Chapter 14: The Prototype Tattoo

Ryo's eyes fluttered open as he woke in the magic world, the familiar heavy atmosphere surrounding him. He sat up on the floor, taking a moment to adjust to the cool, otherworldly air.

"Every time I sleep for an hour in the any world… I end up spending four hours in the other," Ryo muttered to himself. "I really need to find a way to make the most of this time."

He stood up and stretched, his mind already shifting to the tasks at hand. As much as he wanted to continue his research and tinkering with AI, the reality of his magical responsibilities was never far behind. Today, there was something new on his agenda: the duel.

With his goal in mind, Ryo made his way to the training hall, where he expected to find his ally, Leon, honing his skills as usual. As he entered, the sound of arrows slicing through the air greeted him. Leon, ever focused, stood in front of a target, practicing with his bow and arrow.

Ryo walked up behind him. "What are you doing?"

Leon didn't turn, but his voice was light and teasing. "Just practicing in case you lose. If you're about to get killed, I'll step in and save you."

Ryo smirked. "Don't worry about that. I just need you to help me with something."

Leon paused for a moment and glanced over his shoulder, a skeptical brow raised. "You? With a plan?" He chuckled, "I thought you were sleeping the whole time. Thought you'd be more rested than this."

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Come on, Leon. Just follow me."

Ryo led Leon to his room, where he had been preparing something for the duel. "I need your help with this."

As they entered, Ryo motioned to a machine that seemed to have appeared out of thin air, humming faintly. Leon stared at it, curious. "What is that?"

"This is a tattoo machine," Ryo explained, a slight grin on his face as he gestured to the contraption. "It uses liquefied magic energy from the air and can engrave it directly onto skin."

Leon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Tattoo machine? I've never seen anything like it."

Ryo nodded, understanding Leon's confusion. "It's not like the normal tattooing process used by regular magicians. You know how Rune Magicians engrave large symbols that cause pain and disrupt the nerves? That's why the tattoos are so painful and limited."

Leon's interest piqued. "But that's the thing—Rune Magicians use phoenix feathers, and powerful symbols, right?"

Ryo stepped closer to the machine, showing Leon its inner workings. "Exactly. But this isn't like that. I've designed this prototype to engrave micro symbols—so small they're nearly invisible to the naked eye. They won't cause the same nerve disruption, but with enough of them, I can accelerate my magic and cast spells faster."

Leon tilted his head, considering the idea. "And what about low magic capacity? Won't that still be a problem?"

Ryo smiled confidently. "Don't worry about that. I've got it covered. I've been researching a way to tap into other energy sources, and I'll be using them to offset the limitations."

Leon looked at Ryo, a little skeptical but intrigued. "Okay, but I still don't get why you need me for this. You can't just do it yourself?"

Ryo shrugged. "I could, but it's going to take days. Besides, I need you to be precise. You'll have to help me **engrave the symbols onto my skin. We'll use a microscope to make sure everything is perfect."

Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, you really do have some crazy ideas. Alright, I'm in. But you owe me one."

Ryo smiled, relieved. "Deal."

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Two Days Later

The next two days were a blur. Leon worked tirelessly, his hands steady and precise as he engraved thousands of symbols into Ryo's skin using the microscope to ensure every micro symbol was perfect. Each line, each curve of the symbols was etched carefully, allowing the magic to settle into his body.

At times, Ryo winced in pain, but the discomfort was nothing compared to what it could have been. With each passing hour, he could feel the magic settling deeper into his skin, enhancing his capabilities.

When it was finally over, Ryo sat up, flexing his fingers. The symbols across his body seemed to glow faintly as the micro-engraved patterns activated.

Leon wiped his brow, clearly exhausted from the work. "Done. That's the last of them. How do you feel?"

Ryo closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the new power course through him. "Stronger. Faster."

Leon grinned. "I'd say you're ready for the duel."

Ryo nodded, standing up and stretching his muscles. "I'll be ready. This is just the beginning."

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