Chapter 26: New Runes
Under the moon's glow, the Valdene Library was a quiet haven. Darius, in its midst, sat surrounded by multi-colored crystals. Their light, fragmented into rainbows, mingled with the moonlight.
Darius was carving runes to encircle the Elemental Nexus Array. His brow furrowed, reflecting the elemental lights dancing in his eyes. 'I should have done this in the first place,' he thought, chiding himself.
He was creating an outer array, a silent shield for his next cultivation session. This barrier, once activated, would muffle every sound from within, ensuring undisturbed focus.
'I've been too absorbed in my own pursuits, no wonder the chair was moved,' Darius realized, a pang of guilt striking his heart. He visualized his mother sitting outside the library, his own screams, tearing through the mansion.
Darius abruptly rose to his feet, his task finished. He sheathed his dagger and casually wiped his hands on his trousers. Approaching the first pile of crystals, notably the smallest, he picked them up and methodically positioned a Mid-Grade Chaotic Crystal at four of the five cardinal points within the array.
Glancing out the library window, Darius caught sight of the crescent moon. A slight smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Don't mess around too much, Haku," picturing his little brother adventuring through the forest.
He settled swiftly inside the array. His breath calming into a steady rhythm, Darius began circulating his Arcane Talisman Technique with intensity, once again selecting the earth element, continuing the imprinting process he had already started.
The Elemental Nexus Array beneath him thrummed to life, its intricate runes shimmering. Almost in response, the outer array activated, casting a faint, protective hum around Darius, muffling the sound within its confines.
As Darius focused his cultivation, the hand-sized yellow crystal suddenly ignited with a dazzling light, piercing the dimness of the library.
The other crystals remained dormant, but the vibrant glow of the earth crystal intensified, casting a golden hue across the room. Darius felt a tangible pressure descending upon him, as if the very essence of the earth element was converging, directed by the array's pull. His brow furrowed under the weight.
Sitting at the center of the array, he was a sight to behold. The yellow and brown hues of earth mana swirled into him, creating a visual aura of intense energy. His expression was a mix of concentration and resilience.
The sensation of mana surging through him was akin to a landslide, powerful and unrelenting. Unlike the gentler flow of the water runes he had imprinted previously, the earth mana was more direct and forceful. Darius could mentally visualize these runes taking shape around his channels, each one etching deeper with the relentless flow of mana.
'Water must of been easier because it was the first,' Darius thoughts strained as he felt the heavy earth element forging the runes within him. The sensation was like boulders being dragged across rough terrain, each movement forceful, tearing through his meridians with raw power.
An hour had passed, stretching out like an eternity, before Darius finally absorbed enough mana to imprint the earth runes on his 12 major meridians. The initial pain gave way to a soothing, earthy embrace, a sensation both soft and solid.
'Barely half the mid-grade crystal was used.' Darius smiled, observing the intertwining earth runes with the existing water runes. They glided smoothly along his meridians, shining with accumulated power.
Darius's expression slowly shifted from a smile to a frown as he cycled his technique. 'Why can't I absorb water and earth simultaneously?' he pondered. Attempting to absorb both elements at once, he was surprised to find it impossible. As he cultivated one element, it began to displace the other.
'I'll need to explore this later. For now,' opening his eyes to survey the remaining crystals. "Might as well tackle the most challenging part now," he sighed, closing his eyes again.
The Mid-Grade Lightning Chaotic Crystal burst into activity, its energies unleashing erratic purple flashes. These sporadic bursts bathed the library in an eerie, mystical glow.
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The lightning element, notorious for its unpredictability, now seemed less daunting to Darius. The newly imprinted earth runes provided a grounding force, encouraging him to tackle the lightning element next.
'Too fast!' Darius was suddenly caught off guard as his body seized, his capacity for coherent thought overwhelmed as he concentrated fiercely on his meridians. Astounded by the speed of the arcane runes imprinting, he was forced to shift all his focus to maintaining control over the rampant energy surging through him.
After ten painful minutes, his body was dripping with sweat, and he had bitten his tongue, causing blood to drip from the corner of his mouth. His body still trembled, muscles spasming like vipers crawling under his skin. He could feel the runes being imprinted on his final meridian heading toward his forehead, akin to razor-legged ants crawling in their thousands.
As the lightning mana rioted through his final meridian, Darius's head flew back, his eyes flung open to erupt two beams of purple light, dominating the light show already reflecting across the library walls.
"Cough, cough...horrible," black smoke sputtered from the young boy's mouth as he coughed violently, the lights fading from his eyes and mouth. Spitting out a mouthful of black tar, bringing along a taste that would haunt him for many years to come.
With a grimace on his face, he turned his focus inward, his shoulders quickly relaxed, realizing his pain had yielded results. Enveloping his meridians was a new set of runes, sharp and pulsating, interlacing with the water and earth runes.
This trio appeared to begin to form a mysterious array surrounding his meridians. 'What will the combined effect be once all five elements are integrated?' he wondered, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
The new sensation of lightning mana easily coursing through him was starkly different, lacking the steady foundation of earth or the adaptable flow of water, yet invigorating in its raw, untamed energy.
'To simplify the next stage, I should absorb water mana first,' Darius decided, shifting his cultivation to draw in water mana, displacing the residual lightning energy within him. He reasoned that this preparation would create a smoother transition when he started absorbing the next element, Fire.
Now infused with the calming and rejuvenating flow of water mana in his meridians, Darius turned his attention to the Mid-Grade Fire Chaotic Crystal.
The library's pallette shifted, now bathed in an orange and red glow as the crystal sparked to life.
Because Darius absorbed the water element, he first felt a gentle warmth, soothing and calming from the fire mana. But this easy warmth soon changed to an uncomfortable heat, quickly escalating into a sharp, searing pain.
Darius's skin turned a deep, scorching red as the intense heat coursed through him. The sweat that poured down his body, rapidly evaporating into steam that swirled around him, blurring his surroundings into a hazy mist.
Through the haze of pain, Darius focused inward, observing the imprinting process. Despite the agony, he noted that the fire runes etched themselves at a pace slower than lightning's, yet quicker than earth's.
'Less than an hour,' Darius assured himself, his teeth gritted against the scorching ordeal. The sensation was akin to lava flowing through his veins, 'I should have chose fire first.'
Less than an hour passed, and Darius finally sensed the completion of the fire runes. He quickly transitioned back to absorbing water mana.
As water mana flowed into Darius, steam stopped coming from his skin and began to billow from his mouth. A deep, long sigh escaped his lips, "haaahhhhh," as his shoulders slumped.
"Ok, after all this I need to do some serious training, this body is too weak. I know it's supposed to hurt but phew." Shaking off the feeling of relief, Darius straightened up, a flicker of resolve in his eyes. He hesitated for just a second, then focused on drawing in the fire element.
Inside him, a tiny ember gradually blazed into a roaring fire as he cycled his technique, it didn't bring scorching pain, but a fierce, tolerable heat. It surged like an energy capable of both igniting inspiration and wreaking destruction. In his mind, two words resonated: 'versatile, violent.' He scrutinized the new fire runes with an eager intensity. These symbols, ablaze and vibrant, intertwined seamlessly with the existing water, earth, and lightning runes.
"One more!," Darius exclaimed, his smile beaming with anticipation. He poised himself, ready to welcome the embrace of the Wind Element, the final piece of his intricate elemental puzzle. The prospect of completing the first stage filled him with a blend of excitement and resolve, as he awaited the unique abilities the Wind Element would bring to his Arcane Talisman Technique.
The Mid-Grade Wind Chaotic Crystal sprang to life, unleashing swirls of green and white hues that brightened the room. Darius's face was brightened by the lively duet of colors, casting dynamic shadows around him. The crystals' energy, vibrant and lively, filled the space with a sense of motion and vitality.
As Darius absorbed the Wind Mana, he first experienced an odd sensation, as if nothing substantial filled him, merely passing through. Yet, as he continued his technique, he felt sharp, paper-thin slices, initially minor but irritating. Soon, these cuts escalated into deeper, more agonizing sensations, akin to being lashed by razor blades.
Darius had hoped for a gentler encounter with the Wind Element, but reality proved harsher. 'At least... it's moving... faster... than fire,' he thought, struggling to form coherent thoughts between the lashes. As he viewed each agonizing stroke etch a glowing rune, the process's swift pace proved both a relief and a torment for the young cultivator.
Half an hour later, Darius lay back, his face still in pain, sweat drenching his body. He breathed heavily and managed to quip, "that was fun."
Darius sat up, regulating his breathing. He looked inward with eagerness, keen to discover the fruits of his labors.
Five sets of elemental arcane runes gleamed, pulsed, danced, arced, hummed, and raged with power. 'An array formed from all five sets?' Darius's mind uncontrollably raced, instantly delving into the study of these runes. His thirst for knowledge surged, feeling insatiable.
Darius observed with awe as the five sets of elemental runes not only formed an array but also merged, creating completely new runes he had never seen. Each set, distinct in its element, now intertwined in a complex pattern, giving birth to an intricate language of arcane symbols unknown to him.
With a wealth of knowledge from his past life on formations and his current studies on runes, Darius found himself grappling with the complexity of these new runes. Despite his extensive background, understanding even a fragment of their intricate design proved a formidable challenge. Each symbol seemed layers deep in meaning, interwoven in a tapestry far beyond his current grasp.
Darius, absorbed in studying the runes for hours, eventually conceded defeat. "This is truly fascinating, I have somehow created a completely unknown structure of runic language," he announced, his voice echoing in the library.
As he opened his eyes, a fleeting glimpse of runes was visible in his pupils.
Darius, immersed in the complex world of the new runic language, barely grasped its essence. Yet, in this pursuit, an exhilarating discovery dawned upon him. Standing in the heart of the library, a young cultivator on the cusp of an unprecedented breakthrough, a revelation unfolded. His eyes brightened with accomplishment as he realized he could now absorb all five elements at the same time.