Chapter 232
"Even if they are just deep blue crystals, they are still very expensive . If you fail the following procedure, the gemstone will be destroyed and you will receive another one . There are only three crystals for each one of you .
"Destroying them all will mark the end of the lesson, of the need of attend this subject as well as of any chance of becoming a Crystalsmith . "
"Since you have come so far, you will still get a passing grade, but no Master Crystalsmith will take an apprentice incapable of handling a blue crystal after three months of practice . " Professor Farg explained .
"What's required from you it's the same thing you have already done countless times, but with a major difference . When you'll use the Crystalsmith spell Scope on the gemstone, you'll notice there are no lines inside .
You will only see a dot moving at a speed that will change from time to time . That's because, unlike the mid tier crystals, high tier ones are able to replenish their mana quickly . This property gives them a unique mana flow that is called Mana Breath .
A true Crystalsmith must be able to perceive the Breath clearly enough to follow its movements and cut the gemstone accordingly . Remember, the density of the mana blade must be kept constant .
If you focus too much on the Breath, the blade will damage the crystal . If the crystal receives too much damage, it will explode . Like everything in life, the key is to find balance in what you do . Good luck to everyone . "
The Magic Crystal course was the reason why Lith's mana sensibility had improved so much during the last months .
Scope was a spell that relied entirely on the caster's perception and he had always used it instead of Invigoration during the exercises . It was the first opportunity he had to train his mana sensibility without endangering anyone .
Unlike healing magic, there was no life on the line, wasting a crystal scrap meant nothing to him . Also, it was much simpler than dimensional magic, since he didn't have to feel and manipulate multiple flows at a time, but only a static one .
Lith cast Scope, becoming able to see the dot Farg talked about . It moved with an irregular pattern and speed . Lith studied it for a while before understanding that the Breath had no fixed route . He was forced to rotate the crystal from time to time to follow its movements .
'Let's see what Invigoration reveals . ' He thought .
Lith discovered that even the size of the dot changed with time, but most importantly, he was now able to see the circulatory system of the breath . It was like a maze, the branches of which crossed over several times .
It was still a chaotic mess that allowed the Breath to change direction most of the time, but Invigoration would still give him a great edge compared to the Scope spell . With Invigoration, Lith would know when the Breath could change direction and when it would be forced to move in a straight line instead .
'My mana sensibility still needs some work . I'll use Scope on the first two crystals and save Invigoration for the last . I don't aim to become a Crystalsmith, so I better use this opportunity to practice at the academy's expense rather than mine . '
No matter how much pain or grief Lith was going through, he was still stingy beyond belief .
After conjuring Scope once again, Lith began cutting the crystal . The more progress he made, the more the gemstone shrunk, increasing in power and quality . The problem was that the smaller it became, the more sudden the turns the Breath would take .
It was like an Earth roguelike game . At each new level, the difficulty would go up and what he learned from the previous run was useless . It was all a matter of focus and precision, never letting the mana blade stray too much from the dot .
Lith almost managed to refine the first crystal, but one error too many made it crumble and he had to start over . At the second attempt, his efforts were rewarded with success . He took a short break to relax, discovering that even Quylla had failed once .
"I got too cocky and paid for it . " She explained while shrugging . Lith used Scope on the third Crystal too . He had already passed the exercise, but he needed all the training he could get to sharpen his senses .
By the end of the lesson, Lith's group had successfully cut all of their crystals . Only Lith and Quylla had lost one .
The second lesson of the day was the Healer specialization . The group performed the house calls under Professor Ironhelm's escort . Professor Trasque was dead and Ironhelm had been assigned to replace him .
Lukart had long fled the Griffon Kingdom thanks to the traitor's help, so no one was making attempts on Yurial's life anymore . Their rounds were peaceful, traveling from town to town and seeing many different cities bustling with the daily activities helped them to relax .
It also gave Yurial an idea that he shared with the others during dinner back at the academy .
"Why don't you all come to my house after we graduate from the fourth year? In my Duchy, the weather is nice even during winter . We could travel together and I would show you the best places my lands have to offer .
"If I go back home alone, I'll be forced to spend all the winter break before the fifth year studying magic and so would you . I say we deserve a couple of weeks of vacation . "
The girls unanimously agreed . When Orion was home with them, he was a great father, but also a strict teacher . He left them little time for slacking off . When he was away for work, Jirni would turn everything into a competition .
She wouldn't force them to do anything, but she always seemed to know which buttons to push to make them dance in her hands . Compared to her, the academy was a relaxing environment .
Lith was the only one still on the fence . Two weeks was a lot of time for him . He had yet to inform Selia of her loss and had no idea how to give her the bad news . In his experience, no matter what he said, it would break her heart .
With the baby coming, she would need all the help she could get . Even if Lith had never agreed with Protector's request, he was determined to fulfill his friend's last wish .
No matter what the others said to convince him, the best they could get was a hollow:
"I'll think about it . "
Later, after much thinking, he went to Phloria's room .
When she opened the door, her hair was arranged in a strange updo, held in place by hairpins and curlers Lith had never seen before .
"Nice hair . " He said, failing to suppress a chuckle . "What's that stuff?"
"Something you were never supposed to see . Having long hair is a hassle . Or did you think they are naturally that wavy?" She replied with an annoyed tone .
"I never saw you using them at the mining town or when I was a guest in your home . "
"Well, duh! I had more important things to care about at the moment . In fact, I was always a mess . "
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