Mental Force Inscription

"Magic Runes can change the properties of objects. As long as something can withstand the imprint of Magic Runes, its structure can be changed," Sanderson said. However, these were all basic concepts. Right now, Sanderson was merely deepening Dean's impression of them.

Magic Runes came in all shapes and sizes, and could be made large or small. Even Magic Runes composed of hundreds of symbols could be inscribed on a fingernail, provided one had the ability. Of course, anyone capable of inscribing such Magic Runes was basically a Grandmaster Level figure. Yet Magic Rune inscribers at the Grandmaster Level were far too precious. It was possible that there was not even one in the entire world, let alone an empire.

There were many types of Magic Runes. Ordinary Magic Runes could change an object's basic structure. For example, after the corresponding Magic Runes were inscribed on an Iron-Forged Grade sword, it could become extraordinarily sturdy and sharp.

It might even rival a Military-Standard Grade sword. Of course, the prerequisite was that the Iron-Forged Grade sword could withstand the imprint of the Magic Runes. Otherwise, it would only crumble into a heap of scrap iron that was inferior even to stone.

Moreover, people generally would not inscribe Magic Runes onto Iron-Forged Grade weapons, because it was not worth it. Hiring a Magic Rune inscriber cost at least ten Gold Coins—and that was the price charged by an apprentice who had not yet graduated.

Ahem! Dean was definitely not learning Magic Runes for the sake of ten Gold Coins.

"All right, you don't like listening to me go on and on, so let's begin. First, use this brush to draw these few Magic Runes a thousand times. Every single one of them!" Sanderson brought out some sheets of paper.

"...I'll draw them!" The corner of Dean's eye twitched, but he agreed.

"When you reach the thousandth repetition, I want to see whether your drawings are up to standard. Every single one must be. Otherwise, draw them another hundred times!" Sanderson sat in a rocking chair to the side and spoke comfortably.

"Uh... Teacher, what are the criteria for being up to standard?" Dean asked timidly. He had to ask about this first. Otherwise, if he was careless, another thousand repetitions might be added.

"They have to be exactly identical to the ones I drew. I suggest you directly draw them two thousand times instead." Sanderson said this, then closed his eyes. "Don't ask so many questions. Just draw. Start first, ask later!"

He was not even letting Dean ask questions now. But why did he have to directly draw them two thousand times? Dean picked up the brush and suddenly remembered that the Wooden Man had told him that his mentor had a severe case of morning temper...

Dean shrank his head back. It was only two thousand repetitions. What was so difficult about that? I can finish them in less than two hours.

Dean dipped the brush in ink. Both of these items were very ordinary. The cheaper ones cost several dozen Copper Coins, while the more expensive ones were worth several Silver Coins. These should not be the things truly required for inscribing Magic Runes.

At the very least, the quality required for inscribing Magic Runes absolutely could not be too low.

There was nothing strange about it. This Magic Rune was large on one side and small on the other, then curled into a half-circle. It was the simplest Magic Rune here. But this large-and-small arrangement... Dean seemed a little frightened. Two thousand repetitions?

Was he really supposed to draw it two thousand times? The first Magic Rune was already this difficult to draw, and the ones afterward were even harder. Their thicknesses differed, their sizes differed, and one of them even formed a circle. Inside that circle, he had to turn several more times, crossing over itself, while leaving a sliver of space at every intersection.

My heavens, Dean felt that his heart could barely take it.

Dean's scalp prickled. He cast a sidelong glance at his mentor and seemed to see the sleeping Sanderson's lips curve upward, as if mocking the way Dean drew the Magic Runes—and the truly "interesting" Magic Runes he produced.

To hell with it! They're only Magic Runes, aren't they? I'll draw them for you right now!

Whether that had been mockery or not, Dean took it as such. Since Sanderson dared to mock him, Dean would prove it. No matter how much time it took, he, Dean, would eventually finish drawing these Magic Runes!

He raised the brush and looked at the stacks of paper. Like a man possessed, Dean began drawing the Magic Runes. His ears shut out everything, and in his eyes, only the Magic Runes existed.

For a time, the only sound that occasionally echoed through the room was the rustling of turning paper. It was utterly quiet!

What about Sanderson? This cheap mentor had indeed smiled, but he had not been mocking Dean. In fact, it had little to do with Dean. With his eyes closed, Sanderson watched Dean with his mental power.

Looking at the student's crooked, uneven Magic Runes, he seemed to recall the days when he had once studied Magic Runes himself. It had been an exceedingly arduous process, and the practice he had done back then had already exceeded one hundred thousand repetitions.

That was why a sliver of a smile appeared at the corners of Sanderson's lips. As he looked at Dean, it was as if he were looking at his former self, carrying a trace of nostalgia—and even thoughts of his own mentor. It was just that he did not know whether his mentor had already been eaten by the demon Stavago.

Perhaps, in the near future, Sanderson might even encounter his mentor in Stavago's stomach. Would he greet him then?

Then he fell asleep. Sanderson fell asleep, while Dean continued struggling through his two thousand repetitions.

The sky slowly darkened. Dean had long since missed lunchtime, and it was almost time for dinner. The Magic Runes Dean had drawn still numbered fewer than a thousand repetitions. The quantity was not great, but the quality had improved by leaps and bounds. His drawings were basically already no different from the ones Sanderson had drawn, save for a few minor flaws.

Sanderson had woken up long ago. Calling it sleep was inaccurate; he had merely taken a short nap. But Dean had poured himself entirely into drawing the Magic Runes, to the point that he did not even know when Sanderson had left the room. He had not noticed that he had missed lunch, either.

At last, the sky had gone completely dark. At some point, Sanderson lit a beam of magical light, illuminating the room.

In order not to disturb Dean, Sanderson had done everything he could. Even if it meant letting Dean go hungry, even if Dean sat there meticulously for the entire day and drew for the whole day, it did not matter. The most important thing was that Dean absolutely could not be jolted awake from this state.

Eight hundred and seventy repetitions. Sanderson counted from the side. There were a full twenty Magic Runes, and Dean had spent the entire day completing only a little over eight hundred repetitions. One had to know that drawing them once was equivalent to writing twenty characters, while eight hundred repetitions were equivalent to more than seventeen thousand characters.

However, Sanderson was extremely satisfied with Dean's state. Although Dean had completed only a little over eight hundred repetitions, while others might have finished two thousand in the same amount of time, Sanderson was more inclined to favor Dean's eight hundred-plus repetitions.

Because Dean had drawn them with his whole heart. He had cast aside time and space, cast aside the existence of everyone else. In his eyes, there were only the brush, the paper, and the Magic Runes. This was absolute concentration, and Sanderson admitted that he could not achieve it.

In fact, the vast majority of people could not maintain such intense mental concentration for so long.

It's about time. All the hard work of this entire day has been worth it. It will let you firmly remember these twenty most important basic Magic Runes! Sanderson said silently to himself.

Suddenly, Dean stopped the brush in his hand. His vision blurred, followed by a dizzying whirl. His entire mind was left with only the twenty Magic Runes.

(The End of This Chapter)