Chapter 254: Rank 5 Rune Formation
When the smoke and dust died down, Kael stood untouched at the explosion’s center.
A shield of gravity surrounded him—microscopic gravitational rotation bending the shockwaves and fire around his body without making contact. Orbital Deflection, activated at the last possible second.
"Whew," Kael sighed in relief, releasing the technique. "That was close."
Aldric clapped his hands together.
Click.
Kael’s eyes snapped to him. More orbs were launching from Aldric’s storage ring—dozens of them, trailing fire, converging on his position.
He activated Orbital Deflection again. The mana bombs detonated harmlessly around the gravitational barrier, fire and force sliding off the spatial curve like water off glass.
Meanwhile,
Around Aldric’s chest, fire mana was gathering and condensing. Raw flame energy pulled from the ambient environment, from Aldric’s own reserves, from the air itself, compressing into a dense sphere no larger than a fist.
The sphere pulsed once—and entered Aldric’s body through his chest.
His aura exploded.
Flames cloaked his form like a living armor. His presence jumped—from Rank 7 to Rank 8 to Rank 9 Mana Heart. The pressure wave forced Kael’s soldiers backward, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Kael activated Spirit Eyes of the Dark Emperor on Aldric.
The world shifted into layers of information. Aldric’s body became transparent to Kael’s enhanced perception—every muscle, every bone, every flow of mana visible through flesh and bone.
Two cores.
The first was standard—his mana core, Flawless grade, pulsing with earth and fire energy in predictable patterns. But the second...
The secondary core was a masterpiece.
It was a compression of all ambient fire mana and Aldric’s own fire energy into a dense sphere in his chest cavity—creating a secondary power source alongside his normal mana core. The structure was intricate, almost beautiful in its complexity. Runes connected the two cores, allowing them to feed into each other. The secondary core siphoned fire mana from the environment continuously, converting it into pure offensive and defensive power.
Extreme fire damage output. Enhanced defense. Sustained combat capability that far exceeded his normal limits.
Inferno Core. At least Mystic Grade. Possibly higher.
I want that technique, Kael thought. If I could replicate it with lightning or gravity—
Kael summoned the dark wolf. The beast materialized in a burst of shadows—Rank 6 Mana Heart now, scars from previous battles still visible on its obsidian fur.
"Keep him busy," Kael ordered.
The wolf lunged.
Aldric’s flames intensified, and his Pyre Chains intercepted the beast mid-leap, sending it crashing sideways. The wolf recovered instantly and attacked again—only to be met with a cage of fire that forced it back.
Kael’s hands moved. "Shadow Phantoms."
Five clones materialized around Aldric. Each one wielded darkness-based techniques, moving with 45% of Kael’s physical stats. They attacked from five angles simultaneously.
The first clone’s blade met Pyre Chains in a shower of sparks. The second’s Dark Slash was deflected by a wall of condensed fire. The third and fourth coordinated a pincer attack—one high, one low—
Aldric’s chains split. The weapon’s segments separated into individual blades, each trailing fire, moving independently. The third clone’s head went flying. The fourth was bisected diagonally, dissolving into shadow before the body hit the ground.
Two clones destroyed in under ten seconds.
But the distraction served its purpose.
Kael’s hands formed different sigils. His fingers moved through patterns that shouldn’t be possible at Rank 4 Runemaster—complex, interlocking geometric shapes that burned with dark energy.
Dark runes appeared in the sky above them. Dozens. Hundreds. They arranged themselves into a massive circular pattern, a hundred-meter radius centered on the battlefield.
A Rank 5 Rune Formation.
"Devouring Darkness."
The darkness erupted.
It spread like a tide—above and below, swallowing light, sound, and warmth. A sphere of absolute black engulfed the battlefield, cutting the soldiers off from their commanders. From outside, they could see nothing but darkness. From inside, Aldric felt his mana draining.
The clones strengthened. Darkness siphoned Aldric’s fire mana directly into their forms, fueling their techniques, extending their duration. The remaining three clones moved faster, hit harder, their dark abilities amplified beyond what Kael alone could provide.
Aldric frowned, slashing wildly at phantoms that dissolved and reformed behind him. His mana was dropping. Inferno Core tried to compensate by pulling more ambient fire, but the darkness was greedy—it consumed fire mana before Inferno Core could process it.
Through the black veil, Kael’s evil smirk was barely visible.
Creating a rune formation like this after reaching Rank 5 Runemaster wasn’t difficult. It just consumed mana to sustain.
But mana was never a problem for him.
Aldric realized the trap. His mana was bleeding away with every second. He had to leave the darkness—had to get to open ground where his fire could breathe.
He broke toward the edge of the sphere at full speed, flames propelling him forward.
Kael moved faster.
Lightning Body. Shadow Step. He appeared directly behind Aldric, blade raised, darkness and slaughter intent coiling around the edge.
"Dark Slash."
Aldric spun, Pyre Chains forming a defensive net. "Inferno Guard!"
The Dark Slash hit the flame net and was partially absorbed—but the remainder pushed through, carving a line across Aldric’s ribs. He was sent skidding backward, flames flickering, blood spreading from the wound.
If I activated Inferno Core fully, Aldric thought, I could end this immediately. One sustained blast at maximum output would vaporize him.
But this guy has an endless mana reserve and a ridiculous arsenal of skills and techniques. I can’t afford to burn through my reserves fighting defensively. I don’t know what other trick he has up his sleeves.
Outside the darkness barrier, soldiers from both armies stared at the black sphere with growing anxiety. They couldn’t see through it—couldn’t tell who was winning, who was dying, what was happening.
In the observation chamber at the Vorn Estate, Clara and the high elders had no such limitations. Origin realm perception cut through the darkness like it wasn’t there.
Elder Morvan’s face had gone pale. "What is that darkness? It’s draining Aldric’s mana like a sieve!"
Veyra said, her smile widening. "A Rank 5 runic formation. The boy can inscribe at that level? At twenty? Truly incredible. I really want this body"
Clara eyes had sharpened with interest.
Inside the darkness, Kael didn’t give Aldric breathing space.
The wolf slammed into Aldric’s legs, sending him stumbling. The three remaining clones pressed the attack, blades weaving patterns that forced Aldric to defend on all sides. He destroyed one with a concentrated fire blast, but the distraction cost him—
Kael’s hands moved.
"Soul Spike Barrage."
Twelve concentrated soul spikes fired in rapid succession aimed at Aldric’s mind. Each spike carried the intent to pierce, to invade, to cause pain.
Aldric clutched his head, a scream tearing from his throat. The wolf’s powerful kick sent him crashing into the darkness-shrouded earth.
He stabilized on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his lips, his flames sputtering.
A soul attack?