"I'm done with this." Victoria said as she handed the binder back to Flynn. She hadn't been able to memorize it in a week like she wanted to, but she'd only gone a few days over.

Flynn looked at the binder, then looked back at her, shock clear in his eyes. "Did you make a copy of it?" He asked, confused. Obviously he didn't believe it was possible for her to have memorized it that quickly, so there must be some other reason she didn't need it anymore.

"Well, yes, sort of, but I mean I finished memorizing it, like you told me. That means we can head into the wilderness now, right?" Victoria replied

"Impossible!" Flynn blurted out, eyes going wide. "No one could memorize all this in a little over a week!"

Victoria frowned. "But… I did? I can prove it if you like. Do you want me to recite the entire thing, cover to cover?"

"How do you tell the difference between a low level deer and a high level deer?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Deer become more aggressive and solitary as they gain more power, but that one's easy." Victoria replied simply, rolling her eyes. "Additionally, their antlers become sharper and more streamlined, and they don't shed them as often. This doesn't help with females though, so it isn't a good metric."

Flynn nodded along, before shooting out another question. "What's the difference between a mountain lion and a jaguar?"

"There are a few minor differences including typical features in their coat and territory, but I wouldn't say they're one hundred percent reliable to use as an indicator. The major differences are in how they develop as Rune Beasts. Mountain lions focus on the claws, for fighting, developing strong and vicious forelimbs. Jaguars focus on their jaws, for quick, sudden ambushes, developing long, sharp fangs that can pierce through defenses into the vital points of their prey." Victoria answered after only a moment of thought.

"If you came across a den of a beast dug into the ground. There are multiple mounded tunnels, and a musky stench is prevalent in the surroundings. What beast can you assume lives there?" Flynn immediately sent out another question.

"Most likely a ferret, though it was probably stolen from prairie dogs." Victoria replied.

Flynn continued to ask question after question, testing Victoria's knowledge for almost half an hour, before finally finishing. "This… how did you manage to memorize this so quickly?" He asked, finally accepting that Victoria had indeed memorized the entire binder.

Victoria scratched her head, frowning. "Uh… I'm smart? How do you answer that? It isn't like there's some secret method to remembering things, you just do or don't, and I did."

"That… Well, that's fair." Flynn sighed, not really knowing how to respond.

"So, I can go into the wilderness now, right?" Victoria asked, an excited gleam in her eye.

Flynn coughed awkwardly. "Well, I expected you to take a bit more time to memorize the binder… There are still a few concealment methods you need to familiarize yourself with…"

Victoria frowned. "You've already taught me how to conceal myself in mud, trees, rivers, and even in an open field! What more is there?"

"You still need to learn how to remain hidden as you move. Concealing yourself in a hidden spot is rather simple. Remaining concealed as you move, following your prey, that is the difficult part." Flynn answered confidently.

Victoria shot him a suspicious look, but she couldn't exactly argue with him on that point, so she just sighed and gestured for him to continue. Eventually this old Hunter would run out of things to teach her, and then he could just try and stop her from going into the wilderness. Especially since she'd recently noticed a concealment skill climbing her skill list as well. Once she began putting points into that, who knows what would happen?

*

"Are you sure about this?" Maurice asked hesitantly as they walked towards the inner room used to acquire Runes. "Your Design Rune is already progressing so well… is it really wise to focus on another Rune right now?"

"I'm going to need an Essence or Qi Rune sooner or later." Victoria replied. "Didn't you yourself tell me that it becomes more and more difficult to acquire Runes outside your specialty as you get more and more advanced? Wouldn't that make this the perfect time to do so?"

Maurice had a conflicted expression for a moment, before sighing. "Ah, you're right. I'm just worried about dividing your focus… I don't want you to end up wasting your talent by attempting to do too much at once. You only have so much time before you'll be forced to marry the Duke. If you don't show enough promise by then, you won't be able to escape that fate."

Victoria nodded, sighing. "I know, but this has to be done. I need at least two cores to enter a sect, and my dagger skills have shown the most promise in that direction."

"Yes, but an Essence Rune? Qi complements Spirit, but Essence has a completely different focus! If you choose this path, you'll cover your weaknesses, but you'll lose your strengths in exchange!" Maurice explained.

"What if I acquire a Qi Rune as well?" Victoria asked, a small grin playing across her lips. Since Flynn taught her every day, her concealment skill had been advancing even faster than her dagger skills. The old Hunter was almost pulling his hair out. She'd sworn she'd even heard him call her a monster at one point, which amused her to no end. She actually thought there was a good chance she'd acquire a concealment related Rune first, and she'd have to try again if she wanted a dagger related one. Considering the pressure that her current Design Rune released, she was considering whether she wanted to try for both either way. She'd noticed that as her mental abilities increased, it became easier to bear the pressure from the Rune. She was fairly certain she could handle quite a few new Initial Runes.

Maurice paused, a shocked expression on his face. "You think you have a chance at acquiring a Qi Rune?" He asked dumbly.

Victoria nodded. "I've been training with Hunter Flynn, learning how to hide myself in the wilderness and move stealthily. That's a Qi type skill, right?"

"Y-you mean, you have a chance to acquire all three types of Runes?!?" He exclaimed in shock. "Th-this… are you sure? How talented are you in concealment? Just learning it is helpful but it isn't a guarantee unless you show promise."

Victoria shrugged. "I can't be sure, but I think I'm doing pretty well. Flynn never repeats a lesson, and he keeps teaching me more and more advanced techniques. That's a good sign, right?"

Maurice looked at her in wonder. "Just what happened to you to turn you into such a monster? It's only been a month since you lost your memory and you're already showing more promise than you did in all the years before!"

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Victoria didn't know what to say. "Well… I lost my memory? Maybe whatever happened with the potion restructured my mind, making it easier for me to learn new skills?"

"M-maybe…" Maurice muttered, giving her a suspicious look, before shaking his head. "There's so much weirdness involved in your Awakening… it's almost like you're an entirely different person now."

Victoria frowned at that. "Well, I am, aren't I? Memories are part of who we are, and without those, I can't say I am who I previously was, right?"

Maurice paused. "That's true, I suppose… but for you to be this different… you both still share the same body. For your abilities to be so different is just… hard to accept."

Victoria shrugged helplessly. "I am what I am. I can't change that… I'm sorry if that disappoints you."

Maurice shook his head. "That isn't what I meant. The fact that your abilities have increased is a miracle! Something wonderful to be celebrated! I just… I wish I could explain it! I don't like this sort of mystery."

"Ah, I get that." Victoria nodded with a sigh. "When things are unexplainable, they become unpredictable, which makes things… messy. It's hard to control a situation if you have no idea what's going on…"

Maurice seemed to suddenly realize something, his eyes widening. "Right… you've been dealing with this confusion this entire time, haven't you?" He muttered, pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be poking into it like this. It's your life, your mysteries. I'm just a meddlesome old man who has no right to intrude."

"No, it isn't that… I appreciate your wisdom, and you've been a huge help through all this. It's just… I don't have any answers for you." Victoria explained helplessly. Well, that was a lie, but the answers she did have wouldn't be helpful, so she had to keep her mouth shut.

"I understand." Maurice nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "Come, let's acquire your new Rune."

Victoria wanted to say more, but without explaining the system and her past life, any explanation she gave would just be empty words. Letting out a sigh, she took her seat in the center of the room, and entered her Runescape. After a quick glance at the Design Rune, she pushed it to the side, focusing on the vast expanse beyond. She took a deep breath and sharpened her mind, before calling out to the void. *Come!*

Again, lines began to etch themselves into her Runescape, emitting waves of pressure that buffeted her mind, but Victoria was barely moved. With her current mental stats, this pressure was nothing to her. She watched calmly as the Rune formed, waiting for it to become clear enough to tell exactly what Rune she had acquired. It only took a few moments for a few more lines to etch themselves into the Runescape making the meaning clear, and a grin formed itself on Victoria's face. Her new Rune was Bladework. *Perfect.* She thought to herself in satisfaction as she watched the Bladework Rune finish forming.

Victoria looked off into the void once again, a little hesitant as she considered whether she wanted to attempt to acquire a Qi Rune as well. While she was confident she'd reached a level where she could acquire one, she wasn't sure there wasn't another Rune she would acquire, something related to her Design skill or possibly even another Rune related to her knife training. The problem was, she wasn't sure if that would ever change. She'd continue comprehending more of her Design Rune and training her dagger skills. They were both too important to her cultivation to put on hold while she firmed up her skills in concealment.

After thinking it over, Victoria sighed and hardened her gaze. She had to take this chance. *Come!* She called again, feeling more pressure descend as a new Rune began to etch itself into her Runescape. It wasn't long before she felt a sinking feeling in her heart as the new Rune became clear: Study. *Fuck!* She groaned as the new Spirit Rune continued to form, watching it bitterly. It soon finished, and Victoria let out a sigh, about to leave the Runescape, when she noticed something. She still hadn't reached her pressure limit. The three Runes in her mind were giving off a heavy pressure, but with her current mental stats, it still wasn't enough to make her uncomfortable. If she wanted to, she could probably acquire another two or three Runes and still be fine.

Victoria hesitated slightly, before glancing out into the void again. *Okay… one more time. Just one more time.* She said to herself, before calling out again, sending out a silent prayer that she'd get a Qi Rune. She'd even take something dumb, like sewing! She just needed that foothold, and she could use it as the foundation for bigger and better things. She almost didn't want to look as the newest Rune formed, scared of what it might be. Finally, the Rune formed enough for her to understand its meaning and a strange look came over her. *Is- is that a Qi Rune?* She wondered, staring at it in confusion. The Rune that was forming in her Runescape took on the vague outline of a hammer, but it wasn't for blacksmithing or something to do with war hammers. It carried the simple meaning of Craft. *How in the… why did that show up?!?* Victoria wondered, confused as to whether she'd succeeded or not. She thought it might be a Qi Rune, but… she just wasn't sure.

Victoria exited her Runescape soon after the new Rune finished forming, frowning. "Well? How did it go?" Maurice asked, looking slightly nervous.

"Eh… mixed." Victoria answered in a vague tone. "I got the Bladework Rune, so I'm good on Essence, but… I couldn't acquire a Rune related to concealment. I got Study, which is obviously a Spirit Rune, and Craft, which… is that a Qi Rune?"

"Craft… that should be a Qi Ru- wait, Study?!? You acquired the Study Rune!?!" Maurice suddenly exclaimed in a panic. "Are you sure!?!"

Victoria gave him a weird look. "Yeah? Why?"

"What does it look like?!?" He asked in an almost desperate tone, approaching her, staring into her eyes like he could somehow catch a glimpse of it through them.

"I-it just looks kinda like a bad drawing of an eye! Big diamond with a little square inside and a dot in the middle of the square!" Victoria answered nervously, backing away from the suddenly insane old man.

"The all seeing eye!" Maurice exclaimed in a tone of awe. "I can't believe… It- it's just the Initial version but… It's a miracle!"

"What are you talking about?!? What's so special about Study?" Victoria asked, confused.

"What's so- everything! Do you know what the basis of our cultivation system is?!? Learning! Comprehending! Studying! We study our Runes to gain information from them and make ourselves more powerful! Do you understand how incredible it is to have a Rune that revolves around that very process!?! In this world, knowledge is power, and you just received the key to knowledge! As long as you continue to comprehend that Rune, you'll become better and better at comprehending your other Runes! Even if you were completely talentless before, this Rune would turn you into one of the most gifted Cultivators of your generation!" Maurice rambled in excitement, pacing back and forth like a nervous teenager. "This- This… you can't tell anyone about this!" He suddenly whirled around, warning her with a stern gaze. "If one of the other lords knew… if one of the other kingdoms knew, you'd never be safe! They'd do everything they could to snuff you out while you were still young and immature! Today- today you acquired the Bladework Rune and only the Bladework Rune, do you understand? I'll help you find a place to work on the other two if you need it, but it'd be dangerous if people found out you were even a tricore, let alone your Study Rune."

Victoria frowned. "Is it really that dangerous?" She asked hesitantly.

"Is it- yes! Of course! One talented Cultivator can change the course of a nation let alone the future of a small noble family! Even peasants have risen to ridiculous heights thanks to a single talented descendant! If the royal family knew of all this, we'd only have two options: marry you to the crown prince or be eradicated. They simply could not allow such a power to grow outside their control." Maurice explained as he began to calm down.

Victoria's frown deepened. "Why is it that everything that happens seems to involve me marrying some random guy or bad things happen? 'Marry the Duke, or your family will be political exiles.' 'Marry the Prince or you and your entire fucking family will die!' It's fucking ridiculous!"

Maurice sighed. "It's the way of the world. You're actually somewhat lucky. If you were male, the royal family wouldn't even give us a choice. They'd just kill you all and be done with it."

"Oh, joy. That makes things so much better." Victoria retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Listen, Victoria, we don't get to choose the society we live in. It's just the way it is. All we can do is try and be better, to take steps to change things where we can, and mitigate the harm where we can't. If the world were perfect, you could show the world exactly how talented you were and receive the admiration and respect you deserve, but that isn't the world we live in and for now, we just have to accept that." Maurice explained, a sad look in his eyes.