Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Pushing thoughts about runes and mana cores aside, I checked my status before starting the rest of my duties for the day.

[Junior Officer (Cadet)] – Level 17 (600 / 1700 EXP)

+425 XP — Night Watch

+100 XP — Intelligence Report

+675 XP — Fortification of Fort

+1600 XP — Leading Four in Fortification Effort

Class: Junior Officer (Cadet)

Rank: Novice (T1) Level: 17 / 20 EXP: 600 / 1700

Elemental Affinity: 0.1% Wind

Mana Cultivation: Tier 2 (00 / 100)

• [Applied Military Theory (UC)] – Level 26

• [Soldier’s March (C)] – Level 25*

• [Defensive Spearplay (C)] – Level 25*

• [Perceptive Instinct (UC)] – Level 7

• [Minor Restoration (C)] – Level 25*

• [Memory Recall (UC)] – Level 23

• [Field Medicine (C)] – Level 22

• [Basic Rune Theory (C)] – Level 25*

• [Siege Rigging (C)] – Level 25*

• [Map Reading (C)] – Level 25*

• [Mana Manipulation (UC)]– Level 2

• [Mana Reinforcement (UC)]– Level 10

Checking my status, I suddenly realized something else: with me no longer leading the conscripts in moat work, my experience gains would drop sharply, making it almost impossible to advance my class before the great beast tide.

As I checked my status, I noticed an upgrade notice.

I had been waiting for this for a long time, and finally, after weeks of trying to improve my spear and shield skills, I got the upgrade, one based on a qualitative improvement in my technique.

Skill Upgrade Available

[Defensive Spearplay (C)] available for upgrade

[Defensive Spearplay (C)] → [Flowing Spear Style (UC)]

[Flowing Spear Style (UC)]

Type: Technique / Stance / Weapon Mastery

Associated Attributes: Agility, Constitution

A refined spear-and-shield technique that abandons rigid guard positions in favor of continuous, fluid transitions. The user maintains defensive readiness while shifting through offensive openings with seamless motion. The body becomes an extension of the weapon, movement, and defense unified into one rhythm.

• Reduces recovery delay after parries or deflections by 25%.

• Enables Continuous Guard: defense is maintained while advancing or retreating, reducing vulnerability windows by 10%.

• Grants minor resistance to stagger and positional disruption during fluid motion.

I exhaled slowly and smiled faintly. Finally, after all the effort, the upgrade was worth it.

I made my way to the Longhall. I needed time to think about the upgrade direction my other class skills should take. Closing my eyes as I sat on a bench, I focused on figuring out their next progression path.

[Soldier’s March (C)] provided endurance and stability for long marches, but it wasn’t very useful as a movement technique when agility mattered. It lacked the flexibility needed in combat.

One way I could improve it was by going back to the basics. During my initial phase of training, I used weighted drills and modern Earth-style agility exercises to build balance and control. But after specialization began, my training time in those exercises had reduced significantly. After being posted at the fort, I had to stop completely, buried under duties, drills, and other skill training.

After thinking for a while, I decided this was the right path forward.

I could gather a few drums and benches from the storage yard and arrange them into a rough obstacle course to simulate uneven terrain. Wearing full armor, with my shield and spear in hand, I wouldn’t need additional weights. By performing short sprints and long endurance runs through that setup while using [Soldier’s March (C)] and [Mana Reinforcement (UC)] together, I might be able to develop a new movement technique, one that would enhance agility and coordination on rough or unstable terrain.

Next was [Minor Restoration (C)], something I already had an idea of how to progress.

After getting beaten up almost every day, I was honestly surprised the skill hadn’t evolved yet. Over the past few weeks, though, I’d been trying to actively manipulate it, instead of letting it function automatically.

The skill healed both wounds and mana, regulating the recovery of both. Even from the start, it allowed me to control the intensity of healing, I could accelerate physical recovery by consuming mana instead of restoring it, or halt healing entirely to speed up mana regeneration. But I wanted something more dynamic. My goal now was to make it focus on specific bruises or wounds, so that in real combat my body wouldn’t waste mana on minor injuries when a major one needed immediate attention.

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With my Tier 2 mana, I could now move energy internally with ease, directing it exactly where I wanted. I could do it, but it still wasn’t as effective as I needed. I wasn’t concerned about the mana recovery aspect anymore; after reaching Tier 2, I realized that the regeneration speed provided by [Minor Restoration (C)] was very low. My meditation method was far more efficient, especially when using mana crystals.

Besides, I was due for a new meditation technique suited for Tier 2 soon.

Now that I had a clear path forward to advance my class skills, I made my way to meet my squad.

We followed our usual routine, the morning drills, followed by lunch.

After lunch, I headed to the workshop near the armory, the place where we repaired armor and weapons.

Inside, several long tables and stools were arranged neatly, lined with rune-etching tools, containers of liquid mana, and partially repaired gear stacked along the sides. The air smelled faintly of oil and metal dust.

Standing at the front was Master Vey.

This time, I made sure to salute him properly.

He nodded briefly, saying nothing as we waited for the others to arrive. Within five minutes, eight or nine more soldiers joined.

“We’re repairing in batches,” Master Vey said. “I’ll be overseeing this shift. There are other batches working in different shifts.”

He continued, “As discussed in the morning meeting, today we’ll be repairing armors, shields, and weapons. Focus will be on two runes, Strengthening and Self-Repair. You’ll be repairing, etching, and testing both types.”

He looked across the group. “If you have questions, ask now.”

I raised my hand, and two others did as well.

I had drawn strengthening runes for shields and armor before, but I had almost no experience with spears. During specialization training at Stonegate, I’d only tried repairing a spear once or twice, and none of those attempts had been successful.

Master Vey glanced at me but addressed the others first.

“Edward, I’ll talk to you in a moment,” he said. “You have the least experience with weapon repairs, so I’ll give you specific instructions later.”

He turned to the other two soldiers. One of them cleared his throat. “Sir… is there a daily quota for how many items we’re supposed to repair?”

The question earned them a deep frown.

“You’re soldiers on the frontline,” he said sharply. “With the Grand Tide approaching, every one of you should be focused on repairing as many pieces as possible. Every shield, every spear you fix could save a life.

Let me make this clear, there is no minimum quota. But if I find anyone slacking, I’ll deduct not only the extra mana crystal you’re supposed to receive, but a portion of your salary as well.”

His tone carried enough weight that no one spoke again. This update ıs available on novel※fire.net

Then he turned back to me.

“Go ahead, Edward. What was your question?”

I straightened. “Well… sir, I don’t have much experience repairing spears, especially with the smaller surface area along the shaft for rune etching. I’m worried I might mess it up.”

The frown on his face softened slightly.

“You won’t start with spears,” he said. “We’ll begin with shields and armor, and move to spear shafts afterward. During your specialization, you weren’t provided all the instruments for precision rune work because it wasn’t required then. Here, you’ll be issued a monocle that magnifies your view, it will make detailed rune drawing much easier.”

He paused, then continued with more instructions.

“A few more things. I know you have a solid grasp of runes and good memory, but I haven’t seen you work on Self-Repair runes since the few practice sessions during specialization. So let me remind you: when drawing the Self-Repair rune, use the Wood symbol for wooden parts and the Metal symbol for spear tips.

For armor, you won’t draw self-repair runes, leather lacks a direct repair symbol. There are combined versions using Water and Wood, but they’re inefficient, especially when we’re handling large numbers of armors.”

He moved closer to the front table and picked up a practice spear.

“On shields, you can draw two large runes one Strengthening runes and one Self-Repair rune on the back. For spear shafts, you’ll need to draw multiple smaller runes along the length of the shaft, alternating one Strengthening rune, then one Self-Repair rune, and so on.

Do not draw more than two of each on a single spear shaft, and make sure they’re spaced evenly.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Good,” he said. “Start working with the shields first. Before you leave, work on one spear so I can evaluate your technique. If it’s not up to standard, I’ll schedule extra training for you”

He gave one final nod and turned back to the rest of the group.

I took my place at one of the benches, picked up a shield, and set it on the worktable. My hands brushed the chisel and hammer, real tools, not the dull knives and makeshift clamps I had been using until now. For once, I had a proper workspace, steady light, and room to breathe. The weight of the tools felt right in my grip.

I began with a damaged strengthening rune, scraping away the cracked lines before re-etching them with precise strokes. Each strike of the chisel rang clean, the faint vibration running up my wrist. For the first time since Stonegate, rune work felt natural again.

By the end of the eight-hour shift, I had repaired sixteen shields. Most were simple patch jobs, restoring fractured channels, refilling dried mana lines, or reinforcing weakened symbols. Only a few needed complete re-etching.

When I finally picked up a spear, it was clear this one wasn’t meant for the field. The shaft was uneven, the metal tip dull, test material for inspection, most likely.

I put on the magnifying monocle Master Vey had mentioned. The lens shifted the world into sharper lines, the grooves and fibers of the wood visible in crisp detail. I switched to a finer tool, steadied my breath, and began.

At the top of the shaft near the spear tip, I etched the Strengthening Rune, carving it deep enough to hold mana without risking cracks. Once finished, I drew a clean line down the grain, a guide for alignment, then marked a Self-Repair Rune a quarter length below. I alternated them in sequence: strengthen, repair, strengthen, repair, until four symbols marked the shaft in even spacing.

Finally, I switched to a sharper tool, shaped like a pen but sharp enough to carve grooves into metal, and etched a fifth Self-Repair rune, this one using the Metal symbol, on the wider portion of the spearhead. It was small but stable. The entire process took nearly an hour.

When I looked up, the workshop had gone quiet. Only Master Vey remained, inspecting a half-finished breastplate under lamplight. I wiped the dust from the shaft and handed him the spear.

He examined the runes closely, running a finger along each groove before channeling a thin thread of mana through them. The spear glowed faintly, the lines holding steady.

“Good work,” he said at last. “Even after months away from steady practice, your hand hasn’t lost its control. The alignment is clean, the mana flow even.” He looked at me. “Keep it up. Normally, spears with etched runes are reserved for sergeants or select fighters, but since you can draw your own, I’ll speak with your lieutenant. You should be allowed to inscribe runes on your personal weapon.”

His tone softened slightly. “For now, finish your shift, then get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day.”

I saluted. “Yes, sir.”

By the time I stepped out of the workshop, night had already settled over the fort. The air was cold, carrying the faint smell of oil and smoke from the forges. My arms ached, my shoulders burned, and my fingers were stiff from gripping the chisel, but the exhaustion felt good.

All I could think about was getting to the longhall and finding my bedroll. Still, I forced myself toward the mess line first. Skipping dinner wasn’t an option; the next day would be just as hard.