I started by imbuing a diamond with the usual elemental protections as well as a couple immunities into just this one gem.

Item : Diamond of Divine Protection

Type : Magic Item - Enchantment Stone

Durability : 5600/5600

Grade : C Grade

Weight : 36st.

Description : A diamond that has been heavily enchanted. The diamond will not offer any bonus to its wielder but will only go into effect once used as part of another magic item or gear. Said item or gear will offer resistance against heat, fire, cold, water, wind, and lightning as well as immunity to acid damage and corrosion.

The diamond was now probably more valuable than the whole shield, but I wasn’t quite done with it.

I reached for one of the orb-like rubies I had in front of me and began casting an incantation which would enforce the integrity of the weapon upon which the gem would be attached, making it impossible to break.

Name : Unbreakable Imbuement

School of Magic : Transmutation

Verbal Components : 256 words

Somatic Components : Moderate

Material Component : None

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 0

Divine Mana Consumed : 720,000

Range : Touch

Casting Time : Instant

Precondition : None.

Description : Imbues an item with the ability to withstand strikes and time indefinitely.

Casting the spell on the ruby would not make that unbreakable of course but rather make it so that whatever item used it, would take that ability. And permanently freezing the shield’s durability would mean that Adel would never have to worry about it breaking mid-battle.

Once the 256-word incantation was complete, I put down the still-glowing ruby on the table in front of me and picked up a rectangular sapphire which would host the reflective properties of the shield. Casting a reflective wall was a demanding spell in its own right. Permanently imbuing an item with the ability to reflect magic was not as complicated, but required patience and concentration.

Name : Magic Reflection Imbuement

School of Magic : Abjuration

Verbal Components : 1024 words

Somatic Components : Moderate

Material Component : 10x Glass Crystal

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 0

Divine Mana Consumed : 1,260,000

Range : Touch

Casting Time : 11,520 seconds

Precondition : None.

Description : Imbues an item with the ability to reflect magic by utilizing a weave of divine mana able to reflect any incoming spell using the same kind of mana.

The 1024-word spell which would give the sapphire its permanent reflective enchantment needed to be chanted thirty-two times. In order to save time, I tried to dual-cast the enchantment, and so bring down the number of times to sixteen.

Even though I was tired and disoriented after I finished the enchantment, I still thought it was a good choice. Adel had trained in battling against spellcasters and this would definitely prove useful to him.

The next step was preparing two emeralds that would be able to host readied spells. This meant that the gems would absorb a spell each, which could then be cast instantaneously.

I attached the enchantment to one of the two emeralds in front of me. This one would be able to host a spell and have it available for release whenever Adel would need it.

The second enchantment was a little trickier. I wanted this emerald to house a readied spell which would be activated by itself when a trigger event occurred. This would serve as a protective measure, such as casting a flight spell if the wielder was falling from a great height or a spell of healing in case of injury.

Even though neither of the enchantments were too confusing, I was starting to feel mentally tired after using so many demanding spells one after another. Thankfully, the shield was almost ready.

I just had to place all the gems on the shield and bind them to it, as well as enchanting the giant polished blue topaz orb which would fit into the center of the shield.

This last orb however, needed a much more complicated and time-consuming spell. It would need to be completed over time. I placed all of the magically enchanted precious stones on the shield and began the incantation which would bind them to it.

Name : Bind the Magic

School of Magic : Enchantment

Verbal Components : 2048 words

Somatic Components : Complex

Material Component : 1x Glass Crystal

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 0

Divine Mana Consumed : 12,000,000

Range : 700 inches

Casting Time : Instant

Precondition : None.

Description : Imbuing gemstones and crystals with magical attributes is only the first step in creating magical artifacts. Binding these imbuements to magic items means requires weaving the magic of each of them with that of the item, resulting in permanently acquiring them.

Pushing so many enchantments into one piece of equipment meant extreme tension on the item itself, but I was confident that the masterfully crafted shield, which had been made by disciples of the God of the Forge, would be able to handle them.

Once I finished casting the 2048-word binding of the gems to the shield, I picked it up in my hands and noticed how light yet sturdy it felt. The gems all shone brightly and I expected them to continue to do so for some hours before the magic settled. All of them that was, except for the giant blue topaz in the middle.

I decided to cast the beginning of the ritual on the topaz before presenting the shield to Adel, even though I would need to cast it a few more times to make sure the spell locked into it.

By the time the 4096-word incantation was completed, I was exhausted and even though I hoped that last enchantment would never be needed, I was happy it was there.

***

Kai found me asleep on one of the large armchairs sometime later. The shield was still on the table, but from what I could see Adel had not come down with him.

“We got food ready,” he said, softly nudging my shoulder.

“How long was I asleep?” I asked, not sure if I’d been out for ten minutes or ten hours.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, as he moved toward the large table. “Is this the piece you were working on?”

“Yes,” I replied, yawning. “It took a lot out of me.”

“Is this a gift for Adel?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “I can make something for you too if—”

“It’s fine,” he interrupted me. “He needs it.”

“That’s right,” I agreed. “He does need it.”

“It looks heavily enchanted,” he remarked, as his fingers ran over the gems, stopping at the large centerpiece. “What’s this big one for?”

“Nothing yet,” I replied honestly. “It’s a work in progress. Let’s go upstairs.”