Chapter 28: Runic body [1]
"Hmm, perfect,"
I mumbled as I played the song "Lonesome Blue" by the singer Echo on the speaker.
As I walked back, the music began to fill the room, its melodic sound moving around me like a warm embrace.
The soft notes danced in the air, casting a spell of peacefulness over the space.
I closed my eyes, allowing the music to wash over me before opening them again.
"I am ready, El," I mumbled as I started to unbutton my shirt.
[...Are you sure you want to play the music in the background?]
"What's wrong with that? It's not like we're going to carve the rune on my body from the get-go," I replied as I placed my shirt on the bed and began to remove all the bandages covering my body.
[...You really like her song.]
El commented as I hummed along with the lyrics.
"Azariah... Haaah... liked her song, and for some reason, I liked it too," I replied as I took off the bandage covering my ribs.
[...Are you fine?]
I halted my movements before continuing, "Never been better."
[Control your breathing then, it's like you are about to have a panic attack.]
I closed my eyes again as I took deep breaths to clear my head.
"...I don't have a sense of self, El," I mumbled as I sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. "I don't know when I will lose myself."
[...Stop thinking too much about it.]
"....You don't understand," I grumbled as I massaged my temples. "I don't know who I am. Am I Azariah or am I Inder?"
[The more you think about it, the more you'll feel depressed.]
"...Yeah, we have better things to do," I mumbled as I collected myself, then looked at the items spread out in front of me.
[How much time do we have?]
"Twelve days," I replied as I picked up a pen-like object. "I booked the hotel room for eleven days, and I need to buy all the items I'll need for the academy."
[Do you have to go to the academy?]
"Trust me, buddy, I don't want to go either," I replied with a sigh. "I don't have any other choice."
[... Because of your mother?]
"Yeah, the closer I am to her, the higher my chances of dying increase," I replied with a light chuckle. "Well, it's not like the academy is any safer."
[.....But you will have time—]
"Time to get stronger," I replied as I placed the pen-like object back. "Now, stop the chit-chat and tell me what we need to do."
[Let's start with the basics, shall we?]
"Go on."
[Tell me, how does mana make one stronger?]
"People in this world inhale mana like oxygen through their lungs, and then that mana is transported throughout the body with blood, making them stronger," I replied, drawing from what I know of Azariah's fragmented memories.
[...True, but going by this logic, even a farmer can be a king, no?]
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "Mana gathers in the body, but it also disperses from the body. It all depends on the potential of the body."
[Then why is your body not accepting mana?]
"I... I don't know," I replied, shaking my head, as even in the game there wasn't any mention about what my condition was.
[Hmm, we'll talk about that later. For now, let's focus on the runes.]
"Hmm," I hummed in reply as I picked up the jar with a bluish liquid.
[How do the runes work in the game of yours?]
"By forcibly engraving them on the skin and blood vessels beneath, forcing mana into the bloodstream," I replied, recalling how it worked.
[...The most brutal but most efficient way to increase one's rank.]
"Yeah, not to mention it's incredibly painful... forcing mana into the body," I replied, recalling the agony Azariah endured in the game.
[Well, the first rune we need to carve into your body is the Inguz rune.]
As El began speaking, I picked up a pen and a notebook, ready to jot down any important information.
[The Inguz rune is the most basic rune, which works like a vacuum, sucking mana from the environment and gathering it in one place.]
"But won't that harm my body if it's all gathered in one place?" I asked, noting his words down.
[No, the runes will be engraved throughout your entire body, distributing its effect.]
"Hmm, but if it's that effective, why don't more people use it?" I mused, nodding my head before asking.
"Even though it's painful, I'm sure there are plenty of madman who would endure it for power."
[... Everyone's body absorbs mana to the best of its capability, and adding runes would only damage their bodies. Except for you, no one else can use it.]
"Because of my mana exhaustion condition?" I nodded, understanding.
[Yes.]
"So, let's get to the main point then," I said as I placed the notebook down. "How are you planning to make it painless for me?"
[...It's a lot easier than you think.]
"And what is that?" I asked, pressing further.
[...You just need to carve the rune on the source.]
"....No," after a long pause, I replied, shaking my head.
"...It's not what I'm thinking, right?"
[....It is what you are thinking.]
"Are you fucking nuts?" I shouted as I stood up. "You are asking me to carve the runes into my fucking bones or what!?"
[...Think of it Azariah it's the most—.]
"No! No! You think of me first!" I shouted, interjecting his words.
"It's already painful enough to carve them on the skin, and you are asking me to carve them on the bones! BONES!"
[It will hurt only once.]
"And it will hurt like hell!" I grabbed my hair as I stumbled on the bed, "FUCK, I shouldn't have put my hopes in a fucking voice."
[It's up to you, Azariah. Either you can endure pain for a lifetime or just this once.]
"...."
I closed my eyes as I listened to the music playing in the background.
Her voice was the only thing that helped me calm down a little.
"Argh, what am I supposed to do now?" I mumbled as I placed my hand on my face.
I don't have time to think of any other plans, and I can't move out of the continent.
And if I remain weak, I will die, either in the academy or in the hands of my mother...
...Things I need to do just to live.
"Sigh..."
With a sigh, I stood up and sat on the floor again.
"Tell me what I need to do," I whispered as I picked up the pen-like object, which was a runic pen.
[Fill the runic pen with liquid mana.]
I did as he told me, taking the jar of bluish liquid and carefully filling the pen.
This small jar cost a fucking million.
[....Are you sure you want to directly do it on your body?]
"Just tell me what to do," I replied as I looked at the needle at the tip of the pen.
And looking at the sharp tip, I started having second thoughts.
[....It will take a lot of time, but first start with the bones on the forearm.]
Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fist of my left arm, placing it on my thigh.
I barely have any muscle in my body so I can clearly see my bones sticking to my skin.
[You need to engrave Inguz runes into the bone following a specific pattern—]
"Wait a minute," I said as I picked my shirt up and folded it a few times before stuffing it in my mouth.
[....take it slow, Azariah, don't force yourself.]
I nodded in reply, clenching my jaw.
[...Then, start.]
Taking a deep breath, I brought the pen closer to my hand as its needle-like tip started to penetrate my body.
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