"Hmm, perfect,"

I mumbled as I played 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 play 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 placed my shirt on the bed and began to remove all the bandages covering my body.

[...You really like her song.]

El commented 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 placed 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 accepting 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 that later. 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

Inguz

rune is the most basic rune, which works like a vacuum, sucking mana from the environment and gathering it in one place.]

"But won't that harm my body if it's all gathered in one place?" 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 placed the notebook down. "How are you planning 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 playing 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 placed my hand on my face.

I don't have time to think of any other plans, 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.

"Sigh..."

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, placing 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 penetrate my body.

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