As the days passed, the fort's reconstruction moved steadily forward. Collapsed buildings were rebuilt, the fractured wall was restored, and eventually, the blocked mine entrance was cleared. Yet, all this progress went unnoticed by Ezekiel.
From the beginning, he had never once left his room, quietly engrossed in his work. He sat cross-legged, his eyes closed and his brows relaxed. His current state was no different from a man who had fallen asleep. However, that couldn't be further from the truth, as his mind was more active than at any other time.
During this time, Zeke worked tirelessly, refining his spells and exploring ways to enhance his arsenal. His first and most significant discovery was the magic he was using at the moment:
[Bloodbound Clarity].
This spell accelerated his thoughts to an incredible speed, creating the illusion that time had stopped. In his previous battle, Zeke had uncovered some astonishing aspects of this spell.
The most crucial discovery was that, although his body was frozen in time, his Mana remained unaffected. This meant he could still cast magic while in his heightened cognitive state.
It made perfect sense.
Mana, by nature, wasn't bound by the same principles as physical matter. It could move at any speed, flowing without restriction. The only limitation was the Mage's ability to control it. The same held true for the Core—a construct of Mana and will, serving as a gateway to the Soul.
Of course, this didn't mean he could cast any spell he wanted in that state. Most magic, though initially intangible, eventually manifested as a physical phenomenon. For instance, if he cast [Blood Spike], the spell would be bound by the laws of time and space the moment it took physical form.
However, some branches of magic never actually manifested in the physical realm: Life, Death, Space, Time, and Mind. These were the inherently intangible schools of magic, and, as it happened, Zeke had access to two of them.
Space and Mind.
Zeke had already confirmed that he could use his ability to teleport during this state. However, as the application of his [Blood Puppet] skill had shown, the prospect of using Mind magic could be even more promising.
Despite all that, his most significant breakthrough with [Bloodbound Clarity] was completely unrelated to this discovery. By complete accident, he had found a different purpose for this spell, something that could be even more beneficial to him.
What he had discovered was moderation.
Instead of using the spell at full force, and effectively stopping time, he had discovered that it was possible to use the spell at greatly reduced intensity. While it seemed initially less impressive, this application turned out to carry unexpected benefits. First and foremost, depending on the level of his cognitive enhancement, he could maintain this state for a vastly longer time.
At this moment, Zeke had doubled his mental speed, effectively accelerating his thoughts twofold. Though less impressive than his usual application of the spell, he found this level to be a sweet spot—just enough to maintain without overstraining his body and Core.
That's right. He could theoretically sustain this level of activation indefinitely, effectively turning a single day of research into two. For someone as busy as Zeke, time was a precious resource, and any spell that could help him stretch it further was invaluable. Even more important, though, was the potential combat applications.
Rather than relying on a single burst, he could maintain a continuous advantage, doubling his reaction and casting speed. It would feel like fighting opponents in slow motion, rendering him nearly immune to surprise attacks or deceptive tactics, with ample time to counter any unexpected moves.
This was a truly impressive ability. In terms of support magic, a spell that enhanced one's abilities across the board could indeed be called divine. Since discovering this function, Zeke had been eager for a chance to test it in real combat.
This discovery reinforced his earlier realization: the combination of separate types of Magic was truly on a different level.
His first creation, [Bloodbound Clarity], and now his second, [Blood Puppet], were both astonishing abilities—unique weapons only he could wield. Both spells combined Blood and Mind Magic, yet in distinctly different ways.
Despite their varied effects, they shared a common foundation: his engraved Blood Magic spell, which enabled control over the body by manipulating the flow of blood. Initially, Zeke had assumed the spell's primary purpose was to strengthen muscles and used it accordingly. But he later uncovered its broader potential—not only to enhance his muscles but any organ, most notably the brain.
Finally, by strengthening this effect with Mind magic, [Bloodbound Clarity] had come to be.
His second creation emerged from experiments in controlling his own body like a marionette. Initially, he hadn't considered any combat applications, using it solely for self-control. However, after advancing to the level of Grand Mage, his sensitivity to Blood Magic had sharpened, allowing him to feel the call of blood—even blood that wasn't his own.
[Blood Puppet] was the result of that effort. By restricting blood flow to the brain and confusing the mind, he could create mindless soldiers who obeyed his commands, like puppets controlled by invisible strings. It was a grotesque technique, completely disregarding human dignity. Yet, Zeke couldn't deny the effectiveness of his creation.
With just a few moves, he had turned enemies into allies and halted the advance of an entire army—a feat he couldn't have achieved by any other means. Beyond its practical value, the psychological deterrent of the spell was unmatched.
This… was also a weapon he could wield, though he would do so with a heavy conscience.
Putting those two spells aside, Zeke realized that his achievements of combining separate Mana types had a commonality. They both originated from one of his engraved spells, simply adding additional effects to their already established functions.
However, so far, he had only used his Blood Magic spell as the base. Didn't he have two other spells engraved on his core? His Sphere of Awareness as well as his Mind's Library were both creations of these other engraved spells.
Zeke's eyes shot open, a spark of excitement within them. Over the past few days, he had relentlessly explored different applications of his spells, seeking ways to merge their established functions with new abilities. This was the only path he knew to blend his affinities, and now it was time to take the next step.
For the foundation, he chose the spell he was most familiar with: [Spatial Perception].
Since engraving it, Zeke had hardly been without its effect. Perceiving his surroundings through it was as natural as using his eyes or ears. It had become an integral part of him, and without it, he would feel truly blind.
Now came the challenge, what aspect should he focus on, and what effects would he blend it with?
Reach? Well, it was worth a try.
Zeke focused on a location two rooms over, where a large man slept peacefully—Vulcanos. The giant had been moved to the mine a few days prior. Though not yet fully recovered, his condition seemed to be steadily improving; at this rate, he'd likely leave his sickbed in a matter of weeks.
Through his Sphere of Awareness, Zeke could see every detail of the room, but he ignored everything else, concentrating solely on the large figure resting in bed. He would try something simple at first. Gradually, he infused a bit of Blood Mana into his engraved spell, attempting to sense the blood within Vulcanos's body.
His vision immediately went dark. The spell had collapsed.
It was a failure.
He restarted the spell and tried again, subtly changing his Intent.
Another failure.
Zeke tried repeatedly, determined to make this work. The prospect of using his Blood Magic on distant targets was too enticing to abandon. However, after hundreds of failed attempts and hours spent, he finally had to concede defeat.
There was no denying it anymore—it simply didn't work. Zeke had known there would be limits to what he could achieve by fusing spells, but he had hoped this wouldn't be the stumbling block that thwarted him. With a click of his tongue, he let go of the idea.
It seemed that what he called the Call of Blood couldn't be transmitted through senses other than his Core, limiting its influence to his immediate vicinity. Disappointing, but not disheartening. After all, if creating dual-affinity spells were easy, all Mages would be doing it.
…Well, not all of them, Zeke realized.
One also needed to have a good education, multiple affinities, an academic mindset, time and resources, and a solid grasp of spellcraft. Thinking about it carefully, the list of requirements was rather substantial. It was no wonder this field wasn't developed, as most Mages didn't even qualify to research it. On top of that, most high-ranking Mages only ever had a primary affinity, shrinking the field even further.
Zeke shook his head, brushing off distracting thoughts. He didn't have time to dwell on useless things at the moment. With a light slap to his cheeks, he refocused on his research. The attempt to extend the reach of his Blood Magic had failed, but this wasn't the end. He still had another Affinity to explore.
Zeke once again focused on Vulcanos' room through his Spatial Perception. Hours had passed, yet the man was still asleep, seemingly in need of deep rest. Gradually, Zeke infused a bit of Mind Mana into his spell, intending to sense Vulcanos's mind. It was the same process he used whenever he cast [Telepathy], so he was well-versed in it. However, this time was different—he wasn't directly connecting to a mind but attempting to bridge the space between them.
After a moment of flickering, his vision went dark again, signaling that the spell had collapsed.
Despite his initial failure, a wide smile spread across Zeke's face. Just before the spell had collapsed, he had sensed it—the presence of Vulcanos's mind. This was possible!
Like a shark smelling blood, Zeke resumed experimenting. He fine-tuned his Intent, adjusted Mana ratios, and combined these variables in every way he could imagine until, finally, his efforts bore fruit. After testing hundreds of combinations and cross-evaluating them, Zeke at last discovered the ideal form of the spell.
Through his now-stabilized Sphere of Awareness, Zeke could clearly sense the presence of Vulcanos' mind. Experimentally, he shifted his focus to the area outside the mine entrance and immediately detected the minds of a few tribesmen passing by.
It worked! It really worked! With this method, he could completely ignore distances for his mental connections.
Zeke was so excited that he rose from the floor, pacing the room a couple of times to calm his racing heart. For a long time, he couldn't find the words to describe what he was feeling at the moment.
Though this discovery seemed minor compared to his recent successes, Zeke didn't see it that way. It wasn't because this was an earth-shattering revelation that would reshape the world of Magic or propel him to unparalleled heights. No, the reason he could barely contain his excitement was unrelated to such lofty goals.
It was something far more personal.
Barely able to calm his racing heart, Zeke extended his mind, connecting to a distant beacon. It was one he had not reached out to in a very long time. Immediately, his mind began to search, trying to find the presence of any nearby existences.
Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find who he was looking for. There it was—a bright presence in a dark world, a mental signature Zeke knew all too well. At the sight of that familiar presence, his eyes grew slightly moist, but he ignored it and cast a spell. A moment later, the telepathic link snapped into place.
Unable to fully suppress the tremble in his voice, Zeke spoke a single word.
"Mom?"