Chapter 13 - Tribulation of Heavenly Secrets
CH13: Tribulation of Heavenly Secrets
***
Alex froze as the idea struck him.
"Yes, compression! It'll take significantly less time if I compress the file!"
Just like he'd pressed and rolled the beast skins to occupy less space, he could apply the same principle to his data. By developing a compression tool, he could reduce the file size and accelerate transfer times.
"Fortunately, I've already created my own compression tools in the past. And this just so happens to count as a valid program. If I can write it and make it work, I'll have achieved the next phase of the Rune-Tech project—proof that runic formations can function as a programming language."
Excitement surged through him like fire in his veins.
He immediately halted the ongoing transfer to the Tear of Zan and began focusing on manipulating the runes inside the Moro Crystal—essentially writing a code—shaping them into an internal runic array that would operate like a compression program.
With his prior experience building different types of compression tools in his past life, it wasn't hard for Alex to translate conditional logic and rules into a theoretical runic framework.
The real challenge lay not in conceptualisation, but in execution.
The intensity of his motivation burned so brightly that if Zora or Asta had been present, they might have claimed they could see it glowing around him.
That passion drove him to complete what should have been a week's worth of gruelling effort in just three days.
"Everything looks good," Alex muttered after carefully crosschecking his work.
He sat down, taking time to meditate and restore his Spiritual Force and Mana to peak levels. Once his energy returned, he prepared to execute the first proper Runic Program ever written in this world.
The array inscribed within the Moro Crystal was unlike any physical runic formation found in traditional spellcraft. Drawn in the real world, it would do absolutely nothing.
It was a program designed to function solely within mediums like the Moro Crystal, Tear of Zan, or similar vessels.
In other words, Alex had just created the first digital rune array.
"Now... the moment of truth. Let's see if it works as intended."
He channelled a substantial portion of his Spiritual Force, along with a bit of Mana, into the Moro Crystal. In response, a circular runic array manifested in the ethereal inner space of the crystal.
Surrounding it were countless individual basic runes, each floating densely in the digital space.
His Spiritual Force extended like a thin silver thread. Under his precise control, it slithered through the sea of runes and touched the array circle.
The array lit up, pulsating with both his spiritual force and mana. Alex watched closely as the radiance intensified. Then, the entire array collapsed in on itself, warping into a vortex—no, a singularity.
A swirling maelstrom formed, drawing in every surrounding rune with a strong gravitational pull.
Alex lost track of time, utterly fixated on the process.
Eventually, all the runes had been absorbed into the vortex, leaving behind only the singularity at the centre of the now-empty digital space.
Then, that too began to fade—shrinking... dimming... vanishing.
And then... nothing happened.
'Why is nothing happening?' Alex's chest tightened. Panic began to claw at his mind.
'Almost two months of work... Was it all for nothing?'
He clenched his fists, just short of activating the array again when—
His Spiritual Force twitched violently.
The ethereal space trembled. Cracks formed where the singularity had last existed. In the next instant, space itself shattered like glass, revealing a new figure floating in the centre.
It was a rune.
But unlike anything Alex had ever seen before.
Its form defied conventional geometry, shifting and multifaceted. Its complexity surpassed even the most elaborate Advanced Runes he'd studied.
From his Rune Knowledge, one thing was clear:
This wasn't just a new rune.
It was something far greater.
-
Alex could instinctively tell that this single rune held immense power—so much so that had it formed in the real world, it would've shaken the very foundation of reality itself.
A cold sensation crawled up his spine.
'This rune... it shouldn't exist here. The world itself might reject it.'
BOOM!
Before Alex could continue observing, a violent force struck his Mindspace like a hammer. His concentration shattered instantly, severing the thread of Spiritual Force connected to the Moro Crystal.
Darkness consumed him as he collapsed on the spot.
—
Unbeknownst to Alex, the real world responded violently to the activation of his Compression Array Circle.
A massive shift occurred.
Dark clouds surged across the entirety of DragonHold Enclave.
From the towering peaks of the DragonSpine Mountain range to the glittering bay where the Aegean River's tributary met the sea, everything fell beneath the shadow of the storm.
Where moments ago bright afternoon sun graced the land, now gloom descended—a foreboding omen of something far beyond a simple change in weather.
Streaks of golden-red lightning twisted through the clouds, forming increasingly dense spirals of electric fury.
Then, something emerged.
A serpentine being composed entirely of lightning uncoiled itself from the heart of the storm. Its head poked out of the clouds and its eyes—piercing orbs of paradoxical calm, indifference and joyous amusement—locked onto a single point.
That point was none other Alex's dormitory.
—
Terror. Unease. Instinctive fear.
These emotions rippled across the Enclave like a tidal wave.
Residents screamed, some trying to flee, others dropping to their knees. It didn't matter if they were low-ranked peasant or high-ranked mages—every soul was gripped by a primal panic.
Even the Great and Grand Mages—those who stood at the pinnacle of magical authority within the Enclave—were paralysed.
They couldn't cast.
Not even a spark.
Spells fizzled in their throats. Their enchantments failed to activate. The great array formations layered across the Enclave's buildings and defences were rendered inert.
Mana still flowed, but anything requiring Runes—spells, formations, enchantments—had ceased functioning.
A terrifying realisation dawned on the upper echelon:
This phenomenon suppressed everything that relied on Runic structure.
And so, with desperation rising and power rendered useless, all eyes turned toward the central tower.
To the one man who might stand against this unprecedented force.
The Tower Master,
The Legendary Mage,
Merlin Pendragon.
—
Zora was, for once, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
The ever-growing stack of paperwork she typically managed in Merlin's absence was gone for the day. No reports. No briefings. No emergencies.
She sipped tea beside the grand arched window, basking in the beauty of a quiet, tranquil afternoon.
It was serene. Perfect even.
Until it wasn't...
In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened.
Her body tensed before her mind even registered the shift. The teacup slipped from her fingers and shattered against the floor.
But unlike the others in the Enclave, the shudder that passed through Zora wasn't fear.
It was something deeper.
Something older.
Reverence.
And what unsettled her most... was that she didn't understand why.
-
Deep within a hidden lair nestled somewhere in the Enclave, the unknown behemoth stirred.
Its slow, rhythmic breathing had long echoed through the cave, signalling a slumber so deep that no ordinary disturbance could wake it.
Until now.
The very space around it trembled.
The beast's enormous eyes snapped open, glowing with primal fury as it unleashed a thunderous roar. The force of its cry shook the cavern violently, akin to an earthquake of the highest magnitude.
Yet, a counterforce emerged immediately—an unseen power that suppressed the aftershocks, preserving the integrity of the lair.
A voice rang out, calm but absolute.
"Who dares tamper with the taboos of the natural order within my Enclave?" said Merlin.
The old man materialised near the creature's silhouette as if he'd been there all along.
The beast's rage waned the moment its eyes fell upon the Legendary Mage. Though it did not move, its glowing gaze remained locked—piercing through the cave's darkness, through space itself, as if it could see the world beyond.
Its eyes flashed, not just with primal instinct, but... with surprise. And confusion.
Then they softened. Pensive. Contemplative.
Merlin, meanwhile, opened a portal and vanished—only to reappear moments later in front of Zora.
Unlike lesser mages, the phenomenon that restricted spellcasting had no hold over him. Merlin Pendragon, as a Legendary Mage, operated on a different plane. His spells didn't rely on rune-inscribed spell circles like others. Instead, he manipulated the fundamental laws of the world directly.
This was the difference between mortals and legends.
Zora, however, remained frozen. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her instincts overwhelmed by the phenomenon unfolding around them.
Merlin approached silently and placed a hand on her shoulder. A transparent barrier wrapped around her, shielding her from the oppressive atmosphere.
Her trembling ceased.
"Father... what's happening?" she asked, voice low and tight.
"Tribulation of Heavenly Secrets," Merlin replied, eyes fixed on the sky above. "Someone within the Enclave has broken through a boundary set by the natural order."
His gaze narrowed further as the serpentine figure of lightning took shape in the clouds, crackling with a mystic force.
When he saw its eyes—calm, amused, and not the least bit wrathful—his own eyes widened slightly.
"It's not here to punish..." Merlin murmured. "It's here to test."
"A test?" Zora echoed, confused.
He nodded. "Someone has achieved something extraordinary. So extraordinary, it threatens to alter the structure of reality itself. This tribulation isn't retribution—it's the world determining whether that discovery deserves to be woven into the fabric of nature."
"The world... rewards discovery?" she asked, astonished.
"It is fairer than most think. If they pass the test, the benefits will be unimaginable."
Zora struggled to fully grasp it all, but one concern overrode the rest. "Will the Tower be harmed?"
Merlin smiled gently. "No. Quite the opposite. If all goes well, we may even gain from the overflow."
Their conversation paused as the cloud above shifted once more.
The great serpent of lightning withdrew into the clouds. Then, a moment later, a streak of radiant, ethereal lightning descended—fast as thought—toward a location within the Enclave.
"Let's go," Merlin said calmly.
Grade 5 Spell: Blink.
With a silent, seamless gesture, the spell activated. In an instant, Merlin and Zora vanished, reappearing hundreds of metres away at the site of impact.
The bolt of lightning was ephemeral in nature—it passed through structures, leaving no trace of destruction in its wake.
But when they arrived, what they saw made Zora's breath catch in her throat.
"Alex's dorm..."
She didn't wait. Panic gripped her heart as she sprinted forward.
The dorm's magical security wards didn't activate—not just because she'd been granted full access, but because none of the arrays were working at all.
Besides, as Merlin's majordomo, she held the highest authority in the Tower beneath him.
"Alex!" she cried, bursting through the entrance.
Zora found Alex unconscious, lying on the floor of his Rune-Tech lab. Arcs of golden lightning flickered across his body, flashing in and out like pulses.
She took a step forward, about to rush to his side, when Merlin's hand gently caught her shoulder.
"Don't touch him," he warned calmly. "You'll interfere with the test."
Before Zora could even respond, the golden lightning surged and completely submerged into Alex's body.
A beam of pure light shot down from the sky—unimpeded by roof, wall, or barrier—and struck Alex directly. He remained unconscious, his body slowly rising into the air as it became encased in a shimmering golden cocoon.
The cocoon glowed brilliantly, then began to sink into his body, layer by layer, until a faint, translucent sheen remained upon his skin.
Crack! Boom!
The cocoon hardened momentarily—then shattered outward in a burst of radiant light, revealing Alex suspended mid-air, glowing faintly. When the golden hue faded, he gently floated down to the ground.
Zora stared, heart pounding. She couldn't tell what had happened.
But Merlin smiled faintly. "He passed the test."
The moment Alex touched the ground, the atmosphere shifted.
A beautiful, otherworldly symphony echoed throughout the DragonHold Enclave. It was a song of creation, harmony, and ascension.
Everyone who heard it froze. A trance overtook the entire Enclave.
Each person received a reward—subtle or grand—that perfectly aligned with their deepest needs. Some felt their cultivation rise. Others saw the haze over their comprehension clear in a flash of enlightenment. A few felt unseen injuries mend, or decades-old spiritual knots loosen.
The rewards were not equal, but they were all precise.
However, no one—not one—could remember what had just occurred.
The entire phenomenon vanished from the minds of every soul in the Enclave.
Every soul except two.
Merlin remembered because his strength defied the natural order.
Zora remembered because something else had marked her.
Ancient, glowing symbols had appeared across her body at the moment of the tribulation.
And so, the arrival of one of the Plane's mysterious agents—the will of law and reality itself—was forgotten by all, save the two who witnessed it in full.
***