After reaching the main workshop’s room through the heavily secured basement, Rylis brought him to a crowded set of shelves stacked with books and scrolls.
Rlyis reached over and began pulling a few volumes from a dusty stack. "This is what I call my personal library," she said, handing the leatherbound and basic paper bound mix of books to Lassim.
"These will lay the groundwork you’ll need before you’re ready to tackle anything more complex around here—especially our advanced project downstairs."
Lassim’s mind spun with the titles alone as he checked them—Fundamentals of Array Theory, Mana Conduction Principles, and Artisans of the Elements: A Study on Array Channeling.
With a nod of thanks to Rlyis, she then strangely handed him a plain fabric satchel before he could store them away in his magic pouch, the old fashioned and non-magical kind.
Taking that as his cue, he then slipped the texts into it. It was odd feeling their weight pull against his shoulder instead of just being safely stored in his magic pouch as he followed her out of the workshop.
Rlyis led him across the lamp-lit courtyard, it now dusk without much light peeking through the overhead trees, pointing out the only other two buildings within the outpost grounds.
She first gestured to a broad, iron-clad structure that he had initially already assumed was a storage space for constructs based on its size. "That’s our warehouse, where we store most of the metals, alloys, and unassembled parts we use for the constructs. We store the completed constructs in a magic chest to make shipments easier but the rest of the materials are much easier to find by spirit sense out in the open instead of digging through endless bags or chests for the parts or alloys you need. Eno also keeps an entire section organized just for materials he’s working on—if you’re lucky, he might let you take a look at some of his rare creations later on."
Lassim nodded, observing the exterior of the warehouse with its edges shadowed under the faint light of the scattered rune-lamps lining the outpost’s path that went from entrance to entrance.
They crossed the courtyard to the third building and their destination, its appearance more home-like than the others, with smooth stone walls and carved eaves that offered an unexpected touch of warmth.
Rlyis stopped at the entrance, opening a heavy wooden door that creaked with age. "This is our home," she said, stepping aside for him to enter. "It’s nothing luxurious, but it has what we need and lots of spare bedrooms to boot. The rooms are upstairs, kitchen and common area down here."
Inside, the residence felt quiet and comfortable, clearly lived-in but not overly messy. It was clear there were no maids or butlers but that didn’t make it any less appealing.
The common room was lit by soft-glowing runes mounted on the walls, casting warm light over a few sturdy chairs and a well-used wooden table, each etched with faint scorch marks, likely from Rlyis or Eno bringing their work home from the workshop. The subtle scent of herbs lingered, hinting at a small garden just past the screened door to a patio area he got a glimpse of on the other side of the room in the kitchen.
Rlyis led him up a narrow staircase, each step creaking softly, and down a short hallway lined with many doors. She stopped outside a room at the far end, gesturing for him to enter. "This’ll be yours," she said, folding her arms as she watched him open the door. "Make yourself at home and our rooms are just a few down. You’ll be here long enough to get used to it, so don’t hesitate to settle in and make it your own while you’re here."
The room itself was simple—a narrow bed against one wall, a small desk beside it, and a bookshelf opposite the bed, empty but well-built. Rylis had tapped a switch by the door that turned on a faint light from a rune etched above the window that allowed him to see the space clearly, illuminating the polished wood floors and a small, woven rug underfoot. A single window which would give him a overlooking view of the forested hills surrounding the outpost during the day light, and beyond that, most likely the stretch of coastline he’d traveled from if he could see overtop the trees.
Lassim nodded, setting his satchel down on the desk. "Thank you, Elder Rlyis."
She inclined her head, a faint smile at the corner of her lips. "I’ll have dinner ready for Eno and myself downstairs if you wish to join us, but no worries if not. If you choose to head to bed, make sure you’re up at sunrise in the workshop. Don’t be late, or I’ll make you do all your work twice over on your first day, whether you like it or not." She chuckled, leaving him with that thought as she turned and headed down the hall.
Alone in the room, Lassim took a slow look around, running his fingers over the grain of the desk as he unpacked the books Rlyis had lent him. He set each one neatly on the shelf, then collapsed onto the bed, feeling the weight of the decision he just made today settle over him.
Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.
Despite his busy thoughts, a hum of excitement thrummed through his veins, the anticipation of what he would learn and uncover in the days, or even week or two, ahead that might lead to future breakthroughs and inspiration. He wanted his new fighting and attacking style to be powerful and this might be able to give him a real sense of direction.
~~~
He rose before dawn, the soft light not yet filtering through his window as he prepared himself for his first day of formal training in arrays, but also in assisting their other projects.
He took a breath in of the somewhat crisp and cool morning air as he went down the stairs with the stack of books in the satchel to bring along to read between tests.
The workshop was already alive with activity when he arrived. Rlyis was seated at a workbench, a blueprint spread in front of her, and Eno was organizing a selection of metal parts and ore samples on a long counter.
Both looked up as he entered, and Rlyis gave a satisfied nod, gesturing to a cleared space on the bench in front of her.
"Good, you’re here," she said, waving him over. "Today, we’ll start with the very basics of array theory, beginning with the very foundations of arrays or rather their formal name, ’conduction arrays’, and how they allow us to direct mana in all sorts of ways."
She placed her finger on the blueprint, which showed a detailed drawing of an array with concentric circles and carefully aligned symbols etched into the design. She then tapped a small ring of runes toward the center of the design. "An array, at its most fundamental, is a network—a structure that gathers, channels, and directs energy through specific pathways to perform a pre-set function designed by the creator. To function correctly, every aspect of it must work in harmony, directing mana from one point to the next without causing feedback or loss along the way. If the harmony is broken, then you get all sorts of unintended effects or it just plain doesn’t power on."
Lassim leaned closer to study the blueprint, his eyes tracing the intricate lines. He nodded, noting the small symbols clustered in groups, that reminded him of his [Tidal Rune]’s construction of various water rune shapes, along the outer edge of the array.
Rlyis continued, "Conduction arrays are the backbone of how our constructs are able to work. This particular design of a conduction array is how we are able to dictate where mana flows and its direction as it follows the predetermined paths Eno engraves. Each rune within the array has a specific role as well. Some are for channeling, others for storing, and some even act as dampeners to prevent surges that might damage the construct, just like the Overload Nodes we showed you, but on a much smaller scale. For any array to function effectively, each symbol must work in coordination with the others."
She held up another sheet of parchment, this one filled with arrays but each one slightly different in design but similar in structure.
"Take this," she said, handing it to him. "It shows a few basic conduction arrays we use in our standard models. This is a specialized paper we use that allows us to draw and test array lines we think of and see if they work before we engrave them by being mana reactive. It saves a ton of time when making new designs or testing ideas. Start with the first in the top left and work your way to the right and down. Try to get a sense of how the mana flows through it when you channel energy."
Lassim studied the parchment, feeling a slight pull of each line and symbol on his mind as he mentally traced the paths.
With a focused breath, with the tiniest most meager fragment possible he could muster, he extended a thin single thread of only lightning mana, channeling it through his fingertip as he touched the center of the drawn array, just as Rlyis had instructed.
As he infused the array, he felt a faint resonance, a pulse that traveled along the symbols and followed the lines etched on the page. The mana moved as if it had a life of its own, guided and influenced by the intricate design of the array. The energy flowed smoothly at first, then met resistance where two symbols intersected, slowing and diffusing as if his mana were trickling through sand.
Rlyis nodded, noting his focus. "Good, the paper didn’t burn to bits when you infused it. I was a bit worried that might happen, but thankfully you’ve at least got some control over your mana. You’ll at least be able to use these sheets to study, which will allow you to see the structures and learn them more quickly. As you noticed, each branching symbol acts as a kind of valve, shaping the flow and speed of the energy within the array. As you work through these basics, focus on remembering that the foundation of any construct lies in understanding the balance each symbol brings to the whole. This is key for the next section."
She then handed him a second parchment. This one was more complex with branching paths and more densely packed symbols. "Try this one next. Notice how the mana responds as it moves through each section, but also know that the sheet is made with a different base material Focus on feeling the differences between the individual symbols as you progress compared to the previous one."
Eno, observing from his place at the counter, spoke up. "This is worth noting when you work with metal constructs as the material itself can impact the flow of mana. Different metals can conduct or resist mana to varying degrees. So as you build up your skill with the arrays, keep in mind that some alloys work better with particular types of channels."
Lassim absorbed their words as he focused on the parchment in front of him, beginning the process again with the second array. He directed his mana slowly, tracing each symbol carefully.
As he moved along the branches, he could feel subtle differences in resistance—some paths allowed his energy to flow freely, while others slowed it down, redirecting it along alternative routes. He could definitely feel the considerable differences as he memorized each symbols shape and the odd brownish tint the paper had in it compared to the previous sheet.
After several minutes of study, he looked up at Rlyis, his brow furrowed. "These symbols…they don’t all channel energy the same way, do they? It feels like each one has its own.. I don’t know, you might say I’m crazy, but sound to them?"
Rlyis smiled approvingly. "Wow! You might actually be made for this! Your sensitivity to the rune language will be incredibly useful as you learn more. You’re completely right, each symbol represents a different intent or function just like a word. Some amplify mana, others disperse it, and some shape it differently. As you work with more advanced arrays that add will and intent, you’ll start combining symbols to shape mana with greater precision."
Eno added, "Each array is like a poem or paragraph in a novel. The symbols are words, and the lines between them are sentences. You’re creating a story with your mana, directing it through the script to achieve a purpose. That’s the real art behind it and why a lot of array masters can send detailed and complex hidden messages of warning in arrays that most folks would never even realize would exist. You’ll eventually be able to read the words we’ve hidden in the arrays warning outsiders of the dangers of entering our work site here if you’re not also from the Lightning Sect, haha!" Ending with a chuckle.
Lassim absorbed their explanations, his fingers brushing over the symbols on the page as he began to understand the true depth of the work. This was even further beyond the complexity he imagined.