Free from the mark

As if the mark had responded to her words, it began to absorb the dark lines more voraciously, prompting the Runecaster to grip Adrian's hand even more firmly.

'Let me see how greedy you can be.'

The Runecaster ceased her restraint and began channeling her own energy into the triangular mark etched into Adrian's palm.

Adrian hadn't experienced any sensation before, as the mark had been absorbing as much as it could handle. However, now it was being inundated with more energy than it could process.

And then it occurred, the aura surrounding Adrian grew increasingly turbulent, as if something was on the verge of erupting. Uncertain about how to handle this situation, Adrian simply gritted his teeth, determined to endure this moment.

"Have you noticed any change in the intensity of 'Her' gaze?" The Runecaster inquired, sensing that the rate at which her energy was being drawn in was starting to slow down.

Adrian attempted to sense the gaze that had been surrounding him, and he could discern that it wasn't as overwhelming as before.

"It's working. It's not as distracting as it was before. Keep going," he encouraged the Runecaster.

With Adrian's confirmation, the Runecaster unleashed all of her four cores' energy to nourish the mark. She wasn't entirely certain if this was the correct method, but witnessing the progress, she chose to continue without further hesitation.

Chris, who had been a spectator on the sidelines earlier, was now comfortably seated in a chair, donning 3D glasses and munching on a bag of popcorn, seemingly enjoying the show unfolding before him.

"You're doing splendidly! Just a little more, and I'll pronounce you husband and wife,"

Chris quipped. However, his jest didn't go unnoticed, and a few stray strands of the Runecaster's energy darted toward him at lightning speed. Chris skillfully evaded them, leaping to the other corner of the room.

"How much longer? It's burning, and I sense something amiss in my soul,"

Adrian inquired with a growing sense of desperation in his voice. He wanted to bring this process to a close, realizing that the situation was far from the straightforward resolution they had initially anticipated.

Hearing Adrian's plea, the Runecaster also recognized that it was time to conclude the process, uncertain about the potential outcomes of prolonging it further.

Suddenly, her previously concealed aura began to seep out, but what made it remarkable was Adrian's observation of the fusion of her aura and energy, melding into a singular entity.

He didn't have much time to admire the intricacies of her manipulation of energy and aura, as a sudden, excruciating pain surged through his body, numbing his soul.

The pain became so overwhelming that Adrian lost consciousness and fainted. Observing this, Chris considered approaching but, upon seeing the dark purplish energy strands wavering around, decided to keep his distance, wary of their unpredictable nature.

Observing Adrian in an unconscious state, the Runecaster sensed that her task was becoming more manageable.

She couldn't help but wonder if Adrian had been resisting the process, as she sensed the mark being gradually consumed by her energy.

Her initial intention had been merely to gain a favor from an ordinary individual. However, when she learned from Chris that the mark had been given by a shadow manifestor, she recognized it as her opportunity to establish her fifth core. Her plan was to absorb the mark into her own body.

Due to being of the same kind, she possessed the advantage of dissolving and absorbing the mark into her own core, or core energy.

Her primary motivation was personal gain, and while it resolved Adrian's issue, she saw it as an opportunity to reach the upper limits of the middle level, a move she deemed perfectly justified.

Before long, the triangular mark on Adrian's palm began to fade, and the Runecaster's own energy grew increasingly turbulent.

However, it didn't last for an extended period, as the mark ultimately disappeared entirely from his palm, and she released her hold on his hand.

Observing the disappearance of the mark, Chris finally approached Adrian but promptly jumped back to a safer distance from the Runecaster.

"Is it finished?" Chris inquired, his gaze shifting to Adrian's now clean palm, which provided a measure of relief.

After taking a few deep breaths, the Runecaster closed her eyes for a brief moment, her demeanor a fascinating blend of serenity and concentration.

It was as though she were immersed in an internal dialogue with the ancient energy that was moving around her in a much gentler manner than before.

Chris, perpetually watchful, kept a close eye on Adrian throughout the enigmatic procedure. He carefully assessed Adrian's condition, reassuring himself as he observed the absence of any apparent issues or distress.

With a degree of relief, Chris permitted himself a moment of relaxation, reflecting on how to leverage the situation further and recognizing that both Adrian and the Runecaster had derived some benefit from the process.

"Making me go through all this trouble, I'll be adding this to your tab," Chris remarked, as if he had made a substantial contribution, which, in reality, he hadn't.

Just as Chris was poised to delve into his own thoughts, he felt movement from Adrian.

Adrian opened his eyes, glancing around, and upon seeing himself in Chris's arms, a peculiar expression crept across his face.

Observing Adrian's expression, Chris couldn't resist making a comment. "Apologies for not being her. I'm aware you'd have preferred to awaken in her embrace rather than mine, but it's alright, I understand," he quipped.

Ignoring Chris's banter, Adrian raised his palm and examined it, finding it devoid of the triangular mark that had plagued him.

Closing his eyes and extending his senses to his surroundings, Adrian no longer felt the intrusive gaze that had been a constant presence. While this relieved him, he also experienced a strange sense of loss in his soul, as if he had parted with something significant.

Moving away from Chris, Adrian turned his attention to the Runecaster, who still had her eyes closed. Observing the energy strands surrounding her, he deduced that she had indeed gained something from the mark that she had not previously disclosed.

"We should leave now. I'm uncertain how long she'll remain in this state, but I don't think we have the luxury of prolonging our stay," Chris urged, noticing Adrian's fixation on the Runecaster.

Adrian nodded in agreement with Chris and said nothing more. He simply waved his hand, summoning his cane as if an invisible thread were tethered to it, and he drew it closer to him.

'It went better than I expected.'