buying the perfect house (chapter 15)

Chapter 15

"Guess you perfectly understood when I said isolated house," said Ted, who was currently standing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a dense forest of towering trees. In front of him lay a quaint house, and behind it stretched a medium-sized pond. Ted couldn't help but imagine the daily meditation sensation this serene environment promised. The smile on his face widened as he gazed upon the open grassland area behind the pond. "Well, that is my job," said a voice belonging to a tall and lanky man—Rob.

"Well, you did outdo yourself," Ted smiled as Rob led the way to the house. "You told me that the house doesn't matter, nor its age or design, it just needs to be big, and it needs to be isolated," Rob said, eyeing the teal-colored bike mixed with black colors. "Are you really planning on driving five hours just to get here?" Rob questioned, to which Ted shrugged. "Trust me, I can make it," Ted replied, his thoughts lingering on the myriad of runes he had planned for the bike.

As Ted and Rob approached the house, a sizable structure despite being only one floor, it showcased a predominantly wooden exterior with stone walls. "So, the house has three rooms, two bathrooms, there's also the kitchen and the front porch. They are irrigated, and the water is sourced from the pond over there, and the tank cleans and filters it," Rob began to give Ted a thorough tour of the house.

"As for heating, there's a big fireplace. Although the house isn't in very good condition, it could be refurbished. I know a couple of guys who would do this for a very cheap price," Rob shifted back to his business persona, recommending potential renovators. "Don't worry about the house, as I said, it just needs to be approved by the authorities that it's in a livable condition, and let me worry about the rest," Ted, who had been exploring the house, nodded in appreciation.

"How about the cell service?" Ted suddenly asked, taking out his phone to check the signal. "Not bad," he concluded, bringing a sigh of relief from Rob. "Come on, please buy this shitty horror house. It has been in my family's hands for years. Come on, don't let me inherit the curse. I even reduced the price to such a low number, just take it," as Rob earnestly prayed, Ted continued to grow fond of the house, envisioning the array of runes he would implement.

After a few minutes of touring through the house and the pond, Ted finally uttered the words Rob had been longing to hear, "Alright, where do I sign?" As soon as those words left Ted's mouth, an angelic sound seemed to ring in Rob's ears, nearly bringing him to tears, though he managed to conceal his emotions.

-scene change-

Darkness enveloped Ted as he closed the shop, his mind already pondering new runes. "I should probably think of a rune that would allow me to clone myself so that I can be at the shop and at the fortress at the same time," he mused. However, the unpredictability of the process, the sensation of having all his organs squashed like a ketchup bottle, made him reconsider. "Maybe not now. I have other runes I need to do first. Or maybe I should create it now, so that I can have more time for scribing runes on the fortress while the duplicate or clone takes care of the shop," he contemplated, unaware of the approaching figures.

"Is this Old Mike's shop? It looks a little different," a voice from behind interrupted Ted's thoughts. Turning around, he saw four people dressed in black suits and masks reminiscent of certain hardcore dungeons. "Right, and I'm guessing you're not here to buy something, right?" Ted, already having an inkling of their intentions, addressed the men.

"Straight to the point, I like you," said the man on the furthest right corner, while the one in the middle spoke, "Hopefully, you're not as stubborn as the old guy; otherwise, things are going to get complicated." As expected, they were not there to make purchases. Ted looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky before a smile crept onto his face. "I have a feeling that things aren't going to be as easy as you guys might think," he cracked his knuckles.

-scene change-

Inside a familiar workshop, Ted, alongside many other workers, hammered a small piece of metal into the shape of a blade. Sweat dripped down his face, but he wasn't alone in his efforts. "I already have a rune ready for it; I just need to create a small weapon that can be easily handheld, and a knife is just what I need," he thought as a floating screen hovered above him.

[ Name: Ted ]

[ Spiritual-Force: 4.41/4.41 ( 1 spiritual force is equal to 1 minute of control,meditation would allow for the recovery of spiritual force) ]

[ Current-Runes: 

Invisibility: Expand ]

Pyroblast: Expand ]

Nature's Embrace: Expand ]

Sonic Blast: Expand ]

Interstice: Expand ]

Riftgate: Expand ]

Spectral-Arrow: Expand ]

Morph: Expand ]

Ward: Expand]

Fortuna's Favor: Expand ]

True-Sight(lower): Expand ]

Crate-Of-Mending(lower): Expand ]

Blood-Control(lowest): Expand ]

Ovum Vitalis(Low): this rune accelerates or fertilizes an unfertilized egg, ensuring a stronger and more vital embryo. It also grants the potential for unlimited growth, allowing the chick to reach its full potential in size and strength, with a 50% chance of the life inside perishing in the process. Comprehension Rate: 10%, Chance of Success: 10%, Chance of Failure: 90% ]

Sharpness(lower): this rune enhances its edge to an exceptional degree. The knife becomes razor-sharp, capable of slicing through almost anything with minimal effort. It maintains its sharpness for an extended period, reducing the need for frequent sharpening,Comprehension Rate: 12.45% Chance of Success: 12.45%,Chance of Failure: 87.55% ]

Unmindful of the floating screen, Ted, developing some newfound muscle definition, continued to hammer the blade into shape before annealing it in a bucket of ash. After cooling it down, he brought it out again, starting to grind and sharpen it. The entire process took him over two hours, and as the night deepened, he decided to call it a night. After bidding farewell to Jack and his crew, Ted headed home.

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yeah, this would be teds home from now, and as he progress, the more runes would be littered around this mansions, and eventually, its either going to have a helm attacked to it, becoming airborne, have a forcefield that not only isolates it from reality but it makes it so that its never found, end up in a small bead, where ted can carry it around, or it just becomes a floating island,