The Grand General finally laid out a plan in his head, and he turned to the Overlord as he spoke.
"We should prepare for the worst-case scenario where Gillian is freed by Jason Marc. I don’t think it’s possible to break through the [Cage of Eternity], but I won’t underestimate Jason. He’s too formidable. And if Gillian is freed, then there is no doubt that she will come here looking for revenge. I’ve been hearing of a world called Varigan that has been rising rapidly ever since they discovered mana a few months ago. I think we should find our way there and integrate into their culture until things quiet down. The Machina were useful for a while, but they have outlived their usefulness."
.....
[The World of Riyad]
[Within the Floating City of Atlantis]
’Is there a link between these two Rune Glyphs? They have the same frequency, but they are on different sides of the key.’
’No, my king. I think the Rune glyph here dictates the duration of each runic pulse, and the second rune glyph connects the time axis to the outer rod axis. There is a small release of mana every three seconds that ties the rune to the flow of real time and ensures the stasis is still functioning, so that rune glyph is most likely in charge of that sequence.’
’My king, I think this might be related to the key. There is another glyph here that holds the time frame when the rune was activated, so it can keep whatever is inside in a perfectly sealed state. I’m trying to trace the link it has to the foundation, but it is difficult.’
’Let me handle the Foundation glyphs. I need you to figure out the Runic Algorithm so we can reverse engineer it. Azrael, try to see if you can find where the rune key starts. Vana takes this position here. There is a rune sequence I don’t really understand, but I think it’s related to cause and effect, so you should be able to decipher it.’
In front of the large wall of glass, three Rune Crafters worked together like a well-oiled machine as they tried to decipher the extraordinarily complex rune that had presented itself to them. Jason was pushing himself to the limit as he tried to study, communicate, and break down as much of the rune as possible in a short time. Jason knew that if he had been on his own, then there was no way he would be able to figure out what this rune meant, even in a thousand years! The rune was just far too complicated for any single Rune crafter to be able to handle! But with both Azrael and Vana helping him to understand and decipher various sections of the rune simultaneously, Jason could see a proper image of the rune sequence forming in his head, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he deciphered all of it.
Behind Jason, Gina was sitting on a blanket that Stella had spread out, and she was resting back on the cave wall while watching Jason work with Azrael and Vana. Gina could never get enough of seeing Jason like this. Gina knew that a lot of people who knew Jason when they were still in high school only saw him as the tough guy who could take down multiple people in a brawl without even breaking a sweat, but even though Gina also appreciated that part of Jason, the part of him that really attracted her to him was his mind and personality. Jason’s willingness to learn and his ability to immerse himself in his work with an intense single-mindedness that bordered on obsession were two of his most attractive traits! And Gina loved the fact that she was one of the only people who knew about this part of Jason. Gina had figured out from all the way back in middle school that Jason was very smart, and even though he didn’t show it often, he was more than capable of using his intellect to carry out complex plans and solve complicated problems! Jason had started working on bikes and cars from as early as when he was eight, and Gina could remember how excited Jason had been when he started showing off the many mechanical parts he had worked on! Gina tried her best to keep up with him whenever he tried to explain the things he did, but most of the automobile terminologies Jason used had flown right over her head because of how complex they were!
So right now, Gina couldn’t help but appreciate the sight in front of her as Jason tried to solve another major problem. Gina could feel a heat pool in her stomach as she watched Jason moving around the complex runic structure together with Azrael and Vana. Jason was already starting to sweat, and he had opened the first three buttons on his shirt sometime earlier, since it was getting so hot. The sight of Jason frowning in concentration and looking up at the rune while standing there with his shirt unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up was almost too much for Gina’s raging hormones, and Gina bit her lip as she watched a bead of sweat that rolled down Jason’s collarbone and vanished into his shirt. Gina wanted to lick the sweat off Jason’s skin.
Jason suddenly turned to Gina with a raised brow when he noticed her intense stare, and Gina’s cheeks reddened as she turned away in embarrassment! He didn’t hear her right!? Gina hadn’t been using their mental link, so there was no way Jason heard what she just thought! Gina was grateful that her mental connection with Jason didn’t allow him to read her mind all the time! If Jason saw and heard some of the things that went through her head whenever she looked at him, he would think Gina was an absolute pervert! But thankfully, Jason just smiled at Gina before he turned back to continue working on the rune, and Gina released a small sigh in relief.
But Gina turned to the side, and she frowned slightly as she saw Stella also watching Jason with a look of absolute concentration on her face. Gina raised a brow when she noticed how intense Stella’s stare actually was! Stella wasn’t even blinking, and Gina could swear that she saw Stella swallow when Jason ran his hand through his hair! Gina waited for almost two minutes to see if Stella would stop staring, and after a while, Gina had to bump Stella’s shoulder, and she spoke.
"You’ll burn a hole in his head if you keep staring like that."
"Huh!?"
Stella jolted out from the trance when she heard Gina’s voice, and she felt a blush rising on her cheek when she noticed what Gina had said! Gina frowned and let out a small sigh.
"I understand that Jason is a very desirable man, but the fact that you are both from the same world does not mean I’ll tolerate you making any advances towards him. Do you understand?"
Gina’s eyes narrowed, and Stella quickly shook her head and waved her hand while trying to tell Gina that it wasn’t what she thought!
"I-I wasn’t looking at him like that! I promise!"
Gina raised a brow in disbelief as she stared Stella down, and Stella’s cheeks grew even redder as she turned to stare at the ground. Stella brought her knees up to her chest, and she spoke in a low voice.
"I won’t try to show interest in the prince since I don’t think I’m very suited for any relationship right now. Back when I was in the service of the crown, I had a fiancée that I was meant to get married to."