What happened with Aileen after Jia Xi left, Rocky did not know, as he had returned to the laboratory after the two had departed.
Although he hadn't lost hope in the negotiations, Rocky knew he couldn't solely rely on them. He needed a backup plan, which naturally involved the Mana Rune.
So, after returning to the laboratory, he had Liliya bring over his Void Magic Armor!
"Do you really intend to do this? Isn't it too soon..."
Not long after waiting in the laboratory, Liliya brought over the Void Magic Armor, albeit somewhat reluctantly when handing it over to Rocky.
Because Rocky had already told her what he intended to do—he was planning to inscribe runes on the Void Magic Armor!
This decision surprised Liliya, as Rocky had only just learned about runes!
Though using runes on the Void Magic Armor was an inevitable trend, wasn't it too soon for Rocky to proceed? Especially considering he only had this set of Void Magic Armor, and if anything went wrong, there was nowhere to turn.
"I just want to experiment, and besides, even if the runes fail, there are no side effects. It will merely consume some Magic Power; the Void Magic Armor will definitely be safe."
Though he spoke in such a manner, Rocky had no confidence inside, yet he had to proceed.
How important the Void Magic Armor was to him, Rocky knew better than anyone. It had always been his prized possession; how could he not cherish it? Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, he had no choice but to risk using the Void Magic Armor.
His only asset now was the Mana Rune, but given Thunderhawk City's current strength, he couldn't let outsiders know about the existence of runes. Thus, Rocky's options were limited, leaving him essentially with one choice—to use the runes to enhance his own strength.
Either he would apply the runes to ordinary equipment, turning it into rune equipment, or he would apply them to the Void Magic Armor to make it even stronger.
And for Rocky, who already possessed the Void Magic Armor, he naturally chose to apply the runes there. It wouldn't make sense to forsake the more powerful Void Magic Armor in favor of wearing rune equipment.
So he had to take this risk.
However, Liliya found Rocky's decision not only rash but also pointless. In her view, even if Rocky became stronger, what use would it be?
Nevertheless, she could see that Rocky seemed to have his own plans, so she ultimately did not stop him and even left the laboratory for fear of disturbing his rune drawing.
Afterward, the laboratory was left with only Rocky, a pen, and a set of Void Magic Armor.
Placing the chest piece of the Void Magic Armor on the lab table, Rocky did not immediately start inscribing runes on it but carefully studied it inside and out.
The reason why the Void Magic Armor was considered the strongest personal equipment was not merely because it was embedded with Magic Stones. The technology contained within a set of Void Magic Armor far exceeded the imagination; therefore, even if Rocky had mastered the First Level Mana Rune, he couldn't simply apply runes to the armor.
If he wanted to use runes to strengthen the Void Magic Armor, he first needed to understand the armor's Mana driving system, then connect this system with the runes so that the armor could utilize the Mana provided by the runes.
The technology and expertise involved were so complex and advanced that unless one was a professional armor maker, no one could understand it, let alone Rocky.
But despite the difficulty, he still planned to give it a try.
It wasn't that he was overestimating his capabilities, but because he had a different idea.
Rocky didn't want to drastically overhaul the Void Magic Armor. He knew he didn't have the capacity to do so, not just him, even the most experienced armor maker couldn't, especially since Mana Runes were a new technology. Without going through research and experimentation, no one could replace the Magic Stones in the Void Magic Armor directly with runes; the involved technology was too numerous and complex.
So his real idea was to treat the Void Magic Armor like ordinary equipment and then turn it into rune equipment!
Simply put, he wanted to inscribe runes on the Void Magic Armor. By ensuring the original combat capabilities remained unchanged, he aimed to add a layer of rune equipment's power, using this method to indirectly strengthen the armor!
This was a plan only Rocky could think of, no, it was a new idea that only he could conceive of!
Before the advent of Mana Runes, whether it was Void Magic Armor or Magic Energy Equipment, both relied on Magic Stones to provide Mana, making it impossible for a piece of equipment to be both Void Magic Armor and Magic Energy Equipment at the same time; they couldn't coexist.
But now with the emergence of Mana Runes, which could substitute for Magic Stones and coexist with them, Rocky thought of this method to strengthen his own Void Magic Armor, aiming to let his Void Magic Armor maintain its original power while also becoming a set of rune equipment!
This idea perfectly circumvented the high-end technology involved with the Void Magic Armor, requiring only that the armor be treated as regular equipment, which could then be made into rune equipment.
Though creating rune equipment wasn't a simple task, do not forget that Rocky still had a research notebook in his hands.
Wenzel initially developed Mana Runes hoping they could replace Magic Stones and thereby transform Mana Equipment into rune equipment, significantly enhancing its power. Thus, his notes contained detailed instructions on how to use runes to make equipment.
With this notebook, Rocky could fully create rune equipment!
And if he succeeded, the enhanced Void Magic Armor would undoubtedly see an upgrade in combat effectiveness! Then he could proceed with the next steps in his plan!
"Let's begin…"
After observing the chest plate of the Void Magic Armor set for a long time, Rocky was ready to begin.
He picked up the Magic Energy Pen and drew a rune on the inner lining of the chest plate.
Not wanting anyone to notice anything suspicious, he fully utilized the convenience of the runes, drawing directly on the inner lining of the armor. This method would not affect the rune's effectiveness nor reveal anything unusual about his armor.
As he finished the stroke, a rune was drawn and emitted a faint light.
This indicated the rune was successfully created, and it now contained Mana. However, that was not all; a First Level Rune held very little Magic Power, far less even than a Micro Magic Stone. To unleash its true power, it would rely on quantity.
According to Rocky's estimation, he needed to draw at least a hundred First Level Runes on the chest plate to truly enhance its defensive power, a monumental task.
So, after successfully drawing one rune, he immediately drew a second, then a third...
Half a day passed in this manner, and by evening, Rocky left the lab with all his Magic Power depleted.
The next morning, Jia Xi came seeking an audience with Rocky, seemingly eager to finalize the transaction involving the yarn as soon as possible.
This was somewhat unexpected to him as he had planned to delay, but since Jia Xi was so proactive, he had no choice but to call for Aileen.
By the time Aileen arrived at the City Lord's Hall, a new round of negotiations began.
The morning flew by, and the outcome of the negotiations remained the same as the day before, almost no progress was made, with Jia Xi standing firm on increasing the price by thirty percent without budging.
On the contrary, Aileen seemed somewhat off today; whereas yesterday she could stand toe-to-toe with Jia Xi, today she was visibly distracted, which was a significant reason why the negotiations failed.
Having no other choice, Rocky had to find an excuse to forcibly halt the negotiations, planning to give Aileen some time to think of a solution, but Jia Xi did not give Rocky that opportunity.
"City Lord!"
"Yesterday, the Chamber of Commerce sent an urgent notice. I am summoned back to headquarters for important matters, so I can only stay here for one more day. I hope the City Lord can provide a definitive answer tomorrow to finalize this matter quickly," said Jia Xi before he turned and left…
His words clearly meant he was no longer willing to delay and was pushing Rocky to make a decision quickly!
"Sir, I will also take my leave…"
After Jia Xi left, Rocky initially wanted to discuss with Aileen what to do next, as they couldn't afford to delay any longer, but to his surprise, Aileen left without saying a word.
"Rocky, Aileen was a bit off today."
After Aileen left, Liliya said to Rocky, noticing that Aileen had been acting strangely.
"There is something off…" He nodded, equally puzzled, not understanding what was wrong with Aileen.
"I'll go ask her."
After saying this, Liliya didn't wait for Rocky's response and immediately chased out of the City Lord's Hall.