When A Mage Revolts

"… I understand."

Benjamin took a deep breath and answered.

Who could be more familiar with his rune than him?

His every summoning ability depended on this rune. He had once found a similar documentary in the underground ruin filled with a green glow. However, Benjamin didn't think that this rune would circulate in the outside world and even found by this old mage here.

Perhaps… A long time ago, mages weren’t totally clueless on runes?

"Director Benjamin, you recognize this too?" The old mage was pleasantly surprised, "After being in contact with it, my dead water, like Spiritual Energy, sparkled ripples. These runes indicate among the elements of water, fire, destruction, healing, and wind, a total of five of these. I couldn't find any more."

Did he say... more?

Benjamin fell into a deep thought for a moment and took a deep breath before taking out paper and pen and draw on it.

"Director Benjamin, this…"

"Shh."

Benjamin rushed the System to bring forth the runes found in the underground ruins. At that time, these runes were engraved within the stone plates and exchanged to the people from the mage freemasonry. Times have changed and, with the fall of the mages freemasonry, these stone plates had disappeared out of sight.

Fortunately, these runes were recorded in the System’s database.

After checking against the old mage’s parchment, he realized that the runes on the parchment were also on the stone plates. Apart from that, there were still twenty-seven similar runes that had their own respective significances that had yet to be understood.

Right after he was done checking the records from the System, Benjamin drew the remaining twenty-seven runes onto the paper.

"Take a look. This is what I discovered in another ruin," Benjamin pushed the paper to the front of the old mage once he had completed the drawing, "These should be the runes you are searching for. However, I currently am unsure what they meant."

The old mage’s jaw dropped and didn’t react for a while.

Benjamin had to call him several times before he returned to his senses. He then awkwardly smiled. He looked at the runes that Benjamin had drawn on the paper with an uncontrollable excitement.

"I… have searched for many years but I have been unable to find any more. Director Benjamin… I really don’t know what to say!"

Benjamin smiled as he shook his head, "You need not mind. Take a good look at these runes. Perhaps they could really be of assistance to your condition."

The old mage nodded and held the thin paper just like an old scholar holding a historical ancient book. He narrowed his eyes as he read.

It wasn’t long until he took a deep breath and pointed at one of the runes, "This rune… is the earth element. My major cultivation is earth magic. As I conceive this rune in my head, I could feel a huge reaction!"

Benjamin sunk into his thought as he nodded.

Conceive huh… The old mage used this method to channel with the runes. Perhaps, could he try as well?

He closed his eyes and tried to outline the triangular runes in his mind. It was a shame that he could not feel any reaction, and his Space of Consciousness did not change as well.

"What’s there to try? You and him are different." The System blurted, "His mind is empty. Of course, it would react a reaction because of the runes. Your mind has a champion rune, what’s the point of conceiving?"

Hearing the System’s words, Benjamin was surprised.

"So…. You’re pretty well versed in this thing?"

The System answered, "It’s just instincts. I don’t know how to use it. I only know that it has a lethal attraction towards elements, and that’s why, like yesterday, you could use just one rune to obliterate that crazy priest."

Benjamin placed his hands on his chin, not saying anything.

The drawing of that rune on the priest’s chest yesterday was drawn purely on a whim. However, now it would seem that the rune, apart from the form it partook in Benjamin’s Space of Consciousness, cannot take the form of a bodily tattoo…

After all, not everyone could open up a Space of Consciousness.

"Have you ever thought about drawing these runes on your body?" Benjamin asked this to the old mage.

The old mage was silent for a moment before nodding his head.

"Of course I have. However, the influence of the runes is huge. If a special magic material was used to map out on one’s skin, it may lead to an out-of-control state. Moreover, I could not find the earth element rune, so this idea was cast aside."

"Right…"

The priest yesterday went kaput. Although they were curious about the runes, they nevertheless couldn’t just do experiments on people, could they?

"Anyhow, I would still like to thank you for providing me with these runes." The old mage took a deep breath, "I intend to take them back for research, to find their meaning and method of usage. If there is any finding, I will return here to inform you."

"Then I’ll leave it to you." Benjamin nodded. After giving it a thought, he added, "Right, about the runes, you could try using your Spiritual Energy to outline a model in your mind. Perhaps it could be a doable way."

"Thank you for your reminder, I will attempt that."

And so the old man took the twenty-seven new runes and left with satisfaction. This supposed runes research team could be considered founded. Although, from top to bottom, the little team only consisted of the old mage, who is only one person.

However, seeing that Benjamin had provided him with that many runes, he was at the least angry. On the contrary, he would even report to Benjamin on the results of his research.

This could be considered as an investment.

Benjamin wasn’t sure what the elemental plane and runes would bring to these mages. However… Could this be a complete transformation of the way mages’ meditate? He wouldn’t know what kind of changes the runes would bring about.

However, what he was certain about was that the capabilities that he has achieved today were mainly due to the runes.

Hence, he returned to his Space of Consciousness once again.

Since the System hadn't given him the incantation, and the technique to blend with the water element at will still had yet to cool down, Benjamin could not do a thing. However, thinking back on the runes that the old mage displayed earlier, he couldn't help but raise a few weird issues in his mind.

Although magic could not be used, he could still use his Spiritual Energy to conduct the water elements within his space.

He instructed the water elements to first display the form of the destruction rune.

Ding!

The new rune unexpectedly made a soft clank.

The originally well-behaved water elements seemed to be provoked and showed signs of ferocity. All kinds of weird items appeared, icicles, water silk, and the wind blade Their forms were not stable, and interchanged continuously between these three forms. At times, they dispersed, and at the others, they were formed. They tremblingly encircled within the darkness of the Space of Consciousness, resembling a terrifying tornado.

Benjamin was in shock as he realized he could not quite control this thing. Many icicle blades were shot, heading towards him and the System. It scared his pants off that he quickly dispersed the destruction rune formed earlier.

As the water elements spread out, the rune disbanded, and the water magic tornado that ran amok had calmed down.

Benjamin took a deep breath and was lost in his thoughts.

"…. Why do I think that you don’t seem to be capable of using incantations anymore?" The System hopped out with jitters and asked.