Zen jolted awake from the Holoform interface in the Aegis Industries lab. His physical body was still sitting in the same spot, but his mind had just returned from being a "watcher" to Xu Yianzi's resolute decision and excruciating pain. He didn't feel just "impressed" or "surprised" like before. This time, it was a "spectacular symphony of emotions" all mixed together: pride in the courageous Xu Yianzi, the pain of seeing him have to "inscribe" power onto his own body, and most importantly, the hope and determination from seeing that the "Art of Runes" could do more than he had ever imagined.
He didn't rest. He immediately reconnected the communication system to Karess's workshop on Virelya. The holoforms of Zaria and her team appeared once more upon receiving the notification.
"I... I saw it..." Zen began, his voice still trembling slightly with excitement. "The way to make it stable... It's not just about feeding it power... It's about 'creating a state' where the power core can 'absorb' and 'fuse' with the runic energy directly. Like how a body can take medicine and undergo a transformation... We need to create a compatible 'receptor.'"
With this new "insight" from Zen, the "scientific knowledge" of Zaria, and the "engineering skills" of Karess, the development of the "Runic Power Core" progressed by leaps and bounds. They worked together to design a more complex 3-layer structure: the outer [Circuit Ring] for control and communication, the middle [Flux Ring] for energy flow and absorption, and the innermost [Core] which was the heart of its control.
But then... after Karess ran a simulation of the latest model, he swore in frustration. "Damn it!" Karess said through the comms. "The theory is perfect, but when I feed it fusion energy, the structure is still unstable! This is a Carbon Nanotube Core alloy mixed with the highest grade Kaeltherium from the Aegis vault! I've tried everything we have!"
Zaria frowned, staring at the failure data on the hologram. "The problem isn't our design... it's the material we're using to build it. It can't 'resonate' or 'absorb' the specific frequency of runic energy... It's like how Xu Yianzi's world has 'Prana Stones,' but ours doesn't."
Silence fell once more. The hope that had just flared up seemed to have hit a dead end. But then, Zaria seemed to remember something. "Wait... there might be one more thing..." she said. "I need to disconnect and go back to the main Aegis database. It's an ore sample that the 'Odyssey' probe—the company's furthest deep-space exploration vessel—just brought back from an unnamed star system in the Asphodel Reach (Tier 2)... The preliminary data was... very strange."
The holoforms of Zaria and her team vanished, leaving Zen and Karess to wait in silence for several hours. Finally... Zaria's holoform reappeared, a rare smile on her face. "I have the data... Karess, can you simulate this image based on the data I'm sending you?"
Karess received the data and began to render the hologram. But what appeared was not a metal ingot or a crystal, but a fine, jet-black "dust," swirling inside a simulated container. "This is it?" Karess asked, confused. "The ore you mentioned? This is just some unknown powder."
"It's more than that," Zaria explained, her eyes alight with excitement. "Analysis shows it's a cluster of previously undiscovered atoms. We haven't even named it yet... but it has an incredible property... Watch this."
Zaria asked Karess to activate the "miniature fusion cell" he used for power in his workshop. Then, she controlled the simulated container holding the "nano-dust" to move it close to the ᚦ (Thurisaz) rune symbol that Karess had inscribed on a test plate earlier. And then, a miracle happened.
The moment the dust entered a range where it could "feel" the energy radiating from the rune symbol... the nano-dust began to live! It swirled, coalesced, and forged itself into a complex and beautiful structure that was identical to the "Thurisaz rune symbol" in every way!
Everyone in the room was stunned speechless by the sight. Zen was the first to break the silence. He smiled... the smile of someone who understood everything.
Zen: "You see, Karess... this is the principle I've been trying to explain all along... The working principle of the runes in Xu Yianzi's world. It requires three components." He began to explain slowly and clearly: "One is the 'Rune Form.' It's the 'pattern' or 'script' that dictates the path of the power."
"Two is 'Energy.' In this case, the fusion energy from your cell. It's the 'fuel' that makes the rune work."
"And three... is the most important thing... 'Will' or 'Belief'." Zen looked at Karess, his eyes reflecting the image of his stunned friend. "When you inscribed that Thurisaz rune, you didn't just 'follow a template.' With your focus and professionalism, you imbued it with your 'belief' and 'will' to make it as perfect as possible... The 'shape' of the rune you inscribed held your belief. And this dust... it simply 'responded' to the belief and the frequency of energy coming from that character."
He laughed softly. "It seems... you're now a true believer in my crazy dreams, aren't you, Karess?"
Karess said nothing, but the eyes under his Oni mask were blazing with an excitement he had never shown before. Zen turned back to Zaria. "We have everything now... We have fusion energy, we have the runes and Karess's 'will,' and most importantly... we have a 'material' that responds to creation. So... let's begin."