Power of Runes

It feels comfortable...

Ash thought to himself as he quietly looked around. He was gently floating in outer space, his body suspended in a vast sea of nothingness.

There was only the endless darkness surrounding him, broken by the stars that shimmered across the sky like scattered jewels. They were everywhere, stretching so far that no end could be seen.

It's beautiful...

Ash couldn't help but admire the silent beauty of outer space. Thanks to the Rune of Space, he felt unusually comfortable here.

There was no pressure on his body, and he wasn't even having any trouble breathing.

However, the one issue was movement. He was completely still, drifting without direction, and there was nothing he could do to move himself.

Well, it doesn't matter. I had no plans to run around in space anyway...

His gaze slowly drifted back toward where he came from, and he noticed the small tear in space still lingering behind him.

Because of that small rip, the hidden space the dragons had concealed was now partially exposed,

It's hidden space is small...around the size of a Rubik's cube. Could it be some kind of artifact holding that hidden dimension together...?

Ash could only guess, but in the end, his decision to escape into outer space had been based on two solid reasons.

First, chasing him into outer space would be extremely difficult for the Dragon Elders, and even if they did manage to follow him, simply moving around would be a challenge—and there was a good chance that none of them would dare to take that risk at all.

This hidden space is revolving around Planet Akumia... is it under the planet's gravitational field? Well, doesn't matter right now...

{Absolute Concealment}

He silently activated the skill, letting the concealment wrap around him like a veil. Then, without hesitation, he teleported.

In a blink, Ash appeared back inside the hidden space. His entrance was completely unnoticed—no one had sensed a thing.

Carefully hiding behind a pile of broken rubble, his eyes watched as the Dragon Elders all chanted in unison.

"DOMAIN EXPANSION!!"

Shit...

Ash immediately felt a chill. Even with everything he had, he wasn't sure whether his concealment skill would still work inside someone else's domain. It was a risky thought, and he wasn't ready to test that theory right now.

Without wasting time, he escaped again, reappearing on the other side of the large hall. But his panic turned out to be unnecessary.

The domains the elders had activated didn't feel overly intense. Instead, a transparent wave of energy flowed out from each of them, merging into one unified barrier.

That scared me for a second... but it's just a normal domain.

Domains were generally classified into three main categories—Normal Domains, Elemental Domains, and Weapon Domains. There were also hybrid domains, though cultivating one was a far more complicated process.

Elemental and Weapon Domains, as their names suggested, required high levels of mastery and understanding over a particular element or weapon.

Normal Domains, on the other hand, were simpler. They were formed without any deep elemental or weapon affinity. They just required mana, a strong intent, and a moment of enlightenment.

To break through the barrier of Grandmaster rank and reach the Legendary rank, forming a Normal Domain was the main requirement.

However, to go beyond the Legendary rank and step into the realm of Mythical status, one had to form either an Elemental Domain or a Weapon Domain. In this process, the Normal Domain acted as the foundation upon which the higher domains were built.

These domains varied in power depending on the user's knowledge, mastery, and the quality of the domain itself. Even one could drastically affect a person's strength.

And to rise even higher—to become a Saint—a person had to fully become one with their domain. That step might sound simple, but in reality, it was far from easy.

Normal domains don't have much range, and their power mostly depends on the willpower and mana of the user. From the looks of it, they're just expanding their domains around the cracks in the space to suppress the space mana from leaking out.

It made sense.

Elemental and Weapon Domains impose intense force and rewrite the environment's laws, so using them near fragile space cracks could worsen the damage.

In contrast, Normal Domains are gentler and better suited for stabilizing unstable areas without causing further collapse..

Let's give them a bit more of a headache. Otherwise, they won't show me the way of important places...

The second reason Ash had escaped into outer space was to make them believe he was either gone or dead.

His plan was to disappear completely and then reappear quietly from the shadows. After all, they had taken his space ring, his armor, and even the necklace he had prepared as a gift for Elysia.

Now, it was time to take everything back—along with a little something extra.

I can't just return empty-handed now that things have come this far, can I?

Even if I have to drench everything in chaos and destruction, I won't leave without reclaiming what's mine...

With that thought burning in his mind, Ash slashed toward the boundary on the opposite side of the vast chamber.

Slash!!

And right after, without hesitation, he teleported himself.

***

"Push the space mana back! I will seal the entrance," shouted the Space Dragon, his voice firm and commanding, as he was the only one among them with the deepest understanding of spatial forces.

The others didn't argue. They focused their mana and, through the unified strength of their overlapping domains, they managed to slow the tide of invading space mana.

But just as Stellaris—the Space Dragon—prepared to begin the sealing process...

Shireen!

The sharp, unmistakable sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed across the chamber. All heads turned toward the source.

Kristos cursed under his breath, "Shit! He hasn't left!"

Alarion's eyes narrowed. Without wasting another second, he issued a clear, decisive order. "Four of you, stabilize that side. The rest, stay here with Stellaris and help seal this area."

He then turned to the remaining two. "The last two, find that rat. He's still somewhere inside this space. Do not be fooled again. Also, check those two places—make sure nothing happens."

As his command echoed in the large chamber, Ariel and Taylor moved swiftly, heading in opposite directions to search for Ash. The others followed Alarion's orders without hesitation, taking positions as instructed.

Hidden from view, Ash quietly observed. His eyes locked onto Ariel, and without making a sound, he began to follow his path.

***

What is happening here...?

Ariel moved cautiously through the dim corridor, his steps steady yet alert as he scanned the area. He was determined to search every corner of this hidden space.

That brat is dangerous... He endured that level of torture and still had the patience to wait for the perfect moment to strike.

Ariel clicked his tongue in regret. It was the first time in all his years that he had come across someone like Ash—unpredictable, tenacious, and dangerously composed.

Let's check the rooms first.....after that I will go there.

Although the place wasn't that large in terms of overall size, it had an unusual number of rooms, and some of them were exceptionally spacious.

He began checking each room at high speed, unaware that someone was quietly following right behind him, tracking his every move.

After Ariel had searched at least ten rooms, Ash's eyes caught sight of something in the one of the rooms—his belongings, quietly resting in a corner, untouched.

He must be in a hurry to go somewhere... Did he really overlook this?

Ash couldn't be sure, but when he picked up his space ring, he quickly scanned through its contents. Most of his items were still there—everything looked intact, except for the blood crystal, which was missing.

He touched his armor, and within seconds, it responded to his will and donned itself over him automatically.

Now fully equipped once more, Ash silently resumed tailing Ariel. After about a minute of silent movement through the winding corridor, they reached the very end.

Is that... a wall? Don't tell me there's another hidden door behind that...?

And to his dismay, that's exactly what it was.

Ash watched closely as Ariel placed his palm against the wall, his fingers tracing a precise pattern across its surface. In response, the wall shifted with a low, rumbling sound, slowly revealing a concealed door behind it.

Without making a sound, Ash followed behind Ariel, and what lay beyond that hidden entrance made him pause for a moment.

Is this... a library?

A Library far grander than the academy's main library. The scale of the room was almost absurd, making one wonder just what kind of artifact or spatial compression technique was used to store such an enormous space within a concealed chamber.

But Ash didn't have time to marvel at it.

Silently, he left behind a small location anchor within the library, then teleported himself away—back toward the hall where the dragon elders were focused on sealing the space crack.

I can return there later. Right now, I need to check where that Red Dragon went. It might be an important place too...

When he appeared in the main hall again, one of the space cracks had already been sealed, and the other was on the verge of closing.

The elders were spread out, scanning the area carefully—some were still sealing the final gap, while others were clearly on alert, making sure Ash wouldn't suddenly reappear and tear open another exit.

Looks like I need to move fast...

He didn't waste time trying to create another crack. Instead, he hurried toward the direction Taylor had taken. As he moved past multiple rooms, each one contained something, but it was useless for him.

He must be at the end...

And sure enough, at the end of the corridor, here also the hidden wall was closing and was almost fully shut.

Ash hurriedly teleported himself inside, and just as he appeared within, the Red Dragon was standing right in front of him.

***