Chapter 345 First A Rank Rune [GOLDEN TICKET BONUS]

’If worst comes to worst, I’ll give up on my Earth body,’ Alex decided, feeling somewhat reluctant but understanding that it was the more practical choice.

His presence in the Land of Origin was considerably more important than his presence on Earth. Not only could he train twice as much there due to the difference in time dilation, but he was also needed to help his faction secure a portal connecting the two worlds.

Even if his Earth body died, someone else could eventually install Teleportation Pillars on both sides of the portal. However, conquering the portal itself was an entirely different matter, and Alex knew that his strength would be extremely valuable during that process.

It wasn’t that he considered his teammates weak, but if they wanted to conquer the portal as quickly as possible, his participation would make an enormous difference. Moreover, remaining in the Land of Origin would allow him to continue developing his strength without unnecessary interruptions.

After making his decision, Alex felt considerably calmer, although he understood that he was taking an enormous risk. If he failed to complete the Trial within one day, allowed his Earth body to die, and then failed to complete the Trial within thirty days, there was a possibility that he would lose his life entirely.

However, that was merely the worst possible outcome, and Alex had no intention of allowing it to happen. His current objective was to finish the Trial within a single day, and if he believed that was even remotely achievable, then completing it within thirty days should certainly be possible.

"Alright, now that I’ve decided what to do, I should get to work," Alex muttered, turning his attention toward the items scattered around him.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved the Star Plum Arasia fruit, examining its glowing surface for a moment.

Although consuming it could be possibly risky, Alex had already decided that he couldn’t afford to waste time being overly cautious. After all, the worst immediate possibility was that his Land of Origin body would die, causing him to awaken inside his Earth body.

Since he was already gambling with the survival of one of his bodies, he decided that taking another calculated risk wouldn’t change much. Alex brought the fruit toward his mouth and took a bite, immediately noticing its unusual taste.

It was pleasantly sweet and refreshing, with a texture unlike anything he had eaten before, and even someone as experienced with food as Alex couldn’t compare it to any familiar fruit.

’This thing would probably become ridiculously popular on Earth,’ Alex thought, appreciating its flavor despite his circumstances.

However, after consuming nearly a quarter of the fruit, he noticed something strange. Despite continuing to eat, he couldn’t sense any change occurring within his soul or Will, which made him wonder whether he was doing something incorrectly.

He stopped chewing and examined the remaining fruit, suddenly recalling the information he had obtained from the Rune Compendium.

’Wait a second... The Compendium said I needed to [eat] the fruit, but is that really what I’m supposed to do?’

Alex remembered that the Rune Compendium possessed a translation function, meaning the instructions he had read weren’t necessarily written in the same language originally. Moreover, considering Kriptin’s rather questionable methods, Alex wasn’t particularly confident that the information had been presented in the clearest possible manner.

’What if the original instruction was to [consume] the fruit rather than [eat] it? Those words are similar enough that the translation could get them wrong, but consuming something doesn’t necessarily mean swallowing it.’

The possibility seemed increasingly reasonable, especially considering that eating a quarter of the fruit hadn’t produced any noticeable effects. Alex examined its remaining starlight before deciding to approach the problem differently.

Since the fruit was related to Will and Desire Independence, he suspected that the correct method of consumption might involve interacting with it through his Will. Rather than continuing to eat it, Alex decided to trust his instincts related to magic, which had rarely disappointed him.

He generated an enormous amount of Will before concentrating it into a tiny quantity of mana, creating an unusually dense mixture. After carefully stabilizing the formation, he directed it toward the fruit and allowed his mana to penetrate its surface.

The fruit immediately trembled, and the starlight contained within it began flowing toward Alex’s Will. The reaction was so sudden that he almost instinctively severed the connection, but something made him hesitate.

’No, this might be exactly what’s supposed to happen,’ Alex realized, allowing the process to continue.

The starlight gradually merged with his Will, changing its properties in a way that Alex couldn’t completely understand. As the transformation progressed, he noticed that his thoughts were becoming unusually calm, almost as though the desires constantly influencing his decisions were gradually disappearing.

The urgency he had felt about completing the Trial vanished, along with most of his other desires. He could still think clearly and understood the importance of his situation, but the panicked drive that had previously accompanied those thoughts was strangely absent.

Alex exhaled slowly and examined his hand, discovering that the remaining fruit had completely disappeared. Even more surprisingly, he didn’t feel particularly bothered by the changes occurring within him.

’So this is Desire Independence,’ Alex thought, carefully examining his altered state of mind.

Fortunately, he soon discovered that his interest in magic hadn’t disappeared completely. Although most of his desires had been heavily suppressed, he still felt a natural inclination toward studying mana and constructing Runes.

’That’s good. If even my interest in magic had disappeared, I probably wouldn’t have wanted to do anything until the effect wore off,’ Alex considered.

The fruit was really dangerous. It would turn anyone into a person who did not want to do anything except sit and look around.

Alex retrieved the materials needed to construct another Life Element Rune and began working. However, almost immediately, he noticed that his mana manipulation had become somewhat less precise than before.

The deterioration wasn’t particularly severe, but Alex could clearly distinguish the difference. Since Desire Independence weakened his Will, his ability to control mana had naturally suffered as well.

Fortunately, the effect was temporary and would disappear after approximately one day, allowing him to recover his previous level of control.

Considering the benefits he hoped to obtain from the fruit, Alex considered the disadvantage acceptable.

He continued constructing the Life Element Rune, carefully arranging its components until the basic structure was complete. Once the Rune had stabilized, he began incorporating additional Fire Element Sub Runes to improve its overall performance.

Although Fire and Life were different elements, they possessed certain compatible properties, since fire could contribute to the growth and development of living things under the right circumstances. Thus, sub runes of Fire Element could be used with Life Element.

After completing the Rune, Alex examined its status screen, curious to see whether the changes to his Will had affected the result.

[Life Element Rune (A Rank)]

[What the hell? How do you still like magic after eating that fruit? It was one of the highest-purity Star Plum Arasia fruits! Y-You pervert, are you one of those ’Mana-Sexual’ beings?]

[Effect: A Life Element Rune that can be used by any Mage.]

Alex ignored the System’s ridiculous comment and focused on the Rune’s Rank. Until now, every Life Element Rune he had constructed by combining Fire Element Sub Runes with the main Life Element Rune had been B Rank.

He had followed exactly the same process this time, yet the resulting Rune had reached A Rank. The only significant difference was that his Will no longer carried his soul signature, allowing other Mages to use the finished Rune.

Before Alex could examine the implications further, another notification appeared before his eyes.

[Mana Circuit Spell has leveled up. Level 4 → Level 6.]

Alex raised his eyebrows, examining the unexpected improvement. Apparently, constructing a Rune with Will that lacked his soul signature had provided valuable insights into Mana Circuit Spell, allowing it to advance by two Levels.

However, he decided to investigate that development later, since he still needed to determine whether the Rune could help him complete the Trial.

He picked up the newly created A Rank Life Element Rune and headed toward the reception desk.

After reaching the desk, Alex placed the Rune onto its golden surface and waited for the evaluation. A moment later, a familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

[Life Element Rune (A Rank)]

[Price: ...]

..

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