"Force of habit." Moon shrugged. He didn't elaborate since he didn't need to, this wasn't an interrogation that he was forced to cooperate with, it was just a normal question. Isabelle looked at the bag for another second, then nodded. "Fair enough."
She didn't ask again.
"I better go for now. I feel very icky. My body is a ss, and I need to get so rest." She pushed herself up from the wall with a grimace. "I will see you so ti later, Moon."
Moon's eyes narrowed imdiately. "You know my na? I don't recall telling you."
Isabelle froze mid-step.
'I ssed up.'
She had said it out of instinct. His na had slipped out naturally because she already knew it well. But he clearly had no idea who she was. The dirt, the blood, the tangled hair, none of it had given her away.
There was no point in hiding it now. It wasn't like she had been trying to conceal her identity. There had simply been no ti to bring it up between almost dying and running from spirits or resting and answering questions.
"I'm Isabelle." She turned to face him. "The previous Association Branch Manager near your apartnt."
Moon blinked for a mont before nodding his head, recognizing her. The voice, the physical power and the previous information he had gained from the association about her leaving her job for reasons undisclosed made sense.
'It seems like she was here hunting, getting stronger.'
"I see."
Isabelle waited for him to continue but nothing else ca.
'I see…? That's it?' She stared at him. 'You're not surprised? You're not going to ask why I'm here? Why the branch manager of an Association office is crawling around a floating island getting beaten half to death by spirits?'
Moon looked back at her with the sa calm, and unbothered expression he had worn for the entire conversation.
She scoffed internally, shook her head, and turned around. She walked away from the chamber toward the portal without another word.
'What a strange man.'
Moon glanced at her back for a brief mont. Once Isabelle disappeared from sight, a figure began to approach him from across the chamber.
Moon turned his head toward the man and activated Eye of Truth.
[Class: Runesmith] [Order: Second] [Skills: Rune Inscription , Rune Enhancent II ]
Moon's expression didn't change despite his interest in the class and its skills.
Runesmith, a class entirely dedicated to rune crafting. And the man carried two rune-related skills, one of which was Second Order.
Rune Enhancent.
The na alone told Moon most of what he needed to know. If Rune Inscription was about creating runes, then Rune Enhancent was likely about strengthening them. Amplifying their effects, extending their duration, pushing their output beyond what the base inscription could achieve.
For soone like Moon, who already had Epic-Rank Rune Inscription and used runes in almost every fight, adding a skill that could enhance those runes was more than useful. It was a direct multiplier on sothing he already excelled at.
He had already scanned most of the people in the chamber with Eye of Truth. The results had been disappointing across the board. Low-ranking skills, weak classes, nothing worth spending his single daily copy on.
This man was different.
The skill was only Uncommon, but its application for Moon's existing toolkit made it far more valuable than its rank suggested. His deep proficiency in runes would also make the skill easier to comprehend. It was a near perfect fit.
The man stopped a few paces from Moon and offered a polite smile.
"Na's Frey. I'm a Runesmith. I specialize in inscribing enhancent runes on the weapons and equipnt of most of the Evolvers around here." He gestured loosely toward the chamber behind him. "I'd like to think I've built a decent reputation for my work over the years."
He looked Moon up and down. "I haven't seen you before. You must be new."
Moon nodded. "Yes."
Frey studied him for a mont, his eyes lingering on Moon who remained seated. Noticing that Moon won't stand to greet him, he decided to sit down. "You're doing pretty well for a newcor. Most people who co through that portal look like they've already given up by the ti they reach this chamber." He smiled. "Your spirits are high. Keep it up."
He reached into his storage ring and summoned a short blade. Faint lines of runic script glowed along the flat of the tal. It was clear that Frey kept this prototype to show others, otherwise, with his two skills, he could easily hide the inscriptions, it wasn't exactly difficult to do so.
"This is an example of my work. The inscription increases a lower-grade Second Order weapon's overall effectiveness by ten percent for a period of one week. After the week is up, the enhancent fades and the weapon returns to its base state. If you want it renewed, you co back to ."
He turned the blade slowly so Moon could see the full inscription.
"I'd like to offer you the first week for free. So you can see the results for yourself."
Moon looked at the blade, then at Frey.
"Why would you do that?"
Frey chuckled softly before lifting up two fingers, "Two reasons. First, I can see the fire burning in your eyes. You've got potential, and I believe in investing in people with potential." He paused. "Second, and I'll be truthful with you, I want you as a repeat custor. If my work speaks for itself, you'll co back. That's how I've built my business here." Moon remained silent for a mont, weighing the offer. A ten percent increase wasn't ga-changing on its own, it was a aningful boost.
Moon stared at the blade he was showcasing, then at the man. After so thinking, he nodded his head, taking out a staff from his storage ring.
"Here, I want you to inscribe runes on this one. I don't have a Second Order staff just yet as I'm getting one prepared."
Frey's smile brightened. "Of course!" Frey turned the staff over in his hands, examining the crystal at its core and running his fingers along the shaft. The two elental colors of water and fire swirled inside the crystal.
"This is a good staff you have here." He said, nodding appreciatively. "S-Rank First Order. Comparable to the lower grade Second Order staffs in terms of output." He tapped the crystal gently. "Since it's First Order, the enhancent will likely sit a little higher than ten percent."
Moon nodded. "Sure."
"Give ten minutes."
Frey set the staff down on a flat stone surface then began to take out multiple prepared rune chips, and several vials of luminous ink from his storage ring. Once he had picked all the materials, and runes he needed carefully, he placed them next to the staff in a specific order then began to work.
Moon watched Frey get to work, and the more he watched, the higher his proficiency beca. He had decided to copy the man's class since he didn't find any other candidate for the ti being, and he also wanted to learn to how to it himself.
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