Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 54: Runes [1]

"Kyuu~."

A small, tiny sound echoed softly in his mind, almost like a purr.

"I don’t know what that means."

Akamir grumbled, tapping his chest where the violet crystal was embedded.

"Kyuu!"

"...Yeah, whatever you say."

He grumbled, walking on the polished surface of the academy as he made his way towards the teacher’s building.

It had been a full day since the void fox had hatched and bonded with him.

The pain was all gone, replaced by an uncomfortable amount of energy in his body.

’I feel like I can walk forever.’

He mused, walking past the main gate as he made his way on the spiraling stairs.

As he walked up, he noticed a few female teachers glancing and smiling at him.

That had never happened before, and it made him perplexed.

"Is there something else that changed?" Akamir asked, glancing up at Nayomi.

Nayomi observed him quietly.

"It’s your face." She mumbled. "You look a lot more handsome now."

"...I see."

Akamir mumbled, stroking his chin.

Though he was aware of his charm going up.

’It wasn’t supposed to go this much.’

He sighed, arriving at the first floor and began to move towards the end of the hall.

There, the door was open just like before.

At its center of the room floated a small crystal-like object, glowing with a silvery-blue hue.

Akamir pushed open the door and quietly walked in.

"I believe I told you not to come here, boy." A voice echoed from the other side of the circular desk. "Not until you are at the level of Milo."

"I couldn’t help it." Akamir replied, walking further inside the room. "And I won’t bother you, I promise."

From the other side of the room, Velyrian’s head peeked out. "Why are you not in your class?"

"I had a deal that allows me to bunk useless ones." Akamir said, looking around the room.

The place was a real mess.

Beakers, containers, different types of ores, and various gadgets filled the room, making it all the more authentic.

"That’s a... really good deal." Velyrian replied, touching his long ear. "Human entices are always bad."

Akamir just nodded as he walked towards him.

Velyrian remained seated on his wheelchair as he stared at a diagram.

It was a rough sketch of overlapping sigils, an orbit of runes circling a core shaped like an eye.

He didn’t recognize most of them.

"What are those?" Akamir asked as he stood right behind him.

"They are called runes." Velyrian replied, tapping his finger on the desk. "A language of magic that was discovered in the first era."

"First era?"

"The time when everything started." He explained. "When demigods were common and gods lived among mortals."

Akamir nodded, staring at the different runes. "And why are you studying them?"

Velyrian leaned back on his chair as he glanced back at him.

"Ven." He said, pointing at the crystal orb in the middle. "That thing mimics runes and enhances them."

Akamir frowned. "What?"

"It’s as you heard." He replied, going back to his work. "It does things that are outside of our understanding."

"How does that even work and wasn’t it just a portal thing?" Akamir asked, getting more curious. "Wouldn’t that make it a bit too powerful?"

’Wait, who am I kidding?’

Akamir himself has one of the most broken artifacts with him.

What is a portal to another world compared to it?

’...Yeah.’

He threw those thoughts out of his mind as he observed Velyrian.

The elf took out a leathery paper and began to engrave something on it.

He then passed it to Akamir. "Throw it at the Ven."

"What?" Akamir frowned. "Why?"

He urged. "Just do it."

Akamir sighed and walked closer and extended his hand.

The crystal pulled the paper on its own, burning it as soon as it came into contact.

Velyrian moved his wheelchair a little back and wore safety goggles.

He then pointed at the pot in the corner. "Now throw that plant as well."

"....."

Though doubtful, Akamir picked up the pot and inspected it.

’It’s dying.’

He thought, noticing the brown patches in the plant.

Akamir looked at him once again, who didn’t speak anything.

’Here goes nothing.’

He tossed the pot at the Ven.

"Holy—!"

And his eyes widened in the next instant.

As soon as the plant came into contact with the Ven, a humming sound echoed, and it began to heal.

The dying brown leaves flushed back into green, the stem straightened with a jolt.

Akamir blinked, and the plant had not only healed but bloomed.

Bright violet flowers burst open in the pot, humming with a faint glow.

Akamir blinked again, and the plant died the next moment.

The pot fell down, its sound echoing in the silence.

"That’s... not possible," Akamir muttered, taking a step back. "That thing reversed death."

Velyrian began to take notes. "Not death. Decay. There’s a difference."

Akamir quickly walked towards him. "What rune did you make me throw at it?"

"It’s called rune of life." He replied without looking up. "It’s commonly used for healing by elves."

Akamir nodded, helping Velyrian get back to his desk.

"Why did it destroy the plant?" Akamir asked, glancing at his work.

"That’s what I am trying to understand." Velyrian mumbled, shaking his head. "It always does that. Like it’s trying to—."

"—Complete a cycle."

Akamir completed his words subconsciously.

Velyrian smiled faintly. "I knew you were smart."

Akamir was too busy thinking, so he just nodded his head.

"How did you create such a thing?" He asked. "It’s fascinating."

"I didn’t create it." Velyrian mumbled. "My master did."

"Master?"

A silence lingered between them as Velyrian turned quiet, not speaking anything.

"Alright, enough questions." He snapped. "Now, get lost."

"Wait, is this why you are trying to open the portal?" Akamir asked, glancing back at Ven. "To determine why it behaves like this?"

"What do you know—."

"I can think of a few reasons why it does that." Akamir said, taking Velyrian by surprise.

He frowned. "What?"

"Wait a minute."

Akamir mumbled, looking around until his gaze landed on a movable board.

He quickly grabbed it and placed it in front of Velyrian.

"Hey! That’s important."

Akamir ignored him as he wiped the already written theories on it.

"Let’s start with the basic one." He said, writing it down on the board. "That the plant is actually rejecting the healing."

Velyrian quieted down, as he looked at him seriously. "Elaborate."

"Healing requires energy. If Ven transfers too much energy too quickly, the plant will logically reject it." He wrote it down on the board.

"Like overwatering or over-fertilizing it."

"That’s your most basic theory?" Velyrian mumbled. "What about the other?"

"Other thing could be the energy is too pure." Akamir replied, writing it down as well. "That can also harm the plant, which is made to take the impure energy."

Velyrian nodded his head in agreement; he too understood the theories and the logic behind his words.

"What is your next theory?" He asked, a little more excited.

"What is happening?"

A voice suddenly interrupted them.

Milo, his assistant, walked inside the room with two cups of coffee.

She looked at Velyrian before her eyes shifted to Akamir, who was still writing.

"You! Boy! I told you not to come—."

"Let him be, Milo." Velyrian quickly interrupted her. "He can stay here."

"But master—."

"It’s an order." He said, his voice deep. "Listen to me, child."

Milo hesitated before she just nodded and passed him the coffee.

Akamir quickly moved back as soon as he finished his writing.

"And the most interesting one is—." He said, pointing at the infinity sign at the corner of the board. "—Time dilation."

"...What do you mean?" Velyrian asked, sipping his coffee.

Akamir tapped the sideways at what he had written.

"Ven doesn’t just pour energy in, it compresses a slice of time around the target."

He rubbed his chin, trying to find the right words to explain them.

"The plant lived an entire day or week inside a single heartbeat, so it bloomed, withered, and died all at once."

Velyrian froze mid-sip as he looked at him. "The rune of life shouldn’t be able to bend time, only nurture."

"Exactly." Akamir pointed at Ven, whose silver-blue glow pulsed lazily in mid-air.

"It’s a catalyst that, when it recognizes a pattern, forces that pattern to its logical end state."

He tapped onto the board, grinning. "And what’s the logical end of life?"

Milo’s eyes widened. "Death."

Velyrian set her cup down, deep in thought. "That explains why every sample disintegrated, even when we tried inert minerals."

Akamir placed the marker down and pushed the board back to its place.

"Wait, why are you stopping now!?" Velyrian snapped. "We just had a breakthrough!"

"I need to know more about runes to come up with more ideas." Akamir replied, shrugging.

Even though he could think of more, he wasn’t going to do it for free. freewebnoveℓ.com

’And runes are pretty helpful for artifact making.’

Just like he expected, Velyrian took the bait.

"How long are you free?" He asked, looking at him seriously.

Akamir blinked innocently. "Till lunch."

"Alright."

Velyrian said, clapping his hands.

"Let me tell you about runes."