Rituals were spells with a physical component. It was an umbrella term, there were different subcategories of rituals.


    For example, the writhing serpent Hector gripped by the neck was considered a Familiar; a spell given a permanent physical form and bound to the creator.


    A spell became a ritual when a component was substituted for a physical one; this could be the conduit, shape, or the myriad of other functions he didn''t discover yet. Different materials would have their own effect.


    Sources and by extension essences, were already a pseudo-physical component in themselves.


    It also meant at least one strand had to be dedicated to the ritual, though more are required for anything of value; a balance between the capability to weave strands and the permanent influence the mage had on his surroundings.


    Spells were simple compared to rituals. It was like comparing a bicycle to a car. One was easy to use; the other required knowledge and experience.


    The serpent had wrapped its body around Hector''s arm and tightened around it. He''d have to do something about it, keep it somewhere, and study it. Even better if he could dissect it and recreate something similar.


    Familiars were useful to have, even if he only used it to carry his grimoire and lantern; they were too fragile to be placed in direct danger and rarely posed a danger to someone prepared, but they had utilities in their own ways.


    For example, Familiars could provide an extra pair of eyes, function as a magical battery, or assist in spells and rituals. If he specialized one, they might even function as limited assassins or spotters for spells.


    He wouldn''t become attached to one. They were expendable spells given form, not pets, and were limited in the sense that it was impossible for them to have their own strands; they''re still a portion of their creator''s mind and granted limited autonomy.


    That brought him to the next point: Strands.


    He only had one: the needle, but it was possible to increase that. Strands were like muscles. They grew stronger and tougher with use. Unlike muscles, they could split apart and assume different shapes.


    Hector would have to raise his strand proficiency to grade 2 before he could do that. There wasn''t enough material to split into two separate strands. The needle had already taken a majority of the mental substance to fashion.


    That left him with one issue. Should he hunt for shards and gain an improvement? That would be more beneficial in the long run, but it also meant going outside.


    While he had a strand, it was extremely limited if he could not see his targets in the darkness. It was not safe to stand so close to danger. He required focus to repair, then ignite the needle, and having his target next to him... well, it was impossible for him to use the strand when he had to focus on survival.


    Hector''s thought was interrupted when the serpent had sunk its fangs into his arm, again. It didn''t have any words—venom on its body, but it still stung.


    Right. The serpent. He had to keep it somewhere. It liked books, so he''d store it in a book he was interested in. He traced the aged spines with a finger and scanned the titles.


    The library didn''t have many books relevant to his interests. Most of them had to do with literature, history, or other irrelevant subjects; Those didn''t help him at the moment. He wanted strands, spells, or rituals. Those were very interesting subjects.


    Three books caught his attention after he catalogued the library.


    Bone Charms: Sympathetic Rituals, Applications, and History [Sanitized Version]


    Mnemonics, Memory Spaces, and Mind PalacesThis book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Eye


    Charms. That was a word the Fundamental of Rituals touched upon. Simply put, they were esoteric properties bound to an object, and in this case, a bone judging from the title. The index showed various rituals to create the charms. He didn''t know the specifics, but the topic sounded intriguing.


    The second book—which had to do with memory—might be useful for storing strand blueprints. He could use his grimoire for that and swap out strands in an instant, but he was already using it to store nether. It might be useful to go with this option instead; it was compatible with his Strand Manipulation proficiency.


    The third book would be more useful. If the title and index told him anything, it had something to do with sight and extrasensory perception, which may be more useful than it initially sounded. Hector could—probably—use it to dissect the Familiar and a myriad of other uses, if the name was anything to go by. He couldn''t go wrong with alternative means of perception.


    He chose The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Eye, opened the book, and aggressively smeared the serpent''s head against it. The serpent swam into the book, and the words distorted into a circle. Hector closed the book before anything else could occur.


    If he planned his improvements, the next one would go to the book. That would leave him with two unused improvements at grade five. He''d decide that later.


    He wasn''t sure what the Trials were, if it would take place here or somewhere else, or if he could keep any of the books after it had begun. In this scenario, it was better to go with the foundational skills.


    None of that would be possible without shards.


    Hector wanted a strand that would help him survive in close quarters. More specifically, a strand that could immobilize and eliminate his targets.


    He instructed the needle to draw nether from his grimoire.


    Hector had always consumed the strands when he ignited them. It was a fire and forget solution, like a missile or bullet, but what if he could have a strand persist after ignition?


    He directed the needle at the desk and ignited it.


    The liquid whistled through the air and impaled the desk, only this time it did not splatter like before.


    Hector kept his hold on the strand. Maintaining a strand after igniting it was difficult, far more difficult than simply releasing it. He had to focus and contend with the active essence.


    The needle shook and threatened to break apart. Hector tightened his focus on it and stabilized the strand.


    But it was possible, and that was all that mattered for his next strand.


    He released his hold. The strand burst into a pool of nether drifting along the ceiling.


    Hector gripped the needle with his mind and molded it. This one would be thin, far thinner than any of the strands before, but would use all the material he had.


    He required a weapon that controlled territory—a strand that would take and hold on to space on a battlefield.


    The strand elongated into thin strips, then it multiplied until there were several strips drifting in front of his hand.


    Hector designed this strand with a single concept in mind: control through immobilization.


    Invisible filaments drifted around his body, swaying along an imaginary current. He''d call the new strand, the second strand he had ever designed, Threads. His mind responded and recorded the new name.


    Hector instructed the strand to soak up the nether.


    As the name entailed, the strand was woven from thin threads. A single filament couldn''t pierce skin like a needle, nor could it hold as much essence as a sphere. Its primary advantage was in the area it covered.


    He waved his hand in the air, and the threads distributed themselves across the room like a web. One filament remained attached to his grimoire.


    A single thread was weak. It could be broken with little effort. That wasn''t the point of this strand; it was designed to cover territory and respond to intrusions.


    Hector ignited the strand. Black lines manifested in the air around him and stilled like taut wires.


    His eyes were locked on a single point in front of him. He stood still. A bead of sweat ran down his neck. The strand required attention. All of his attention.


    Under normal circumstances, the threads would react to touch or a disturbance, and Hector would know when they were disturbed by his connection with them. He instructed the threads to respond to an imagined threat.


    The threads responded by collapsing into a single area. The black wires wrapped around the invisible enemy, then tightened. They constricted further into a ball.


    Individually, each thread could be broken with ease. That was because their power was distributed in a wide area. When activated, all of that power collapsed into a single area.


    That was the primary use case of this strand: Area Denial.


    Hector released his hold on the ignited strand. The thin wires ruptured into liquid nether. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with fresh air.


    It would become easier once he increased his proficiencies. The threads would grow stronger, and he wouldn''t need to devote as much attention to them.


    This strand would permit him to remain in close quarters with an enemy. He wouldn''t if he had a choice. This type of strand was a last resort.


    He could focus the direction and distance for the strand to extend in. The threads were long enough to extend past the light of the lantern; It had some information gathering capability.


    With it, he was prepared to venture outside.