Chapter 46: About the Spirit Rune!

Chapter 46: About the Spirit Rune!First Day of the New Week The sun had just risen, and the Academy grounds were already filled with students. It was the beginning of a new week, and everyone had gathered at Ground Zero, the wide training field used for morning exercises. All the students lined up in rows, ready to start their 200-lap endurance run. The signal was given, and everyone took off, running around the large circular track that surrounded the field. Twenty minutes passed. Still, Kael hadn’t arrived. Professor Sylvia narrowed her eyes, checking her list. Just as she was about to mark him absent, Kael finally appeared—panting slightly, his cloak flapping behind him. "You’re late," Sylvia said, her voice calm but firm. Kael quickly bowed his head. "I’m sorry, Professor. I had a long night of diarrhea." (he lied) Sylvia didn’t scold him further. Instead, she gave a small nod. "Okay, now run, time is finishing" Without another word, Kael walked to the starting line. He took a deep breath, steadied his posture, and began to run. At first, his speed was calm. But then—he picked up speed. Faster... and faster. In just one hour and thirty minutes, Kael completed all 200 laps, his body moving like a blur past other students who were still struggling with their first hundred. By the time he crossed the final lap—he didn’t even have the strength to stand. He collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving, clothes soaked in sweat. The field went silent. Everyone stared, stunned. Even Professor Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise. "...He finished all 200 laps?" a student whispered. Sylvia stepped forward, watching Kael with a thoughtful look. She didn’t say anything right away—but deep down, even she was impressed. Kael had pushed himself beyond limits—and it had not gone unnoticed. "He actually did it..." "No way. Was he training all the time?" From the sidelines, Elysia watched silently, with a serious side look. (I knew it) she said under her breath. (He was hiding his strength all along.) Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him—collapsed, breathless, but clearly holding something back. (till how much will you stay hiding your strength?)... Professor Sylvia stepped forward. The students, still catching their breath from the morning drills, turned their attention to her. She clapped her hands once to get everyone’s attention. "I have an important announcement," she began, with her calm tone. "Originally, there were supposed to be two major events before the midterm examination," she continued. "However, due to the recent incident", "the academy is still investigating. Because of this, we had a staff meeting and decided to cancel one of the events for safety reasons." Murmurs spread among the students. "So now, there will only be one official event before the midterms," she confirmed. "This event will take place next week, and I will explain all the details very soon. Until then, we will stick to our regular training schedule." Kael, standing at the back of the group. (Why is this happening now? There were supposed to be two events...) he thought, confused. (If there’s only one event left... then that means I have only one chance to move without drawing suspicion.) His eyes narrowed. (I’ll need to use that event to find the Ancient Coin... and I have to do it without anyone noticing.) (But why is it changing?) During the middle of the morning combat training, Edwin quietly slipped away. Without wasting time, he walked straight across the academy grounds and headed to the west building, where Professor Orwen’s office was located. When he reached the door, he knocked politely. "Come in," said by professor Orwen.. Edwin stepped in and greeted the professor with a slight bow. "Sir, I wanted to ask for your help with something." He carefully took out the stone from his pocket—the one he had found in Elaris—and placed it on the professor’s desk. Professor Orwen raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "This was found in the city of Elaris," Edwin explained. "I’m not sure what it is... but I feel like it’s not ordinary. Could you tell me anything about it? Its origin... or how it works?" Professor Orwen picked up the stone gently, observing the glowing runes etched into its surface. "Hm... interesting," he muttered. "Give me an hour. I’ll examine this more closely." With that, he stood up, took the stone with him, and left for the academy’s library. Inside the quiet and dusty library, Professor Orwen sat down at a large wooden table, surrounded by stacks of ancient books. He pulled out a special magnifying glass and carefully inspected the rune markings. He flipped through several thick volumes, comparing the symbols with what he saw on the stone. Time passed slowly. It took almost a full hour, but eventually, Professor Orwen’s eyes widened slightly. He had finally verified something about the rune stone. Mr. Orwen approached Edwin with a calm but serious expression on his face. He held the strange, glowing stone carefully in both hands, as if it were something sacred. "Edwin," he began, "I’ve examined this thoroughly. What you’re holding... is no ordinary item." He paused, then continued, "This is a Spirit Rune—or as it’s sometimes called, an Ancient Tablet. It’s extremely rare and very powerful." Edwin’s eyes widened slightly. "Spirit Rune...?" Mr. Orwen nodded. "Yes. These runes are not man-made. They were abstracted from the higher beast ranks, likely created or left behind by powerful beings. Beasts of great strength—especially those beyond Dread-rank—guard these runes with their lives. Anyone who possesses one... must’ve taken a great risk to obtain it." He looked at Edwin carefully. "It holds spiritual energy. Something ancient. Something alive." Edwin leaned forward slightly, listening closely. "To activate it, you must pour a bit of your mana into the rune... and a drop of your blood. Only then will the rune respond to you," Mr. Orwen explained. "If it accepts you, it may unlock something—a power, a skill, maybe even a memory of someone long forgotten." He placed the rune back into Edwin’s hands. "Spirit Runes don’t appear to just anyone. The fact that this came to you... means it chose you. Don’t ignore that."