Chương 35: The Snow Beside the Wagon

By the time Ivan took the second watch three nights later, he had already discarded every sensible choice for [The Living Vellum]'s second slot. First of all, [Frost Nova] could make anything grabbing him let go, but it could also catch Ren or Rys in the same burst. [Blood Bolt] was already so dangerous when he cast it normally that installing it in his body would be stupid. So much so that Rys had crossed that one out herself. Obviously, he wasn't going to risk that.

The reflexive force trigger idea under [Glyph Suspension] had lasted longer in his head. In theory, it was exactly what he needed. Something entered arm's reach, the spell fired, and Ivan got his space back. Unfortunately, "reflex" wasn't the best choice here since the spell often wouldn't know what counted as an enemy. If Rys leaned over him at the wrong moment, he might throw her through a tree. He could probably solve that with enough conditions.

By the time he finished defining every exception, though, there would be nothing reflexive about it. So Ivan had finally settled on a choice that seemed strange at first. Rather than using it under [Glyph Suspension], he was going to be a bit bolder. He'd decided on [Minor Force]. A stronger variant of it. On paper, that was just a cheap kinetic nudge. He had used it to turn lock cylinders, move loose objects, and take a leg out from under someone at the right moment.

Spending one of [The Living Vellum]'s empty slots on it felt a little ridiculous. However, he could easily imagine important uses for it regardless. For example, when the manticore had attacked him. [Lattice Guard] could keep the first impact from folding his bones, assuming he had enough mana, but it only lasted 2. 4 seconds. Defense was useful, yet it did not remove the claws, teeth, or several hundred pounds of monster still sitting on top of him, for that matter, when those seconds ended.

I don't need another complicated answer, Ivan realized. I just need to get the thing off. So he had taken [Minor Force]'s simple circuit and redrawn it to accept a much heavier pulse without losing its shape. It was the same spell, just with a stronger shove. His real goal, though, was to connect it with [Lattice Guard]. Here was the idea. Rys had called it genius, so he was a bit proud of it. The defensive spell already caught incoming force and spread it through his body.

If the new circuit could take some of that kinetic energy before it faded, then Ivan could absorb a hit with [Lattice Guard] and throw that force back through his palms. The old lattice already ran through both hands, so the two spells could be properly synced. Even without outside kinetic energy, he could still feed mana into the palm circuits and fire them normally. Therefore, he'd decided to call it [Kinetic Force].

Since the first iteration would be drawn on his palms, he could call them Kinetic Palms too if he liked. That was why Ivan now sat near the outer fire with an ink kit tucked between his boots. The carriage Rys and Ren slept in stood behind him, its door shut and its wards giving off a low, familiar pressure through [Mana Sense]. Two of Mirbek's guards were awake near the horses, and ward stones enclosed the camp on every side.

His actual job was to watch the road, but he could do that while drawing working magic into his own hands. The wards would catch anything worth catching first. Probably. Ivan chose a flat stone where the fire reached his hands without shining into his eyes, then opened the kit. One vial held the very last of his Wyvern blood mixed with soot and powdered crystal dust. Beside it lay the monster-hair brush he had been using since the ridge.

Sometimes he missed his good brush from his office days in Sky Reach, he'd spent a good fortune behind it after all, but this new one did the work too. It had already survived his skin and more than a little swearing. He turned his left palm toward the fire. The palms were only the first part of [Kinetic Force]. If they worked, he intended to place more thrust points along the soles of his feet, at his elbows and behind his knees, then over both shoulder blades. The reason? He had an inspiration… He wanted to fly.

Looking down at the little figure he'd drawn in the dirt, with lines firing from its hands and feet as it floated in the air, Ivan smiled despite himself. Anyhow, he had drawn the positions already, but he didn't have enough Wyvern blood left to finish them. The rest would have to wait until Asterion. For now, palms were perfect. Palms would let him shove monsters and enemies off of him. For a pseudo-mage like him, distance was his friend. So he reviewed the design one last time.

He copied the left-palm design into the dirt beside his knee, even though he already knew it from memory. Then he held the brush over the center of his palm and talked himself through the first stroke.

"Hmm, okay... containment ring here. Vent should go out, not in. Unless I want to put my own hand bones through my wrist, haha..." The laugh came out softer than he'd intended. Ivan checked the angle once more, dipped the brush, and touched it to his skin. [Architecture of Mana] woke on its own. The Skill opened the palm beneath his sight, showing the paths where mana already preferred to move. Flow gathered more heavily beneath the thumb, split toward the fingers, and thinned near the heel of his hand.

His drawn design assumed a flatter route, so Ivan adjusted it before committing to the curve, letting [Steady Hand] guide the brush along the shape [Architecture of Mana] showed him. The first half of the containment ring went down clean, but as he brought the line around to close it, the ink caught one of the heavier mana paths at a bad angle. Pain stabbed through his palm.

"Ah! Shit..." His fingers clamped shut around nothing, locking into the same cramped claw he'd suffered while building [Lattice Guard]. Ivan held the brush away with his right hand and stared at the curled fingers.

"This again. Haah." At least he knew what it was this time. The wet line had flared where it crossed the natural flow. He kept [Architecture of Mana] focused on the spot and waited instead of trying to force the hand open. Slowly, the trapped mana faded. His little finger loosened first, followed by the next, until his thumb finally came away from his palm. The whole hand throbbed. Ivan flexed it carefully and wiped the failed edge before the ink could settle. Then he picked up the brush again.

"A little higher..." The corrected stroke followed the palm's own flow, closing the ring without another flare. Ivan added the stabilizing lines, then shaped the release through the center. The intake came last. It was one of the only parts that had never belonged to the original [Minor Force] spell, a narrow branch connecting the palm circuit to the nearest line of [Lattice Guard]. That was the sync.

Ivan watched both patterns through [Architecture of Mana] as he drew it, adjusting the angle until the Guard's mana continued along its old route while the new branch remained open beside it. There was no safe way to test that part tonight, so he left the intake alone once the mana settled. His left palm was done. Ivan checked the road, the horses, and the faint outline of the guards before starting on his right hand. That one went faster.

He knew where the heavy flow crossed now, and his left hand remained steady despite the ache. By the time the second circuit settled, his shoulders had climbed almost to his ears. Ivan lowered them and stared at both palms. Two dark rings sat against his skin, each about the size of a large coin. Thin lines crossed the centers and met at the release points. No one would ever mistake them for decoration, but he liked them anyway.

To be fair, as the ink would settle, the lines would begin to look like simple dark stains barely visible to naked eyes until he activated them using mana, when they'd gain color. So most people wouldn't even notice.

"Well," Ivan observed his hands.

"Now it's time to test it."

Ivan stood and carried a palm-sized stone beyond the edge of the firelight. He placed it on a bare patch of ground, aimed toward the open grass between two olive trees, then backed away. Nothing had struck [Lattice Guard], so the new intake had no force to offer. This would only test whether [Kinetic Force] worked on mana alone. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Normal [Minor Force] would move the stone. Maybe make it skip if he pushed hard.

His version was stronger, but he was curious how much stronger it really was. So he raised his right palm and fed mana into the [Kinetic Force] anchor nodes. – Dhuuuh!!! The stone was shot from its spot. Ivan's head snapped to search for it and he found it a moment later, bouncing through the grass more than twenty paces away before it rolled to a stop. One of Mirbek's guards looked over.

"Sorry, testing some stuff," Ivan whispered, raising his hand. The guard stared at the marked palm for another moment, then turned back toward the horses. Ivan looked at his hand again, unable to stop grinning. The stronger circuit had accepted the pulse and held its shape. More importantly, it had sent the stone much farther than any [Minor Force] cast he'd used before.

"The Force is with me, haha," he whispered, grinning before he could stop himself. Only then did he bother to open the notifications that had already arrived when he'd finished inscribing earlier. He was just so excited to do practical testing that he forgot to check them. [Steady Hand has leveled up!] [Steady Hand, Level 47] [Inscription has leveled up!] [Inscription, Level 41] [Living Vellum Slot II Engraved.] [Bound Spell: Kinetic Force.] ▣▣▣▣▣ [Kinetic Force] Instant kinetic construct.

When activated, it compresses mana within the inscribed circuit and releases it outward through the vent as a directed shove. Force scales with mana invested. Linked Function: While [Lattice Guard] is active, a portion of distributed force is siphoned through the intake branch and held behind the nearest circuit. Held force is added to the next release at no mana cost. Retention: 4 seconds (bonus +2 seconds randomly, thanks to the use of Wyvern Fluids). Unspent force dissipates through the lattice.

Cost: Paid at activation. No automatic draw. Failure Condition: If the release is obstructed or the vent is pressed flush against a surface heavier than the discharge, the construct inverts and the force travels back through the wrist and forearm. Warning: The inscribed limb absorbs the recoil of every discharge. Excessive or repeated use may result in burns, tendon strain, or joint separation. ▣▣▣▣▣ Ivan read the notifications twice, flexing both hands as the last sting settled deeper into the muscles.

He was happy, and the System-given description of [Kinetic Force] also confirmed that it should work with [Lattice Guard], as he'd intended. Then, just as he was flexing his hands, another notification appeared. [Your Dexterity has grown significantly.] [Dexterity C+ has risen to B-!]"What? Oh!" Dexterity had been stuck at C+ ever since he'd received his new Status a few months ago. Ten years of copying scrolls had brought it to such a high rank, and therefore it was so difficult to level. But finally…

Apparently, writing a working spell through the living mana paths of his own palms counted as something different. Ivan opened his full Status just to make sure.

▣▣▣▣▣ Name: Ivan Marcellion Class: Inscriber of Principles - Level 48 Race: Human (F) - Level 48 Tier: 01 [HP: 1, 125/1, 125] [MP: 1, 035/1, 035] ▣▣▣ Strength: F+ Vitality: E- Agility: F+ Endurance: E- Dexterity: B- Intelligence: D Wisdom: D+ Perception: E+ Willpower: D+ Charisma: D+ ▣▣▣ Titles [He Who Sees The Source] ▣▣▣ Race Skills [Mana Sense] – Level 40 [Steady Hand] – Level 47 [Determined Step] (Passive) – Level 1 [Instinct of the Prey] (Passive) – Level 1 ▣▣▣ Class Skills [Principle Interference] (MAX) [Architecture of Mana] – Level 24 [Deep Etching] – Level 54 [Inscription] – Level 41 [Inspect] – Level 9 [Glyph Suspension] – Level 8 [Living Vellum] – Level 1 ▣▣▣▣▣ It'd been a while since he'd last checked his Status.

He'd blame it on habit. Since for ten years, his status barely ever changed, he'd built a habit of not checking it. It was perhaps time to break out of that habit and keep a proper track of everything. He pressed his lips together around a laugh, not wanting to wake the sleeping crowd. The relief still came out through his nose, making his sore fingers shake. He was Level 48 now, so close to Level 50. Ivan was excited to see what he'd unlock then. Speaking of Levels, he'd recently changed his displayed Level.

To Level 30. The Level 15 lie had worked at a time, but after the Iron Chain compound situation, they might use that as a scouting factor too. Other than that, fifteen had been believable while he was a nobody walking out of a forest. It became much less believable now that he was so much stronger. Level 30 explained enough of his competence to new people without advertising what his real Status contained. At least, he hoped it did. Ivan yawned, stretching his arms a little.

His watch would end soon, and then he'd rest. He wasn't sure he could sleep, though. He was suffering from anticipatory insomnia. A monster fight to test his new palms, maybe then he could get some sound sleep. – Pssss… That was when Ivan heard water hitting dry earth. He turned toward the sound and found something that made his eyes snap wide. An enormous white-furred leopard was pissing against an olive tree. Its shoulder stood higher than his chest.

The spotted body extended behind it, thick through the ribs and neck, while one hind leg remained cocked against the tree. Its tail flicked lazily as it marked the bark with the deep concentration of a housecat that had found somewhere forbidden. Ivan stared. What the fuck is that? He quickly activated [Inspect]. It returned negative! It'd been a while since this skill failed to gauge someone's level. Which meant this thing was strong as hell. He activated [Mana Sense] quickly.

The density struck him with the same pressure he'd felt when the Iron Chain General walked through the compound gate. [Instinct of the Prey] flared a heartbeat later, tightening every muscle along his back. Oh fuck. The leopard finished, lowered its leg, and turned its head toward him.

"Wake u–!" Ivan got one word out before the leopard crossed the grass. The massive thing became a blur of fur. Ivan triggered [Lattice Guard] on instinct, and cold pressure spread across his skeleton a heartbeat before the spotted body hit him. His back still struck the ground hard enough to empty his lungs, but the impact went through the Guard instead of folding him. At the same time, both new intakes flared.

Part of the pounce peeled away from the lattice and rushed down his arms, packing itself behind the dark rings in his palms. A paw larger than his face pressed over his mouth and jaw. Its weight settled across his chest without crushing him yet. Was it telling him to shut up…? The animal held him there the way a cat held a mouse, waiting to feel whether its prey would keep moving. The growl vibrated through his ribs. Ivan could not shout. He could barely breathe.

One gold eye filled his sight, close enough that he could see the wet edge of its lifted lip. For one blank, awful moment, Ivan forgot every spell he knew. He was under an animal strong enough to set [Instinct of the Prey] screaming, and it had one paw across his mouth while the rest of the camp slept. His 2. 4 seconds had started before he hit the ground. Some of that time was already gone. The first bite might fail to break him, but the leopard would still be here afterward.

It shifted forward, lowering its head, and Ivan's right hand came free beside its chest. He slapped his palm into the fur and fed [Kinetic Force] far more mana than he had used during the test. On top of that, it was already charged with kinetic energy from the impact. The circuit added his mana to the pressure waiting behind that palm and released both beneath the leopard's ribs. The entire animal went up. Almost in a cartoonish way, it was sent flying upwards into the sky.

Ivan remained on the ground with his arm raised, staring at the spotted belly rising above him and four paws hanging in the air. He had expected the shove to make space. Even after feeling the pounce enter his palms, he had not expected to throw the damn thing into the night sky. It actually worked. Then the leopard started coming down.

"Ah, shit!" Heat still pressed behind the ring in his left palm from the massive discharge, and the leopard was already dropping toward him. Ivan twisted onto his side and planted that palm against the ground, angling the release away from the carriage before feeding mana into [Kinetic Force]. The second shove threw him sideways through the grass. Dirt filled his mouth. Heat tore across the new ring, and he rolled once before the leopard struck the place where his chest had been.

The impact punched a hollow into the ground. Ivan got one knee beneath himself. Both hands shook, his palms burning as if he'd closed them around a kettle. The leopard turned toward him. Its ears flattened. Muscle gathered behind its forelegs, and Ivan raised both hands without knowing whether either circuit would fire again. A woman's voice came from beside the third carriage.

"Qoy-shy, Barys." She spoke in a language Ivan had never heard. The leopard stopped before it sprang. It did not lower its head. It simply looked away from Ivan, turning toward the voice. Ivan followed its gaze. A young woman stood on the carriage step with the door open behind her. It was the third, always-closed carriage. But now, the door was slightly open as she stood outside it. Her red dress had the long cut and heavy embroidery Ivan associated with Central Asia.

Silver bracelets covered both wrists, with more silver resting at her throat and braided through her black hair. Her lips were painted red. She couldn't have been older than twenty, and her bright purple eyes passed over Ivan once before returning to the leopard. She said something else. The leopard scoffed with a grunt. It was a hard, offended snort that sounded far too much like an answer. Then it walked toward her, shrinking with every step. No, it really shrank.

Its shoulders sank below Ivan's waist, then his knee. The broad head narrowed and the paws stopped pressing holes into the grass. By the time it reached the carriage, a small spotted kitten hopped onto the step with its tail raised. The young lady caught it against her chest with one arm. She looked at Ivan again, offering no explanation, before stepping back into the carriage and closing the door. The ward across it settled with a quiet hum. Ivan forced himself upright.

His new palm circuits were still there, dark and intact, while a few feet away the hollow in the ground showed where his chest would have been. Behind him, the door of his own carriage slammed open.

"Ivan? What was that sound, Ivan?" Rys called his name, fully awake, but Ivan kept looking at the closed black door. He was still trying to understand how the leopard had become a kitten, and who the hell the girl carrying it was.