Chapter 145: The Rune Master
"Kid, are you lost or something?"
Silas was far too excited to sleep that night. He tried meditating, even attempted to enter his Time Mind World, but his thoughts refused to settle, torn between anticipation and unease.
At last, he had found a way to rid himself of the curse. Even so, two obstacles still stood in his way.
Terio and Alfred were more than capable, and both had shown enough determination to see the task through. If they failed, he could always ask Cher or Darius for help.
Unfortunately, neither option was available.
Even after dawn, every attempt to contact those two failed. Lara was no different, making it seem as though he had suddenly become invisible.
’I can’t believe they’re hiding their training from me to this extent.’
Silas silently cursed their stubbornness, though he could hardly blame them. Normally, anyone in his position would feel unsettled after watching others grow stronger while their own condition continued to worsen.
Unable to do anything about it, he turned his attention to another matter.
He now stood before the classroom for Rune Rock Crafting for Beginners.
From what he had heard the previous night, he had expected something similar to the meditation classes. Instead, the room was already half full, with more than fifty students chatting among themselves while waiting for the teacher to arrive.
The moment he stepped inside, conversations began to quiet.
It was as though a stranger had wandered into a place where everyone already knew one another. Silas looked noticeably younger than the fourth-year students, making him stand out immediately.
Before he could reach one of the empty seats at the back, a group of seven students blocked his path.
"I’m a student at the academy. I only came to attend the class."
"We can tell you’re a student."
"But..."
"You don’t belong to the fourth year, does he, Klain?"
The others turned toward a young man standing at the back of the group.
Klain studied Silas in silence, his brows slowly knitting together as if he were trying to remember where he had seen that face before.
"You aren’t from our year."
He took a step forward, subtly placing himself between Silas and the others.
"What brings you here?"
Unlike his companions, Klain showed no hostility, only caution. Silas’ face seemed familiar enough that he didn’t want to provoke someone who might have a powerful background.
"I wanted to speak with the teacher."
"What for?"
Klain paused before asking another question.
"And what year are you in?"
Silas sensed no ill intent, only curiosity, so he answered without revealing his true purpose.
"I’m a first-year student. My name is Silas..."
"The Ashborne orphan?!"
Klain’s eyes widened before Silas could finish.
He spun toward his companions without hesitation.
"Hurry."
"Go tell Cameron the Ashborne orphan he’s been looking for is here."
’Looking for me?’
’Who the hell is Cameron?’
Silas frowned.
He had never heard that name before, yet the words immediately put him on guard. Whoever Cameron was, he apparently knew enough to identify him as the Ashborne orphan.
That alone was enough to make Silas wary.
Before Klain could say anything else, a stern voice echoed from the doorway.
"Why are you all standing around?"
"Take your seats. Immediately."
The teacher entered the classroom. The sight of eight students standing instead of sitting drew a puzzled frown from him, though the confusion quickly faded once they obeyed his command to take their seats. It was only then that he noticed Silas.
"You..."
A thick finger pointed straight at him.
"What are you doing here? This is a fourth-year class, not a place for a younger-year student."
The teacher had assumed Silas came to deliver a message or run an errand for one of the students. However, instead of leaving, Silas calmly walked toward the central platform, making it obvious that he had come for an entirely different reason.
"Sir, I’m here to ask for something."
"Then ask."
The teacher cut him off before he could continue.
"My class time is precious, so don’t waste it."
He was a remarkably obese man with long hair and an enormous moustache, an appearance that struck Silas as strangely out of place for a Rune Master. Silas had imagined that engraving Rune Rocks demanded overwhelming physical strength, yet standing before the man was enough to shatter that assumption.
’It must depend on one’s ability instead.’
The realisation immediately reminded him of what his teammates had said the previous night about how scarce Rune Masters truly were.
"Didn’t you hear me?" the teacher asked impatiently.
"My time is valuable. Say what you came to say, or leave."
Silas knew the man’s patience had nearly run out. If he hesitated any longer, the conversation would end before it even began.
"I came to ask for your help."
After clearing his throat, he gestured toward the platform.
"May I come closer?"
His unusually polite manner drew strange looks from both the teacher and the students. Silas had no idea that this particular teacher was infamous throughout the academy for his greed and abrasive personality. Everyone knew that approaching him usually ended with an empty wallet.
Seeing the respectful younger year standing before him, several students couldn’t help but feel a trace of sympathy.
The teacher simply beckoned him over, a faint smile appearing beneath his thick moustache. Years of bargaining had sharpened his instincts. Whenever someone approached him with a request, there was usually profit to be made.
Once Silas stepped close enough that the others couldn’t overhear, he lowered his voice.
"I’d like your help crafting a few Rune Rocks."
The teacher’s expression remained unchanged. As one of the academy’s rare Rune Masters, requests like this were nothing new.
"And how do you intend to compensate me?"
He went straight to the point, asking for payment before discussing anything else.
However, the question struck Silas like a bolt from the blue.
He had never imagined a teacher would demand payment simply to help a student. The possibility had never even crossed his mind, leaving him speechless for several long seconds.
Unfortunately, the teacher interpreted his silence differently.
"Look, kid."
"I don’t know which clan you belong to."
"But I don’t offer my services cheaply, not even to the king himself."
Those words suddenly gave Silas an idea.
"What about the Avarons?"
’Sorry, Cher. I need to get him on board.’
"The Avarons..."
The teacher sounded surprised for only a brief moment before narrowing his eyes and slowly looking Silas up and down, as though examining an obvious fraud.
"I don’t believe you belong to them."
"Or even work for them."
The warmth vanished from his face. He waved a thick hand dismissively toward the door.
"Leave."
"Enough of wasting my time..."
"Sir, I’m Silas Ashborne."
Realising words alone would get him nowhere, Silas immediately presented the only proof he had.
"I’m the leader of the team that includes Cher Avaron. You can verify my identity if you want."
The teacher studied him in silence, his expression revealing nothing as he weighed whether Silas was lying or speaking the truth.
Although none of the students below had heard what Silas whispered, the exchange already felt familiar. They had watched their teacher extort countless people in the same manner and believed they knew exactly how this conversation would end.
"I will."
The teacher narrowed his eyes.
"But..."
"I never waste my time investigating my clients, so tell me how much you’re willing to pay for my services, and don’t drag the academy’s name into this. My price doesn’t change, no matter who sent you."
Silas found himself back where he had started.
He had come here completely unprepared. In hindsight, he should have waited for his friends, gathered information about this peculiar teacher, and approached him only after understanding what kind of person he was dealing with.
’I was too hasty.’
The thought lingered heavily in his mind.
’If I ruin this first impression... there probably won’t be a second chance.’
He looked at the teacher, searching for an answer, but the longer he remained silent, the more impatient the older man became.
"I can’t stand cold-hearted brats like you."
Finally, the teacher lost what little patience he had left.
"Listen, kid. The lowest price I’ll accept is a B-grade treasure."
Silas froze.
It was the first time he had heard the term. He hadn’t even known treasures existed in Eldrune, much less that they were divided into ranks.
Seeing the confusion on his face, the teacher assumed the price was the problem.
"I don’t accept money."
"I only take gifts, preferably high-grade treasures."
After a brief pause, he raised one hand and spread all five fingers.
"And that’s only for five stacks of whatever you want me to make. You bring me the design, I’ll gather the materials myself, and your order will be ready within a few hours."
The teacher folded his arms.
"So, kid... how much are you willing to pay?"
Silas wanted nothing more than to leave, regroup with his teammates, and learn what a treasure even was.
Unfortunately, the conversation had gone too far for him to retreat now.
’Think...’
He racked his brain, only to realise how empty his pockets truly were. He had left the orphanage with nothing, and despite spending more than a month as an Enhancer, he still possessed nothing valuable enough to bargain with.
’Should I ask Cher?’
His eyes drifted toward his wristwatch as anxiety slowly tightened around his chest beneath the teacher’s unwavering stare.
Then he remembered.
She hadn’t replied to a single one of his messages since last night. That path was already dead.
’What am I supposed to do?’
"Don’t waste your time on him, Teacher."
A powerful voice echoed from the entrance before Silas could think of another solution.
"He’s an orphan."
"He’s poor."
"And he’s too worthless to pay you anything."
Silas turned toward the staircase.
A broad-shouldered young man was descending the steps with calm confidence, followed by the same seven students who had blocked Silas’s path earlier.
’So... this is Cameron.’
Silas studied the newcomer with a raised brow as Cameron returned the gaze without hesitation.
Now, there was no doubt.
Cameron hadn’t come looking for him with good intentions.