116 I Refuse to Live by Their Rules Anymore (4200)

*Splash.* The pool water rippled softly.

Xiunan stepped out of the pool, his bare feet landing on the cold floor, sending currents of air swirling about him. He looked down at his hands, murmuring to himself.

"Bio-runic integration..."

*Hiss... Whoosh...*

Like a raging gale, Xiunan could no longer suppress the violent aura within his body. A physical surge of air erupted from his pores, causing the entire laboratory to tremble as the currents let out a low, whistling moan.

"Aaaah! Pale Knight!!!"

He suddenly roared toward the heavens.

*Crackle, pop.* A series of explosions erupted from his body. His frame expanded segment by segment, and beneath his skin, veins pulsed like writhing vipers, dancing across his slightly darkened, muscular physique.

*Whoosh...*

A hazy, black current rose from Xiunan’s back, finally condensing into a pair of ferocious steel wings. With a gentle flap, they attached themselves to his back.

His tall, humanoid form grew until it reached three meters in height. A layer of bone-like armor sprouted inch by inch from beneath his skin, etched with eerie, bloodthirsty circuits. Xiunan hunched over, trembling slightly.

Along his spine, a jagged, menacing bone spur protruded from top to bottom, his wings spread wide.

*Click-clack, click-clack...*

Xiunan straightened up, the friction of his armor plates producing a metallic grinding sound. A bone helmet encased his head, revealing only his scarlet eyes.

*Hiss...*

He drew a faint breath, and the surrounding air reacted with a violent sound. The airflow swirled around his nostrils, forming a tangible white cyclone between his mouth and nose.

He took a step, and the ground shook.

His tall body tilted.

Xiunan had failed to control his strength, causing himself to lean to the right. He reached out to press against the wall to steady himself, but the wall let out a groan of despair as a spiderweb of cracks spread across its surface.

"Such immense power... Hmm?"

Xiunan suddenly realized his voice had become deep and raspy, his tone taking on a majestic, heavy quality.

He sensed his current state.

"I don't seem to be human anymore..."

Xiunan slowly spread his hand, which was now the size of a palm-leaf fan. It was covered in a layer of bone armor, yet he could still see the thick, black fingers beneath, their joints gnarled and menacing.

He squeezed his fist, and the air whistled as it was forced out from between his fingers, creating a sharp, shrieking sound within the lab.

The original Holy Bone Secret Ring possessed a specific ability:

[Auxiliary Ability: Runic Bio-Integration]

Runic Bio-Integration: Your runes exist in a state that is half-biological and half-runic. They can leave your immediate vicinity to live, hunt, grow, and evolve freely.

However, after the incident that just occurred, this ability had been altered by something strange.

The Runic Bio-Integration had reversed into Bio-Runic Integration. Xiunan’s flesh and blood had fused in a bizarre manner with the Pale Knight, and the circuits of the rune now permeated his entire body.

In other words, from this moment on, he was no longer human; he was a walking rune. A rune that could speak, converse, live, and—most importantly—an intelligent rune that could modify its own circuits, evolve itself, and mutate itself!

Does that mean I can use Evolution Points on myself?

Theoretically, yes!

When Runemasters conduct runic experiments, no one knows what might happen midway. For instance, Xiunan’s former senior brother, Floating Ice, accidentally caused an explosion while researching Sprite Runes and ended up in a mysterious realm. Upon waking, he found himself overlaid with five hundred Sprite Runes, resulting in various bizarre effects: his appearance became elven, he gained charms, and he achieved longevity...

Xiunan’s experience was also an accident; he had simply become a rune himself. His spirit and the Pale Knight rune had completely fused and fed back into his physical body.

I wonder if runes have a lifespan?

If they don't, does that mean I am already immortal?

*Hoo...* Xiunan exhaled heavily.

Are there benefits to this?

Certainly. Being able to use Evolution Points on himself is the greatest advantage. Furthermore, being the rune himself is far better than merely controlling one. Many runes can only fight by instinct, lacking technique or timing. Some, like the Pale Knight, would even resist the commands of their Ring-Master when they went into a berserk, instinctual frenzy.

But as the rune itself, he had no such worries. It even provided an advantage against assassinations and sneak attacks, as he was effectively in a constant state of combat.

Speaking of combat, he thought of various human techniques for explosive power. Could he learn those fighting styles that transcended physical limits—like a physical-type superpower user—and execute them with his Pale Knight form?

Could a Pale Knight who knew combat techniques defeat several Pale Knights who only fought on instinct?

There was no way to know for sure, but Xiunan was certain that combat techniques would undoubtedly enhance his fighting power.

In a flash, he had considered many things, even mapping out his future path of improvement.

Glancing at the wall, Xiunan stepped back toward the pool. He leaned down and picked up the Dead-Eye Vulture rune from the ground, staring at it with complex emotions.

After all, it was his first rune...

*Crunch, crunch, crunch...*

"It actually tastes quite good."

This thing shouldn't go to waste. It might as well fuse with him and share in the glory to come. He had originally intended to keep it as a memento. In the end, his hunger won out.

[Notification: Evolution Points +6]

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Xiunan, transformed into the Pale Knight, paced around the room, seemingly adapting to his powerful new body.

A moment later, he pointed forward.

"Ghost Steed!"

*Neighhh...*

A cluster of black flames formed a massive silhouette on the ground, which then leapt upward, burning violently.

As the flames faded, a tall, magnificent horse appeared before Xiunan. Its eyes were spirited, its muscles clearly defined, its mane cascading in thick locks, radiating strength and majesty, glowing with a flame-like luster...

On the horse, a set of heavy armor covered its flanks, the dark metal shimmering with flickering, flame-like light.

[Name: Ghost Steed]
[Type: Ring]
[Rank: First Rank]
[Characteristics: A mythical creature from ancient times with extremely unique abilities. It has a high growth ceiling and is an excellent mount for great figures.]
[Ability: Shadow-Breaking: The Ghost Steed enters a state of rapid gallop for a short time, greatly increasing its charge effect and running speed. This ability is not easily interrupted.]
[Ability: Ghost Flame Aura: All biological and non-biological entities within a certain range of the Ghost Steed are ignited by Ghost Flames. The Ghost Flames burn away the target's Ring Energy, causing the enemy to lose their ability to fight.]
[Note: The Ghost Steed and the Pale Knight are not a combined rune. The Ghost Steed occupies the second rune slot as a standalone rune and exists in parallel with the Pale Knight.]

After pausing for a moment, Xiunan slowly reached out and gently stroked the Ghost Steed’s black forehead.

*Hoo...*

The steed snorted, turning its head. Its mane drifted in the air like mist.

Xiunan patted it a few more times, then swung himself onto the horse.

*Boom!* Black flames instantly attached to his armor, twisting and dancing in the air like demons.

Xiunan tapped the horse’s head gently.

"Let's see how you move."

*Whoosh!*

The Ghost Steed bolted, turning into a blur within the laboratory. Its acceleration was faster than any racing car, its four hooves slamming into the ground! Every step gouged a crater into the floor.

The massive black shadow roared past. Xiunan stared at the rapidly approaching wall and cursed internally.

*Crash!* Debris flew and scattered.

A massive hole appeared in the laboratory’s outer wall, revealing the scene in the courtyard outside.

Immediately, emergency alarms began to blare. Staff members rushed from their posts, some carrying firefighting equipment. By the time they arrived, they only saw Xiunan, naked, standing in the courtyard, while the distant wall had a giant hole in it.

It looked shaky, as if it might collapse at any second. There were burn marks from flames on the edges of the crater.

"Runic experiments really are dangerous..."

The thought arose in everyone’s mind.

Half an hour later, Xiunan, now fully dressed, stood under the lights. Outside, it was already deep into the night; clouds piled up in the sky, blocking the bright moonlight. He stood beside an open space, the laboratory supervisor at his side. Both watched the distant laboratory, where construction work was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

"How long until the repairs are done?" Xiunan asked after watching for a while.

"About three days, if we go at full capacity..." the supervisor replied. The damage to the room from this failed experiment was quite severe; the floor was pitted and scarred. One wall was entirely cracked, and the wall in front of them had been nearly half-destroyed by fire. The supervisor didn't know what experiment the Knight had performed, but it was certainly dangerous and destructive.

"Mm." Xiunan nodded and turned to leave.

Ten minutes later, as he walked up the mountain, he was dragging a man who looked like a dead dog. He tossed him to Qiu Lin, who hurried over, and the man was immediately restrained.

"This is..." Qiu Lin asked, looking at Xiunan in confusion.

"Someone sent by an enemy. Take him down and interrogate him thoroughly. If you can't get anything out of him, I'll deal with him later..."

Xiunan glanced at the hole in his chest shirt and tossed the dull dagger aside. He took off his trench coat and shirt, handing them over.

"Is the hot water in the bathtub ready?"

"It is ready." Qiu Lin nodded gently.

She noticed a small white mark on Xiunan’s muscular pectoral muscles, which was fading rapidly.

"Mm."

Xiunan walked into the villa.

A small assassination attempt—nothing worth mentioning. But the persistence of the Ancient Society was annoying.

Xiunan felt it was necessary to return the favor. Otherwise, by constantly playing defense, people would think he was an easy target. The fact that the enemy hadn't sent any threatening assassins yet clearly meant their capabilities were limited for the time being.

Retaliating with a move or two shouldn't be an issue.

At ten o'clock that night, he emerged from the steaming bathroom and brewed a cup of black tea by the window. He rubbed his temples lightly, and the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Knight."

"Black Jazz? Calling me this late—is there something the matter?" Xiunan asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Nothing major, just letting you know. The Combat Department is going to make a move on the Xi City District tonight..." Black Jazz’s voice came from the other end.

"The Xi City District? The underground black market?"

"Yes."

"Hasn't the Combat Department already moved on that area before? Does the Holy Flame Society still hold power there?" Xiunan asked with a hint of confusion.

"Four days ago, the Holy Flame Society retaliated and suppressed our forces in the Xi City District. They've reclaimed about two-thirds of the territory. This time, we want to use the remaining one-third as a base to expand and hopefully push back the Holy Flame Society once more..." Black Jazz explained the situation.

"So, is there something you need me to do?" Xiunan asked.

"Not at all. I just wanted to inform you. After all, some of the personnel participating in this battle are equipped with your Transformation Pendants, and the first batch of Healing Medals has also been issued to some of the squads..." Black Jazz paused before adding, "This is the perfect time to verify their real-world value..."

The two chatted for a while before hanging up.

Xiunan took a sip of black tea and gazed at the dark forest outside the window. He felt no anxiety or worry. Because he knew the effects of the Transformation Pendants and Healing Medals better than anyone, there was only one possible outcome for this operation: success!

On the other side, in the Xi City District of Nilodo.

Neon lights shone on the pavement, and traffic flowed incessantly. In the shop windows, the mannequins under bright lights looked dazzling, showcasing a wide variety of goods.

Beyond these formal plazas, Nilodo’s night held much more that remained hidden—bars, nightclubs, discotheques, and underground boxing matches.

On the street, two men and three women were heading in one direction. The men were handsome, and the women were stylishly and fashionably dressed. They were students from Corvollan University, out to enjoy the nightlife unique to Nilodo.

The bustle here was mesmerizing, and the various entertainment venues stirred the senses. The five were classmates, including one couple. The leader of the group was the single guy, who claimed that he and his buddies had been to a mysterious place last time that was incredibly exciting.

He wanted to bring the others along to see the world.

At first, the others were skeptical, but the boy gave his word that it would be thrilling, which finally convinced them to follow him.

"Old Tang, how much further?" a cute girl with chubby cheeks asked.

Old Tang, who had dyed his hair red, turned back and smiled, saying it was just inside the shop ahead.

The group looked over; it was just an ordinary storefront. It seemed to be selling adult products???

"Ahem..." Feeling the group’s strange looks, Old Tang coughed a few times. "It’s not what you think. Just follow me in, and you’ll see..."

The group followed him inside.

At the shop entrance, a fat boss in a plaid shirt glanced at the five. Old Tang pulled a card from his pocket, swiped it, and they were allowed through.

The group walked down a corridor and stopped at a room. At the entrance, seven or eight bodyguards in black suits were pacing back and forth. After checking the card, the two bodyguards at the door slowly pushed it open.

Faintly, waves of chaotic shouting, cheering, and screaming drifted out from the room.

Old Tang smiled mysteriously and turned back with a flourish.

"Let’s go. Brother Tang is going to show you a real taste of the world today..."