too, by adding them to the mix after a specific Descriptor rune: Fire rune can control anything temperature related, Water anything liquid, Wind anything gas, and Earth anything solid. While Life and Death both control vitality and Darkness and Light control luminescence.

The best part of this system is that all runes could be used together. So let's say you want a spell that buffs allies debuffs the enemies and creates a field of fire damaging enemies and healing allies. You could easily do it by combining the AOE Field rune from the Class group and adding one Fire, two Life, and one Darkness rune to the mix. You'll need Recipient Descriptors to choose the targets and then you'll need Targeted Class Runes for defining if it's a Buff or a Debuff.

The possibilities are endless. The only limit is the casters mana pool and while basic spells barely cost any mana, putting too many descriptors into a spell exponentially rises its cost. So with a bit of experimentation and a lot of failures, I finally made my first self-made spell with this system. In the meanwhile, Runic Language and Spellcode went up by twenty and eight levels respectively.

[Spell: [Mistilteinn] learned]

Grimoire:

...

[Mistilteinn lvl 1]

- The caster creates a sword from any of the eight basic elements or their combinations.

- The sword can be used as a weapon or fired off as a projectile.

- The user has full control of the swords near him, only losing them after firing them off.

- The number of swords summoned can be adjusted while casting.

{Affinity: None}

{Chant: Purge, Mistilteinn.}

Moments later I find myself all alone on the first floor of the dungeon, testing out the spell's effect.

"Purge, Mistilteinn" I cast the spell a single time and eight swords made out of light appear around me. Lighting up all of the caverns. A single cast used up around 250 of my mana per sword summoned and costs 1 mana per second per summoned sword that isn't fired off as upkeep.

I control the swords and force them to rotate around me, creating a circle of bright light. I slowly expand the area and increase the speed of rotation, only to reach a point where I feel like I'm losing control of the spell, then I slow it down a bit. Focusing on keeping the spell centered around me, I take a step forward and the spell moves with me. Looking at me from afar away, you could see a thin yellow ring surrounding me that starts about a meter away from me and ends about two away. The swords created a whooshing sound as they speedily cut through the air. Nodding in satisfaction, I start running around trying to find enemies to test out its capabilities.

Everything that comes into contact with the ring of death was shredded in seconds, the first goblin that entered my range became mincemeat in a blink of an eye. This was the moment I noticed the Repair Rune, which I added to the spell, working the first time. The upkeep for the swords skyrocketed when they interacted with an enemy, going from a 1 mana/sec to a 10 mana/sec for a brief moment, then going back to their original upkeep. The best part of the spell was its ethereal form combined with the Recipient Runes. This way the swords ignored and phased through anything the caster didn't consider an enemy. While the phasing effect did increase the initial mana cost of the spell, it did create an assurance that no accidental friendly fire will happen during a dungeon dive.

After testing out the spell for another hour, I went home and focused on teaching Olivia everything I figured out about the runic system. By the end of my two-hour lecture she has gained a good understanding of the rune system and gained the [Runic Language] and [Spellcode] skills, combined with her already unlocked [Mana Manipulation] skill, she could start her journey into spell creation. I gave her my notes on the runic system and a copy of my index of categorized runes and let her have fun, but I felt she wasn't truly interested.

My next step in mastering this world's magic would be to talk to the High Elf in the Loki familia, but as a level one, I would pull too much attention to myself and paint a target on my back. Additionally, I don't think I could get an audience with her, even if I say that I have unlocked the mysteries of magic. She would just look my way laugh then kick me out of the estate.

So with nothing else to do, I left Olivia in the house and went to the dungeon solo. My attempt to move to a shadow from the first to the second floor was a success, but as I moved to the lower floors when looking through the ground some kind of interference was lowering the range of the spell. So without leveling it up a few more times I was stuck on the fourteenth floor, granting me two quest completion notifications in the process.

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 13] Completed 13 WP(x8) Received]

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 14] Completed 14 WP(x8) Received]

To be honest it felt amazing just to be able to ignore the fog floors and jump all the way to the fourteenth floor in barely a few minutes. Today I was planning on rushing through these floors as fast as I could, killing anything that came my way, and reaching the safety zone on the 18th floor. From the 13th to the 17th floor the dungeon layout changes again. The air feels wet and the light becomes dim. Vertical holes could be found leading toward lower floors at random intervals. The wall, ceiling, and ground are all made out of bedrock and they had tunnels not only on the ground, sometimes requiring the adventurer to climb a wall to reach the next zone.

I cast [Mistilteinn] and I start running, searching for the stairs leading downward. These floors are littered with different types of monsters, making them one of the most populated early floors. My first encounter was with a group of fuckers, also known as Bad Bats. Rising the rotating sphere to the air the bats are shredded into pieces raining guts and blood all over me.

"Note to myself, create a cleaning spell." I say while lowering the spell and centering it around me. My search for the stairs continues till I run into a group of Hellhounds. These dogs, if you can call them that, are the size of a pony, have a hard hide, and can cast fire magic. Not even batting an eye I rush into their group mincing it in the process. After collecting the drops, I move forward.

The last monster type I met on this floor was Hard Armored, an armadillo-like creature with a hard shell, it pulls itself into it and rolls around to attack you. Hitting them with [Mistilteinn]'s shredding zone I notice a huge spike in mana consumption as their shell chip at the durability of the magical swords. Thankfully, they are not a match for the spell and I proceed forward finding the staircase leading down merely a moment later.

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 15] Completed 15 WP(x8) Received]

One thing I noticed was that [Umbra Gradus] cannot be used while [Mistilteinn] is active, it cuts off the connections and disperses the swords, but the spell could be cast the other way around.

Casting [Umbra Gradus] I move into the shadows and while there I cast [Mistilteinn] and emerge in a center of a group of monsters killing them all in the process. Repeating the process, I move through the floor with a much faster pace reaching the 18th floor in record time.

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 16] Completed 16 WP(x8) Received]

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 17] Completed 17 WP(x8) Received]

[Quest: [Dungeon diving 18] Completed 18 WP(x8) Received]

[Strength excelia reached the maximum for the current level, all future Strength excelia will be dispersed.]

[Endurance excelia reached the maximum for the current level, all future Endurance excelia will be dispersed.]

[Dexterity excelia reached the maximum for the current level, all future Dexterity excelia will be dispersed.]

[Agility excelia reached the maximum for the current level, all future Agility excelia will be dispersed.]

On the way to the 18th floor, I even got notifications that most of my stats reached their maximum and that the excess excelia will be voided. I hope the voiding only works till the level is up. With that in mind I check my Falna Stats.

[Falna Status] (Andrew)

Level: 1

Strength: 1,478 (SSS) > 1,500 (SSS)

Endurance: 1,311 (SSS) > 1,500 (SSS)

Dexterity: 1,269 (SSS) > 1,500 (SSS)

Agility: 1,436 (SSS)> 1,500 (SSS)

Magic: 0 (I) > 971 (S)

D.A.: None

Magic: [Umbra Gradus I>G] [Mistilteinn I>F]

Skills: None

Checking the level of [Mistilteinn] in the library system, I confirm that it leveled up all the way to the forties, correlating with the F skill rank in the Falna system. Satisfied with my gains, I look around the 18th floor, locating the town not far away, but I don't approach it. This floor is a bit special, as no monster spawns on it. It had a large crystal on the ceiling that goes dim every twelve hours, imitating the day and night cycle of the outside. That does, however, make me wonder how the dungeon knows about the day-night cycle.

This floor houses multiple lakes and a huge tree in the middle of it. From the knowledge I pillaged, the tree houses the staircase leading to the 19th floor. Ignoring that for now I head back home. While focusing on maxing out my Magic stat on the way there. That's when I run into a small issue, my mana regeneration was kind of bad. To top up my mana, after fully emptying it, I needed to wait for five minutes and eight seconds. Additionally, whenever that happened, I got a bad headache, but the effects were nothing like the people of this world suffer from. They tend to faint for a few hours, if not days after emptying their mana pools. It might because of my high wisdom stat, which is responsible for my mana regeneration.

After another hour of farming monsters with just spells I finally get the notification I've been waiting for.

[Magic excelia reached the maximum for the current level, all future Magic excelia will be dispersed.]

With a smile on my face, I head toward the surface, ignoring all the monsters around me and spamming [Umbra Gradus] whenever I could.

Arriving home twenty minutes later I call out as I enter the house. "Honey! I'm home!" Only to be greeted by a pouting Olivia and a worried Hestia.

"You went to the dungeon on your own." States Olivia while looking at me with anger in her eyes.

'Shit... I'm busted, she must have noticed the quest notifications.' I look to the side trying to cover my embarrassment for getting exposed and say. "I might have gone for a bit of a dive to test out my spells..." And I receive two smacks one on my head and another on my arm. 'Yep, they are pissed...'

"That was extremely stupid of you!" Shouts Hestia. I just roll my eyes.

"I wasn't in any real danger." I try to explain myself. "And I only went down till the 18th floor." That stops Hestia mid another swing and just looks at me with wide eyes.

"You went down to the 18th floor alone?! As a Level 1 adventurer!" and thus proceeds my third twin tail whipping since I joined her familia.

After their emotions calmed down I asked Hestia for a Level Up. She looked at me confused, as she did just update my status a week ago, but shrugged and updated it. After receiving another shock, she just accepted we are abnormal and said.

"You can gain a skill."

"Oh, nice what is it." I ask

"Sage's Wisdom. Increases the effects of the user's magic, increases attack range, the shorter the chant the stronger the power of the magic is."

"Not bad." I say nodding.

"What development ability would you like?"

"What are the options?" I ask

"Abnormal Resistance grants you poison and temperature resistance, Mage increases your spell damage, Swordsman increases the damage of your sword strikes, Spirit Healing increases the recovery of your mind and Chain Attack every consecutive hit on the same enemy increases your damage done."

"Hmm... I'll go with Mage and next level I'll probably go with Spirit Healing."

"All done." She says and I'm greeted by a notification.

[Falna Status Level Up]

[Skill: [Mage] gained]

[Mage LVL:1/120]

- Increases the damage of your spells by 2.5%/LVL.

[Skill: [Sage's Wisdom] gained]

[Sage's Wisdom LVL: Max]

- Increases the power of additional spell effects by 50%.

- Increases spell range by 100%.

- Exponential increase of spell damage depending on the shortness of a chant starts at 500% for a one-word chant and halves the bonus for each additional word.

[Falna Status] (Andrew)

Level: 1 > 2

Strength: 1,500 (SSS) > 0 (I)

Endurance: 1,500 (SSS) > 0 (I)

Dexterity: 1,500 (SSS) > 0 (I)

Agility: 1,500 (SSS) > 0 (I)

Magic: 1,500 (SSS) > 0 (I)

D.A.:

[Mage I]

Magic:

[Umbra Gradus G] [Mistilteinn F]

Skills:

[Sage's Wisdom]

I check the paper Hestia handed me and smile at the amazing boost I just received.

"Finally some good fucking skills." I say it out loud, only to be smacked by Hestia who's still sitting on my back.

"Language mister!" she says with a pout. Then suddenly turns happy and starts laughing. "I can't wait to boast to that flat bitch about you reaching level two in just over a week!" I roll my eyes at her user of profane language. 'I can't curse but you can? What's this some kind of "God Privilege"'

"Could you wait with it?" I plead. "Olive will be joining the level two ranks probably tomorrow. Plus, we would attract too much attention and at the moment we still can't handle stronger people." I say after a sigh. "You don't want someone like Freya to charm and steal us from you, now do you?" I add and her eyes go wide.

"N-n-no, I don't!" She stutters and her shoulders drop down. "But I'll need to report your level up to the guild."

"Hmm... Can it wait till we reach at least level 3? With our current speed, it should take at best two weeks at worst a month." After thinking it through a moment, she agrees and after a nice meal, we turn in for the night.