Chapter 353: Stormforge
Once they stood before the rune laboratory, Vlad glanced at Jormungandr and signaled the small yellow cat to follow him inside while the rest waited outside. Inside the laboratory, Vlad and the Depravita of Gluttony gathered a myriad of materials as they began their refinements.
Vlad already had the designs for each of the Runic Sets he would give to the group engraved in his mind, so he was prepared to finish with the materials before starting to call the others in.
Ouroboros and the Royal Guards waited silently outside, channeling their energy and using every moment to improve their powers. Everyone understood the power of runes and how precious they were, but that power came with responsibilities—especially now as they faced a threat that could wipe out the entire world.
From time to time, the Depravita and the Royal Guards would glance at the runic laboratory as bursts of energy suddenly flared for a few seconds before being replaced by total quietness. This continued for roughly ten hours before the gates finally opened, revealing Jormungandr. The small cat glanced at the Royal Guards, and after a few seconds, his eyes focused on Mirena.
"Go inside," he instructed.
"Yes!" Mirena nodded immediately and entered the laboratory. The small yellow cat closed the door, remaining outside alongside the rest. Runes required direct contact with the skin, and especially for women, this was not something they felt comfortable exposing in public. Everyone understood and waited silently, continuing with their training.
Vlad glanced at Mirena and nodded softly. Her appearance had significantly changed over the past few months, her hair turning dark and her skin paler, most likely due to the presence of the demon soul constantly enhancing her body.
However, those aesthetic aspects matter little to Vlad, and what he cared about was the women’s vitality, soul force, and energy pool that showed enough strength to handle a Rank 3 Runic Set. It was quite impressive that she had reached such a level, demonstrating how much effort she had put into her training and the massive number of aliens she must have killed to obtain so much Origin Force.
"Lie on the table," Vlad commanded. The Royal Guard did not hesitate, removing her armor and remaining in her undergarments as she lay on the runic table. Calling Mirena a striking beauty would not be a mistake; her body was well-developed and toned from years of training. However, Vlad saw only a parchment on which to inscribe his runes—his mind focused solely on his work, allowing no room for distraction.
’A.I. Chip, focus all your abilities on assisting me,’ Vlad instructed mentally. Even though he was a Rank 3 Runemaster, he was at the lower end of that level, and creating a Runic Set was extremely complicated. The Depravita of Wrath needed to be careful, as there were no materials for a second attempt, and any weakness in the Royal Guard could lead to severe problems in the midst of war.
[Beep! Task assigned.] The robotic voice of the A.I. Chip echoed inside Vlad’s mind, and in the following second, red lines appeared above Mirena’s body, showing how the full Runic Set should look.