Chapter 351: Gale Rune

Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Gale Rune

The fragments were a dull iron-gray, their surfaces covered in markings. They looked like some kind of text, or perhaps ritualistic runes, but most were too blurred to make out.

Seraphina Sinclair was no archeologist; she couldn’t make out what was written on the fragments at all. She could only piece them together by following the patterns formed by the lines.

Soon, the eight fragments were pieced together on the floor, forming an irregular polygon about the size of an adult’s palm.

As Seraphina Sinclair carefully placed the last fragment, the instant its edge fit perfectly against the adjacent piece, the dull iron-gray of all the fragments suddenly flashed!

The indistinct markings, as if infused with vitality by some unseen force, began to emit a faint, dark-red glow. At a glance, they looked like cooling lava with embers still smoldering in their depths.

The glow vanished in a flash, so quickly that Seraphina Sinclair almost thought she had imagined it.

But the fragments themselves had changed. They were no longer separate pieces but were now fused tightly together. The seams had all but vanished, forming a single metal plate with a jagged edge.

[Mysterious Ritual Fragment (D-level)]

[Description: An incomplete metal plate that seems to record some ancient ritual. It usually appears alongside a broken Holy Dagger! Perhaps because at some point, they were both sacrificial implements. It longs to be whole again, but it is made of far more than just these fragments. Collect all the fragments, and you may uncover a forgotten secret. Current Progress (8/?)]

"Ritual fragment... collect them all?"

Seraphina Sinclair picked up the heavy metal plate, her fingertips brushing over the dark-red markings.

’It’s another one of these vaguely-defined fragments. Other than its general purpose, there’s no real information.’

’The last time I got a fragment like this, it was that piece of an incomplete Engraving Scroll from inside the Silver Moon Earrings. If today’s dungeon reward hadn’t been an A-level Engraving Scroll, who knows how long it would’ve taken me to figure out what that thing was for?’

She glanced again at the D-level Supply Box. The dagger was a duplicate, and the fragments had formed this plate.

’Then what about the boots?’

Seraphina Sinclair picked up the boots.

They were a pair of rather sturdy-looking short leather boots, dark brown, with simple copper buckles as decoration. Aesthetically, they were quite nice.

[Wind-stepping Boots (D-level)]

[Description: Tanned from a light yet tough beast hide, the soles are engraved with a simple Gale Rune. When worn, they slightly increase the wearer’s movement speed and jumping ability. An absolute must-have for home, travel, and vanquishing your foes!]

A pair of D-level boots. The effect was similar to the Night Eagle Stand-up Collar Windbreaker she was wearing—better than nothing, but not by much.

But compared to the Water Dragon Roar, the difference was like night and day.

Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t disappointed. Special clothing like this was rare, so having it was better than not. Besides, these boots were at least an improvement over the ordinary shoes she was currently wearing.

She changed into the Wind-stepping Boots and took a few steps.

She did feel a bit lighter on her feet, and the impact on the soles of her feet when she landed was also slightly softened.

A very practical upgrade.

Seraphina Sinclair was very satisfied. She was about to take out the broken Holy Dagger to dismantle it again when, for some reason, a term from the description of the boots on her feet came to mind—Gale Rune.

She was familiar with the concept of "runes," but not intimately so.

The rune Skill had only taught her how to draw the three basic runes, but she was completely clueless about the meaning of the runes drawn on them.

Now, however, on this pair of D-level boots, she had seen the word "rune."

The description used "engraved" rather than "drawn"; one was engraving on a physical object, the other was drawing on the medium of rune paper. But the core of both seemed to be related to this system of symbols called runes, which contained special power and were arranged according to certain principles.

The Engraving Master’s scrolls, the Rune Master’s runes...

’Could it be that these two seemingly different paths are connected on a deeper level? Or perhaps the essence of both professions is simply to apply "runes" to some material using a specific technique?’

It was a bold thought, but it was logical and well-supported.

What’s more, Seraphina Sinclair could test this hypothesis!

’If I’m right, then runes should be universal across all professions! In that case, I can carefully observe the Gale Rune on these boots, try to replicate it, and use it to draw a rune.’

If she succeeded, it would prove her guess was correct.

Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes burned with intensity, but she temporarily suppressed the thought.

Since Rune Masters and Engraving Masters were two of the four major professions of The Black Mist World, the secrets between them wouldn’t be as simple as she was assuming.

Even if Seraphina Sinclair sat down to test these theories right now, she probably wouldn’t get any results.

Before she even began, she could already foresee the many difficulties she might encounter in carrying this out.

But Seraphina Sinclair wasn’t giving up; she was just waiting for a better time.

Not to mention they were still on the move, and after dismantling the broken Holy Dagger, she could get five Iron Ingots.

With those, Seraphina Sinclair could craft the Basic Training Room, where the flow of time was different from the outside world.

Then, no matter what she did inside the Basic Training Room, she would have an absolute time advantage!

The thought sent a thrill through her, and she immediately gripped the broken Holy Dagger.

The dusty, gray dagger looked completely unremarkable, its edge even a bit dull.

’But who would have thought that such an ordinary-looking thing could be dismantled into five Iron Ingots?’

"Dismantle."

As the command was given, a familiar white light enveloped the dagger.

A few seconds later, the dagger disappeared, replaced by five portions of Fog Condensation Residue and five Iron Ingots gleaming with a cold light!

Adding the five she had gotten from dismantling before and stored in her earrings, a full ten Iron Ingots were now piled in front of Seraphina Sinclair.

The conditions were met.

Seraphina Sinclair immediately walked over to the fully automated workbench, found the blueprint for the training room, and took out the materials listed on it one by one.

"Fifty wood, thirty Stone... and one hundred energy stones," Seraphina Sinclair muttered as she took out the items. "Got it. Got it all!"

With the materials ready, Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath and placed her hand on the control panel of the automated workbench.

’Time to start crafting!’

HUMMM—

The workbench emitted a low hum, and then, an incredible scene unfolded.

The heavy wood, Stone, Iron Ingots, and energy stones were crushed, purified, and reshaped as if by an invisible giant’s hand. They transformed into multicolored streams of light that surged, like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, into a spinning, slowly expanding silver orb of light at the center of the workbench.