Chapter 37: Another rune

Inside the training hall....

I was once again seated with several stacks of paper spread all over the place, scribbled with outlines for the rune I was going to inscribe today.

The "Rune of Defense" was going to be the rune that I would etch into my being today.

Defense, for me, meant having a shield that could protect me from any attacks that might leave me vulnerable.

It meant a form of protection. I envisioned this rune making my body as fortified as a defensive shield belonging to warriors that could be impervious to harm and stand tall forever as an indestructible wall, capable of defending me against any foe I might face in the future. I wanted to become an unbreakable shield, preventing my foes from getting near me, lest harming me in any way.

My goal was for my body to become fortified and impervious to harm and be able to adapt as needed. I wanted my defense to be both unyielding and flexible, ready to meet any challenge head-on. The main point was that the rune would complement my 'Runic armor' as I had based it according to the armor that it granted me with.

It was the meaning of Defense I had comprehended in my mind and the symbol that would hold the meaning, it was a fortified shield that would block anything that would come towards me.

With the experience from the previous rune, I was confident in the process of runic inscription but the outline for it was still scribbled on my chest just beside the raging bull to aid during the process.

The inscription took me way less time than while I was inscribing the 'Rune of Agility' having some soul power still left on me even after making a shield that was even bigger than the wing belonging to the previous rune. I only needed about one hour to replenish the soul that had been used while etching the runic symbol.

Imbuing the meaning was still hard as I wasn't still able to get over the fact a small mistake could make me live with something that could give me a hard time In the future. It took me longer than with the 'Rune of Agility' as the meaning that I was imbuing was somewhat hard for me to imbue it in the runic construct.

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[Rune of Defense(Common)]

Description:  Embodies the essence of protection and resilience, creating a shield of magical armor around the bearer. This rune symbolizes steadfast defense and fortification, akin to an impenetrable shield that shields the user from harm. This rune represents durability, endurance, and the ability to withstand attacks with unwavering strength.

Effects: Manifests a shield, enveloping the user in a protective barrier of magical energy. This shield enhances the bearer's durability, reducing the impact of incoming attacks and increasing their resilience against physical harm. It fortifies the user's defense, making them harder to damage and enabling them to withstand prolonged combat with enhanced endurance. Increases the defense by one entire rank.

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It turned out just as I had envisioned, granting me defenses equivalent to those of elite-ranked warriors and even allowing me to materialize a fake "Aura of Defense." Now, I was someone who could truly battle the "Dire Wolf King" without facing such a disadvantage, as both my attack and defense were on par with the ranks of elites.

The shield I could manifest with the help of this rune truly complemented the Runic armor I could utilize when necessary. It could be formed according to elemental affinity, much like I could do with the Runic Armor, granting the manifested shields unique effects based on the element they were formed with.

I checked the shield by summoning it in front of me. It wasn't a normal shield that required me to always have it on my hand, it could rotate around me as per my will with the help of soulpower. The color of this shield also changed according to the attribute of the element I was using.

It was pale yellow for poison, Scarlet red for crimson, and littered with indecipherable runic symbols for runic elements. The one made from poison granted it with passive ability to poison anybody who touched it, the one made from blood disrupted the blood flow of those touching it, and the runic one, it slightly enhanced the runes etched into my being. 

''All in all, this rune worked best with 'Armor of Runes' when used in tandem.''

I was going to train with manifesting the runic armor while training with this rune from today as I didn't want to battle without runic armor like when battling with the ' Dire Wolf King' that day.

I had actually forgotten about utilizing the armor due to my excitement that day. So, I was going to make materializing the Runic armor as my instinct whenever I was going to battle from next time. 

Just imagine...

 Battling with an armor and shield that complements it, "Wouldn't I become a knight on a mission??"

The impact it could have on my opponents might even make several ones lose their will to battle me.

And, changing the type of armor by changing its element during the battle, "Wouldn't it fluster even the greatest foe."

"Wouldn't I become like one of the legendary heroes that fought with several powerful monsters??'' Just imagining the legend of that hero excited me.

OK... My imagination is going overboard.

So, let's check the stats page belonging to me right now.

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[Legacy of Runes]

Bound to: Grey 

Class: Runesmith

Race: Human

Rank: Awakened

Elemental Affinity: [Runic] [Poison] [Blood]

Title(s): [Limit Breaker]

Trait(s): [Runic eyes(Sealed)] [Heart of Rune] [Body of Rune]

Strength: B+

Agility: C+

Defense: B

Vitality: C+

Soul: F-

Mana Purity: E+

Rune(s): [Rune of Insight(Master),(Rare)] [Rune of Inscription(Intermediate),(Rare)] [Rune of Strength(Intermediate),(Uncommon)] [Rune of Vitality(Novice)(Uncommon)] [Rune of Blood(Novice)(Rare)] [Rune of Agility(Novice)(Common)] [Rune of Defense(Novice)(Common)]

Skill(s): [The chaotic art(Common)]

Equipment(s): [Nightmare(Soulbound)(Common)] [Aura equipment(Longsword)(Uncommon)] [Aura equipment(Ring)(Uncommon)]

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Looking at the stats, I was amazed. The two basic attributes 'strength' and 'defense' had crossed the ranks of transcendent and reached the 'Elite' one, giving me an extreme sense of security in the town where I was living.

Even someone who had been at the elite rank for a long time might not have their other stats break through to the ranks of the elite, except their specialization, if they weren't part of a big organization or couldn't proceed further due to several circumstances.

Those who had great backgrounds were given proper training and panaceas that could boost their every attribute somewhat equally, it all depended on how much their body could handle such regiment and exert their potential in the process.

It was absurd to think of equally developing every attribute, even for those with the ability to do so, as not everyone had similar potential. Additionally, their bodies might not be able to handle the pressure required to develop their attributes in such a way.

So, only some exceptionally talented individuals from such backgrounds might have had the ability to equally develop their attributes without specializing in a single one, unlike the elites from several towns I've been to.

'What does this entail, you mean??''

It meant I had gone from a mere mortal who couldn't even live his own life to someone who could be counted amongst the outstanding warriors belonging to those big organizations. 

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"Ohh... Even the 'Mana Purity' had increased its rank.''

I hadn't noticed anything regarding the increment of my mana purity till now. 

Now I think about it, utilizing mana today had been somewhat easier than while I was inscribing the 'Rune of Agility' previously. I had thought it was easy this time due to my experience in working with the runes previously but it might have been due to the increase in the purity of mana I was holding within my body.

Even the strokes I made were more fluently etched on me than they were previously, the way my mana was gliding through my skin was also smooth, unlike the time I had inscribed the 'Rune of Agility' on myself.

No wonder, I was required to have higher-ranked mana purity to inscribe high-ranked runes. It was because as my mana purity got higher, the control I had over my mana would get even better, letting me easily carve complex runic symbols that could hold onto the meaning of the runes within themselves.

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Looking at the stats page that now had two attributes at elite rank, I was itching for some more battle as I wanted to find about my capabilities right now. 

Also, it had been several days since that stampede and my body hadn't gotten the chance to loosen my muscles making them somewhat stiff as days passed by.

"Should I re-enter the dungeons I had already conquered or enter the new one??"

I was going to enter the new one, even more dangerous than the Bloody Cathedral this time. The one housed by the monster with immense strength and vitality making it perfect for me to loosen my muscles while also training with the 'shield' and 'Armor of runes' in the process.