Adrian stood in the corridor of the Grand Rune Hall, his gaze fixed on the glowing runes carved into the walls. He studied the intricate lines. Before, these had been nothing but mysterious symbols on walls and ships to him.
But now… now that he knew they were fragments of the language of mana, with strokes and grammar, he tried to comprehend them.
He focused, letting the calm flow of Source guide his thoughts.
Nothing.
The runes blurred into incomprehensible webs. They were too complex. His Source offered no clarity.
Adrian frowned.
"In class, when I saw the rune symbols, I could understand them. Why not now?"
Then a thought struck him. He summoned the white-grey mist, the faint, raw Source energy of his pseudo-manifestation, and let it coil around his eyes. His vision shifted, mana-tinted light bleeding into every etched line.
The result was instant and brutal.
A sharp headache pierced his skull as torrents of knowledge pressed against his mind. The walls weren't carrying one or two runes, they were covered in thousands, woven into an immense, interlocking array.
Trying to comprehend it all at once nearly shattered him.
Adrian staggered, dismissing the mist, panting. Blood trickled from his nose as students passed by, giving him concerned glances.
"So that's it. The Source lets me see them… but I can't grasp something this vast. Not yet."
He wiped the blood away with his sleeve and steadied himself against the wall. A passing student paused.
"You alright there?"
"Fine," Adrian muttered, pushing off the stone. "Just tired."
He left the hall and wandered into the bustling streets of the Rune District. Shops lined the paths, parchment scrolls glowing faintly on display.
"If the walls are too much… then these basics should be manageable."
Adrian approached the nearest vendor, an elderly woman arranging scrolls.
"Looking for anything specific, young man?"
"Just browsing," Adrian replied, studying the displayed parchments.
He activated his mist again, more carefully this time, and gazed at a parchment inscribed with a Fire Spark rune. At once, clarity filled him.
He saw the flow of mana within the strokes, the start and end points, the rhythm of its grammar. It was exactly as Professor Liang described, but he understood it without anyone guiding him.
Excitement flickered through him. He turned to another parchment, a simple Frost rune. Again, comprehension rushed in.
Not only the rune's strokes, but fragments of the principle of frost affinity itself.
Adrian froze.
"This isn't just rune knowledge. This increases my affinity comprehension too."
The vendor noticed his intense focus. "That's a good eye you have. Most students can't tell quality work from scratches."
"These are well-made," Adrian said absently, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Twenty points each, if you're interested. Fair price for stable inscription."
Adrian nodded but didn't purchase anything. His fifty remaining points were too precious to waste on basic runes he could now understand completely.
For the first time in days, a small smile touched his lips. His Source pulsed with certainty.
Adrian moved through the district like a wanderer, pausing at stall after stall, "browsing" parchments.
In reality, every glance deepened his library of symbols. Most were basic, but then he reached two stalls with pricier wares, combat runes, each worth more than 200 points.
He studied them without hesitation, absorbing their secrets before moving on. The white-grey mist flickered briefly around his eyes as he gazed at a Lightning Strike rune.
Knowledge flooded in, the precise angles, the mana flow patterns, the deadly elegance of its construction.
At the next stall, a Healing rune caught his attention. Again, comprehension rushed through him. Not just the symbol's structure, but fragments of life affinity itself, deepening his understanding of regenerative principles.
Curious, he struck up a conversation with one stall owner. The man was middle-aged, his fingers stained with ink from years of inscription work.
"Where did you get these?" Adrian asked, nodding at the advanced parchments.
The man grinned, clearly proud. "Made them myself. But if you want to learn properly, boy, you'll need more than shops. Classes are one way, though they'll bleed you dry."
He had seen many kids these days, so he knew what they wanted to know.
He leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "The better way? Buy a Language of Mana Volume. Straight from the Organization."
Adrian checked his device. His balance still glowed faintly with 50 points. Then he looked at the price.
First Volume – 2000 points.
His chest tightened. Two thousand? It was astronomical. His face must have shown his shock.
The stall owner chuckled at his expression. "Shocking, isn't it? But worth it. A single volume is packed with advanced symbols. More value than a dozen classes."
"Costly, yes… but cheaper in the long run. Buy it once, and it's yours forever." The man tapped the counter with a knowing smile.
Adrian closed the menu, mind racing. If he had that volume, his rune mastery would soar. Not only runes, his affinity comprehension itself would leap forward.
But two thousand points? Impossible for now. Unless…
He pulled out the two parchments he had inscribed in class, the flawless Light and Barrier scrolls. He set them on the stall's counter.
The owner's brows rose. He picked up the Light rune first, examining the crisp lines and perfect symmetry. He channeled a thread of mana into it.
The rune activated with smooth, steady precision, casting a warm glow that didn't flicker or fade. The man's expression shifted to genuine surprise.
He looked at Adrian with new eyes. "Well, well. These are clean. Very clean. Professional grade, I'd say."
The owner tested the Barrier rune next. It formed a translucent shield that held rock-steady, no trembling or weak spots visible. He only barely activated both, since they will be fully used up if he activates them to their full power.
"I'll give you fifty points for both, and I'll buy more if you can bring them." His tone carried newfound respect.
Adrian accepted quietly. It wasn't much, but it proved what he already knew, his work was far above average.
He spent all his remaining points on parchment and mana ink from the same stall. The vendor threw in extra sheets, clearly hoping to maintain their new business relationship.
As he walked back toward his suite, his resolve hardened. The weight of the supplies in his arms felt promising rather than burdensome.
"If I can't buy volumes, I'll make my own path. I'll inscribe until my points grow. Until I can buy every volume, learn every symbol, and make the language mine."