Chapter 31: Sealing Rune and Energy Gathering Rune

Chapter 31: Sealing Rune and Energy Gathering Rune

The night witnessed Cang Cheng's sleepless research hours, with the lights of the Central Mansion in Luo Ri shining brightly throughout the night.

The rumbling of explosions echoed throughout the night as well, but fortunately, the soundproofing of the Central Mansion was excellent, and the governing official made sure the noise didn’t disturb the residents.

Until the crisp chirping of birds was heard and the night sky began to pale, Cang Cheng, who had been focused all night, finally snapped out of his research trance.

"Mo, look! We did it!"

Cang Cheng, holding two freshly crafted Spirit Runes, ran excitedly to Hilmeth, who had stayed with him the whole night.

Normally, Cang Cheng would feel sleepy at this hour, but now his bright, glimmering black eyes reflected the silent, large-tailed alien beside him. Cang Cheng was radiating a sense of 'joy' and, without overthinking, shared his happiness with Hilmeth.

Hilmeth had witnessed Cang Cheng adjusting how he drew the Spirit Runes amidst countless explosions, never giving up even after each failure.

He was surprised by Cang Cheng's persistence when it came to researching Spirit Runes, insisting on achieving results no matter what.

His understanding of Cang Cheng deepened further.

"Very impressive, Cang Cheng."

Hilmeth reached out; he had intended to ruffle Cang Cheng's hair but instead gently patted his shoulder as his hand changed direction midway.

Immersed in joy, Cang Cheng didn’t notice Hilmeth's hand changing direction.

Having received praise, Cang Cheng's eyes lit up with joy, resembling a little fox smiling slyly.

"Let me tell you, Mo..."

As if opening a floodgate, Cang Cheng began to talk about how he had identified issues during each explosion and how he solved them, eventually creating the Sealing Rune.

As he spoke, the tiredness from a night of hard work made his eyelids heavy, and his speech slowed down.

"I'm so sleepy, Mo..."

"If you're tired, Mo, go to sleep."

Cang Cheng's head drooped down as if it were boneless.

Hilmeth quickly supported Cang Cheng's nape, allowing Cang Cheng's head to rest on Hilmeth's body.

"Mo, help me... to the bed..."

Cang Cheng's voice grew softer until it was barely a whisper.

Originally leaning against Hilmeth's chest, Cang Cheng probably found Hilmeth's body uncomfortable, with overly firm muscles, so he lifted his head to adjust his position, placing his cheek in the softer hollow of Hilmeth's neck.

Without any hesitation, he fell asleep peacefully.

Evidently, because Hilmeth had carried Cang Cheng back and forth too many times during the explosions, Cang Cheng had become familiar with Hilmeth's presence and could now sleep leaning on him.

The even breathing brushed against Hilmeth's neck, and his soft cheek pressed against the prominent veins. Hilmeth tightened his grip, and the tip of his tail, wrapped around his leg, swayed slightly.

He gently carried Cang Cheng to the bedroom, removed his outer clothing and shoes, and tucked him in the blanket. After making sure the edges were tucked in, he softly said, "Good night."

Two brand new Spirit Runes were placed beside Cang Cheng's pillow, accompanying him as he slept.

*

When Cang Cheng woke up, it was already 4 in the afternoon. After staying up all night, Cang Cheng took a while to regain his senses in bed.

During this time, he even put his slippers on the wrong feet and misbuttoned his clothes.

Fortunately, with Hilmeth's reminders, Cang Cheng managed to pull himself together.

He asked Philip to deliver food for two to the second-floor living room, and Cang Cheng sat facing Hilmeth.

The dishes included chicken stew with mushrooms, tomato and egg soup, stir-fried mixed vegetables, and wheat flatbread.

The dishes were rich in color, aroma, and taste, with a balanced combination of meat, vegetables, and staples.

The freshly baked wheat flatbread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which could be dipped in the juice of the dishes or sliced to make sandwiches, making it very delicious.

Although these were just home-cooked dishes, when Cang Cheng first arrived at the Canglan Star Region, he could only drink nutrient solution and sweet tea made from tea powder; he could not eat such a rich meal.

That Cang Cheng could eat pollution-free food with a balanced combination of meat and vegetables within a month and a half of arriving at Luo Ri Star was truly remarkable. Even the residents of Luo Ri Star could have at least one meal a day that was quite expensive in the interstellar world.

Cang Cheng was truly amazing.

"Hilmeth, I'll roll a wheat wrap for you!"

"There's no need, I can do it myself."

"Don't be polite. In the past, since you didn't have a physical form, you couldn't eat food. Now that you have a physical form, I want to let you fully experience the charm of food."

As he said that, Cang Cheng used the Blade of Wind to cut the baked pancake open, shaping it like a pocket. He then used serving chopsticks to stuff it with braised chicken with mushrooms and stir-fried vegetables.

Worried that Hilmeth wouldn't have enough to eat, Cang Cheng filled the pancake to the brim.

"Here, have some, Hilmeth, it's delicious."

Not wanting to refuse Cang Cheng's kindness, Hilmeth solidified his physical form, took the pancake, and took a bite.

At first, he tasted the crispy fragrance of wheat, followed by the rich and delicious flavor of tender braised chicken, and finally the crisp vegetables.

The textural layers were very rich, a taste Hilmeth had never experienced before.

"Is it tasty, Hilmeth?"

Cang Cheng leaned in and asked, his eyes sparkling.

Hilmeth nodded and said, "It's delicious."

"I'm happy you like it!" Cang Cheng smiled, his eyes crescent-shaped.

"I really hope everyone can eat real food and not just survive on nutrient solution, or their appreciation for food will be ruined."

"That day will come."

Halfway through the pancake, Hilmeth suddenly remembered, "By the way, how did you ask Philip for two portions of food? Won't he suspect anything?"

"I simply said I was hungry and wanted extra food."

Cang Cheng nibbled at his wheat pancake, his cheeks slightly puffed up.

By now, Hilmeth had eaten more than half of his pancake, while Cang Cheng had only taken a bite, leaving more than four-fifths remaining.

Cang Cheng had always had a small appetite; before, three small potatoes were enough to satisfy his hunger.

Today, however, Cang Cheng surprised everyone by saying he wanted to eat more, and the dishes served have almost been completely eaten.

Hilmeth sighed in frustration.

Philip will likely figure something out...

Cang Cheng asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Hilmeth casually changed the subject, "If you're hungry, you should eat more; you're too skinny."

"I've already eaten a lot."

Cang Cheng retorted reasonably.

"Your appetite is like a kitten's. Eat more so you can grow taller."

Cang Cheng felt annoyed.

At only 177cm tall, Cang Cheng was indeed considered short in the Canglan Star Region. Compared to Hilmeth, who stood at over 1.9 meters, and with his black horns reached 2.2 meters, Cang Cheng did seem somewhat small.

"No personal attacks, even if you are tall, you big-tailed exotic."

Hearing the nickname Cang Cheng had given him, Hilmeth didn't get angry.

"Indeed, I am tall."

Humph.

Cang Cheng didn't feel like talking and silently began to gnaw on his flatbread.

After the meal, Cang Cheng returned to the study, while Butler Philip went upstairs to collect the dishes.

Seeing that the food was almost finished, Philip didn't ask any questions.

As a butler, his sole responsibility was to take care of Cang Cheng's meals and daily life; other matters were not his concern.

In the study, Cang Cheng picked up the two Spirit Runes he had completed the previous day and first input the data into the light brain.

The original intermediate Shamanic magic "Mass Sealing" is named "Sealing Rune" as a Spirit Rune.

Rune Level: B

Rune Effect: Forms a sealed space of 8 meters by 8 meters within the designated area, nullifying energy flow for a duration of 3 seconds.

The original attribute-less basic magic "Mana Convergence" is named "Energy Gathering Rune" as a Spirit Rune.

Rune Level: C

Rune Effect: Gathers energy within the designated area, helping to restore mana consumption.

Since Cang Cheng didn't understand the operational principles of the gravity rune, he couldn't create a targeted rune. Instead, Cang Cheng decided to take a more comprehensive approach and cut off all sources of power, thereby rendering all energy ineffective.

Thus, the Sealing Rune was born from this decision.

As for the creation of the Energy Gathering Rune, it was because during his research on the Sealing Rune yesterday, Cang Cheng found that his mana wasn't sufficient to sustain a high-intensity rune drawing session throughout the night. So, he simply devised the Energy Gathering Rune on the spot.

With the help of the Energy Gathering Rune, Cang Cheng's endurance greatly increased, allowing him to research through the night.

Otherwise, with his pitifully small amount of mana, he would need to rest and replenish his mana after several hours of research.

Sigh... He wondered when the overall capacity of his mana would increase...

"Hilmeth, I'm going to the Canglan World to experiment with these two Spirit Runes."

"Mm."

As Cang Cheng attached the connector to his temple, he suddenly thought of something.

"By the way, Hilmeth. You have a physical body now, does that mean you can accompany me into the Canglan World in the future?"

Looking into Cang Cheng's clear eyes, Hilmeth nodded. "It should be possible."

"Then I'll get you a light brain and a [device] certification!"

Cang Cheng didn't hide his joy, his eyes curved into crescents.

Hilmeth looked up. "Is it that exciting?"

"Happy. Mo, you are the closest person to me. Of course, I'm happy to be able to stay with you. Mo, don't you want to enter the Canglan World with me?

Ah... I'm so sad."

Cang Cheng sighed and deliberately adopted a wounded expression.

"Not at all."

Hilmeth replied, "I have no unwillingness."

Cang Cheng then raised his eyes, his black eyes with upward-slanting corners giving off an unintentional charm.

"Then... Mo, you do want to go with me, right?"

Meeting Cang Cheng's gaze, Hilmeth nodded. "Yes."

"I knew we are good partners who share the same thoughts and feelings."

Cang Cheng gave Hilmeth a wink. "I'll have Ming Bai prepare everything now. Mo, I'm heading into the Canglan World first."

As he spoke, Cang Cheng closed his eyes and connected to the Canglan World.

Hilmeth's hand, which was by his side, tightened slightly.

Only after Cang Cheng had entered the virtual world and began breathing evenly did he chuckle softly.

The tip of the tail resting on his lap gently brushed against his thigh, causing a slight itch.

*

Suddenly dizzy, Cang Cheng's vision changed, and in an instant, he was back in the Canglan World.

The bustling streets were unchanged, filled with the sounds of people and vendors. But... hmm? Why did the figure on the billboard look so familiar?

A white-and-blue cloak, a white-and-blue mask, and Wind Wing runes spread out behind...

Wasn't that me?!

His image was on almost every billboard along the Trading Street, not just one.

The slogan on the billboard said:

"Spirit Rune Master ANKEN is beautiful and kind-hearted, praise him, praise him, praise him!"

"Transitory Spirit Warriors, but the everlasting Spirit Rune Masters."

"Behold the fragile beauty of the Spirit Rune Master in the Canglan World."

...

"Hurry up, take a picture with me and ANKEN's standee."

"I rented an ad spot for a week to promote ANKEN, but my friend rented one for an entire month. I have to extend mine! I absolutely can't lose to him."

"I really want to see ANKEN's impressive figure in person..."

"Am I the only one concerned about when the heck the 'ANKEN Spirit Rune Drop Group' will open new slots? When will the next auction be held? I want to purchase Spirit Runes!"

...

Cang Cheng listened to the surrounding discussions and wasn't surprised by the overwhelming enthusiasm. After all, many had admired him back on the Siaxi Continent.

However, due to the fearsome reputation of the forbidden spell mage, few ordinary people had dared to discuss him so openly in his presence back then.

"Wait, isn't that ANKEN?"

"The mask pattern matches, the height and build are right, the eyes are the same, it's him!"

"It's ANKEN!!!"

With a booming voice, half of Trading Street could hear the shout.

In an instant, all eyes were on Cang Cheng, their expressions excited, their breathing quick, as if a pack of wolves had spotted a lamb.

Cang Cheng suddenly felt a sense of danger and bolted towards the arena.

The not-so-athletic Cang Cheng ran with all his might, a motley crowd hot on his heels.

"ANKEN, sign an autograph for me!"

"ANKEN, sell me a Spirit Rune!"

"ANKEN, don't just run off!"

"I really love you, ANKEN!"

……

If I don't run, won't I get caught by you guys?

I'm not stupid!

Cang Cheng suddenly felt that people from the Siaxi Continent were somewhat better than their Canglan Star Region counterparts. At least they actually knew their limits.

The people here are way too enthusiastic.

Cang Cheng used every skill he had and finally managed to enter the arena, quickly starting a challenge.

Once the match was completed, he entered the single rest room to make sure no one would chase after him again.

Phew... he was dead tired.

After resting for a bit, Cang Cheng started drawing Sealing Runes and Energy Gathering Runes in the Canglan World.

He had originally planned to test the Spirit Runes in the Canglan World. Even though he was a bit rushed, he had already come this far.

After the 10-minute preparation period, Cang Cheng was transported to the challenge arena.

The system did not select this challenge for a live broadcast. The silver tier match had few viewers, and the entire challenge arena felt cold and deserted.

Standing at the other end of the challenge arena was a red-haired youth.

The other party stood with his arms crossed and a furrowed brow, wearing a dark military uniform that gave off a soldier's aura.

Was he a retired soldier or perhaps a reservist?

He gave off a similar vibe to Mo.

Cang Cheng glanced at the opponent's ID 'Qin Huohuo5', which was obviously a blatant smurf account.

Qin Huohuo...

Hmm... Could his real name actually be Qin Yan?

Qin Huohuo, or in the real world, General Qin Yan, had his severed arm reattached, only to be sent into the virtual world by the lead doctor, with a suppressor limiting his strength to Grade B, forcing him to complete 20 matches each day before he could leave the arena.

A match for Qin Yan would last between 30 seconds to 1 minute, which was already fast, but including the time for preparation and matchmaking, 20 matches would take at least 300 minutes, or 5 hours.

The lead doctor claimed this was to help Qin Yan with rehabilitation and maintain his physical coordination, but Qin Yan felt it was just because the doctor found him too annoying in the treatment room and sent him away.

Damn Qu Bai. Once the general woke up, he was definitely going to report this to the general.

The more Qin Yan thought about it, the angrier he became, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

It wasn’t until he was teleported to the challenge arena that he snapped back to reality.

He glanced at Cang Cheng, and upon seeing his appearance, his body stiffened.

Cang Cheng was slender and pale, appearing fragile. Qin Yan, with his robust build, felt he was as strong as two people like Cang Cheng.

Such a fragile person... and he’s in the arena for a match?

"Hold on. Are you my opponent for this match?"

"Yes, is something wrong?"

Cang Cheng nodded, his black eyes beneath the mask clear and harmless, like a harmless little animal.

Irritated, Qin Yan scratched his red hair, noticing Cang Cheng’s soft-spoken, timid tone, which made his irritation grow even more.

He had to fight such a fragile person?

How was he supposed to even fight him?

Running his hands through his hair, Qin Yan quickly made a decision. "I’ll take it easy on you."

The instincts of a soldier made Qin Yan habitually protect weaker opponents, so he would go easy on the seemingly fragile Cang Cheng.

Hearing this, Cang Cheng smiled even more radiantly.

"Thank you, then, Qin Yan," he said.

Qin Yan nodded instinctively. "You're welcome."

Five seconds later, he felt that something was amiss.

Wait, how does this fragile individual know my name?

In the study, Hilmeth watched the live projection of Qin Yan on the screen, his brows furrowing into a frown.

His subordinate Qin Yan, not only judged Cang Cheng by his appearance and said, 'I'll go easy on you,' but also inadvertently revealed his name.

Not a single bit of progress.

Nevertheless...

Hilmeth's brows gradually relaxed.

Qin Yan was still alive, his severed hand had been healed, and he could even enter the holographic world for rehabilitation. That was enough.

*

Inside the arena, the electronic voice announced:

"Countdown: 3, 2, 1... begin!"

The transparent barrier dissipated, and Cang Cheng and Qin Yan stood at opposite ends of the challenge arena.

Qin Yan moved his neck and then jumped into the air with a powerful leap.

With great confidence, he drew his dual guns and aimed at Cang Cheng simultaneously. "My aim is superb. Don't worry, I'll send you out of the challenge arena without pain."

Silver tier, a fragile opponent.

Qin Yan didn't think his opponent could dodge his initial aerial attack.

The fight would end within 10 seconds, easily.

Qin Yan pulled the triggers of both guns simultaneously, the lightning-fast attacks targeted directly at Cang Cheng's heart and head.

Striking down Cang Cheng with one hit was Hilmeth's way of extending maximum mercy.

It wouldn't hurt much; the fragile one probably wouldn't be crying from pain.

Hilmeth landed on the ground without even glancing at Cang Cheng's condition.

He slid his dual guns into the holsters at his lower back, turned away with ease, and made a motion to leave.

However, two seconds later, he didn't hear the familiar sound of victory.

His years of combat experience told him something was off.

Hilmeth became serious.

He swiftly turned to face Cang Cheng.

Cang Cheng was still standing quietly in the same spot, a barely perceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.

He hadn't moved from his position, and there were no wounds on him, as if Hilmeth's two shots had either missed entirely or were duds.

Yet that seemed impossible. As one of the top fighters in the Canglan Star Region, Hilmeth's shooting accuracy was S-rank.

Cang Cheng stood there nonchalantly, and beautiful blue particles dissipated from his fingertips.

He tilted his head slightly, the corners of his eyes rising a little, offering a faint, friendly smile.

"Looks like you didn't hit me at all～"

Suddenly, Hilmeth's spine tingled with combat instinct.

There's something off about him.

Hilmeth noticed the light lingering around Cang Cheng, which lingered after the use of Spirit Runes.

"Did you just use Spirit Runes? Electromagnetic Distortion Runes?"

The only runes Hilmeth could recall that could negate electromagnetic attacks were the Electromagnetic Distortion Runes.

Their working principle was to distort the electromagnetic field, thereby deflecting or completely negating electromagnetic attacks.

Cang Cheng shook his head. "No, it’s not."

“I don’t care what it is.”

Hilmeth’s competitive instincts flared up.

If others knew that a top-tier fighter like him from the Canglan Star Region was being toyed with by such a fragile target, they’d laugh uncontrollably.

“The Electromagnetic Distortion Runes can distort small attacks but are useless against heavy weapons.”

With that, Hilmeth hoisted a B-grade heavy cannon on his shoulder and drew a consecutive gun with the other hand, launching a relentless assault on Cang Cheng.

As a heavy weapon, the cannon was immensely powerful but needed time to charge.

Few people used heavy cannons as their primary weapon in individual matches, but Hilmeth was an exception.

He could charge the heavy cannon while simultaneously firing to disrupt, effortlessly multitasking.

This was a hallmark of a top-tier fighter’s skill in the Canglan Star Region.

The consecutive gun’s attacks arrived first, a continuous barrage targeting Cang Cheng.

A flash of white light filled Cang Cheng’s vision, like dense rain coming down fiercely.

Cang Cheng remained calm and composed.

He drew the Sealing Rune plate again, channeled magic into it, and activated it!

The space around Cang Cheng entered an energy nullification state for 3 seconds.

For those three seconds, all energy-based attacks, whether from thermal weapons or runes, were nullified.

Compared to the Wind Wall, which could only block a single attack, and the highly magic-consuming Water Runes, the Sealing Rune provided more comprehensive defense with lower magic consumption, making it ideal for neutralizing large-scale attacks.

Its only drawback was the brief duration, lasting just three seconds.

The dense laser attacks, upon entering the range of the Sealing Rune, vanished as if fed into a disintegrator, dissolving into particles that quickly dissipated without a trace.

Attack ineffective!

The effectiveness of the Sealing Runes in suppressing energy attacks is undeniable.

Upon seeing this, Hilmeth furrowed his brow.

He wasn’t surprised that the consecutive gunshots were nullified. The Electromagnetic Distortion Runes could indeed achieve that, but...

"This doesn’t seem to be the effect of Electromagnetic Distortion Runes."

At that moment, the heavy cannon finished charging, and the 90CM diameter barrel lit up.

Without saying a word, Hilmeth pressed the firing button.

Energy rapidly gathered, and the gravity rune on the heavy cannon lit up simultaneously, followed by a flash of lightning.

With a loud 'boom,' a bright electromagnetic attack ripped through the entire arena, heading straight for Cang Cheng.

"The heavy cannon is extremely powerful. Even Electromagnetic Distortion Runes can’t distort such a massive amount of energy. You might as well surrender now, or you'll end up crying from the pain, and I won't be responsible for that."

"Not necessary."

The energy blast whipped up a massive gust of wind, blowing Cang Cheng's hair and the hem of his clothes.

The heat wave and intense light closed in, and at the same time, the pressure that had made Cang Cheng uncomfortable during his match against Mark Xin returned.

It was the gravity rune that increased gravity threefold!

Cang Cheng had previously been overwhelmed by gravity runes and had even fainted after a match.

But now... Cang Cheng felt no fear towards gravity runes.

His pure black eyes reflected the light from the heavy cannon.

His almond-shaped eyes and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye gave his face a striking charm.

"Perfect to use you as a guinea pig."