The light of the library begins to dim, and I rub my sore wrist. This had been my daily routine for the past 3 weeks, and even my morning training with Grandpa was put on hold until I could finish this task. I lift the hefty tome up and admire my work. While writing a new safety manual or maybe a new safety tome was tedious, it also included a large amount of inspiration from various problems my predecessors had faced.

  I also figured out why my rune was able to overwhelm the forge. My intent to have the rune heat the forge did exactly as intended and utilized available mana in the magic logs to keep heating. I didn’t think about measuring the heat or instructing the runes on what to do once it reached the desired heat. So instead of lighting the forge, it kept heating up the forge hotter as it burned not just through my pitiful mana pool but through the residual mana of the log itself.

  The log should’ve been enough to keep the forge lit for a month but was instead reduced to ash as my rune ate it. My rune heated until the desired temperature and then kept heating like a broken piece of code with no follow-up instructions engraved. The safety manuals I read through frequently mentioned similar problems.

  You might be thinking this is an easy weapon, but activating an unlimited runic net will always take everything you can feed it, leaving the creator helpless. In addition, once the original power is exhausted and the material it's inscribed on is being consumed, any living creature or runic interference will immediately override the rune and disable the effect.

  Imbued willpower is fragile without consistent application, which is why most runic objects can’t be used in direct confrontation with a living being. That is for enchantment, which is the rival school of magic to runic work.

  While reading through the books, I also took the time to search out the consequences of using a different runic language than the standard. Most of an entire day was spent in search of that answer, and one of the oldest tomes had a rather interesting perspective on the matter. The author had attempted to create a streamlined new language to make mass production of runic work faster.

  The idea worked, but all of his runes were extremely understrength. He had continued to fill out his new language and found that the more it was defined, the more efficient it became. However, when he tried using an existing runic language, everything he made failed. He speculated widely about the unconscious will of the language that didn’t recognize his additions, but he found even if he started from scratch, his ability to create new runic language was ruined, and thus his master had him write this book.

  In general I took several things from my punishment.

  

  
1. 
   
     When writing runes, it is important to include a mechanism to stop, whether it’s creating a secondary rune to interfere with the existing rune or a natural condition with the specification on what the rune should stop.
   
     


  
2. 
   
     Runes are inherently fragile to willpower, which is why they are typically used for long-range weaponry or for non-combat functions.
   
     Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
   
     


  
3. 
   
     The power of a runic language is derived from the details it can encompass (for example, a language with one word that means ‘fire’ will be utterly useless even with nearly unlimited power).
   
     


  
4. 
   
     If a new magical language is connected to a common magical language, the existing enchantments of the new language will collapse (I am still speculating why the new language ceases to function, but my current idea is that an enchanter can only utilize one language, and just like how common was established as non-magical by the wills of countless people, the created language could be declared invalid by the will of existing runemakers. The key defining difference is if the existing language has a connection to the language maker.)
   
     


  

  For now I’ll refrain from using other runic languages in enchanting until I can convince my sister to test since she isn’t interested in runes. It shouldn't matter if she is locked out from English runes. Based on the author's notes, activating runes should be safe, so I can compare standard runes and English and see which has a stronger potential.

  I write down all this except alter the details, so I’m inventing English. Eventually I managed to complete my new guide and name it as appropriate to naturally fit among the other books, ‘Runic Language and Accidental Meltdowns.’ I leave a generous portion in the back of the book so I can describe any failures I have in my exploration of the Runic language. Maybe someday another runic apprentice will see this and discover something useful in my speculations.

  Eventually I present my book to Yoren and await his verdict. He has me wait on him as he deliberately and slowly pages through my book. I know he has some kind of speed-reading skill. The number of books he reads through and tosses around wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Even I got a speed reading skill from my weeks in the safety section. But regardless, Master spends multiple hours making me sit and watch him read.

  “This is an interesting perspective. I haven't seen anything written aboot runic language in a long time. Tha only thing I can say be you're right aboot tha language restriction. Most lesser runic languages be lost because ye can only ever use one language an' that language be tha stronger. Dwarven runic grandmasters often keep track o' all promising dwarves an' leave a means o' teaching new runes an' their definition ta grow our language. If ye want ta explore this an' make a new language i won't stop ye but dinna expect much ta come o' pursuing a lesser language.” Toren sets down my book. “Ye can add this one ta tha library but i expect ye ta update it with everything this path teaches ye,”

  “Don’t worry, Master, I will,” I sincerely reply. Then, after waiting for a moment, Master speaks up again.

  “Head home for today; your lessons will continue tomorrow after ye resume your training with yer grandpa.”

  I make my way back through the dim streets quietly contemplating my new learnings. The laws of nature in a magical world. The idea of creating fire with a thought is exciting, but the nature and rules that are created when thought has power are also intriguing. This is the second time the will of a community shapes the rules of nature. The stat unlock for children depends on the community's acknowledgement of adulthood, and the language in which runes can be written is decided by some kind of comparison that seems to be influenced by community and/or knowledge.

  I travel through the darkened streets back home and am greeted by Mom in the entryway.

  “Callen, you're back!” She sweeps me up in a caring hug. “You shouldn’t stay out so late; you made me worried!” I melt into Mom’s embrace. She has the best hugs. I silently enjoy the moment before explaining myself to her.

  “Sorry, Mom, I pushed myself to finish my punishment today, and then Master spent hours making me sit there while he pretended to need all that time to read! It won’t happen again though. Master finally accepted my book!”

  She bops my head in a stern manner before pulling me inside. “Good, I better not hear about you causing Yoren any more trouble. He's already generously teaching you as is!” I decide obediently nodding along with Mom is the best way to escape her rant, and eventually she lets me go to bed, releasing me to a night of pondering what other ways will influence our world.