The top of the hill was a wide, open expanse, covered in patches of grass and dotted with a few sturdy trees that swayed gently in the wind. The ground was solid, slightly uneven, but largely flat—ideal for constructing a house or setting up a camp. To the east, the hill sloped down to reveal a winding river shimmering under the sunlight, with the rising sun casting a golden hue over its surface. The western edge was lined with a cluster of dense trees, while the northern and southern sides dropped into steep cliffs, making the hilltop accessible from only two directions.
In the distance, Kael's small figure appeared on the horizon. His battered shirt, frayed shorts, and well-worn sandals spoke of the bullsh*ts that he has been through. The contrast between his diminutive frame and the enormous beast slung over his right shoulder was stark, almost absurd. The tiger-like creature was massive, its striped fur matted with dried blood. Yet, Kael carried it with ease.
As he climbed higher, his thoughts began to form aloud, breaking the silece. "I can't stay in that cave forever. Not practical at all," he muttered, glancing back briefly at the direction he had come from.
"Besides, with my Elemental Manipulation. Making a house shouldn't be too hard, right?" Kael said, reassuring himself.
"Reaching civilization... yeah, that's going to take a while."
The climb grew steeper, and by the time Kael reached the top, his breath was still even.
He let the tiger-like beast drop to the ground with a heavy thud, the grass flattening under its weight. Wiping sweat from his brow, he muttered, "Soul power's almost halved... yet my stamina's fine." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"If I'm going to keep burning soul power like this, I'll need to figure out how to manage it better."
Straightening up, Kael cast his gaze across the hilltop, taking in the surroundings more thoroughly.
The birds flitting between branches caught his attention—creatures with vibrant feathers and strange, elongated beaks, unlike anything he had seen before. Nearby, a few small animals darted between the underbrush, their forms unfamiliar.
He frowned, glancing at the lifeless body of the tiger-like creature.
"I must have spawned in this guy's territory" Kael's mind spun.
To the east, the river sparkled enchantingly, and the sunrise painted the sky in shades of orange and pink. On one side of the hill, the dense cluster of trees whispered with hidden movement, while the steep cliffs to the north and south loomed ominously. It was clear to Kael that this hilltop, with its limited accessibility and vantage points, could serve as a defensible location. "Not bad for a base," he mused.
Deciding to settle in, Kael began gathering dry wood and twigs to start a fire.
As he worked, he muttered to himself, "Elemental Manipulation... I can move stuff around, sure, but creating fire? That's another story." He furrowed his brow in frustration as he waved his hand over the pile of wood, only to watch it remain cold and inert.
"Of course, I can't create an element from nothing," he sighed, the realization hitting him with a twinge of irritation.
Suddenly, he remembered. "Wait... the other three Elementals I absorbed earlier. Maybe there's something there,"
Kael said, dropping into a cross-legged position. Closing his eyes, he focused inward, channeling his soul power toward his soul core. With each attempt, he tried to comprehend something that would allow him to conjure Elements with his Soulpower as the material, but he kept failing.
After his second failure, he paused, gaining an epiphany. "As long as I don't carve the rune into the Soulring, I can still reabsorb it into my soul core, and wash it with my soulpower to try again" he murmured.
Washing the Elemental Rune with his Soulpower, he reset his comprehension and tried again. It wasn't until the third attempt that he felt a Rune structure that matches his goal. Carving the Rune on his Soulring a grin spread across his face as the structure of the conjure-type elemental rune unfolded in his mind.
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The process for the other two elemental runes went smoother, each taking only one additional attempt.
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By the time he completed the third, fourteen minutes had passed.
After resting his mind for a while, he began designing the structure of the Rune Circuit.
A blank ring appeared in front of him. He started by arranging all three conjuring types in a symmetrical form. However, realizing that he might not be able to control the element he conjured without incorporating some manipulation types, he decided to include all three. This resulted in the first Rune spell he created, featuring six runes acting as the core.
Finally, the structure stabilized completely, every element aligning seamlessly with Kael's intentions. The intricate lines and nodes hummed faintly with power, a quiet testament to the Rune Circuit's completion.
Kael stood up, brushing off the dirt from his palms, his lips curling into a smirk. He recalled the newly constructed Rune Circuit into his mind and thought aloud, "I should probably name these rune structures. It'd make them sound... badass." His small figure paced around the hilltop as the thought took root, his imagination running wild.
"Alright, let's call the two rune spells earlier Heal and Berserk." His tone carried the confidence of someone discovering their creative potential for the first time.
Just as the words left his mouth, a glowing notification flickered across his vision:
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Kael froze, flinching in shock as the messages appeared on his retina. He blinked rapidly. "This... what's the origin of these messages?" he murmured, his small face scrunching into a deep frown.
The glowing letters hovered persistently, as if mocking his confusion. Taking a deep breath, Kael closed his eyes, calming the racing thoughts in his mind.
"If you can't answer the question, the best option is to let time do it for you."
"Right," he muttered, standing straight. "I won't get anywhere by overthinking this." Letting out a resigned sigh, he turned his attention back to the messages. "I'll figure it out eventually."
Reading the notification again, Kael focused on the name of one of the skills. The text expanded instantly:
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Grade: Ascended
Structure: TriCore Adaptive Matrix (3 Cores)
Threads: 10
Nodes: 36
Description: Temporarily enhances physical capabilities, increasing strength, speed, agility, and endurance by 5x.
"Five times!?" Kael exclaimed, his voice cracking with excitement. "Holy sh*tt, no wonder…" He turned his head toward the massive tiger-like corpse lying nearby, realization dawning on him. He had carried that enormous beast up a steep hill as if it were nothing.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he shifted his gaze toward the other skill.
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Grade: Ascended
Structure: HexaNode Cortex Framework(6 Cores)
Threads: 12
Nodes: 48
Description: Heals wounds rapidly and recovers the target's stamina.
"Awesome!" Kael exclaimed, his small frame nearly bouncing with excitement. He couldn't help but admire the elegance of the descriptions, though his mind lingered on one question: What exactly does 'Grade: Ascended' mean? He had a vague idea about the other technical aspects, like the cores and threads, thanks to his understanding of CPU's, but the grading system was a mystery.
Shrugging off his curiosity for the moment, Kael's thoughts drifted to the first Rune Spell he had created. He scratched his head, muttering, "What should I call it? Something fancy? Nah… I'll just call it Elemental Manipulation. No need to think too much." He chuckled, embarrassed by his lack of naming creativity.
As soon as he declared the name, the now-familiar glow returned to his retina:
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…