Ch 27 : Heavenly Rune carved

After class, Auron decided to check on his friends at the Spell Training Ground, curious to see their progress. However, upon arriving, he found the area empty. With a sigh, he made his way to the cafeteria, figuring they must have headed there instead. Sure enough, they were there, gathered around a table, laughing and chatting over lunch.

Auron's stomach growled after the intense sparring session, and he didn't hesitate to load his plate with an impressive amount of meat and buns. His tray piled high, he joined them at the table.

"Hey, Auron, what's up with you today? You never eat this much! Did something possess you?" Thyra teased, raising an eyebrow. Having known Auron the longest, his sudden increase in appetite surprised her.

"Nothing like that," Auron replied, already halfway through a mouthful of meat. "Just tired myself out sparring," he said between bites, clearly enjoying the food. "This really hits the spot."

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared beside their table—Walter, looking a little unsure. "Um, Auron, mind if I sit with you guys? I don't really have any friends other than you," Walter asked hesitantly.

"Of course, grab a seat," Eliot said warmly, motioning to the empty spot beside him.

"Thanks for having me. I'm Walter, an augmenter from class 1A. Nice to meet you all," Walter introduced himself with a friendly smile.

The group welcomed him, and soon they were laughing and chatting again as they ate. Auron, having finished his plate, went back for seconds.

"You sure are eating a lot today, Auron," Alice commented with a smirk. Then she turned to Walter. "Do all augmenters eat like this?"

Walter chuckled. "Not always, but today we had combat training with weighted bracelets and anklets. It drains a lot of energy."

"Wait, no sparring?" Thyra asked, confused. "Auron said he had a sparring session today."

Walter shook his head with a mix of admiration and awe. "Well, there's no one in our class who's willing to spar with him anymore. We're not on the same level. He sparred with our instructor. It was intense. Every move he made was packed with power, and no one dares challenge him after that."

Just as Walter finished speaking, Auron returned to the table with another plate. Alice immediately shot him a curious look.

"Did you really spar with the instructor? That's incredible!" Alice exclaimed, eyes wide. "I'm proud to have a friend like you."

"Yeah, me too," Eliot chimed in.

"But when do you even have time to train, Auron? I've never seen you practice," Thyra asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Auron smirked, spinning a tale with ease. "I go upstream to train alone. That's why you don't see me."

Thyra pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm going to tell Thorne you've been training without us!"

They all finished their meals and headed to the Spell Training Ground together, with Walter tagging along since he had nothing else to do.

Once there, Auron took on a mentoring role, guiding his friends through their spellcasting and combat arts. He explained the concept of intention behind spell structures to Alice and Thyra, giving them more insight than Miss Eleanor had. He even supplied some of his celestial aura to Eliot so that he could better perceive and condense his mana core. Lastly, Auron corrected a flaw in Walter's combat art, offering practical advice. After assisting his friends, Auron sat down under a tree, closing his eyes to meditate on the Primordial Fire Heavenly Rune. With every passing moment, the structure of the rune grew clearer.

"Should I carve the rune onto my mana core now, Xiao Yu? This Primordial Fire Heavenly Rune is so profound that I'm worried I won't reach Tier 2 at all," Auron mused, his frustration evident.

"Sir, have you forgotten that you follow a completely different cultivation system? It won't affect you the same way as a typical magus," Xiao Yu reminded him gently.

Auron nodded, reassured. "That's true. Thanks for the reminder, Xiao Yu. I'll carve it now since I already have a general outline. I'll continue to refine the rune over time, like a regular magus would do to advance to the next tier."

Letting his friends know he was going to cultivate alone for a while, Auron slipped away to a desolate area, ready to focus on his breakthrough.

"Xiao Yu, assist me. Monitor my condition and progress carefully. I'll be using my Mystical Eyes to oversee the carving process," Auron instructed, his tone serious.

With his Mystical Eyes activated, Auron visualized the Primordial Fire Heavenly Rune and began the delicate process of carving it into his lower dantian with his celestial aura. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he carefully etched the rune bit by bit. As he neared completion, he felt a sudden surge in temperature, like his body was being consumed by flames. Mana from the surroundings converged around him wildly, and fire ignited on his skin as he achieved a breakthrough.

In that moment, all his clothes were burned to ash, leaving him stark naked, though he hardly noticed. He could feel the immense power coursing through his body. His celestial aura now roared like a raging fire, fiercer and more potent. Simultaneously, his Genetic Ascension Art advanced to the early stage of Muscle Enhancement. His dominant genetic cells began transforming, amplifying his abilities. His skin took on a jade-like sheen, and his muscles became as strong as woven steel.

"Sir, you need to put on some clothes and suppress your cultivation! That breakthrough caused quite a commotion. Experts will be rushing over any second!" Xiao Yu warned urgently.

Auron quickly dressed, suppressing his celestial aura and taking a detour back to his friends.

"There! The commotion came from over there!" A group of experts, led by Sir Baldwin, hurried towards the scorched clearing Auron had left behind.

"Look at this place. Everything's been burned to a crisp. There's not a trace of vitality left in the land," Sir Baldwin said, surveying the scene grimly.

"I hope it's not related to those things from the outside world," another expert muttered. "We need to find the source of this disturbance."

The group quickly dispersed to search for the culprit, unaware that Auron had already rejoined his friends at the Spell Training Ground.

Still engrossed in their training, they hadn't even noticed his absence. Auron sat back under the tree, casually checking his recent improvements, content that his breakthrough had gone unnoticed.