Mana

I've been stuck in my hospital bed for almost a week now. Outwardly, my appearance is no different. My skin is still crispy and red, and I'm still missing a good amount of hair. Nevertheless, I feel just fine.

Both Vol and the healers tell me that this is a common side effect for mana burns. Apparently, I may never look the same again, even if I'm otherwise physically okay. Outside of my partially decrepit-looking appearance, there is only one other consequence, though it is quite a heavy one.

I can't be healed using magic.

If somebody tries to heal me using magic, the burns will flare up again and I'll be, as Vol so eloquently put it, "toast."

I didn't even realize toast was a thing here. I guess you learn something new every day.

While I've been out of order, Vol has been working hard on the manacaster. We agreed on its new design pretty quickly and he immediately started hiring blacksmiths to mold the new pieces.

We've run out of mana stones as well, but Elizabeth apparently convinced Jonas and his party to help us out there. They've basically picked up where Elizabeth and I left off in our hunt for oresnatchers, collecting mana stones for us, which Vol and Elizabeth then turn into AM-stores for the manacasters.

They have no idea what they're for, though. They're probably only helping because Elizabeth was the one who asked.

Finally, after about a week in the hospital, I am fully functional and allowed to leave. I'm happy to find both Vol and Elizabeth waiting outside. I am less happy to find Jonas and his group with them.

"Woah! Sorry, Sebastian, I thought you were a goblin," was the first thing Jonas said when he saw me. Truly, a masterstroke of comedy.

Vol shoots him an irritated look and the mage in Jonas' party elbows him in the side.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding."

"Don't worry about it," I tell him, and wave it off.

"Seriously, though. Mana burns are pretty bad. How're you holding up?" he asks.

"I can walk, talk, and breathe properly."

"Bet you won't have much luck with the ladies, though," he winks.

The mage elbows him in the side again.

"Oof. Sorry."

"That's okay."

We have more important things to work on right now.

I turn to Vol and Elizabeth.

"Where are we in the development process?"

"Pretty far," Elizabeth says.

"We're missing a lot of spell modules. The blacksmiths say it'll be a while before they're all done, but we're inscribed a few spells already," Vol explains.

The new manacaster is modular. As long as we have the spells inscribed on a compatible piece, we can insert it into the manacaster and use the spell. It can only switch between 6 spells at a time and we can't exactly stop mid-battle to change pieces, but it's still a grand improvement.

We haven't just made one new manacaster, though. We've made base pieces and planned out a large series of different spells to choose from. 3 base pieces to be exact. One for each of us.

After our battle with the most recent greater monster, I realized that we need to be able to fight together.

It won't do for just one of us to carry around a manacaster. There's no reason why Elizabeth and Vol wouldn't be able to use one. We need more modules to be done before we can do that, though.

While we wait for the manacaster modules to be completed, we begin replicating my old research, which I describe to Vol and Elizabeth in detail. By "old research" I am, of course, referring to the separation of my mana.

Our talk with the grinning god, Risus, was kind of a mess, but I have a theory. If I'm right, the requirement to cast a celestial spell is not only the complex spell engraving, but also mana from multiple worlds.

I enter my room. Elizabeth and Vol are forming large, complex shapes on the floor.

The sequence is there, in my mind. The celestial sequence of chaos, occasionally penetrated by repeating patterns.

I've found the celestial sequence before. I've cast a celestial spell before. I know this to be true. If I hadn't done it, my memories would never have been transferred here. I can do it again.

But I need help.

"Vol, I need you to separate my mana."

He looks up from his position on the ground in confusion.

"Uh, what? Seb, I... don't know how to do that."

"Don't worry. I'll instruct you."

---

Since Elizabeth's old sword is useless here on Earth, and we were warned not to bring it to the celestial realm again, the three of us decide to keep it in my room.

We hide it under a floor board in the corner of the room and place a table on top of it, careful not to leave any marks to indicate that it was moved. Despite our measure to keep the sword well hidden, Vol casts a protective spell on the door to the room, securing the entrance against any intruders.

As we lie down to rest, we're absolutely certain that the sword is safe.

After all, the three of us are in the room with it, it's well hidden and the door is sealed with magic.

Who could possibly steal it?