The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

A white, rectangular stone floated before the man, surrounded by a faint spiritual energy that made it glow slightly. It looked both cute and powerful at the same time.

"This is a Rune Stone, or what you might call an Array Tablet," the man explained. "Just like the purple papers, this is used to hold Arrays too. But unlike the paper, this can be used over and over again unless it's destroyed. It also comes in grades, from Low Tier to High Tier, and holds the same amount of runes as the paper."

Karsha looked at the tablet in awe. It was magnificent. The energy pulsating from it was incredibly powerful, suggesting that the one floating before him was maybe a Medium or High Tier.

"In arrays, many array masters spend years building complex arrays," the man continued. "Since they can't spend all that time drawing every single rune, they need a medium to store them, and that medium is the Runestone."

"This Medium Tier Rune Stone is empty, which is why it's blank. Once runes are inscribed on it, it will change color." The man reached into his space ring again and retrieved a pen-like knife. As soon as it appeared, the temperature in the room dropped.

"This is my Inscriber as most people call it nowadays, but most ancient array masters call it a Rune Knife or Array Blade," he said with a smug look on his face.

"You're probably wondering where this ranks on the inscriber chart," the man said, even though Karsha knew he would answer regardless. To keep the man happy, Karsha nodded.

"It's 47 on the chart," the man answered. Karsha couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. His own inscriber ranked somewhere in the hundreds of thousands. But the ice-cold-looking knife in the man's hands was ranked 47, suggesting it was perhaps a soul tool or even above the Heaven Grade.

The man exhaled and began drawing symbols in the air at an incredible speed. Karsha, who prided himself on being fast, couldn't even track the man's hand movements. In under 10 seconds, the room was filled with countless rune symbols.

The man placed the knife on the table and channeled his energy into the Rune Stone. Instantly, the runes began to move and entered the stone. In less than 5 seconds, all the runes in the room had transferred to the Rune Stone. The man exhaled again and smiled at Karsha, who was clearly in awe.

"Nothing to be amazed about. That was just a low-grade rune, with only 2,500 symbols," the man said. Karsha's eyes widened. The man had drawn over two thousand runes in less than 10 seconds and treated it like it was no big deal. How high must his mastery be to achieve something like that?

Of course, the man had already mentioned he was a Mage in Rune Magic. There are ranks such as Apprentice, Master, Grandmaster, Sage, King, Expert, Monarch, Mage, Archmage, Grand Archmage, and many more. However, since Karsha knew little about runes, he didn't realize that what the man did was anything but special. It could even be achieved by a skilled Rune Saint.

"This is just a simple Ice Dragon spell. Here, take it; it might be of help one way or another." He tossed the tablet to Karsha, who caught it and immediately gazed inside. He could see the symbols of the arrays and how they connected to form the spell. It was simply magnificent.

"You can activate it using a Tier 3 core, but I recommend something higher if you want to unleash the full power of the spell. It's a Tier 15 spell, after all." Karsha's hands shook when he heard the tier of the spell. His fire beam skill was only Tier 8, yet it possessed great attack power. How much more terrifying would a Tier 15 spell be?

"Thank you," Karsha said, placing the Rune Stone in his space ring. "This is a restriction flag," the man continued, lifting a flag off the table.

"This flag can hold restrictions such as attack arrays, defense arrays, binding arrays, and many more. Like an array tablet, it can also be used multiple times. It's almost the same as the Rune Stone, but it can only be used for restrictions and formations. It has the same grades and ranks as a Rune Stone."

He placed the flag back on the table and readjusted his eyeglasses. "However, just like in alchemy where pills beyond the 4th Rank Earth grade attract heavenly judgment, Rune Stones or restriction flags holding Grade or Tier 5 runes will attract heavenly judgment as well."

"Some of these judgments are dangerous, depending on what you're creating. However, most tribulations are more like blessings. They further elevate the strength of the runes, making them extra powerful. You can even die from some of these tribulations, just like when you break past the Great Sage cultivation stage."

At this point, Karsha was lost. The man was saying so much that, even though Karsha was smarter than most, he just couldn't keep up. Tribulations, Spiritual Qi, and the like all sounded foreign to him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He knew he would understand all of this one day, but he wished he could grasp it now and delve deeper into it later. However, before he could ask any questions, the man spoke again, cutting him off.

"Tell me, how far have you gotten into Rune Magic?" Karsha wasn't upset at being interrupted and answered almost immediately.

"I only know and can draw about 10,000 different symbols," he replied. The man raised an eyebrow at Karsha's answer. What Karsha didn't know was that the 10,000 symbols he had perfected were the building blocks of Rune Sorcery. Many struggled to learn those symbols, so for Karsha to have mastered all of them in just two days was astonishing.

If the man knew about that, he would probably fall off his chair.

"Care to demonstrate?" the man asked. Eager to impress, Karsha immediately retrieved his mediocre Rune Knife and got to work. He drew the first symbol in under 3 seconds, then the next, and the next. In under 2 minutes, about 50 runes were floating in the room.

The man's eyes moved between the floating runes and Karsha, a look of awe on his face. "How long have you been practicing?" he asked.

"A couple of days, I think," Karsha replied honestly, which only added to the man's astonishment.

"These are perfect, flawless even," the man admired as he looked at the runes. "Young man, you have a bright future in Rune Magic if you continue on this path. Never stop." He stood up and walked back to his cardboard.

Karsha didn't see it, but deep within those red eyes, the man was somehow sad. He didn't let it show, though. He sorted through his books and picked two, then walked back to the table and sat down. "In ancient times, Rune Masters developed 10,000 Symbols, 666 Symbols, and 66 Symbols. Don't think too much about it—that's just how they're named.

"The symbols you just drew are part of the first 10,000. These symbols represent the general understanding of runes and how they look. Inside these two books are the 666 Symbols and 66 Symbols.

"Learning these will complete your knowledge of the alphabet of runes. Then, from these symbols, you can start creating complex arrays, restrictions, and more. Although you can do quite a bit with just the 10,000 symbols, I advise you to learn the remaining symbols before venturing into the world of arrays and formations."

Karsha took the two books, and just as he did, a system message popped up. He ignored it, planning to deal with it later. Now that he felt the man meant him no harm, he knew he could take things easy.

"However, young man, I have to advise you on something," the man said, his tone growing serious. Karsha noticed the shift in mood and couldn't help but straighten up.

"You have an advantage over many. You have a third eye, and on top of that, you also possess the Weaver's Eye ability." Karsha's heart skipped a beat. The third eye was a secret he had planned to keep to himself, yet somehow, the man knew.

Before Karsha could respond, the man continued, "I apologize if I seem impolite, but I couldn't contain my curiosity. You see, I once knew someone with a third eye. She was an excellent Rune Master, and I learned a great deal from her. In fact, it was through her that I discovered how to unlock the true power of the third eye. You need to open it by implanting a spirit eye.

I strongly advise you to obtain a spirit eye and implant it. Only then can you unlock the full potential of your third eye."

Once again, Karsha was taken aback. A spirit eye? He wondered what that was but couldn't come up with an answer since the knowledge he possessed didn't cover it, and the system wasn't helping at the moment. It was due for another upgrade, one that Karsha was confident would start bringing out its full might.

So he asked the only man who could answer his question. However, before the man could respond, a bell rang, echoing throughout the house. The man slapped a stone-like object on the table, and a projection of a planet with three rings rotating around it appeared.

The man sighed and looked at Karsha. "It is time to know why you are here, Chosen One."