The Runic Alchemist

After four weeks of continuous work, it was finally at least flight-ready.

The two sets of giant rotor blades, enclosed in steel rings, were attached and calibrated for optimal speed and direction to maximize lift. The mechanism was relatively simple: the hub of the curved blades was etched with repulsion runes, while the tips bore attraction runes. Damian had arranged the mana nodes in a linear sequence. As mana flowed through the pipes in the center, it first activated the repulsion runes, pushing the blades into motion. The mana then reached the tips, triggering the attraction runes, which pulled the back of each blade, completing the rotation.

The critical challenge was achieving a balance of force between the attraction and repulsion runes. The blades needed to spin as fast as possible without bending or breaking. This required extensive calibration, repeated rune modifications, and the addition of moving gear components. After numerous adjustments, Damian finally achieved sufficient speed to sustain the aircraft's weight in the air, albeit for a limited duration.

To regulate the speed, Damian etched four different sets of modified attraction and repulsion runes: one for emergency crash landings, one for minimum-weight flying, one for low-altitude, half-weight flying (usable only briefly, as no steel could endure prolonged mana exposure), and a one-time-use set for high-speed bursts, designed for maximum thrust and push.

The rotor blades, however, were more of a failsafe than the primary flight mechanism. Same as the flying spell, in which the main lift came from four enormous runic circles-two at each side, which contained Vidalia's modified flying spell. These were calculated to sustain flight, but at a massive mana cost. A mere 30 minutes of flight with the circles active would consume enough mana to cast a gravity-reversal spell on a tree frame over 50 times.

Additionally, smaller mechanical propellers on the back and sides with easily replaceable wind-spell-thruster inner blades in the large wings were installed to steer the aircraft mid-flight. He made it replaceable since high speed wind runes ate the steel easily in long time use. To control descent, the aircraft's belly was lined with steel plates inscribed with weight-gaining runic circle. These mana-dependent spells could be manually adjusted to counter the effects of gravity reversal and ensure a controlled landing.

The aircraft's interior was spacious, designed to comfortably accommodate over 70 passengers. The main seating hall featured padded chairs that could extend into sleeping position, separated by two large storage compartments. Another compartment was reserved for three mana generators, which were yet to be installed. The control area could seat seven people, two of whom were required to pilot the aircraft.

Two additional compartments were restricted for select personnel. One was an armory stocked with iron and steel plates imbued with offensive and defensive spells. These could be mounted on the aircraft's front or back as needed. The other was a personal room Damian kept empty for now.

All the runic spells etched into the aircraft's steel components were non-auto-mana-gathering. This design choice stemmed from a critical limitation: adding an auto-mana-gathering feature would require the runes to recharge completely before they could be activated by the user. In contrast, non-auto-mana-gathering runes could be activated as soon as sufficient refined mana was present in their surroundings. This flexibility made them more practical for the aircraft's operations but also necessitated caution. For this reason, Damian kept the armory locked and secure, as improper access or accidental activation could pose significant risks.

Damian planned to power two of the mana generators with his own aura, leaving the third for a copilot. Reize was his ideal choice due to her familiarity with the ship's mechanics, even if much of her work had been following Damian's instructions without fully understanding all the functions. The main obstacle was her aura control, but Damian had crafted a supreme-grade bracelet after numerous trials. The bracelet, based on Faerunia's aura-release spell, included an environment-mana-gathering mechanism that Damian could supplement with his own mana gathered from two mana generators. This would enable Reize to activate the third mana generator, with the help of which she could control the ship, and share some burden of piloting the thing, with him.

The bracelet was a surprise, and Damian hadn't given it to her yet. She wasn't even aware that two people were needed to fly the aircraft efficiently. While Damian could manage alone using his mana threads, it would require immense focus and energy during long flights. How sad would it be if everyone else could enjoy the flight, and the creator had to drain himself for them?

Some functions couldn't be achieved with spells alone, so Damian had to rely on his limited but serviceable knowledge of basic science. He incorporated four essential instruments alongside the hundreds of manual switches on the control panel: a thermoscope, a compass, an inclinometer, and a barometer.

The thermoscope consisted of a sealed glass tube with a bulb at one end, filled with air, and the open end submerged in a liquid, such as water or colored alcohol. Changes in temperature caused the air to expand or contract, moving the liquid up or down the tube. This allowed for monitoring external air temperature, with a marked scale to estimate relative warmth or coldness.

The compass was already part of the ship's equipment, but Damian upgraded it by adding a gimbal and enclosing it in glass to stabilize it against the ship's motion.

For an inclinometer, Damian used a curved glass tube partially filled with liquid, such as water or alcohol. As the ship tilted, the liquid shifted, indicating the angle of pitch or roll. He mounted this homemade device on the control panel to help maintain level flight.

Finally, Damian constructed a barometer based on Torricelli's concept to measure atmospheric pressure and reveal altitude. This consisted of a sealed water-filled glass tube, with markings to indicate relative pressure changes.

These simple yet effective tools provided critical information for navigating and maintaining the aircraft during flight, bridging the gap where spells fell short.

Now, it was time to fly.