The new spell Renato had chosen was far more complex than either Shadow Shield or Gorogoroth's Form-Twisting, which he had learned before.
Not only did its diagrams and written descriptions span several times as many pages, but the logic behind casting it was entirely different.
Mystical ramblings and obscure diagrams combined to make it harder to learn, so much so that Renato often lost his place as he read and had to go back to piece everything together again.
And that was despite having already mastered two True Knowledge spells from the Grimoire and raised his Wisdom to 17.
He had never expected this spell to be so difficult.
Clearly, he could not afford to underestimate any Human Skin Book. Even the Skin of the Nameless One held knowledge far beyond what Renato could currently grasp.
As his understanding deepened, an inexplicable irritation even made Renato want to give up midway.
But studying a True Knowledge spell was nothing like memorizing a passage. Once this hazy, twisted knowledge flashed through his mind, he could not simply pick it up later and resume memorizing it.
Renato could only grit his teeth and force himself to keep learning.
There was little entertainment in Nightwind Fortress anyway, and Tristana had ordered Renato to stay put and await orders, leaving him unable to attend to other matters.
For nearly the next week, Renato barely left his room. Aside from occasionally chatting with the young Cleric preparing for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and visiting the Workshop to discuss potion-making plans with Klauthsura, he devoted almost all his attention to studying the Skin of the Nameless One.
The experience bordered on self-torture.
That obscure knowledge flooded Renato's mind as though someone were hammering his temples over and over, a dull ache spreading from his eye sockets all