Ch 39 : New Heavenly Rune

In the Combat Tower, Auron and his friends were receiving their Heavenly Rune sets from Seraphael.

"I'll start with Eliot, as you haven't carved any Heavenly Runes on your mana core yet," Seraphael began. "Based on what I've observed during the fights, you're clearly suited to the support role. For that, you'll need strong defensive and healing capabilities. You're also intelligent and cheerful, which this rune set complements well. While I don't have a rune set that perfectly matches your personality, this one is the best fit from my rewards."

Seraphael handed Eliot a book. "This is the Guardian Tide Heavenly Rune set. It will guide your cultivation until you reach the 4th-tier Magus. It enhances your mana core, giving it the qualities of a tide—calm, yet powerful. The unique aspect of this rune is its ability to boost both defensive and healing spells."

"Thank you so much!" Eliot said, his excitement and gratitude clear.

"You've earned it," Seraphael smiled.

"Go ahead and start carving your Heavenly Rune," Auron encouraged, and Eliot smiled, sitting off to the side to begin the process.

"Next is Alice," Seraphael continued. "You're an extroverted and cheerful person with great fire elemental affinity, and you possess the highest firepower among your friends. Therefore, I'm giving you the Blazing Sun Heavenly Rune."

A book appeared in Seraphael's hand, which she handed to Alice. "This rune set will amplify your mana, making it more potent. It significantly increases the damage of your fire-based spells, and it will also subtly boost your allies' morale when you release your mana."

"Thank you so much!" Alice bowed, eager to test her new rune.

"Wait," Auron interjected. "You, Thyra, and Walter will need to disperse your current mana core and Heavenly Rune first. Otherwise, your foundation won't be stable enough to integrate the new rune sets."

"Seraphael will assist in the process," Auron assured them. "She'll make sure there's no pain or hidden damage that could impact your future."

"Got it, I'll wait for them," Alice replied.

"Thyra, you're up," Seraphael said. "From what Auron told me, you're a shy person, but you command your team with clarity and precision. You have a calm and tactical approach—silent, yet deadly. The Silent Tempest Heavenly Rune set is perfect for you."

"This rune will increase your control over wind spells. Once carved into your mana core, your mana will become traceless, making it difficult for others to detect. Your wind spells will also gain enhanced slicing power."

A rare smile crossed Thyra's face. "Thank you."

"Lastly, Walter," Seraphael said, turning to him. "You embody what it means to be an Augmenter—confident, reliable, and steadfast. Your friends can trust you on the frontlines. I'm giving you the Terra Guardian Heavenly Rune set."

"This set will make your mana core produce dense, earth-like mana. It will reinforce your earth spells, making them more durable and giving you enhanced resilience and endurance in battle. This will allow you to fight for longer durations without tiring."

Walter nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Seraphael."

"You all need to relax," Seraphael said gently. "I'll purge your mana cores one by one. This will ensure nothing goes wrong during the process."

Alice sat on the ground, closing her eyes. Seraphael placed her tiny hands on Alice's back, around her stomach where the mana core was located. She channeled her own mana, slowly purging the Heavenly Rune carved into Alice's mana core. Her mana carefully "washed" over Alice's core, but it wasn't painless.

"Urgh, it hurts," Alice thought, gritting her teeth as discomfort spread through her. A few seconds later, Seraphael finished the procedure, completely erasing the existing Heavenly Rune.

"I'm sorry it hurt a bit," Seraphael apologized. "It's been a long time since I've done this."

Alice, feeling drained, lay down for a moment to recover. Seraphael then repeated the process with Thyra and Walter, who also experienced some discomfort, though only briefly as the procedure was completed swiftly.

"Auron," Seraphael said, turning to him, "I think it would be best for your friends to rest for the day. The purification process causes some mental fatigue."

"I agree," Auron responded. "We'll leave for now. But don't worry, we'll use the Combat Tower as our training ground going forward. Thank you for today."

Seraphael smiled warmly. "It's no trouble. I'm just doing what I can. If your friends continue to perform well, I'll make sure to reward them accordingly."

Auron and his friends left the tower and returned to their rooms. Alice, Thyra, and Walter were visibly exhausted, while Eliot, having skipped the purification process, looked perfectly fine.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," scoffed the elder when he saw their weary expressions. "Now you know this place isn't somewhere to fool around."

"You all did well," Auron reassured them. "Rest up today, and let's meet at the Spell Training Ground tomorrow. I've got something for you all."

"Oh, and don't forget to bring your Heavenly Rune set books tomorrow," Auron added. "I need to study them a bit."

The next day, they all gathered at the Spell Training Ground as promised. Auron gestured for them to come closer. "This is what I've been working on for the past few months—a soul cultivation technique. It will help you strengthen your soul by absorbing spirit energy from the air, much like how you absorb mana. However, as your soul swells, you'll need to compress it. Although you can't see your soul, you'll definitely feel the discomfort. The compression part is very painful, but you'll need to endure it. This cultivation technique is called the Soul Harmonization Art. A strong soul will allow you to visualize the Heavenly Runes faster," Auron explained, handing each of them a scroll.

"Have you all carved the Heavenly Rune onto your mana cores?" asked Auron.

"Yes, I succeeded last night!" Eliot said excitedly, eager to catch up after being behind in progress.

"Me too," Alice replied. "I thought it would be easier since it's not my first time, but it was actually harder. I can already feel the benefits of having a powerful Heavenly Rune set."

"Yeah," Thyra chimed in. "Any wind spell I cast doesn't make any buzzing sound anymore, thanks to the rune."

"I definitely feel stronger," Walter added. "The dense mana really helps me maintain my strength for longer periods."

"That's great! Now, try cultivating with the Soul Harmonization Art. I'll monitor your progress," Auron suggested, watching them closely as they prepared to begin the next step in their cultivation journey.