The Big Mouth

[Compress-I: Use mana to compress a metal. The metal would return to its original state when the mana supply is gone. (19%)]

This was the first rune that Arthur found to be hard to understand, but he still understood the general gist of it. These metallic cords acted as muscles that would contract when you use them. They would serve as the muscles for the golem.

If their group wanted to make a golem of their own, they needed to create these cords and inscribe the runes on them. It sounded even more difficult than just making a robot, but a lot less expensive.

Mechas were the dream of many people, but it was still under research by the military. With the use of mana essence as fuels, there had been major advancements in that field.

Golems were similar to mechas, but people can create them without the need for technological expertise. They can use artificial-runes to create the golem by any means they like. Some golems were only for flight, others worked like tanks barely being mobile, and there were the humanoid golems that Arthur and his group tried to make.

The humanoid golems were a lot more difficult, but their project wasn't to make one that would fight monsters and contend with mechas. They wanted to make a simple golem to do menial tasks using a remote control.

Because he needed to study it fully, Arthur needed time to study the runes. However, the rest would simply take pictures of it and save them for later. They would then try to recreate it after combining them with the association's provided blueprints.

"Arthur, how about we study other golems?" Ori asked with a smile, happy to see his junior so invested in studying the runes. Arthur nodded reluctantly and picked up the mana core that appeared after he killed the monster. He used the excuse of studying to absorb the golem's essence.

[Mana stat increased by 1.]

Low-mid-tier mana cores would sell for almost $1000 each. If Arthur was still a porter, he would have to work two days to get that. He pocketed the mana core and the rest didn't say anything, as it was Arthur's kill.

After showing a bit of his strength, Arthur received more polite treatment from Jia. The latter avoided talking to him but would also avoid antagonizing him, and Arthur was more than happy with that.

Ellen was still as silent, but Arthur felt like she walked closer to him than earlier. He guessed she sought protection from him in case something happens since she was a long-range attacker.

Ori was the real deal, being a full-fledged runes maniac unlike the other two who studied them for personal reasons. From their conversation earlier today, Ori told Arthur that Jia's father had a weapon factory and Jia wanted to learn about runes to inherit it. As for Ellen, it seems she was from a struggling family as she simply wanted to earn money as soon as possible.

Even though Ori was a good person in Arthur's mind, he had a big mouth that wouldn't cease talking. Arthur reminded himself to not say anything personal in front of him since the whole academy would know of it the next day.

They wandered the maze looking for golems and worked together to study them. As he kept studying, Arthur found another rune that the golems used.

[Vegetation-I: accelerate the growth of plants and vegetations at great costs of mana. (2%)]

This rune was on some golems, and they would use it to have twigs attack the group like spears, attack with poisonous flowers, and accelerate the growth of some man-eating plants.

Since these were low-mid-tier golems, all of their runes were of the basic ones. Arthur didn't know if advanced runes would be labeled as II, III, and IV but he decided to make sure by asking Ori.

"Well, yes. There are advanced runes, those of greater details that would serve as multifunctional runes. I once read that the difference lies in their layers, as advanced runes were multilayered in a sequence of activation.

"Theoretically, there's no limit on how many runes' layers you can make. That's why they are numbered as first tier, second tier, third tier, and so on. The more complex and effective the rune is, the higher tier it would be. Right now, we can only make first-tier runes. Higher runes would be created in college."

"What difference would these runes have?"

"Some of them would create sequenced effects, like turning ice into water then turning it into vapor. Although this example is inaccurate, it gives you a better understanding of what higher tier runes can do.

"For example, on a TV show with one of the greatest runes' masters, she said that flight runes cards are one of the most complicated ones. There would be a need to inscribe runes for levitation, propelling force in all directions, and even runes to decrease the air resistance."

"All of these in one rune?"

"Yes, they are a series of runes that merge into one. Just like words and letters, although they are comprised of different letters, words still have their meaning. It all depends on how you arrange them to work together."

"That's brilliant!" Arthur was truly amazed as he pondered over the meaning of Ori's words. It was the same as he had understood in the underground cave, but he never thought how these runes would work together to make skills.

[Compress-I: Use mana to compress a metal. The metal would return to its original state when the mana supply is gone. (43%)]

[Vegetation-I: accelerate the growth of plants and vegetations at great costs of mana. (25%)]

This was the result of today's training, and the group decided to hunt one more monster before they returned home. They walked through the maze until they heard the voice of a roaring golem, and they dashed toward its location.

As they were near, they realized there was another group studying the runes on the golem as they restrained it. They were a group of five people, wearing expensive-looking armor and robes.

The golem lying on the ground was a middle-mid-tier, something that Arthur was able to kill but with difficulty. It has been dissected and studied by the group of people, seemingly coming here for the same reason like them.

"Oh, Ori?" The robed person standing in the middle turned around with surprise. Arthur had difficulty determining if this person was a man or woman since he was too beautiful to be a man. However, some masculine features remained in his handsome appearance.

"Tyrin? What are you doing here?" Ori's face was gloomy, unlike his usual self. Arthur felt his change in mood and studied the man more closely.

It wasn't a long shot to call this man one of the most beautiful people Arthur had seen in real life, and he wouldn't find it weird if this man turned out to be a model. However, what grabbed Arthur's attention was that this young man was dignified beyond his age.

"Plucking out flowers as you can see," His voice oozed with sarcasm even though his expression didn't change. Ori's face turned a shade of red as anger overtook him.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" Ori changed the subject and Tyrin turned around and crouched to study the runes on the golem further.

"I have no time to play, unlike you with that club of yours. I'm doing actual research,"

"You… You..." Ori's body trembled and Arthur felt like he might need to step in to calm him down.

"Are you and your little circus participating in the Runes Apprentice Cup? If so, we'll have an easy time winning." Tyrin mocked and the rest of his friends began laughing. Arthur could perceive that Ori might as well have a heart attack at any moment, so he stepped in and grabbed his shoulder.

"Be careful, show-offs who run their mouth are the first to fall," Arthur smiled thinly and Tyrin's expression turned into a frown. Ori has calmed by Arthur's intervention and led the group away under the icy glare of Tyrin.

"Who was that?" Arthur asked after they were a distance away. Ori took a deep breath and sighed.

"We used to be friends before he started ignoring me, going to his family's research institute. He started looking down on me after he found out I made a runes club, and our relationship turned into one of competitiveness afterward. We'd meet in tournaments and the market," Ori's mood was down and Arthur had no idea how to console him. The other two didn't know what to say either so the group ended with an awkward silence.

"He's also my childhood crush," Ori coughed in embarrassment.

This guy was really a big mouth.