บท 60: Hunting For Runes

The group left the dungeon and headed out to have some dinner, but Arthur told them he had things to do. He needed to learn the runes since they sounded so useful for the current him, so he decided to go into the dungeon alone.

The dungeon's portal glowed brightly as people came in and out of it as if it welcomed everyone to its stomach. Arthur walked into the portal that was in the middle of the building, and his body disappeared from this world.

Finding himself in the maze again, Arthur took a deep breath and crouched down. With his muscles tensing, he sprinted through the maze looking for the golems. His speed has reached new heights than it was before the trial, and Arthur realized how much he had changed.

GOOW~

He slid across the ground when he stopped to see the source of the voice. With a flick of his hand, the detection rune appeared and told him the exact location of the golem. He bolted toward the monster and found one deeper into the maze, a middle-mid-tier golem. It's had several branches mottling its limbs and body as if it had been molded from a forest's grounds.

This was bigger than the earlier golems, clearly a middle-mid-tier monster. Arthur grinned as adrenaline pumped through his body, feeling the thrill and excitement.

"Come," He pointed his dagger at the giant golem and the latter roared, provoked. It started stomping on the ground as it ran toward Arthur, sending a giant fist at the thin-framed human. The vegetation rune it had made the trees surround the fist like a glove increasing its size and strength.

Arthur waited for the right moment to use his skill Shadow Step to appear behind the golem. Although it still had a considerable mana cost, it was worth it for sneak attacks. He slashed several times with his dagger and hand, sending multiple Poison Bladeless Wind Slash, a combination of the wind slash skill and the poison strike skill.

The Golem's back was now riddled with deep wounds and decaying superficial ones. It roared with agony but Arthur gave it no time to counterattack as he jumped and stepped on the soil he controlled to ascend the golems back and attack its neck.

There were no chords on the neck and Arthur dodged the trees that came his way and descended to the ground while slashing the golem's arm from the shoulder to the hand.

He did fine work to reveal the cords the monster had on its arm and his first goal was accomplished. For the rest of the fight, Arthur observed the runes glowing on the monster's arm as he dodged left and right. He also made sure to immobilize it by attacking its joints.

The golem was soon tattered and dismembered, and Arthur received a message from his legacy.

[Compress-I rune has been learned.]

He breathed in relief as the fatigue from the earlier fight started weighing down on him. He sensed someone coming from behind and he looked back to find Tyrin.

"A magnificent show of strength," Tyrin smiled warmly, a smile that would send butterflies in any girl's stomach.

"Anything I can help you with?" Arthur noticed the group accompanying him wasn't here, so he was suspicious at their meeting.

"There is, of course, a lot of things. Unlike Ori, you have some backbone. That's a quality I like, a person who's not afraid to do things if they need to."

"Dude, just tell me what is it that you want." Arthur sighed and felt tired of these dramatic people showing up in his life. Did every awakener need to practice drama beforehand?

"Haha, I see you're a practical person. Join my group, that's all I want. We have a purpose unlike your little club, and it would be more beneficial to work together."

"Oh, is this because of Ori? I heard you had quite the past," Arthur smiled, slightly irritated by Tyrin's conceited attitude.

"He," Tyrin's face showed anger and disgust for the first time. "still has a big mouth, it seems." Arthur could see this person's complex surfacing. "That bastard mistook me for a girl," Tyrin said with gritted teeth. Arthur now realized how insecure the person in front of him was.

It seems that he tried to make up for it by acting composed and calm. It was only now that Arthur realized his clothes were also picked well, showing his muscles and masculine traits as much as possible.

"For now, I don't feel like subordinating someone. However, things can change in the future." Arthur answered his earlier proposal. He didn't want to follow anyone, ever, but it wouldn't hurt to have some connection.

"Here's my card, call me when you feel like it." Tyrin left with these words. It seemed he was uncomfortable after the words Arthur said, and the latter felt slightly sorry.

Arthur pocketed the card and looked at the golem breathing its last. It seemed that its mana was dwindling fast, as it was barely struggling anymore. Arthur kept observing its usage of the vegetation runes, but it soon died before he could fully learn it.

[You have leveled up.]

He threw his extra two points into mana and absorbed the monster, getting two more. He decided to learn the vegetation rune today and head home, so he went and looked for another golem.

This time Arthur cut off its legs and kept a distance between him and it. The golem tried to use the trees on its body to attack, and Arthur slashed at the root of the tree to see the runes. Repeating what he did earlier, he learned the rune after almost half an hour of dodging.

He had already studied the runes in the earlier golem, but he wanted to see them as they activate. He was successful this time and he got a new message from his legacy.

[Vegetation-I rune has been learned.]

He put away his dagger and absorbed the golem. He then picked up the core that had appeared and started heading out.

It has been a while since he got a skill stone, but it was plausible as these things were rare. However, Arthur wasn't discouraged but excited at the notion of selling skills he makes. Just thinking about it filled him with excitement, and he imagined himself standing in front of an army, leading them, as they used the skills that he granted them.

Leaving the dungeon's portal, Arthur's phone vibrated. He unlocked it to find an unknown number.

"Hey Arthur, it's Yuran. Are you okay? I hope you reply to this message as soon as possible to let me know you finished the trial safely." Arthur smiled at this and decided to give him a call, a way to keep in touch with him. After several rings, Yuran answered when Arthur sat in the taxi.

"Hey Yuran, how are you?" Arthur was the first one to greet, and there was a slight pause from the other side. A sigh of relief came from the phone as Yuran's voice echoed.

"Arthur, I'm glad you're safe." It was a familiar and kind voice. "Where are you? Still in Kera city?"

"I am, what about you?"

"I'll be leaving later tonight, so…" Yuran's voice trailed from the phone and Arthur guessed what he wanted to ask.

"Want to meet up for dinner?"

"Yeah," Yuran then gave an address of a restaurant and Arthur had to ask the driver to change his way.

After closing the call, Arthur texted his family that he would be late. The restaurant wasn't that far and they were there in fifteen minutes. After paying the fee for the driver, Arthur picked his slightly tired body and walked into the restaurant.

"Arthur, over here!" Yuran waved his hands from one of the private booths and Arthur headed over. He sat in front of the slightly pale young man and greeted him.

"It has been a while since the last time we met, no?" Yuran asked while pushing the menu toward Arthur.

"It has, and it was in a far worse circumstance." Arthur laughed and picked it up.

"I'm glad you are safe and sound,"

"Same goes to you. Well, I wouldn't be worried since you have The White Fairy following you around. She's really charmed by you, huh?" Arthur teased making Yuran's face go slightly red as he coughed.

"She's like a little sister, we grew up in the same place."

"A little sister, huh," Arthur smiled sadly, wishing he had one too. He loved Oren but he also wanted a little sister that would rely on him and laugh while he carried her around.

Yuran seemed to perceive the change of his mood and he changed the subject. The two ordered food that would suffice a whole family of seven and some alcohol. Since they were awakeners, this was a normal meal for them.

Arthur drank in public for the first time, and he soon got tipsy by the powerful alcohol. It was made from special plants that would cause even awakeners to go drunk, and it surely did its job.

Yuran was also the same, and the two kept talking about different topics. They shared deep conversations about everything, and Yuran even asked about his missing father.

"Well, I don't know…" Arthur's head spun as he answered. "It has been years since I last saw him, and I don't even know where to find him. I… I…" He hiccupped and felt too tired to continue.

Yuran was listening attentively and patted his back. The two then left the restaurant as they decided to call a taxi for Arthur to go home. However, Arthur's first time with such a strong liquor made him nauseous and he threw up in a nearby alley.

"I'm sorry, Yuran, I…" He used his mana to expel the alcohol, feeling embarrassed for what had just occurred.

"Don't be, this is why we drink!" Yuran smiled and Arthur could see a shadow creep behind him.