Descending Into A Novel-Chapter 69:Borrow Future Strength

Raymond frowned, walking over to the engravings on the ground. He adjusted one of the lines, making it smoother and less sharp.

At this stage, any small change in the engraving was extremely important. It was all extremely precise, if he messed up. He would basically have to redo half of the entire thing all over again.

It had already been five—nearly six months since he had started his work on Borrow Future Strength, continuously adjusting and modifying it so that he could cast it at his current low level.

Each small improvement took him weeks, but slowly they added up. Piling up to create a mountain that let him reach the clouds of success.

He carefully inserted the mana from one of the many mana ores given by either Sky Soaring, Mages For Life, New Elites or the academy. Each of them using this chance to get Raymond to owe them something.

Not that Raymond minded much, he was getting free stuff in exchange for a future favour that most likely wouldn’t be cashed out. Besides, favours built on material exchanges could be easily repaid.

Holding his breath, he watched as the miniscule amount of mana flowed through the entire engraving.

Seeing the entire engraving glow with a din lighting. Raymond knew he had succeeded. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

It was a damn hard puzzle for him to solve. Trying to cast Borrow Future Strength at this current level.

Engravings were one of the few magic techniques to cast spells without using the owners mana.

Raymond was using this fact in order to cast the 6th circle spell that was Borrow Future Strength. His own mana reserves were wholly inadequate for such a feat. Forcing him to rely on the property of engravings being able to use mana from other sources.

Even then, this dimensions mana was simply too trash in his eyes. His own body had to continuously purify mana just so it could achieve the same level of purity he was used to.

He had resorted to essentially creating several dozen mana batteries, each a simple three engraving structure consisting of a mana absorption engraving, a mana purifying engraving and a mana storage engraving.

Each one was only at the second circle, meaning he had to make a lot more in order to power the six circle spell. So he also resorted to using several engravings which could absorb the mana from the mana ores.

He also had to modify the Borrow Future Strength engraving, making it as efficient as he possibly could. Able to function with as little while still keeping the same effect.

Finally, his own time and dimensional mana would be used in case of emergencies. Although it was lacking compared to his peak. The attunement would make them more efficient for such a spell.

He had tried hard to find ways to convert the mana into time-attuned mana to increase the efficiency but failed in the end.

Storing his own time-attuned mana failed as well, as he was unable to find or create a battery that could hold enough for long periods of time.

He had even requested more high quality resources, but they had all denied Raymond access for his own safety. Which was just another way of saying they didn’t want to waste it on him.

Fine by him, it only made the puzzle extra challenging.

In the end, he had finally succeeded. He had done it. Despite only having his core and none of his circles. He was able to cast a 6th circle spell.

Not just any 6th circle spell as well. But Borrow Future Strength. One of his own creations, and since it was his own creation. It was much more complicated and difficult to cast then other 6th circle spells.

But he had done it, if he was back in his home dimension. He would have been paraded around as the best mage of all time. Although he already was the best mage before he left, maybe something had changed in the years since then.

Sitting back down on his chair and desk he had set up in the training hall. He stared wordlessly at the countless notebooks and sticky notes all set up. All signs of his work over the months.

But other then that, the whole hall was relatively clean. Ellen had decided to take it upon herself to clean up after him. Picking up his empty soda cans and empty take out containers. Because according to her ’you aren’t a raccoon but a human so live like one.’

Stretching slightly, he sent a message to Ellen telling her he was finished before crawling onto a mattress he had set up in the training hall and falling asleep quickly.

Not before casting a quick spell to clean himself of course. He wasn’t some kind of dirty freak.

***

Opening his eyes, Raymond cast another quick spell to clean himself up again.

He could have just showered normally or brushed his teeth normally but using magic was just more efficient. Something Ellen heavily disapproved of.

As was evident by her stare. Leading him to ask her.

"How long have you been watching me sleep?"

"Only two hours. You really kept me waiting."

He looked at the message he sent her.

RaymondVnc:I’m finished, head to the training hall tomorrow by like afternoon or something.

He looked at the current time.

[11:12 a.m]

He uttered dryly, "You’re a bit early, I didn’t have enough time to rest yet."

That meant she had been here since 9 something. Today was a weekday as well, meaning she had skipped class to be here.

"Don’t you have class?"

"They let me skip today for free when I told them I was planning on forming my core."

At least the academy was nice enough to do that. Forming a core was the true boundary that separated unawakened and awakened. Naturally, it was an extremely important day.

Ellen herself had been ready for several months already, but she had purposefully delayed forming it.

The core was essentially the foundation of an awakened, once she initiated the process of converting her mana into her own mana attunement and formed a core with it. There was no going back, which was why it was especially important that she formed a purer and larger core.

In the process of converting and purifying, a lot of mana would be wasted. Since only the fully converted mana of her own attunement could be used for the core, this made it so that the size and purity of the core would be reliant on her own mana.

But, if she could utilize her future self’s mana. Which would be of the same attunement and of high purity. She could form a larger and better core.

Which was why she patiently waited for Raymond. The pay off would be all worth it in the end!

In her hand was a small vial, with a thick viscous purple liquid inside. Self attunement liquid, the reward for getting first place in the academy entrance exam.

It was made to be used when forming a core, essentially refilling the mana of the individual. Since without a core, they would have to actively absorb mana. Compared to having a core which would passively absorb and convert mana.

Raymond himself would have to actively meditate and absorb mana for several hours over the span of days before he formed his core. Which was a massive pain.

Ellen and the rest of the special class students also had to sit around and absorb mana actively during the mission, which really slowed their progress.

But such an issue was soon to be in the past, Ellen herself was forming her core hopefully today. The rest would follow soon as well if they followed the past timeline.

"Alright, go stand in the middle there and get ready. It’s gonna be a long process."

She nodded, her expression serious now.

Sitting down cross-legged in the middle of the massive engraving. She took a deep breath, checking over her current state.

Once she made sure she was in her peak condition, she closed her eyes. Mobilizing the mana in her body.

Instantly, her body seemed to glow as she underwent the process of converting the mana. Cutting away any impurities and refining it into her own unique mana attunement.

Raymond put on a pair of rectangular glasses. Specially engraved to improve his ability to sense mana, normally as the perfect human. He could control such an ability at will but right now he had to make do.

Observing the mana within Ellen, he watched as it continuously flowed in a cycle throughout her body.

Occasionally the blue light would dim at certain parts as it was removed during the purifying process. But overall, the entire cycle of mana was gradually turning into a deep shade of amber.

...amber?

He ran through his own memory, searching for every instance of the past Ellen. Each memory confirming his theory. Ellen had never used such a colour of mana before.

Ellen was forming a different mana attunement.

Compared to her previous bright, golden light. The current colour seemed more mystical, the darker colours reminding Raymond of something else.

Ah.

That colour, it resembled his own time-attuned mana.

Ellen wasn’t forming a willpower-attuned mana anymore.

She was forming a time-attuned mana, the second person to ever have one after himself.