Aegon had once wondered about the importance of Affinities if Runes did all the work, but he soon found out exactly why they were so crucial.

Affinities played a huge role in the conversation. If Aegon had to describe it, it would be like talking to a family member or someone you were very familiar with, someone you shared a close bond with.

Those people would understand you even if you didn't use perfect language. They would also be more willing to help you and would cooperate far better than a hostile stranger ever would.

Affinities acted as that close connection, except instead of people, they connected you to the laws of the world.

If someone had an Affinity with Fire and tried to use Fire-based spells, they would have a much easier time casting them than using other elemental spells.

The power they received from the world would be greater, and the resistance from the laws would also be weaker because those very laws were willingly allowing themselves to be used.

This was the reason Affinities were so important. They practically dictated what type of spells a mage should learn.

As Aegon raised his hand, he sensed mana flowing out of his Mana Core under his precise instructions. It passed through the dense network of Mana Circuits and finally reached his fingertip.

It was formless, odorless, and invisible but Aegon could feel it. Every mage could. The mana seeped out of his fingertips and began to dissolve into the atmosphere, naturally drawn back toward where it originally belonged.

Aegon quickly brought it under his control and began using his fingertips like a pen, with mana as the ink, to carve runes in the air.

The Primary Rune came first, so he drew the familiar Rune of Fire in front of him. The world resisted a little, but his Affinity with Fire made that resistance nearly negligible.

Once the Rune was fully drawn, it became visible as it burned in a bright crimson hue. The laws of the world had already started to react to its existence, and the surrounding temperature shifted slightly, even from that single Rune alone.

"Sustaining this for long is the main problem."

The longer he held the Rune in the air, the more the world resisted it and the harder it became for him to maintain control. That was why he had to move fast.

In the next moment, he drew a circular sphere around the Primary Rune and began carving the Secondary Runes on its surface. He had already studied the Firebolt's Rune Sphere in detail, so he was familiar with the patterns.

"The first sphere contains three Runes."

With that, he began his work. In just a few seconds, the First Sphere was completed. It shimmered faintly in existence, resonating with the Primary Rune as it absorbed its energy, ready to channel it when commanded.

"The second Sphere!"

With each Sphere's formation came the burden of sustaining it. Not only did the world resist its existence...after all, who would willingly allow themselves to be commanded?...but even the mana itself rebelled, trying to return to the world's raw essence.

It wanted to go home.

So Aegon had to multitask, carving runes, maintaining stability, and resisting the world's pushback, all at once. His mind felt like it was being split into three.

"Distance is the punctuation."

Just like in a sentence, punctuation could change the entire meaning, in Rune Spheres, the distance and placement of each Rune played the same critical role.

A specific distance represented a specific intention. If it wasn't maintained properly, the world might misinterpret the spell and execute the wrong command.

Aegon had once learned this lesson the hard way. During one of his early experiments, he had been creating a Fireball but had slightly misaligned the runes, causing the Fireball to shoot backward instead of forward.

If he hadn't been immune to fire, his face would've been permanently charred that day.

It really wasn't a pleasant memory.

That was why he now paid extreme attention to every single Rune's placement, even if it took more time.

"Second Sphere, completed!"

Finally, the second Sphere came to life, containing five Runes placed at even distances from one another. The formation pulsed with crimson energy, intertwining with the first Sphere in perfect harmony.

"The third one…"

Aegon wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath. His concentration sharpened like a blade as he knew this was the critical stage. He had always struggled to complete the Third Sphere.

"I won't fail this time!"

He had prepared for this moment for a long time. Once again, he poured his focus into forming the next set of Runes on the third Sphere while maintaining control over the first two.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

By the time he carved the fourth Rune, sweat dripped from his forehead like a stream, yet his eyes still held that unshakeable concentration.

Even for a moment, he didn't lose his focus.

His hands didn't tremble despite the mounting pressure. He clenched his fist slightly to steady himself, then drew more mana from his Core to fuel the structure.

This was one of the hardest aspects of Spellcraft, maintaining a stable mana flow while shaping it into complex runic structures. Spell creation demanded an immense amount of mana because it served as both ink and energy to maintain those structures.

Even with perfect mana control, some mana would always leak or destabilize, forcing the mage to feed more into the runes to keep them from collapsing.

That was why Mana Circulation Techniques were so valuable, they basically detected the amount and quality of the mana one would absorb.

Aegon's mana was not only denser than that of his peers but also greater in quantity, even though if they all had the same number of stars in their Mana Core. That was why he could practice for much longer than others before exhaustion settled in.

"Seven!"

Aegon muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with focus, but he refused to blink. He continued to stare at the formation, suppressing the trembling in his body.

After a few tense seconds, he raised his hand once more and traced the air. The final Rune of the Third Sphere began to take shape, delicate yet blazing with power.

The Eighth Rune.

The pressure intensified rapidly. He could feel the entire structure trembling on the verge of collapse. One tiny mistake, and the rebellious mana would tear everything apart, either dissipating harmlessly or, worse, causing a dangerous backlash.

Aegon knew all of that, but none of it mattered. His mind was blank except for the image of the incomplete Rune before him.

He had failed this step countless times before, but this time… this time, he could feel it. Success was just within his hands.

He ignored the pounding headache, the searing pain behind his eyes, and even the bile rising in his throat.

Then, with one smooth motion, his finger moved through the air. The final Rune came alive, elegant, flawless, and blazing in radiant crimson light.

The Third Rune Sphere shimmered brilliantly in the room, illuminating every corner with its fiery glow.

Out of four Rune Spheres, Aegon had finally managed to form three of them.

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