After training with the Scarlett Clan, Victor headed towards the main mansion, as he walked alone, he couldn't help but think of his rune training.
He doesn't know if it's because he has more developed mentality than before, or if it's because he doesn't have a lot of urgent things to do in the short term, but he felt quite interested when training Runes.
The art can be very difficult to learn, and develop, but it was a very fun and useful art to learn.
As long as he had concentration and energy, he could do a lot with this art, but despite the versatility of this art, it wasn't omnipotent, you can't repeat the effects that the concept of a god, or specialized races like Succubus could do.
For example, if he wrote the charm rune in demonic language, and gave that rune power, the Charm would work, but it wouldn't be very useful as a goddess charm, and a succubus charm.
Scathach didn't even need to explain for Victor to understand that anything related to an individual's direct 'attack' on the runes was extremely lacking.
For example, he could place the Ice Rune to attack an opponent, but although that ice was 'big', it wasn't 'strong and dense' like Victor's or Scathach's ice.
Another thing that doesn't work is putting adjectives on the rune, this topic, Scathach made sure to explain it well for everyone, for example; When making fire rune, you cannot add characteristic to that fire like 'Strong fire', 'Dense fire', 'Demon fire', etc.
Runes didn't work like that, they worked with main and secondary words, it can also be called main Runes, and support runes.
The more major runes you have, the more complicated it is to add minor runes to support the major rune.
For example, Victor could make a Spear, and carve the 'piercing' Rune, and 'return' as main runes. Spear's piercing effect.
The 'return' rune is the same, it's a simple rune that calls the weapon back to the user's hand. Right after he added these runes, he could add minor runes that matched these major runes.
Words like 'recovery', 'pursuit' and 'safety' would be very effective to add as a secondary rune.
The 'recovery' rune would be very useful if the Spear breaks, with this Rune even if Victor throws the Spear violently causing damage to the weapon, the Spear will recover itself to the original state before the break.
The 'chase' Rune would make the Spear always hit the target according to the user's intentions.
The 'security' rune would prevent strangers who are not recognized by the user from using Spear.
Scathach itself, taking that same Spear as an example, it is possible to add tertiary runes to support the effect of secondary runes.
In this specific case, she could use the 'curse' rune in support of the 'security' rune causing the individual not recognized by the 'security' rune to suffer a very deadly curse.
Scathach pointed out that the limit was not just 3 sets of runes, the user's imagination and hard work was the limit.
For example, Scathach's Spear has a total of 2669 runes that complete each other, in perfect sync, Scathach 's Spear alone had many more major, minor, and tertiary runes.
The spear was a true work of art created by a runemaster.
When Victor, Ruby, Pepper, Siena, and Lacus understood how 'absurd' the feat Scathach did was, they couldn't help but respect the woman even more.
They could understand now why it took several years for Spear to be completed.
Ruby can't help but think of the Spear she got from her mother, the spear that Scathach used most of her life, a spear second only to Scathach's current Spear in terms of runes.
This realization made Ruby value the Spear she received from her mother even more, not to mention that this class ignited Ruby's thirst for knowledge. Ruby's sharp brain already understood how 'broken' runes were if studied correctly, she wasn't talking about using runes in combat, but in everyday life, and even in her lab.
As long as it had a food source to feed it, and sturdy material to keep the Rune going, couldn't it basically automate the entire mansion?
For example, various cleaning runes could be carved into hidden areas throughout the manor, and with just a little energy, the entire mansion would be clean.
Ruby thought that the runes were very similar to the magic that witches use, something that Scathach didn't deny, but he also didn't fully accept, despite being similar arts, they were still different.
While magic used magic circles to cause 'magical' effects.
Runes used ancient languages to do the same.
And the two methods had their pros and cons, the runes were better for support and creation, the best magic artifacts were made with runes, and with quite strong effects depending on the language and energy that is used when creating the runes.
While magic had greater 'versatility' and area of 'specialization', magic could not do something similar to what runes do, magic could not 'enchant' an item like runes.
And magic could not receive 'other' energy sources to make its magic circles.
The variety of linguistic and energy combinations was what made runes so dangerous.
Pepper pointed out that runes look like programming languages, it looks like a mess, but when put together, it makes perfect sense.
Victor, and the Scarlett sisters couldn't help but agree with this analogy.
Another fact that Victor discovered was that... He wasn't as good at creating runes, the craft just didn't come 'intuitively' like when he fights.
He had realized this a long time ago, but any subject in the area of 'creating' something, he took much longer to learn, and understand the subject.
He was an expert in destruction and causing harm, not in creating new things.
When the Scarlett sisters learned about runes, it was as if they were a fish that had not seen water for a long time, they learned smoothly, and progressively, without any kind of problem.
Evidently, they had talent in this area, and this insight made Victor question why Scathach hadn't taught the girls this sooner.
The response he received from the older woman left him speechless.
"They had no interest, or motivation to learn and get stronger, because of that, I didn't bring it up, even with talent in the runes it's a very dangerous subject."
In short, the girls didn't have the right mindset, and even if they had talent, to take such a dangerous subject as Runes lightly would be putting their own lives in danger.
Despite saying that he had a hard time learning compared to fighting, that's not to say that Victor is slow or anything like that.
After all, he had an advantage they didn't have, the memories of hundreds of beings, through years of meditation and practice, Victor had learned to filter and store only useful information, and within those hundreds of thousands of memories, he had 'references' for everything he did.
And in the case of Runes, it was no different. Not to mention that, even if it was difficult, it wouldn't make him give up, in fact it would make him even more motivated to learn.
As a 'thank you' for the lesson he received, Victor taught the girls several techniques that could be done with the lineage of ice, and water.
It is worth mentioning that seeing the shocked expressions of Scathach and her daughters when demonstrating the techniques was something very satisfying.
Victor hoped that with these techniques, the girls would become even stronger, so that he could fight them in the future.
Victor looks to the side and sees his reflection in the fountain near the mansion.
"Umu, I look as handsome as ever." He looked into her dragon eyes, a frown crept over his face, and he touched his chin.
Hmm Languages, huh ... Languages..." Victor opens his eyes wide.
[Zaladrac!]
[Eh ...? Wha - Gueegh.]
'What was that strange scream?' Victor chuckled internally: 'Did she fall to the floor or something?' Victor looked in the direction he sensed Zaladrac and saw that she was in a room in the mansion.
[What problem, Victor? Why did you scream so suddenly? I was sleeping.] Zaladrac commented with annoyance as he stroked her head, her eyes were looking directly at Victor.
Even though her eyes couldn't cut through walls like Victor's, she could still feel his gaze on her body.
[Oh... I'm sorry for suddenly yelling.]
[It's okay, just call me normally next time.]
[Mm.]
[Then? What is the problem?]
[Do dragons have a language like other races?]
[Of course.]
[How old is this language?]
[As old as those of the gods.]
Victor's smile grew, a language that was as old as the gods, and that was 'mortal'... Wasn't that perfect?
[Tell me, Zaladrac. Can you make runes with that language?]
[Runes...?] Zaladrac turns her face away in confusion, she thinks for a bit, visibly, she was searching her memories for information: [Oh, you're talking about speak of power.]
[Speak of power? What is that?]
[It is an art that we use our energy, voice, and intention to cause an effect in the world.] Zaladrac suddenly appears at Victor's side.
"That looks a lot like runes." Victor spoke.
"Hmm, my knowledge may be out of date, explain what a rune is to me.'
"Okay."
30 minutes later, Victor finishes the full rune walkthrough for Zaladrac.
"Hmm, I'm sure now, what you call Runes, I call 'Speak of Power'." Zaladrac nodded, "But the way you use lines of power is strange, Victor." "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Although you don't have a dragon soul, you are still a dragon in your physical body, not to mention that since you are connected with me, our souls are connected, because of that, I received your physical characteristics, and you receive mine. With that bond in effect, you can only use lines of power with intent."
"Only with the intention...?"
"Yes."
"Like a dragon, you must not follow anyone's rules, you who make the rules, and who command."
"How do I do this? I don't even know the dragon's language."
"Hmm..." Zaladrac looks at Victor with an expressionless expression for a long time, until she grabs him by the collar, and pulls him in for a kiss.
Even if he could react, Victor didn't, he just accepted everything, and before he could think of more things, he felt a flow of information entering his head and filling his entire being.
He learned the language, and the way of writing of the dragons, as if it were his own mother tongue that he learned since he was a child.
Zaladrac pushes Victor away, she unconsciously licks her lips, and thinks: 'It's nice...'
She looked at Victor who was in a trance processing all the information she had given him, pure desire flashed in the dragon's eyes, but she quickly calmed down when she saw that Victor snapped out of his stupor.
"That's..." Before he could continue, he heard it.
"As one who is bound to me, it is your right to learn our language, that way when you speak with the elder dragons, they will respect you as a member of our kind."
Victor raised his eyebrow, "You're lying... Wrong, you're hiding something, what is it?"
"...I hate that ability of yours to feel my emotions." She grumbled.
"Well, if it was my right to learn about your language, you should have done it from the beginning, right? Does not make sense."
"Zaladrac looks into Victor's eyes for a long time, until she opens her mouth:
"Giving knowledge of my language to my rider is a dragon's last test."
"Oh?"
"Dragonriders sometimes spend their entire lives with the bound dragon, and even then they never receive the knowledge of our language.
Each dragon has its criteria for testing, but in the end, it all comes down to trust, giving the knowledge from the dragon's language to the rider is the greatest act of trust a dragon can show, it is proof that the dragon trusts the rider completely."
"...I see, because of that, you haven't done this before."
"Mm... Honestly, I should have done this years ago when we were in hell, but I completely forgot why I was sleeping." She shrugged.
Victor rolled his eyes at the lazy dragon, "Does that mean you trusted me for a long time?"
"Of course, I wouldn't talk about my race with you if I didn't trust you. There's a reason almost nobody knows anything about dragons, it's because we're very secretive with our knowledge and very selective about who we give that knowledge to."
"But what I said about elder dragons is also correct, you can only learn dragon language from a dragon, you having a bond with me, and learning dragon language will make any elder dragon talk rather than attack you. it."
"Hmm~." Victor gently pulled Zaladrac 's waist and hugged her.
"..." Zaladrac opened his eyes a little, and cautiously hugged Victor, she smelled the air and felt the heady scent of his body, she felt very comfortable with the heat she felt from his body.
She listens to the sound of his heartbeat, and feels a strange sense that can only be described as:
'I belong here' She wondered if this was what 'home' felt like.
"Thanks for the trust, Zaladrac ." He spoke gently in the language of dragons as he stroked her dark violet hair.
"Mm." Zaladrac shuddered when he heard his native language coming out of Victor's mouth, it was a very good feeling to hear it coming from his mouth. More words weren't necessary, as they were connected to each other, feeling each other's emotions was a simple thing to do, and feelings are worth a thousand words.
They stayed like that for 30 minutes until Victor pulled away a little and asked:
"Can you show me how dragons use runes?" He caresses her cheek and asks in English.
"Sure." She nodded.
She looks at an innocent tree, and in a heavy voice as if she were ordering the world to follow her will, she spoke:
"Ikih" [Rot.]
In the next moment, a ripple in the air is seen by Victor's eyes, and soon this ripple of air hits the tree, the effect was instantaneous, the tree immediately started to rot until there was nothing left, the whole process was very fast.
"..." Victor just looked at it with an expressionless expression.
'Dragons are such broken beings.' She just did something that Scathach declared impossible to apply on a battlefield due to the concentration requirement. Use runes for battle.
She looks at Victor, and gives a proud smile: "How about it?"
"This is powerful." He gave an honest opinion.
"Fufufu." She smiled condescendingly.
"Why didn't you use this in battle?" Victor clearly saw that she could use this rune form to attack.
"As you've seen, the lines of power despite being invisible to those without dragon eyes, they are still very slow, and in a battle, the enemy won't just stand by and wait for you to attack."
"Not to mention if I can burn everyone with my breath why do I need to use it?"
"..." He couldn't say anything about that.
"What do you use those power lines for then?"
"To make my lair more comfortable, and to enchant my treasures, I sometimes make quaffs too."
"Victor really wanted to facepalm now.
'I think that's the difference in mindset' Unlike him who could see potential in these power lines, Zaladrac just saw it as something convenient. "I sense your discomfort, what is it?"
"It's nothing, I just think if you had used the power lines for something like buffing yourself in the fight, the angels wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Buff?"
Victor elaborated: "Using power lines to enhance your basic aspects, something like an energy shield, lighten your body in dragon form, increase gravity on the battlefield, etc."
He saw a lot of potential in crowd control battles with these dragon runes, he doesn't need to attack the enemy directly to win, just mess up the battlefield, and take advantage of it.
"... Oh..." She touches her chin, "That's true, I could do that, huh."
Zaladrac 's eyes glow violet for a few seconds, then she turns to the trees, and speaks in the dragon language:
"Lightness." Suddenly, Zaladrac disappears, and appears in front of the tree.
"Hmm, I see potential, maybe I can use this in my dragon form, that way I won't be limited by my weight..." She started muttering rapidly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Victor laughs gently at this sight, and decides to let her do her thing, he understands that she was going through a moment of epiphany.
'I shall ask her to teach me how to use it correctly later.' Even though he had learned the dragon's language. that didn't mean he had magically learned how to make runes, he had just learned a new language.
More hard work was needed.
....
Edited By: DaVo 2138, IsUnavailable
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