Ch 46 : Veiled Obsidian heavenly rune

In the main office of the Trading Hall, the hall leader, Sir Harold, listened intently as the clerk delivered his report.

"Is that so?" Sir Harold mused thoughtfully. "I'll speak with the principal about it. You may return to your station."

As soon as the clerk closed the door behind him, Sir Harold vanished from his seat in an instant.

When he reappeared in the principal's office, Sir Arvandus greeted him with a teasing grin. "What brings the grand Trading Hall leader to me today? Bringing urgent news, I assume?"

"You always enjoy your jokes, Sir Arvandus," Sir Harold replied, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm here to inquire about a student named Auron. He and his friends recently raided a goblin encampment. Their report included details that we need to verify, but it involves Sir Chris, Sir Tim, and Chief Moonclaw. Could you confirm this with them so I can properly assign their rewards?"

Sir Arvandus chuckled. "No need. Sir Chris already reached out to me. Everything the students said is true. You can proceed with awarding them the appropriate points."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll handle the rest," Sir Harold said, bowing slightly before disappearing in a flash.

Alone in his office, Sir Arvandus leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. "These students… I should have them placed under special observation."

Meanwhile, in the academy cafeteria, Auron and his friends gathered for dinner after a long day.

"You all did an incredible job on this mission," Auron praised as they ate. "Each of you played your role perfectly, kept your emotions in check, and watched out for one another. You've all grown a lot."

"But don't get too comfortable," he added, his tone serious. "There will be even more dangerous situations ahead. We need to keep improving. And there's something I haven't told you yet—we encountered an abyssal during the mission."

The mention of an abyssal sent a wave of shock through his friends. Alice's eyes widened in disbelief, while Walter and Thyra exchanged worried glances.

"A slimy creature with a murky aura?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Auron nodded. "Seraphael mentioned that abyssals were enemies we fought thousands of years ago. We were lucky. This one was severely injured by experts before we encountered it. Otherwise… we might not have survived."

His friends sat in stunned silence, realizing just how close they had come to disaster.

"The only thing we can do now is become stronger," Auron said firmly. "Stronger than anything that could threaten us."

"So, what's the plan?" Thyra asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up with determination. "I want to push myself further."

"Continue your training as usual, but focus on developing your own unique spells," Auron advised. "You saw the destruction my spell caused, right? That's because my heavenly rune carries destructive traits. Create a unique spell that suits you and your heavenly rune, something that reflects your strengths."

"Just remember," Auron added with a smile, "practice in the Combat Tower so you don't hurt yourselves. Self-created spells can be unpredictable."

They all nodded in agreement, ready for the challenges ahead.

After dinner, Auron retreated to his room, reflecting on the events of the mission. "I should've attempted a breakthrough, but with everything going on, there just wasn't time. Maybe I'll ask Seraphael if she knows a way to conceal my breakthrough," he thought as he prepared for bed.

The next day, Auron and his friends returned to the Trading Hall to claim their rewards.

"There you are! I've been expecting you," the clerk said with a grin. "Hand over your tokens."

He quickly processed the tokens and returned them. "Everything's been verified. Since you all did such a remarkable job, the Trading Hall is awarding each of you 50 points."

Walter immediately purchased a new hammer and shield, upgrading his gear as his old equipment no longer matched his growing strength. The group then spent the rest of the day together in the Spell Training Ground, practicing their spells and honing their combat arts.

While his friends focused on their training, Auron meditated, seeking a new heavenly rune to boost his combat power. As he linked his soul with the Celestial Codex, a new rune slowly took shape in his mind—an obscure shadowy figure, elusive yet material. He could sense the power within, but its true nature remained just beyond his grasp.

"What is this rune?" Auron thought as he delved deeper into meditation. "It feels surreal, as if it can materialize and fade at will…"

Suddenly, his concentration was broken by Eliot, who gently shook him awake.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Auron, but it's already late. We've been waiting for you. It's time for dinner," Eliot said apologetically.

Auron blinked, disoriented. "Is it that late already? I was so focused… it felt like only a few minutes had passed."

His friends laughed as they headed back to the cafeteria. As they ate, Thyra asked curiously, "What were you doing back there? You were so focused."

"I was meditating on a new heavenly rune," Auron explained. "I realized my flashy moves aren't suited for stealth, so I need a rune that helps me with espionage."

"You're making it sound easy," Alice chimed in playfully. "It takes me ages to make progress with my runes."

Auron grinned, mimicking her tone. "That's because I'm a genius."

They all laughed, but they respected Auron's privacy, knowing that he wasn't ready to share the details just yet.

Later that night, back in his room, Auron resumed his meditation, determined to uncover the secrets of this new heavenly rune. He spent the entire week focused on it, and finally, after days of effort, the rune revealed itself to him fully.

It was the Veiled Obsidian Rune. The "Veiled" referred to its ability to allow the user to blend into shadows, disappearing into the darkness. The "Obsidian" trait let him solidify shadows into tangible objects. This rune would completely change his combat style, giving him unparalleled stealth and versatility.

"With this," Auron thought, "I can take my abilities to a whole new level."

Auron emptied his mind and closed his eyes, focusing intently. "Xiao Yu, monitor my condition. I'm going to carve this heavenly rune into my lower dantian," he said calmly.

Slowly, he began the delicate process of carving the Veiled Obsidian Rune onto his dantian. The moment he succeeded, an overwhelming sensation washed over him—he felt as if he were drowning in absolute darkness. His senses were completely muted; no light, no sound, not even the feel of his own body. It was an eerie void, an abyss he couldn't escape.

Then, just as suddenly, Auron found himself back in his room, gasping for breath.

"What happened just now, Xiao Yu?" he asked, still trying to comprehend the surreal experience.

"Your heartbeat spiked suddenly, and for a few moments, it seemed as if the world lost all light," Xiao Yu responded, her tone filled with curiosity.

Auron blinked, his pulse still racing. "Is that so? Wow, this rune is even more powerful than I thought."

At the same time, in the principal's office, Sir Arvandus sat up in alarm, sensing something unusual. "What was that just now? It felt like the entire academy was engulfed in darkness. Even I couldn't see through it," he muttered, perplexed.

After a moment of contemplation, he sighed. "Inform the students that there's no need to panic. Tell them it's just a natural moon eclipse," Sir Arvandus instructed his staff, masking his own unease.

Though he passed it off as a cosmic phenomenon, deep down, he knew this was no ordinary eclipse—it was something far more mysterious, and he couldn't shake the feeling of intense unease.