Chapter 22: "Fragments of the Future"

After concluding a bloody confrontation against a corrupted beast that spat venom and roared with the fury of an enraged mother-in-law in a family dispute, the normal thing would be to seek rest, perhaps meditate or consume some fermented beverage. However, Li Wei had no time for such trivialities. The imminent tournament was approaching, and paranoia was an excellent teacher.

As soon as he stored the creature's spiritual cores, he sealed the area with concealment runes. He didn't know if the beast had been sent or if it was simply fate's whim, but he wasn't going to risk it. Then he returned to his hiding place, with cautious steps and an instinct that was already beginning to resemble that of an old cultivator pursued by life debts.

There, behind the waterfall, Ignis awaited him. Or rather, vibrated within his spiritual sea like an impatient elder with a clumsy apprentice.

"Your pulse has improved. You no longer look like a trembling chicken every time you draw a stroke."

"Thanks for the compliment... I guess." Li Wei dropped onto his makeshift table, unrolling new prepared parchments.

"Today we will learn something more complex: the spiritual mark rune. It allows you to trace a seal onto an object and connect it to your Qi. This way you can activate weapons, traps, or tools remotely."

"Excellent. 'Deadly remote control' rune. I love it!"

Ignis didn't reply, simply projecting the schematics into his mind. A triple circle, with a spiral in the center and four anchors extending like spider legs. It had complexity, symmetry, and a certain style that said: "if you fail, you will explode beautifully."

Li Wei prepared the spiritual bone dust, charging it with a bit of his Qi. He rubbed the moon mist root between his fingers, activating its stabilizing essence, and then embedded a new resonance crystal in the center of the parchment.

Runes were not just techniques. They were declarations to the Dao. Oaths written in living ink. And the Dao, as always, listened... with severe judgment.

"Do not lose intent. A rune without conviction is a lie written in the language of the world. And the world does not tolerate liars."

Li Wei nodded and began to trace. The first lines flowed easily. The central ring vibrated with a low hum. Then the spiral. Then the anchors... An error on the third. A spark. A flash of Qi.

BOOM!

Half the parchment was carbonized. Li Wei rolled on the ground, spitting smoke.

"I almost had it... almost ready."

"And that's why you almost died. Another lesson: never underestimate the fourth stroke. It always betrays."

Li Wei, black with soot and with smoked hair, sat down again.

"I need to master this. Not just for the tournament. If I want to survive this world, I must write it to my advantage. Let the rest use swords. I will use symbols. Every stroke, a strategy. Every rune, a trap. Every victory, a story that will not depend on luck but on my will."

He tried again. This time, his Qi flowed with controlled rhythm. The fourth stroke was traced with a deliberate pause. The seal glowed. The crystal vibrated... and didn't explode.

"Successful activation!"

"Acceptable. Not excellent, but acceptable. You have written a living rune. It's connected to you. Now, try linking it to that broken staff."

Li Wei did. When he thought of the activation, the staff glowed for an instant. It could be used as a detonator or a channeler. Perfect for an improvised trap.

Ignis replied:

"You have the makings of a Runist. Now, combine that mark with a disruption rune. Learn to intertwine strokes."

Hours passed like this. And when the moon reached its zenith, Li Wei had created three functional seals and a reactive trap system.

"This... this gives me an edge."

"It gives you possibilities. The advantage will come with application."

Li Wei leaned back against the rock.

"In the tournament, they will come for me. I am not of a famous lineage. I don't have an ancestral beast or a divine legacy. But I have runes. I have fire. I have a mind. And if I play my cards right... perhaps I'll have a future."

Night fell completely. The waterfall's water muffled the sounds of the forest. Ignis remained silent. Li Wei closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would begin to test his traps. Tomorrow, he would prepare the ground.

Because the strongest won't win. The one who turns every step into a trap, every movement into a strategy, and every stroke... into a sentence, will win.