Yesterday's exhaustion from creating the Fundamental Rune had knocked me out completely. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept so deeply - not since arriving in the cultivation world, at least.

Between cultivation techniques, breathing exercises, and the constant threat that someone might try to kill you for your resources, proper sleep wasn't exactly a common luxury for cultivators, even if you did have someone like Azure watching your back.

But today, I woke up feeling strangely light, as if this world’s gravity had loosened its hold on me. The sensation was subtle but unmistakable - this body felt less... mortal.

"Master, you're finally awake," Azure said, his tone carrying an odd note that made me pause.

“I can't sleep in even if I wanted to," I sighed, already thinking about my lesson with Elder Molric. "The elder seemed pretty clear about starting my 'real training' today."

Azure's response was not what I expected. "Master... you've been unconscious for three days."

I sat up so quickly my vision blurred. "Three days?"

"Yes," Azure confirmed. "I was concerned at first, but then I realized what was happening. This mortal body entered a sort of hibernation state as the red sun's energy began modifying it.”

Still trying to process this information, I pulled off my shirt to examine the changes. My eyes widened.

Tomas's once unremarkable frame had been transformed - lean, defined muscles now covered his body in a way that reminded me of when I'd converted soul essence to physical essence in a previous loop.

Back then, I'd managed to match a third-stage Qi Condensation cultivator's physical power. This body wasn't quite at that level yet, but it was surprisingly close.

"Not bad," I muttered. "But what are my current stats?"

Azure displayed the information in my mind:

Status Update - Current Body:

Name: Tomas the Miller's Son

Soul Essence: 800/800 units

Spiritual Essence: 0/700 units

Physical Essence: 300/700 units

Skybound:

Rank 1 Fundamental Rune:

* Type: Wood-Based Fibonacci Spiral Tree Pattern

* Core: Red Sun Resonance

* Location: Heart Position

* Red Sun Energy: 300 units

I studied the numbers carefully. The red sun energy level was particularly interesting – equivalent to roughly a Peak 2nd Stage Qi Condensation cultivator in my world.

By itself, it was nothing impressive compared to my main body's 4th stage, but if I could figure out how to form this Fundamental Rune in my inner world, I could take this cultivation method back with me.

The combination of two different power systems might give me the edge I needed against Chen Wu.

"We should find Elder Molric," I said, getting up. "Apologize for sleeping in... though that feels like an understatement."

"Though given his enthusiasm for experiments, he may not have even noticed your absence, Master."

Fifteen minutes later, I stood before the door of Elder Molric's laboratory. Just as before, his voice called out before I could knock.

“Come in.”

When I walked in, everything looked exactly as I remembered, though perhaps with a few more scorch marks on the ceiling. Elder Molric stood bent over a workbench, focused intently on another of his experimental plants.

"Watch carefully," he said without looking up. "This is attempt number one hundred and fifty at teaching plants to generate their own stabilizing runes."

My eyes widened slightly. Over a hundred experiments in just three days? His dedication was... impressive, if slightly concerning.

The plant he was working on looked different from his previous attempts. Its stem was thicker, more crystalline, and strange patterns were already visible just beneath its surface. As I watched, Elder Molric traced complex patterns in the air, weaving threads of red energy around it.

The plant responded immediately, its surface rippling as runic patterns began to form. Unlike the crude attempts I'd seen before, these runes had a natural grace to them, as if they were growing rather than being carved.

For a moment, it looked perfect. The runes stabilized, taking on that familiar silver sheen. The plant even seemed to be thriving, its leaves becoming more vibrant.

Then it simply... stopped living. The crystalline patterns remained, but the organic parts withered and died in seconds.

"Yes!" Elder Molric exclaimed, immediately starting to take notes. "Did you see? The runes maintained stability for nearly thirty seconds after manifestation! And the plant didn't explode this time!"

“It was impressive, Master,” I replied before bowing. "I’m sorry for missing class, it seems my body needed time to adapt to the rune."

He waved off my apology. "Perfectly natural, perfectly natural. I was expecting you to be out for at least seven days, actually." His eyes drifted back to his withered experiment. "Could have squeezed in a few more trials..."

I fought back a sigh. So, he'd known this would happen but hadn't thought to warn me? Instead, he'd stressed me out about starting "real training" the next day when he knew full well I'd be unconscious?

"As beings live longer," Azure commented in my mind, "their perception of time often changes dramatically."

That... actually made sense. It was like how cultivators could spend centuries in closed-door cultivation as though it were nothing more than a short retreat. To someone like Elder Molric, three days probably felt like a brief nap.

"Now then!" Elder Molric clapped his hands together suddenly, making me jump. "Shall we begin your training?"

He moved to a clearer workbench, pulling out several scrolls as he spoke. "Rank 1 Skybound practitioners can do more than simply channel the red sun's power through their Fundamental Rune. Yes, the rune increases your capacity to hold red sun energy and strengthens the body, but that's just the beginning."

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He unrolled one of the scrolls, revealing detailed diagrams of the human body covered in complex runic patterns. "You can inscribe additional runes to enhance specific physical attributes. Strength, speed, durability – each can be amplified through proper runic inscription."

Another scroll showed elemental diagrams. "Normally, elemental manipulation doesn't begin until Rank 2. However..." He gave me a considering look. "Given your unique situation and natural abilities, I think we'll take a slightly different approach. We'll split your training – half on physical enhancement runes, half on preliminary elemental work."

That was perfect. Learning both types of runes would give me more options when I returned to my world. I could experiment with incorporating them into my cultivation technique, perhaps even...

"Master," Azure interrupted my thoughts, "he's still talking."

I quickly tuned back in to hear Elder Molric saying, "…which is why we’ll start with some basic Rank 1 runes," as he ignored the scrolls and walked over to a massive bookshelf.

After a moment of searching, he pulled out a thick leather-bound tome and placed it on the workbench with a satisfying thud.

"The Complete Guide to Rank 1 Runic Inscriptions," he announced proudly. "I wrote it myself; it contains every standard rune a Rank 1 practitioner might need." He patted the book affectionately. "Of course, you could try creating your own runes, but..." he chuckled darkly, "even I would admit that would be suicide at this stage."

I nodded seriously, though internally I was already thinking about the possibilities. With the time loop, I could experiment with creating new runes without any real risk as long as they didn’t mess around with the soul. And if something were to go wrong, I'd just reset. But that was a project for another time.

"I've been meaning to visit the library," I said, eyeing the book with interest. It seemed fate had saved me a trip.

"For now," Elder Molric continued, opening the book to a marked page, "this book is all you’ll need. I want you to learn the basics. We'll start with three fundamental runes that I believe every initiate should master."

He pointed to the first diagram. "Titan's Crest – the most straightforward strength enhancement rune available to Rank 1 practitioners."

The name caught my attention. Titan? I wondered what other mythical creatures existed in this world. The books I'd read had focused almost entirely on the two suns and their effects.

"Next, the Blink Step rune," Elder Molric continued, turning the page. "Grants explosive acceleration for short bursts. Excellent for closing gaps or dodging attacks instantly."

Now that was interesting. I'd been missing a reliable movement technique for combat. Something like this could be incredibly useful, especially if I could figure out how to adapt it for my main body.

"And finally, the Aegis Mark." He revealed a complex circular pattern. "Creates a layer of temporary, invisible armor that absorbs both blunt and sharp force before it reaches the body."

My mind flashed back to my encounter with Vayara. When I'd struck her with Phantom Strike, the damage had been negligible. This must have been what she used, or something similar.

Elder Molric looked up from the book, fixing me with an evaluating stare. "If you can become proficient in these three runes, combined with your natural ability to manipulate plants..." he paused meaningfully, "you should be able to defeat most, if not all, Rank 1 practitioners."

Something about his tone made me suspicious. The way he emphasized combat capability, almost like he was preparing me for something...

He must have noticed my expression because he suddenly became very interested in reorganizing some papers on his desk.

"Ah, yes, well... I might have heard some rumors. Nothing to worry about, really. Just that one of the initiates has been..." he coughed delicately, "searching the academy, looking to challenge you to a duel."

"Which initiate?" I asked, though I already had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"Oh, what was his name..." Elder Molric furrowed his brow. "Ha something? No, that's not it. Azar? No, no... Ah, well, the name isn't important!"

I wasn't surprised by the elder's words. In fact, I'd been expecting something like this since arriving at the academy. Being genre savvy was practically like having precognition - certain events were practically guaranteed to happen.

"You see," Elder Molric explained, still trying to sound casual, "once an initiate forms their Fundamental Rune, they become eligible to participate in formal duels." He lowered his voice. "From what I hear, this particular initiate is quite eager to... ah... make a name for himself by defeating an elder's personal disciple."

"Face," I thought wearily. "It's always about face."

"But don't worry!" Elder Molric's expression turned almost mischievous. "At the rate you're progressing, you'll have mastered an elemental rune or two before he finds you. Won't he be in for a nasty surprise when he discovers his opponent can do more than just enhance their body?"

I had to hide a smile at that. That's exactly how these confrontations always ended - the arrogant challenger discovering their opponent had powers they hadn't expected. You'd think they'd learn eventually, but they never did. It was practically tradition at this point.

The elder moved to another workbench and brought out several Blank Canvas Lilies. "For now, let's focus on the Titan's Crest. Practice the pattern here first – once you're confident, you can inscribe it anywhere on your body."

A thought occurred to me. "Is there any chance of explosion this time?"

Elder Molric laughed. "Not if the pattern is correct! Well, maybe a tiny chance, less than 1%. Nothing to worry about!"

"Master," Azure whispered in my mind, "I don't think we can entirely trust his assessment of safety risks."

I shared a mental sigh with Azure. At least this time the elder had admitted to the possibility of explosion before we discovered it the hard way.