Chapter 119: The Origin Runes

[Opening Runic Vault...]

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[Origin Rune of the Rift] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of the Aegis] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of Chronos] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of Causality] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of Ascension] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of Liberation] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Origin Rune of Oblivion] - [Origin Percentage: 10%]

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"Origin Runes?" Malrik whispered, the blood completely draining from his face.

Origin Runes were not something just anyone could obtain. They were fragments of the world’s primordial laws.

To possess one, a person needed not only heaven-defying luck to find it, but absolute, overwhelming power to keep it. Otherwise, they would spend the rest of their short life being hunted like an animal.

Even the absolute rulers of the world could not resist the terrifying temptation of the power they granted.

Throughout history, anyone who managed to claim a true Origin Rune inevitably became one of the brightest stars of their era.

The ancient Rune scholars had long known one undeniable truth: there was no such thing as a weak or useless Origin Rune.

If an Origin Rune appeared weak, the flaw lay entirely within its host. Extracting its true potential and utilizing its power depended entirely on the wielder’s own creativity, intelligence, abilities, and profession.

"Impossible..." Malrik muttered, staring at the golden screen before him.

Because of their impossible rarity, ancient Runemasters and ancient entities had attempted to recreate them. Yet even at the height of their efforts, they could barely reproduce five or six percent of the power contained within a true Origin Rune.

The runes displayed before Malrik were also imitations. However, they were unlike any imitation the ancient world had ever produced. Each one contained a full ten percent of the original power.

They still could not compare to a true Origin Rune, but even these imperfect imitations possessed terrifying might, capable of dramatically increasing their host’s overall power.

And there was one fatal, terrifying rule associated with them. Unlike Skills, Origin Runes did not disappear when their bearer died. They remained even after their host was dead.

If someone wanted to obtain a rune from its bearer, there was no magical surgery or peaceful extraction. There was only one way: kill the bearer and claim the rune for themselves.

Despite knowing all of this, as Malrik stared at the golden screen, his initial shock slowly faded, replaced by a deep scowl.

"Wait... why are there only seven here?" Malrik grumbled, his expression souring as he stared at the pitifully short list.

"Those damn Arbiters were throwing around Legendary Skills and weapons like cheap copper coins just a second ago. What happened? Did their almighty cosmic budget suddenly run dry, or are they just being cheap now?"

Shaking his head at his own absurd greed, Malrik let out a heavy breath.

"Let’s see them all. It’s not every day I get the chance to examine the details of Origin Runes containing genuine Origin power."

[Origin Rune of the Rift]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over distance and dimensions.]

[Origin Rune of the Aegis]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over existence and vitality, allowing the forceful rejection of a fatal outcome.]

[Origin Rune of Chronos]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over the flow of time, allowing you to detach your personal temporal state from the physical world.]

[Origin Rune of Causality]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over probability and fate, allowing minor manipulation of absolute cause and effect.]

[Origin Rune of Ascension]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over physical and spiritual limits, allowing the forceful breaking of innate boundaries.]

[Origin Rune of Liberation]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over the concept of restriction, allowing continuous evolution the longer a conflict persists.]

[Origin Rune of Oblivion]

[Origin Percentage: 10%]

[Description: A primordial fragment. It grants localized authority over the concept of decay, allowing the permanent erasure of conceptual and physical defenses.]

Malrik stared at the glowing golden text for a long time, but instead of being enlightened, his frown deepened even further.

"Why didn’t the System provide a more detailed explanation this time?" he muttered in frustration, glaring at the vague lines of text.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, letting out an annoyed breath.

"Damn it. I haven’t seen a single person in my entire life—not even in the original Malrik’s memories—who possessed a complete Origin Rune, let alone one holding a fractional Origin percentage. I was really hoping the System would give me some help or guidance here."

Instead, he was left with nothing but abstract concepts and absolute laws.

Accepting that he wouldn’t get any more answers out of the golden screen, Malrik closed the Runic Vault. He took a slow breath, his thoughts settling as he considered what he had just seen.

He knew that choosing any one of these Runes would dramatically increase his power. This wasn’t speculation or wishful thinking. History had already proven it.

Whether it was a complete Origin Rune or one of the imperfect imitations created by ancient Runemasters, those who managed to survive while carrying one were destined to rise above the rest and make their mark on history.

If he chose one of these ten-percent Origin Runes, there was little doubt that his own path would change completely.

But there were still two vaults left.

His intense gaze slowly drifted downward, locking onto the final two options on the golden screen.

[Corpse Selection]

[Legacy Tower]

He had deliberately left these two sections for the very end.

Both names had immediately caught his attention the moment he first laid eyes on the golden screen, and the anticipation had been gnawing at him ever since.

To a Soul Binder like him—a mage whose very existence was intrinsically tied to the dead—the [Corpse Selection] was undoubtedly the most alluring prize in this entire interface.

Legendary weapons and Origin Runes were magnificent, but high-quality corpses and souls were the literal foundation of his power. They were his army, his shield, and his greatest weapon. For someone walking his path, there was no greater temptation.

As for the [Legacy Tower]... he honestly had no idea what it actually was. But the sheer weight of the name alone was enough to make his blood pump with genuine excitement.

Taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart, Malrik raised his hand and tapped the first of the final two options.

[Opening Corpse Selection...]