Lith, instead, used ancient runes but modern techniques, so that applying the runes before the Bonding caused distortions in the circulatory mana system due to the rejection between Lith's energy signature from the runes and that of the crystals.

Applying runes was the step Lith had less experience with and it was crucial. He would have liked to have all the surface of the ring available for the runes and Bond the gems only after the Runesmithing process, but unfortunately, it turned out to be impossible.

Bonding and Runesmithing both created a circulatory mana system, but while the former was highly susceptible to external influences and would change its course based on the obstacles that it met, the latter would relentlessly follow the instructions embedded in the runes.

Only after the purple crystals had become one with the metal and their circulatory mana system was stabilized could Lith move to the second step, Runesmithing.

The sets of runes would seep inside the Orichalcum, spreading their veins through its whole structure and relying on Lith's mana to overcome the resistance generated by the presence of the crystals.

'Fascinating.' Solus thought while examining the complex network of mana channels the two preparatory steps had created.

'It's as if the crystals created arteries that spread the mana evenly while the runes created veins that will allow the residual energy to return to the pseudo core without overloading the ring. All that is left is the heart.'

'You made an interesting parallel, Solus, but it's more than that. The runes also carry my energy signature, so with each set I engraved, I reduced the rejection between the mana generated by the crystals and my own, making the Forgemastering process easier.' Lith thought.

'Now I understand why the booklet is so adamant about the correct positioning for both crystals and runes. A slight alteration is all that it takes to turn a masterpiece into an utter failure.'

Then, Lith performed the third and last step, Necro Forge. Each failed prototype had made his wallet bleed, but at the same time had brought the process closer to perfection.

Without runes, Lith couldn't create a pseudo core holding more than half of his magical force, otherwise the amplification effect of the Orichalcum would boost the pseudo core to the point that Lith couldn't overcome the rejection between the two different energy signatures.

The ancient Runesmithing technique raised the limit to 60% while using the ancient runes and what Lith assumed were modern Runesmithing techniques, brought it up to 75%.

'I guess I'll need Faluel's teachings to reach 100%. Oh well, this is still a great training.' He thought while resting, preferring to save Invigoration for Necro Forge.

Such Forgemastering technique required him to shape the pseudo core outside its future recipient and then merge them together before creating the necessary mana pathways to make it permanent.

By creating a complete pseudo core, Lith had all the time he wanted to shape it with surgical precision and charge it with enough energy to fuel the enchantments he wanted to create.

The downside of Necro Forge was that injecting a powerful energy mass inside inanimate matter would encounter a lot of resistance and put a huge amount of stress on its recipient.

To make matters worse, the pseudo core was likely to be deformed in the process, and fixing it would require consuming more mana and focus.

The pseudo core had to retain a perfect shape after having been placed inside the mana circulatory system before Lith could add the correct number of mana pathways necessary to stabilize the artifact.

Mana pathways were artificial energy conduits that anchored the pseudo core, trapping its wild energies in a loop that prevented them from being dispersed due to a magical item's inanimate nature.

The number of necessary mana pathways depended on the pseudo core's strength. Too few and the mana forming the core would be dispersed, too many and it would crumble.

Lith first created the pseudo core between his hands, giving it perfect size and proportions. Invigoration allowed him to see in detail both his own creation and the mana core crafted with fake magic, so that by comparing them he could fix any mistake.

Then, he made it engulf the ring. At first, the purified Orichalcum absorbed the pseudo core like a sponge does with water. After a while, however, the flow of energy bearing Lith's energy signature and that bearing the three purple crystals' were matched in power.

The pseudo core started to distort, forcing Lith to stop and restore its shape. At that point, he wielded his enchanted Forgemastering hammer and used Solus's help to overcome the rejection caused by the two conflicting energies.

Solus had now to split both her focus and the world energy coming from the mana geyser between the magic circle and the hammer. Without the former, the mystical energies of the Forgemastering process would dissipate while without the latter Lith would lack the strength to imbue such powerful magic into the ring.

Each time the Forgemastering hammer was filled to the brim with mana coming from Lith and Solus, it would strike at the enchanted ring, emitting a blinding pulse of blue light that was captured by the circle and channeled into the ongoing spell.

The purified Orichalcum offered little resistance to the mana flow compared with its just smelted counterpart. The phenomenon had allowed the energy coming from the purple crystals to form a complex mana circulatory system that filled every nook and cranny of the ring.

Luckily, the same happened for the runes, whose network of mana capillaries constantly mixed Lith's mana with that coming from the crystals and made the Forgemastering process possible.

'It's incredible.' Lith thought. 'I have barely started and the procedure would have already failed if not for the runes.

'The secondary mana circulatory system the runes create not only allows the mana from the pseudo core to freely flow inside the ring as if I had already added a few mana pathways, but it also stabilizes the pseudo core, so that even under the energy amplifying effect of the Orichalcum, the number of imperfections that arise is fewer than ever.'

The more the pseudo core seeped inside the ring, the more it grew in size and power. What had started as a construct with only 75% of Lith's power had already reached 90% on its own and would soon go over 100%.

A Forgemaster couldn't imbue a spell stronger than his own magical power. It was the reason why having multiple mages powering up a magical circle was useless and why Lith needed the hammer.

With it, Solus could add a power boost from the tower and made it possible for them to overcome their limits. By the time the pseudo core had reached the center of the mana circulatory system, it had grown to 120% of Lith power.

All he had left to do was to create the mana pathways to complete the process.

With each mana pathway Lith created, the two conflicting energy signatures coming from the pseudo core and the crystals started to mix. The violence of the clashes between them progressively faded until they became one.

"It's done!" Lith immediately imprinted the barrier ring and put its capabilities to the test. A sphere of emerald light surrounded him, protecting him from any kind of danger.

Lith made the barrier shrink until it barely wrapped him while he was in a crouched position and expand up to a two meters (6,6 feet) radius. The mana required varied greatly with the barrier's size and energy density.