Chapter 85: The Magic Rune Core

After taking a considerable amount of time to recover, Sunan finally sat up.

The moment he moved, he immediately felt a noticeable difference.

Though his spirit was somewhat languid, his overall vitality had clearly increased significantly.

The connection he felt with the energy particles drifting in the surrounding air seemed tighter than before.

Surprised, Sunan quickly opened his status panel.

**Sunan Ayanest, Human Male**

**Mental Power: 29.51 / Constitution: 20.15**

**Skills:**

- Star Ring Meditation Method Lv10 (189246/300000)

- Potion Making Lv4 (1824/10000)

- Biological Modification Lv2 (1821/3000)

- Puppet Crafting Lv3 (2712/6000)

- Magic Item Manufacturing Lv2 (1532/3000)

"Nice, my mental power has increased by 2.06!"

A satisfied smile spread across Sunan's face.

It was worth enduring such hardship.

The Nightmare Potion truly lived up to its status as a second-circle potion; while its side effects were uncomfortable, the results were undeniably impressive.

Had he followed his usual training regimen, it would have taken him at least seven to eight months to achieve this level of growth.

"With this, I only need to increase my mental power by another 0.49 points to be promoted to a level 3 wizard apprentice!"

"That should take about two months."

The thought of becoming a level 3 wizard apprentice in just two months made Sunan's spirits soar.

"My constitution has also crossed the 20-point mark, nearly reaching the limit of a peak knight."

The physical constitution of a peak knight typically ranged from 17 to 20 points.

Sunan was now almost at the same level as a peak knight, only lacking the fighting spirit and combat skills.

However, he was confident that even without using spells or magical items, he could easily take down any knight with just his physical prowess and energy particle manipulation.

As for great knights, their constitution typically exceeds 30 points, making it difficult to defeat them without relying on spells or magical items.

After cleansing his body and clothes with energy particles, Sunan stretched and headed out of the meditation room.

As soon as he stepped outside, he noticed something and looked towards the courtyard.

The air shimmered, and the massive form of Yinglong appeared out of nowhere.

"Hiss!" Yinglong let out a low hiss.

"Just in time; it's been five days since the last blood exchange. It's time for another one."

Sunan led Yinglong toward the laboratory.

Yinglong's dragon lizard bloodline concentration had now exceeded 80%.

As the concentration increased, its appearance had gradually begun to exhibit more dragon-like characteristics.

For instance, two protrusions had appeared on its head, and its tail had developed hooks at the end.

The breath it exhaled now carried a distinct heat, occasionally even sparking with embers.

"Despite being merely a dragon lizard bloodline, the dragon-like traits it displays are more pronounced than some sub-dragon species. Is this due to inherent talent, or is it a result of being transformed into a magical pet?"

This question had lingered in Sunan's mind for some time.

If Yinglong weren't his magical pet and a reliable companion he couldn't bear to part with, he would have considered dissecting it to study the cause.

"Yinglong now possesses strength close to that of a legendary knight. Once its bloodline advances, it should at least reach the level of a second-circle legendary knight!"

A second-circle legendary knight could directly contend with a level 3 wizard apprentice.

After completing the blood exchange in the laboratory, Sunan cast a **Sleep** spell on Yinglong to help it rest better, then turned to leave.

The last 20% of Yinglong's bloodline concentration would be the most challenging to increase.

Moreover, the critical transition from quantitative to qualitative change would take considerable time.

Just relying on blood exchanges, Sunan estimated it would take at least another year to elevate Yinglong's bloodline to that of a sub-dragon.

Of course, there were ways to accelerate the enhancement of Yinglong's bloodline.

The best method would be to fuse it with higher-tier bloodlines.

For example, that of a sub-dragon!

Sunan didn't dare to dream of acquiring dragon blood.

Not to mention whether dragons still existed on the Starry Continent, even if they did, Sunan didn't have the strength to extract blood from one.

That would be tantamount to seeking death!

Dragons were notoriously known for their high magical resistance, with adult dragons being immune to all spells below the third circle.

Even non-formal wizards wouldn't have the right to scratch their backs.

Even juvenile dragons were beyond Sunan's current capabilities to confront.

Even the Extreme Protection Ring might not withstand two or three dragon breaths.

Thus, dragon blood was out of the question.

However, sub-dragon blood could potentially be pursued.

As far as he recalled, there seemed to be quite a few sub-dragon species on the Starry Continent.

For instance, various land dragons, storm dragon beasts, dragon leys, fairy dragons, thorn-backed flightless dragons, and so forth.

Among them, dragon leys were often captured and trained as mounts by high-circle legendary knights during the wizarding era.

Perhaps somewhere on the Starry Continent, dragon leys still existed.

"I should have the Fire Fox Trading Company help keep an eye out for information on this."

Lost in thought, Sunan arrived at the workshop.

Gathering his thoughts, he approached the workbench and waved his hand, causing over twenty magical items to appear on the expansive surface.

Recognizing that he might soon face a level 3 wizard apprentice, Sunan decided to create a completely offensive micro-glow level magical item.

After careful consideration, he finally settled on a negative energy-based magical item.

Over the past few days, he had gradually crafted more than twenty alchemical-grade magical items.

According to previous experience, crafting another one or two should be enough to reach the synthesis limit.

Sure enough, after manufacturing a new magical item and placing it into the magic cube, the synthesis interface immediately displayed a magical artifact.

Seeing this, Sunan took out his surplus magical items and proceeded to synthesize without hesitation. 

**[Ring of Calamity (Micro-Glow/Low Magic Item), activates to unleash Claws of Calamity, dealing negative energy damage to a designated target. Requires charging after each use to activate again.]**

For this magical item, Sunan once again chose the most convenient ring format for portability.

Looking at the Ring of Calamity on his hand, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against testing its power on a steel golem.

Unlike the Ice Burst Necklace, which had a wide area of effect and could be used from a safe distance, the Ring of Calamity was a single-target attack with close-range damage.

Sunan estimated that the steel golem might not withstand the power of the Claws of Calamity, and he didn't want to risk damaging the only steel golem he had.

This item had cost him one of his precious soul crystals.

"I'll have to wait for a real fight to test its specific power."

Thinking of the steel golem, Sunan couldn't help but shake his head.

Though he had previously entertained the idea of creating a truncated version of the steel golem, due to the expansion of military capabilities, the demand for steel had surpassed supply, and he had yet to act on it.

Even now, that was still the case.

The output from the Blackstone mine was insufficient to support the military expansion of the Shimmering Territory, and he had to purchase large quantities from the Fire Fox Trading Company just to barely meet the shortfall.

The plan to mass-produce truncated steel golems was clearly not feasible in the short term.

"The failure to create the gemstone soul core also indicates that I need to find a way to acquire the technology for producing soul crystals."

Sunan pondered quietly.

Over the past two years, the Fire Fox Trading Company had been gradually helping him gather various wizarding texts, but unfortunately, very few had proven to be immediately useful; they merely enriched his knowledge base.

"The influence of the Fire Fox Trading Company only spans the Jinhua Principality and the Starlight Principality. Their reach is almost non-existent in other countries. Perhaps I should look for a second partner in other nations to expand my search."

After a busy day, Sunan made his way to the library.

This was a space he had designated for storing wizarding texts, covering an area of over a thousand square meters.

Currently, however, only four or five bookshelves were filled, making it feel rather empty.

Yet Sunan believed that one day, he would fill the entire library with books.

Entering the library, Sunan approached one of the bookshelves and pulled out a book.

The hard cover was violet in color, inscribed with four large characters—**"Magic Rune Core"!**

This book had originally belonged to Amy's former master.

When Sunan first acquired it, he thought it contained knowledge related to magical items.

However, after reading it, he discovered it was actually about the art of magical tattoos.

Similar to energy runes, magical tattoos also belong to the branch of enchantment.

They allowed specific spells to be inscribed as tattoos on the surface of the body, which could be activated instantly by injecting a small amount of mental energy during combat.

It effectively stored a spell that could be cast without incantation on the body.

For wizard apprentices who had not yet mastered instant casting, this was an incredibly practical skill.

Inscribing several defensive spells as magical tattoos on the body would provide an extra layer of safety during battles.

However, magical tattoos were not without their drawbacks.

One issue was that the area needed for the tattoos was considerable, and they could not be covered by hair. Even if one shaved their entire body, they could only inscribe five or six magical tattoos at most.

Areas covered by clothing were manageable, but if the tattoos were placed on exposed areas like arms, neck, or head, opponents could easily see them, allowing them to prepare countermeasures in advance.

Another issue was that the difficulty of creating magical tattoos was extremely high, with a prerequisite of level 3 in **Magic Item Manufacturing**.

The vast majority of wizard apprentices would not meet this requirement.

Sunan had actually considered inscribing magical tattoos in the past, but his skill level was insufficient, so he had to abandon the idea.

Now it was even less feasible.

Once he advanced to level 3 wizard apprentice, he would be able to train in advanced magical techniques.

Once he mastered instant casting, the significance of magical tattoos would diminish significantly.

Moreover, magical tattoos had advanced forms known as rune engravings and alchemical engravings.

Compared to magical tattoos, he preferred the more potent effects of rune engravings and alchemical engravings.

Collecting his thoughts, Sunan looked at the book in his hand.

The author of the book, Lupart Bevin, was a formal wizard.

The Magic Rune Core was his major research accomplishment, representing the culmination of magical tattoos.

In simple terms, the principle involved blending multiple spells into a single magical tattoo, using the tattoo as a medium to combine the effects of various spells to create entirely new and more powerful spell effects.

The first half of the book detailed how Lupart Bevin developed the Magic Rune Core and explained its principles and structure.

The latter half discussed a particular magic rune core he developed known as **"Flowing Silver."**

According to the description in the book, activating **"Flowing Silver"** would release metallic fluid that possessed highly variable properties. Depending on its shape, it could be used for both offense and defense, making it exceptionally practical.

Its power rivaled that of a formal wizard's innate abilities!

However, Sunan was skeptical of this claim.

Innate abilities of formal wizards were often their signature moves and trump cards, possessing formidable power.

Sunan found it hard to believe that a magic rune core could reach such heights.

That said, based on the content of the book, even if it contained some exaggeration, it probably wasn't too far from the truth.

This magic rune core called **"Flowing Silver,"** even if it only had half the power of a wizard's innate ability, would be an extraordinary boon for a wizard apprentice!

Initially, when he first saw this, Sunan felt quite tempted.

However, upon reading the crafting method for the magic rune core, he suppressed his eagerness.

The Magic Rune Core essentially belonged to a special type of magical item, and the creator must possess a certain level of **Magic Item Manufacturing** skill.

Although the book didn't explicitly state the exact skill level required, it was evident that it needed to be higher than that required for magical tattoos.

In other words, **Magic Item Manufacturing** would need to be at least level 4.

And since Sunan's current level in **Magic Item Manufacturing** was only 2, he still had a long way to go before reaching level 3.

Moreover, crafting **Flowing Silver** required a significant amount of materials.

The primary materials included eighty-nine types of metals, over two-thirds of which were rare magical metals, such as mithril and meteorite iron.

Sunan estimated that many of these metals couldn't be found on the current Starry Continent and would likely require synthesis through the magic cube to obtain substitutes.

This would undoubtedly be a time-consuming endeavor.

Lastly, integrating the magic rune core would place a tremendous burden on the integrator's body, requiring them to have both a mental level of a level 3 wizard apprentice and a physical level of a junior knight.

In other words, both mental power and constitution would need to exceed 30 points.

The requirements were undeniably stringent.

"Right now, I only just need my mental power to reach the threshold; I still have a long way to go in other skills, materials, and constitution."

Sunan felt a twinge of regret.

If he could craft the magic rune core and integrate it into his body, he would have no fear facing a level 3 wizard apprentice.

But while he couldn't create it now, he could start preparing.

For instance, he could begin collecting the eighty-nine types of metal materials or researching substitutes.

Returning the book to its place, Sunan grabbed a few unread books and placed them in his space ring before leaving the library.

After a busy day, it was getting late.

The evening glow in the sky radiated like rays piercing through half of the horizon, with wispy clouds resembling flames stretching from the golden line on the horizon to a deep blue above, gradually darkening into a murky shade towards the east.

"It looks like we're in for nice weather ahead."

Sunan stretched his body, feeling that the discomfort left by the **Nightmare** had dissipated significantly, and headed toward the meditation room to continue his daily practice.

He was still using the **Super Potion** and **Blood of the Divine** to aid his meditation.

However, as his mental power grew, the effects of these two aids were gradually diminishing.

The **Super Potion** was easy to resolve; once he advanced to a level 3 wizard apprentice, he would be able to manage third-circle potions, and he could just craft higher-level potions then.

However, the **Blood of the Divine** was a more complicated issue.

To continue "upgrading" the **Blood of the Divine**, he would need to acquire more raw materials.

However, this was a treasure of the Starfire Church, and they obviously wouldn't be so generous as to give it to him.

Sunan suspected that the members of the Starfire Church had already discovered that he was responsible for the incident in Stone Bell City and were likely plotting how to reclaim the **Blood of the Divine** from him.

"But even if they don't come after me, I'll have to settle the score with them sooner or later."

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