A soft blue glow began to emanate from Roc's extended arm as his mana flowed into the steel orb. The transformation was gradual at first - just a faint shimmer across the runic inscriptions carved into its surface. But as more energy poured in, the countless tiny symbols began to light up in sequence, creating intricate patterns of illumination that spread across the sphere like veins of pure magic.
Cain watched intently, his enhanced vision tracking each activation as it occurred. Despite his inability to sense mana directly, he could still observe the physical manifestations of the magical process. The orb's deep blue core grew brighter, pulsing in rhythm with Roc's heartbeat.
"How much more?" Roc asked, his voice strained from the effort of maintaining such a steady mana flow.
"Keep going until all the runes are active," Cain replied, pointing at the sections of the orb that remained dark. "About half are lit up now."
