The Runic Alchemist

Damian sketched the runic diagram for the spell he planned to use. It wasn't entirely original, but it did combine sections from various spells to create something uniquely its own.

One of the spells Damian had analyzed over the years was the gravity reversal spell used by the monster Vidalia, who had once used it on them both. Despite its apparent simplicity, the runic circle was anything but straightforward. Though it was a single-element spell, its complexity lay in its ability to target individuals. It used the mana they exuded to identify their unique signatures, or "IDs," and manipulated the gravity affecting them accordingly.

Damian doubted the dim-witted monster even understood the intricacies of the spell it had used. The spell also incorporated a section to reverse gravity for inanimate objects in a fixed area, which explained why trees and stones had been affected during their encounter. However, this broader application demanded an enormous amount of mana—far more than reversing gravity for one or two individuals. The moster, maybe, had some system of absorbing others' mana and getting their id from it. Because Damian had failed to achieve the same effect himself even after making it as small as possible while still being functional. Both the area affected and individual selected were the minimum and weakest unranked monster; yet the spell as a whole never worked.

After much tinkering, Damian managed to separate the components for controlling gravity on individuals and objects. For individuals, he now needed to physically touch the person for a few seconds and draw the runic circle to register their ID while doing so. Alternatively, if he already knew the ID, he could bypass this step. Both methods, however, consumed vast amounts of mana—so much so that his entire mana pool wasn't sufficient for even a single use of either section individually without passing out afterwards.

Without the source of mana being set to the environment, this was impossible to do spell for him. Only with giant metal tools could he do this, but even these required long recharge periods. Moreover, the door, even though made of pure steel, could only handle two or three full activations of this spell before its internal structure would break down entirely.

The spell was a locking mechanism of the runic array spell he had worked the past week on, but the section of protection key in status was replaced with the section of Highsword badge - making it so anyone could access it without opening their status everytime. Added with using the mana nodes in an electric gates system, with the help of which he added a simple algorithm inside. It had one spell option in case the key was incorrect and one simple unlocking the door feature if it was right. The spell was to make the door's gravity ten times what it was along with the door frame - making it impossible for anyone other than third rankers to open it or break it without making a lot of sound.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In short - The moment someone with mana touches the door(mundanes can't open it), it will ask for a protection key in a status like stand alone window. If the protection key is right, the golden layer will be gone, the door will simply unlock. But if it is wrong, the door will become so heavy along with the door frame that without breaking the wall, no one would be able to come in. It was simple and harmless.

He had tried the protection key wrong effect imbueing the spell into a separate steel ingot. And it just hardened the golden layer. It was tough, but just as tough as the mana it could get. A powerful second ranker could easily break it. Which was why he went with this.

Satisfied with his progress, Damian stepped outside before finishing the imbuement process fully and activating the system. After finishing it, the spell's failsafe component gathered enough mana to function properly. It would take at least half a day to fully activate, but the protection key feature was already operational. He didn't test the wrong-key effect on the door itself—he didn't want to risk weakening it. The lab wasn't meant to guard anything truly valuable; it was merely a secure place to stash his trinkets; anything of true value remained in his many spatial storages. If anyone broke the door, he will know, and not just him-the whole academy will know. That level of security was sufficient.

All in all, Damian had spent so much time on the work that he was late for the morning assembly. Hastily washing up and donning his uniform, he arrived at the back of the gathering just as the academy's peculiar song was ending. The potion-crafting professor, standing near the Knowledge Keeper section, cast him a sharp look, managing to reprimand him with just her eyes. Damian grinned awkwardly with a slight apologetic bow and straightened up at the end of the line.

It was a weird custom to just gather together for one silly song in this place. Why couldn't they skip the song and go straight to classes? As the song ended, a professor announced the opening of the library. Damian's stomach grumbled; he realized he hadn't eaten breakfast. He pulled out some dry food from his emergency food supply and handed some to Toph, the tiny elephant perched on his head happily nibbling on it. Damian ate some himself. It wasn't much, but it would tide him over until their lunch break in a couple of hours.

Today's first class was The Combat Arts—That was the only class Damian had not attended yet and the professor for it was another third ranker - This one taught the class himself though.

He had barely crossed a few hallways when the others somehow found him and joined beside him. He had his mana sense to locate them, how the hell they were so adept at finding him..? But then again, no one around him had an elephant nibbling raisins on their head.

"Did you finish it?" Grace asked, cutting off Sam before he could speak.

"Where were you?" Sam interjected anyway. "You skipped dinner last night, missed breakfast this morning, and… wait, what are you eating?"

"Yes, I finished it," Damian replied. "And I ate outside last night. Eating Raisins right now, here." He handed them some, and they awkwardly took some as if he had just given them some suspicious drugs.