The forest was silent once more, save for the faint rustling of leaves. Kael's small figure leaned against a tree, his body trembling with exhaustion.
Suddenly—
The beast's lifeless body began emitting a soft light, faint at first but growing in intensity. The light coalesced into nine Runes, floating gently above its corpse. The ethereal glow illuminated the surroundings, casting long shadows of the trees around Kael.
His breathing hitched, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten as he stared blankly at the floating Runes. A smile slowly spread across his face.
"HAHA! Hell yeah!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the stillness of the forest. Despite the pounding in his head and the aches in his body from depleting his Soulpower twice, Kael's excitement overcame his pain.
Forgetting his wound, Kael tried to stand, only for his legs to buckle beneath him, sending him back to the ground. After several futile attempts, he gave up, leaning helplessly against the tree. His gaze returned to the Runes, now gently pulsating a few meters away.
"Three blue and six green…" Kael muttered, counting them. "Those three look like the ones from earlier. But what about the green ones?"
A mischievous thought crossed his mind. "Vegetable Runes, maybe? If I kill a vegetarian, would they drop the same ones?" He laughed to himself, his voice filled with absurdity and exhaustion.
Regaining some clarity, Kael shook his head and grew serious. "I need to recover fast," he muttered, his gaze narrowing on the floating Runes. He wasn't sure if they had a time limit before disappearing, and the thought of losing them made him uneasy.
His mind wandered back to the battle, piecing together fragments of his newfound abilities. "Did my constitution improve after manifesting my Soulwheel? Or was it that elemental Rune I integrated?" Kael pondered, his brow furrowed.
He sighed deeply, frustration evident in his voice. "With my small frame, even if I grew another leg or two, I shouldn't have been able to outrun or outmaneuver that monstrosity."
A sly grin spread across his face. "Have I always been this badass, or is it because I didn't beat my meat before sleeping last night?"
Clearing his throat, Kael dismissed his ridiculous musings and examined the gash on his left shoulder. The three-inch wound was still bleeding steadily, the torn flesh stinging as the adrenaline wore off.
"Hiss!" he winced sharply, the pain now catching up to him.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "I need to treat this, or I might actually bleed out." His gaze shifted toward the six green Runes floating in the air. Summoning what little strength he had left, Kael pushed himself to his feet shakily.
Stumbling toward the Runes, Kael called forth his Soulwheel, its faint glow reflecting the determination in his eyes. Bracing himself for the searing pain he had experienced earlier, he reached out and touched one of the green Runes.
To his surprise, the pain was almost nonexistent this time.
<
A notification appeared in his vision. Kael glanced at his left shoulder wound and then back at the remaining five green Runes. He extended his hand to absorb all five at once.
Pain exploded in his body, far worse than he anticipated. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for air as the agony wracked his already battered frame.
<
"Gasp… gasp… Ahh! Holy shit!" he cried out, clutching his chest as the pain began to subside. "Why the f*ck would I do that?!"
As the discomfort faded, Kael felt a soothing warmth spreading through his body. Strength returned to his limbs. Standing tall for the first time since the fight, Kael assessed his body.
"That works too," he said, marveling at his recovery.
Turning to the three blue Elemental Runes, Kael absorbed them one by one, carefully avoiding another reckless mistake. Each absorption sent a faint pulse through his body, replenishing his Soulpower and recovering his strength further.
<
<
...
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Kael then searched for a suitable place to comprehend the Runes. His eyes landed on a shaded spot beneath a large tree, its thick canopy shielding him from the harsh sunlight. Settling down, he closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the process.
The Vitality Runes came first. As Kael delved into their comprehension, their intricate structures unraveled in his mind. He realized that though the Runes were all categorized as "Vitality," each one possessed unique properties depending on your comprehension. Some enhanced regeneration, while others suppressed harmful effects.
It reminded Kael of elemental chemistry back on Earth. Like how hydrogen and oxygen combined to form water, these Runes had distinct roles that contributed to a greater whole. Similarly, understanding an Elemental Rune was akin to learning about a specific component in an electrical circuit—resistors, diodes, or capacitors. Their roles and specifications appeared instinctively in his mind, but only after he had fully carved them into his Soulwheel.
<
---
Kael opened his eyes and examined the wound on his left shoulder. Summoning his Soulpower, he began forming a Rune Circle in his hands. Using the three Vitality enhancers and two suppressors he had comprehended, Kael carefully adjusted the nodes and lines. The process was delicate, each adjustment requiring intense focus.
Finally, the Rune Structure stabilized. A faint light flickered in his palm as Kael raised his hand, hovering it above the wound. The intricate rings and lines glowed, channeling his Soulpower through the circuit.
An itching sensation spread across his shoulder as the torn flesh knit itself back together. The gash closed rapidly, leaving behind only faint traces of the injury.
"Hell yeah!" Kael exclaimed, grinning widely as he flexed his arm. The Rune Circle had worked perfectly.
For the first time since the battle, Kael allowed himself to relax. Reclining against the tree, he stared up at the canopy above, the faint rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Gurgle*
As Kael leaned back against the tree, a sudden rumble from his stomach broke the silence, and his thoughts drifted to the fish he had caught earlier.
He was about to stand up, when suddenly.
Rustle* rustle*