'Snuffed by a savvy hack!' Tetsu's gravestone would come to read.
Seven days flew by with lines, dots, and curves invading Tetsu's dreams. They helped break the barriers between himself and the creation of the rune 'Target,' but Tetsu had a suspicion they plotted to take over his body or make him into a symbol. Now that he thinks about it, the description is ominous.
[Rune Force: A soul captured, an essence drained, every fiber under a clandestine tomb. Discover the intent, channel the instruction, for the world unfolds by a thought. A force to ruin, a force to create, neither present to create nor ruin. Carve a path, force a soul, forever whole the rune force shall withhold.]
Since the boulder took the brunt of the attack, an imaginary health pool lost points for every attack the boulder tanked. Similar to a human being, after accumulating a certain amount of damage, the boulder would break. Unlike a human, it had only one instruction. So, if Tetsu can withstand one suicidal shuriken, the boulder can withstand a dozen.
After Tetsu stumbled onto this part of the procedure, next came the bigger question. How does one add a health pool to a freaking boulder? The answer was obvious and Tetsu smacked himself for realizing it a day later.
Mana.
"Every fucking thing runs around mana."
He tried to use Info and hack away over the concept of Mana. But as usual, and after wasting half his mana pool, he gave up on the concept. There were just way too many unknowns. He doubted if even a god could use info on Mana and get any useful information.
By regulating his mana flow and a simple 'Store' symbol over the boulder, Tetsu tested his theory. The boulder took one hit before breaking into a million pieces.
Here in lies the second problem. His runes were two to four tiers below him. In theory, if he were a level five warrior, his imaginary knife, the rune, would be a level three or level one sword. Tetsu leaned on the latter part. It made sense too; a blacksmith can't create a weapon above his skill level. Okay! Maybe I didn't use the best analogy, but you get the point.
For this problem inside the producer, Tetsu diverted nature's mana into the boulder, all the while wondering if the real world would have enough mana in its surroundings for him to pull this trick. Info on the soil told him that tutorial grounds are made with denser and overall more mana. While it did help him recuperate faster and experiment more, it still wasn't enough for the boulder. 'Target' needed more resources for an unknown reason. When nature wasn't enough, he used his skill, "Echo Vault." First, he stored his own mana into the vault, while nature filled the boulder with its mana.
Many experiments flooded Tetsu's mind as he held this small marble in his palm. Transparent with golden metal rings running along its curvature. Intricate runes and the glow that followed as he injected mana made him cry happy tears from the overwhelming excitement.
The Ru'nic letters were too small to see and the mechanism behind the vault was too advanced to comprehend. If nothing else, the sole reason to one day create a masterpiece like this orb re-ignited the dying sparks of hope to a dazzling flame.
If someone gave away such a masterpiece to a novice like himself, imagine the Ru'nic letters already present, and their powers, uses, and what an overthinker can do with such force… "Now I know why the description is ominous."
For now, Tetsu infused his mana into the orb. It could easily handle two days' worth of his mana. Testing out its limits and the many other experiments in his head had to wait. The cool-down time of the orbs increased based on the amount of resources stored and released.
"Experiments for another date." Tetsu claps his hands with excitement. His cheeks were barely able to hold his smug smile.
Another problem arises as the boulder explodes with excessive mana. One can store only a limited amount after all, and Tetsu had to determine the limit of a boulder by its mass, weight, and many other science mambo-jumbo. Based on whether it's a living or an inanimate object, the rules and energy storage differences were day and night.
Ding, ding, ding! You guessed right, some of these boulders are freaking alive.
How?
Do not ask me that question. Info says some system boulders have life and without the vaguest clue, I can't instruct it to spill out the rest of its secrets.
I mean, it's a boulder! A stupid overgrown piece of rock has life in it and for no good reason.
Also, just because you expect you are smarter than a dumb rock and carve two similar pieces of rock to look identical and then try this procedure, thinking you would succeed. Guess what?
YOU ARE DUMBER THAN A ROCK!
------------------------------P-B-------------------------------
With mana in the stupid mix, any object you freaking make has your own signature mana dwelling inside. Based on your concentration level, intent, and a moody rock deciding to change its identity overnight, shit goes wrong.
Let's say you get over this problem with some luck. You got an estimated number and ran with it. Next came a simple hurdle called "What?"
Yes, what?
You can't say one word and mean another. Once the intent is placed, the intent should stay true to its purpose. If said intent is challenged by another rune or by said object you are using, they simply give up. Romans are a peaceful race and all that bullshit.
If subjected to conflict, every rune gives up and takes the high road, leaving you fucked.
Your intent should be clear as a crystal. Any doubt of "What," and the runes will leave your ass behind.
Last but not least, came the simple rule of the number of runes you can use. You might be speculating. Five is enough, right? And for that, I say "FUCK-YOU!" With all due respect and all that!
Begin with the simple idea of creating a health pool for the dumb rock. First comes "Store," so the bolder accumulates mana. "Overdo," because the boulder has to take in more than it already has. Every single object post system has a bit of mana and you wanting more means you've gotta add more. Hence the cause of several explosions. "Slave," if the rock has life. Otherwise, why would it explode for you? The word is disturbing and made me question my stance many times. I… scratched it off as survival. Next comes "Snatch," because you want to use the energy and not leave it, inside the boulder.
Hope these are enough to make my point. You see, one needs four runes just to store some goddamn mana in some goddamn rock.
This is too frustrating, Tetsu belly-flops into a puddle.
Tetsu overcame this problem by making a rune that helped mana enter the rock through one end and exit from another. The idea was to swirl the mana within and, as it overwhelms the container, escape from the closet exit. This took two runes, one for swirling the mana and the other to point out exists, but it helped Tetsu store more mana and use it at the same time. Also, some boulders refused to take in more mana, even after he enslaved them.
"The audacity of some slaves, I say…" Tetsu frowns.
Luck was involved. If the mana overloaded with no exit in sight, the rock would explode. Too many exits will lead to excessive loss, and so on and so forth.
Lucky for Tetsu, his opponent wasn't in a hurry to hunt him down and had been immobilized since birth.
To end this little math problem, the final hurdle, "Target," made Tetsu target himself. Aside from the mental strain, he tortured his physical body during the experiments, not to mention all the times he used himself as bait, and took a good chunk of his time scolding his various personalities. They abused each other while he stood by and agreed with all of them.
"Die and let the complication die with you." A voice kept nagging him from inside.
Down to the actual plan of switching the target from your head onto another. "Target," visualized in his head, now took a permanent space never to leave. He wanted that darn power and was adamant to get it. The only problem was that he couldn't explain "Target" to the Ru'nic power system.
His knowledge can be vague, but his intent should be rock solid and never waver until his goal is achieved. Even the slightest hesitation can deactivate the rune mid-fight. He had to learn this the hard way by almost losing his head. Intent did not mean one's belief to imagine an aspect to be true, but to find the absolute truth. Every fiber of your being will only accept the whole truth and not a fragment.
"I know! Yet another doozy…" Tetsu lashes out his frustration over a puddle.
As he battled to solidify his intent, the procedure kept pestering him with questions.
Why is the boulder a target? Why would it tank an attack meant for you?
Tetsu tried a whole new rune, "Divert," which helped him solidify his intent, yet these questions kept blocking his path.
About to give up, a stupid meme flashes in his mind. He names the boulder "I am Tetsu," and names himself "He is Tetsu." Once he introduced himself to the grass with a long and vexing intro, the simple yet stupid technique worked.
The grasslings sacrifices stuck to the boulder instead of him. This not only jolted his excitement for the technique and hopes of success but also confirmed his sneaking suspicion of these grasslings having emotions. Only once, when he could agree with himself about the carnage, he calmed down.
------------------------------P-B-------------------------------
"I have to survive this ordeal." Tetsu gritted his teeth as he spoke within. "There's nothing right or wrong with survival and there's no mercy left to show someone who can sacrifice their kin for revenge." He got back up, wiped his tears, his hands still balled into a fist, and went on with his experiments.
Rage was the only flaw in this technique. Once rage overtook one's consciousness, they didn't attack the person with the name but the object in front of them. Names mean nothing as one person tries to end another to satisfy their rage. This led to a major gap in Tetsu's 'Meme' skill.
"Anger leads to a person transforming into a target. Ha-ha!" Laughs Tetsu. "The irony."
A sudden spark of inspiration blows his mind wide open, placing a rather simple rune 'Exchange' in its place. Two targets were created. One which attracts malice or hate and the other which attracts love or kindness. Tetsu bore the love symbol while the boulder had no choice but to pick the latter.
"Slaves have no choice, right?"
This reminded him of the many hand-downs he got from Kile, and never to mention experiments, Tetsu exclaims. "I was his darn slave. Huh!" He shivers, remembering various scenes, and shoves the thought behind his consciousness.
Sticking to his original plan—a bit modified but similar plan, 'Target of love' and 'Target of hate' worked like a charm.
"Who attacks someone with love?" Tetsu jokes and his mind makes up a few scenarios just for fun. Yet another thought he threw behind his consciousness. "I asked, but you didn't have to reply."
Every plan has a flaw. One has to accept their option and plan for the loopholes. He agrees with himself. This plan worked perfectly and stuck to his original plan. His gut told him there was something there, and he was sure glad to have stuck by its side.
There was something else to figure out or hidden within this technique. Tetsu couldn't place his finger on the concept or feelings arising, but it enhanced and had the potential to raise something greater.
Like the many other hunches, he threw yet another potential experiment into an imaginary folder of to-do stuff and concentrated on his current experiment.
An overthinker had to stay true to one experiment. This is the first and most important rule Kile made for Tetsu, and he wholeheartedly agrees. This didn't mean he let his other hunches die. He just had to get back to them on a later date. Thanks to Kile and his many experiments, Tetsu found a way to organize and revisit his hunches.
"Master is good." He jokes to himself, cracking his knuckles. "I am going to kill my master someday."
Funny how, until now, he never noticed Kile use him for so many experiments. He did benefit a lot for them, but this isn't how friendship should be, work, or how one treats their best bud. They should do shit together and on someone else.
"He's a dead man walking around." Tetsu scans his areas, both missing and wanting to kill Kile if he shows up nearby. "Thanks… you piece of shit!"
After his last but not the least step. By now, Tetsu confused himself to remember anything. He had no clue as to how far he had come, how long would it take, or how long he had been at it, but thankfully, this was the last step.
"Hold," his last rune in case the grass used a final, final attack, to finish the job.
All along, his title helped as a teacher who stood by and pointed at the student's mistakes only when he was about to die. The rest of the time, he enjoyed the student's pain.
"Did I mention the procedure changes for every rune, opponent, and circumstance? THEY FUCKING CHANGE! My stupid teacher made me realize this after my victory. All of my dopamine washed away with one word."
How was he going to fight anyone with this complicated magic system?
Tetsu places his hands over his hips, acting out. "If you want to fight me, first tell me all about yourself. Don't you dare gain a pound over the next seven days, and never ever rub my diagrams away, because that would waste my week-long preparations?"
Why don't you just ask them to kill themselves instead? You know what, this might actually work more than your dumb diagrams or runes or whatever. Tetsu plucks a few more grasslings out of the boulder and tears at them as if they were meat sticks.
"Meat…" His stomach rumbled.
"One problem at a time, please." He yells at his stomach.
In the end, the runes are placed behind the boulder, so it isn't smudged during the fight. Runes around the floor to send nature's mana into the boulder, after it agrees, of course.
Maybe the word slave isn't wrong in this context, as they had to agree first.
Anyhow, after seven days of preparation, five runes on the boulder, two skills from a hack, and one hour later, Tetsu defeats his arch nemesis: 'Grass'.
In his version of the short story, the grass would be a ninja monster that couldn't lay a single finger on Tetsu. It was short, of course. All the excruciating details of a complicated magic system are missing. One wants action, not math in their story.
For people who do.. You are weird!! But so am I..!!
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