Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 894: Concepts of the Path of Power I

CH894 Concepts of the Path of Power I

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“This… this is an ambitious project, Your Highness,” Grand Mage Taman said. “Are you sure you want to make this a foundation of your path?”

He had just listened to Eleanore’s Berserk Transformation Therapy and Cultivation Awakening projects and found himself impressed by what the Collateral Princess had accomplished in the couple of years she had been away.

He had initially been worried for her safety after news of the assassination attempt on Alex Fury, which also affected his expedition companions, spread.

However, not only was the princess safe, she had also begun working on a few ambitious projects of her own.

While Eleanore clearly didn’t reveal all the inner workings of her projects—something he actually appreciated—what she did reveal, particularly the goals of her projects and their progress, left even the Grand Mage and Grandmaster Alchemist very impressed.

However, there was something about it that also left Taman worried.

“The pursuit of a universal way to grant ascension talent to non-professionals is an age-old dilemma that has plagued people since time immemorial. While I do not doubt your talent and potential to find a solution, I do not advise making it the core concept of your path. The risk is simply too great,” Grand Mage Taman said.

The Saint rank allowed professionals to develop unique individual concepts which would act as aids or a foundation that would enable them to grasp an understanding of Laws as they approached the Legendary realm.

However, it had been found across generations that it was best to begin walking towards a path that would lead to the formation of the Concept prior to even stepping into the Saint rank.

For scions of higher houses and backgrounds, they were advised to begin working towards the birth of their chosen Concept from the moment they stepped into the Veteran or Great Mage rank, which corresponded to the beginning of the Liquid Stage.

Comprehension played a big part in progression through the Liquid Stage. One had to comprehend how to compress and condense their mana into Liquid form for the Veteran rank. One had to comprehend their Concept for the Saint rank, while one had to comprehend their chosen Law for the Legendary rank.

However, this wasn’t completely rigid.

The three ranks of the Liquid Stage were seen as depths in the same realm. As such, one didn’t need to wait until they were Saints to begin thinking about the Concepts they wished to birth, and likewise until Legend before considering the Law they wanted to comprehend.

It was possible to begin working towards a Concept from the Veteran rank.

For example, a warrior who wished to birth a speed-type Concept could begin learning higher speed-type skills from the Veteran rank, learning the attitude and methods of a speedster, and so on.

While it didn’t guarantee the Concept that would be born at the end, it strongly influenced it. In fact, short of a strong stimulus at the point of Concept birth upon reaching the Saint rank, doing this almost guaranteed that one’s final Concept wouldn’t be too far from the professional’s wishes.

Working on one’s Concept from the Veteran rank ensured, for example, that the professional’s Concept would almost definitely be a speed-type. However, the specific speed-type Concept would only be known upon the birth of the Concept.

Warriors tended to birth Concepts that aligned with their fighting or combat style. For example, Magic Archer Commander Conrad Horst birthed a Concept that improved his marksmanship, making it even more difficult for him to miss his shots.

Mages tended to birth Concepts that enhanced their elemental affinity. For instance, a Fire Mage would most likely birth a Concept that improved his fire-based spells in some way.

Warlocks tended to birth Concepts that aligned with their bloodline nature or World ability.

However, there was another group for whom the birth of their Concepts was of academic importance—Support professionals such as Healers and Artisans such as Alchemists.

The birth of a Support Professional or Artisan’s Concept made each one stand out from the others.

At this point onwards, individuals of the same support or artisan profession began to differ remarkably from one another, forming what seemed like branches or subprofessions of the same support or artisan profession.

For example, all potion alchemists made potions. However, a potion alchemist with a Concept that metaphysically increased the amount of potion created was vastly different from a similar potion alchemist whose Concept metaphysically increased the potency of the crafted potion.

Crudely speaking, when one needed quantity, the former was king, while the latter heralded in terms of quality.

This was just the simplest of possible effects of a Concept. There were Concepts which increased shelf life, material demand, rate of success, and so on.

Also, since Concepts were a manifestation of willpower borne from one’s understanding of their own nature, abilities or surroundings, Concepts tended to be unique to the individual. Even Concepts that seemed similar—for example, potion amount-increasing Concepts—would have differences that separated them from one another.

Eleanore was on the cusp of progressing to Class 4, Great Healer rank, and she had already begun thinking towards an ambitious Concept.

A unique Concept that was equally complementary to both her chosen Healer and Alchemy paths.

At the heart of the possibility of this unique Concept was a drive to not only create a more accessible cure for Berserk Transformation, but also a method for all non-professionals to potentially set foot on the path of power.

“I understand the risk, Sir Taman,” Eleanore said. “I believe I have the conditions needed to make things work as long as I gain the necessary know-how and equipment for genetic manipulation.

“This project almost perfectly combines my doctrines as a Healer and an Alchemist. The Berserk Transformation plaguing my husband’s plane is a problem that cannot be solved with only Healing or Alchemy. Only by combining the two were we able to find a solution—albeit an inefficient and potentially flawed one. And I believe it is still in the combination of both that a truly more efficient cure can be found.

“If I am able to achieve this, I would gain the needed mindset to bear the Willpower direction I need to develop the Concept I want—one that enhances both my healing and my alchemy.”

“I understand what you hope to achieve, Your Highness,” Taman responded.

Although he said this, he still felt the need to point out some things.

“Like I said, I do not doubt your ability nor your potential. I also respect the fact that you have already achieved some form of success with the project, though you yourself claim there is more to do. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t still mention the difficulty of what you aim to achieve.”

“The goal—the Concept—you seek is a highly ambitious one. The success of your project would have to be monumental in order for it to bear the fruit you desire. But have you asked yourself if it is worth it?

“You possess talents and bloodlines that are the envy of many. Simply basing your Concept on these would be enough to grant you a top-level Concept that can potentially carry you above the Legendary rank. In light of this, what you are looking to do is not worth the risk.

“Also, putting aside the difficulty of your project, there is also the question of the morality of what you are setting out to achieve,” Taman added.

“Morality?” Eleanore raised an eyebrow.

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