Continent of Pride[1]

Tomorrow came and the two were summoned by the Sect Master towards the University of Modern Magic. Arriving at the Headmaster Quarters, they became overjoyed to find that the Sect Master commissioned a Rune Scanner and the latest laptop model.

Lily played with the laptop while Khan borrowed a fountain pen and started inscribing Runes for his use.

'Right now, what I need is to create powerful Runes for as much as I could...Since although I cannot use Qi, I still have my Divine Ascendance Realm soul, so I think I can still manage.' Khan thought, his concentration focused on the work before him.

Back when he sacrificed a part of his soul to save Lily, most of the damage done was towards his body, fortunately, his soul was able to recover, albeit with an entire realm deduction. From the peak of the Divine Emperor Realm, his soul regressed to the peak of the Divine Ascendance Realm.

Since a Rune Decipherer's maximum capacity to store Runes was about six. Khan made two defensive Runes, three offensive Runes, and one Rune for escaping.

He also made Runes for Lily but didn't bother with making for the Sect Master, for a person with such cultivation doesn't really need a Rune.

Lily received the Runes and made some modifications before placing it on her Rune Decipherer's hotkey. She reduced the amount of Mana that Khan's rune would consume to materialize.

She wanted to do it for Khan too, but the latter disapproved, stating that it would diminish its power.

The entire day ended with them working on their own duties. After ensuring that the mansion was thoroughly secured, the three left for an international flight towards Lema Island.

Because the Continent of Pride didn't allow any modern vehicles to enter their continent. The group could only stop on an island between the Continent of Greed and Pride.

Throughout the travel, Khan bought several books from the University's library and absorbed the contained information for as much as he could before they would arrive at Lema Island.

Because of this, Khan finally became enlightened about the so-called Mana that the Rune Decipherers use. It was said that it was discovered by Filipino Scientists back in 2018.

However, it took them about ten years to unravel the useful effects that it had on Modern Technology, according to them, Mana was the product of a person's thoughts and intentions, it was an intangible existence that could exist everywhere for as long as there was a desire and need for it.

Khan frowned, for the information he received was actually still a theory, nevertheless, its existence was proven by the invention of Rune Decipherers, and almost everyone, of every age, could use one, the only difference amongst them was their capability to store Mana.

It could be likened to a glass, of which, water is Mana, no matter how much water you wanted, you would be limited to the container that you're using.

According to the researchers, a person's Mana capacity is decided at birth, if you were born mediocre, then you would always be mediocre.

Khan almost threw the book on the ground when he read this, 'A person's Mana capacity is decided at birth? What utter bullshit! Mana capacity is basically the soul's capacity to store energy! and the soul works like a muscle wherein enough training could increase its strength and capacity!'

Khan glanced at the drowsy Sect Master, tapped him on his shoulders and asked, "Mind if I ask you some questions?"

The Sect Master groggily opened his eyes, he yawned for a moment before replying, "What is it?"

"I'm just curious, according to this book, everyone can use a Rune Decipherer, yet why are sales of it, extremely limited in quantity?"

"Haah?" The Sect Master's murky eyes became wide awake towards this question, he crossed his arms together and said, "That's because the development, production, and sale of Rune Decipherers are heavily subsidized by the government as a matter of national interest. Retail pricing is only about fifteen percent than the actual cost. However, its price is still too expensive that families could only buy one for certain occasions as gifts."

"And even if you buy one, what's the use of it if you can't even use a single spell of the Silver Ranked? Because of that, not everyone bothers to buy and the companies which produce those Rune Decipherers became scarce in number due to low turnover rates, and several years later... There you have it, Rune Decipherers are now becoming increasingly rare."

"Now that I think about it, here..." The Sect Master fumbled in his pocket before withdrawing two identical rings, he threw it towards Khan, of which, the latter caught in his hands.

"What is this?"

"That's a mini Rune Decipherer, you can place about three Runes in that ring."

"Huh? Why would I use this when I have the normal Rune Decipherers?"

"Well, if you wanted to be denied entrance when you get in the Continent of Pride, you can keep wearing that thing." The Sect Master's gaze turned towards the Rune Decipherer on Khan's arms.

"Damn, their discrimination towards Modern Technology is already that far?" The Sect Master nodded towards Khan's words before shooing him away to sleep.

Khan sighed, he returned back towards his seat, of which, he found a smiling Lily. Khan stopped, his gaze focused on his shoes, he kneeled down and was about to lace his shoes when he remembered the rings that the Sect Master gave.

Lily looked at him in confusion, 'Why is this guy kneeling there?'

But in the next instant, her complexion became filled with utter disbelief for Khan presented a ring with his hand.

'Wha-wha-wha-wha-what is going on?! He's actually proposing?! And in this setting?!' Lily looked around and found that almost all of the passengers were dead asleep, however, her embarrassment didn't dissipate and one could see a huge amount of joy, hidden within her eyes.

Khan frowned, 'Why are you taking so long in taking this ring? I need to tie my shoelaces!'

Lily looked at him in confusion, 'Why is he not saying anything? Shouldn't he be saying something like, May I take your hand in marriage?! Wait, no- that shouldn't happen, we're moving too fast! too fast!' The young girl's head went into overdrive as she repeatedly shook her head.

'Why is she hesitating on taking this ring? It's not like giving a ring is something special...'

Khan thought in his mind, just as he was about to stand up. He was interrupted by the Sect Master's whistle.

"Woohoo! You're actually proposing here?" The Sect Master wore a cheeky smile, prompting Lily's expression to become even more flushed.

"Proposi-"

"Ah!" Khan shot upwards, his face reddened as he desperately explained. The Sect Master at the side covered his mouth while laughing while Lily wore an embarrassed, yet, disappointed expression.

With the first sight of the sun rising from the east, their international flight towards Lema Island came to a close. The group went outside and felt the warm and salty breeze that came from the ocean.

They looked around and found that the island looked entirely different from Muspelheim, it could be said that the people who lived in here lived side by side with nature, and as a member of the Nature Dragons, Lily wore a smile as she observed the natives.

The group arrived at their inn and after eating their breakfast, the couple ditched the Sect Master and went own their own, exploring the beauty of the island.

With an astonishingly beautiful girl by his side, Khan strutted proudly, he held Lily's hand, going around and showing off the beauty by his side, which earned him the scorn of the young men that lived around the area.

"I told you guys, that we won't be going with you!"

"Don't think that just because you're a mainlander that you could do everything that you wanted on our turf!"

Two distressed voices rang around the area, Khan and Lily stopped in their tracks as they made their way towards the source of the voice.

There they found three people, one boy and two young girls being cornered by five young men that looked to be the same age as Khan.

"Hehehe, this country bumpkins really are persistence and prideful... But that is what this young master likes, the harder your resistance is, the harder my lance becomes!"

A young man that looked like a ball of fat cackled as he lustfully stared at the young women that sat on the ground, just behind the boy.

The boy stared at the group with moistened eyes that shone with determination. He held a wooden stick in his hand while he stood in a defensive position.

"Kid, kid, if this was the age of savages, you could consider that stick as a good weapon. But now, we're in the future! And the true kings are us, Magicians!"

He tapped on his wrist as a surge of Runes formed before his outstretched hand, seeing this, the boy gritted his teeth and braced for impact.

But before the Rune could form, a whizzing sound swept as the materializing Rune dissipated into nothingness.

"Wha-"

"Who the hell are you guys?! Why are you meddling in our business?!" The five young men startled in shock, especially the fat young man, as they were about to tap on their Rune Decipherers, they lost the lights in their eyes as they fell flat on the ground, unconscious.

Behind all of them was Lily with her arm formed into a sword. A faint greenish light could be seen enveloping her hand, towards this kind of men, Lily didn't have the need to give mercy.

Khan glanced at the fallen young men and shook his head, 'By the looks of it, these guys would wake up as a retard.'

'Oh well, fewer cancers in the community is much better.'

Khan was about to ask about their conditions but found that they had already sped towards Lily.

"Woah, sister you're so strong! How did you do that? You defeated them in an instant!"

Khan clenched his fist in indignation, but upon seeing Lily's joyful smile, his indignation turned into gratitude.

The couple asked them several questions as to what actually happened, and it looks like Khan's guess was right, the young boy found those five young men forcing themselves towards the young women, they must've thought that just because they were on an Island that was far away from the nearest civilization that they could do everything that they liked.

Unfortunately for them, they met the two.

Later on, the couple found themselves as guests at their house, they also found that two young women were actually sisters and that their names were Eileen and Grace.

Unfortunately, the father of the two women was out on the open sea. When Lily asked them for their mother's whereabouts, their complexion became sorrowful, prompting the former to repeatedly apologize.

The group ate their dinners while Lily talked about the wonders of the outside world, it took them long enough to finish that everything became pitch-black.

Although Khan could still go home, he was irritated to find that Lily, a member of the strongest Race was actually afraid of ghosts. Eventually, after Lily's pestering, he was forced to stay for the night.

The dazzling rays of the sun woke their bodies to slumber, but they were shocked to find that the two young women who stayed with them in the house disappeared, they only found a letter stating that if they didn't come to this location by three in the afternoon, the two women would die.

Khan's face flushed with incomparable anger while Lily's eyes flashed with a deep green light that indicated the great fluctuations of her emotions.

A menacing and bloodthirsty aura enveloped the two as they made their way towards the designated location.