Cleaning

Chapter 9: Cleaning

"Runes cannot be used directly; they must be inscribed onto magic tools.

This gave rise to the professions of Magic Tool Enchanter and Rune Inscriptionist."

Seeing this, Ronan's spirits lifted.

The profession he intended to study was Rune Inscriptionist.

Generally speaking, creating a magic tool first required forging its basic form from materials, then inscribing the desired runes onto its core to grant it power.

But if an error occurred during direct inscription, the entire magic tool would be ruined, wasting all the materials.

So the usual process was for a Rune Master to first inscribe the runes onto Rune Stones, after which an enchanter would use Rune Stones bearing the corresponding runes to enchant the magic tool.

That way, even if the enchantment failed, only the Rune Stone would be lost, without affecting the magic tool itself.

Among the Wizard World's major mainstream professions—alchemy, forging, enchanting, and runes—Rune Inscription ranked last. But once mastered, it was still enough to let a practitioner live more comfortably than an ordinary wizard.

Ronan had chosen Rune Inscription primarily because it had the lowest threshold and the lowest learning costs.

This had also been the original owner's idea.

He had flipped through more than half of the wizard book in his hands before finally reaching the detailed content on Rune Inscription.

The book Ronan held, Runology: A Collection of Ten Common Zero-Order Runes, introduced the inscription methods for ten common Zero-Order Runes.

These ten common Zero-Order Runes were—[Light Absorption], [Cleaning], [Shine], [Conduct], [Fortify], Keen Edge, [Protection], [Swift], [Great Strength], and Awakening.

During the day, Ronan had already made a preliminary inquiry into the prices of most of these runes at the stall selling blank Rune Stones.

"[Light Absorption], [Cleaning], and [Shine] are all Zero-Order low-grade runes. They're the cheapest, usually costing only one or two Magic Stones.

"Among the four Zero-Order Intermediate Runes—[Conduct], [Fortify], Keen Edge, and [Protection]—the Protection Rune is the most valuable, starting at five Low-Level Magic Stones.

"As for [Swift], [Great Strength], and Awakening, they're generally used on accessory-type magic tools such as rings and necklaces. They're Zero-Order Advanced Runes. Of the three, the Awakening Rune is the most valuable. It can enhance meditation during cultivation, focus the mind in battle, improve spellcasting success rates, and even resist some mental spell attacks. It sells for more than ten Low-Level Magic Stones."

"These are all the most ordinary and common general-purpose Zero-Order Runes. If they were rarer spell-type runes, their prices would be much higher even at the same level."

Ronan recalled the short sword magic tool he had seen at the market that could emit flames. It had definitely been enchanted with some relatively rare fire-element spell rune.

"These fifteen blank Rune Stones... even if I only successfully inscribe the most ordinary, cheapest rune, it'll be enough to make my money back."

"Oh, no. It should be twenty!"

Ronan quickly got up and rummaged through the miscellaneous box in the corner of the cabin. At last, he found a pile of Rune Stones and a palm-length knife.

Naturally, they had all been left behind by the original owner.

There were forty Rune Stones in total, thirty-five of which were ruined rejects from failed inscriptions.

The knife was a carving knife specifically for Rune Inscription. It was worth ten Magic Stone Grains and was the cheapest, shoddiest rune carving knife available. It could only barely be used and provided no additional effects whatsoever.

"Twenty blank Rune Stones. If I succeed with one, I should..."

"I should be able to do it, right?"

Ronan was no fool. The stall owner who had sold him the blank Rune Stones still had that mocking, amused expression fresh in his mind. He did not need to think too hard to know that practicing inscriptions with only a few blank Rune Stones gave him little hope of success.

But he had no extra Magic Stones to buy a second batch of practice materials. These twenty blank Rune Stones were all the hope he had.

If it did not work, he could only think of another way.

Of course, Ronan was not completely without confidence. The Character Panel's ability to lock in progress was what gave him the courage to challenge Rune Inscription. If things went as smoothly as when he practiced Energy Missile...

Ronan shook his head, casting aside the distracting thoughts in his mind and focusing on what lay before him.

After repeatedly weighing factors such as inscription difficulty and rune value, Ronan ultimately chose the Cleaning Rune, one of the three Zero-Order low-grade runes, as the first subject he would study and practice.

The Cleaning Rune originated from the Zero-Order spell Cleanse Spell. It could remove dust, absorb water, and eliminate stains. It was one of the standard runes for wizard robes.

Like the long robe Ronan wore, it did not count as a wizard robe at all. Its material was only somewhat special, making it more resistant to dirt than ordinary clothing. It had not been enchanted with any rune effects.

A true wizard robe enchanted with Cleanse Spell, however, came with its own cleaning function. Even if he wore it for months without changing, it would remain clean and fresh, without picking up the slightest bit of grime.

The first step of Rune Inscription was to completely memorize the rune's entire shape.

This was very important.

Runes were the crystallization of wizards' wisdom and painstaking effort. They had undergone extensive optimization and improvement, and every detail had its own unique purpose and function.

Even the slightest deviation might prevent a rune from producing its intended effect.

This step was tedious work. It required rote memorization, with no shortcuts to take. Ronan spent an entire night finally imprinting the Cleaning Rune's shape—a curved broom—firmly in his mind.

"Glug glug—"

In the morning, the door to the little treehouse stood open. Ronan stood inside, while a small pot on the stove before him boiled with today's breakfast.

After buying flour yesterday, Ronan had wanted to make himself some noodles.

He had no idea where he went wrong, but the rolled noodles fell apart the instant they hit the pot. After boiling for a while, they completely turned into a pot of paste.

Still, it smelled quite good.

Ronan did not care. He casually tossed in some seasoning and ate it just like that.

"I can proceed to the next stage of practice."

Holding the small pot, Ronan squatted on a tree branch outside the treehouse entrance, slurping down flour paste as he considered his next plan.

After memorizing a rune's shape, the next step was to copy and draw it.

Once he could draw it fluently, he would practice carving it with a carving knife.

Only then would he truly attempt inscription.

Ronan did not think he was some genius in Rune Inscription. He would not skip a single one of these necessary steps.

His life became regular again.

Training, meditation, spell practice, and now rune research as well—Ronan's daily schedule was packed full.

Though he was exhausted like a dog every day, it gave him a sense of fulfillment he had not experienced in a long time.

The last time he had felt this way... seemed to have been during the college entrance exam sprint in his final year of high school in his previous life.