This took place on the second day after the banquet.
Furan got up early and leaned over the table, resuming the task that had been interrupted yesterday.
Holding a carving knife, she began to engrave runes onto her longsword.
She had long since used a specialized solution to wash away the original runes, making the blade look much like it did when she first bought it from the street stall.
Because this sword was the most comfortable for her to use, its previous rune configuration had already been top-tier, serving as a reliable weapon for a first-tier warrior.
However, after obtaining the production methods for these suspected 'Ancient Runes,' the previous runes seemed somewhat outdated.
So she had simply erased the runes on it, intending to dedicate the blade to engraving a true Ancient Rune.
Visualizing the image of the Lord of Radiance, she began to carve the pattern onto the metal in a one-to-one scale.
She felt the consumption was similar to those 'Ancient Runes' that had their key information erased, though her carving was excessively detailed, leading to a much higher drain than before—roughly one-third of her total Spiritual Power.
After making the first stroke, she felt as if it were both there and not there, yet she couldn't erase it under these circumstances, so she could only continue drawing.
The drawing process went very smoothly; aside from the consumption of Spiritual Power, Furan felt nothing else.
At a certain moment, a flash of inspiration struck Furan, and she completed the rune with a single final stroke.
[You have gained insight into the key of the Ancient Runes. Like the humans of antiquity, you have carved the visage of a god upon a weapon. Rune Craft proficiency +20,000.]
She stood the longsword upright and carefully observed the rune.
She injected a small amount of Spiritual Power, and the entire blade was instantly coated in a layer of white light, making the original silver steel almost invisible.
She stood up, gripped the sword, and delivered a downward slash toward the wall.
Activating the rune seemed to provide a speed boost; with only a slight effort, the entire sword left afterimages in the air, reaching the bottom in an instant.
The impact with the wall was nearly silent, and no obvious marks appeared on the surface.
Only with the enhancement of Furan's Spiritual Power could she see an extremely narrow crack left in the wall; it was almost invisible to the naked eye from a distance, yet the crack was very deep.
"Not bad!" She felt as if the weapon had been sublimated, reaching a level comparable to weapons crafted from precious materials.
Next, she increased the injection of Spiritual Power. Upon careful sensing, she could feel a charging progress bar; once full, it could unleash a powerful burst of energy.
By her estimation, this power would be slightly weaker than a First-Tier Spell, but only by a small margin, and it likely had a one-day cooldown.
Highly satisfied with the rune's effect, she placed the longsword on the table and watched the golden shimmer of the rune.
Then, she silently called up her Panel.
[Name: Furan
Class: Ancient Rune Warrior (1-Star), Mage (1-Star) (Forge, Modification, Sword Chant, Elemental, Spirit Realm), Radiant Priest (1-Star), Artisan (0.5-Star), Apothecary (0.5-Star)
Attributes: constitution 6.4, spirit 15.0
Skills: Rune Craft (extraordinary) (Proficiency: 20,056/100,000)... (omitted)
traits: Mysterious Power (After using temporary runes in battle, there is a chance to obtain an enhancement.), Spiritual Power... (omitted)]
Furan looked at the Panel, satisfied. The Ancient Rune Warrior class had not only boosted her constitution to 6.4 but also slightly increased her Spiritual Power.
The Spiritual Power trait she originally had from being a Rune Warrior remained unchanged, and she had gained an additional trait: Mysterious Power.
However, the description of this trait was a bit cryptic. What did it mean by 'a chance to obtain an enhancement after using a rune'?
Furan guessed it referred to the gods symbolized by those Ancient Runes; using them in battle might grant a chance for enhancement... Regardless, Furan planned to shelve this trait. Since it clearly involved those deities, it likely wasn't anything good.
"Next is the Demon Hunter class. Once I complete that, my constitution should reach at least 8 points."
However, she was still somewhat dissatisfied with these classes because she felt they were all indirectly boosting her constitution attribute.
For instance, the Ancient Rune Warrior emphasized both sides, and while she couldn't quite tell with the Demon Hunter, it would likely add a bit to both as well.
She also had a feeling that the Demon Hunter class might grant powerful monster-hunting abilities rather than general combat enhancements.
It would probably grant a trait that increased damage against monsters, she speculated.
Having it was better than nothing. She set aside her thoughts and began planning her route after leaving Gede Town.
"I've accepted information on three monsters. Two are creatures that even an apprentice might be able to defeat."
She chose these three monsters not only to fulfill the requirements of the Demon Hunter class but also because she was itching to try out Modification surgery.
Although she couldn't install those Transcendent Organs on herself—that would be far too conspicuous.
The Modification School had a ban against helping mages from other Schools equip too many Transcendent Organs, a measure to maintain their own advantage.
Otherwise, if everyone could equip them, and others already had a lead in the Spells of another School, the combat power of all mages in the Alliance would rise, and the Modification School would be completely sidelined, relegated to a support role.
That was why the Modification School imposed such a ban; for them, even two organs were considered 'too many.' This resulted in almost no mages having organs unless they were members of the Modification School.
However, it was different for mounts or pets. The Modification School welcomed such spending to strengthen one's companions.
So, Furan intended to work on the black horse she had spent five gold coins on, enhancing the animal.
The three monsters she had selected, including the Earth Dragon, all possessed organs or materials that could strengthen this black horse.
"First, to the Valley Forest. There is a Forest Sprite there. After its body is crushed, a Forest Essence substance can be extracted, which allows animals to walk through mountain forests as if on level ground."
"Then to the plains. There is a Gale Rabbit there; its leg bones can increase speed, perfect for the black horse's legs."
"Finally, there's that Earth Dragon. The last sighting report showed it at the summit of the mountains. If I search nearby, I should find its trail."
She leaned out the window, looking down at her black horse from the height.
The black horse was in its designated spot, leisurely eating grass from the trough, entirely unaware of the ordeal it might soon face.
"The Earth Dragon's heart seems quite powerful, but it's likely too big to fit inside the black horse. I can only use the infusion method to strengthen it."
"The Earth Dragon's blood can apparently strengthen the outer skin, which is perfect for an enhancement for the black horse."
Gazing at the black horse below, she could already imagine how powerful her future mount would be.
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