Above The Sky
Chapter 69 - 69 67 Inscriptions and Patterns

69: Chapter 67 Inscriptions and Patterns 69: Chapter 67 Inscriptions and Patterns Terra Calendar Year 766, the mid-month of the Red Leaves Season.

Afternoon, the small lecture building.

At this time, almost all the students had already left, even Elder Prude had, not long ago, examined a few knowledge points with Ian and, after receiving satisfactory answers, went to the front lines outside the city to discuss the distribution of supplies from the Imperial Capital with the Viscount.

But Ian happened to be pondering a question regarding inscriptions, and not wanting to interrupt his train of thought, he stayed in the classroom alone.

Inscriptions, also known as runes, originated from the Dwarves and eventually spread to all races of Terra Continent.

The foundation of inscriptions, as the name implies, is built upon ‘writing.’

To learn it, one must first learn to read and write.

And this is the most troublesome challenge for beginners of inscription studies.

On Terra Continent, aside from some dialects of various races and nations, a common language is widely used, which is also referred to as ‘Common Language.’

It is said that this language was already widespread in the civilization of the previous era, which is why the ancestors of various countries, even though scattered, could communicate normally upon meeting each other.

Even the native tongue, in essence, is just a distorted, extremely dialectal, and abbreviated version of the Common Language—at least a few words are still understandable.

The script of the Common Language is composed of various geometric shapes; compared to symbols, it’s more like drawings, and instead of being a natural script, it’s more like some special code.

Considering that this language was already used by the civilization of the previous era, Ian had a bold conjecture that the civilization of the previous era on Terra Continent was a highly developed and unified one that had eradicated all kinds of primitive natural languages—a higher civilization indeed.

The Common Language was precisely the ‘world language’ they created.

And the foundation of inscriptions is based upon this ‘world universal language.’

Certain etchings, raised stripes, as well as various regular and complex geometric shapes, can incite fluctuations within the Natural Spiritual Energy Field—this has been proven by scholars.

And the flesh and skeletal patterns of Magical Beasts that can incite all sorts of strange and extraordinary phenomena serve as powerful evidence.

Inscriptions are the art of learning to replicate these patterns, artificially recreating natural phenomena and the extraordinary powers found in Magical Beasts on various types of materials.

And Glyph Artisans and Glyph Scholars are advanced professions that require not only exquisite skills but also extensive knowledge to improve.

Ironically, the script of the Common Language is extremely similar to the overall structure of inscriptions—or rather, the Common Language itself is an inscription that has omitted all the complex parts and is extremely simplified.

“True inscriptions have extremely high demands on the depth and width of the patterns.

Concave and convex inscriptions are two different research directions; some higher inscriptions are even a kind of three-dimensional structure requiring various complex hollowing out and micro-engraving.

People with insufficient spatial imagination will make mistakes even when copying from a diagram,”

“Besides, special inscriptions also require special Light Ink filling to function.”

Ian closed his notebook; he fell deep in thought.

Replicating, utilizing, and learning different extraordinary structures is the essence of inscriptions.

Only those with good memory have the foundation to learn inscriptions.

Conveniently, Ian’s memory was quite good.

For over a month, he had become proficient in reading and writing Terra Common Language, and he had his mother in this life to thank for that.

She was a wise woman who could read and write, having laid a foundation for him when he was young, which allowed him to learn without struggle and not needing time to adapt.

All 103 of the most basic inscription styles were also committed to memory, never to be forgotten.

But learning to read and write the common language and mastering a few inscription structures was as far from truly mastering inscriptions as someone just learning to write one to ten being asked to compose a poem in seven steps; someone just learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division being asked to solve the Riemann hypothesis.

Not to mention, “Light Ink Studies” was a major challenge.

If inscriptions were the engine, then light ink was the gasoline.

While inscriptions indeed could induce changes in the natural spiritual energy field, they themselves lacked power and required light ink to fill them in order to create real effects.

The original light ink consisted of various demonic beast bloods, liquids containing primordial essence, but just as kindling wood can cook food, it certainly is not the selected coal needed to power a rocket ship.

“Only understanding the effects of inscriptions and being able to replicate and draw them would make one an inscription craftsman.

Only by mastering the basic structures of inscriptions, learning how to recombine them to create new effects, even preparing specific light ink, does one become a true glyph scholar.”

“However, Harrison Port only has craftsmen, not scholars.”

In more than a month of learning, Ian had mastered some of the basic constructions of inscriptions.

If he practiced extensively, he could go to the frontlines like his former blacksmith ‘classmates’ and maintain alchemical cannons and various inscription machines.

This could only be considered a beginner’s entry, barely qualifying as an apprentice, but even as a teacher, Elder Prude was just more proficient in inscriptions and repair than they were, with no fundamental difference.

Apprentice and skilled worker, that’s all.

Yet that was enough to earn the nobles’ courtesy.

“The course is about to end, and there are two more weeks of lessons, but I have nothing left to learn.”

Nodding slightly, Ian stood up, ready to leave the small building.

Although it was only the most basic part, Elder Prude’s course indeed laid a solid foundation for him.

At the very least, he was no longer ignorant about alchemy and inscriptions, and if he encountered relevant literature and materials in the future, he could study on his own.

“Accumulating primordial essence in the primordial seed is a matter of patience.

Inscription studies and alchemy also require a long time to accumulate.

I’ve entered a bottleneck.”

Since the formation of the primordial seed, Ian’s body’s deficiencies had been quickly supplemented, reaching unprecedented levels of health under the nourishment of food containing primordial essence.

After over a month of training, he even felt his body had completely transformed.

His pores became finer, his skin appeared pale and delicate but was actually quite resilient.

His internal organs were strengthened, his digestive ability increased significantly, and many high-difficulty movements that were previously impossible became easy.

Ordinary people trying to restrain him with ropes or chains would easily be broken free.

Because of his young age, he couldn’t rashly enhance his muscles, but even so, thanks to sufficient nutrition, Ian also experienced considerable enhancement in strength and endurance.

If it had been him now, encountering the three native hunters that attacked him and Brin back then, he wouldn’t need Brin to distract them for a sneak attack.

He could suppress them head-on, even kill one or two.

But that level was his limit for now.

The sublimation of his liver was on the right track, but it would only be completed by the end of the year.

Only then would Ian qualify for the basic use of magic potions.

Otherwise, contact with magical medicine ingredients could poison ordinary people and beginners like him to death.

You should know that general cultivators, for the sake of safety, would even spend years upgrading all their internal organs before considering taking magic potions to undergo the final transformation.

Ian was able to do so much ahead of time because he had Hiliard’s detailed planning to thank.

“It’s time to prepare for hunting, or to scavenge some demonic beast materials as a preparation for the future.”