Alfred halted before Elder Ahote's tent. He stared at it briefly, sighed, and then called out. "Elder Ahote, I'm here!"
A bald, bulky old man rushed out and pulled Alfred inside.
"How long are you going to make this old man wait?" Elder Ahote queried as he gently led Alfred to his tent. "Why are you so late anyway? I have a lot of things to discuss with you."
He chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I had to take care of the White Lions before I went here."
Not wanting to be a tattletale, Alfred left the part where he met Gunnar. His reputation in the tribe wasn't good in the first place, and he didn't want to worsen it even further.
Upon entering, Alfred's charcoal eyes immediately wandered, curious about what kind of room design a crafter would make.
Surprised.
The inside was messy yet appeared organized. It was a sight difficult to describe: unfinished works grouped in one corner, different sorts of rope hung under the ceiling, rocks of varied sizes piled to the side, tools scattered around, and more.
"Come, sit down." Said the green-eyed Elder while kicking the littering items on the circular chair.
Alfred accepted the invitation, unbothered about the mess.
"Now, tell me what idea you have about this thing that can contain Spirit." Elder Ahote sat in front of Alfred and leaned closer.
Uncomfortable with the distance between their faces, Alfred slanted his body back. "I don't exactly have an idea. I was hoping you had something that could lead me to it."
The bald Elder straightened his back, then entered a deep contemplation. "I have never heard or seen a material with that kind of attribute before. Still, it does not mean it does not exist. All we have to do is to make sure to work hard and not give up."
"This might be harder than I thought it would be." Alfred touched his smooth chin and dove into his mind. "Looking for material like that will take more than a few days. I wonder if there is another way."
Elder Ahote slapped one of his legs and excitedly questioned. "How about that skill of yours?"
"Now that the Elder mentioned it, there is something I wanted to try," Alfred mumbled and then looked at the old man. "Elder, do you have some wood I can use to carve my Rune?"
Elder Ahote replied with burning eyes. "Oh! We are diving straight into the action. I like that. Wait here."
The bald Elder stood, went to the pile of unfinished works, and withdrew a piece of wood to be shaped into a square. He examined it for a few seconds before nodding and returning to Alfred.
"Here, try this." He sat while extending his right hand, giving the item to him. "Oh, you might also need a tool!"
The bald old man dropped what he held, quickly went to the tools lying on the dirt, and returned once again.
Alfred scanned the thing in Elder Ahote's hand. It was an intricate knife. The blade was made from a white stone, with chipped edges, and it had dark brown wood for a handle, preventing accidental cutting. Its small size could be attributed to its usage, which, if he could guess, was carving wood.
'This is exciting, I can finally experience crafting again!'
Without wasting more time, he grabbed both the almost square wood and the carving knife.
"Okay, I'm going to need a few minutes to finish this. This is my first time engraving it, after all," Alfred informed the Elderly while his attention was on the items.
"Do not worry about me and do what you must." The Elder waved his hand and encouraged.
Alfred began, pushing the pointed edge of the knife against the wood.
It was hard, harder than he recalled.
'Is it because my skill has stagnated? Or is the material in this world tougher than my previous one?'
Wood dust flew through the air, sticking to every surface they managed to touch.
Although carving the Rune into a solid material was difficult, as the pattern had to be as close as possible, it was thanks to his familiarity with the craft that he could do it—barely.
Even then, he was smiling, not minding the grueling task.
After a while, Alfred stopped. In his hands, he held his first attempt at Runing an item. Yet, it didn't make him happy; rather, it confused him.
'Why did I not feel the drainage of my Spirit Energy? Did it fail? No, that's not right. It's more like the Rune I created is not magical. Like I just carved an ordinary symbol.'
"What is wrong?" The bald Elder asked, his eyes looking at him as if he already knew there was a problem. "Did it not work?"
Alfred shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I think I made a mistake, or something is missing. I don't know."
Elder Ahote folded his arms in front of his chest. "It is not surprising. This sort of experimentation will always fail at first, so do not be discouraged. Why not process all the steps and requirements again, to see if you have overlooked something?"
Nodding his head, Alfred carefully explained to Elder Ahote the steps and requirements of how to make a Rune, or at least he tried to. Occasionally, the protection would activate, preventing him from clarifying. Therefore, he could only expose the very surface of the complex Rune Creation.
Even then, the green-eyed Elder's face shone as if a light bulb illuminated the top of his head. "I think I know the problem. You said you need Spirit Energy to create one, right?"
Alfred nodded vigorously.
"By using a tool, you have deprived the Rune of direct contact with you; thus, removing its only source of Spirit Energy." Elder Ahote continued.
Alfred looked down, then whispered. "Failing in the process…" Slowly, his eyes widened as the realization crept into him. "Wait, doesn't that mean I can only draw a Rune using my hand? Then, is it impossible for me to engrave it on any solid things?!"
The bald old man shook his head. "Not entirely."
Alfred's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean, Elder? Is there another way?"
Elder Ahote smiled and extended his right hand to Alfred. "Give me the knife, let me show you something."
Without questioning the Elder's goal, Alfred passed the white carving knife, curious about the old man's intention.
The bald Elder stared at the knife for a few seconds, then his smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
Alfred gulped, anticipating something magical.
Elder Ahote didn't fail him.
His mouth gaped, his eyes widened, and his heart thumped rapidly.
A mysterious white energy engulfed the carving knife, moving like a dancing flame yet clear like water. In an instant, Alfred understood what was happening. The Elder had used his Spirit Energy and covered the knife with it. If he could copy the technique, he could create a Rune without direct contact with his body!
"How did you do it, Elder?" Alfred leaned his body this time, his excitement all over his face.
The green-eyed Elder dismissed the energy and looked at him with a smile. "Calm down, kid. Even if I teach you the method, you will fail at reenacting it. It takes time and adequate energy control to do it."
"How long will it take: a week, a month?" Alfred pushed; he already knew something like that would take effort to learn. "As long as you teach me how, I will work hard to master it."
"Hahaha! That is the spirit!" Elder Ahote smacked him on his shoulder. "Well, it is rather simple, as all you have to do is cultivate your Spirit Energy. As long as you store at least 5 years' worth of Spirit Energy, you will manage to do that with a little practice."
Alfred's forehead wrinkled. "Years' worth? What is that?"
"Oh, did Shaman Catori not tell you about that?" The bald Elder crossed his arms and thought for a while. "I guess I can try explaining it to you."
Feeling that the topic seemed serious and important, Alfred fixed his sitting posture and focused on the bulky old man.
"Listen very carefully because I am not good at explaining these kinds of things."
Alfred nodded enthusiastically.
Elder Ahote lifted a finger and followed. "First, we measure the strength of living beings by looking at how much Spirit Energy they have in their bodies. The more Spirit Energy ones have, the stronger they are. Spirit Energy is the basis of power in this world, after all.
"With the help of miraculous energy, all creatures can strengthen themselves by reaching a certain amount of Spirit Energy and ascending to a higher realm. Currently, the highest realm we know is the third realm, which only a few talented people can accomplish."
Tilting his head, Alfred couldn't help but compare the power system of the primitive world to the novel he had read once before.
'It seems I find myself in a cultivation-type world. But then again, why do these people call the ancient book a Book of Sorcery? Isn't that for a magic type of world?' He sighed. 'This is why information is important.'
The green-eyed Elder appeared to see him releasing air, as he stopped for a few seconds before continuing.
"I know it is difficult to comprehend all this information at once, but you should bear with me for a little longer, as this is important."
Alfred woke up from his contemplation. "Of course, please proceed!"
"Right now, the best you can do is store Spirit Energy and expand it until you step into the Second Realm, and there you will begin practicing how to coat an item with your Spirit Energy."
He tilted his head and curiously asked. "Second Realm? How long before I can achieve that?"
The bald elder touched his rough chin and muttered. "Normally, a person with average talent can store an equivalent of 1 day's worth of Spirit Energy if they cultivate the whole day without stopping. Therefore, if you have an average talent, you will need 6 or more years to break through."
"What?!" Alfred almost stood upon hearing the number. "That is too long. Is there any other way of hastening that process?"
Elder Ahote stared at Alfred in all seriousness. "Of course. You can reach it much faster if you consume food with a lot of Spirit Energy or Absorb Spirit Energy in a Beast Core. However, you must understand that those kinds of things are hard to come by even if you are deliberately looking for them."
Alfred's shoulders drooped, as did his head. His expectations were shattered. "I didn't realize that cultivating is such a grueling activity."
"I understand how you feel." Elder Ahote nodded. "Though we cannot do anything about that, we should at least see your talent. How about absorbing Spirit Energy and storing as much as you can in your heart? Let us measure your talent."
Alfred furrowed his eyebrows.
'Storing in the heart? But the book taught me to accumulate it in my brain.'
Wanting to clear up the confusion, Alfred raised his head and peered at the Elder. "Do you also store your Spirit Energy in your heart?"
"What a weird thing to ask." The bald old man narrowed his eyes. "Where would I keep it if not in my heart?"