Controlling a class eight formation feels different from controlling a class nine formation. I like to compare the process of making a formation to the process of making a puppet. The class nine formations are like the limbs and face of the puppet and the process of controlling them is like moving the limbs with your own hands. It is simple and a kid could do it but there is not much you can do with it. You will be more likely to end up breaking the puppet in the process of using it too.

  A class eight formation is like making the strings of the puppet. It is hard and annoying but with the correct practice, I should be able to make the puppet indistinguishable from a man. I have never used class eight formations much. I never had much need for it, you see.

  Well, let's just say that I should have practiced a bit more. Controlling a class eight formation is a task. Right now it feels like I am the only thing keeping the entire thing from exploding on my face.

  Without me, directing all the mana in the formation, the wrong mana could power the wrong spell and you have already seen what that looks like. The entire formation core might end up exploding.

  It is at this moment that I wish that the process of activating a class eight formation was more impressive than it looks. It would at least work to intimidate the fucker in front of me. The bastard is already staring at me, looking for an opening to attack me.

  Even right now I can feel the formations in the formation core working at their full capacity guzzling through the mana stores. It is going to be a long time after this (maybe a few months.) that this formation will be able to return to this much mana in storage again. There is simply not enough mana for it to work like that.

  Anyway, I do not have the time to worry about that though as I have the giant in front of me and at the moment he is charging towards me. I quickly unsheathe my sword and enter into a defensive form. (Oh yeah, I had kept one with me just in case)

  Blocking a single punch I can feel the ground under me give away as I crash against the wall behind me. Maybe now was not the wisest of times to face against the enemy. In all of this time, I have been controlling the formation keeping it running smoothly. Even though my arm feels like somebody has been hammering it like a piece of iron, I have to focus on the formation and keep it running smoothly.

  Even given a couple of minutes, the mana in the air should be thinned enough for this to be a proper fight. The barrier will finally form and that will be the time to fight the other party. (Right now the nurturing formation is pushing away the ambient mana to create a bubble of mana. This mana would be more conducive for plant growth.)

  Well, time to focus on the fight. The man seems to be confused about the fact that I am not dead at the moment. It will take him a while to realize it but the ice mana in the region has already begun to decrease. There is a reason that people do not like to be dependent on external mana. It tends to be so unreliable at key moments like this. If we were outside in the ice mana that hit would have liquified my insides. (Or solidified it.)

  Anyway, I do not get to think much as the man begins to charge towards me. I do not even get a moment as he suddenly appears in front of me. Just what kind of brute strength is that? I charge to the left barely dodging as the man charges creating a hole into the wall behind me.

  The man is not even phased as he turns back and charges to my location. This is not going to be easy, but he is getting slower at the very least. I can see the brightness of his tattoos becoming dimmer with time.

  I can't use the nasty surprise until the mana field is somewhat stable. I could tell better if I had the tools for it. Right now, I don't want to mess with the other part of the formations. I just need access to one little spell. Let's see if I can pull it off for once. (I have never tried it before.)

  Well, that is enough complaining as I return my focus to the formation core. It is time to make use of the nasty surprise. Among the ten formations of the nurturing formation, only the ballista and the water spear are meant to be offensive. They are not the scariest formation though, the title for that would go to the ring of dew formation. It is a spell formation that is used to create a simple ring large enough to contain me if I were to scrunch up in it a bit. The formations on the ring have a simple task, to expel water mana at a steady rate.

  One second, I can feel the ground rumbling from the north. (the man has managed to disfigure the fort enough that I have no idea where I am.) I take the route to the left of where the vibrations are coming from. After a few moments, I am safely out of his path. Well, if this continues I am going to have more significant worries. (Namely, if my formation will have a fort left to enhance.). There, I have finally located it. Time to activate it.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  As I activate it I can feel the iron skin. I can place these rings only on the iron skin. As I wave my arms, ten different rings spread around me covering every possible area the damn bull will come from. (Yes, even the walls.). Now I just need the man to step on it.

  I can feel the ground shake as the bastards pop up from a hole to the right. I had a ring placed there. As the man steps on it, it feels like the ring has exploded. As the water mana disappears, there is a cut on the man's leg, which is enough to trip him up. As he begins to get up, I have already disappeared from the place, while setting up a few rings behind me. That should stop the man for a bit.

  Anyway, returning to the ring of dews. The reason that I have even put it in the formation. Well, no sense in delaying it any further. This is one of my master's spells. The man has modified the spell to work as a weapon. He didn't even need to do much to it. He just reduced the time that the spell will be active. The ring of dews was meant to last for days, steadily supplying their trees with water.

  My master converted it into a few moments. So entire days of water mana released in a matter of moments. When water mana is released with such force, it is pretty hard to stop it. It is like a blade then. (Well, I have seen concentrated jets of water mana used to cut through even steel.)

  At least the creation of the formation is occurring quite well. It is very weird to feel the ring of dews spell, which will activate based on my will. It is like a ghost limb in the formation. A formation within a formation, if you will.

  Honestly, I feel a bit annoyed. Where is the giant? He was supposed to be fighting me. Well, the more time that he gives me the more he will come to regret it. The more time I have the more rings that I will be able to place here. (The rings don't even cost that much mana. It is a tenth of the mana needed for a water spear. That is good as we are a bit tight at the moment.)

  Well, I am embarrassed to admit that I almost got run over as I got a bit lost in my worries. It is the ring of dew behind me activating that tipped me off to his presence.

  I was hoping to see his leg cut off, but this is still a pretty good result considering moments ago I could not damage him without using dangerous methods.

  Well, I will not get to enjoy my handiwork as I begin to create rings throughout the surrounding regions. With my capabilities, I should be able to create ten such rings in an instant every few minutes.

  "Bastard of the legion, what magic are you casting.", the man speaks for the first time in this fight.

  "I was beginning to think that you were dumb, you damn brute.", I can't help but curse, the man has destroyed quite a significant part of the fort and frankly, I am getting quite attached to this place. This formation of mine might just be my best work in years.

  "Well, we hunt your kind every year, legioner. You are quite a confident man, to think you would come into our home and taunt us." The man speaks, taking a cautious step forward. There is no ring there but a step to the left and the man will be in for another strike. "I wonder what the snowwinders gave to your people that they are willing to send you here. Is it due to the temple they have stolen from us? I heard that your people blew it up."

  "I wouldn't certainly know, I go where I am commanded to. Speaking about bringing down buildings. I could hire you to bring down buildings. The dwarves would have quite a use for you.", I speak in what I hope is a taunting tone.

  "Well, what could be said about you legion bastards then? You might defeat me today. You might even kill me, but my people won't stop attacking you. You are going to die.", the man spreads his arm to the left like a man groping in the dark.

  I activate the ring prematurely as his arms enter into the ring. It is quite pleasant to see the man grunt in pain, especially with how the man has been shrugging off everything else I put against him. Not that things are going to go well yet. I can feel the mana the man is still outputting. Even all of this mana is in the core. (Let's add all of my mana for the fun of it) won't be able to hold a candle against the man. the mana he is emitting is slowing down the formation of the barrier. Just because I can hurt him does not mean that victory is at hand.

  More importantly, I can see the man's skin. It is becoming white. It is almost like the man is absorbing more mana than he can handle. I jump to the side even as he punches me. I can feel the weather around me get colder as the man keeps attacking. He ignored the injuries that he had accumulated as he just kept attacking me.

  As he does so the ice mana in the air just keeps increasing. (It has already reached pre-barrier levels) as the man is preparing his attacks.

  "Are you sure that your death would be worth it.", I speak. "Even you can't handle that much ice mana."

  "Well, I won't die, little mage.", he speaks. "I am more durable than that. As for this abomination you have built. I wonder how it will fare."

  "You can try, snowlord.", I reply, trying to project all of my confidence. "This place is stronger than it looks."

  "Before you die, how did the snowwwinders take you back.", he asks again. "Those ancient ruins are pretty important to them. They have lost their allies for lesser things than that."

  "Well, the snowwinders are Important allies. They understand that studying ancient magic is risky even for the scholars. Accidents happen.", I reply.

  "Well, I will have to thank you for chatting with me then. The others would not have allowed so much time for us to prepare. I will have to take my leave here then.", he says.

  I do not get to reply to the man as all of his tattoos begin to grow brighter and brighter completely dominating my vision. I remember pulling on every bit of my mana to protect my body. I do not even realize it as I am blown away as a massive amount of ice mana passes through me like water in a waterfall. A waterfall that had somehow frozen into an iceberg. By the time vision returns to me (at least as far I remember). The only thing that I can see and sense is the plains. The ruined fort looks like a giant has stepped on it.