The books he received from Yir were dropped onto the top of the table with a dull thud as Jake’s arms nearly gave out, the muscles tense and sore from having carried the burden of knowledge. He quickly went to work sorting the books, organizing them by element and by purpose. Most of the books were collections of spells with the authors having specialized in the element within them. Individually the books weren’t too thick but with six elements to cover and four combination spell books added on, the pages added up. The amount of knowledge across the different elements was astonishing. Truly, magic was capable of so much. In front of him, there was certainly plenty of power to be learned. And to think, Jake had only focused on trying to weaponize three.

There was also another book Yir had slid into the cluster. It was thin but it was another book on Enchantments and Barriers- protective magic. Jake couldn’t help but smile at the sight and he made sure to place the book down in its own spot. He would ensure to spend some extra time with that book. It was Yir’s way of telling him to be careful so he would certainly try.

The first set of books Jake nabbed were Wind Elemental books. Wind and Water spells were the easiest and took the least amount of effort and mana to learn. Their simple configurations aligned the best with his mana’s base affinity. If he were a natural magician, he likely would have been born with one of those elements. His affinity with them made him wonder if his mother was a Wind or Water Magi. His father never told him much about her in that regard, so he wasn’t exactly sure.

The Wind element was also great for him to develop in general. It had quite a bit of utility to it and he could incorporate it to enhance the power of his other elements. Combination spells using Wind as a secondary element tended to accelerate faster, hit with a stronger impact and increased in general explosiveness. The spells also tended to endure the pressure of distance. By tying together Wind magic with another spell, his range with the spell could be increased without losing its punching power.

“Basics, basics, basics…” he muttered to himself. The gentle reminder to not get ahead of himself. He was here to solidify his ability as a mage, reinforce his foundations, and build on them. He had spent time strengthening the Flow of Chi technique. Now he needed to round out his combat ability. Learning the Fang Style certainly would influence his base magical strength, but that was only a single piece of his power puzzle being buffed up. Increasing his casting ability would propel him even further. Then, he would piece the two together to create that stable bond between creation and implementation.

Wind magic was fairly useful and required little knowledge to truly utilize. Jake thought of it as just manipulating the air with mana and it had worked so far. However, his Wind spells were weak on their own. They had velocity and power but lacked the density required to truly pack a significant punch. The force on impact was far lower than he personally desired. From what he guessed, it was likely due to the low density of air in the first place. Thus, Jake wondered if he was using the element improperly. By collecting air, coiling it around, and then tossing it- Jake could create deadly balls of condensed pressure. Yet he largely hadn’t done much more with it. That kind of spell was also just an introductory level one, so there must be more to the element.

He popped open the spellbook and delved into its contained knowledge. He skimmed through the initial pages, his eyes tracing over the writing as he made himself comfortable with the author’s scribbles. He spotted a few runes and sigils but avoided that type of magic. Sigil-based magic was even slower than incantation magic. While the sigil-based magic would last longer, it took far too long to outline the symbols, enchant the runes, and activate the spells. They were fine for the long term or when out of combat but that was it. The Maedra would be on him before he could utilize such spells.

But, Jake did read the details of the sigils and the spells themselves. He read over the names of the spells, their effects, and the descriptions the author wrote to understand the ultimate goal of the spells. Mostly out of curiosity. Though he also bet on the off chance that he might be able to replicate a spell without a rune. If the spell was simple enough, he wouldn’t need to draw a sigil to replicate it.

The sigil spells within the first portion of the book had little to do with turning air into swirling cyclones to pierce an enemy- turning everything he had learned prior into practically useless knowledge. The first category of spells fell into Space Manipulation-type spells. By controlling the wind and the air, the mage could either collapse or expand the air in a given area. Accurate control could also remove the air, creating a vacuum in the targeted space for a short period. It controlled something described as “air pressure”, and the modification of such a thing could lead to a range of effects that would be deadly for those caught in the range of the attacks. The highest level of such was a spell labeled ‘Explosive Compression’. This spell’s focus was on collapsing the air within a given space at an extremely rapid rate, practically crushing the targeted space with a sudden increase in air pressure. Anything inside would be reduced to mush.

Jake recognized that description, however. Rapid compression was something he’d used before, but it wasn’t with the Wind Element. When Jake was trying to get back to Chul and he encountered the Maedra in the Dragon Vein cavern, a handful of Maedra had dived into the pool of essence in an attempt to swim to him and his friends. While the Maedra were underwater, Jake had trapped them into a box of sorts using the water and then squeezed them into nothing. The Explosive Compression spell seemed to follow a similar process, just with air rather than water. If that were the case, he wondered if the steps for the spell would be the same as well.

Following the Manipulation-type spells, there was a ‘Bullet’ Spell. Jake had his version, the Wind Cone, but this was far more deadly from how it was described. Jake’s spell rapidly spun the air and utilized the high centripetal force to maintain the shape of the cone. The Bullet spell relied on straight compression. The air would be squeezed into a small space, contained, and pressurized at a high level. Then, once contained in the smallest of cylinders, a cylinder likely made from mana, it could be fired in a specific direction. The sudden release of pressure would fire the air in said direction and cause terrifying penetration damage to the target. It didn’t sound like it could be used at a distance, however. Unless the mana holding the compressed air maintained its shape and the pressurized air was given an outlet to be released behind the mana, essentially propelling the cylinder forward--

Jake paused and blinked. “Oh. That’s literally what it says,” he mumbled, reading over the description again. He sighed at himself and then turned the page.

The next category was an array of Sound focused spells. Such a style of spell seemed odd but the way the author explained them he wondered how he could even use them. Sound was carried on the waves of air. If used properly, waves of powerful sound could be generated to assault a target’s ears, cause disorientation, and offset their balance. The spells took advantage of powerful ‘booms’ that would occur when manipulating explosive and rapidly moving air. By infusing magic to rapidly accelerate or “crack” the wind, the booms could be utilized to attack an unsuspecting opponent.

The problem with the spells was distance and the fact that sound traveled in every direction. Of course, the direction of the ‘boom’ could be directed towards the enemy so Jake wouldn’t have to worry about hitting something off to his left or right with the force of the spell. However, it was inaccurate even if he could maintain that discipline. Allies caught in the cone of the attack wouldn’t be able to defend themselves and would be harmed just as much as the enemies targeted. With Jake relying on Warriors and other frontline individuals to hold off the Maedra, the only time he could use such spells would be when he was either alone or somehow caught out ahead of his vanguard. The distance requirement was also an issue. Should the Maedra be too close, the force behind the moving sound wouldn’t be enough to cause damage. The wind would not be traveling at a high enough speed to achieve the desired effect. While it would be loud, the vibrations wouldn’t be strong enough.

Aside from Sound and Spatial Manipulation, there were a plethora of other spells as well. From suffocation spells to more support-based spells that aided in lightening a person’s weight to increasing their speed. However, Jake already had an idea for such spells. Suffocation was new, so he would certainly keep that tucked away. Though, he doubted it would work on the Maedra. Most of those things didn’t have mouths in the first place.

Jake checked the other books Yir had provided but the spells within them were generally the same. Most of the other authors also focused on air compression or expansion spells, as it seemed to be the most effective way to utilize wind magic. Though, only the first book mentioned a Suffocation spell. The others did not and seemed more focused on the element’s support capabilities. There were spells on creating wind barriers, using wind to lift and move objects, spells to manipulate the weather on a small scale, and spells to enhance the speed and acceleration of projectiles.

Out of the spells he read over, Jake decided to focus on the Spatial Manipulation ones. Against the Maedra, they would be the most useful. On the surface, utilizing the Compression variants would be useful against the other kinds of monsters and animals he might come across. However, in the ravine, mass obliteration of the hordes was paramount. The more Maedra he killed, the less stress there would be on the vanguard.

To practice, Jake dumped mana into the floor and triggered the targets in the room. They appeared from the walls in their randomized positions, ready for their beatings. Jake erected a small pedestal to set his spellbook on and then glanced over its writing again to familiarize himself with the steps and requirements. To utilize Spatial Manipulation, the first task was mastering how to better handle and control the air in the space around him. So far, Jake utilized wind magic by coiling and spinning it. Now he needed to firmly grasp it instead.

Based on the instructions, Jake could perform the task by saturating the targeted area with mana. By mixing mana with the air he wanted to manipulate, he could establish a bond between himself and the space. It would work the same way he used Rock magic but the required mana was far less since the air wasn’t as dense as stone. By using mana as an anchor, Jake could manipulate it to move, squeeze, or spin. Spinning was easy, as he just needed to develop momentum and then maintain the required equilibrium. Maintaining the box and not letting the wind drift or flutter off would require a more stable connection.

The boy held out his hands in front of himself and began to feed mana into the air, isolating a small portion of it just between his palms. As a test, he would start small. Just a tiny cube a few inches wide by a few inches tall. Though, without any rotational speed to the air, he could already sense the change in difficulty he was about to have. Even though he maintained control over his mana, the air within the box flowed straight through the walls he established. There was no pressure developed nor any tension in the walls of the box.

Thus, Jake changed his thinking. Instead of using straight mana, Jake utilized the air itself to establish the box. He influenced his mana to convert to wind and created a small box of wind within his palms. Unlike his Wind Balls or Wind Cones, he left the box empty in the center- hollow. Once the box was established, Jake used mana to draw out the air from inside the box, emptying what was inside of it. Doing so created a powerful suction force that began to pull on the walls of the box. Jake strengthened the walls as a result, pumping more mana into the spell to keep the object from collapsing on itself.

He clenched his teeth and felt the tension rise higher and higher as he watched the box. The powerful wind began to quake and he could feel a heat expand outwards. He felt a bit uneasy with the thing and decided to push it away from himself rather than just cut the mana connection. He tossed the box away into the air with a shove and watched it rip itself apart. The box sheared in half, contorting in the center before blowing apart with a loud pop.

Jake scratched at the back of his head and then checked the spellbook. Compression was the squeezing of something to create pressure, but what he’d done was another spell- the vacuum spell. By accident, Jake had created the vacuum in the middle of the box and the intense pressure he’d felt was the space attempting to pull the air back in to refill the vacant space. While there was certainly compression at the end when the box folded on itself, he hadn’t done it correctly. He stored away the experience for later and tried Compression again.

This time, Jake extended his hands and established a much larger box. He filled the air with mana to create the walls, and then he sporadically filled the inside of the box with mana as well. While he couldn’t quite see it with his normal eyes, using Sensory magic allowed Jake to see the thin blue hue of mana in the air. He stiffened the outside walls, converting the mana to Wind, and then he triggered the mana within the box. He contained the inside by sealing the walls and began to squeeze. Just like he had done to the Maedra underwater, Jake contained what was within the box and used his mana to press down as hard as he could. The smaller he shrunk the box, the stiffer the force that pushed back.

The box shrunk by over half before the difficulty of holding it together jumped drastically. Jake’s control of his mana was slipping and the walls began to shudder. The area within the box was growing hot and he could see the weak points beginning to show their fragile nature. He pressed just a little more before he decided it was too unsafe to continue. He pushed the box away from himself and maintained his connection to it until the square was on the far side of the room. Then, he released the constraints. The box blasted apart, sending a heavy gust of wind through the practice room. He flinched and covered his face as the targets near the box were splintered, the debris being scattered violently through the space. He wasn’t hurt by any of it, thankfully, but that certainly could have been worse.

“I don’t think that’s a good one for confined spaces,” he rumbled to himself. When he looked past his arm at the result of the burst, he saw that several targets were being pulled into the wall and replaced. On a large scale, such a spell would probably cause an absurd amount of damage. If he wanted to use it within the tunnels, he would either need to reduce its size or ensure he used it at a safe distance from others.

Once the targets had been recreated by the walls, Jake extended his hands and sent mana off into the distance. Casting the spell in his hands and then tossing it would be one way, but the other would be to compress it around a target directly. Jake selected one of the dummies and quickly encased it in a box of mana. He triggered the switch from base fuel to wind, and then rapidly pressed down on the sides. He performed the action as quickly as he could, and he watched as the dummy practically crumbled within the box. The dense material twisted, snapped, and cracked to pieces from the force of the pressure. Jake hadn’t made the box very big either, so the result was enlightening.

To ensure the contained debris wouldn’t go shooting off anywhere, Jake performed the reverse action of pushing down and eased the box outward. The pressure inside the box was relieved, and Jake dispersed his mana once there was little to none of it left. The pieces of the dummy scattered to the floor before they were absorbed and reused for another dummy.

Along with squeezing, Jake wanted to work on the opposite force- pulling. If he could crush a target, there was likely the ability to pull it apart. This he assumed was the Expansion type of Manipulation magic. Thus, he used the same technique as compression. Jake encased a target in a box of wind and infused the air within the box with mana as well. Then, he pulled the Wind out. He did it slowly at first to get a feel for the motion, which didn’t have any effect on the target. However, after compressing the box back down and then rapidly accelerating the air outwards, the result was far different. The rapid release of air created a similar vacuum-like space for a moment. The outward pressure pulled on the target. When the target could no longer withstand the pressure and hold itself together, it cracked in half and bent in two directions. It didn’t shatter, however, but it was certainly damaged.

Jake considered why that happened for a few moments but decided to think through action rather than guess mentally. The box he had made was large. It covered the entirety of the dummy and also a portion of the space around it. Jake figured having a firm grip around the target and pulling on a lot of the space would aid in increased damage. But, that was not the case. Thus, on his second attempt, Jake created a far smaller box. He surrounded just the upper half of the dummy with the spell and established a bond not with just the air, but with the dummy as well. He touched his mana to its outline, and then pulled outwards rapidly.

The box flared open, and the target was yanked violently into pieces. There were no chunks either. The dummy looked as though something had exploded inside of it and it scattered brilliantly in every direction. He blinked and then checked his body after feeling himself getting showered by a few remnants of the dummy. Thankfully, he hadn’t been impaled or scratched by any of it.

“...That’s enough of that,” he muttered. The spells certainly were strong and effective, but it probably wasn’t a great idea to keep using them when he was in the danger zone. He could make a barrier of some kind out of stone but he decided to leave that practice for later. He had tested the spells, experienced some results, and he could reproduce those results. He would practice and further refine the spells later.

The next category of spells was the Compression-type. Much like the Manipulation-types, the Compression-types worked by taking the air and pressurizing it. The next step was turning the pressurized air into a projectile. The book explained that utilizing mana for the container was effective and sturdy, but the amount of mana required would be immense. An amount certainly above introductory levels. Jake could perform the spell so that wasn’t his worry, but making efficient use of it was his concern. Casting speed was also an issue.

The cylinder-shaped mana container was the most recommended shape for the spell. The cylinder was more aerodynamic than a square, could contain more pressurized air depending on the length of the cylinder, and the backside of the tube could be shrunk or enlarged to let out more or less air. The size of the exit would be how the mage would control the speed of the cylinder once fired. Jake agreed with the idea of using a cylinder but he wasn’t going to stick to such a standard. The tube would be great for containing the air, except the nose of the projectile didn’t need to be flat. If he coned it off then it would gain both penetration power and an additional increase to its aerodynamic shape.

Other than the shape, the other issue was the walls of the container. He would need to create thick enough walls that could hold together for the entire flight to the target. As long as Jake maintained a bond with his spell, he could manage the decay rate of the mana within it. Once thrown, tossed, or otherwise expelled- the mana would gradually disperse naturally into the air over time.

Thus, weaker spells loosely held together generally fizzled out within sight distance. More advanced spells, like the fire spears, were strong enough to hold themselves together across further distances. Their mana density made their disperse rate rather low and the velocity of the spell meant it generally would impact before losing too much strength. Then again, Jake hadn’t had to throw a spear all that far just yet. This kind of spell would have to work using the same idea. A high mana density and a high velocity ensuring it would travel from start to target without losing its destructive power.

“But how thick?” He began to ruminate over the dimensions of the cylinder but once more decided to use physical tests to determine those answers.

He held out his hands and poured mana into the space in front of him. He used his Sensory magic to observe the creation of the cylinder and created a long, thin tube. It spanned nearly the length of his arm and was wide enough to stick his hand into. By just applying a base-level amount of mana to create the shape, it was only about as thick as a fingernail. Not much more, making it look relatively fragile. Thus, he applied more mana to the tube to increase the thickness. After the modification, the tube’s thickness matched the width of his pinky finger.

“This should be fine.” Content with the product, Jake cut his connection with the object and stepped back. Once the bond was cut, he started to count in his head. The mana tube fell to the floor with a thud.

“It has weight?” He spat, a bit confused to see the shape make a noise when it hit the ground. He didn’t think mana followed that sort of ruleset. Then again- the tube was primarily condensed mana. If spells were affected by gravity, wind, and other natural elements, then it only made sense for his mana to follow those rules as well.

He watched the tube roll away, down into the lower portion of the floor as it slowly dissipated. When it finally faded away, Jake had counted to twelve. Twelve seconds for a pinky-width amount of thickness. Knowing full well he would forget such a number, Jake rushed back into the study room to grab something to write on. He snatched up another piece of scrap parchment and scribbled down his notes. He sketched out the tube he’d made for a reference, and then the dimensions he had made it in. He didn’t have a ruler or any way to measure the tube to any exact values but he used his eye to get relatively close. For now, just the notes would be enough to help him keep a visual.

He returned to the practice room and set the paper beside his spellbook, keeping them both at the ready should they be needed. Now that he had his base shape, the next task was to create a cylinder with the compressed air inside of it. He wasn’t exactly sure how to do that, though. On top of that, the spell was becoming clunky and inefficient. Against the Maedra, a spell that required him to create a container, fill the said container, and then fire it off would take more time than he had. Especially if it would only kill one or two at a time. He needed a different solution.

Jake looked to his notes, to the reference image there, and crossed his arms over his chest. The Compression-style spells weren’t so complex within the spellbook. Unless he was going about the spell incorrectly. In the description, the author wrote that the spell was a compressed projectile formed entirely of pressurized air. The cylinder shape provided the best aerodynamic style for the projectile.

Did that mean the Wind itself was the container? If Jake used the spell the same way he used the Manipulation spells, then he could make the container out of the wind and utilize mana to turn it into a cylinder. Or, he could compress the air, form the air into a cylinder, and then release only a portion of the wind rather than unbind the entire spell. Just like with the fire spear- make a spear out of the wind and then power its velocity using the pressure of the air released out of the back of the wind tube.

Jake let out a huff and scratched at his head again, his fingers pulling a bit on his hair as he tried to understand what the spell would consist of. He turned back to the open space on his right and held out his hands again. He pushed mana outwards and grasped at a large amount of air in front of him, channeling his wind magic as he drew it inwards. He utilized a bit of rotation strength to curl the wind and compressed the air into a slender, thick cylinder. The tension on his mana was high, forcing him to apply a thin layer of it over the top of the wind. Doing so helped hold it in place and he quickly adjusted the front face of the tube, making a cone out of it.

Except, as he did so, he lost his firm grip on the tube itself. He hadn’t placed a cap over the back end of the tube and the moment his concentration slipped, he felt the mana in front of him break free. It wasn’t the same as an explosion, but his control was lost.

“Ah!” Jake felt the wind crack in front of him as the cylinder suddenly fired off to his left, careening into the wall at an insane speed. It smashed and blasted apart, cratering the thick stone of the Library’s white wall. His ears rang and he felt a bit sick in his stomach. He stumbled backward, deciding to ultimately sit down as he recovered from the shock. He stared over at the wall, his jaw tense at the amount of damage just that small spell had caused.

“What did you do?” A familiar voice met his ears but Jake didn’t look at the owner. He stared at the wall, watching it slowly repair itself.

“Magic,” he muttered, pointing out the obvious. The response he got was a zap to his ear. Jake jolted and yelped, grabbing the side of his head as he reeled from the surprise attack.

“Okay, smartass.” Fena hissed as she fluttered over to the podium where his notes and the spellbook were at. Jake grumbled as he healed the injury and eased himself up to his feet. His knees wobbled a bit and he still felt a bit dizzy, though. An unintended lesson but it seemed sound and pressure were pretty good at messing with an individual’s senses.

“Wind Compression?” Fena asked. Jake nodded and stepped up to the edge of the inner portion of the room.

“Yes. The next step of Wind magic,” he said. “The basic Wind Ball spell is too weak. Even when I use the Wind Cone spell that I made from it, it doesn’t have enough of a punch to deal with the Maedra. Sure, it hurts them and can expose their heart crystals, but it’s not enough to put them out with a single hit. It’s not great for distance fights either.”

Jake held out his hands in front of himself and repeated the process of making the compressed wind tube. However, this time, he made it off to his side and aimed it towards the far end of the room. Following his previous steps, he spiraled the wind into a cylinder shape and then quickly coated it with a thin layer of mana. This time, when he applied the layer to contain the wind, he also made the cone and the back cover at the same time. When he was finished, a dangerous projectile hovered just off to his left, a few feet away.

“That made the Library shake?” Fena asked. Jake blinked and looked up at her.

“It shook the Library?” He was surprised by such a thing. Then again, it had done quite a number on the wall. The crater was wide and fairly deep, and that crack of wind wasn’t a spring breeze.

“Yes. And it was loud. I thought you’d blown up or something,” Fena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She adjusted the glasses on her face and then crossed her arms over her chest. “So? What is the intent of this spell of yours?”

“Well, I’m not sure what the original magician wanted to do with it, but my idea is to use several of these to punch through the Maedra. If it’s strong enough to damage the Library, I can only imagine what it would do to those meat bags. Ah- cover your ears.” Jake paused as he turned to face the far end of the Library and he placed both of his hands on his ears. Fena quickly did the same. A second later, Jake released the back piece of the tube. The Wind cylinder cracked, launching forward and tearing through the room. The noise thundered outwards and Jake felt the pressure change in his stomach again. This time, he was ready, so he didn’t fall over or stagger. He was able to watch as the projectile railed through several targets before impaling the back wall. Even with his ears covered, the impact was loud enough to be felt. Jake’s teeth rattled and the air he’d just breathed in was pushed out of his chest.

“Oh my…” Fena muttered as she stared at the resulting damage. Jake grimaced. While the impact was a marveling sight, part of him still felt like it needed fine-tuning. Something about the spell felt lacking.

“Fena, I have a question.” Jake stepped into the lower part of the room and crossed it to the crater.

“You’re making these kinds of spells and there are questions you have for me? I’m flattered.” Fena furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. Jake rolled his eyes as he leaned forward towards the wall, watching its regeneration up close.

“How powerful would you rate that level of spell?” He asked. He stood up as the wall finished its repairs and then turned around to face Fena. “Would you have trouble protecting yourself from it?”

“If I wasn’t prepared for it, it would be troublesome but I would be able to stop it with a strong enough barrier.” She shrugged and fluttered over to the podium to sit down on its edge. “It certainly is a high-level spell, in terms of strength. Your average mage would have trouble dealing with it and only a well-trained Wind Mage would be able to replicate it.”

“So would you agree that the author has to be of a high level?” Jake returned to the podium space and then looked down at the book.

“Not necessarily,” she quipped. Jake blinked and looked at her, confused. “Spell creation tends to happen more by chance than anything. Mages use magic to find solutions to things that they may not be able to find using physical means. Or, they use magic to replicate things that they’ve seen. Your Ball, Spear, and standard projectile spells have all been inspired by arrows, javelins, and large siege weapons. Wall, Barrier, and other protective spells were made to be like shields to protect the mage from those offensive attacks.” She explained. As she did so, Fena utilized her mana to create floating images of the objects to provide a better visual for Jake.

“However, other spells are made based on a Mage’s imagination. Maybe they saw something and considered what would happen if they used magic for it. Or, maybe they wanted to try an idea and used magic to make it. One sort of magic that’s a great example of this is flight magic.” Fena pointed up in the air and created an image of a bird. The floating model flapped its wings and fluttered around in a circle.

“Humans have watched creatures with wings for a long time. It has made them jealous, and curious. Because of this, it has been seen time and time again that humans have attempted to create flight magic.” Fena snapped her finger and the bird vanished into the air. “Just like your Wind spell where you can float around.” She pointed at his feet, and then his hands.

“Mages have sought a proper type of flight magic which is efficient, easy to use, and can be used in mass. This has led to a bunch of different kinds of flight spells cropping up all over history. However, nothing solid has been developed that has lasted the test of time. Most magicians who studied flight magic found themselves injured, killed, or unable to teach others the magic as it was too inefficient and used too much mana.” She sighed and shook her head. Jake pressed his lips together and bit the inside of his cheek as he imagined all the different ways others must have tried to create that kind of magic. If Jake didn’t have a high level of control over his mana, he doubted he would be able to do it either.

“This kind of spell was likely either the Magician making a concept spell in an attempt to improve on wind magic capabilities or he stumbled into it. Compression magic is generally only found in water magic. Water Mages use the spell to control currents, catch fish, and gather water for transport or storage. It’s also great for putting out fires, as Mages can compress large masses of water and then dump the water onto the flames.” Fena turned her attention to the spellbook and then nudged it with her toe.

“This mage must have wanted to try something similar with Wind Magic,” she said.

“So anyone can think up and document spell concepts?” He asked. If it were true that magic was limited only by imagination and the author of the book had enough credibility to get his work inscribed, then Jake couldn’t help but wonder if there were other books like this one out there. Hundreds of randomly thought-up spells just waiting to be utilized by the right magician.

“Not always, no. In the past, some countries had spell registries. Whenever a spell was thought up and found to be useful, it would be tested by high-level mages. The mages would decide its usefulness, its purpose, its strength, and the required level of skill that a mage would need to use it. These registries generally were closely guarded, as the spells could be stolen and used by unfriendly countries. But, again- only some countries did this. Countries with a large and diverse magician population. Other smaller countries with not as large of a population tended to establish Mage Guilds that would govern themselves. Some locations didn’t bother with any kind of regulation at all for mages.”

“So this mage probably came from one of those smaller countries?” Jake plucked the book from the podium and began to flip through it again, looking for any mentions of other magicians or assistants. He found none. Only one magician had compiled the spells within.

“Most likely, yes. Spellbooks with only one author or magician within them tend to come from those smaller countries. Those magicians tend to write down their research and document their work since they know it would be lost otherwise. Or the magician is very well known and powerful, and the book is to document their great magical accomplishments.” Fena leaned over and stared at the cover, her eyes reading over the magician’s name. “I don’t recognize the name, so I’d like to assume they weren't famous.”

Ouch.

Jake returned to the podium and flipped back to the Compression-type of magic. He stared at the pages and bit the inside of his cheek again. So, the mage was someone from some small, far-off country. They likely weren’t powerful and the spells written were likely just concept spells- ones that the original magician wasn’t powerful enough to cast themselves but they could at least come up with a strong enough case for it to be created and utilized by someone stronger.

For some reason, that made Jake feel a little fuzzy inside. A small smirk crept onto his face as the corners of his mouth curled upward. This magician knew a power he knew he could not obtain. However, the mage wrote it down regardless, hoping that one day someone would be able to use it. There was probably a faint hope that the spell would be useful, but they had no real way to know if it was. Just a trust that whoever found their work and attempted the spell would be able to figure it out. Jake was thankful for that mage, and to the others he hoped to come across. Their ingenuity, imagination, and willful effort would aid his growth, and aid him in killing the Maedra.

“Thanks, Fena. I think I’m done for today.” Jake closed the book. He grabbed the ink quill and scribbled a few notes onto the page, noting the steps he took for the spell as well as a few of his thoughts about potential modifications to it. Ways to make it fly faster, farther, and the idea of attaching some kind of fletching. Arrows used fins of feathers to help with accuracy and stability in the air. If he applied that to the compression spell, he likely would be able to make it more accurate as well. He would have to test it in the tunnels, though. The spell was far too strong for the Library.

“I would certainly hope so. Yir made this room for you to practice small spells in. Not whatever that was.” Fena huffed and her shoulders slumped forward as she slid off the edge of the podium. “Please be more careful. We get yelled at whenever you do something crazy.” Fena righted herself and then fixed her hair a bit as the two of them began to move towards the study room.

“I will,” Jake said. “I agree. I think at this point, I’ll only use this room for initial tinkering and research. Actual casting I’ll have to do in the Overworld.” Jake was a bit sad to admit such a thing. Time in the Library moved at such a rate that it allowed him to maximize his training time. The mana density in the air also helped his cultivation speed, but it seemed he was reaching the practical limit of the space. If he wanted to take his casting to the next level, he would need to find an alternative location. Somewhere in the ravine where he could let loose without worrying about the damage.

Or, he could make a place.

“What made you want to study more spells?” Fena asked as Jake set the book down on the table. He tucked his notes of the spells just behind the front cover so he could find them later. Then, he went to organize the rest of the space. It was a bit messy.

“Introductory level spells are certainly useful and they have a lot of utility to them but I’m finding that they’re too weak. They aren’t effective against Maedra.”

After he spoke, Fena went quiet for a moment. She fluttered down to the table and stood on it, looking up at him.

“You’ve mentioned Maedra a lot, but you’re the first one to do so frequently. Most people only encounter those creatures once or twice, but it has been a long time for you…” Fena folded her arms over her chest, but not in an aggressive manner. She stood relaxed, and her eyes were curious.

“Where are you, Jake?” She asked. Jake stared at her and wondered if he had ever told her before.

“I’m in the Ravine, Fena,” he spat. It came out more curt than he originally planned, but he doubted his delivery would have changed her reaction. Fena’s eyes widened and she stared at him, her face blank.

“You’re still in the Ravine? In the Maw of Maur? Were you not only sent there for the Dragon Vein?” Her voice shuddered as she spoke. Jake shook his head.

“No, I’m still inside of it,” Jake sighed, groaning a bit.

Her mouth closed, but her wide expression held firm. She looked down towards the spellbooks, at the table, and then towards the practice room. “So… That’s why you’re going through all of this,” she mumbled.

“Yes. The Maedra are all over the place within the Ravine. I’m trying to find a way to kill them as efficiently as I can,” he said. Fena’s hands squeezed onto her arms.

“Are you trapped?” She asked. Jake thought for a few moments as to whether or not he was, but at this point, in all honestly, he could leave whenever he wanted. The Guards would be in the way and he would likely have to fight for a little while but he wouldn’t say he was trapped. Not anymore. He would just have to take the route to the Dragon Vein and then fight his way to the surface through whatever Maedra would be in the way.

“No, but I have reasons for staying.” He didn’t want to outright spill that he was fighting for the village of Ewana, just in case. However, Fena wasn’t stupid.

“People are living down there, aren't they?” She suddenly asked. Jake felt his jaw tense up instinctively. He relaxed it and nodded.

“Yes. Several villages are struggling and the Maedra are a constant threat to them. I’m trying to help them. Doing so is also helping me get stronger so I’m not exactly in any hurry to leave.” Jake motioned to the spellbooks. His eyes lingered on the Wind book for an extra second.

“Interesting. We thought the Maw was void of life. A sole Guardian was protecting the Gate of Judgment and the Vein, but otherwise, we were led to believe it was empty. To think there were inhabitants beneath the surface and even the Maedra…” Her voice trailed off as she lifted a hand to her mouth. She bit down on the nail of her thumb, her eyes drifting off to the side as she stared into the distance.

“Chul had mainly kept the numbers of Maedra down in the main fissure of the Ravine as well as around the Gate and Vein. But when he left with me after I met with the Gods, the Maedra returned. We cleared most of them again, but in the tunnels, beneath the surface, their numbers are still fairly high.”

Fena nodded after listening and her hands fell to her hips.

“Be careful down there, boy. The Maedra are a fearsome enemy. Even we have trouble with their numbers and strength. I will notify Yir and see if she wants to get involved at all. She may be able to persuade Lady Ferynith to send some kind of assistance. The Maedra are a threat to all life after all. If they are festering within the Ravine, it might be in the interest of the Overworld to assign a new Guardian to the place.”

Jake nodded but he said nothing. He was well aware of the dangers of the Maedra and their strength. He had seen their power up close, witnessed a Maudrake kill a powerful Guardian, and he was watching the slow downfall of a society struggling to keep the creatures at bay. However, as happy as he was to hear that Fena would consult with Yir and Lady Ferynith, he wasn’t going to wait for an answer or for help to come.

He had been useless to help Chul when Chul had fallen to that four-legged Maudrake. At the time, Jake had been too weak to help, too inexperienced to know what to look for, and too pitiful to be able to support his friend. On his first personal mission on a hunt to fight the Maedra, Jake had to be saved by Mora and the Warriors. They bailed him out because he had been stubborn and failed to pay attention to the warning signs around him. At that time, he had let his feeble growth get to his head. The recent operation had failed because of the Maedra as well, and the only reason they survived was that Jake had grown just enough to blow apart the cavern.

Jake was growing tired of having to rely on others, of having to run away because he was too weak or inept. If the Gods were going to send a Guardian into the Ravine to deal with the Maedra, then fine. Let them. He would happily accept the sight of such a creature clearing the tunnels of the infestation. In the meantime, until such a thing happened, Jake would continue devoting himself to finding the most efficient ways to slaughter the life-sucking meat sacks. He would continue to train his magic, hone his swordsmanship, and he would continue to fight in the tunnels until either the Maedra were wiped out, or until they killed him.

No amount of their pain-filled wails would ever be enough to ease the pain Jake felt on the day Chul pushed him into the essence pool. Their suffering would never be great enough to balance the numbness he felt when he saw Chul’s mana crystal.

He would never forgive the Maedra. Ever.

“Jake?” Fena called out to him, her eyes full of concern as she stared up at him. “Something wrong?”

The boy blinked and looked down at the fairy. He noticed his jaw was clenched insanely tight and his hands were furled tight enough to hurt. His shoulders were raised, also tensed. He let out a huff and ease all of that, letting himself relax.

“No, sorry. I have to go, Fena. Thank you for today,” Jake forced a smile and quickly walked out of the study room. His eyes were focused on the floor just ahead of him as he marched to the stone marker. He stepped on it without pausing or looking back. Then, he triggered it and returned to the ravine.

Back to where the Maedra were lurking, somewhere hidden in the dark. Like the cowards they were.