Chapter 135 Sowilo and Isa [2]
Chapter 135 Sowilo and Isa [2]
"Is this all we need?"
Within the hotel room that I booked for the next ten days, I spoke as I looked down at all the items spread on the main hall floor.
The background had echo's soft song playing as I sat down with my back against the sofa.
In the room adjacent to the hallway, Willis was sleeping peacefully, as I didn't want him to disturb me or even see my condition.
[I think so.]
El replied in my head as I looked at the items, then glanced up at the whiteboard with a diagram of a human body, highlighting certain parts.
"So I only need to write the name on those parts, right?" I mumbled, looking at the highlighted sections.
[Yes, just like when you engraved the runes into your bones, you don't have to write them on both sides; you need to do the same here as well.]
"I see." I stroked my chin, my mind thinking of different ways to reduce the pain that would soon follow.
[Don't worry about the pain. Last time, you didn't take painkillers to make sure you didn't make any mistakes.]
"Yeah, and I call that stupidity." I grumbled, standing up and walking toward the board. "By the way, I was thinking of adding something with the runes."
[And what is that?]
"Neplh and Muspelh." I replied, taking out a black marker.
[Are you an idiot?]
"No, hear me out first." I whispered, my lips curling up in a soft smile.
With the marker, I made both the symbol of Sowilo and Isa before walking back.
"Now tell me, what does Sowilo do?"
[...It burns and destroys whatever it's engraved into.]
"Exactly, it burns and destroys." I mumbled as I wrote that on the board.
"Now what does Isa do then?"
[...It freezes and breaks.]
Nodding, I wrote that down as well, his tone turning thoughtful now.
"And you already know what Neplh and Muspelh do, right?" I asked, taking a step back from the board. "The exact same thing but on a more basic level."
From what I understood about my powers, Neplh and Muspelh are like origin ice and fire—the first things that came or were created in this world before any race was born.
A power I have very little knowledge of.
"Both of them nourish the world tree, El, and the Yggdrasil is one of the sturdiest materials in this entire world."
Pacing within the hallway, I explained, the gears of my mind kept on running. "Think about it, the same thing nourishing my body."
[Think practically, Az. Your body and the body of Yggdrasil are completely different things. One wrong move and you will die.]
"No, I am the one with whom they have bonded, El. Neplh and Muspelh can't kill me."
Shaking my head, I replied as I sat down again. "And I am not going to blindly follow my plan. I need to confirm that I will be safe first."
[Fine, but what is wrong with just engraving Sowilo and Isa?]
I remained silent for a moment, the genocide I caused in the game flashing in my mind, making me uncomfortable.
But I shook my head as I replied, "In the game, when I was at my prime, I had the power of a peak Overlord. But because of these runes, I could physically hold my ground against the Eternals."
[Wait, how long did it take you to reach that level?]
"Hmm?" I hummed in confusion but replied nonetheless, "Three years from now."
[...How long does it take a normal person to reach that level?]
"I don't know about humans." I replied, shrugging, "But on average, someone from the Forsaken family reaches that rank around their early thirties."
[Aren't you a genius.]
"No, I was forcefully raised to that rank." I replied, not taking his compliment.
[...Right.]
"By the way, any idea who was the youngest to reach that rank?" I asked, curious to know more about El.
From what I know, it can be Ragnar, who was a peak Overlord at the age of seventeen.
[....I had a friend who was a peak Overlord at the age of fifteen.]
"Damn, I am jealous." I groaned in frustration, feeling a bit inferior.
"Wait, which friend are we talking about?" I asked, curious to know more about El. "Was he a god as well?"
[...We are getting way off the topic.]
"Yeah, where was I?"
I asked, giving up trying to know more about him as he was reluctant to reveal.
"If runes can make me this strong, then how powerful will I become if I use Neplh and Muspelh?"
[....You are becoming greedy for power, Az.]
"Maybe." I mumbled, knowing full well that he is right. "But I am in need of more power."
....If I had to complete the goal that my mother gave me.
If I have to kill the angel within the six months of time.
...I had to become as strong as possible.
Not to mention people like Delwyn and Bradyn are also targeting me.
"I don't have much choice, El." I replied, letting out a tired sigh. "Help me, will you?"
[Sigh...]
He sighed as well as we both remained silent.
I shifted my head, looking out; it was already night, and the moon was clearly visible from here.
[Use your blood.]
"What?" I tilted my head in confusion as I heard his words.
[Mix your blood with liquid mana and use it to engrave those runes. That way, you can make it a part of your own body. You need to carefully attach it to your blood vessels and tendons.]
"Wait, will it work?" I asked, doubtful.
"Don't I have to attach these runes with Inguz, the one that I engraved in my body? Why blood vessels now?"
[If you do that with Neplh and Muspelh, then your body won't survive.]
Hmm...
He may be right.
From what I remember, the three runes work in pairs, with Inguz providing mana for both healing my body and for the working of the other two runes.
They work in a cycle of destroying and healing.
If I use it the same way for Muspelh and Neplh, my body won't have enough time to recover from the damage.
"So you are saying I have to willingly use those two runes?" I frowned as I asked, "Let them burn and freeze my muscles before letting them heal naturally?"
[That's the only way I can think of.] n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Hmm, but won't it take too much time?" I asked again as I picked up the pen with a thin sharp needle. "And do I have to do it willingly?"
[Don't worry. As your muscles become sturdier, it will take less time for them to heal, and I am sure after some time your body will instinctively learn to do that.]
"I see." I mumbled, looking at the whiteboard. "So we need to change that again, right?"
[Yeah.]
"Sigh."
I sighed, getting up and rubbing the already made diagram before making another one.
"I have a question, El." I mumbled, running my hand on the board.
[What?]
"Why don't you want me to kill an angel?" I asked, making a new diagram.
[.... It's a taboo, Az. You can't face the consequences for it, and your mother should know that as well.]
"Then what are the consequences?" I pressed further, tapping my fingers on the board.
[...I can't say that. The one who kills can't reveal the consequences.]
"I see." I mumbled, silently continuing the diagram.
It took me half an hour to finish the revised version as I took my shirt off.
My body, which was much skinnier, now had toned muscles and even a faint mark of six-pack abs.
But still, most of my body was covered with gruesome marks of burns and cuts all over the place.
I twisted my head slightly, looking at my back's reflection in the glass window that had a deep cut.
'That reminds me, I need an excuse for confessing to Ashlyn as well.'
"Another question, El." I mumbled, my gaze lowered between my legs. "What if I engraved the runes on my dic—."
[Are you fucking serious?]
"Think about it." Grinning, I replied as I sat down. "If it becomes as strong as a branch of Yggdrasil, I can use it as a hidden weapon."
[That's gross.]
"But practical."
[You want to kill your partner or what?]
"Right." I mumbled, nodding my head, feeling a bit lighthearted.
[Either way, when your body gets sturdier, the blood flow will also increase, which will be more than—why am I bothering to explain this?]
I chuckled, slitting my wrist and mixing it with the liquid mana.
I grabbed a handful of recovery herbs, munching on them with some painkillers.
Filling the blood-mana in the pen, I brought it toward my leg.
"Arghh..."
I pressed my lips together as the needle sank deep into my calf, and the burning pain engulfed my mind.