“What are you going to do?” William asked, narrowing his eyes as the torch Jonn brought back illuminated the chamber, bringing his surroundings into sharp focus.
Hank eyed the tall, robust young man with white hair skeptically, struggling to believe that someone from such humble origins could achieve anything. Jonn’s power was remarkable for his age and Hank could discern the boy’s exceptional potential that might lead him to great heights. But a mage’s soul was far more complex than the things that a talented young man could achieve on his own.
A slight smile played across Jonn’s lips, revealing pristine white teeth. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt,” he murmured softly, approaching William, clearly the more vulnerable of the two.
Both of them have their cultivations suppressed and are wounded. I should have no trouble examining them, but I’ll start with the weaker one as a precaution, Jonn thought to himself.
As he presented the Celestial Magnifying Glass to the pair, they remained puzzled about his method for analyzing the restrictive runes marking their souls. They watched in tense silence, understandably apprehensive. This young man intended to experiment with their very souls!
Jonn began his examination of William so subtly that the man didn’t detect any change. Both he and Hank were accustomed to being scrutinized by the Dayflare Family’s enchanters, and they had braced themselves for the same discomfort they experienced during their family promotion examinations.
“Aren’t you going to start?” the black-haired warrior asked, uncertainty threading through his voice, betraying his underlying fear.
Jonn remained silent, conducting a thorough examination of the level 3 mage seated before him. Initially, [Analysis] revealed William’s surface condition. The {Skill} identified the composition of his bandages, the medicinal paste Alis had applied, and the extent of his burns.
Dismissing the information he already possessed, Jonn delved deeper, gradually assessing William’s muscular and skeletal condition. The man possessed an impressive bone structure complemented by well-developed muscles, with remarkably few signs of past serious injuries. His journey until now must have been extremely cautious or notably dominant. The only marks on his body were superficial cuts on his arms and legs. Any previous physical trauma, if it existed, hadn’t been severe enough to leave permanent scars.
As his examination deepened, Jonn observed the mana flow obstructed at various points throughout William’s body. The mana pathways were like the circulatory system. It ran through his entire frame with one crucial distinction from the circulatory system: they featured distinct nodules scattered throughout. This was a type of natural reservoir, where mana typically pooled in higher concentrations.
The blocking needles had been strategically placed within these nodules, effectively dispersing the mana and preventing its flow through these critical junctions.
Despite the blockage of his primary mana nodes, William’s body still kept a residual amount of mana from the previous battle, which his frame had reabsorbed. Though currently unusable, this preserved mana was gradually restoring him to his normal state. Once Jonn cleared his mana pathways, William would regain full access to his power within seconds.
Delving even deeper into the man’s essence, Jonn watched as William’s skeleton and veins became increasingly transparent. They gave way to a greenish silhouette where only the mana pathways and nodules remained visible.
His soul, Jonn concluded. His expression grew serious as he realized the power of the Celestial Magnifying Glass.
The souls of Acolytes have enough strength to manifest the corporeal form of mages. Such an observation would be impossible with Apprentices, semi-mages, or ordinary humans, he reflected.
Jonn knew well that Mystics could transcend certain mortal limitations, primarily because of their denser and more powerful souls. This knowledge had led him to expect the possibility of analyzing these two subjects’ souls. After all, his Celestial Magnifying Glass was designed to observe and analyze phenomena even beyond his own power level. And Acolytes were between mortality and something more—those two men should have their nascent souls visible!
He examined every aspect of William’s spiritual body, noting variations in color and density that he suspected related to [Elemental Affinity], though he couldn’t fully comprehend these patterns yet. Bypassing the soul’s natural markings, he focused his attention on the region corresponding to William’s head. There, something unusual caught his eye.
“Oh?” The exclamation escaped Jonn’s lips involuntarily as he stepped closer to William, his brows furrowing in concentration.
William and Hank continued their silent observation, assuming he had begun his examination during the extended silence following William's earlier question.
Is that a rune? Jonn observed what appeared to be a small tattoo-like marking on William’s head. This diminutive symbol seemed composed of a plasma-like substance. It pulsated slightly, its black essence occasionally bleeding into the greenish hue of William’s soul.
Upon closer inspection, Jonn discerned minute characters arranged in a perfect circle.
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“Interesting. Your rune remains almost intact. You must have reinforced it recently, haven’t you?” Jonn asked, placing his hand on William’s head and gently tilting it to gain a better view.
“You really saw it?” Hank exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief. Unable to contain his shock, he rose to his feet, instinctively moving closer to Jonn.
“Hmm, I can see a black, circular marking at the base of his skull,” Jonn confirmed, directing [Analysis] specifically at the rune.
William shared Hank’s astonishment, perhaps even more so, given that he felt nothing while Jonn examined his rune. Yet he knew the white-haired youth spoke the truth—the family’s enchanters had described his rune’s shape exactly as Jonn had.
“Not that long ago,” William responded thoughtfully to Jonn’s earlier question. “It’s probably still powerful, since I haven’t improved much since then.”
“I see,” Jonn muttered, his expression darkening as the rune’s deeper aspects eluded his scrutiny. After another minute of concentrated observation, he admitted, “It seems I’ve reached my limit.”
“What have you discovered? Is there anything that might help us?” Hank asked, hope creeping into his voice.
He had already come to terms with his current predicament. Whether they circumvented the soul rune, the Dayflare Family would undoubtedly hunt them down. From a survival standpoint, Hank knew that bypassing the loyalty rune would enable him to better assist the Eternal Village, potentially increasing his chances of receiving Jonn’s Aether Tears.
Only by growing stronger could he hope to escape his family’s retribution for falling into enemy hands and choosing to cooperate!
Jonn stepped back from William, having gleaned some insights despite his limited observation. He explained to Hank, “That rune I saw is limiting what your friend can do. While I can’t determine how to remove it, I believe it can be deceived. It appears to operate based on William’s conscious knowledge. If he’s unaware that his actions might harm the Dayflare Family, the rune remains dormant, which should allow him to speak and act freely.”
A vulnerability, albeit not a significant one.
“Are you suggesting we could avoid the rune by remaining ignorant of our circumstances?” Hank questioned, immediately contemplating some form of mind-controlling {Skill} or {Spell}.
“Not exactly,” Jonn replied, shaking his head before elaborating, “While your suggestion might work in certain scenarios,” he shared what [Projection] had revealed, “the rune has some ultimate commands that function independently of William’s awareness. Certain actions, such as killing or stealing from direct family members, would be impossible for him.”
Understanding dawned in Hank’s eyes, while Jonn couldn’t help but marvel at the rune’s convenience and power. Such a mechanism would end any concerns about subordinates’ loyalty!
Such a rune could prove catastrophic in the hands of a madman. Yet, for an organization or community, it could safeguard crucial information and reduce the possibility of internal betrayal.
If we could conceal the truth about our crops, such a mechanism would prove invaluable, Jonn contemplated, though not entirely comfortable with the rune’s underlying principles. Unfortunately, concealment isn’t an option. We either confine ourselves to a small region within the Barren Hills of Deepshadow, or we expand, inevitably drawing the continent’s attention to our crops.
Such considerations were moot now, however. With the Dayflare Family’s knowledge of the Eternal Village’s crops, they had long passed the point of information containment.
Still, such a rune could prove valuable in handling willing surrenders. Despite its limitations, it would prove highly effective in most scenarios.
Jonn’s eyes narrowed as he made a mental note about the importance of researching methods to create such runes.
Merely observing the rune in William’s soul wouldn’t suffice—he’d gathered that much from his brief examination. A magical rune’s complexity far exceeded that of a conventional sword, as Acelin’s weapons he’d mastered by studying their craftsmanship and subsequently creating enhanced versions with Tim’s guidance.
I’ll use [Analysis] and [Projection] to study these two runes extensively, squeezing as much knowledge as possible. But when the opportunity arises, I’ll need to seek magical enchanters’ tomes.
“What’s your next move?” William asked.
“For now, nothing,” Jonn replied promptly. “I’ll check your companion’s rune first, then return. I’ll see what I can do with you two over the next few days. For now, there’s nothing else for us to do.” He shifted his attention to Hank, his next subject of observation.
I’ll learn as much as I can about these runes and talk to these two about what they know about magic. I’ll read their books over the next few days, and in a week, I’ll decide how to proceed.
Determined, Jonn went ahead with one more study, putting the remaining part of his mana into examining the rune marking Hank’s soul.
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As night descended, Jonn emerged from the magical cave, making his way back to the village heart.
Passing the animals’ area and greenhouse, he could discern that his companions had cleared away all traces of the earlier battle, seeing through the darkness of the night. Village torches now illuminated both the interior and exterior of the walled site, while many bonfires dotted the encampment before the bamboo gate.
Phantom and Ice maintained their vigilant positions around the camp, accompanied by other animals patrolling the perimeter. The village guards remained especially alert tonight, still unsettled by the day’s conflict.
The presence of mages among them evoked mixed feelings—both unease and reassurance. Despite the mages’ problems, they were indeed individuals capable of defending territories.
Nevertheless, the camp dwellers harbored considerable anxiety, each resident dreading the possibility of subsequent attacks.
The villagers’ straightforward mindsets struggled to grasp the complex dynamics of war, leading the men to stand rigidly watch before their tents while women and children maintained an uneasy silence, enduring the palpable tension that permeated the village.
Jonn observed this as he traversed the settlement, aware that he could offer no immediate comfort. He was already implementing every measure within his power. All that remained was to hope his companions would gradually adjust to their new reality as time passed.
Though it pained him to witness the transformation of his companions’ once-hopeful expressions, he recognized the current tension as necessary.
War will come regardless of our wishes. It is better for everyone to understand that and operate with realistic expectations!
He passed through the outdoor area and entered the village’s main street, quickly noting the enemy vehicles. Without pause, he proceeded toward the larger section of the walled area, intending to pass by the Council. The time had come for his promised talk, but also to assess the full value of today’s battle gains!
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Happy New Year to everyone. See you next year!