Staring at the golden rune in his palm, Ron finally understood.
An Eternal Rune is one that never fades.
Unlike basic elemental runes that disassemble into elemental magic upon casting, the Eternal Rune imprints itself onto spirit and soul the moment it is learned and remains there. Because it does not require gathering external elements or rebuilding a sigil each time, Eternal magic can be triggered instantly by thought alone.
His Magic Barrier worked exactly like that. One thought to manifest, one thought to dismiss. The only way to "lose" an Eternal Rune would be for the rune itself to be destroyed by overwhelming force. Ron could feel the tether between the barrier and the golden sigil on his left palm. If some attack shattered the barrier utterly, the sigil would also break, and he would have to reforge it.
Which meant Space and Time, as Eternal magics, should also be instant cast.
He called up the profession panel again. The guard rune icon pulsed, and when he touched it, a description surfaced:
You have learned Magic Barrier.
Guard magic is one of the Eternal schools. Eternal magic has four tiers. Tier 2 uses three runes, Tier 3 uses nine, Tier 4 uses twenty-seven.
The Guard school has one base rune and six derivative runes. Derivative runes must be discovered by the host.
So, unlike elemental tracks that stretch upward through many stages, Eternal caps at four tiers, but from the feel of things a Tier 4 Eternal spell would surpass a Tier 5 elemental spell. The Guard school also had fewer total runes, but the complexity spike was brutal. The base Guard rune was roughly ten times more complex than an elemental base rune. By extension, deriving additional guard runes would be dozens to a hundred times harder than elemental derivatives.
This was not something to grind out at his current level.
If it were a Special school, he might attempt it. But Eternal complexity would devour time for marginal gain right now. Besides, Magic Barrier already exceeded expectations. It had weaknesses, like covering only one face by default, but for a Tier 1 spell it had shrugged off Gale Slash. That alone changed how he would fight.
No more tightrope walking.
He exhaled, smiling. Originally he would have been satisfied with Earth or Ice for defense; getting Guard was a gift.
"Clean up the remaining East Blue achievements, then head for the Grand Line," he decided. That was where the achievements multiplied, and where he intended to truly rise.
…
On a bustling island street, Ron and Nami walked side by side. This was his tenth island, which popped the Navigator I achievement for stepping onto ten distinct islands. But the real reason they came was an information broker connected to the underground network. Hunting bounties above ten million in East Blue was like searching a needle in the sea. That is why Marine HQ left East Blue to its branches; otherwise a single HQ Vice Admiral could sweep it clean.
They entered a lavish tavern whose upper floors were closed to the public. After a guarded stair and a coin slipped to a black-suited doorman, they reached the top hall.
"Steep," Nami muttered. "A thousand just to walk in? Highway robbery."
"It is an intel shop," Ron said. "They need revenue, and the real invoice will be the data."
Inside, the atmosphere flipped to refined bar. Poker in one corner, hushed conversations elsewhere. Ron went to the counter.
"Welcome, Mr. Ron," the bartender said with an easy smile. "What will you have?"
"Water. With ice."
A nod toward a back room. Ron and Nami stepped into a cluttered office stacked with files.
"Well, well. A rare guest, 'Magician' Ron," said a bespectacled middle-aged man behind the desk. "Since you have found us, you know how we work. Let us be brief. Which category?"
"Pirates," Ron said, sitting. "East Blue targets over ten million. The more recent the better."
"Pirates are inexpensive," the man replied, already riffling folders. "But over ten million and time-sensitive narrows it. I have three packets, all updated within the last three days."
He laid out three files. "Thirty thousand Beli."
Nami's eyes bulged. "For paper? That is extortion."
Ron dropped the bills without blinking, skimmed the dossiers. "Let us hope they are not fake."
"If anything is false, we refund tenfold," the man said lightly. Then, as Ron turned to leave, he added, "One more thing. A certain organization wishes to recruit you. If you are willing, we can arrange the introduction."
"Not interested," Ron said, not slowing.
"Money to them is only a number," the man pressed. "Their reach spans all four seas and the Grand Line. Join, and you will obtain whatever you desire."
Ron gave no answer and walked out.
The broker watched him go, shook his head. "Arrogant. This is merely East Blue. He has no idea how vast the world truly is."
…
Dressrosa, royal palace.
"He refused?" Doflamingo laughed by the window. "Fufufu. Let him be."
To him, a prodigy in East Blue was trivial. Crushing two thousand men was nothing special—any solid family executive could do the same. His invitation had been a casual order upon hearing the rumor. If the boy wanted to stay small and provincial, then he was not worth attention.
At his side, the top executive Trebol leaned on his strange scepter. "If he will not play along, forget him. Doffy, BIG MOM wants a shipment of the latest weapons. Terms?"
"BIG MOM, hmm?" Doflamingo's face turned serious. Four Emperors ruled the New World. Compared to them, an East Blue bounty hunter was a footnote. He shifted fully into business, and Ron was forgotten.
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