Chapter 190: Ancestor of the Runic Kingdom
It is believed that the Runes were created by that mythical Blacksmith in the last 50 years, which is the lifespan of the Runic Kingdom. But the reality is completely different.
These runes were created more than 100 years ago, so Blacksmith’s 80-100-year lifespan is a lie. He is a legendary man over 100 years old who created these precious runes capable of bringing a kingdom to life.
Creating a Creative (or Existential) Treasure is very complicated. It is said that there are seven levels of blacksmithing, but not all Level 7 blacksmiths can create one of these treasures, let alone one as complex as The Runes.
So the greatness of that blacksmith is astonishing; he practically has the ability of a god, at least in blacksmithing. However, it is known that he was a saint.
Walking through the Mountain of Runes is an experience that every living being wants. It relaxes your mind, making you feel completely safe. There is no danger here. The animals are harmless and even greet you. Nature calms down, and no matter what, the wind is never strong.
Everything remains in absolute calm, demonstrating the complexity of the treasure.
As the Leader walked along the great mountain trails, the gentle wind and the energy of the runes calmed him, allowing him to think more clearly.
A small house awaited him at the top of the mountain. Built in the old style with wood, it barely had enough room for the bare necessities of life. But there were three people here.
An elderly man sat gazing at the world’s vastness beneath the mountain. His face’s wrinkles showed he had lived through many times, but his hand seemed to radiate power. Although he looked like a dry branch that would soon wither away, he had such impressive power that it overflowed from his body.
At his side, two young people were helping him. A man and a woman. This was their job. To help him with his basic needs and keep him company.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t meet his basic needs; it was simply that the guild would provide him with care.
When the Leader reached the top, the old man spoke.
"You haven’t visited me much lately, little Charles," he said. The young people finally realized he had arrived, so they bowed.
Charles, the Guild Leader, smiled.
"Grandfather, I’ve been very busy recently," he said, approaching him.
"Sit down, then. Tell me your concerns for coming here." After saying that, he motioned to the two young men behind him to leave.
"A lot is going on lately, Grandfather. I need your advice."
The old man nodded. "It is wise to recognize when you need help, which is commendable. I have taught you well, and that pleases me. Go ahead. I don’t know everything, but perhaps I can help you."
"Well, first, do you remember the branch of the guild we have in the Clark family’s Loen City?" Charles asked.
"I remember it." He nodded. "You told me that SkyDome disappeared the last time you were here."
"That’s right. That was several years ago, so now there are new things. There’s an influx of talent in our guild, which is ridiculous. I don’t know what to do with them."
"Hmm." The old man stared at him for several seconds. "How talented is that? That a Saint is so concerned about it, I fear that they are talents capable of reaching at least Saint Rank, aren’t they?"
"Yes. More than that. They will all be Gods if they continue like this."
The old man’s eyes sparkled, while his wrinkles seemed to tremble. Somehow, he was very excited, to the point that tears almost came out.
"...The kingdom founded for me, by my old friend... Will it reach such heights?" He whispered, in a whisper full of old memories and continuous nostalgia.
To think that this guild would have gods is something... incredible.
"Certainly, with talents like that, it’s normal for you to be worried," he said after calming down. "But why don’t you just bring them here? With our help, they will grow much faster." He spoke slowly and deliberately, but his words carried unprecedented power.
Among the men of this territory... he was the one who was very close to the legendary.
To the mythical.
To the impossible.
Words with that kind of power are only created if someone intends to do so, up to the Saint Rank. But the closer you are to the Divine Rank...
’The harder it is to control them. He hasn’t grown stronger, because he’s already old, but his closeness to the Divine is impressive,’ thought Charles.
But he hadn’t come here for that.
"The problem is... they’re too talented."
"Someone who can be a God will certainly have impressive talent."
"Yes. But they’re not just at that level. At the young age of 16, we have a girl who is already in the middle stages of the Master Rank and has achieved Mastery with the Sword, up to Level 4 or higher."
"That much?" The old man was surprised. "Who is she, that girl? To be so talented, she must have good blood."
"Honestly, I think her last name is irrelevant in this case, since her family, the Whites of Tanafler, are only involved in politics and are nobles. Although they have had several prominent members, such as her older sister, it’s different. In many ways, this girl’s talent is superior to her sister’s."
After saying this, Charles spoke again.
"Another impressive one we have is the one I consider the best of them all. He is a Summoner."
"A Summoner?" His eyes sparkled, and at the same time, he frowned. "That’s not good..." he said.
"I understand, Grandfather. It’s dangerous, but his talent isn’t just being a Summoner... His summons are special. He doesn’t seem to be restricted by the rules of the System, and his strength is growing at an alarming rate. He only awakened five months ago, but his strength level is already above the average Master Rank!"
"..." Seeing that his grandfather was so stunned that he didn’t respond, Charles continued talking.
"He has several summons, I think they’re pretty strong. Although a little curious, they grow in strength along with him. However, I’m not entirely sure about that. But..." He paused when he saw his grandfather move before him and decided to stare at him.
"Five months... right?" he asked.
Charles nodded, quickly understanding what he meant. "Almost five months."
"Who is he? His last name?"
"He’s SkyDome’s son, Grandpa."
After thinking for a moment, the old man lay back down and picked up a book he always carried.
This book was said to contain many secrets, but he never let anyone open it. Not even Charles, his grandson, had been able to peek inside.
But whenever he picked it up, he would say something important.
He leafed through it a little until he reached the page in question. He read for a moment and then put it back in his inventory.
"Do you know why SkyDome disappeared?" he asked.
Charles tilted his head, not understanding the question, but he always wanted to know.
"He was very powerful and didn’t fit in with the Clarks’ plans... that’s what they say."
"Haha, yes. But at the same time, no. They didn’t make him disappear because of him, but because of his children. His two children have the Blood of a God. The Blood of the Ancestor Lee," he said in a deep voice.
Charles... wasn’t surprised.
"The fact that the Clarks are descended from Ancestor Lee is no secret to us, Grandfather. What does that have to do with anything?"
"It’s not that simple. The Blood of a God is not realistically inherited from generation to generation. It is called ’Blood of a God’ because it is a few drops of blood essence that is inherited from father to eldest son when the first father is a god. If the son can activate it, he will inherit something very important from his father."
"If he cannot activate it, he will pass it on to the next generation... and so on, until someone can activate it."
"SkyDome had it in his time. But he couldn’t activate it. So he must have passed it on to his eldest son. Then that boy must have activated it. So I’m not surprised he’s so talented. He inherited something from Ancestor Lee."
Charles was perplexed. He had no idea about this, although he seemed to have heard about it at some point in his life.
Was that why Elliot was so amazing? He inherited the Blood Essence of a God and managed to activate it!
But then...
He frowned.
"No. That shouldn’t be possible."
"Why?" asked the old man, confused.
"Elliot’s grandfather used forbidden tactics when he was a baby to steal his talent and give it to another of his grandchildren. In that case, that blood has to be in that boy’s body, not Elliot’s." He said, and then remembered something else.
"Besides, I once saw SkyDome’s youngest daughter. If she hadn’t died, people would be talking about the birth of a god in this place. Did she also receive that blood? It’s not possible, is it?"
Finally, the old man didn’t know what to say. He thought for 10 minutes.
He looked at his book again, flipped through many pages, and finally... sighed.
"Let’s not think about why someone is talented. It’ll give me a headache. Those who can be gods are strange beings. Better keep telling me," he said, almost laughing.