Novel Full 387 Second Try
These old memories were running through the head of Melki’s current forge master, Hephaestus.
Watching Luke and Ezra work made her recall several stories from the not so distant past.
*
Luke entered the room again. Now his eyes were much sharper than at the last attempt, his heart was beating slowly, the half-wolf’s whole body was in a state of calm and determination.
Ezra had activated the room’s air system, but now, the airflow was more intense. The reason? To ensure that the one of the sword circles didn’t end up knocking Luke unconscious.
As soon as the half-wolf entered the room, it was possible to notice how the airflow was more intense, for Luke’s keen hearing, it was possible to perceive these small details accurately.
Then he began his tests.
Luke began to channel his mana into the sword. This time, he had his eyes closed and his concentration completely focused on how the flow of energy was behaving. The path of the mana going into the sword was still confusing, it was as if that energy was draining into the entire weapon except for the necessary points.
Luke then began to channel even more energy, the sword began to emit a faint purple glow. As the energy completed the sword, Luke was able to finally visualize within his mind, all the paths the energy had to follow within the sword.
It was as if the sword was a human body, and Luke was able to visualize every vein and artery within that body. The two inner circles of energy acted in a different way, the mana followed to them, but before, it took a strange path.
However, a large amount of mana was following to the edges of the sword, where the energy control enchantment was.
Luke gave a small smile when he realized what he needed to do.
“I got you” The half-wolf said, as he opened his eyes.
He then began to control the enchantment that was on the edges of the sword. The moment he activated that magic circle, the entire flow of mana within that weapon stabilized. Now that energy was flowing in a straight line through the three magic circles.
The half-wolf then started swinging the sword, testing for the second time what it was like to manipulate that weapon.
It was a strange feeling, it felt like two completely different swords, now that Luke was controlling the energy of the weapon, even the way the weight of it distributed itself changed.
Now Luke was feeling a sword with a perfect balance, the weight didn’t tend anywhere. It cut through the wind in an exuberant way, which to the half-wolf was completely foreign.
‘This weapon seems to me to have an equal, if not even better quality than the other two’
[It’s as if rearranging the weapon’s mana made it behave differently. How strange]
‘Even you don’t know how this happened, Balance?’
[I have a certain idea…]
‘I’m all ears.’
[Probably during the forging process, the two conflicting magic circles influenced the final result of the metal’s behavior. Now that you are controlling the two using the third enchantment, you are able to concert the error they caused during this process by using your mana]
‘Hmm, that makes sense. It’s as if I can simply balance the flaws of this weapon using mana control.’
However, an idea eventually popped into Luke’s head.
“I’ll test that later…” The half-wolf spoke, as he watched the sword blade.
Luke began to control the first magic circle, the toxic smoke. Gradually, a sort of purple cloud appeared around the sword, this smoke possessed a light purple color, making it stand out a bit from the ordinary air.
Luke then swung the sword, and instead of the smoke dissipating, it just followed the direction of the sword, as if it were a kind of aura that followed the blade. Luke then concentrated, and tried to control the mana within the weapon.
As he managed this energy, the smoke around the sword took different shapes. He was able to move it by his own will, which he had thought was not possible.
The half-wolf then swung the sword again and threw that smoke out. The attack came out at a high speed, until it reached the test dummies.
The smoke corroded the first test dummies in the same instant, however, it soon dissipated, being sucked into the room’s air system.
Luke then had an idea.
‘Can the external enchantment of this sword manage the movement of the smoke?’
[Wow… That’s a good idea]
Theoretically, that purple smoke was nothing but mana that was transformed into a type of poison. So the third incantation would be able to control that mana.
This time Luke released a larger amount of smoke. Now he began to control the third incantation. With a smile on his face, he realized that his idea really was possible.
By manipulating that wave of smoke, Luke was able to make it take the shape of a dragon’s face. This attempt only lasted a short time, only for the attack to then turn back into a mass of smoke.
That toxic cloud clung to the test dummies in the first row, who were embraced by a giant corrosive energy. The wood was being consumed completely, while a kind of ash smoke appeared.
Luke could even control how the smoke behaved now that it was trapped in its target. Controlling by his sword, he made that smoke spin at high speed, which caused the dolls to disintegrate even faster.
*wush*
With a snap of Fingers, the smoke cleared completely. The puppets had not been completely annihilated as with the fire attacks, but it was clear that if they were a real enemy, the target would have long since died.
Now it was time to test the second part of Sleepy Rain, the electric attacks. Luke had so far not come into contact with any form of electricity spell, so he was extremely interested in how this item would perform.
He liked the thrill of trying something new, it was something that made his heart flutter with curiosity and the excitement of a new challenge.
He then began to channel the second sword incantation, slowly it was possible to hear the sound of electricity building up through the iron of the sword.
*Zip, Vwuuush, Zyooooong*
Gradually, small sparks of energy came out from inside the blade, it was as if several small rays were being emitted out of the sword. That energy seemed to be unpredictable.
‘Following the same concept, maybe I can manipulate it with the external enchantment, right?’
[Probably, I don’t know]
Luke then placed the sword in front of him.
*sigh*
Luke let out a long sigh, until he finally cast as much mana as he could for the second incantation. The sword began to emit even more electricity, slowly the hair in Luke’s ears began to rise with the static.
Meanwhile a constant sound of metal hitting the small beams began to be heard throughout the room. Luke then swung his sword and launched his electric attack.
He didn’t need to control where the lightning was going, within seconds, that energy came out like thunder. It struck the test dummy that was in front of Luke. The wooden chest of that dummy burned with the impact, until only a hole was left that went completely through that dummy.
Now, Luke was going to test how the electricity reacted to the control with the third circle. Channeling the lightning again, Luke fired as he tried to control the flow through the outer circle. It was a little more difficult with the smoke, so several attempts were necessary.
On the first attempt, the energy came out, but it made only one turn. It was as if Luke had lost control at the last second.
On the second attempt, the half-wolf managed to make the beam go a full turn and attack two test dummies, although that energy didn’t take the shape he wanted.
These little mistakes followed for another 10 tries, until Luke finally understood what he was doing wrong.
“I only need to create one beam, just one electrical source. I’m creating several” Luke said.
It was as if hundreds of small rays were thrown out of the sword, with that amount, a magic circle as simple as the one on the outside of the sword would never be able to control this attack.
Luke then began to channel more energy, but this time, he visualized a single gigantic beam of electricity coming out of his sword. He visualized the weapon shooting that lightning bolt as if it were a rain cloud attacking the earth from the sky.
The lightning flew out of the sword, and finally Luke was able to control it the way he wanted. It took the form of a dragon, as it flew around wherever the half-wolf wished. That dragon burned the four test dummies that were in the front row, completely exterminating them.
They burned to ashes, leaving only that soot and dust, which showed the size of the force that attacked them.