- * -

She came back.

I still have so much to uncover from this peculiar contraption. And there was a question I should have asked her earlier. A quesiton I should have asked right at the beginning.

I turned to her and pointing at the contraption, I asked her: “What is this contraption?”

She looked at me incredulously. Clearly, she was thinking something rather negative about me and it showed on her face.

But whatever.

She still answered me: “That's a tent”

“A tent... A tent...” I whispered it a few times, getting familiar with the word.

What a magnificient craft the tent was.

How impressive!

- * -

Why would he be asking what a tent is?!

Why now after all this time?!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?!

…

I finished my meal in silence, trying my best to ignore the crazy senior, however, when it came to go sleep, I faced a new dilemma.

Was he going to cricle around my tent the whole night?

He probably did that during the first one...

But I did not know. Now I did though.

So, should I let it be? Not like there was much I could do about it anyways?

But still, it felt weird...and gross...

I know that he does not think of me in this kind of way.

It is very clear that he cares more about the tent than me. Which is fine. Less risks of him being angered and killing me in a slash randomly.

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Still.

Having a man circle my tent throughout the night is a bit..

I moved to him and told him: “Esteemed Senior, I would like to retire for the night”

“Yeah, yeah, sure” was how he answered and dismissed me.

Translation: leave me alone madly muttering and scribbling while I circle the tent.

I went inside my tent and, now conscious of him circling the tent, I had a very tough time falling asleep.

- * -

Runes.

Runes are symbols that embody magical intent. Each rune holds a specific meaning, representing concepts like fire, time, or protection. When combined and charged with mana, they form spells.

To me, runes are the language of creation itself. They symbolize the essence of reality—each one a fragment of the universe’s code. Mastery of runes is mastery over existence.

Thanks to a lifetime of study, I integrated the 42 rune systems as tattoos into my own body, each inscribed with precision and layered with mana. These runes form a living matrix, constantly channeling energy through my body. They sustain me, halting the decay of time, and granting me agelessness. Each system governs an aspect—life, death, healing, time—ensuring balance within me.

Yet, Runes are merely a language, the language of magic.

One who understand its words then understands magic.

However, this tent simply shattered all I knew about runes!

I found earlier that Qi and mana are indeed the same essence—pure energy. Both flow from the same source, manipulated differently according to the wielder’s understanding. Energy, in its raw form, transcends terminology.

I used Runes in order to harness the versatility of the energy.

But here, in this world, they do not use Runes.

Not those I know.

The rune system uses words—symbols that encapsulate precise concepts. Each rune directly commands reality. In Zhaotian, they use forms, which are images that shape energy. Forms channel energy by aligning the flow with nature’s rhythm.

Runes act as commands, while forms act as pathways—both achieve the same effect, but one through language, the other through physical harmony.

It should be possible to combine mana and Qi. Since they are both forms of energy, merging them would involve blending the control methods—runes for mana and forms for Qi. The key lies in balancing the precision of rune crafting with the fluidity of Qi movements. By synchronizing the intent of runes with the flow of forms, one could create a hybrid system of immense power.

Since both Qi and Mana are in fact the same: energy!

If we were to combine the Mana Runes with Qi Flow Runes that are inscribed on the tent, it should be possible to reach new and higher heights.

…

However, even after a night of research, I had not figured out anything yet.

The tent's Qi Flow Runes were not enough in variety for me to comprehend the entirety of the system itself.

I waited for the woman to wake up and as soon as she got out of the tent, I asked for her help: “I need your help”

She looked puzzled before bowing slightly with fist within hand and expressing that she would oblige: “Of course, Senior, how can Shenxia be of help?”

I pointed towards the tent and asked her: “Do you have knowledge on those Qi Flow Runes?”

“Qi Flow Runes?” she asked back, unsure of what I meant. It is a fact that I personally gave them that name in my mind without inquiring of what they actually were called.

I pointed to them and stated: “These”

She nodded as she explained: “These are formations, Senior.”

Formations...

Alright. So, now, I had a clear goal: Mixing Runes with Formations to achieve a higher level.

I asked her again: “Do you have knowleged on those formations?”

She unfortunately shook her head negatively. She explained that while she knew how to use them and what they were, she was not able to create them nor explain how they worked.

It was unfortunate.

I could not comprehend it myself with only this tent.

I asked her: “Do you know someone knowledgeable?”

She told me that everyone she knew was slaughtered by the demons before I arrived.

What a shame.

It can't be helped, I will have to find someone knowledgeable on the way.