I don't normally record my expenses in such a way. The only reason that I am writing this log is because Daniel has told me to do it. This is the best way to tell the head office about the mana stones that I owe them. It gives me a kind of proof that this debt exists and how much I owe.
I will also be making use of this log to have a record of all the work that I need to do as well. Even though it has only been a few weeks, I am already swamped with a mountain of work.
It looks like my master did not need to waste his time destroying my formations. I'm similarly swamped with work now.
To get back to the point, I have brought two things on credit from the black mountain. The first is a cannon of the seventh class. It is of the fire element and I managed to get it at quite a deal. I got it for five class seven mana stones. Granted, the damn thing is almost on the verge of breaking into pieces, but I will be able to fix it. It is a basic fire-element cannon, with a pretty standard design.
It is a bit ambitious since it is a class seven formation, but I should be able to fix it. That should be something that I should be able to manage. Even if I have never worked with class seven cannon formations, I have studied their designs. I should be able to repair it in theory.
The cost of the cannon was just a bit too tempting. I don't think you would get it at that price even if you were to go and buy directly from a cannonsmith down south.
The hexmountain has very few cannonsmiths, so the price of cannons is already very high. The main reason for so few cannonsmiths here is the legion. The thing is, if you make weapons for the legion, you can only make weapons for the legion. The prices that they offer divert the few good cannonsmiths in the mountain to work with them.
That is why the only cannons that I can buy are the spoils of war from the guard corps or the legion.
Even this cannon of mine must have come from one of the pirates in the soldar plains. That is the only explanation you have for this cannon appearing this far north. The many powers down south certainly do not want to see us succeed, even if they are our allies. That is why one of the guard corps' main purposes down south is to stem this flow. Not that they are very successful. Their cannons always seem to find their way down here. (That is why we have a general stationed there at all times. Without the general down there, we would have been swamped by weapons from the south.)
So yeah, all of that in summary is that I have managed to get a cannon that I will need to sit and repair. That is task number one, actually and by far the simplest task that I have. After all, repairing formations tends to be much simpler than making them.
After that, I brought the materials needed for the coordination matrix. A coordination matrix is a matrix of the seventh class as well. The cost of it is leagues above the cannon, though. The reason for that is the merchants down south.
A complete coordination matrix can go anywhere from ten to a hundred class six mana stones.
I have bought only the raw materials for the coordination matrix. Due to this, I managed to bring down the price to about five class six mana stones. I guess that I should explain what a matrix is. A matrix is a type of formation in which a single spell is repeated across the formation. Designing them tends to be a nightmare, but once you do, building them tends to be quite easy. Easy enough that I am confident I will be able to build a class seven matrix.
Well, the next task in this list of mine is building this matrix. A coordination matrix is a pretty ambitious thing for my ship. I technically don't need one since I have only three cannons.
After all, not even none of the guard corps ships have one. Well, every guard corps ship has a dedicated cannon troop for itself. That is why they don't need to work with things like the coordination matrix. My ship is barely big enough for ten people. I can't keep a cannon troop with me now, can I?
The main problem with the coordination matrix is not even an issue for me right now. It might be a class seven formation, but I just need to inscribe a few of the spells to control three cannons. The problem with the matrix is the interference.
Most formations tend to interfere with each other in a pretty explosive manner. Especially. When they are placed in such a small place as my ship. This phenomenon is called interference. Magic, by its very nature, is supposed to be a very precise art.
We can make use of runes to move mana precisely enough to cast a spell. A spark spell with just that bit more mana will become a fireball. (And just as likely to set you on fire.) When you are controlling ambient mana, it is hard for us to achieve this precision. You cannot simply just make use of your will to create a spell as you can do with vital mana. With runes, we can send mana into the formation in a very precise manner. The only problem in this process is that one rune can control mana just as well as another rune.
If you were to stuff a bunch of formations together in a small area, like my master did. One rune can interfere with the performance of another rune in chaotic ways. A rune meant to transfer one unit of mana could transfer 0.1 units of mana or, in even more extreme cases, ten units of mana. The former will cause the formation to fail, and the latter can end in the entire thing exploding.
I think you still can place multiple class nine formations together without issue. (at least I have never noticed the interference myself.) From class eight onwards formations cannot be placed without problems.
On top of that, my master has placed an incomplete class six formation in the middle of the entire thing. The formation is still not functional, but its runes are still causing problems. That is why my master has not added a bunch of formations that would be useful to me, but that are not vital to me. (Things such as a coordination matrix, for example.)
Those I will have to add on my own. Knowing my master, he must have assumed that this was the best way to test me. Honestly, I want to figure out this formation as quickly as possible.
That is why I have to be so careful with my master's formations. Most of his runes must be meant to deal with this very interference. If there is a problem in any of those runes, then the interference will become unmanageable.
As for how I am supposed to add a formation to all of this. The only way will be quite difficult. I have to study all of the notes my master has left on the formations of this ship. (which is going to be a task in itself.) I will have to modify the coordination matrix quite a bit to fit it in here. I will be able to inscribe it till the class eight for now at least.
Even that class eight spell is going to be enough to make things more convenient for me. It will allow me to coordinate the three cannons that I have on my ship, at least to a reasonable degree.
So yeah, before I go to task number three. I will have to mention that the mana stones that I owe are five class six mana stones and five class seven mana stones. I don't want any misunderstandings on this later. This is the precise amount that I need to repay. I won't be repaying anything beyond this.
Now, to return to task number three, it is naturally the process of figuring out the fusion spell. Well, technically speaking, I have already understood the spell. You have to be careful with anything that involves the mana core.
I could cast it the minute that the second slab is formed. Anything goes wrong, though, and a crack might form on my mana core. A crack in the mana core can still be managed to a certain degree. The worst-case scenario is called mana reversal. When a mana core ruptures, they say that your vital mana can flow back into the mana core. This will drain all the vital mana in your body, leaving you a lifeless, dead husk. It is supposed to destroy your body quite thoroughly and is the most painful way for a mage to die.
After all, if I have managed to wait for so long for my opportunity, I won't destroy my chances due to impatience. That is why I have put this as my third task. It is the most important of all my tasks, but I can't rush it. It is not like cultivating is going to enhance my strength immediately.
As for the final task, that would be to make the class six formation that my master has left for me. This is something that I will not be able to rush with anyway. I simply do not have any knowledge related to it.
I will have to start by doing a detailed analysis of all the formations that my master has left behind in his notes. With that, I should be able to finally understand the notes that my master has left behind for me.
I don't like to admit it, but this is the easiest time I am going to have to make a class seven formation. After all, my master has left such detailed notes on it. Nobody else will be able to make such notes on it.
Still, I can't say how long it is going to take to make this class seven formation. Achieving minor completion for the class seven spell will be pretty easy.
After all, I have been working quite a bit on making class eight formation. Ten class eight formations will be time-consuming to make. It is Inscribing the class seven formation that is going to be very hard.
I have seen how class seven spells are inscribed quite a few times. It is such a precise and volatile process that you need to have extreme control over external mana to even try it. A class eight spell seems like a little finger painting compared to a class seven formation. Just looking at the record that my master has recorded is making me feel a headache.
That is why you are meant to enter the stage beyond to make class seven formations. Something in that stage is supposed to make controlling external mana easier. What that is, I have no idea. Well, my master believes that I don't need that something to make a class seven formation.
Well, I think that I have covered everything of importance in this log. Well, I am going to start my work in the coordination formation now. It is something that I will need if I am entering into a combat situation. Right now, the only thing preventing me from leaving for the Mayfire's castle is that my troop is not here. I don't know how long Daniel can delay this anymore. I think I might have a week left at maximum. I do not have enough time to make a class eight formation, but I can get started at least.