Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 28 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 28

With one last careful stroke, I completed the poem. As before, the words glowed, and transformed into light that flowed into me, strengthening my body further. Releasing the breath I was holding, I set down my quill and looked at my audience.

“You two look like you’ve got opinions to share.” I pointed out, wiping off the sweat I had worked up.

Leon gave a jerky sort-of nod. “I do… but I don’t even know where to start.”

Baldr clapped appreciatively with a wide smile. “That was an interesting bit of magic. To think such a spell existed. Can you explain it to me in more detail?”

“Sure, but before that, could you update my falna?”

“Of course.” My familia’s god agreed.

I had already stripped off my top before starting the body tempering process, so all I had to do was turn my back. Despite the heavy sweat running down my body, Baldr didn’t have any objections about touching it. His fingers quickly traced across the falna inscribed on it, channeling the excelia into the various stats. 

“Okay, I’m done.”

“Here.” I picked up the blank piece of paper from the table and held it over my shoulder.

He put it against my back, and transcribed the information over before handing it back to me. It was slightly sweat-smudged, but the text was still legible.

Roy D. Staff
Lv. 1
Strength: H-162→ G-205
Endurance: H-140→ H-199
Dexterity: H-120→ H-167
Agility I-97→ H-142
Magic: H-195→ G-270

Skills:
[Lightbearer] - Increases the effect and efficiency of all light-related abilities.
[Planar Link] - The user adapts faster to and is less affected by terrain conditions. Abilities increase the more connected the user is to the land.
[Prismatic Grimoire] - All spells gained are recorded in grimoire. Falna update is not required to unlock new spells.

Magic:
[Prismatic Grimoire]

Still need a bit more practice reading this Common-like script… I raised my gaze to see Leon giving me a hopeful look. Meh, not like I mind him seeing anyway. He’s above me in Level too.

I passed him the paper containing my Status, taking a bit of pleasure in watching his eyes widen at the growth I had shown. Though it was a natural reaction; it had only been four days since I had received my falna, and the normal rate of growth was supposed to be far lower than this, supposedly maybe an average of five to ten points per stat for each trip into the Dungeon. And in my case, all I did was to write a magical poem daily.

I could imagine many people screaming at me for being totally unfair.

“Roy- no, Mr Roy! Please teach me how to do it too!” The teenager asked me earnestly.

Baldr spoke up before I could answer. “Now, now, Leon, before you ask that, shouldn’t you try to understand how it works first?”

Wise move. As expected of a god. As I began explaining how the magic utilized the light of righteousness, I had another line of thought considering the impact of the falna.

At its base, the falna improved my senses, making it so I could hear and see better, which was supposedly necessary for delving into the underground depths of the Dungeon. The basic abilities did just what they said they would; strength made me stronger, endurance made me better at resisting damage, dexterity enhanced the precision of my movements, agility made me faster, and magic made my spells stronger and improved my spellcasting stamina. The ranks went from I at the lowest to S at the highest, going in increments of hundreds. 

In reality though, they were just expressions of growth from the baseline. A human with the same Level and status as a dwarf would still lose out in physical strength, or to an elf in magic. 

In terms of Skills, [Lightbringer] was a huge bonus for me. It didn’t just apply to my lumimancy spells, but to my Prismatic Magic as well. Whether it was healing, conjuring, or harming, any spell that had a bit of color mixed in was enhanced. Color was just light in different wavelengths, after all. 

And it definitely applied to the body-tempering poem. So far, I hadn’t seen any diminishing returns in the growth of my stats, and even though I could feel the difference in ability as my status rose, the strain of writing out the poem always felt the same.

[Planar Link] was the Skill that stemmed from my Planeswalker Spark, forming mana bonds with lands. I assumed the ‘adapts faster to’ referred to things like temperature and other such conditions, but I was hoping it also included the formation of mana bonds. I wasn’t sure what the other effects of it were, but I had every intention of finding out. Another task for my to-do list…

As for the last one, it was obviously due to my magic grimoire interacting with the falna somehow. If the body-tempering would have other adventurers crying foul, [Prismatic Grimoire] would have every mage in this world doing the same. No need for falna updates to attain new spells, no need to chant to cast spells… It didn’t mention that I had no limit to the number of spells I could gain, but that would have been pretty obvious to anyone who saw me use magic.

“I see, so it’s something you came up with based on the records of heroic deeds.” Baldr said after I finished my explanation.

“Incredible… I didn’t know light magic could accomplish such things!” Leon said, his eyes shining with awe again.

“A lot of work went into it, you know.” I couldn’t help but feel some pride in myself as I talked about it. “Scriptomancy to learn how to work spells through writing, archaeomancy to draw on the power of the past, lumimancy to alter the nature of the light I called upon…”

“Yeah, okay,” The teenager nodded, clearly not paying full attention, “So can you teach me how to do it too?”

…this brat. I sent a command to my Unseen Servant, who obediently retrieved the item I indicated. Taking it from the Servant’s invisible grip, I held it out to Leon. “Here.”

He blinked as he accepted it from me. “A brush?”

It was one of my creations, the one I made to help improve my calligraphy skills. I sold many copies of it to other Strixhaven students, but this was one I chose to keep. Mainly because its writing assistance was attuned to the style needed for the body-tempering poem.

“The first step to learning how to do it,” I told him, with a little bit of sadistic amusement, “Is to work on your penmanship.”

The sudden look of shock that appeared on his face made me laugh on the inside.

To Leon’s credit, he didn’t protest, but immediately got down to work on copying out the characters. It wasn’t as simple as just replicating how they looked on paper; there was a certain rhythm required, which the brush would help him learn. In the meantime, I went to get changed into clothing more appropriate for what I was about to do next. Baldr stepped away to follow me as well.

“Leon might be a bit of a brazen delinquent, but he’s quite determined. I’m sure it won’t take long before he’s done.” The god said to me.

“I don’t doubt that,” I replied as I pulled on a singlet, “Plus with his enhanced dexterity, he should have no trouble getting the precision required.”

“By the way, just to check, you’ll be following us to Orario, yes?”

“That was my intention, but what are you going to do there?”

“I have some plans that will require the cooperation of my fellow gods.”

I looked at Baldr, who wore a pure smile despite his evasive answer. “Alright. I trust you’ll let us know when those plans are finalized?”

“Yes, of course. And I’ll introduce you to my other children while I’m there.”

I smiled back. “Looking forward to it.”

The weather outside was quite fine, so there were a number of people out and about. That included the beach that was my destination. Thankfully, most of them kept close to the buildings where the waterfront shops were, so there was a deserted stretch suitable for my purposes. I used two of my staves to mark out a set distance, and began running back and forth between them.

Cardio… cursed cardio… I did my best to control my breathing as my legs worked to propel me across the sandy ground. Cursed, but necessary…

Apart from a slight bit of exercise to keep in shape, the only other time I did anything physically exhausting in Strixhaven was dance practice with Nivall for the Magister’s Masquerade. I remembered that running on sand was more tiring, because it required more effort to push off the soft footing, and the shifting nature of the sand forcing the body to make adjustments to balance. In other words, it made for good foundational training.

Running like this somehow reminded me of my mountain climbing experience in Clover Kingdom. The struggle against the terrain honed my body, but at the same time taught me more about the land I was traversing. The difference was that the former was a mountain, while this was just a stretch of lonely sand. Yet…

The sand, shifting as forces swept through it, whether it was the feet of people passing through or the power of nature in the form of storms and tides, reshaping it into whole new shapes and patterns. Despite that, it was still sand. Its nature hadn’t changed. It could still change, over and over. 

Someone once described sand as ‘coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere’. That was true, and very good reasons to dislike it. My past life had memories of a fall on sandy ground that scoured my skin badly and left me in pain for days, but now that just made me think of it as raw material, waiting to be shaped or used. Perhaps as glass, or something else…

It was… potential.

As the mana bond formed, I could feel the difference. Even if this measly stretch of beach didn’t have any fresh mana to spare just yet, my footfalls now wasted less force, as my body adjusted to meet the conditions demanded. The soft ground didn’t shift as much, and I was moving faster. Even when I stopped to turn, the amount of sand I kicked up was a lot less. Buoyed by the feeling of exhilaration, I kept running.

Back and forth, over and over. Even as the sun started to go down behind the horizon…

“What are you doing?” Someone asked.

I glanced to see it was Alfia. The silver-haired woman was standing near the treeline, wearing her usual black dress and with her eyes closed as usual. While one might assume she was blind, I had learned that she just preferred to keep them close, relying on her other senses to get around. With her Level Seven status, she had no problems doing that.

“Training.” I answered. “You feel better now?”

Even with Juno interceding for me, Alfia had been stubborn about not letting me conduct a proper checkup. The most I was able to do was to cast a few healing spells on her, before she threatened to destroy the place if I didn’t leave.

Her response was dismissive, just as I expected from my interactions with her. “I have no need of your concern.” 

“Well, looks like you’re fine.”

WHAM!

Ow fuck! I was expecting that, but I still didn’t see that hit coming! I twisted in midair, managing to hit the ground in a proper breakfall. And that was her taking it easy.

“Don’t get mouthy. I’ll hit you.” Alfia said, lowering her fist.

You already did. I deadpanned in my head, even as I channeled a healing spell into myself. “You know that I’m still going to continue monitoring your health.”

With the falna, I could see her muscles tense slightly even in the dim twilight, but instead of retaliating, she turned around and left the area. Shaking my head in amusement, I went to retrieve my staves and return to the place where I was staying.

What a troublesome woman…

…

“See that? There it is, Orario,” Zald announced as my group drew near where he stopped on the side of the road. 

“Well, it certainly is big.” I replied as I took in the view before me, causing him to chuckle.

Next to me, Leon wore a dissatisfied expression at having to endure the older man’s company, while Baldr had a peaceful smile on his face.

Apart from the walls that encircled the city in a ring, the first thing anyone would notice about the place was the gigantic tower stretching up from the center of it. According to Zald, that structure was called Babel, and it was supposedly built by the gods in ancient times to seal the Dungeon. I wondered about that, since they were supposed to have their powers sealed, and I couldn’t picture the capricious gods going to the effort of raising such a tall building with their mortalized hands.

“Anyway,” Zald continued, “Maxim told me to pass on a message.”

“Hurry up and say it already,” Leon said, surly.

The Zeus Familia executive wasn’t offended by the bad attitude, instead his grin widened. “He wants you to join our joint-familia meeting with Hera Familia.”

“Oi.” Leon growled. “Are you trying to steal Mr Roy from Baldr Familia?”

“If I am, what are you going to do about it?” Zald challenged.

The air crackled with tension, and I noticed the nearby people start distancing themselves away. Not out of fear, but anticipation, as I saw bets getting exchanged with excited looks on their faces. 

I enjoy mage duels once in a while at Strixhaven, but this bunch are total battle maniacs. With a sigh and a thump of my staff, I released a brief flash of soothing light, directly dispelling the aggressive mood that was forming. “Peace. Not when we’re this close to the city.”

“Fine, fine…” Zald conceded first. “Interesting magic.”

Leon just snorted and looked away, but he no longer looked like he wanted to fight.

“Sure, I’ll join. Just let me know when. Also…” I gave the redheaded man a concerned look.

He nodded back to me in a confirming manner.

When I had sent out that bit of light magic to affect both of them, there was a strange feedback from Zald’s body. One that indicated his condition wasn’t as perfect as he presented it as.

So not only Alfia, but Zald too…? I think that explains why the Third Quest failed…

Our entry into Orario was met with a warm reception, with many citizens cheering for the two familias’ success in clearing the second of the Three Great Quests. Leon’s disbelieving snort made me ask for the reason why. Apparently, the two familias used to be viewed with annoyance, because of all the ruckus they caused, fighting in the streets, beating up other adventurers, basically just acting like thugs. The change in attitude only started when they embarked on the Three Great Quests, and succeeded in slaying the Behemoth.

I did notice a few jealous looks from some of the people in the crowd, whom I assumed were probably rival familia members. Fortunately, that negative attention didn’t follow us when we split off from the group to head to the small manor where the Baldr Familia was making its temporary residence.

“God Baldr, you’re back! Leon too!” A girl was leaning out of the upper floor window, smiling widely at the sight of us. “Everyone!”

Baldr smiled as several other people poured out of the place, each of them welcoming the pair back in their own way. “Yes, I’m back. How have all of you been? Also, I have someone I’d like to introduce to all of you.”

Eyes turned to me, and I was soon faced with a warm welcome of my own. The reception confirmed my suspicions, Baldr truly was a good choice to have as a god. He introduced me to the other familia members as a passing mage who helped with the Leviathan subjugation. That just raised my reputation further in their eyes, and they began wanting to know more about what happened.

However, I didn’t get to enjoy the attention for long, as a man came calling at the door. From the whispers of the others who recognized him, he belonged to the Zeus Familia. He had a nervous air about him, with ash grey hair and red eyes that darted around the place.

“Uhh… I was told to get a Roy Staff from the Baldr Familia?” The man said, his demeanor meeker than what I was used to seeing from those in his familia.

“That’s me.”

He brightened up, and started babbling. “Oh, you’re Roy? Great! Could you come with me? I don’t know what the executives want, but I was told to get you, so I came here, and you’re here.”

“Okay, yeah. Let’s go.” I glanced at Leon. “I’ll be fine alone.”

Leon’s jaw tensed, but the teen nodded. 

I followed my guide out of the house, and as he led me through the streets of Orario, he shyly introduced himself as Cymba Cranel. Despite being Level Four, he was considered the weakest member of the Zeus Familia, and often served in the Supporter role on expeditions into the Dungeon. Apparently, he hadn’t gone with the two familias when they went to take on the Behemoth or Leviathan, staying behind in Orario instead. 

Cranel… so this man must be the father of the protagonist in my memories. So if his father was part of the Zeus Familia, then his mother must have been from the Hera Familia? I think that must have been it, but then who could the mother be…?

Before I could gather my fragmented memories enough to recall, we arrived at a large estate, in front of a large set of gates bearing an emblem with multiple lightning bolts. It was easy enough to guess that this was the Zeus Familia base. Cymba guided me through the place, all the way through the large area of land and into the mansion situated in the center, until we finally arrived outside a large set of double doors.

“Alright, I’ve brought you here. That’s what I was told to do. Uh huh. Yeah, good luck, okay?” Cymba turned the handle and opened the door.

The people within turned to look, and I recognized all of them as the executives of the Zeus and Hera Familias, each familia taking up one side of the large table. Maxim sat next to Juno at the head, both wearing serious expressions. Even Zald and Alfia were present, despite their weakened conditions. However, I didn’t see anyone who looked like the god and goddess of the two familias.

Maxim nodded to me. “Roy, you’re here. Good. Join us.”

I stepped into the large room, closing the door behind me. There was an empty seat on the other end of the table from the two leaders, and I sat down in it without any of the others objecting. 

“So, let me guess… this is a strategy meeting for the fight with the Black Dragon?”

“Told you he was smart.” One of the women remarked.

“Your guess is correct,” Maxim confirmed. “Though your strength is far below our weakest member, your abilities are too useful to overlook.”

His words were met with exclamations of agreement from various members of both Familias. 

“Noisy.” Alfia’s voice cut through the din, threateningly.

The voices quickly fell silent, not wanting to draw her ire. I could feel Alfia’s attention on me, and gave into the urge to speak.

“Can I just ask,” I began, ignoring the pressure the neurotic woman was directing at me, “What exactly is your plan to fight the Dragon? I’d like to know more details first.”

“That’s a logical request,” Juno, the Empress, cut in before Maxim could reply. “Here it is. Listen carefully…”

I listened as she explained, before asking more questions about the expected enemy force, which the two leaders answered. My subsequent questions about the subjugation force’s intended tactics and responses were answered as well. After that, I sat in silence as I mulled over what I just heard.

“Your thoughts, Roy?” Juno asked me after a while.

“Out of curiosity…” I said with slight nervousness, “How many were lost trying to defeat the Behemoth and Leviathan?”

They told me, and the sinking feeling I had earlier sank even further.

No wonder they lost to the Black Dragon. This is a sunk cost fallacy problem. 

I took a breath, then slowly exhaled.

Then I told them my honest opinion.

As the room burst into noise once more, I wondered if this was how I was going to die in this world. 

Would it be wrong to Planeswalk away from the Dungeon?

Afterword: Roy’s growth is quite fast, but he’s far from able to compete with Bell with Liaris Freese. His falna is still broken in its own way though. As usual, I was just letting my muse run wild with this chapter. So yes, possible butterflies to canon events. My favorite thing to write about in fanfics! Hope you all are looking forward to the possible changes. Do leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this chapter!