Inflame (The Completionist Chronicles Book 6) Dakota Krout (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

base of 100 blunt damage. The orbs have additional properties as listed below.

Option 1) Enchanted Characteristics: Each Ritual Orb can be bound to a single Characteristic with an associated Enchanted Ritual Circle*. By binding the characteristic, the Orb will gain an increase in damage, and will shift the damage type it inflicts. If you can control them properly, they will also be controllable without a Control Cuff, based on the characteristic score. Assigning a characteristic automatically grants the Orb the ‘recall’ ability, and it will return to you after five minutes if left behind, forgotten, or stolen. The assigned Characteristic will also empower Option 2.

Caution! After binding a Characteristic to a Ritual Orb, if the orb is destroyed, the bound Characteristic will be treated as if it is half its actual value until a new Orb has been bound.

Option 2) Alchemical Binding: A single spell, skill, or ability can be assigned to each Ritual Orb by using the associated Alchemical Ritual*. So long as the Orb has a Core or Mana Battery powering it, you will be able to use the spell at will, without draining your own mana, if you can control them properly.

Caution! While the skill/spell/ability is bound to the Ritual Orb, you will only be able to use it through the Ritual Orb! If the Orb does not have enough power, the spell/skill/ability will fail to activate.

Option 3) By focusing your ability to understand Magical Matrices into the Ritual Orb, you can assign the interior with a configuration. Each orb can be used to create a single reusable ritual pattern. If you can control them properly, you will be able to have each orb create a ritual circle. Current Ritual Orbs: 6. You will be able to create a ritual up to the Expert rank with the current configuration.

Caution! Opening the Ritual Orb to create a ritual increases the likelihood of damage from outside forces. Durability damage is doubled once the Ritual Orb is unfolded. Each ritual circle must have its own Mana Battery or Core to function properly.

“That’s… a lot of cautions.” Joe scanned over all the options in wonder. He tapped on the underlined words and was delighted to see a specific ritual appear. “But… a reusable ritual circle on demand? Spells assigned to the orbs? Damage changes? This is perfect.”

“Hold on to your hammer, now.” McPoundy held up a hand to make Joe consider his next words. “Let me expand on some of that caution. If you bind a characteristic to an orb, remember how it says you will need to replace it if it’s damaged or lost? If you decide to use this weapon, that means you can never not use it. I highly doubt there is a ritual of unbinding that lets you walk away from this thing. At least, not without paying a heavy cost. Another thing; these things are basically screaming at you that they will be incredibly difficult to learn to wield properly.”

“I’m seeing…” Joe perused the information again, reading more carefully and with less excited eyes. “Oh. This section. ‘If you can control them properly’. Is that what you're talking about?”

“Exactly that. That statement shows up in every single paragraph except the ‘cautions’.” Grandmaster McPoundy gazed admiringly at the orbs one last time, then turned his eyes back to the template. “I want to keep going on this, but I have other responsibilities. It is going to take months of research before I am ready to attempt a Master, Grandmaster, let alone Sage version of these weapons. You should take those and start getting some experience with using them.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Joe left the forge while studiously ignoring the too-wide smiles on the faces of all the other apprentices that were trying to draw the Grandmaster’s attention. He hurried back to Havoc, straining under the weight of the six silver orbs. He cheerfully grumbled, “These things are like… fifty pounds each. Do they do a point of blunt damage per pound or something?”

Had it not been for his newly enhanced strength, Joe would have been stumbling along at best, or needing a cart at worst. He felt like the protagonist of an infomercial as he said, “There must be a better way!”

All at once, he realized that his excitement had completely gotten the better of him. Joe stored the orbs in his Codpiece of Holding, then put his hands on his lower back and forced himself into a better standing position. His spine crackled like a glow-stick being activated, and for a long moment, he missed Jaxon. He continued walking… then paused once more and put on the Control Cuff. One orb came out, and Joe stared at it even as his pace slowed considerably.

“Float.” Joe ordered the orb. It didn’t move. How dare. “Spin. Something. Do something.”

He continued on like that for a few minutes, yet nothing worked. It took a force of will for him to not chuck the orb at the ground, but he was almost to the point that he wanted to-

*Wham*. The orb launched from his hands and left a divot in the ground. Joe stared at the dent for a long moment. “I can’t tell if it was listening to me, or if I slipped and dropped the stupid thing.”

“Orb… float?” He tried to pick it up, but it was wedged in the earth pretty good. No good. He tried to think through what had changed, but the obvious difference was that he had wanted the orb to slam itself on the ground. “This is another thing that goes by mental visualization, isn’t it? Okay, then… let’s go full mystic on this thing.”

Joe pictured the orb floating up and hovering at eye level, and really wanted it to happen. He strained, pushed, and pulled, but the orb didn’t move. Calming himself, he took a deep breath, letting go of his grumpiness. He focused on the space right behind his nose and left the subconscious part of his mind—what he called the ‘monkey brain’,