01 / 05 / 2019 - Daito, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
07:20 AM. Friday. Golden Week.
The morning light filtered cleanly through the open window.
Up on the seventh floor of the high-rise, the incoming breeze was sharp and steady, carrying the crisp, unmistakable scent of dew and the earth left behind by yesterday's torrential downpour.
Outside, a chorus of birds chirped in rhythmic harmony, underscored by the distant, low hum of morning traffic crawling along the streets below. Objectively, it was a beautiful morning.
Too bad Akane was exactly the same as he always was.
He sat rigidly at his desk, his personal diary flipped wide open before him.
"Runes…"
What are Runes exactly?
Akane pondered the question deeply, idly twirling the pen between his fingers as his eyes swept across the white sheets of paper, which were crowded with definitions and scribbles.
His pale face remained completely deadpan, though his brow creased slightly and the corner of his mouth wavered with a faint trace of skepticism.
His mind drifted backward, recalling his descent in the elevator toward Althir Baldr alongside Fraiigilar.
This had been one of the exact questions he had pressed the old man on during their transit.
Stopping the pen in his hands, Akane began to write once more. Even though the doubt and confusion still lingered, it was best to sort his understanding first.
As later on, the missing answer would come by itself.
''It all begins when the Allfather, Odin, sacrificed himself, hanging from the branches of the World Tree.''
''The Allfather hung there for nine nights and nine days, his flesh pierced by the spear Gungnir. Deprived of sustenance, denied a single moment of rest, he suspended himself there like a living corpse.''
''And on the final night of the ninth cycle, looking down into the nine worlds, the Allfather gripped the foundational knowledge of the Primordial Runes, written into the dirt.''
''That's the legend…''
Even now, those muffled and heavy sounds seemed to be still ringing in his ears, bringing along a sense of solitude, yet brightness in the sounds.
Akane found himself entirely absorbed within the flow as he inscribed his own thoughts in his diary.
''Some people may know and wouldn't bother to know why and how it could happen... until now, even for this old man, there's no full story of what could happen…''
''Regardless of it, that's how Primordial Runes were born, consisting of 24 Runes that are held by the Allfather himself!''
''Those Runes are how the World Tree views the world itself, the seas, and the land, death and recluse, life and its growth. Wonderful, isn't it?''
Then, Akane stopped himself for a moment, at a loss of words. This time his brow smoothed out as his lips wavered, the voice in his head and himself were consistent at this moment.
"Primordial Runes cannot be grasped by mortals, but, by this, Odin established the Elder Runes in its place…" he muttered thoughtfully, his pen dancing across the paper to keep pace with his internal conclusion.
"Consequently, Odin created the Elder Runes to function in its place and to be safely held by the mortals…'
In essence, Elder Runes are the simplification of Primordial Runes by discarding the raw and overwhelming "view" that is inherently infinite.
Hence, establishing it as a secondary language for the sole intent of confining and conforming it into the "experience" and "comprehension" of the user.
When Fraiigilar taught him the Elder Runes and also the Younger Runes as the baseline entry test for him that day, the intent was obviously to test his resonance and comprehension.
And as was said, by combining the two conclusions, the adaptation of Elder Runes and Younger Runes was basically done to weaken or constrain the weight of essence that exists in the Primordial Runes in a more understandable form.
Of course, Fraiigilar himself never touched the Primordial Runes, as no one could aside from Odin, or perhaps there was some individual as an exception, but regardless, the weight of Essence in Primordial Runes would simply collapse the mindscape of a mortal.
'Therefore, to actively acquire or use a Rune, a subject must either be directly taught by a holder, or find a trace of written Elder and Younger scripts left behind...'
As for why this rule simply exists, Akane also concluded the reason by himself and matched it with the common sense that Fraiigilar knew.
'It depends entirely on the degradation of "Mystery." Or, to utilize Fraiigilar's vocabulary, a Rune physically embodies a specific, concentrated interpretation of meaning.'
'The moment a Rune is abandoned over long intervals of time, its interpretation naturally degrades, diluting itself into the environment until it becomes indistinguishable from a standard, mundane arrangement of text.'
Well, this can explain why in this world, Runes held no meaning at all in the modern era before and after the spiritual revival. There was no active "magic" left inside of it.
Practically, because they were just a scrap of what used to be, even if you looked on it hard enough until your eyes bled, the ink or carving itself wouldn't produce anything out of the ordinary.
No joke, the first time he saw Fraiigilar outline a Rune in the air, he himself could not discern the difference, even with his mind; he still couldn't discern or feel a certain feeling about it.
'But regardless, the capability and reliability of Runes proved itself…'
On that day, the old man had demonstrated the Elder Rune [ᛖᛚᛞᚱ]—Eldr.
As the rune was outlined, a spark began to manifest from the void, flame burning from the rune itself as it glowed in golden-rosy color.
And yet, he still couldn't see anything to it even until now.
Was his current hypothesis regarding the system truly accurate? When he had seen runes on the internet from a relic of somewhere, they also didn't have their own magic or power like how Fraiigilar did; he saw the two as the same.
The pen paused, hovering above the paper. He would consider it as partially done, since he wouldn't learn it now and wouldn't even share his understanding of the Runes for now.
There was also some part that was missing for him to truly learn Runes now.
'The definition of a "mortal" within Fraiigilar's memory of the Nine Realms clearly scales vastly differently than a standard mortal citizen of Earth...'
After all, if he looked back at the timeline, ten or eleven years ago, the world was still progressing normally on the science side, progressing normally.
And then, one year after that, suddenly and secretly, the spiritual revival or mythical revival happened. Who would ever believe this kind of bullshit if you explained it to a random pedestrian on the sidewalk?
Finishing this particular part, Akane put down his pens and leaned back against the chair. He allowed the desk to be bathed by the light of the yellow and white morning sun for a momentary pause.
'So, what's next, the objective?'
Pressing his body into the backrest, his body was slumped and eyes narrowed. Even in this state, his mind was still thinking about doing his task once again. Of course his goal was clear: to advance as fast as possible.
"Mmmm…"
…
Hours passed by in a blur of focused concentration, and the sun rose steadily above the apartment complex.
'Moon Guards. Or perhaps... Silver Chasers.'
It was the designation he had chosen for the second enemy that he had encountered ever since he arrived at that desolate city.
Akane sat rigidly behind the desk, his body leaning slightly forward, glued to the edge of the desk. The hue of his eyes had shifted into a bluish-silver, which was not overly bright or glaring, with a hint of divinity and holiness deep inside.
The diary had been cast aside, its pages left blank for the moment. This time, Akane was typing directly into his laptop, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.
The form of the Moon Guards is a pure-white fox, adorned in a dark cloak that covers its whole body.
'When it initiates an intent, the movement is ever so silent, not even a trace of thought behind can be gleaned. These foxes will hunt those who walk at night or are exposed to the silver illumination…'
'In its hand, holding an antique Lantern. The internal flame can be manually manipulated to project a concentrated beam of light capable of systematically dissociating a target's cognitive stability.
'Furthermore, it is proven that symptoms and aftereffects are entirely consistent with the effects of standard Silver Illumination.'
His mind remained completely detached as he typed. Though the pain of that day was unmistakable.
He simply continued to narrate his survival experience within the ruins, fingers dancing as sentences delivered for every second.
'Additionally, on its left hand, beside the Lantern, the Guards also hold a unique Dagger.'
'The blade is exceptionally cold, beautifully forged, featuring a distinct lunar engraving across the hilt... and a small bell is securely tied to the pommel end.'
The bell remained completely silent during standard movement.
But when it does, any living creatures who heard it would experience instant confusion and dizziness in their mind, impairing the capability of concentration.
Meanwhile, the physical blade itself moves like a ghost, traveling through the air with a total lack of friction and sound, completely silent, simplicity at its finest.
'Beyond the combatants, one must also account for the environmental hazards or influence: Silver Illumination and the Erosion of Shadow.'
The mechanics of the illumination had already been explained in earlier pages; what remained to be detailed was the Erosion of Shadow.
Akane recalled the horrific sensation of heavy internal bleeding and blinding pain when he had inadvertently fallen into the non-illuminated spaces of Mezakeir.
The fact that the phenomenon remained lethal even during peak daylight hours was completely outrageous!
A faint, involuntary twitch tugged at the corner of his lips at the memory.
'The special uniqueness of Shadow, as the name suggests, is Erosion. Any organic creature will undergo severe form mutation , be it physical or psychological, eroding both their physical form and their underlying soul.'
'My current hypothesis concludes that this is exactly the phenomenon's manifestation of [Limpid Writhing Serpentine] and its influence that bleeds into the Khtonres…'
Akane's hands suddenly paused above the keys, his gaze freezing on the illuminated screen as he recalled a specific, horrifying entity nesting at the absolute foundation of Althr Baldr.
'Though it is unverified, there's also a certain creature that shares some similar influence as the [Writhing Serpent]. Historically speaking, one of them is responsible for the fall of Khtonres itself after all…'
'Regardless, an example of mutation is as follows… [Type 1 - V: Flesh Soldier], [Type 1 - III: Adjustor Puppet] and various other sub-categories detailed below along with their specific combat behaviors.'
'Flesh Soldier typically functioned as standard cannon fodder.'
'They are formed from mutated remnants of the lowest-level automated puppet units, possessing high resilience and are considered difficult to neutralize.'
'Adjustor Puppet is more troublesome than this, as it is endowed with reflective and adaptation capability to mirror an opponent's movement.'
'In my opinion, it is basically a nightmare for a martial artist; coupled with high defense, it is advised to neutralize it quickly.'
'Following these are some biological or separate animals: "Black Hound / Shadow Hound," "Necron Reindeer," "Ghastly Goat," "Red Crow," and the highly volatile "Three-Headed Hound."'
'These specimens are scattered around the floors of Mezakeir and Bezgarz, with the sole exception being the Althr Baldr, as it is guarded by the Fallen Wyrm.'
In the meticulous process of drafting an authentic report of his survival, Akane felt his mind growing increasingly clear.
It was a state of heightened clarity he had become deeply familiar with over the past year.
Starting with his initial discovery of the various local entities, outlining the structural dangers encountered along the path, compiling his direct field experience on Khtonres.
And lastly, concluding with the historical facts behind the city's fall, all while seamlessly weaving in subtle trivia and his own personal hypotheses.
He was being entirely honest and detailed within the text.
However, he also took deliberate care to conceal his own identity, avoiding any direct mention of his own personal traits or specific combat abilities.
Some inconvenient things to tell would be better hidden rather than revealed as a lie.
'The ultimate downfall of Khtonres and the current operational objective of Bishop Marten are intrinsically linked to the Unknown Being mentioned in the preceding sections.'
'In my estimation, its hierarchy is likely slightly inferior to, yet fundamentally cut from the same cloth as, the Writhing Serpentine.'
'This Unknown Being is the reason for Khtonres' existence… and its fall. The Automaton and Puppet were made by its own flesh, and ultimately, their own tools and creations turned inward, betraying the dwarves of Khtonres….'
Of course, he couldn't resist slipping a few tantalizing details into the margins of the text to pique the raw curiosity of whoever might eventually read the file.
At the thought, Akane's lips curved into a faint, subtle smile, a trace of mischief flashing briefly within his divine eyes.
For him, if a person read this journal to the end, he would be very pleased by it.
'Located on the bottom of Althr Baldr, a secret region is where that Unknown Being resided, and also the place where every corpses of Automatons and Dwarfs piled up…'
'Its head takes the form of a human baby's skull. The neck is grotesquely elongated, comprised entirely of darkened, rotting, stringy flesh... a dried, perpetual swarm of an unidentified insect species constantly travels across its entire body.'
'It was at that moment that the truth became clear and obvious. My current conjecture suggests that perhaps Bishop Marten intended to exploit the trait of this Unknown Being to propel his ascension?'
After all, if he pieced it all together from some hearsay on the forum, Bishop Marten really had planned this many years ago.
It is only now then that he started the ritual within Osaka as the ground. Individuals like them, or "Ascendants," will always never be satisfied with their own terms.
Akane had educated himself extensively on these concepts in his spare time.
Those who crossed the threshold into the extraordinary are often referred to as "Ascendants" and were strictly bound to a specific "Lineage."
And when the established path of a Lineage offered no further progression forward, an ambitious individual had no choice but to forcefully trailblaze a brand-new path of their own making.
He had extracted an immense amount of foundational knowledge from the Darknet, and this specific systemic rule was merely one of many.
However, as it stood, he still lacked the necessary information to fully verify the exact order or image of Bishop Marten's ongoing ritual in Osaka.
At least, for now.
…
Another hour passed.
Finally, as the clock struck 12 PM, Akane's hand stopped moving entirely.
His gaze remained beautifully contained. The bluish-silver radiance in his eyes did not subside; instead, it seemed to gather and hold all the colors of the world.
It was a feeling of absolute clearness of cold and warmth. After all, human nature, by its very design, was clearly a storm of impure thoughts.
Looking at it through the lens of Buddhism, humanity was simply bound to Duḥkha: restless, unable to find peace, trapped in one form of suffering or another.
'Though, can it truly be called suffering if they are the ones who actively invite it into their lives? They are so fickle. The very root of their pain, in one way or another, is self-inflicted or dealt by their own kin...'
'Ultimately... do humans even deserve to be saved?'
Savoring the weight of the question, he pondered it calmly. There was absolutely no need to rush this final step of the sequence.
Lifting his eyes from the glowing screen, he looked out toward the open window.
It was windy outside, yet the world beyond seemed to hang perfectly still beneath a soft, clear haze.
Akane had never realized the world could look this beautiful. In his vision now, everything was so remarkably clean.
The wind practically outlined its own shape in the air, invisible currents traveling gracefully through the open space.
Brilliant, lustrous sun particles rained down upon the earth, some of them beautifully filtered by the drifting clouds.
He allowed himself to enjoy the stillness for a moment. Only now did he truly feel at peace.
His sense of observation felt entirely liberated, his thoughts floating freely in the air, where every piece of incoming data was instantly ordered and processed without effort.
'At long last... in the future... I will surely experience this state more often.'
Bringing his gaze back to the laptop after a momentary pause, Akane shook his head and let out a soft, quiet sigh.
The final phase of his performance was at hand. Since the "Record" was complete, it was time for the "Publish" phase to reveal it to the world.
'There's no real benefit in uploading this for ordinary civilians at this stage. They wouldn't even know how to use the data. If anything, the most probable outcome would just be retaliation from someone in power if it gets noticed.'
"So…"
The only logical venue was the Dark Network. When the various Ascendants and hidden factions gathered together in those forums, a work of this caliber would blend in seamlessly.
Navigating the laptop, he quickly logged into the secure site and pulled up the Global Channel of the Information Listings.
It was a digital ocean where all kinds of dangerous fish swam freely, hungrily watching the forum threads like a school of piranhas waiting for prime bait to drop.
'What would be a good title to attract a shark? Or a whale? If possible, I want a megalodon to bite down on this...'
Humming thoughtfully to himself, he began to type: [Part 2 - In-Depth Exploration of Khtonres, Full History Revealed! City of the Dwarves + Revised Compendium of First Seas Creatures]. Yeah, this was good.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He could easily make it longer and longer, just like those modern manga titles that dumped half their plot right onto the cover.
Though, in actuality, there was no practical need to go that far.
The Dark Network possessed its own internal system to evaluate a post's quality and assign an approximate "points" value based on the rarity of the leaked information.
At this point, Akane was basically playing along for the sheer satisfaction of the game.
Finishing up the formatting, Akane attached the comprehensive bestiary file, checked the option to strictly mask his user identity, and finally clicked "Evaluation," agreeing to the standard 10% forum fee to predict whether his post would be a massive hit or a complete failure.
He waited in absolute silence. His heart and mind remained entirely free of disturbance.
The actual points he would receive were just a minor bonus; he didn't care all that much about the currency, so long as the upload completed successfully.
Then, under his steady gaze, the loading wheel refreshed—
"Hmmm. A bit unexpected, yet entirely expected, I suppose..."
Looking at the interface, the predicted price for other users to unlock and read his post was set at 12.000 Points.
It was a substantial amount, yet not entirely overwhelming—likely because the Darknet already possessed a few deduced fragments of Khtonres lore, which naturally kept the valuation grounded.
'Still, 12k is more than enough. After all, purchasing the ELMO-Z unit only requires 2,000 points, and most middle-to-high-tier services on the listings are priced between dozens to a few hundred thousand...'
'In comparison, the ELMO-Z looks incredibly cheap...'
It is also complementary as he just sacrificed some cheap information too after all.
Amused by the realization, Akane finalized the upload, following the quiet urge pulsing in the back of his mind.
Though he deeply enjoyed this elevated, serene state of consciousness, his heart couldn't feel much of a physical pulse from the Maroon Door anymore.
This utter freedom and stillness of heart was beginning to give birth to a faint, creeping unease regarding the future consequences.
As the file officially went live on the network, Akane waited.
One second. Two seconds passed as Akane synchronized his own awareness with the post's metrics.
Initially, a single person clicked the link. Akane didn't feel any immediate shift, though his mind remained perfectly at ease. Until—
5 views. He began to feel a subtle, fleeting difference, though it passed too quickly to truly capture.
25 views. The sensation was still slippery, but a distinct, inherent feeling of fullness began to manifest in his head and down in his stomach, causing his eyelids to grow heavy.
129 views. It was growing undeniably stronger now. He could actively feel it—people were actively reading his words.
The faint, phantom echoes of their murmurs, their stray thoughts, and their shifting opinions were bleeding directly into his consciousness.
As the viewer count steadily climbed and more minds absorbed his work, the fullness in his chest expanded until it felt almost intoxicating.
He was getting drunk on the sheer influx of awareness.
When he blinked his eyes, the walls of his apartment vanished, replaced by a boundless, magnificent Sea of Stars.
Blinking twice, the scenery fractured into a vast Sea of Silver, where an endless, roaring chorus blasted against his ears.
240 views. His mind began to grow immensely heavy as a wave of intense vertigo rolled over him.
He couldn't process the physical environment anymore; he felt completely stuffed, bloated by the weight of a hundred reading minds.
Finally, just as his capacity reached its absolute limit and he couldn't hold on a second longer, the terminal numbers burned themselves directly onto his retinas—
1,420 views.
Akane tipped backward, falling away into the endless dark and the sea of stars, his consciousness drifting completely into a deep, heavy slumber.