Adrian left ho the sa day he arrived.
The reason was simple—he didn't want to stay anywhere near that woman. She was unpredictable, her moods shifting like storm clouds, and he had no intention of being caught in the downpour.
He hadn't planned to provoke her, not at first. But when the conversation took a sharp turn, he didn't hold back. The lingering hatred from the body's previous owner had found its way to the surface, and he let it spill out.
Inside the carriage, traveling through the night, Eve shifted in her seat. "Your stepmother is terrifying," she murmured.
Adrian let out a slow sigh. "She is," he admitted. "But… I get it. Anyone would lose their balance under the weight she carries."
Eve didn't fully grasp the burdens of nobility, but she understood enough. She gave a small nod.
"What about your father? Aren't you going to say goodbye?"
Adrian exhaled again, quieter this ti. "We were close, but not enough for my absence to make him any sicker."
From his mories, he knew their relationship had been ordinary. His father had scolded him and cared for him—like any parent would. But after losing his first wife, the man had grown distant, from both Adrian and the world.
So, as Adrian saw it, leaving wouldn't change much.
"You've got a complicated family," Eve mused, closing her eyes and crossing her arms.
Adrian chuckled softly, then turned his gaze to the window. The moon bathed the world in silver light, the passing scenery calm and endless.
The night called him to rest, but instead, he turned to his studies.
System.
°°°°°°
Inside the void, Adrian sat with an open book, his mind absorbed in the intricate flow of mana channels.
At first, his focus had been on understanding them—how they worked, how they varied between individuals. But now, his attention had shifted. He was learning how to draw runes that connected to those channels, how to craft sothing seamless.
A person can have up to seventeen mana pores, huh…
The more pores soone had, the harder it was to create a stable rune. Each pore required a connection—like drawing a bridge between the body's magic and the weapon it powered.
And that bridge had to be strong. If the link was weak, and the warrior was powerful, the connection could snap. The magic would bleed out into the air, wasted.
For most, that might not sound too dangerous. People had more than enough mana to spare. But if the flow beca unstable, if too much was lost too quickly, they could spiral out of control—draining themselves dry before they even realized what was happening.
It was like pouring oil from a jar into a pot using a funnel. If the funnel was intact, everything flowed smoothly. But if it was broken, the oil would spill onto the ground, wasted. And by the ti you noticed, the jar would already be empty.
That was the risk.
It was dangerous. Unforgiving. And it required absolute control.
[ 20 EXP for grasping the essence of the Second Thread.]
The familiar chi rang in his ears, pulling him out of his concentration.
Adrian let out a slow breath, closed the book, and lay down on the ground, using his arms as a makeshift pillow. His gaze drifted into the endless void above him.
"System, you need to master all Five Threads, right? Why?"
[To make the host a full-fledged Runesmith.]
"Right. But let's be real—Runesmithing alone won't keep alive in this world. If a monster appears, I can't exactly start drawing runes mid-battle and hope it forgives because of my brilliance."
[...]
The system fell silent.
It understood his point.
Runesmithing was valuable. It was a skill that could make him wealthy, respected—even influential. But when real danger struck, like the Acolyte from before, wealth and knowledge wouldn't be enough.
At so point, no amount of gold or expertise would save him.
It would all co down to his own strength.
[Does the Host wish to acquire information about the feature he will unlock in the future?]
[Price: 100 EXP]
[Y/N]
Adrian raised an eyebrow. This is new.
"Is it a feature that will help grow stronger?"
The system remained silent, the glowing screen unwavering in its prompt. It was a simple choice: spend 100 EXP or ignore it.
Adrian hesitated for only a mont. He was already gaining experience points while learning Runesmithing—spending a bit wouldn't hurt.
'Yes.'
[Command accepted.]
[The cross-dinsion chat group allows the Host to interact with beings from various worlds and trade with them. The Host may exchange armants for currency or knowledge.]
Adrian blinked, reading the ssage twice. A trading network across multiple worlds?
"You're telling … I can trade my rune-forged weapons for money or knowledge? Even combat knowledge?"
[Indeed, Host. Your custors may range from rchants to weaponsmiths, from prisoners to wardens.]
Adrian grinned. Now this is interesting.
If he could connect with powerful warriors, he could learn from them, maybe even acquire magical tools to aid his growth.
"This could be really useful," he muttered before grabbing his book again.
He needed to master the second Thread as soon as possible. More runes ant better weapons. More weapons ant more experience. And more experience… ant more power.
—
Before long, Adrian was forcefully ejected from the ti chamber. The mont he hit the real world, exhaustion took over. His mind, drained from hours of intense focus, shut down the mont he settled inside the carriage.
—
"Hey, wake up."
A gentle tug pulled him from unconsciousness.
"...Ah…"
Adrian frowned in his sleep, his body resisting as he sluggishly opened his eyes, letting the morning light ease into his vision.
Eve stood beside him, arms crossed.
"Did we arrive?" He rubbed his temples, forcing himself to sit upright and stretch.
Eve nodded. "Yeah. The carriage driver's fuming, so we should probably go."
Adrian exhaled through his nose before peeking outside. Sure enough, the driver stood by the carriage, his arms crossed and grumbling under his breath.
Shaking his head, Adrian climbed out.
Approaching the man, he handed him the promised paynt. Then, before the driver could even utter a complaint, Adrian slipped ten extra gold coins into his palm.
"And here—your bonus. Thanks for your service."
The driver blinked at the unexpected generosity, his earlier frustration lting into a satisfied nod.
With that settled, Adrian turned to Eve. "Give your dagger."
Surprised, she quickly pulled it from its sheath and handed it over.
Adrian barely registered her flustered expression as he worked. His fingers traced runes through the air, refining them, adjusting to her magical affinity. Once satisfied, he engraved the final rune onto the blade and handed it back.
"...I-It's done?" Eve stamred, staring at the weapon in disbelief.
Adrian nodded, then pulled out a small pouch. "And here. Consider this thanks for saving my life."
Eve's eyes widened. She imdiately shook her head. "I can't accept—"
"Just keep it," Adrian interrupted, his tone firm. "Or I won't ask for your help next ti."
Eve clamped her mouth shut. For a long mont, she hesitated… then silently accepted the pouch.
Adrian's grin returned. "Good girl."
Taking a step back, he gave her a casual wave. "See you later, lady."
And with that, he turned and walked away.
°°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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