Bai Ye took a large pile of engraving chisels from her spatial ring. A quick estimate put them at more than twenty. They were all made specifically for carving magic runes, and Bai Ye had picked them up on her way back.
She’d prepared so many for more than one reason. Different magic runes required different types of chisels, and the material these chisels were made from wasn’t especially durable. Their blades wore down quickly while carving runes.
If she were carving runes into a one-handed knife or sword, three or four chisels would be enough.
But Bai Ye was carving runes into a cavalry lance. According to her plan, she’d carve at least three different runes into it to make up for the lance’s shortcomings.
If all three runes worked, they’d cover the entire shaft in a dense web of carvings. It was a huge undertaking, so she needed plenty of chisels.
First, Bai Ye secured the cavalry lance upright in an iron stand. Then she picked up a chisel and channeled mana into it. The tip glowed orange-red, as if it had been seared by flames.
With the preparations complete, it was time to start carving the runes.
Carving magic runes was usually a complicated process, not something an amateur could learn just by copying what they saw. But Bai Ye was an expert. Carving a few runes was no challenge for her.
After all, when An Jieli had kept her confined in the imperial palace, Bai Ye hadn’t had much else to do. She’d studied magic runes, magic arrays, and things like that to pass the time.
The imperial palace library held a wealth of books and materials on magic runes, and Bai Ye would browse through them whenever she had time. An Jieli had never been stingy with the materials she needed to practice, and Bai Ye was talented to begin with. As a result, she’d mastered the techniques for carving quite a few runes.
“First... ‘Lance Shield.’”
Bai Ye murmured to herself.
She carefully set the chisel against the lower third of the shaft and began carving the rune known as “Lance Shield.”
Lance Shield was exactly what it sounded like. When activated, it formed a magical shield with the lance at its center, giving the weapon the function of a shield. It was a simple but highly practical rune.
The effect was simple, but achieving it wasn’t. The rune was extremely complex because it had to turn mana into a solid form and keep it that way for an extended period.
And to maximize its effect, Bai Ye was using a relatively complex carving technique. By her estimate, the Lance Shield rune would cover a full third of the shaft.
Otherwise, why call it Lance Shield? Not many other weapons could even fit this many runes.
Carving magic runes took a great deal of concentration. She had to stay focused the entire time and keep channeling mana into the chisel without interruption. Only by working in perfect coordination—hand, eye, and mind—could she bring out the rune’s full potential.
Even with Bai Ye’s expertise, completing the Lance Shield rune took a full two hours.
“Phew~”
Bai Ye gazed at her handiwork and slowly let out a breath.
Now, a third of the cavalry lance’s shaft was covered in intricate patterns. The interwoven, twisting lines looked like delicate carvings made by the most meticulous artisan, giving the once-plain lance a whole new kind of beauty.
“Next is ‘Heavy Strike.’”
Heavy Strike was another rune whose name made its effect easy to guess. When activated, it increased the force of the user’s attacks, especially thrusts.
Its effect was simple, but just like Lance Shield, the Heavy Strike rune was anything but simple if she wanted to get the most out of it.
Bai Ye spent nearly another two hours covering the middle section of the shaft with carvings. At last, the Heavy Strike rune was complete.
“Just one more...”
Bai Ye wiped away her sweat. After carving runes for so long, she was starting to feel tired.
Still, she didn’t want to rest. She hated leaving things unfinished, and she’d already carved two runes. She’d feel better if she just powered through and finished the last one, too.
Only the lance’s tip was still bare now, leaving Bai Ye very little room to carve. Even so, she could just barely fit one more rune.
The last rune Bai Ye carved was called “Scattershot.” Unlike the first two, which she’d learned from others, Scattershot was a rune of her own creation. Once activated, it unleashed a dense spread of magical pellets into a fan-shaped area in front of the user. It was the rune best suited to making up for the cavalry lance’s shortcomings.
A cavalry lance was actually very effective against large magical beasts, but few people took one into a dungeon.
After all, dungeons held not only large magical beasts but also hordes of small, agile ones.
A cavalry lance worked well against large magical beasts, but it was less effective against smaller ones.
With Bai Ye’s strength, wielding a cavalry lance was no different from wielding a one-handed sword. Even so, she didn’t mind making her dungeon runs a little easier, which made the Scattershot rune essential.
The Scattershot rune was simpler than the first two, but by the time Bai Ye finished carving this last one, the sun had already set.
The three runes had taken Bai Ye from afternoon until nightfall to carve. Even with a Saint Cultivator’s extraordinary constitution, she was exhausted by now.
“Is it really this late already?”
Bai Ye suddenly felt puzzled. A banquet should’ve ended long ago at this hour, but Meijie still hadn’t come back.
Bai Ye couldn’t help worrying. Staying out all night was never a good sign. Had something happened to Meijie?
“I can’t shake this uneasy feeling... I’d better go look for her.”
