"Well, first, start with the basics for spell structures," Ethan said, crossing his arms. All traces of mischief were gone from his face, replaced by genuine curiosity. The Phantom Wolf's spell had thoroughly traumatized him over the past month. He had been stubborn, thinking he had enough knowledge to proceed on his own, hoping to shock Sansa and Alan with his rapid progress. But with zero results and time running out, his pride had finally crumbled.
"I gave this information to Alan for free too, so consider this a gift for your successful breakthrough," Sansa said, that familiar smug look returning to her face.
Ethan's face twitched for a moment before he laughed. "Well, I can't possibly thank you enough for this," he replied with a respectful nod.
"I take gifts as a proper 'thank you', remember this if you ever feel like you can't thank me enough hehe..." Sansa chuckled, then continued speaking, "You already know what spell structures are, right?" Sansa began.
Ethan nodded, choosing to remain silent and listen. He had already determined he was utterly clueless.
Breaking the silence, Sansa continued, "First, you need to understand that spell structures are law abilities that use law patterns as their base. When these patterns come together, they form a complete spell structure. Some structures are incredibly complex, and from what I know, the more complex the pattern, the more powerful or complicated the core ability of the spell."
Ethan still didn't fully grasp it. "Please, explain a little more."
Sansa crossed her arms, thinking for a second before giving an example. "Do you know the fireball spell?"
Ethan nodded. He made it a point to know a few common spells to understand what he might face in a fight.
"Now, think about how a spell like that should work," Sansa continued. "First, you need a functional spell structure. This spell can only be activated with the corresponding elemental energy. Remember that if you don't want your energy blowing off your hands while you try to cast your spell, don't ever try to use a spell structure without the corresponding energy. The structure uses the energy you channel into it; once you cross the required threshold of energy for activation, it automatically converts your energy into a basic fireball."
Ethan nodded continuously, processing her words.
"Pretty easy, right? Now, two things make a spell structure incredibly valuable to any ascendant despite the difficulty involved in acquiring a single one," Sansa said, leaning forward. "The first is Manipulation, and the second is Evolution."
Ethan perked up. He had tried to find more information in the Order library, but it was a point blackhole, especially when he didn't know what to look for. "Manipulation and Evolution?" he asked, confused by the latter term. He understood manipulation, but evolving a spell?
"Yes, manipulation and evolution," Sansa confirmed. "Manipulation is obviously what it means; I'm sure you'll understand that part, but I'll still explain it ."
"Spell structures possess patterns that grant you full access to manipulate any spell it contains. The limit to your manipulation depends greatly on the affinity level and your creativity. As for the second reason... this is probably the main reason ascendants go through the struggle to create these patterns for themselves."
She paused, remembering another important point. "When ascendants acquire a spell pattern, they are required to etch it onto their elemental core. This lets you cast the spell instantly, and with continuous practice, you can reduce the time you need to cast your spell."
"Of course, you can also cast spells without etching them, but it will slow your casting speed significantly, requiring more energy and time. In a life-or-death battle, that single delay could mean the difference between keeping your life or becoming a resource for another ascendant's growth."
Ethan breathed out slowly, contemplating the implications. "Please, continue, Evolution?" he said in a low voice.
Sansa nodded. "Patience, I'll explain the evolution of your spell. Before every Soul Born rank can break through to the Attuned Rank, they must have a single spell etched onto their core. After breaking through, the spell will automatically evolve to the next rank with the ascendant, granting them a Rank 2 version of the Rank 1 spell."
Ethan was absolutely shocked. The benefit of such a system was immense, and he could definitely see the appeal. Especially with the difficulty of getting the Initial Spell, He was already frustrated at the thought that he would still need to research the next Rank of the Spell, but knowing now that all he had to do was figure out the first rank of a spell, and the next ranks would be out of his hands, was encouraging.
He thought of something and asked, "Why do you make it sound like ascendants have a choice? The benefit is great, but if we have no choice, then it's almost useless. It feels like 'get a spell or die trying.'"
Sansa tilted her head. "Don't tell me you didn't know you could etch a Rune on your core instead?"
Ethan staggered as if struck. He felt his world collapse. He thought of the countless rune designs for sale in the Order; sure, they were very expensive, but he was sure he could find something that suited him, and with time, he would acquire it. But then he realized the critical note Sansa had made: the benefits of manipulation and evolution only applied to spell structures, not runes.
"If runes can be etched on your core and spells can too, it should make sense that runes might be the better option, given how common they are," Ethan mused, tapping his chin in thought. He was mostly talking to himself now, working through the logic. "Unless... the advantages of manipulation and spell evolution don't apply to runes."
Sansa, hearing his thought process, nodded with a serious expression. "Of course, I can't give you a solid explanation on the mechanism behind runes like Artificers could...," she clarified. "But I can say with certainty that if you choose a rune to etch on your core before your breakthrough, you will need to manually improve it later. You would have to etch a new, Rank 2 rune when you become a Rank 3 ascendant."
She leaned forward slightly, driving her point home. "If you use runes, all you have to do is save up enough points to purchase the next rank's design after you break through. Many think it's an easier path. But it has its limits too, and you have to understand that you cannot manipulate runes. That's a significant limitation in your power capacity. Of course, with the low energy cost for continuous casting, you could essentially become a walking spell artillery."
Ethan lifted a brow. "Of course you'd suggest that... Continue with your explanation, please."
Sansa waved away his skepticism with a shrug. "I'm only stating the facts. They are both reasonable paths, but you have to know the trade-offs. Now, let's talk about choosing your spells. You must always consider the nature of the spell. The more complex it is, the harder it is to research because of the hundreds of bloodline patterns within the structure. From my experience, I have to tell you that even the simplest fireball spell is a total struggle."
Ethan nodded, finally seeing where he might have gone wrong by choosing the Phantom Wolf's 'Clone' spell. "So you're saying that if the spell is complicated, the difficulty increases drastically?" Honestly he should have considered something like this but..
Sansa nodded firmly. "I should know. I spent a long time on some pretty complicated fire spells in the beginning before I finally chose something easier. But the experience from working on a harder spell was incredibly valuable, so I can't say it was entirely useless."
Ethan was lost in thought, he didn't reply, but he finally had a direction. The problem was his spell choice. When he considered the implications of a clone spell, he realized it wasn't gonna be as simple as recreating himself from illusion energy. From what he observed, the wolf could control its clone with precision. He nodded to himself, completely forgetting he was in the room with Sansa.
"You can continue your thinking at your place," Sansa said, interrupting his reverie. "I still have to earn points. You look like you already figured something out from what I just told you. You're welcome by the way."
Ethan returned to himself and nodded. "Thank you," he said, the sincerity in his voice shocking Sansa.
"Wow," she remarked, her eyes widening slightly. "The spell structure frustrated you that much, huh?"
Ethan smiled wryly. "You wouldn't imagine..." He couldn't even hide it. He had tried everything, even with the unique advantage of his Creation-enhanced sight that let him see the bloodline-reactive patterns.
"I guess that's all the questions you have," Sansa said, preparing to leave. "Tell me, do you ever do anything besides research spells?"
Ethan shook his head, his voice tired. "Not really. It's all I've been thinking about for a while now," He held up a hand to stop her. "One more question before you leave...?"