"Alright, John, why don't you tell me about this ugly thing?" Tony suddenly changed the subject, pointing at a cylindrical, ugly-looking device.
John was speechless for a moment but eventually answered Tony's question.
"This device was built to measure the strength of my spiritual power. Let me show you."
Finishing his explanation, John placed his hand on a red mark on the cylindrical device and began channeling his spiritual power into it. A few seconds later, a number appeared on the previously blank screen.
4.8 – Spiritual Power
"As you can see, my spiritual power is 4.8. Why don't you check yours as well?"
Tony didn't hesitate; he was curious to know the strength of his spiritual power. A few seconds later, a new number appeared on the screen.
3.6 – Spiritual Power
"What the... Why is my spiritual power lower than yours? I knew this ugly thing was malfunctioning!"
"Hehe... Brother, don't be a crybaby. Ever since you awakened your spiritual sea, you haven't practiced much, and it stayed the same. So it's normal. My spiritual power increased because of the two runes in my spiritual sea and my daily practice of drawing runes. So, don't complain."
"However, it's not too late. Spend some time on rune practice and strengthen yourself for any future trouble."
Tony listened seriously and nodded. "You're right. I'll start inscribing runes in my spiritual sea as soon as possible. But before that, I need to finish my current project."
"Are you talking about Mark 2?"
Tony nodded.
"Okay, but don't get complacent if I surpass you later," John said with a smile.
After that, John shared his knowledge of runes with Tony, who then went to his lab.
---
Time passed quickly, and half a month flew by.
During this time, John diligently practiced his meditation—or what he called meditation. For him, as long as it improved his spiritual power, it counted.
John also inscribed the final rune in his spiritual sea. To his delight, he discovered it wasn't just a tree rune but a nature rune, which filled him with happiness.
As for Tony, recognizing the extraordinary nature of runes, also spent time inscribing his first rune. Unsurprisingly, he chose the nature rune because of his love for cleanliness and the environment. But that didn't mean he wouldn't inscribe others later; the nature rune was simply his first priority.
Aside from this, Tony also completed his Mark 2 mechanical armor, which brought him even more joy than inscribing the rune.
---
At this moment, John sat cross-legged in his quiet lab, his eyes closed and his mind focused. The room felt still, yet charged with a strange energy, as if something big was about to happen. He could sense he was on the verge of crossing an invisible line, something that would change everything.
Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed in his mind, clear and sharp like a breaking shell. Warmth washed over him, like stepping into a gentle river, soothing yet powerful. His senses became sharper—he could feel the faint hum of the machines, the soft movement of air, even the steady beat of his heart. His body felt alive, as though every part of him had been awakened.
Slowly opening his eyes, John clenched his fists, sensing the raw power coursing through his body. Thinking of something, he stood and approached the cylindrical device to measure his improved spiritual power.
A minute later, the result appeared:
5.6 – Spiritual Power
After his breakthrough, his spiritual power had increased by 0.7. Though it might seem small, John knew firsthand how difficult even a 0.1 increase could be.
Inspecting his body further, John concluded that he was now twice as strong as before.
Thinking of something, he activated his Eye of Truth, and his eyes began glowing golden like two light bulbs.
Looking around, everything seemed different. John could now see tiny particles drifting in the air, something he couldn't perceive before. Even the smallest fly couldn't escape his sight.
As he was about to deactivate the Eye of Truth, something caught his attention—a rune floating midair without any visible support. And it wasn't just one; he spotted three runes. One floated in the air, the second was etched onto the cylindrical device, and the third was on the power cable connected to it.
This was the first time John had seen multiple runes simultaneously. Though surprised, he quickly entered deep thought.
"It seems that as my spiritual power grows, the strength of my Eye of Truth increases as well. Am I now an intermediate wizard apprentice?"
Shaking his head, he muttered, "It doesn't matter right now. I'll think about it again after crossing the next big boundary."
Just as John was lost in thought, a loud explosion echoed from the other side of the mansion.
BOOM!
John jolted awake and ran toward the source of the sound.
When he entered Tony's lab, he found Tony in an embarrassing situation.
Tony, wearing his Mark 2 mechanical armor, was sprawled on top of a broken car. A small robot sprayed foam from a fire extinguisher directly at Tony's face.
John was startled but then remembered. "How could I forget this?"
Looking up, he saw a massive hole in the ceiling.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Tony turned his mechanical face toward John and spoke in a robotic voice. "Your timing is impeccable, brother. Couldn't you come a little earlier or later?"
John hid his smile. "Alright, I'm leaving. Pretend I wasn't here."
As he turned to leave, Tony stopped him.
"Wait, John, a little help here, please!"
"Oh, the great Iron Man is asking for my help," John said, amused.
"Iron Man? That's a catchy name—I like it! Even though this armor is a mix of gold and titanium alloy."