Power of Runes

"So, what did you find out?" the White Dragon asked, his voice steady but curious. As soon as those words left his mouth, the rest of the dragons shifted their focus, all eyes turning toward the three figures walking out from the underground chamber hidden beneath the castle.

While they could have easily observed everything that had happened down there with their senses or through magical means, none of them had done so. It wasn't because they couldn't, but more because they preferred hearing things directly.

Watching someone being tortured never sat quite right with all of them, and hearing a report always felt clearer and more composed.

Though they had seen the first few hours of the process, they had chosen not to watch the rest.

"Well, he was really tough. We didn't find anything useful. But we plan to increase the intensity of the…" Taylor started to explain, his tone already laced with irritation. However, before he could finish his sentence, something unexpected happened.

A sharp humming sound suddenly echoed through the entire place, sharp and heavy, almost like a war siren ringing through the walls.

Immediately after, an explosion erupted from the underground chamber, shaking the entire place. The walls trembled, and the ground beneath their feet vibrated as cracks spread rapidly.

In the next second, the entire floor they were standing on was torn apart into several large, uneven pieces. Arcs of a glowing sword aura slashed through the air, streaking across the chamber with alarming speed.

Although the dragons easily dodged the deadly arcs, the chamber itself was now under threat of collapse, trembling beneath the weight of the attack.

"Stop that!!" the Blue Dragon shouted, his voice filled with urgency and desperation.

At that moment, the Space Dragon stepped forward and raised his hand. As he did so, his ancient draconic voice rang out.

Though it was impossible for anyone else to understand the exact words, the intent was clear. With his command, the five sword arcs froze in place mid-air, as if time itself had stopped them.

Everyone let out a collective breath of relief.

All ten dragon elders then turned their gaze downward in unison, their expressions sharpening.

Their eyes began to glow, focusing their vision through the layers of stone and dirt to peer directly into the underground chamber where the disturbance had originated.

What? How?

These two questions echoed in each of their minds as they stared with wide eyes and stunned expressions.

The underground room, which had been reinforced with one of the strongest materials in their possession, had been completely sliced apart—shattered into more than five large pieces, as if it were nothing but thin wood.

And standing calmly in the middle of that destroyed space… was Ash.

He was holding a sword, its blade humming with power. The weapon had two distinct faces—one side was completely transparent, almost like glass, while the other was pitch black, absorbing all light.

The humming sound continued to resonate from the sword, vibrating through the room and beyond.

No one asked any questions. They didn't waste a single moment. The moment they saw the boy standing upright, they moved.

In a flash, all ten dragons rushed down with full force, their forms blurring with speed.

Taylor, Ariel, and Kristos were especially shocked. Just moments ago, they had left him severely wounded and barely conscious. Yet now, he stood tall, unshaken, as if he had never been harmed.

That sword… where did it come from?

This question rang through every one of their minds like a bell.

Within the blink of an eye, they formed a circle around Ash, surrounding him from all sides, their expressions tense and uncertain.

***

Strong...

Ash didn't know how else to describe the feeling that surged through him after holding Eclipse, but somehow, that single word felt like enough. It carried the weight of everything he had just experienced in that moment.

He remembered how it began—how the loud humming sound from his jian had suddenly filled the chamber.

It wasn't slow or subtle.

Along with the sound, the sword energy arcs rose sharply and immediately cut through the silence, slicing through the bindings wrapped around his body. But that was not the end of it.

The sword arcs had continued forward without mercy, tearing through the walls and even reaching the upper floors. And then, as the dust and debris rained down, he had seen them.

The ten Dragon Elders were floating high above him, staring down into the broken chamber.

Everything was crumbling.

And then, in a matter of seconds, they stopped the sword arcs and then descended and surrounded him from every side, their expressions unreadable but sharp.

Before any of the elders could speak, Ash raised his voice and said calmly,

"You should not have left me alone."

His voice echoed through the broken chamber. The Dragons narrowed their eyes and stared at him with heightened attention.

"So what now? Are you going to fight all of us? Or are you planning to escape again using that teleportation of yours? Or maybe you are just going to hide like before?" the Grey Dragon asked, his tone neither mocking nor amused, only sharp and challenging.

[Author's Note: I am not putting the names of the dragons right now. I know most of you are not interested in them. I will name only the ones who will become important later.]

"You are wrong. He cannot escape using his teleportation. As long as I am present here, he will never be able to use it. I will not let him," the Space Dragon said with calm confidence, his words firm and unshaken.

Hearing that, Ash looked at them with half-lidded, tired eyes. A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

"Stop me? If I truly wanted to run, I could have done it a long time ago. And believe me, none of you would have been able to stop me."

No one replied. There was no need to. The proof was already standing in front of them. Ash was right there. He was not running away.

Even with his face mostly covered by the torn cloth of his shirt, there was something unshakable in his stance. Something that made them all stop and listen.

"You know what? I have been thinking all this time. Why was I hiding? Why did I not want anyone to know who I am?"

His voice lowered slightly as he continued.

"Do you know what answer I reached?"

There was silence in the air. No one answered.

"It is because of those damn novels."

Ash's voice was steady, yet there was something bitter and tired in it. Something that had been buried for a long time and now surfaced.

"It's because I've read so many damn novels. And then… I started imagining myself as one of those protagonists. The ones who always hide their identity and then go boom—when they finally reveal it, everyone gasps, everyone reacts, and it's all dramatic."

Taylor scoffed loudly, his face twitching with irritation. "What bullshit are you—"

But before Taylor could finish his sentence, the aura of primordial core from Ash body exploded outward.

But, It was not like before.

This time, the pressure that came from him was more overwhelming and more ancient than before.

A golden aura rose around Ash like a tide, vast and powerful. The air itself felt heavier as the ancient force swept across the space.

In that moment, a glowing symbol—the third eye—appeared on Ash's forehead, radiating with a silvery light that pulsed with strength and mystery.

Taylor froze for a second and almost took a step back. The other elders, too, were shaken.

How is it possible?

How can a child like him release an aura that feels so close to our level?

The question echoed in their minds simultaneously, colliding with everything they believed to be true. Their understanding of the world was cracking.

There was no logic that could explain what they were seeing.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME."

Ash's voice was sharp and cold, piercing through the silence like a blade. It left no room for further interruption.

"So, where was I?"

He paused, then continued with a quiet breath.

"Oh right. I used to think of myself as a protagonist. But I was wrong. So damn wrong. Even if this world really is some kind of novel, that does not mean I have to live like one of those book characters. I have finally realized—if I am going to live in this world, I have to live as myself. Not as someone copied from a story."

The aura around him slowly calmed, but its presence was still there, silent and watchful like an ancient guardian.

"Although I am hiding my face right now, believe me, I also want to show it. I want to face everything openly. But maybe... this is not the right time yet."

A small smirk touched the corner of his lips, just barely visible under the cloth.

"But I do have some good news."

His voice, while calm, carried a weight of finality.

"From now on, I am going to live like myself. I will do what I believe is right. I do not care what others think about me. Not even the people who are watching from above... those arrogant ones who sit high up there and think they are gods."

***