Power of Runes

Feeling something approaching at an astonishing speed, Ray swept his wooden sword, its blade now covered in a swirling green aura. Instead of delivering a devastating slash, the swing released a powerful burst of wind that sent many of the advancing dwarfs flying backward, scattering them like leaves in a storm.

The wooden sword broke due to the aura, but...

It created a short breather for Ray, no more than a few seconds, but he did not waste it. Without hesitation, he bent his knees and leapt high into the air, straight toward the incoming projectile. As his body soared upward, his sharp eyes locked on the strange object.

It had an unusual shape — a long cuboidal body with a conical top, spinning rapidly as it accelerated toward him, gathering more and more force with each passing moment.

It's a mana missile...

Even as Ray's leap carried him higher, the Mana Missile adjusted its course mid-flight, tracking him with unnerving precision.

He barely had time to register that thought before...

-BOOOM!!!!!!

An explosion ripped through the air, the shockwave sending a hot blast of wind in all directions.

Seconds later, a figure emerged from the smoke, descending gracefully despite the burnt patches on his black clothing. Ray landed lightly on the cracked stone ground, right in front of the relentless horde.

I have at least recovered the energy that I used for Life Breadth...

Life Breadth was a skill that consumed enormous amounts of energy. If Ray had to fight while using it constantly to shield himself from the unknown parasites in the air, his mana reserves would be drained within two to three minutes. Only after combining it with Indomitable Mantle had he managed to extend that time to nearly ten minutes. And right now, thanks to the explosion, he had recovered all the energy he had lost.

Without wasting even a second, Ray surged forward again. Though many bodies lay scattered behind him, none were dead. He continued pressing deeper into the enemy ranks, determined to push them back. His goal was simple — to keep the dwarfs from stepping on the ones already down, at least for as long as he could.

He avoided overusing his earth manipulation. The ground beneath the horde was softened just enough to slow their advance, but not so much that they would sink completely. If he did that, it was likely the mind-controlled dwarfs behind them would resort to extreme measures — perhaps even attacking their own — just to reach him. After all, they were not in their right minds.

They had no emotions… which meant emotional manipulation was useless.

Just then, his senses sharpened again. Two more projectiles came screaming toward him. Like before, he absorbed their energy effortlessly. Since the missiles had a tracking function, he did not need to worry about perfect timing — they both struck him at the same moment.

But the next attack brought a twist. As Ray leapt to meet it, three projectiles were coming his way… and one was streaking toward Ash, who stood unmoving, eyes open yet seemingly lost in trance.

Shit!!!!

Cursing under his breath, Ray summoned Aetheris. The God Slayer appeared in his grasp, and with a powerful throw, it soared into the air. The blade curved mid-flight as though guided by its own will, intercepting the mana missile in a single sweeping cut.

-BOOM!!!

-BOOM!!

Two explosions erupted almost simultaneously, lighting the underground space in a brief, blinding flash.

As Ray landed, Aetheris floated down beside him, hovering at his side.

It's really convenient that you can move on your own.....

{Of course it is. That's why I kept telling you to become stronger faster. But even I did not expect you to reach Master rank this fast, unlocking this ability.}

As if. Only you and I know how many times I had to sneak out of the academy just to enter high-ranking dungeons... and after my first time going to a dungeon, Master made leaving the academy even more difficult.....

Muttering his complaint, Ray threw himself back into the fight, his figure flickering from place to place as his sword precisely targeted knees, ankles, and joints, breaking the dwarfs' legs to keep them from advancing further.

Just like that, few minutes passed.

**

Is he still not done yet…?

The thought crossed Ray's mind as he landed, his breathing steady despite the chaos unfolding around him. The number of missiles was steadily increasing, and at times they even crossed paths mid-air, causing one to spiral off course and explode among the civilians.

Aetheris darted forward at full speed to intercept one such missile, but it had been launched from far too great a distance. The sword could not reach it in time.

Ray's chest had tightened painfully at the sight.

Anger burned within him toward whoever was controlling the dwarfs. He had been holding himself back, breaking only leg bones and in ways that would heal without lasting damage. He refused to take lives.

But… people were dying anyway. And the one pulling the strings clearly did not care.

Fuck, fuck!!

The curses rolled through his mind, but his thoughts remained chillingly cold.

Another wave of dwarfs, more projectiles incoming, when a voice called from behind.

"Let's go, I found the location..."

***

For Ash, once Ray began shielding him, his focus shifted almost entirely to the black motes drifting through the air. They were surging toward him, slipping into his body one after another, but to no effect.

While invisible to most, the scene — if anyone could see it — would have looked like a massive, writhing swarm of insects forcing their way into Ash's body. A sight unsettling enough to turn anyone pale.

Ash tried his best to ignore it, though the sensation was far from pleasant. Having something enter your body was never exactly comforting.

…Umm, that did not sound right…

Regardless, it was hard to concentrate on tracking the Hollow Mother when that was happening. All he had to do was find something that stood out, something that did not belong, and that would most likely be the source.

It took him a few minutes just to tear his mind away from the crawling intrusion. Not even Omni thought was any help this time; in fact, it only made things worse, feeding him darker possibilities instead of distracting him.

Once he managed to clear his head, the search did not take long. He could sense an immense concentration of mana, along with a gathering of Hollowborns, in a single location.

That mana should belong to all Awakened in the city… I doubt any of the ones attacking Ray have man…

Deactivating his Elemental Sight left a faint strain in his temples, but he pushed it aside and looked toward Ray.

He was still fighting with sharp, elegant precision, even though the whole thing was a pointless dance.

What was the point of fighting when you could not use your full strength?

That's why I brought him with me. He's doing his part well… now I just have to do mine better…

"Let's go, I found the location."

Saying that, he appeared next to Ray and teleported away. Before leaving though, Ash destroyed the incoming missiles with {Snake Lightning}, detonating them midair in bursts of blinding sparks that lit up the underground city for a fleeting heartbeat.

They reappeared exactly where they had first arrived upon entering the city. Ash's gaze shifted toward the tunnel entrance ahead.

It was the same tunnel he had first come through, and he never would have thought there would be anything hidden here... and in a way, he had been right.

Even for someone as unusually paranoid as Ash, this was beyond his expectations.

Though... it's deeper underground...

He could feel it — a restless mass of Hollowborns below, and not just them. There were people too.

"Is it here?" Ray asked, his face serious. All his earlier dissatisfaction about working with Ash had faded, replaced by the focus of someone who understood the weight of the situation. He still did not like him, but there were reasons for that.

Their relationship was more of a deal. Ray would help Ash, and in return, get answers. Even so, he had grown far more serious about the task than when they had first started.

"Yeah, I believe somewhere in the tunnels there's a way downwards," Ash replied.

"Will we have to find it?" Ray asked.

"I'm not too keen on searching for it though."

"Same for me. Let me make a way then."

Ray stepped forward, channeling the energy discharge of his Mantle skill twice in quick succession.

-BOOM.

-BOOM.

The ground beneath them throbbed like a living heartbeat, swelling, cracking, and then collapsing entirely. Both of them plunged into the yawning darkness below.

Ahh! Damn... we're falling again...

Ash thought, as they fell, dodging debris and jagged shards of rock tumbling alongside them, the darkness felt endless. Then, a sudden light flared to life as Ash muttered,

{Flare}

Lightning rippled through the air, scattering motes of glowing energy in every direction. The sparks floated and twisted through the void, drifting alongside Ash and Ray as they continued their descent.

The glow was enough to reveal the ground far below... and the nightmare waiting there.

Seeing it, both Ash and Ray cursed internally.

***