Chapter 70: Class Runesmith Level Up, Cursed Spirit Hunter Test Details
Stats:
Strength: 43 (+3.2) → 43 (+56)
Dexterity: 59 (+1.4) → 59 (+21)
Endurance: 43 (+1.4) → 43 (+46.3)
Intelligence: 162
Spirit: 64
...
Strength and Endurance increased by nearly four times.
Dexterity almost doubled.
The real bonus was what happened when I used Shadow Assimilation.
My shadow’s stats would merge with mine during the duration of the skill.
Which meant that my strength and endurance would each cross 200, and dexterity would cross 150.
Then, I would be able to fight head-on with Rank 2 Exorcists without using portals.
’Time to move to the next step.’
’I need to go get the Cursed Spirit Hunter license.’
Today was the day they would announce what the test was.
That meant accessing the Underworld website, to look up the current test requirements.
The problem?
The only computer I could access was in the study room.
And that room was right next to my parents’ room.
If I went there at night, dad would definitely notice.
He had terrifying senses for someone who had a destroyed dantian.
’I’ll have to leave the estate and use someone else’s computer.’
"Are we going out tonight, Lord of Shadows?" Yuna asked.
"Yes."
I got to work.
First, I chanted a low-level spatial spell and layered a thin membrane of sensory magic over my room’s doors and windows.
"—Silent Bind: Veil Layer."
If anyone stepped into the room, I’d be alerted instantly.
With how fast my portal casting was now, I could be back before anyone noticed I was gone.
Then I drew the [Absorption Rune: Null Drift] on the wall using fairy dust and my Class perk ’Basic Inscription.’
Runes created with the perk would not vanish upon use and could be reactivated by channeling mana.
’That’s one Rune done.’
I knelt and started drawing the more complex rune: [Warp Point].
The estate was surrounded by a powerful magical barrier.
I could teleport out with a simple portal, but I couldn’t teleport back in.
The barrier would block me unless I had clearance.
The [Warp Point] rune was the solution.
Unlike a regular portal, a Warp Point was fixed in location.
Once paired with another Warp Point rune, they acted as two ends of a stable tunnel. It would let me enter the barrier around the estate even without a clearance.
I used the Basic Inscription perk to etch the rune into the floor.
Since runes created with this perk were reusable, I wouldn’t have to redraw them each time.
I just needed to provide mana.
Once I finished inscribing it, I activated a normal portal to exit the estate.
The portal opened a bit farther from the forest boundary that protected the property.
From there, I headed east, deeper into the woods.
This region bordered the lower Alps.
There were plenty of abandoned spots and caves that no one would bother to explore.
After about twenty minutes of moving, I found a narrow cave opening hidden behind thick roots and moss.
It was quiet.
There were no signs of human tracks, or wild animals living inside.
Perfect.
I stepped inside, cleared a flat area on the stone floor, and began drawing the second [Warp Point] rune.
When I finished, the rune glowed faintly before fading.
It was now paired with the one I had drawn in my room.
Class Runesmith
Grade: Apprentice Runesmith → Journeyman Runesmith
+1 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +1 Spirit
Perk Gained: [Stabilized Ink]
Perk Effect: Your rune inscriptions are 30% less likely to misfire from environmental interference or mana interference.
All that was left was to test it.
I placed my hand on the rune and channeled mana.
A portal shimmered to life in front of me.
I stepped through, and appeared back in my room.
It worked.
Back in my room, the Warp Point rune dimmed.
Since I hadn’t provided the Warp Point rune in my room with mana manually, it had pulled from ambient mana in the air.
Unfortunately, the ambient mana in the air was minimal.
’I’ll have to wait at least six hours before it can be used again.’
That was the amount of time until air would recover enough mana to activate the Warp Point rune.
And since there were two Warp Point runes, I could give mana manually to only one.
Not ideal.
I needed a way to store mana, or rather, to feed the rune passively using collected mana.
That meant building a simple Rune Array (a Rune created by combining two or more Runes) to connect the Warp Point to a mana absorption rune.
A solution came to mind almost instantly.
The [Absorption Rune: Null Drift] was already a type of mana gathering rune, designed to gather leaking mana.
I just had to connect it to the Warp Point.
I got to work.
Using fairy dust, I drew Connector Runes between the two main runes.
These were very basic runes, not even considered Apprentice-level.
"You are.... quite good at this," Yuna said from the side with complicated eyes.
I simply nodded, and remained focused on my work.
Once that was done, I drew a Disguise Rune over the whole array.
It wasn’t perfect invisibility, but it would hide the presence of the Rune Array from anyone who casually looked, even if they were skilled in magic detection.
’Finally done with this side.’
I activated the portal again, and stepped through it, reappearing inside the cave.
I repeated the same process there.
First, I drew another [Absorption Rune: Null Drift].
Then I connected it to the Warp Point with a fresh set of Connector Runes.
Lastly, I masked the whole rune array with layered Disguise Runes.
By the time I was finished, I had two linked Warp Points with passive mana supply.
I could now teleport to and from the estate whenever I wanted, without worrying about the barrier or the estate’s magical detection systems.
"This should make moving around much easier," I whispered to myself, brushing off my hands.
I stepped onto the rune one last time, returning to my room.
Once I was certain everything was working as intended, I returned to the forest clearing I used as the base.
I opened another portal to the nearest city from there.
"I’ve got about seventy percent of my mana left," I muttered as I stepped through. "Sheesh. Long-distance travel eats mana like candy."
I landed in a quiet alleyway behind a local café.
It was late enough that the streets were mostly empty. Perfect.
I immediately used Shadow Assimilation to merge with the shadows around me.
Throughout the way, I kept my Hollow Eyes active.
The shift in perspective was always a little dizzying at first, but using the Hollow Eyes like this would allow me to get used to them fast.
And since I was in Shadow Assimilation state, no one could see my eyes and find out that I had Hollow Eyes.
I sank into the nearest shadow, then began moving through the streets.
I searched house after house.
Some had motion sensors or alarms.
Others had CCTVs inside their living rooms.
"Who the hell puts cameras inside the house? Do it outside like a normal person." I whispered, annoyed.
I kept searching until I found what I needed: a house with a functioning computer, no internal surveillance, and people who were already asleep.
Still, I didn’t move in right away.
First, I opened my Inventory Rune and pulled out the necessary alchemy ingredients.
Using the [Quickmix Technique] perk from my Alchemy class, I combined the ingredients without needing to create runes or chanting.
This was the benefit of the perk.
It let me skip the chanting and runes for simple alchemy processes.
A Dreamroot Mist Pill formed in my hand, faintly glowing.
I tossed it into the house through an open ventilation shaft.
A soft pop followed as the pill exploded inside, releasing a mist that would induce deep sleep.
Five minutes later, I entered through the shadow under the back door.
Everyone inside was unconscious, lightly snoring.
I went to the computer room, powered it on, and sighed in relief when it didn’t ask for a password.
Since I was in Shadow Assimilation mode, my physical form was reduced to about six feet tall, and I could sit on the chair comfortably.
"To think I’m happy about being able to sit on a chair without having to climb it like a mountain," I chuckled.
I logged into the Underworld black market site and opened the tab labeled "Cursed Spirit Hunter License Application."
A message popped up on the screen.
...
Welcome, Alan Veritus.
Your Cursed Spirit Hunter License application has been verified.
Please visit: The Minotaur’s Mug, 24 Plaka Street, Thessaloniki 54624, Greece.
Tell the bartender: "Zagreus has escaped once again."
Upon verification, you will be taken to a hidden chamber beneath the pub. There, you may select a Cursed Spirit Hunt mission.
Successful completion of this mission is required to earn the license.
.
Please Note:
1. Missions are first-come, first-served.
2. All hunts are team-based. Solo hunting is prohibited.
3. Failure to cooperate with your team may result in disqualification.
4. You have three days to arrive at the location. Missing the window means you’ll need to wait for the next quarterly test cycle.
.
I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my face.
"A team mission, I figured as much. After all, solo Cursed Spirit hunts are prohibited due to the danger associated with them."
The details were quite easy to understand.
But then I noticed something.
"It’s in Greece, Lord of Shadows," Yuna muttered, noticing the same thing as me.
Thessaloniki. Greece.
I sighed.
"Well, that complicates things."
Given the likelihood that I’d need to return there more than once, using standard portals was out of the question.
It would consume way too much mana, and I still wouldn’t be able to cover even one-fiftieth of the distance.
Switzerland and Greece were quite far.
"I need to set up long-distance Warp Points."