091 The Mark of a Standard Rune Master (2600)

"Come on, let’s go up."

Floe pointed upward.

The two of them made their way through the odd little racks, climbed the metal stairs step by step, and emerged from the cellar one after the other.

"Here is..." Xiu Nan stood still and looked out into the distance.

A brass wind chime hung at the corner of the eaves, swaying continuously in the breeze and sending out a crisp, clear ring.

They were halfway up the mountain. Looking down from above, they could see a vast green plain. A slender river, silver as a ribbon, wound its way through the land, splitting the entire plain in two before disappearing into the woods.

Xiu Nan’s vision was excellent. He could make out rune carriages moving along the road below, creeping slowly across the emerald carpet of grass like tiny black dots.

"The B-2 laboratory is on the mountain?"

"That’s right. Research on mutated runes is rather dangerous; accidents can happen at any moment. So I moved it outside and connected it with a rune elevator..."

Floe walked over at an unhurried pace and stopped quietly beside Xiu Nan. A mountain wind swept past, lifting the faintly dark cloak around him and outlining his slender figure.

"Then can this still count as the core zone?"

"Who knows? Actually, there’s also a rune elevator in the master’s study, so his laboratory should be set up outside as well. Living underground all the time is terrible for the mood..."

Floe shrugged and then said, "Come on, let’s go into the lab."

With a wave of his hand, he walked into the building before them.

Xiu Nan glanced up. It was a small yellow building, three stories high, with metal strips used as decoration on the exterior. Under the sunlight, they gleamed brilliantly.

He looked at Floe’s back and followed.

As soon as he stepped inside, Xiu Nan caught a strong, pungent smell, much like the disinfectant used in hospitals.

The windows were all shut, as if the air inside was being kept deliberately stable. Even so, sunlight still filtered through the clear glass and filled the room with bright light.

There was nothing special about the first floor. It held a few ordinary tables and chairs, probably for resting and meals.

The two of them went up the stairs and reached the second floor.

At first glance, Xiu Nan saw the rune workshop.

It was as large as two pool tables, made of a dark-gold matte metal. Its surface was covered in dense symbols and numbers, and a metal pillar stood at one corner.

To the left of the rune workshop was a dissection table, with all kinds of tools laid out upon it, the edges fitted with blood grooves.

Next came a gas stabilizer, then a gas transfer device resembling a Ferris wheel. Beyond that were two smaller rune workshops, and between them stood a cylindrical metal conduit, roughly as thick as a man’s waist.

The conduit was covered in dense holes and runes. In front of it, a giant spider-like metal instrument had stretched out all of its legs.

Each sharp leg was inserted into a different hole.

"Senior brother, what is that thing?"

"This is a counterbalance table I researched and built, or rather, a mutated counterbalance table. See those two small rune workshops? Their edges can be joined together temporarily, and then the counterbalance table is placed evenly in the middle..."

"The metal conduit can freely enlarge or shrink through runes, enclosing all the transcendent species models on both sides. Then I operate the metal weaver, the one that looks like a spider. With the feet it extends, I cut and adjust the circuit to achieve the effect of splicing and mutation..."

There was a hint of pride in Floe’s voice as he spoke.

Xiu Nan naturally took the cue and gave a thumbs-up.

"Impressive!"

"Heh heh, not at all..."

After that, Floe introduced Xiu Nan to the discipline of rune crafting. In simple terms, they were Arcane Ring Adepts who focused on rune making, distinct from battle-oriented Arcane Ring Adepts.

Though the truly formidable rune crafters were also powerful in combat.

Rune crafters were more like scientists than ordinary Arcane Ring Adepts. They refined, mutated, and modified rune models.

They created all kinds of transcendent artifacts with wildly varied functions. Some were useful only in daily life, while others could, with a single wave, move mountains and overturn seas.

For example, the crystal-grade transcendent artifact known as the Holy Baptism Spring could even cleanse away the ultimate bewitching power formed by the layered fusion of more than five hundred little sprite runes on Floe’s body.

There were also fields such as precision dissection, tool use, model construction, and combat-support circuits. These were the areas in which rune crafters excelled. It was a noble profession.

To become a standard rune crafter recognized by the Milodaren School, one had to complete the following tasks.

First, possess one’s own laboratory, where all manner of instruments had to be engraved with runes by one’s own hands, with a thorough understanding of the origins of every circuit.

Second, all the basic abilities of a rune crafter — precision dissection, three-dimensional carving, side-view drafting, rune optimization, and so on — had to meet the standard, with no weak points.

Third, one had to have a broad and complete body of knowledge, with no obvious logical flaws.

Fourth, one had to create a rune independently of one’s own devising. No matter what method was used — subtraction, modification, fusion, mutation, or the like — and no matter what kind of rune it was — for battle, support, study, daily life, or anything else — once the desired rune had been produced, a specialist would certify it, confirming that it was valuable and worthy of promotion.

Only then did Xiu Nan realize that the information contained in the bone pendant he had obtained represented only a tiny fraction of the whole. So the world of rune crafters was far broader than he had imagined.

A look of longing appeared on his face before he could help it.

"Don’t daydream. The first thing you need to do now is complete the first step: master the Thornflower rune. With the help of this core support rune, your learning ability will improve dramatically. Becoming a standard rune crafter is only a matter of time..." Floe suddenly raised his slender hand and gently tapped Xiu Nan on the head.

"I know, but senior brother, I..."

"You’ve already developed a strong interest in rune crafters, haven’t you? I could see it just now, and that’s a good thing! Only interests and hobbies can endure for the long term. That way, your resolve becomes firmer, and you won’t be crushed by the dull, tedious process of practice and lose heart!"

"Senior brother, actually I was trying to say..."

"Back in the day, your senior brother got by on that same kind of curiosity. Before I apprenticed myself to Master Omega, I considered myself a genius too. I could learn the core runes of the Odon school in a single day. At the time I was full of ambition and thought there was nothing I couldn’t do. I even once boasted that I’d master the Thornflower rune within three days..."

Floe’s expression turned a little wistful.

"Three days passed, and I still hadn’t even found the first clue to get started! It wasn’t until the tenth day that I finally began to feel something faintly stirring. That was a truly crushing blow. I was practically a walking corpse. Thankfully, my longing to become a rune crafter kept me going with the last breath in my chest, and by the thirtieth day I finally succeeded..."

"...."

Xiu Nan had no choice but to remain silent. There was simply no room for him to interrupt Floe’s nostalgic monologue.

Smack!

Suddenly, a small hand landed on Xiu Nan’s shoulder.

Floe’s delicate face leaned closer. His eyes met Xiu Nan’s, filled to the brim with encouragement.

"Actually, I only told you all that just now to help ease your mind. Being shut in alone and feeling completely lost is very painful. I’ve experienced that myself. But we have to keep going, release the pressure in our hearts, and move forward with the passion in our minds..."

"I..." Xiu Nan opened his mouth.

"So, if you ever feel especially suffocated or irritated and have no way to let it out, you can come to me and talk. I’m always ready to listen..." Floe smiled and blinked.

"Senior brother..."

Seeing that Floe had finally stopped, Xiu Nan said, "What is it? Do you want to vent the frustration in your heart? Even though I may not look very reassuring like this, my slight shoulders can still give you somewhere to lean..."

"Senior brother... actually, I’ve already learned the Thornflower rune." Xiu Nan said it with a trace of helplessness.

"Hm? What did you say?" Floe blinked his beautiful eyes. He seemed not to have understood.

"Your junior apprentice has already learned the Thornflower rune..."

Xiu Nan repeated himself slowly.

"?!" Floe’s brows gradually rose. "Young man, don’t spout nonsense. Or have you already started hallucinating..."

He raised his hand and waved it in front of Xiu Nan’s eyes.

Suddenly, Xiu Nan seized Floe’s hand. His eyes instantly turned bronze, and a thornflower bloomed within them.

The two of them looked at each other and fell silent.

"You... you really mastered the Thornflower rune?"

Xiu Nan nodded. "One minute before senior brother knocked and came looking for me, I had just mastered it..."

"...."

Floe sank into silence once more.

He stood there for a long while before murmuring to himself, "Only three days... damn it..."