Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Aiko was engulfed by the white and black. There was nothing around. Everything lost its colour except the Jade Slip.

Aiko took the Jade Slip and probed it, almost fainting.

'There are more than 50,000 Runes?!' Aiko frothed from the mouth. 'Am I supposed to learn all that?!'

While Aiko was happy that she had some reference materials for her study, she was not happy that she couldn't leave this place. That meant she had to learn those Runes to leave this place.

'I'm hungry...' Aiko pulled one of the special meats from her inventory and chewed it.

[Level gained.]

Aiko was unhappy that she had to use that precious piece of meat to sate her hunger and vowed that next time she would bring plenty of delicious meat.

She sat down and slowly went through all those Runes, she knew quite a few of them and a lot of them were also translated due to the [Linguistics] effects.

Aiko browsed the Runes and was puzzled. It looked like a poem... wait was that a story?

In the Olden Ages, there was a young boy. That boy was not very talented but had a sharp mind when it came to creating things.

The boy was upset that others bullied him, so he researched ways to get back on them.

The boy spent most of his days crafting different types of Arrays, but those were useless, he would have to set up an Array in advance and lead people inside.

Arrays were inconspicuous at first glance, but everyone here had some kind of treasure-seeking creature.

Arrays were made out of very previous components rivalling those treasures, so if many treasures were in the same place it meant that there was an Array.

The boy mused, that if he didn't need to use precious materials it would be good, but there was still a problem that he had to be faster than his peers to guide them inside his Array.

Unfortunately, that was not the case, he was very slow, and even some turtles were faster than he was.

The boy didn't give up, he created more and more Arrays, but it was all useless, while he was able to create Arrays within a few moments, he still had to draw it with Array Chalk.

If during this process someone touched that Chalk or moved it, the Array would be ineffective.

The boy was upset. There were clear limitations that made the Arrays more powerful, but it also made them weaker to outside interference between setups.

The boy looked at the Arrays, the only thing all of them had in common was the treasures, they were used to maintain the stability of the Arrays.

The boy mused again. If he could remove Chalk and treasures it would be for the best.

The boy spent tireless nights researching and changing the Arrays until they didn't look like Arrays at all.

He used sticks instead of treasures, but those sticks were comparable to the treasures thanks to the dense Inscriptions.

The boy Inscribed many sticks. He didn't need to set them up in advance but used his superior Divine Sense to quickly set them up.

The boy was happy about this and Inscribed more and more sticks. Something was missing...

If the sticks were too long they would stand out between the foliage or easily intercepted by others.

'A flag.' The boy murmured, with the flag he could just roll it inside and it would take any space and once used it would unroll itself.

The boy got to work, he asked silkworms for silk and created fabric for the flags.

The boy Inscribed those flags and everything was ready...

The rest was not a story, but different Formations. Aiko jumped up, she was very upset.

'This asshole doesn't give the whole story!' Aiko almost smashed that Jade Slip on the ground but held herself back.

She sat down again and went through the Runes. This took her a long time.

...

The space changed and Aiko was back in front of the Palace.

She stepped on the first step angrily and answered the question successfully.

'... How did this lad learn so much in such a short time?' The Fragment of Soul was amused.

He stared at the small girl who was angry stomping his stairs. 'Her temperament needs some tempering.' He disapproved of her attitude.

Aiko made it halfway up and still stomped the stairs, but more and more angrily as the difficulty didn't change. She was upset that she had to read and learn all of those Runes when those tests were so easy.

'I can't allow her to get my inheritance when she is so unstable.' He shook his head.

Aiko managed to get all the way up the stairs and in front of her were huge pillars holding up the roof and further inside were humongous doors.

Aiko stared blankly in front and turned around. She spat on the stairs before moving forward.

'This ignorant fool!' The Soul almost popped from its anger and he immediately burned that spit glaring at that little fool.

Aiko ignored that sensation cursing that old bastard to the ends of the world.

She stopped in front of the humongous doors and tried to push them.

'You are not ready.' The Soul spoke shaking Aiko's Soul.

"Fuck you! You old bald impotent bastard!" Aiko cursed. "Why did I have to learn all that when you would ask such simple questions!" Aiko stomped angrily. She had too many Runes inside her head and most of them were useless.

The Soul shook, nobody ever dared to talk to him like that, yet this milk-drinking fool!

'Enough!' The voice bellowed. 'Get lost, you are not ready!' He would never accept this rascal!

The world turned black and she returned towards that garden with the strange door that she entered with the 'Enter' word.

"You bald impotent fuck, just you wait! I will create a thick flag just for your ass!" Aiko cursed at the doors relentlessly with fists high up in the sky.

*Pft*

Aiko stiffened and looked back. There were many Elders, both Fox and Human, the Patriarch and a familiar Fox.

Aiko paused, glancing at them and the door, she slowly put her little fists behind her back, coughing lightly.

Mei laughed loudly. At first, she beat everyone around so they would tell her where her little sweetie was, it was so bad that even the Patriarch had to intervene.

Once she heard that she sneaked into their Sacred Ground she laughed even more, making the Human Elders curse her under their breaths.

The Fox Elders were smiling, the Human Elders made everything difficult for them and they hated each other, but now that their little disciple ruined this grand occasion, they were secretly happy.

Mei came in front of her and pinched her cheeks painfully.

"Who told you to run around?" Mei reprimanded her with a smile.

"It's because of that impotent bald jerk." Aiko cried from her cheeks being pinched so much.

"Who?" Mei asked again.

"Old fuck?" Aiko said again.

Mei stared at the Patriarch for an explanation.

He coughed awkwardly, he didn't expect this little cutie to curse so much.

"She is probably talking about the Fragment of Soul in the Inheritance Grounds." He answered simply, but Elders behind him whispered with pained expressions, it seemed like they remembered that painful road.

"That jeark yeahh." Aiko slurred her speech as she was unable to properly speak after being pinched for so long.

Mei let her go.

"Now we only have 9 positions that can enter for the coming 10 years." The Patriarch narrowed his eyes.

Mei shrugged like it was not their fault.

"I don't understand how someone would want to visit that impotent jerk." Aiko murmured under her breath, but everyone could hear her. They almost flipped out at her, but were held back by the Patriarch.

"Since you have already entered those grounds it can't be helped, but you can't enter the competition." The Patriarch said flatly.

"Who cares about that competition, I'm here for the Inscription Apprentice Test." Aiko spat at him.

The Patriarch twitched. "How many Runes can you connect."

"Around 8? I think?" Aiko stared at Mei.

"6 with 2 Support Runes." Mei gently said.

The Human Elders were taken aback, while Fox Elders were wide-eyed.

The Patriarch's lips twitched. 'And you want to take the Apprentice Test? When you should be taking the Inscription Master Test...'

"How many Runes do you know?" The Patriarch asked again.

"Over fifty thousand." Aiko said gently.

Mei almost stumbled at that number and stared at her little sweetie in shock.

The Patriarch was taken aback as he was the only person who managed to ascend about half of the stairs leading into the Palace.

Before any of the Elders were able to raise any fuss he asked. "How many stairs were you able to ascend?"

"All of them, they were simple?" Aiko tilted her head, not understanding why it was such a big deal.

Half of the Human Elders fainted on the spot. Most of them didn't even manage to pass the corridors and only a few managed to arrive in front of the Palace, but the rest couldn't ascend even a single step.

The Patriarch massaged his nose bridge. "We will postpone the tests, let her enjoy some rest and we will start those tests a few days later." The Patriarch felt exhausted when he checked this little rascal's bone age. '1 year...' He felt his Soul leaving his body. 'I spent more than 50 years just to be able to ascend half of the stairs yet...' He sighed, leaving the place half unconscious.

Aiko stared around, not understanding anything and stared at Mei. "Should we return?"

"Mm..." Mei was likewise absent-minded as she didn't know that many Runes. Her Immortal pride was shattered by her little sweetie.

[Congratulations, you have earned a new Title!]
[Walking Runic Encyclopedia]
[You have shocked many old Souls with your knowledge, learning about Runes has become easier!]

Aiko stared at the system satisfied. She would rest for some time before revising that Jade Slip, she was now happy that she didn't shatter it in her rage.

She was guided by Mei back to their little home, and Aiko immediately plopped herself behind the table.

*Growl*

Her stomach churned. "Mei I'm hungry." Aiko held her stomach.

Mei's brows twitched. "You only call me Mei when you need something." Mei felt hurt.

"That's not true." Aiko denied it with an innocent expression.

Mei sighed, she would need to teach her some manners. She went into the kitchen for some already prepared food and placed it in front of Aiko.

Aiko happily munched on it smiling. Her stomach no longer grumbling.

"Thank you~" Aiko licked her lips and cleaned her face. She was sated for the time being.

"At least you know how to thank me." Mei shook her head.

Aiko ignored the sad Fox and went into bed, it would be a long day and then she would have to take a few tests. She was looking forward to them, but at the same time, she was upset.

'Two stories that are not finished.' Aiko made a pained expression and fell to sleep.