Chapter 13: Rune of strength

Calming my excited mind, I began contemplating whether I was ready to inscribe the rune on myself or not.

A prime example indicating my inability to do so was 'Nightmare.' Despite being a runic weapon with overpowered traits and already having two runes inscribed in it, the 'Rune of Tranquility' I attempted to inscribe was instead transformed into the 'Rune of Confusion,' with a completely different meaning and effect.

I intended to carve a rune that would help me deal with the stress my mind would feel while contemplating and inscribing the runes, but the slight panic attack instead resulted in creating a rune that would confuse me while working with runes.

The 'Rune of Confusion' is effective in battles against enemies, but it would be disastrous if inscribed on me since I didn't have better control over the runes. Even the ones granted by the legacy weren't something I was proficient in working with.

I mean, I was a total novice with runes In the first place, the only information I had about runes was the information provided to me by the sealed legacy. In terms of controlling runes, I hadn't fully mastered the use of these two runes, making it difficult for me to effectively utilize them as needed.

I could only hope for good luck, which would allow the runes to show their effects properly for now. If the Rune of Insight had been able to manifest its effect properly during the imbuing process earlier, I might have succeeded in creating a runic equipment with the 'Rune of Tranquility' inscribed on it, rather than the one it was changed into.

This all stemmed from the fact I didn't know how proficient I was with the runes I was working with.

Therefore...

After some consideration, I asked the Legacy to help me assess my proficiency with runes while showing it on my stats, and it readily agreed to my request.

————————————————————-

[Legacy of Runes]

Bound to: Grey 

Class: Runesmith

Race: Human

Rank: Awakened

Elemental Affinity: [Runic][Poison]

Trait(s): [Runic eyes(Sealed)]

Strength: F+

Agility: E-

Defense: F

Vitality: F+

Mana Purity: F 

Rune(s): [Rune of Insight(Novice),(Uncommon)]  [Rune of Inscription(Novice),(Uncommon)]

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

Equipment(s): [Nightmare(Soulbound)(Common)]

I was a novice at using both runes proficiently. However, I didn't dwell on it too much because it had only been around three days since I awakened myself.

Novice, Intermediate, and Master will be used as benchmarks to gauge my proficiency in runes. It's also important to note that higher-ranked runes are more challenging to comprehend and utilize proficiently than the low-ranked ones.

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Looking at the updated stats page with satisfaction, I was ready to start inscribing the rune on my soul. I wasn't going to stop with my job just because I was a novice at utilizing the runes.

I was determined to become an exception and have the rune inscribed on something that dealt with the realm of Gods. That was my plan.

But then, a problem arose—one I hadn't realized until now.

"Where exactly is the soul supposed to be located?"

"And how am I supposed to inscribe the rune on it?"

I had overlooked the main issue because my legacy had enabled me to utilize soul power and even strengthen it without the need to search for the source of this power—the 'soul' belonging to any creature.

My legacy couldn't assist me in finding the soul because my soul wasn't powerful enough to be acknowledged by the world, and I hadn't ventured into the realm of gods. Only warriors who had reached the 'realm of gods' with powerful souls were able to uncover their soul, which was then acknowledged by the system before being displayed as attributes on the stats page.

"I didn't even know the ranks I had to surpass before reaching the 'Realm of Gods'.''

"Now what?"

Let me ask the legacy if there is a way to overcome this predicament.

"Where is the soul supposed to be? Can you help me find it?"

[Cannot find it. It is weak.]

"Then how come the two runes I have on me are carved in the soul?" I mean, there weren't any inscriptions present on my body when I checked. My body was flawless with nearly no imperfections except for the color of my eye, which had changed from a shade of brown to green.

[They were part of the legacy. And they aren't inscribed in your soul.]

"Okay... How am I supposed to inscribe the rune in my soul then?"

[Unable to inscribe the rune.]

[The ranks of both the host and the 'Rune of Inscription' is low.]

Well... I was hoping for some exceptions just like the way it did with the strengthening and utilization of the soul. 

BUT...

"Guess even the Legacy of the Ancients could not do everything."

"Can I inscribe the rune if my 'Rune of Inscription' was higher ranked than it is right now?" It was a question worth asking as I wasn't going to be able to rank myself up and reach the 'Realm of Gods' anytime soon.

[Affirmative. The 'Rune of Inscription' grants the ability to etch the rune on spiritual entities once it is advanced to 'Rare' rank.]

"And how can I upgrade the rank of my runes?"

[Master the rune engraved onto yourself at first.]

"After that..."

[...]

"Well, the conversation ends here."

——————————————-

"Then let's inscribe the 'Rune of Strength' on myself," I thought before asking the legacy to accept the reward I had left from earlier.

[Inscribing the reward for the completion of the mission, 'Rune of Strength' in the host's body.]

[Determine the area in your body you want to engrave the rune into.]

I was presented with four options:

[Forehead]

[Chest]

[Left shoulder]

[Right leg]

Looking at the options, I was speechless.

"Is the rune only going to affect the part it is inscribed on?"

I was genuinely concerned because I hadn't been presented with these options when my other two runes were inscribed on me.

[No, the whole body is affected by the rune. The options are only there for aesthetic purposes. There is no fixed location or determined size for the rune.]

"Then let's go with my chest."

[Inscription process INITIATING. The host is recommended to be alone in the room.]

[Time required for the inscription: 30 minutes]

I was trying to understand the reasoning behind the notification before...

Ahhhh…..

I howled in pain.

The pain I experienced was so intense that it felt as though someone was meticulously driving numerous tiny needles into various parts of my chest, each puncture sending waves of heart-wrenching agony through my entire being.

The pain tolerance I had developed while running and fighting in Lumia and dungeons wasn't of any help. It felt like someone had negated the pain tolerance while increasing my sensitivity to it, making me howl in agony.

[Time remaining: 25 minutes]

This was the final notification I saw before passing out from the pain.

[Time remaining: 13 minutes]

[Time remaining: 2 minutes]

[Time remaining: 5 seconds….4 seconds….. 3 seconds…. 2 seconds…. 1 seconds….]

[Inscription of the 'Rune of Strength' completed.]

I woke up after an hour, my body still aching, but the sensation of strength that filled me was incredible. I felt like I had the strength of a monstrous bull, ready to ram and destroy anything in my path. Although my body was still lean, the strength packed in it was beyond what my previous self could comprehend.

——————————————

[Rune of Strength(Common)]

Description: Grants its bearer with unparalleled physical might and resilience, enhancing their physical abilities to extraordinary levels.

Effects:  Empowers the user with increased strength, endurance, and fortitude, enabling them to perform incredible feats of physical prowess. It Increases the Strength of the user by one rank.

This rune was remarkable, as it elevated my physical strength to almost the same level as those who had 'transcendents', even though I hadn't reached the lower limit required to become a 'transcendent' on my own.

——————————————

[Legacy of Runes]

Bound to: Grey 

Class: Runesmith

Race: Human

Rank: Awakened

Elemental Affinity: [Runic] [Poison]

Trait(s): [Runic eyes(Sealed)]

Strength: E+ 

Agility: E-

Defense: F

Vitality: F+

Mana Purity: F 

Rune(s): [Rune of Insight(Novice),(Uncommon)] [Rune of Inscription(Novice),(Uncommon)] [Rune of Strength(Novice),(Common)]

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

Equipment(s): [Nightmare(Soulbound)(Common)]

———————————————

I was already on the brink of becoming a 'Transcendent' ranked warrior, just a step away from breaking through to the next rank. The frustrating part about my legacy was my specialization—it was going to become 'Mana Purity,' which meant I couldn't upgrade my rank until it reached the limit of 'Awakened' rank.

The remarkable aspect of this legacy was that with the help of my runes, I could surpass the limits of 'Awakened' ranked adventurers. I could elevate my stats to match those of 'Elite' ranked warriors without even reaching the 'Transcendent' rank myself.

"Wasn't my legacy a bit overpowered?"

Yes. The only limit I was going to have was the inability to inscribe runes above common-ranked ones if I were to stop increasing the purity of my mana.

Although the pain I had to endure was somewhat intolerable, the strength it provided me with was worth every second of pain.

"Now that I think about it, why wasn't it painful when I was provided with the other runes on the day of awakening?"

[You were sent to the land of ancient while the legacy was being transferred.]

"But I didn't have any recollection of it."

[...]

Whatever, I won't bother with things that are out of my control.