Logic

We were comparing parts of this spell model to what you noticed in your mana core, Aegis replied Zephyr's question. So far, the similarities boil down to this inverter and a few other stabilizing rune-like glyphs. More information is needed to analyze further.

Zephyr spread the spell scroll and a second blank parchment onto a wide, flat rock nearby. The surface served as his makeshift table. A persistent breeze, common at this elevation, threatened to blow away the sheets, so he carefully held them down at their edges with some small, smooth stones. Once secured, his attention sharpened, focusing on the meticulous task of comparing the spell scroll's diagram to the one in the other parchment. On this new parchment, he had transferred an exact, highly detailed replica of his own mana node, complete with every glyph and minute pathway precisely as it existed within him. Searching for correlation— any shared pattern that might bridge the gap between their different magic systems.

The new diagram modeled his mana node in a state of casting a simple fire spell from their own world. He'd gotten the spell model (spell visualization and chant) from Smiling Devil early during their travels. The man had tried to win back Zephyr's trust immediately after their escape from the merchant convoy, so he'd offered him the spell as a peace offering. Not like Zephyr could actually cast the spell anyway. He'd tried to so many times, but was always met with failure. He could now clearly see the reason why they were split into various classes based on their node count back at the military camp. Watching his mana node in action, he'd noticed it try to perform the function of an AND gate, only to fail repeatedly because of its single process capability. Aegis theorized from the mental image that the spell worked by separating the presence of different mana signatures.

Essentially, for the fire spell to activate and sustain, the model required that mana type x be present AND mana type y be present AND crucially, a third mana type z be NOT present. His single mana node, guided by his access to origin, could inherently attempt this operation, but it lacked the capability to do it repeatedly.

Unlike spells like Galestrike, where his node could manage this sequential verification quickly enough to achieve a stable, brief burst of power— or the mana barrier spell where the AND conditions, while sustained, are less volatile and require less frequent re-evaluation, allowing his node to loop through them stably enough to hold the barrier, the fire ignition spell demanded more. A higher-frequency evaluation of the (x AND y AND NOT z) state, which his node could only sustain for the briefest of moments at a time, hence the fire spell sputtering out whenever he cast it. Maybe at Tier 2, after getting his second node, he would be able to do so more reliably, but for now, he was stuck. He either had to find a new method to cast spells that wasn't as taxing on his node, or at least learn something that would enable him to make changes to his node directly.

That was why he wanted to have a talk with the town's apothecary. Zephyr could only make out a NOT gate from their spell model, with the rest being what seemed to be control paths and then a bunch of gibberish. But yet, it still worked. They seemed to have somehow found a way to bypass the use of AND in their model, which didn't seem to be possible.

He spent the better part of the day with Aegis, trying to decipher the rest of the spell model, to figure out what made it tick. At the end, Zephyr concluded they'd have to watch a native cast the fire spell, live and in action, before they could move on to the next step.

He now needed to find a way to make the old apothecary cast the spell in his presence without drawing any unnecessary attention. His cold persona had helped him ward off so many potential questions, and he didn't want to ruin that by getting friendly with anyone.

'Well, I'll figure out a way for it to happen generically.' He sighed, noticing the now setting sun.

"Smiling Devil!" He said sharply, quickly packing up his things and hiding them carefully. He couldn't carry them along to the cave—besides the possibility of Smiling Devil finding it somehow, the place was also too damp and humid to store the Mana scroll.

He dashed into a sprint down the precipice and through the forest below, keeping an ear out for roaming beasts with his enhanced perception, and strategically diverting his dash around them. One shouldn't forget they were deep in magic beast territory, a place most sane people wouldn't dare to hunt, much less live. This was why he was rushing to Smiling Devil. The grove was supposed to be safe due to its seclusion, but anything could happen. And Smiling Devil was in no shape to defend himself.

As he reached the vicinity of the grove, he slowed to a cautious walk, straining his senses to pick up on any slight detail.

Something was wrong.

He was about to burst past the brushes that hid the small entrance to the grove when his eyes narrowed slightly, but he burst in anyway.

Smiling Devil was nowhere to be seen.

Zephyr frowned, looking around. "Devil!"

His cloak was the only thing left on the ground. There was no trace of any struggle, or a fight. The books arranged neatly on the small, makeshift stool— made from a tree stump— right where Smiling Devil's wheelchair should've been. There weren't even any wheel tracks. It was almost like he'd poofed out of existence.

Creak Creak Creak

The sound of wheels turning reached Zephyr's ears.

He turned his head and met the slightly questioning gaze of Smiling Devil. "Wanna reveal our location to the world?" He croaked out lightly.

"Where were you?" Zephyr asked with an expressionless face.

"..." Smiling Devil kept mute, simply using his good hand to push the wheel of the wheelchair forward slowly.

Zephyr didn't repeat the question, watching as the man wheeled his way to his previous position.

"I don't have to tell you about every piss or shit I take," he whispered after some time.

"In this case, I think you do," Zephyr replied. "So, which was it? A piss... or a shit?" He leveled a scrutinizing gaze at Smiling Devil, who met him without as much as a flicker on his face.

"Both," he snapped, before asking sarcastically, "Would you like to see?"

"That won't be necessary." Zephyr nodded, grabbing hold of the wheelchair handle and pulling Smiling Devil out of the grove. He gave a last look at where Devil had come out from and frowned slightly.

The journey back to their cave was uneventful, each in their own thoughts. All through the way, Zephyr's mind kept going back to a suggestion Aegis had made— give Devil the blood he wanted, let the nanites invade his body fully. He would heal, but he'd be under Zephyr's control. In one fell swoop, he could have both a powerful lackey and a walking, talking encyclopedia. The move was risky. What if that was Devil's goal the whole time? What if he was simply feigning the extent of his injury? It looked grave and unsightly, and as real as anything else could be. He knew he lacked information on what powerful people from their world were capable of, so he'd chosen to be cautious for the time being. At the moment, Smiling Devil simply knew his body had extreme regenerative capabilities, but not that it was a result of a foreign substance now merged with him. Whatever explanations he might have come up with, Zephyr wanted him to keep believing it.

But still, he was seriously considering taking the risk. Zephyr could've sworn his senses had picked up footsteps when he neared the grove earlier— steady footsteps. And Smiling Devil could barely walk.