The Reincarnation of Alysara

After visiting Kayafe, I fly back home, thoughts whirling through my mind. I need to get back into my normal routine – continue working on my Bond, studying mana and inscriptions, and teaching – and figure out how to make a true Mana Arc.

For that, I first need to set some objectives: it needs to gather most of the mana that flows through the Nexus and continue feeding that mana into the Dungeon, it probably should have the same monster inhibitor that the Nexus does, and lastly, but optionally, it should be able to produce liquid mana like the current one does.

The biggest problem with the mana gathering effect is the sheer scale that it needs to deal with. Unless I make an inscription the size of the Nexus – which will be a monumental task, and if it's broken, the mana gathering will weaken or stop entirely, which is very deadly – I currently don't have any way to make it happen.

The monster inhibitor is straight-up magical, so that's another major problem. Only the liquid mana production really seems feasible right now, but it's a start. The only way to make this work is through inscriptions; I don't have [Manipulate Magic] to make permanent effects stick to mana, so inscriptions are my only hope for large-scale effects. If I can't get them to work, then I won't be able to make a Mana Arc.

That said, there are reasons to be wary of inscriptions. The scare when my book became a magical item is reason enough to stay away from that field of study, at least without much greater caution; however, this is my only hope at potentially curing a cursed Skill.

Perhaps I should have a backup plan. My main plan is to make a Mana Arc and free Kayafe, but if that doesn't work, I need to have a second already set in motion. So, what should I focus on to get a legendary point? Crafting, trial, or slaying a legendary being; perhaps I should ask Safyr for advice.

With a sigh at myself for not thinking of this before I got halfway back home, I turn to fly back to Temple Island and to Safyr's resting spot.

"Greetings, Guardian," I say with a respectful bow. "I need your advice on getting a legendary point. The ritual worked, but not in the way I needed it to, and now I need another way to get one."

"There is no easy way to get a legendary point," Safyr says after a minute of contemplation. "But the most likely one available to you is a trial. If you cannot do Kayafe's trial, then you'll have to do another, but keep in mind that in order for the trial to be a trial, the consequences must be deadly, or at least similarly dire."

"What do you suggest?" I ask. I need to at least hear the trial before deciding if I can do it.

"Make me a suit of armor capable enough to serve me even in the direst of situations, and if you are unable, I will fly you to the deadliest place I can think of and leave you to die."

I have to make Safyr a suit of armor that not only will defend her, but also be more invincible than her… basically the impossible. I may be good, but I am not so good as to be able to defend against something like the Fallen Legacy.

"I'm not sure that's possible," I say.

"That's the point," Safyr replies. "Legendary points are legendary for a reason, and especially the first non-Skill-mastery point is the hardest."

So, I am back to square one; no matter what I look at, it seems that I must have my [Manipulate Mana] enhanced before I can even do it, but if I do enhance it, there is no telling what might happen. It could be perfectly fine, or it could make the curse permanent or worse; I don't want to be the first one to throw that dice.

I can't rely on making a legendary item, I can't do trials without [Manipulate Mana], and I am not strong enough to tackle a legendary foe. Is there nothing I can do? Perhaps I'm thinking about this all wrong; I need to play to my strengths; make a trial about my [Sense Magic] or discovery.

"Can I make a trial for myself?" I ask Safyr.

"There still need to be dire consequences," Safyr answers; however, she doesn't deny the fact that I can take on a trial for myself. "What are you thinking of?"

"To discover and see the successful spread of a new craft, technology, or art."

"How do you define 'successful spread' and what are the consequences?"

"Once eighty percent of Runalymo settlements are affected by the presence of the new craft, art, or technology… and failure will result in exile."

"That... may work," Safyr says, showing a slight smile, "But it needs to be a little more significant; it has to be something that significantly impacts Runalymo society. Fortunately, you are already halfway there with the airships, and inscriptions are another choice, but there should either be a timeframe for completion for something like this, or have other failure conditions."

Right, it wouldn’t really be risky, no matter the punishment, if one has unlimited time to complete the trial. There should be enough time to properly develop the technology and spread it. Assuming five years to develop, five to train others, and five for spreading, a minimum of fifteen years is reasonable for a legendary point; however, there may be other factors in play. This trial would have been greatly simplified in my old life by the internet, where the spread of ideas was so easy.

"Fifteen to twenty years," I reply. "But depending on how easy it is to spread and teach others, it should be sooner. Many factors can play into this, from other emergent technology to the size of the society or nation."

"Very well," Safyr says, with a hint of foreboding in her tone. "If you take this trial, then I will hold you to it. Decide how you wish to revolutionize your people's society: airships, or inscription. If it fails to do so, then you will have failed your trial, and I will see you exiled."

Inscriptions have amazing potential, but there are a few reasons why it's bad for this trial. One, it's a wild card – I have just discovered it, and already established that I don’t properly understand how it works – and two, I don't know if it's actually safe or not. But on the other hand, some of the most revolutionary technologies in my past life's history were transportation-related. Trains, cars, planes, boats, no matter what, they change everything. With trade in the Lunaleyan lands now secured, the need for airships will grow a lot more; there literally is no other way right now. I have no doubt airship technology will let me succeed in this trial.

My one and only obstacle are the elders, Tusile and Guklaro, who want a monopoly on airships for our village, but I need the technology adopted in most villages. I can just go village to village and distribute blueprints, but that will put me on Tusile's bad side… well, I am the inventor of airships, so she can't complain. In any case, no one has the means to produce the spell crystals efficiently, which is where I come in.

I can make an inscription box that draws in ambient mana and passes it through a mana converter, taking advantage of mana physics to convert one type of mana into spell mana; wind mana to a wind spell. Put in a filter to let only wind mana through and boom, a spell crystal maker. The trial is for airship technology, not spell crystal technology, so the knowledge of the spell crystals doesn't have to spread, and we can maintain a monopoly on those at least.

"Airships," I give Safyr my answer. "Thank you for your help; I have much to do now. Hopefully, this trial won't take too long."

"Good luck."

On my flight back, I begin to make my plan. I don't need to tell everyone how to make an airship; it just needs a significant presence in at least eighty percent of the settlements in the Nexus. I have a few things working for me. One, most settlements are being restored, so there are fewer and they’re communicating and trading more than they normally would be; and two, wood from the Dungeon is making things cheaper.

If I make a company, I can make sure I meet the presence requirement. I can employ craftsmen, I have enough money for a start-up, and Tusile really can't complain if I start making airships. Speaking of money, I can probably ask the elders in other villages for a small loan to set up shop in their village if I ever need more.

The cost of construction materials – namely wood, I can easily provide the enchanting, spell crystals, and mana silk – is a potential problem, but that can easily be recouped with the price of the finished airships.

So what should I specialize in for now? Small transport airships like the Valymo, or larger trade ships like the Winamr? The trade flagship still isn't done, but that shouldn't be a reason to not trade with the Lunaleyans, and the first on the scene has the advantage… but they are also more expensive, and I don't have unlimited money.

On the other hand, smaller transport ships will be more helpful to the goal of my trial; smaller airships mean they are more affordable for the average person or the smaller villages, and I can rent them out since most people don't need to own one, but I'll also have to train pilots. Basically, do I want to transport a large amount of goods to and from the Lunaleyan lands, or do I want to start a taxi service?

Ultimately, that question isn't really the issue; I'm not doing this to get rich, I am doing this to complete my trial. Smaller and more prevalent airships serve me best in my trial. This means I should advertise the ease and speed of the airships; visit friends and family no matter how far away they are! Not that any of our villages are really that far apart anyway, but that’s not the point.

Arriving back home, I start making blueprints for a fast and small airship; however, I quickly scrap that plan. Scheduled public transportation will require fewer pilots… airships that fly on a route, so each hour an airship will be there to pick people up… but maybe every hour is too much for starting; the idea has to spread and set in, that traveling will be a lot more available as an option.

Maybe I should look for tourism spots to help kickstart the business? Thoughts for later. First, I need to get things rolling, so I'm going to have to talk to several builder groups, basically pseudo-guilds, have them build a dry dock for me and employ them to make my airships. I can crank out the mana-based material myself; as for wood, I'll need to talk to the elders in the Dungeon village since that village itself owns the logging and lumber business there.

I make my way into the Dungeon and locate the Elders in the town hall, and to my surprise, I see Esofy among them; maybe she is there for business? It does not look like it, well, let's find out what's going on!

I quickly fly over to the building, which is decorated with the heads of what seem to be bosses mounted on the walls. Words are engraved under them detailing what they were, which Classes they had, and what level it was. It doesn't seem like a very Runalymo thing to do, but then again, our society went a long time without any strong monsters to contend with, so there was no point. It may also just be that this village is developing its own culture.

I knock on the door, and one of the Elders tells me to enter. The room is neat and orderly, a quality of Esofy, so that's one point for her being an Elder, despite not meeting the usual age requirements.

"Alysara! It's been a while!" Esofy greets me enthusiastically.

"Are you also here for business?" I ask, gesturing to the Elders.

"Well, yes, but not in the way you are thinking." Esofy replies. "I'm the third unofficial Elder now! We needed somebody who knows monster-slaying well to represent the monster slayers, but no one fits the age requirements. But I'm only doing this part-time since I still need to teach the trainees. Anyway, enough about that! What are you here for?"

"I am on the verge of purifying one of my cursed Skills, and in order to do that, I must complete a trial" I explain the situation as best I can.

"We can give a discount, right?" Esofy asks one of the other Elders. "She's the one who invented the scouting system, killed the treant, and so much more; without her, this village wouldn't exist. Plus, airships will be very good for getting squads of slayers to and from the dens faster."

An old, yet well-built, woman hmm’s thoughtfully. Despite her age, she has kept her body in good condition. She keeps her hair above the shoulders and has a hair clip to keep her bangs swept to one side. "Only if this village gets a discount on airship fees."

"I can make it free if you give me a higher discount," I argue. The lower the start-up cost, the faster I can complete my trial.

"Deal, but we'll want the airships here first," the third Elder says; she is younger than the other, with long braided hair. It's a good deal for them in the long run, even if they operate at a loss now. So, while I am here, I need to talk to the builders here and make a specialized land-based airship.