Chapter 37: The Trial of Runes, Part II

Kaz looked from the weapon that he was working on. Putting the iron sword back onto the weapon rack, Kaz smiled. The iron sword was not the simple iron sword that it was before. After toiling in an uncomfortable heat for about half an hour, Kaz managed to finish inscribing a runic network onto the sword.

The Trial of Runes made three weapons available to me. A sword, a axe, and a warhammer. Both the sword and the axe are meant to be used with one hand while the warhammer would require the use of two hands. As such, the effort required to inscribe a runic network onto either the sword or the axe is less compared to the effort required to inscribe a runic network onto the warhammer. Bigger objects do require more intricate runes to be carved onto them.

Kaz knew from the beginning that the Trial of Runes was also testing the applicant’s ability to reason. Ignorant applicants might think that since the warhammer was the largest and heaviest weapon, that it was the most suitable choice for destroying the armor. However, the amount of effort and skill needed to inscribe runes onto a larger object needed to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, Kaz knew that each of the three weapons served different purposes in the concerto that was war.

This iron sword isn’t really the longsword or broadsword that I am used to seeing. I remember reading from the books about weapons back in the Blood Citadel’s library. This style of sword should be a rapier, a sword used primarily for thrusting and piercing the opponent. I have heard that the rapier is considered an elegant weapon by the Janaroian nobility, even if their Klavan counterparts spurn it because of its relative uselessness on the battlefield.

Kaz took a small break since once he finished inscribing his runes of choice onto the iron rapier. The young necromancer stood in front of the weapon rack as he thought about whether or not the rapier was the correct choice of weapon.

The armor on the mannequin is a cuirass. It’s made of the breastplate and the backplate fused into a single piece of armor. Plate armor is much stronger than the relatively cheaper chainmail, but plate armor is also heavier and more inflexible. Since the target is not mobile, this limited mobility is negated. Therefore, only the strength of the armor and the strength of the weapon is to be considered. Plate armor is effective against slashing, which is what the axe offers. Plate armor is also effective against piercing, but could be vulnerable to it depending on how much force is behind the thrust. In this regard, the rapier could be said to be more effective than the axe under certain conditions. The rise of plate armor in Klavan also coincided with the rise of blunt weapons, such as hammers and maces. Using this line of logic, the warhammer should be the most logical choice of weapon, but it IS the most difficult to inscribe.

Kaz breathed deeply, then commanded the runic golem to pick up the rapier. The golem’s runes lit up the moment Kaz gave it a command. The runic golem shuffled over to the weapon rack and picked up the inscribed rapier with its right hand.

How odd, that the runic golem has a preference for which hand holds the weapon. Is it ambidextrous? Or does the runic golem actually have a preference for which hand it uses? Nevertheless, it can’t speak and I can’t communicate with the runic golem besides giving it commands. This avenue of thought is interesting, but useless right now.

The runic golem returned to its position in front of the armor mannequin after it picked up the inscribed rapier without further prompting from Kaz. Although the golem only moved according to commands, it seemed to have a short term memory of sorts. Kaz walked around the golem again, to make sure that there were no issues with the runic golem itself. Since this Trial would have a direct impact on his future, Kaz took great care in inscribing a network of runes onto the rapier that best reflected his ability in Rune Magic.

To be fair, inscribing a network of runes onto the iron rapier was a hell of a lot harder than I first anticipated. I never realized how inscribing runes into the air with magic could be so different from inscribing runes by carving them onto a physical object. Plus, the rapier’s body is so thin compared to what I usually write on, so it was such a pain to carve. The fat inscription rod didn’t help much to improve accuracy. Ugh, I hope that the runes that I inscribed are enough to damage the armor.

The rune network that Kaz inscribed onto the iron rapier consisted of a Sharpness main rune, and three supporting runes. The three supporting runes were a Condense rune, a Reinforce rune, and a Power rune. The Sharpness main rune makes the point of the rapier much more keen. The Condense supporting rune was chosen because it causes the metal in the rapier to shrink a bit, but the denseness of the rapier would be increased. Kaz chose the Reinforce rune so that the structural integrity of the rapier would be increased since rapiers were not meant to fight against an armored opponent. Finally, the Power rune was chosen as a supporting rune to power up the other runes. The iron rapier had no slot on it for Kaz to insert a mana crystal as a power source. Even if there was a slot, Kaz couldn’t put anything in it since he had no mana crystal with him.

Gods, my father would smack me upside the head for choosing to use a rapier to pierce armor. I think piercing is the best way to make a small hole into the armor. If an opening exists in the armor, then it must be considered unusable right? Wearing any armor that is damaged and not having it repaired before returning to the field is not acceptable unless under dire conditions in the Klavan military. I can only hope that the Masters of the Morbid Academy also share the same opinion on this. Although I find Rune Magic fascinating, I should try to conserve as much of my strength as possible during the course of the Morbid Gauntlet.

Kaz finished his inspection of the runic golem. Everything about the golem seemed airtight according to the knowledge of magical constructs that Kaz possessed. That is, Kaz couldn’t find anything wrong with the golem because he knew too little about runic constructs.

There’s no use worrying now. I just have to see if my inscribed rapier is up to snuff.

Kaz sent a command to the runic golem with his mana sense as he stepped back. Although there should be no problems with the Trial, it was better to be safe than sorry in case any of the runes on either the armor or the rapier overloaded.

The runic golem heard Kaz’s command. Pulling its right hand back, the runic golem pointed the inscribed rapier straight at the armored mannequin. In an instant, the golem lunged forward and thrust the rapier at the armored mannequin. The moment that the tip of the rapier touched the cuirass, the runes on both pieces of equipment lit up. Intricate patterns of light flashed from both the rapier and the cuirass, but the cuirass’ runes were brighter. The runic golem did not stop its motion when the tip of the rapier met the cuirass. Instead, the runic golem continued with the thrust until a sharp crack was heard. Kaz’s face blanched as soon as he heard that sharp crack.

There was no way that plate armor being pierced would sound like that. That was the sound of something snapping….oh Devils Below!

The iron rapier that Kaz had worked so hard on had indeed snapped. The debole, or the weaker and more forward part of the rapier’s blade, had snapped. The runic inscriptions that Kaz had carved were ruined, and the magic within released into the atmosphere. Although Kaz was now aware that his method of inscription required more effort since the runes were self-contained, he still stuck to his old method. In Kaz’s opinion, the ability to minimize the side effects of a runic collapse made up for the extra effort required in carving them. The runic golem had finished its motion by this time, and it returned the broken rapier to the weapon rack.

Kaz sighed, and walked over to the armor mannequin. On closer observation, Kaz saw that the rapier had created a small dent in the area where it hit the cuirass. Kaz’s face grew dark as he thought about his first failure.

All of my work ended up leaving only this small mark? There must be a better way to break this cuirass. Even if I wanted to use the rapier again, I cannot. I did not think that the rapier would snap as easily as it did, but is that more a failure of the weapon or the runic golem? No, it’s a failure of the weapon or my inscriptions. A runic golem of this level of independence would not have the reflexes necessary to retract its blow once it takes action. I need to try again with the warhammer. The axe is not going to be successful enough if it’s the most unsuitable weapon available.

Kaz turned his attention to the warhammer. The warhammer on the weapon rack was just over a meter long. The handle made up most of its length while the hammer’s head took up the rest. The hammer’s head was a block of iron with the edges rounded off. The entire weapon resembled an amateur’s attempt at making a warhammer. Kaz picked up the weapon with both hands and started to inspect it with his mana sense.

This warhammer is ordinary, if a bit simple. There’s a lot of space for carving inscriptions onto the hammer’s head as well as the handle. Both the hammer’s head and the handle are made from solid iron, making the entire weapon an ordeal to lift. My arms are getting tired, and I’ve only held the damn thing for a minute. Other than the weight, I cannot find any other obvious flaws. Gods know that I’m not the best at finding flaws in weapons but I know enough to identify the most heinous of mistakes.

Kaz set the weapon down head first. The ensuing thunk echoed throughout the Trial chamber, scaring Kaz a little bit. Kaz planned the inscriptions that he was going to try on the warhammer as he massaged his temple. A short moment later, Kaz went back to the mana forge and took out the little board and some of the chalk that was provided. With writing materials in hand, Kaz sat down on the warm stone floor as he sketched out the runes that he planned to inscribe.

The main rune of Sharpness on the iron rapier enhanced its offensive capabilities. The three supporting runes were to supplement the iron rapier’s structural integrity. I wonder if that was the wrong choice? I think that the main issue in this trial is a question of balancing the needs of the inscriptions that are carved onto the weapon. What does a good inscriptionist need to succeed? Of course it’s the ability to look at the needs of the client and to react accordingly! In this respect, inscriptionists are a bit like merchants.

Kaz sat straight up as these thoughts flashed through his mind. With a bad feeling, Kaz whipped his head around to look at the cuirass. The small dent that the rapier had caused previously had disappeared as if it was never there. Against Kaz’s expectations, the cuirass had repaired itself!

Devils Below! So the cuirass can repair itself. This means that I cannot possibly win through a battle of attrition. Even if I command the runic golem to keep swinging, what are the chances that the warhammer would survive the punishment? Gods, what if the warhammer shatters as well? Then I would fail this Trial without a doubt. Huh….single use? What if I bet everything on a single strike?

Kaz’s eyes narrowed as he thought about one particular rune that was described in the Book of Blood. It was the Overload rune. The Overload rune was a rune that allowed the magic contained within it to explode with great force when activated, increasing the effects of the inscribed object by a large amount. However, the object would be destroyed by the backlash of the Overload rune’s power in an instant after the effects have subsided. In truth, the Book of Blood mentioned the Overload rune for the sake of completeness. Otherwise, Master Ci Xi would not have put what she considered to be such a useless rune into her text. The problem that Kaz had right now, however, was that the Overload rune would only exert its best effects as a main rune.

I am confident in inscribing any main rune with three supporting runes, but I have never even thought about inscribing two main runes within a single runic network. But I don’t know if inscribing the hammer with conventional runes would be enough to crush the cuirass. If the inscriptions that I carve onto the warhammer are not enough and the weapon breaks, then I would be damned. I don’t think I can take that risk. I will have to attempt to carve two main runes and as many supporting runes that I can onto the warhammer.

Kaz nodded to himself in satisfaction and used his hand to wipe out whatever rough draft he had already written onto the board. The chalk in Kaz’s hand danced on the board as it drew out the blueprint of his runic network. This runic network was more complex than anything that Kaz had planned before. Without formal training, however, Kaz did not have the skill to create a full runic network with two main runes.

Shit. At most, I can create a runic network with two main runes and three supporting runes. The question that remains is how I should allocate the three supporting runes. I need two of them to be Power runes so they can supply mana to the two main runes. That leaves just the one supporting rune. The two main runes should be an Overload and a Impact rune. The Impact main rune will enhance the power of the warhammer’s strike while the Overload rune should double or even triple the total strike’s physical force. Mmm, that’s it! I’ll have the supporting rune on the Overload main rune, and it’ll be an Overload rune as well. Even though its power will be diminished as a supporting rune, a second Overload rune should increase the force of the warhammer’s strike by a substantial amount as well. Destroying my weapon for sure is a risky move….but Fortune favors the bold, does it not?

The moment Kaz came to a decision, he felt as if a great burden had been lifted off of his back. There was no more second guessing himself now. In fact, Kaz wasn’t even sure of how much time was left to complete the Trial of Runes. Kaz made a mental note to ask the Headmaster for a way to tell time during the next Trial, and then started to inscribe his planned runic network onto the warhammer.

Many minutes passed, the only audible sounds being Kaz’s breathing and the scrape of the inscribing rod onto the warhammer. Since the warhammer’s head had a much larger surface area than the blade of the rapier, Kaz’s efforts focused on the two main runes. Main runes were different than supporting runes due to their complexity and size. Each main rune would take up at least twice the space as a supporting rune of the same level. The Book of Blood went into detail about the most common runes used in inscription, but only provided novice and apprentice versions of the runes. Different levels of runes had large power gaps between them. Three Novice level runes were required to equal an Apprentice rune of the same, and even more Apprentice runes were required to equal an Journeyman rune. There were also different levels of supporting runes, but the the jump in power from each level was not as explicit as the differences between main runes. After about an hour, Kaz finished his runic inscriptions. Kaz was sweating bullets at this moment in time. He had no idea how little time remained until the Trial of Runes was over. His heart rate speeding up, Kaz inspected his work for a few seconds before commanding the runic golem to grab it.

Once more, the runes on the stone golem lit up when it heard Kaz’s command. Walking over to the warhammer, the runic golem picked it up with both hands. After a moment, the runic golem was back in front of the armor mannequin. The runes on the warhammer were lit up bright red, a side effect of the Overload runes that Kaz used. Kaz made sure there was nothing wrong with the golem, then retreated to where the iron door was. Standing with the runic golem directly between him and the armor mannequin, Kaz commanded it to strike the cuirass.

Like the first time, the runic golem took a stance. Keeping itself in stance for a few seconds, as if leaving time for the applicant to second guess themselves, the runic golem then slammed the warhammer into the cuirass. Unlike the first time, the moment the warhammer struck the cuirass, the weapon didn’t crack on impact.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

A deafening noise exploded from where the warhammer met the cuirass. The moment the warhammer’s head slammed into the cuirass, the Overload runes on the warhammer lit up as if they were the Sun itself. Transferring all of the wild energy contained within, the Overload runes sizzled afterwards. However, the job that Kaz required of the Overload runes was completed. All of the energy contained within the warhammer’s head was transmuted into physical force and went into the cuirass. With a sickening screech, the front of the cuirass completely bent inwards. The armor mannequin was even knocked off of its stand by the force of the impact. In fact, even the runic golem’s arms were not immune. As the dust settled and the echos disappeared from the room, Kaz couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The cuirass was a twisted piece of metal, bent almost in half by the impact. The mannequin was knocked off of its stand since it was connected to the cuirass. Pieces of the inscribed warhammer were scattered all over the room in varying sizes. The runic golem’s arms were destroyed, leaving the runic golem with a torso, legs and its head. Soon enough, the Headmaster’s voice appeared again.

“You have….passed the Trial of Runes. Step back into the teleportation circle in the other room, and you may have your choice of the next Trial.” The Headmaster’s voice sounded different than before. It was a bit uneven, as if he was trying to conceal a laugh.

Kaz thought little of the Headmaster’s tone. Instead, the young necromancer was ecstatic that he had managed to pass the Trial of Runes. It was much harder than he had thought it would be. That thought sobered Kaz up, and he sighed. Walking through the iron door once more, Kaz picked up his knapsack where he left it. Taking a water flask out, Kaz drank his fill before stepping into the teleportation circle.