<h4>Chapter 28: Runic body [1]</h4>


    "Hmm, perfect,"


    I mumbled as I yed the song "Lonesome Blue" by the singer Echo on the speaker.


    As I walked back, the music began to fill the room, its melodic sound moving around me like a warm embrace.


    The soft notes danced in the air, casting a spell of peacefulness over the space.


    I closed my eyes, allowing the music to wash over me before opening them again.


    "I am ready, El," I mumbled as I started to unbutton my shirt.


    [...Are you sure you want to y the music in the background?]


    "What''s wrong with that? It''s not like we''re going to carve the rune on my body from the get-go," I replied as I ced my shirt on the bed and began to remove all the bandages covering my body.


    [...You really like her song.]


    Elmented as I hummed along with the lyrics.


    "Azariah... Haaah... liked her song, and for some reason, I liked it too," I replied as I took off the bandage covering my ribs.


    [...Are you fine?]


    I halted my movements before continuing, "Never been better."


    [Control your breathing then, it''s like you are about to have a panic attack.]


    I closed my eyes again as I took deep breaths to clear my head.


    "...I don''t have a sense of self, El," I mumbled as I sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. "I don''t know when I will lose myself."


    [...Stop thinking too much about it.]


    "....You don''t understand," I grumbled as I massaged my temples. "I don''t know who I am. Am I Azariah or am I Inder?"


    [The more you think about it, the more you''ll feel depressed.]


    "...Yeah, we have better things to do," I mumbled as I collected myself, then looked at the items spread out in front of me.


    [How much time do we have?]


    "Twelve days," I replied as I picked up a pen-like object. "I booked the hotel room for eleven days, and I need to buy all the items I''ll need for the academy."


    [Do you have to go to the academy?]


    "Trust me, buddy, I don''t want to go either," I replied with a sigh. "I don''t have any other choice."


    [... Because of your mother?]


    "Yeah, the closer I am to her, the higher my chances of dying increase," I replied with a light chuckle. "Well, it''s not like the academy is any safer."


    [.....But you will have time—]


    "Time to get stronger," I replied as I ced the pen-like object back. "Now, stop the chit-chat and tell me what we need to do."


    [Let''s start with the basics, shall we?]


    "Go on."


    [Tell me, how does mana make one stronger?]


    "People in this world inhale mana like oxygen through their lungs, and then that mana is transported throughout the body with blood, making them stronger," I replied, drawing from what I know of Azariah''s fragmented memories.


    [...True, but going by this logic, even a farmer can be a king, no?]


    "No," I replied, shaking my head. "Mana gathers in the body, but it also disperses from the body. It all depends on the potential of the body."


    [Then why is your body not epting mana?]


    "I... I don''t know," I replied, shaking my head, as even in the game there wasn''t any mention about what my condition was.


    [Hmm, we''ll talk about thatter. For now, let''s focus on the runes.]


    "Hmm," I hummed in reply as I picked up the jar with a bluish liquid.


    [How do the runes work in the game of yours?]


    "By forcibly engraving them on the skin and blood vessels beneath, forcing mana into the bloodstream," I replied, recalling how it worked.


    [...The most brutal but most efficient way to increase one''s rank.]


    "Yeah, not to mention it''s incredibly painful... forcing mana into the body," I replied, recalling the agony Azariah endured in the game.


    [Well, the first rune we need to carve into your body is the Inguz rune.]


    As El began speaking, I picked up a pen and a notebook, ready to jot down any important information.


    [The <i>Inguz</i> rune is the most basic rune, which works like a vacuum, sucking mana from the environment and gathering it in one ce.]


    "But won''t that harm my body if it''s all gathered in one ce?" I asked, noting his words down.


    [No, the runes will be engraved throughout your entire body, distributing its effect.]


    "Hmm, but if it''s that effective, why don''t more people use it?" I mused, nodding my head before asking.


    "Even though it''s painful, I''m sure there are plenty of madman who would endure it for power."


    [... Everyone''s body absorbs mana to the best of its capability, and adding runes would only damage their bodies. Except for you, no one else can use it.]


    "Because of my mana exhaustion condition?" I nodded, understanding.


    [Yes.]


    "So, let''s get to the main point then," I said as I ced the notebook down. "How are you nning to make it painless for me?"


    [...It''s a lot easier than you think.]


    "And what is that?" I asked, pressing further.


    [...You just need to carve the rune on the source.]


    "....No," after a long pause, I replied, shaking my head.


    "...It''s not what I''m thinking, right?"


    [....It is what you are thinking.]


    "Are you fucking nuts?" I shouted as I stood up. "You are asking me to carve the runes into my fucking bones or what!?"


    [...Think of it Azariah it''s the most—.]


    "No! No! You think of me first!" I shouted, interjecting his words.


    "It''s already painful enough to carve them on the skin, and you are asking me to carve them on the bones! BONES!"


    [It will hurt only once.]


    "And it will hurt like hell!" I grabbed my hair as I stumbled on the bed, "FUCK, I shouldn''t have put my hopes in a fucking voice."


    [It''s up to you, Azariah. Either you can endure pain for a lifetime or just this once.]


    "...."


    I closed my eyes as I listened to the music ying in the background.


    Her voice was the only thing that helped me calm down a little.


    "Argh, what am I supposed to do now?" I mumbled as I ced my hand on my face.


    I don''t have time to think of any other ns, and I can''t move out of the continent.


    And if I remain weak, I will die, either in the academy or in the hands of my mother...


    ...Things I need to do just to live.


    <i>"Sigh..."</i>


    With a sigh, I stood up and sat on the floor again.


    "Tell me what I need to do," I whispered as I picked up the pen-like object, which was a runic pen.


    [Fill the runic pen with liquid mana.]


    I did as he told me, taking the jar of bluish liquid and carefully filling the pen.


    This small jar cost a fucking million.


    [....Are you sure you want to directly do it on your body?]


    "Just tell me what to do," I replied as I looked at the needle at the tip of the pen.


    And looking at the sharp tip, I started having second thoughts.


    [....It will take a lot of time, but first start with the bones on the forearm.]


    Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fist of my left arm, cing it on my thigh.


    I barely have any muscle in my body so I can clearly see my bones sticking to my skin.


    [You need to engrave Inguz runes into the bone following a specific pattern—]


    "Wait a minute," I said as I picked my shirt up and folded it a few times before stuffing it in my mouth.


    [....take it slow, Azariah, don''t force yourself.]


    I nodded in reply, clenching my jaw.


    [...Then, start.]


    Taking a deep breath, I brought the pen closer to my hand as its needle-like tip started to prate my body.