Chapter 10: Purpose Of Runes

"So, you understand now," Thoth said, leaning back in his seat. We were back at the table, with Officer Verna sitting beside me. She insisted—it was hard for me to move comfortably. I appreciated her care.

From what I'd been told, Life Essence existed in every living being around me. Some non-living things too, apparently. For humans like me, the amount of Life Essence in our bodies is fixed and, frankly, quite low. But for someone with even a trace of divine blood—however small or miserable—there's the ability to control it. That control allows us to circulate the Essence through our bodies, strengthening them over time with enough practice and effort.

This Life Essence was everything to carriers of divine blood. Unlike normal humans, if we didn't learn to regulate it, the divine blood would corrode our bodies, leading to complete failure. Death, in simpler terms.

Of course, Life Essence had other uses too. Like Thoth's trick with the armor set. He explained it was a skill that let him manipulate inanimate objects. It had limitations, though. Apparently, even I could develop such abilities. I already had a skill listed under my status called "A Silent Song." I didn't know what it was yet, but I hoped it would be something useful.

I still had questions about the string of letters hovering in front of my eyes—the ones I could now summon or dismiss at will. The information it displayed felt cryptic, yet essential.

"If you have questions, ask them now. I have a few minutes before I need to leave," Thoth said, leaning forward.

"How do I regulate Life Essence in my body?" I asked. This was the most important thing to me. Without that ability, my body wouldn't last under the strain of this divine blood coursing through my veins.

The idea of being a descendant of a deity still felt surreal. Shouldn't I be lounging in some mansion in the heavens with angels catering to my every whim? Instead, I'd spent nine years starving in a slum. The irony wasn't lost on me.

Thoth smiled knowingly. "You can't. Not yet, anyway. You don't have Essence Veins. Your Innate Life Essence is currently clustered around your heart, unable to circulate through your body."

"How do I get these Essence Veins?" I pressed.

"Oh, about that..." Thoth paused and glanced at Verna before continuing. "You'll need to challenge a Hex Trial. If you survive it, your body will regenerate."

"If I survive?" I repeated, unease creeping into my voice.

"Well..." Thoth checked his watch, then stood abruptly. "Oh, would you look at the time? Verna will explain the rest." And with that, he strode out of the hall, leaving me with more questions than answers.

I stared after him, stunned. Hex Trial? That didn't sound good.

Verna clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed, before turning to me. "A Hex Trial is a challenge issued by the Runes. Those who survive it are called Runebounds. Since you're a Challenger, your first trial will create Essence Veins in your body."

That made...some sense. I guessed. The idea of creating new veins in an already developed body sounded absurd. Then again, logic seemed to have little relevance when it came to Runes or those bound to them.

"Why was Thoth so weird about telling me this?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

Verna's sapphire eyes darkened for a moment before she answered. "Because Hex Trials are dangerous. The success rate for people who aren't from the Great Houses—or their vassals—is close to zero. And for someone like you, from the slums...it's practically impossible."

"What happens if I fail?" I asked, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"You die," Verna said bluntly, without hesitation. It was as if she'd been preparing for this conversation. Was that why she'd been so kind? Did she pity me? Or was she guilty about something?

"Okay," I replied weakly. Before I could ask more, Verna continued, her tone colder than before but her words surprisingly gentle.

"That's why I want you to leave for Jotunheim tomorrow morning. You'll travel with the Anchor Stabilizers. They'll help you locate a trial site. Jotunheim has far more Triggers set up than Midgard. Traveling with them will also give you some experience. Even a little bit of preparation could improve your chances of survival."

"The first trials aren't too difficult—for us," she added bitterly. "But for someone untrained, who had no idea what they were stepping into...it's suicide."

Her words stung, but they made sense. If this Jotunheim trip could improve my odds, it was worth it. My heart wasn't going to last much longer without these Essence Veins, anyway.

My gaze drifted to the coins Thoth had placed on the table earlier. At the time, it had seemed random, but now I noticed the thin vine-like chain connecting them. Each of the nine coins bore unique engravings: a serpent biting its tongue to form a circle, an anvil, a skull wearing a horned helmet, a veiled woman, two ambiguous figures—one with a crown and one with pointed ears—a mountain, a snowflake, and finally, a bearded man seated regally on a throne, holding a spear in one hand.

The coins felt important, though I wasn't sure why.

Peeling my eyes away from the strange coins—Thoth probably had something to tell me about them but forgot—I refocused on the string of glowing symbols in front of me.

"What is an Ascension Ability?" I asked aloud. Unlike the Skills section, this slot was completely empty, but the word ability intrigued me. It sounded significant.

The symbols in front of me began to dissolve, shifting and reforming into a new string of characters that seemed to hum faintly with a soft glow.

[Ascension Abilities are abilities that Challengers unlock while ascending to godhood.]

I blinked, startled. "It...replies?" I muttered. Then the full weight of the words hit me. My voice rose with sudden panic. "Wait, what does it mean by ascending toward godhood?!"

Officer Verna smiled subtly,"It is said one of the purposes of The Runes is to lead us, the Challengers to the Godhood, so yes- you can become a God."