Chapter 12: Rune Energy

"I was scammed!"

Sam groaned and put down some fruits on the table while getting down on the chair.

"My monthly expenditure is now 37,500 U.C."

This expenditure almost gave him a heart attack, and his monthly income was 48,000 U.C. without neglecting any day.

His body slumped down as all the energy drained out of his body.

"So, it's now a necessity for me to refine everyday spiritual fire Ganoderma."

The issue of not being sold never bothered him because he knew the real situation, like one-round invigorating rune pills used for increasing levels. Though there were also other ways, like hunting rune monsters, there would always be people to buy them.

"From tomorrow, there will be a new beginning."

But his eyes condensed because he still remembered the insurmountable wall he had to pass, and he had to pour down all his effort and soul.

Clearing his thoughts, he sat down on the bed with his eyes closed. He felt a cold yet soothing breeze flowing out of his palm.

First step done!

Cheering for himself, he tried to flow and encapsulate his loose fist in the rune energy but deviated from its position and withered on its way.

Without bothering about the unsuccessful attempt, he tried again, as if a flow of water continuously flowed out of a point and tried to defy nature.

After numerous attempts, Sam's face became pale as if drained of all energy.

His eyelids quivered, and a sight came before his eyes.

Taking an energy drink out of a polythene bag, he sipped with a pipe.

Grrggle!

His face remained crystal clear, and thoughts were ongoing in his mind.

'Did I take the wrong approach?'

'Rune Energy?'

It is the manifestation of the excessive accumulation of otherworldly energy.

This was how rune energy was described in the rune textbook, saying that a black hole eon of light-years away appeared in the universe. At that time, human civilization was so advanced that they could easily travel between galaxies and were even almost capable of traversing other universes. However, a bizarre and brazen black hole manifested in the universe, inducing different types of energy. But after simulating with this universe, the ultimate energy called rune energy emerged.

The theory also suggested that the black hole still exists and was supposed to be the birth of new civilizations and the end of many civilizations.

That black hole was also invaded by many other civilizations, but in the end, the only remaining things that came out were weapons—unused or undusted as if time had no effect. Many theories also suggested that it was the incarnation of death, reaping only lives.

Getting the gist of the matter, he understood clearly that he had to take a real-life approach.

'If I were to simulate in code, how would I have done that?'

His fingers caressed his chin as he pondered over his thoughts.

"First, I would have to understand the Instance of the rune energy!"

'Fluidity as water, serenity as ice, effect as blood...'

Various properties of rune energy collected in his mind, and he decided to go with dynamic fluid mechanics.

"My will works as the force that affects the rune energy to change its position... I just have to induce my will to continuously flow the rune energy while I move it in free motion without any constraints to study its properties better..."

Here, dynamic fluid mechanics would work as a base to help him grasp the real working action of rune energy.

With all his collected thoughts, he again lowered his eyelids, and his vision went black.

Calmly taking a deep breath, his palm felt cooler, and his concentration was fully on a point source, as if imagining the rune energy coming out of his pores.

Slowly yet steadily, he felt the decreasing temperature, which meant chunks of rune energy were accumulating in his bowl-shaped palm. He slowly unfolded his palm, feeling the cold spreading all over his fingers, while the cold remained constant after a certain point on the palm, meaning the rune energy was flowing toward his fingers.

A subtle smile passed across his face.

He, with his eyes closed, remained entirely focused on the flow of rune energy, noticing the temperature increase or decrease around his hand.

'The rune energy, behaving like a fluid, goes toward the source when the bare minimum to hold it passes the threshold limit and flows without bothering about its nature.'

'So, my assumption was correct, but it's still too early.'

He raised his tightly clamped fingers, and the cold decreased, while the cold in his palm increased. Subtly, he flipped his palm in a very small ratio, noticing the cold spreading to the side of his palm, which meant some rune energy was seeping through the edge of his palm while mostly sliding down and disappearing into the air.

All the while, his face slowly but surely became pale, the blood drained from his face, and his lips dried as if a drought had paralyzed them, resurfacing cracks.

Drip!

Sweat dropped onto the between of inguinal fold while another drop of sweat was already hanging, ready to fall.

Despite all these circumstances, his face bore a smile as if he had found the ultimate truth. His eyelids quivered, and he slowly recovered his vision.

"Confirmed that rune energy has fluid properties."

His crystal-clear eyes revealed another layer of shine, as if enlightenment had washed over him.

Shaking his head, he whispered to himself.

"My rune energy is lacking!"

Thud!

With his exhausted body, he slumped onto the bed with a faint smile as he neared accomplishing his goal.