Ch. 44 - Sonic Tremor Complete

The two exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter simultaneously.

"Looks like I really did pick the right ally." Arnor raised his teacup in a toast, hope glimmering in his eyes. "To our partnership!"

"And to a great future!" Robb raised his cup in return.

The clink of ceramic was crisp and clear. In this place, friendship and brotherhood were worth more than anything.

"Starting tomorrow, I need to put together a materials list for those potions." Robb said between sips. "Do you have any channels for getting dragonwhisker grass? I need it for brewing the Vitality Elixir."

"Dragonwhisker grass is no problem." Arnor answered easily. "What about you, what's on Lady Elena's list? Maybe I can help."

Hearing the question, Robb was tempted to share some details of the task Lady Elena had given him. Arnor's network was far more extensive than his own, and the help would be welcome.

But glancing at the darkening sky outside, he decided to save the discussion for tomorrow.

The perceptive Thirteenth Prince read his expression instantly, set down his teacup of his own accord, and offered to take his leave.

After seeing Arnor off, Robb locked the door and retrieved the simplified Stardust Elixir he'd brewed under Lady Elena's guidance.

A little more than half the silver liquid remained in the bottle, glinting faintly in the candlelight.

"Better save the artificial stardew for now. It's not time to use that yet."

Robb murmured to himself, glancing at the precious potion Hadrian had gifted him, tucked deep in his cabinet.

He'd already formed a plan, once Lady Elena handed over the Universe Devourer Grimoire, he'd use that higher-quality stardew to accelerate his breakthrough.

Given the complexity of a Gem-tier meditation method, brute-forcing it through sheer grinding would take an eternity. Potion support was essential for a faster breakthrough.

"The remaining simplified Stardust Elixir should be enough to push the sonic spell to a combat-ready beginner level."

Robb took a deep breath and pulled out Dagon's notebook, preparing to use the remaining elixir to break through the final bottleneck.

[Sonic Tremor (Prototype 87/100)]

After a moment's thought, he opened the window to confirm the dead of night was quiet, then placed a piece of dried wood he'd brought back from the herb shop on the desk as a target.

Carefully pouring out a small spoonful of simplified Stardust Elixir, Robb drank it slowly.

The cool sensation spread from his throat, quickly permeating his entire body.

He could feel his mind becoming extraordinarily clear, his thinking more agile.

Though Lady Elena had described its effect as merely a junior version of genuine Stardust Elixir, it was more than adequate for his current task.

[Simplified Stardust Elixir, Effect: Spirit power stability slightly increased; Casting precision slightly increased]

He sat cross-legged on the bed, opened Dagon's notebook, and studied the passages he hadn't yet deciphered.

Under the elixir's influence, the symbols and notes that had been obscure and impenetrable now became far clearer.

As time passed, he gradually grasped the essence.

The core of Dagon's sonic spell wasn't simply invoking vibration. It was about using a specific "psychic wave" to induce resonance in the airborne mana particles, forming offensive sound waves.

"So that's how it works..."

Bolstered by the simplified Stardust Elixir's stabilizing effect, Robb closed his eyes and began constructing the sonic spell model in his mindscape.

It was no longer a simple droplet shape, but a spiral energy structure, three layers of differing spirit power densities rotating in alternation, forming a complex but stable energy vortex.

The angle and speed of each layer's rotation were exacting. Following the guidance in Dagon's notes, Robb made adjustments one by one within the heightened clarity the elixir provided.

"It feels less like building a spell and more like tuning an instrument, string by string," he thought.

As spirit power flowed in, the spiral vortex began to expand, emitting a faint hum as it spun.

At first it was barely perceptible, but as Robb began channeling mana, the vibration gradually acquired real destructive force, disturbing the surrounding air.

[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) EXP +1]

[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) EXP +1]

[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) EXP +1]

...

[Spell Construction (Beginner) EXP +1]

Robb didn't stop. He continued adjusting the direction and intensity of the energy flow.

After his class change to [Mage Apprentice (One-and-a-Half Stars)] and gaining the Spell Construction class skill, he could distinctly feel that his pace of refining the Sonic Tremor prototype had accelerated considerably.

He discovered that when spirit power vibrated at a specific frequency, it not only built the spell model more effectively but also dramatically reduced mana consumption.

"It's like finding a resonance frequency..."

So absorbed was he in constructing the spell model that Robb failed to notice the block of wood on his bedside table had begun to tremble.

When he came back to his senses, he realized his spirit power had unconsciously assembled a complete sonic spell model, one that was already affecting physical objects around him.

"It completed itself without me even realizing? The simplified Stardust Elixir works better than I thought..."

He quickly focused his attention, bringing this unexpected achievement under control.

"Sonic Tremor!"

Robb intoned the spell's name in his mind while releasing a concentrated burst of spirit power, driving the spiral energy vortex forward.

A ripple, nearly invisible to the naked eye, shot from his palm and struck the block of wood on the desk.

In utter silence, countless hairline fractures erupted across the wood's surface. A moment later, the entire block shattered, collapsing into a heap of splinters.

[Sonic Tremor (Prototype) EXP +8]

[Breakthrough! Sonic Tremor (Prototype 100/100) → Sonic Tremor (Proficient 1/200)]

[Bonus trait acquired: Micro-Ripple (Attacks are considerably harder to detect)]

"It worked..."

He could hardly believe he'd mastered the sonic spell this quickly, and not only that, he'd vaulted clean over the Beginner threshold, landing directly at Proficient and immediately gaining the skill's bonus trait.

Perhaps it was because he'd refined this spell model from the prototype concept stage rather than learning a finished product.

With that thought, Robb reached out to touch the debris. He found the wood had been pulverized into what could only be called fine dust, far more thorough destruction than the surface suggested.

Even more surprising was how little mana the spell had consumed, roughly 0.2, yet it had produced destructive force on par with most offensive spells.

And the spell had another advantage. the casting process was virtually silent, unlikely to raise any alarm. A perfect tool for catching someone off guard.

"No wonder Oliver is so interested in this kind of magic..."

Robb thought to himself. "If what Lady Elena said is true, that it could be combined with curses, it really could create an attack that's almost impossible to defend against at the apprentice level."

The thought was equal parts thrilling and sobering.

This kind of power would produce entirely different outcomes depending on whose hands it was in.

"At least I'm no longer the defenseless weakling I used to be."

Robb exhaled softly, watching the sky gradually brighten beyond the window.

This newly acquired Sonic Tremor was perhaps yet another critical card up his sleeve in the perilous Black Mist Order.

He drained the last of the simplified Stardust Elixir from his cup and gently closed his eyes.

"Now all that's left is the Universe Devourer Grimoire. Once I've collected everything on that list, I might just be able to take another step toward the next level..."

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