Once they emerged from the dungeon, the scene before them left everyone stunned. The subordinates, who had been left behind, were crouched behind the trees, weapons drawn, their faces pale and tense. It was as if they were bracing for a monster to come charging out.
But when they turned and looked behind them, even they were speechless.
The mountains towered over the landscape, stark and imposing, their jagged peaks slicing into the sky like blades.
The rock was dark, weathered, and lifeless, devoid of any sign of vegetation. Though the mountains had risen from the earth only moments ago, they carried an ancient presence, their surfaces etched with cracks and shadows that gave them a timeless, foreboding appearance.
The air was heavy with unease. The silence was broken only by the occasional whisper of the wind weaving through the peaks.
"OH, FUCK!" Edrim exploded, his voice echoing across the clearing.
"Well, City Lord," Varrick drawled, leaning casually against a tree despite the tension in his eyes, "you've got quite the situation on your hands. These mountains might not have glowing runes, but you know what everyone's going to think.
The elves? They'll say humans have stumbled onto an ancient power of the Runes. And the council back in your precious city? Oh, they'll love this—until they start arresting people to cover their asses."
Edrim turned on him, his face red with anger. "You think this doesn't involve you, Varrick? You're neck-deep in this too, black-market rat! The kingdom's spies are always sniffing around for people like you.
How long do you think it'll take before they decide you're the one smuggling 'ancient runes' and throw you into the dungeons?"
Varrick' s smirk faltered slightly, but he recovered quickly, shrugging. "You're not wrong, City Lord. I'm in trouble, sure. But here's the difference: I know how to play this game. You? You're the one who's going to be at the center of this storm.
When the Council members and the elves come knocking, they won't be looking at me—they'll be looking at you. So, good luck explaining this mess."
Edrim's hand moved instinctively toward the hilt of his sword. "You think I won't deal with you right here and now, Varrick? I've got more important things to worry about than your snide comments!"
Varrick raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin returning. "Easy now, City Lord. You kill me, and who's going to help you navigate the underbelly of this whole mess? Face it, you need me, whether you like it or not."
Edrim glared at him, breathing heavily, but he let his hand drop from his sword. Turning his gaze back to the mountains, he muttered under his breath, "Whoever's responsible for this… I swear, they'll pay. Do you hear me? I'll kill them, no matter who they are!"
His voice echoed into the empty expanse, his rage absorbed by the looming silence of the peaks.
Varrick, ever the opportunist, adjusted his coat and glanced toward the cave. "Well, looks like we're in this together now, whether we like it or not.
One thing's for sure: this little 'incident' is going to turn the world on its head. And we'd better figure out how to stay ahead of the fallout before it buries us both."
Edrim didn't respond. His eyes were locked onto the mountains—those simple, lifeless hunks of stone. But Edrim knew better.
He knew the elves and the Council wouldn't care about the truth. To them, these mountains weren't just rocks; they were a powder keg, waiting for the spark of suspicion, accusations, and chaos to light the fuse.
And here they were—Edrim and Varrick—standing way too close to that impending explosion.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all, Ash, was living his best life, lounging around and enjoying a feast like there was no tomorrow.
"AHHH, that was delicious!" Ash exclaimed to no one in particular, his face glowing with the contentment of someone who just ate a meal that could solve world peace.
***
One Week Passed
Well, one week had passed, and oh boy, what a week it had been. The elves had come knocking on humanity's door, all high and mighty, demanding to study the NATURE'S RUNE—because apparently, they have a "right" to poke around in ancient, magical stuff.
Meanwhile, Edrim's probably getting pressure from the higher-ups to spill the beans on where the rune is, and if I had to guess, his life is probably a nonstop rollercoaster of stress and dodging questions. Same goes for Varrick. Those two are probably hiding under their beds by now.
And that's exactly why I have absolutely no intention of letting anyone figure out who I am. This rune may be hidden for now, but trust me, the next one won't be.
The Rune of Balance was the first Rune the protagonist got his hands on in the novel and, fused with it?
The Rune of stability was a Rune which was absorbed somehow by a villain but even in the novel There was no explanation how he was able to fuse with a Rune that no one was able to.
The Rune of Stability was not much help to the Mc after he got it from killing the villain, You can say it just helped him in keeping his mind calm.
Well that Aside After Ray Fused with the Rune of Balance both the elves and humans wanted him on a silver platter.
Lucky for him (and unlucky for everyone else), the Human council gave him "protection"—which, let's be honest, sounds a lot more like "shadow surveillance" than protection. But hey, that's bureaucracy for you.
A week later, it was time for the next phase of my plan. If I didn't move soon, I'd miss my chance to grab the rune, and I wasn't about to let that happen.
As these thoughts rumbled around in my head, a wicked grin stretched across my face.
I slipped out of the inn and headed straight for the alley where, over the past week, I have generously enlisted a small army of kids. Why kids? Because they're fast, they'll do anything for a shiny coin, and they make excellent messengers.
Ash reached into his coat, pulled out his mask, and slapped it onto his face. The transformation was complete: mysterious figure, ready to rock and roll.
When he entered the alley, he was met by at least 100 kids, all standing at attention like they were about to hear a big speech from the president. And honestly, they thought he was some kind of bigwig with a treasure chest full of gold. He had that vibe.
"Alright, kiddos!" Ash boomed, his voice carrying a mix of authority and let's-have-some-fun.
"Here's the deal. Each of you gets ONE gold coin—yes, you heard me right, ONE—but you have to do something for me. I want you to go all over the city and tell everyone that a crazy thing just happened in the forest. A mountain shot up from the ground overnight, and it's packed with treasure! Got it?"
"YES, SIR!!!" the kids cheered, all looking like they'd just been told they could eat candy for breakfast.
Ash handed out the coins, and just like that, the kids scattered faster than you could say "treasure hunt."
A few seconds later, the alley was empty, and Ash was standing there, alone, in the dim light.
If anyone had seen him, they would've thought they were staring at a nightmare straight out of a child's bad dream.
Wild, untamed hair that looked like it belonged to a creature from the abyss, eyes glowing a menacing red (thanks to that lovely crescent-shaped smile), and that creepy mask that could make even the bravest person think twice before entering an alley.
Honestly, if he didn't know he was being dramatic, he might've even gotten a little freaked out himself.
But hey, all in a day's work.
***
Within a day, the news of the mysterious mountain spread like wildfire across the city. And once the spark is ignited, controlling the fire becomes nearly impossible.
Adventurers were out in full force, confirming the impossible—a mountain had just popped out of the ground like some kind of geological party trick.
Humans, of course, love to believe what they see with their own eyes, especially when there's treasure involved.
But here's the kicker: humans are greedy. Show them even a tiny sliver of truth, and they'll swallow the whole lie as if it were their last meal. Really peculiar creatures.
Ash thought as he observed the madness in the city.
The city guards were doing their best to keep people away from the mountain, but little did they know, they were just making Ash's job way easier.
You know what happens when you try to stop someone from doing something—everyone starts getting curious.
Even the skeptics who didn't believe in the whole mountain eruption story were now starting to wonder, and the true believers were swarming like flies to a picnic. At this rate, the guards might as well have rolled out the welcome mat.
Sure enough, people started flooding the gate in droves, and the guards couldn't stop them. Within an hour, the gates were wide open. Ash, of course, tagged along with the crowd, because what's a good adventure without a bit of chaos?
After a little hike, they finally reached the mountains. To be honest, Ash was speechless at the sheer size of the thing.
He knew it would be big, but there's a world of difference between reading about something in a novel and seeing it in person. It was like the difference between seeing a picture of a cake and actually getting a slice. One is good, but the other is very satisfying.
Shaking himself out of his daze, Ash quickly refocused. No time to gawk—he had a job to do.
He made his way with the crowd toward the cave where, supposedly, the S-rankers had battled the Shadow Maw.
After walking for sometime with the crowd, he silently slipped from the crowd and made his way towards the blood on the ground.
The body of the beast was long gone, but the blood stains were still fresh. Ash smirked. Humans—never clean up after themselves.
He walked over to a corner where the blood had turned a peculiar shade of black and pulled out a small tube.
He scraped up the gory mess from the ground, filled the tube with it, and added a bit of water. The liquid turned into a deep, dark sludge. Well, that should do the trick, he thought. This goo was all he needed to finally get his hands on the rune.
With the important task now done, Ash didn't stick around to admire his work. He had what he came for.
After sometime he left with the crowd just as he came.
**
[EDRIM'S POV]
Edrim sat in his chambers, staring blankly out the window at the chaos unfolding in the streets below.
The weight of the past few days pressed down on him like an immovable boulder, suffocating every breath. He hadn't slept in what felt like an eternity since the mountain had erupted into existence, and yet the demands and accusations only grew louder with each passing hour.
The elves were the first to strike. Their emissary's letter lay on his desk, its words sharp as daggers:
"We Need to study the runes obtained from the mountain. Any attempt to prevent this will be considered an act of hostility."
And then there was the Human Council—self-serving Bastards and politicians who saw the rune as their personal prize.
"The rune belongs to the Human Council, Edrim. Do not stand in our way. If there is magic to be had, we will claim it as our right. You are to submit it to us immediately."
Edrim had fought back against their demands for days, insisting the mountain was nothing more than stone, that there were no runes, no magic within its depths.
"There is no rune!" he had shouted, desperate to make them listen, "The mountain is barren! Just stone! It isn't what you think it is!"
But they refused to listen. The elves believed in ancient powers slumbering beneath the earth, and the council—always eager to exploit anything For money and Magic stones—had already made up their minds to claim the power for themselves.
But it wasn't just the elves and the council causing the stir.
The streets outside were a frenzy of greed and speculation. News of the mountain's sudden appearance had spread like wildfire, but the common folk weren't concerned with runes or magic.
To them, the mountain was a treasure chest waiting to be looted—gold, jewels, riches beyond their wildest dreams.
And so, they gathered at the gates, demanding entry, desperate to claim their piece of the supposed fortune.
A knock at the door broke his thoughts.
"Enter," he called, his voice tired.
A guard stepped inside, his face pale and anxious. "My Lord, the situation at the gates has worsened."
Edrim sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What now?"
"The crowd's grown. Merchants, scavengers, even commoners—they're all demanding to be let through. Some are saying the closed gates are proof you're hoarding the treasure for yourself. Riots are breaking out in the lower districts."
Edrim slammed his fist onto the desk, the sound reverberating through the room. "I ordered the gates closed to prevent chaos!"
"Forgive me, my Lord, but it seems to have done the opposite. The rumors are spreading faster than we can control. Treasure hunters are already arriving from nearby towns. If we don't open the gates soon…"
The unspoken threat hung in the air: the gates would fall, whether by force or by desperation.
The guard hesitated before continuing. "There's one more thing, my Lord. We've received reports of suspicious individuals near the mountains. They don't appear to be locals. Some of my men believe they're after whatever lies inside."
Edrim's jaw tightened. "Of course they are. Keep them under surveillance. Anyone acting suspiciously, anyone even thinking of doing something foolish—I want them arrested and brought to me. Double the security around the mountains. No one goes near them without my permission."
The guard saluted and left, leaving Edrim alone with his thoughts. He leaned against the window, his fingers drumming restlessly against the sill.
The rumors of treasure had spread like wildfire, consuming the city, threatening to engulf the entire region. There was no controlling it now. He'd underestimated the power of greed, the magnetic pull of wealth.
But more than that, he knew this chaos wasn't random. Someone had orchestrated it with cold precision. Whoever it was had played them all, turning elves, council, and common folk into puppets, each dancing to the tune of a hidden master.
It wasn't Varrick. The black-market dealer was tangled in his own web, struggling to hold onto what remained of his network. No, this was someone else—someone who had pulled all the strings, setting them on this path toward madness.
Edrim turned away from the window, his face grim. He barked an order to the guard stationed outside his door.
"Open the gates. Let them out, but keep the peace. Patrols—double them. No, triple them. And if anyone so much as whispers of trouble, I want to hear about it. Immediately."
The guard nodded and hurried off to carry out the orders.
Edrim sank back into his chair, rubbing his temples. He couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just some coincidence. Someone had turned his city into a powder keg, and now he was left holding the match.
Whoever it was, they had planned this perfectly, making sure no one would believe him—no matter how loudly he shouted the truth.
***
After obtaining the blood of the Shadow Maw, Ash returned to the inn, his steps light despite the weight of the task he had just completed.
He slipped through the door, glancing around to make sure no one was watching—though with the chaos outside, it wasn't like anyone cared what he was doing.
He made his way to his room and sank onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. The job was done. The blood was in the vial, and with that, he held the key to the rune.
All the frantic planning, the sneaky maneuvers, the crowd of eager treasure hunters—it was all worth it. Even if they somehow managed to clean up every last bloodstain from the cave, it didn't matter. The key had been secured, and no one would be able to stop him now.
With a satisfied grin, he kicked off his boots and stretched out. There was no need to worry anymore. Everything was in place.
The rune was within reach, and even the mess he'd left behind wouldn't be enough to ruin his plans. Let the others scramble and fight over the mountain. Ash had already won.
As he closed his eyes and let himself relax for the first time in days, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Let them chase their treasure, while I chase the real prize.
***