Messing Around with Magic

Krvavy’s fingers tighten around the haft of her axe.

She takes a deep breath and focuses.

Crimson flames flow from the gaps between her fingers, rushing along the length of her Soulbound Weapon. Blood-red fire coats the large axehead, surrounds the ridged hammer, swirls around the crystalline spear, and flows along sharp fang at the other end.

Krvavy frowns and cuts the spell short.

Imbued Inferno is... cool. Having her huge halberd-esq axe coated in bloody, crimson flames definitely increases her intimidation factor. And it is just great for aesthetic reasons. But... it isn’t always ideal.

For one, the mana cost is quite high. Though that is much less of an issue now than it was when she first got this spell. If she can find a way to make the spell more efficient, then great. But that isn’t her goal.

No, the main ‘issue’ plaguing Krvavy is more a problem of practicality.

Fire gives off light. And more or less pointing a bright light into your own eyes makes it kind of hard to see in the darkness beyond said light. And while the flames of Imbued Inferno aren’t anywhere near as bright as they realistically should be, this is still a ‘problem’ that Krvavy would like to ‘fix’.

Mostly just because she needs more practice altering her spells, and this gives her the perfect excuse to do just that.

The barbarian slowly breathes in, staring intently at her axe, and slowly breathes out.

Crimson fire bursts from her hands in a furious rage, spilling along the wooden haft of her Soulbound Weapon and surrounding the many heads with a swirling inferno.

Krvavy winces and instinctively shuts her eyes. But even then she can still see the bright red blaze through her eyelids. “Tsk.” She clicks her tongue in annoyance, snuffing out her spell.

She let her mind wander a bit, and accidentally did the exact opposite of what she wanted.

Maybe starting with Imbued Inferno wasn’t the smartest choice? Fire isn’t exactly meant to be dull and dim. Trying to go against the very nature of fire is, clearly, not all that easy.

But none of Krvavy’s other spells have a ‘problem’, no matter how petty and inconsequential, that she could fix...

And she still isn’t quite sure what she wants from her next Beast Magic spell, even if she is a little overdue for that...

Krvavy furrows her brow and shifts her weapons weight between her hands.

Does she really need her axe to be covered in flames? Having that as an option is nice, but is it necessary?

The Drakling focuses inwards. Her core pulses with power, the mana within growing hot and excited. Like a lit fuse or a river of lava, that energy flows down her channels, through her hands, and into her Soulbound Weapon.

Veins of heat emerge from its wooden shaft, spreading like vines or cracks in the earth as they rapidly extend out to either end. The dark metal glows faintly from within, shining the brightest around the wormy veins. Flickering tongues of flame and hungry sparks crackle at the edges and points, the parts that would be used to inflict damage on others.

Krvavy grins.

This is what she wanted!

It isn’t as flashy as having a literal inferno clinging to her axe, but it still looks pretty cool. And it didn’t take all that much effort at all: she only had to aim her intention more towards heat than flames.

The barbarian swings her axe through the air. The sharp edge glows brighter as the wind warps around its heat. Little fiery flecks mark the arc of her swing, fading away before they can land on the barren cave floor.

With a thought, Krvavy pumps a bit more mana into the spell. The heated glow emanating from the veins grows in intensity as the three heads and the spiked cap at the opposite end of the haft all simultaneously burst into flames.

It takes just another thought, and some more mana, to stifle that crimson inferno. The molten veins pulse as the effects of Imbued Inferno return the glowing heat that it was just moments ago.

The barbarian smiles and dismisses the spell. Near-immediately, her Soulbound Weapon is back to its usual, undamaged state.

Now if only there was a way for Imbued Inferno, or really all of Krvavy’s Fire Magic, to avoid cauterizing wounds... She wants her enemies and opponents to bleed so that she can gain some mana back with Transmute Blood. But the level of precision that would be needed for that is... probably beyond her current abilities.

Not to mention that she doesn’t exactly have an easy way to test that sort of thing...

Krvavy idly twirls her axe around.

This hasn’t taken nearly as much time as she expected, so... maybe she should get to work on her next Beast Magic spell? At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to figure out what kind of spell she wants. In fact, that might be all she really needs to do... Krvavy was supposed to have automatically gotten a new spell when the skill hit level ten, after all.

Her uncertainty has kind of shifted into procrastination, hasn’t it?

She needs to put her foot down and finally do something about that. Though, technically speaking, she is still procrastinating by choosing to do this instead of resuming work on the fortifications...

The Drakling shakes her head. A relatively quiet clack echoes throughout the dimly lit cave as she rests the base of her Soulbound Weapon on the ground.

So...

What exactly does Krvavy want as her next Beast Magic spell?

The Drakling slowly paces back and forth, using her axe like a walking stick and tapping it against the stone floor with each step she takes.

There are a lot of possibilities, almost enough to give her choice paralysis, but not many of those options are actually all that viable... Well, not for Krvavy, at least.

To make this a lot easier, it’d probably be best to first consider copying one of the spells that Beryl and Khalia already have. If she really doesn’t want any of those, then she can waste some more time trying to figure out what she truly needs.

Both her precious puppy and her sweet berry have three Beast Magic spells each. Krvavy doesn’t remember the exact details of those spells, but that doesn’t really matter. She just needs a vague idea of what they do to help inspire her actual decision.

The little bit of magic that Khalia has access to is entirely combat related. One of her spells transforms her claws into deadly weapons, while the other two are shouts that strengthen allies and weaken enemies.

All of those sound good. At least in theory.

It wouldn’t hurt for Krvavy to have some sort of backup that would help her fight unarmed. But... the only reason she should ever be unarmed is if her Soulbound Weapon is destroyed, and at that point having stronger claws or sharper horns probably wouldn’t be much of a game changer... Besides, if she ever is caught without her axe then she can just breathe out plumes of fire or ice.

So what about some sort of roar? A Draconic roar, to stay on brand? She would need to look over the details of Khalia’s two shouts before trying to make such a spell though. Krvavy doesn’t want to make her precious puppy’s magic redundant, especially not when she has the option for her own roar to have totally different effects.

The barbarian idly nods, leaning onto her axe.

That idea is actually growing on her the more she thinks about it. If she could have an aoe spell that reduces the resistances, the magic resistances, of all nearby enemies... Maybe it could even emit a shock wave of some sort, ensuring that people, or things, that don’t hear it are still effected?

Okay... That is one good option. What about Beryl’s spells? Those three – or two, really, as she already knows Calm Creature – are a bit more fresh in Krvavy’s mind. She spent the past two weeks with that tanned tomboy, and Inspected the Elf multiple times throughout the trip.

It also helps that both spells were pretty vague and didn’t go into details at all.

Animal Aspect: Magic infuses your body, temporarily lending you the power of beasts. Associated attribute = Insight.

Detect Beasts: A pulse of beast magic is emitted, giving knowledge of the locations of nearby animals. Associated attributes = Insight & Perception.

Krvavy is naturally drawn more towards Animal Aspect than Detect Beasts. That was the one that she had considered getting in the past. But, thinking about it, they both have quite a bit of value. Especially if she gets better at altering spells on the spot.

Detect Beasts is useful for hunting, but would be even better if she could get it to detect people as well. That sounds like it should work in theory, as people are just animals, but it isn’t perfect. That sort of spell wouldn’t detect non-person enemies like that crystal golem. Or slimes.

As for Animal Aspect... Well, that is complicated. It provides a decent amount of potential utility by letting Krvavy improve her senses, and it would also be useful in combat by giving her some physical buffs. But Krvavy can only keep so many spells active at the same time. If the effects aren’t significant enough, then she will pretty much never use it...

Maybe she can sacrifice the utility, which she honestly doesn’t really need, to make the combat related buffs stronger? The reduced versatility and focused intent should make that possible...

“MAAAAAAAAATE~!”

Krvavy jumps slightly as she is jolted from her thoughts. Her head snaps towards the direction that needy howl came from. She stands completely still for just a moment, before shrugging and sharply whistling back.

“MAAATEEEEEE~!!”

Khalia’s excited howling grows louder as she hones in on her Mate’s location.

The barbarian dismisses her axe, expecting to get tackled as soon as the Orc finds her.

But that isn’t the case.

Khalia slows to a jog shortly after coming into view. “Maaaate~!” A big, toothy grin fills her face as her shaggy tail wildly wags behind her.

“Yeah?” Krvavy smiles back as the Were-Beast woman walks up and grabs onto her hands.

“Mate~! Come hunting!” Khalia leans forwards, pressing her bare breasts into the barbarian’s body as she quite thoroughly invades her Mate’s personal space. “Elfy found tracks!”

“Fresh tracks?” That question gets a quick and overly enthusiastic nod. “Did Beryl go out again today?” Another excited nod.

“Come! Come! We hunt together~!”

Krvavy bites the inside of her cheek. “Can you wait a couple minutes first?”

“Rrrrgh!” Khalia snarls, baring her four little tusks and her sharp, carnivorous teeth. “No, now!”

“I just want to finish what I was doing here first.” The Drakling calmly explains, weakly resisting her Orc’s attempts to drag her away. “I was messing with magic and about to get a new spell.”

The Were-Beast’s fluffy ears twitch unhappily. Air hisses out past her tusks and teeth. “Will it help hunt?”

“Uh... maybe if we have to fight something big or dangerous?” Krvavy’s uncertain response doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. “It’ll be quick. I’m not going to sit here meditating for an hour or anything. It should only be a couple minutes at most.”

“Rrrrrrrgh... Okay.” Khalia’s clawed fingers dig into Krvavy’s hands as she reluctantly relents.

“Thanks.” The barbarian’s warm smile isn’t exactly returned. She quickly uses Inspect on the Orc, earning herself a suspicious glare, and focuses her attention towards two similar but different spells.

Empowering Howl: Increases the physical attributes, resistances, and the damage dealt by all allies who hear the howl. Associated attributes = Charisma & Toughness.

Shaking Roar: Increases the damage taken by all foes who hear the roar and has a chance to break their resolve. Associated attributes = Might & Charisma.

Various thoughts and ideas snap together like pieces of a puzzle as soon as Krvavy refreshes her memory with those descriptions. A part of her still wants to get some version of Animal Aspect, but the idea of having her own shout or roar is pulling on her a lot more...

With a deep breath, she makes up her mind. Well, she partially makes up her mind. Krvavy still needs to think about the details of what her new spell will due.

And that is surprisingly easy, as both of Khalia’s spells have a pretty big blind spot. One that Krvavy thought of earlier: magic. Empowering Howl is entirely physical focused, even if the description is slightly ambiguous regarding that, and she only wants half of what Shaking Roar does. Unlike her Orc, Krvavy doesn’t exactly enjoy chasing after fleeing enemies.

So instead of coming up with something entirely new, she can just develop on her initial thoughts.

Krvavy closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can feel her heartbeat slow as she focuses inwards towards her core. It is blindingly bright. Shining even more radiantly than it was when last she looked upon it. Each pulse of this not-heart feeds purple-blue energy with the faintest tinge of maroon into her channels.

Her attention trails upwards slightly, travelling along the thicket of false veins that culminate in the gnarled node at the top of her throat.

Her mind grasps at the various thoughts detailing what she wants from this spell.

It should cripple those who stand against her, tearing away their magical resistances and leaving them **** to her might.

It should bolster those who stand by her side, strengthening both their magical resistances and their magical might.

It should be more than mere sound. It should burst out with the **** of her will, so that even those who cannot hear will have their weaknesses laid bare before her.

Her intent coalesces in incorporeal might. Power flows from the reservoir of her soul, rushing upwards like a raging stampede.

Krvavy’s head snaps back. “RRGHAAAA!” A shock wave carrying the untold echoes of pain and fury erupts from her open mouth, slamming into the cave ceiling above. Dust and small chips of stone fall down around her.

“AAARWHOOOOO~!” Khalia follows her Mate’s magical roar with an excited howl of her own. The shaggy fur trailing down her spine stands on end, as does the beige-brown pelt that covers her arms and legs. Despite not being in the direct path of that sound blast, her messy hair has been blown back away from her grinning face.

The Drakling takes a deep breath as she feels a ping at the edge of her conscience.

Requiem Roar: Echoes of ancient rage and suffering burst from the depths of your soul, carrying outwards in a wave of sonic and psychic power. Allies within range of these echoes have their Base Magic Resistance bolstered by at least 10% and have the strength of their magics increased by at least 20%. These positive effects increase proportionally with the trust and faith that the ally has in you. Enemies within range of these echoes have their Physical Resistances reduced by at least 10% and their Base Magic Resistance reduced by at least 20%. These negative effects increase proportionally with how intimidated or distressed they are by your presence. Duration is determined by proximity and your overall power. Costs at least 100 mana per use. Associated attributes = Charisma & Insight.

Quite the wordy description there... Though that was kind of expected. This is pretty much two separate spells mashed together...

And those ‘two’ spells are pretty good.

Sure, the numbers don’t seem particularly big at a glance, but those are the minimum values. So the effects will never be weaker than that. Which makes it pretty reliable. And if these values are added or subtracted rather than used as multipliers, then they aren’t even that low to begin with.

Hopefully that is how it –

Wait.

Krvavy doesn’t need to hope. She literally just used that spell. She can just check her resistances and figure out how it was calculated herself. And this should also give her an idea as to what the maximum value is as well!

Krvavy frowns.

She isn’t wearing her loincloth, she isn’t wearing anything, so it is very easy to see that her resistances haven’t been altered at all.

Requiem Roar does not appear to have buffed Krvavy. Which... is mildly disappointing. But, in hindsight, that does make some sense. The description doesn’t mention doing anything to herself, just that it effects allies and enemies.

“Mnnghhhn...!” Khalia’s impatient whining draws the Drakling from her thoughts. “Ready now?”

“Almost.” Krvavy smiles as she is reminded of her precious puppy’s presence. “Say... what’s your base magical resistance right now?”

The Were-Beast scowls and holds back a snarl. “Seven. Five.” She angrily forces out, her tail furiously whipping back and forth behind her, its movements completely devoid of joy and excitement.

The barbarian’s brow shoots up. “Seventy-five?” She grins even wider as the hate-filled hyena curtly nods back. “That is...!” Krvavy stops herself before she gets too excited. “What is it normally?”

“Three. Five.” The corner of Khalia’s left eye twitches as the claws on her pawed foot dig shallow trenches in the stone floor.

Krvavy reaches a hand up and pats her impatient puppy on the head. “Good girl~.” Those two words cause the Orc to freeze as conflict rages within her.

Considering the fact that Khalia pretty much has unwavering trust and unquestioning loyalty to Krvavy, it fairly safe to assume that the extra forty percent is the maximum amount. Which is honestly kind of amazing considering that the minimum is only ten percent. Does that mean all the effects can increase by up to four times, or do they all have their own separate scales?

Regardless of the actual answer, Krvavy is quite happy with this new spell. At the very least, the defensive part of it is more than she could have hoped for.

“Alright, I’m ready now.”

Khalia’s conflicted impatience melts away in an instant. “ARWWHOOOO~!” She excitedly howls. “Lets go go go go~!”

“Hold on, we aren’t going on a hunt while naked!” The barbarian protests as she gets dragged off through the cave.