Recaps

Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor killed the Sixth Pharaoh King, worsening the Minghe Empire’s war situation. As Saine received new deployment orders, he learned that the Alien Civilization and Tianming Empire would soon reinforce the battlefield, including his wife, Gongsun Wudi.

• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor trapped and killed the Sixth Pharaoh King and two Level-7 Pharaoh Kings, while deciding to leave Mokaste to other opponents.
• The Minghe Empire lost another powerful fighter, and Saine heard of the Sixth Pharaoh King’s death while serving in the Nether Fertile Sea starfield.
• Befu and the other commanders prepared to reassign Saine and his allies, with Forest Elf Queen Keltuilan and Brian arriving to take over their garrison duties.
• Saine learned that the Alien Queen had agreed to send the Alien Civilization to support the Minghe Empire battlefield.
• Lisa told Saine that Gongsun Wuji and his wife Gongsun Wudi would soon arrive with Tianming Empire forces.

Saine arrived in the Augustus Star Territory, where the Minghe Empire provided only limited reinforcements and Evil Tide forces encircled the battlefield. As fierce fighting began, Saine concentrated on defending the Augustus Large World and key Medium Plane battlefields while demonic contamination spread across much of the territory.

• Saine headed to the Augustus Star Territory, a vast battlefield where the Minghe Empire had once faced the ancient Augustus Civilization.
• The Minghe Empire sent Saine a damaged King of Monsters named Gomora, a Dominator-class Bone Spirit Magic Puppet, and Death Servant and Bone Spirit Magic Puppet legions, while its Monster Legion numbered just over two million.
• Merrick Marshal gave Saine a detailed defensive deployment map, and Saine assigned the arriving forces to his Level-4-and-above subordinates.
• Saine met the Windrunner Sisters before leaving the Nether Fertile Sea Star Territory and gave them Plant Element resources he had collected.
• Evil Tide forces launched fierce attacks across the Augustus Star Territory, where twelve Demon Emperors encircled more than half the territory rather than gathering for a direct clash.
• Saine and his allies focused on defending the Augustus Large World and important Medium Plane battlefields as Evil Tide contamination spread across more than half the star territory.

The Reverse Mutant and Tianming Empire reinforcements arrived in the Augustus Star Territory, strengthening Saine’s front as Alien Civilization committed to Wizard Civilization’s war effort. Saine welcomed the new forces and considered upgrading the Reverse Mutant’s mechanical enhancements.

• Alien Civilization sent the Reverse Mutant to the Augustus Star Territory while the Alien Queen kept the other Dominator-class Alien Kings with her in the more intense Minghe Empire war.
• The Alien Queen parasitized a living, wounded Dominator-class King of Monsters, and a newly born Alien King reached the Dominator Realm after devouring its host.
• The Reverse Mutant reunited with Saine after advancing to Level-7 Peak through intense battles in the Metal Graveyard War Zone.
• Saine welcomed the Reverse Mutant’s arrival and considered upgrading her worn mechanical enhancements.
• Gongsun Wudi arrived with the Tiger Brave Army and more than a hundred million other Tianming Empire troops, while Gongsun Wuji led the empire’s main forces to another battlefield.

Gongsun Wudi joined Saine in the Augustus Star Territory as the Evil Tide war intensified across the Minghe Empire frontlines. News of mounting losses, including Knight Balaike’s death after an enemy secret treasure obstructed his retreat, left the Wizard Civilization facing growing danger.

• Gongsun Wudi arrived in the Augustus Star Territory, and Dao Dali sensed that she was probably stronger than he was.
• Reinforcements from the Alien Civilization and Tianming Empire eased the pressure on Saine’s forces, while the Reverse Mutant struggled to get along with most of Saine’s women but tolerated Luluenman.
• Saine learned that a Level-7 Pharaoh King had been corrupted by the Evil Tide and two King of Monsters had fallen, while the Minghe Empire’s frontlines continued to retreat.
• The Sixth Pharaoh King’s death left a weakness in the Minghe Empire’s Mother Plane, and the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and Six-Winged Demon Ancestor targeted Minghe World as Mokaste held the line.
• Saine learned that Knight Balaike had died seven years earlier on the Minghe Empire front; battlefield records indicated that a Crystal Blue Ice Arrow had delayed his retreat and contributed to his being swallowed by the Evil Tide.

Saine and the Transformers rescued the gravely injured Gomora from an Evil Tide attack on the Augustus Star Territory Battlefield. Saine offered to heal and strengthen Gomora in exchange for its loyalty, tempting the monster with a golden pill.

• Saine fought two Evil Tide Dominators to a stalemate while allies were occupied elsewhere on the battlefield.
• Gomora, King of Monsters, was badly wounded and in danger on a nearby Medium Plane battlefield.
• Saine called the Decepticons, Optimus Prime, and other Intelligent Robots to support Gomora.
• The Transformers drove back the Evil Tide forces and rescued Gomora.
• Saine offered to treat Gomora's injuries and make it stronger if it pledged loyalty, while Gomora focused on the golden pill in his hand.

Saine persuaded the wounded Dominator-class King of Monsters Gomora to cooperate with his experiments and began mechanically modifying it. Meanwhile, the newly ascended Level-8 Shura Demon Emperor set out to hunt Saine, and Zi You also learned that Saine was on the battlefield.

• Saine persuaded Gomora to accept a fair trade and cooperate with his upcoming experiments.
• Saine began modifying Gomora, planning to replace its damaged horns with Dominator-class warship alloy.
• The Shura Demon Emperor arrived on the Netherworld Empire Battlefield as a Level-8 Dominator and tore up orders from two Devil Ancestors.
• The Shura Demon Emperor led his army toward the Augustus Star Territory to take revenge on Saine and the Alien Legion.
• After killing a Level-7 Wizard Civilization knight Dominator, Zi You learned that Saine was on the battlefield and gazed toward his starfield.

Saine advanced his flame and mechanical fusion research while fighting on the front lines, then received orders to transfer to the Anubis Star Region. He and his forces were assigned to defend its southern front for a stated five hundred years, with at least three hundred years required.

• Saine used the Void Devouring Flame and his arcana research to fuse the Emperor Flame.
• Saine studied the fusion symbiosis of dwarf monsters and found a new direction for fusing mid- and lower-level Intelligent Robots.
• Thirty-two years later, Wizard Civilization assigned Saine and his allies to the Anubis Star Region because powerful Dominators were needed to hold its front.
• Befu and the others set a three-hundred-year minimum defense for the Anubis Star Region, while Saine’s group was scheduled to serve for five hundred years.
• Saine’s group was assigned the southern section of the star region, while the Tenth Pharaoh King and other allies guarded most of the remaining territory.

Saine brought Gomora with him from the Augustus Star Territory to the more dangerous Anubis Star Region, refusing a Pharaoh King's demand to leave the King of Monsters behind. After arriving, Saine met several Dominators from the Mamet United Alliance, including the unfamiliar Level-7 Undead Element Dominator Jing Ning.

• Gulayev demanded that Saine leave Gomora behind, but Saine claimed the Tenth Pharaoh King had ordered him to bring it to the Anubis Star Region and left a Bone Spirit Magic Puppet as compensation.
• Saine decided to take Gomora because he wanted its strength and the added security it provided as the war grew more dangerous.
• Saine's Ashes Group army traveled to the Anubis Star Region, suffering only minor losses to two small Evil Tide attacks while its Dominator-class beings arrived unharmed.
• Saine and his companions reached the Anubis Star Region, a major frontline battlefield guarding the flank of the Minghe Empire's Mother Plane.
• Saine met Death Knight Alex, True Spirit Nefka, and Level-7 Undead Element Dominator Jing Ning of the Wizard Alliance.

Saine met the Tenth Pharaoh King face-to-face in the Anubis Star Region, where his formidable forces impressed her and they discussed his Mechanical Arcana. The Tenth Pharaoh King asked him to treat her injured Beetle King of Monsters and told him about rare Law Items in the region as she departed.

• Jing Ning gave Saine only a brief greeting, while Alex and Nefka welcomed him and marveled at the ten Dominator-level fighters in his fleet.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King personally met Saine, examined his reputation and strength, and drew his interest with her Sealing Clothes and the Minghe Holy Book she controlled.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King asked Saine to examine her Beetle King of Monsters, whose strength had declined after it lost its horn, and Saine agreed.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King did not rebuke Saine for using her name to draw Gomora to the battlefield and approved Gomora's proposed garrison assignment.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King told Saine that the Anubis Star Region's Death Law Vortex could produce rare Law Items, including Other Shore Bone Spirit Flowers, then Saine saw her off from his Thunder God Fortress Group.

After Saine’s forces entered the Anubis Star Region, he sent Merrick Marshal to build defensive lines and explored the central Death Law Vortex with Alex, Nefka, and Cuilisi. Saine discovered hidden Death Element Rule Runes in its depths, but the group chose not to investigate further while the war loomed.

• Saine supported Merrick Marshal in extending Metal Frontlines across the region, including near the Minghe Empire’s legions, and Merrick’s defensive skill earned him growing recognition.
• Saine traveled with Death Knight Alex, True Spirit Magician Nefka, and Cuilisi to investigate the Death Law Vortex and seek Death Element Rule Materials for Lina, Mei Kaili, and others.
• Saine noticed cryptic Rule Runes deep within the vortex, though Alex and Nefka had never seen them.
• Cuilisi suggested the runes could be Minghe Empire contingencies, and warned against probing the unknown Land of Rules during the looming Magic Tide War.
• Saine wondered whether the vortex’s deepest point connected to another special rule spacetime, and Cuilisi said it was possible.

Saine fitted the Beetle King of Monsters with a powerful metal horn before the Evil Tide Civilization escalated its assault on the Anubis Star Region. As the Tenth Pharaoh King faced the Black Star Demon Emperor and the allied forces came under mounting pressure, Bai Xing and Tourmaline arrived with the newly advanced chief god Usotos as reinforcements.

• Saine forged a World-Class Secret Treasure metal horn and added armor to the Beetle King of Monsters, improving its strength, and the Tenth Pharaoh King rewarded him with Rule Materials and a portion of her Sealing Clothes arcana.
• The Black Star Demon Emperor, a Level-8 Late-Stage Dominator wielding the Top-Grade World-Class Secret Treasure Black Star, launched an intensified assault on the Anubis Star Region and fought the Tenth Pharaoh King.
• Saine and the allied Wizard Civilization and Minghe Empire forces struggled to hold their fronts as Evil Tide armies advanced and threatened to encircle the Anubis Star Region.
• Bai Xing and Tourmaline arrived in the Anubis Star Region, where Saine learned that Bai Xing had failed to become a Dominator but her Ancient Sea God Usotos had advanced to chief godhood.

Bai Xing and Tourmaline reached the Anubis Star Region with elite forces, and Saine learned that Rose had advanced to Level Seven and would later join the war. As the Evil Tide Civilization increased its pressure on the region, Saine prepared for a major offensive.

• Bai Xing and Tourmaline told Saine that a Level-7 Mid-Stage Demon Emperor had tried to block their journey but withdrew after failing to overcome their forces and Usotos.
• Usotos reported that Rose had advanced to Level Seven and that Lady of the Night would soon lead Faelun Continent's Dark Alliance legion to the battlefield.
• Saine considered whether the Faceless One World and the Chris Civilization could be drawn into the Wizard Alliance with benefits.
• Saine judged that the Demon Emperor had withdrawn because the Evil Tide Civilization expected the Anubis Star Region to become a key offensive target.
• Bai Xing vowed to hold the Anubis Star Region, and the region's war pressure continued to grow as Saine prepared its defenses.

Saine received news that the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor had killed Ya Fugemeng, the Minghe Empire's Seventh Pharaoh King, and that the Wizard Civilization forces on the same battlefield might be trapped. Meanwhile, the newly Level-8 Shura Demon Emperor attacked the Augustus Star Territory, leaving Saine uncertain where he would be when the fighting ended.

• The Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor used the Time-Space Crystal Diamond to trap and kill Ya Fugemeng, and the Minghe Empire front line in his star region collapsed.
• Saine hoped Fire Phoenix Mourinho, Benjamin, and the other Wizard Civilization Dominators could lead their forces out of the fallen battlefield, aided by Minghe Empire fighters buying them time.
• Saine learned that the Shura Demon Emperor had reached Level 8 and was attacking the Augustus Star Territory.
• The Shura Demon Emperor became bogged down in the Augustus Star Territory's defenses, where Forest Elf Queen Keltuilan and the allied forces continued to resist.

Befu arranged for four Galente Federation God Crystals to be used against the advancing Evil Tide Civilization, giving two to the Minghe Empire while keeping two with Wizard Civilization’s forces. The chapter leaves Rogge and Woerta poised to carry out Befu’s plan to bring the remaining crystals to Minghe World and destroy it if the Evil Tide’s infection cannot be stopped.

• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor’s attacks and the Evil Tide’s advances caused two Minghe Empire starfield fronts to fall, worsening the empire’s morale and alarming Saine and Wizard Civilization’s leaders.
• Befu and other Wizard World leaders arranged for the Galente Federation to send four God Crystals to the battlefield.
• Befu ordered Woerta and Rogge to deliver two crystals to the Fourth Pharaoh King and the Minghe Emperor, while keeping the other two for themselves.
• Rogge recognized that Befu might want them to transport the remaining crystals to the Minghe Empire’s Mother Plane.
• Befu’s plan was to destroy Minghe World with the crystals if it could not be saved from the Evil Tide’s demonic infection.

Wizard Civilization and the Minghe Empire prepared for more battles against Evil Tide Civilization as the Anubis Star Region came under increasing pressure. The Bat-Winged Demon Emperor repeatedly ambushed Saine's allies, but its attack on Usotos backfired because of the Sea God's Thorns divine office.

• Befu warned Rogge that using the God Crystals in Minghe World could draw the attention of its guardians and damage the alliance, so Rogge put his crystals away and Woerta took the others.
• Saine moved Bai Xing and the Sea Folk Legion away from the Minghe Empire's front lines to avoid conflict with the Tenth Pharaoh King.
• Three Level-8 Evil Tide Demon Emperors appeared in the Anubis Star Region, and the Bat-Winged Demon Emperor began ambushing Wizard Civilization's forces.
• The Bat-Winged Demon Emperor wounded Dao Dali, Icarus, and Cuilisi before retreating into the Evil Tide Depths, while Saine restrained Dao Dali from pursuing it.
• The Bat-Winged Demon Emperor mistook Usotos for an easy target and attacked, but Usotos's Thorns divine office inflicted a hidden loss on it.

Saine and his allies endured the Anubis Star Region front by contracting their battle lines while hoping for reinforcements against the Evil Tide. The arrival of a powerful Space Frozen Crystal Curtain threatened the Minghe Empire front and left Tourmaline in immediate danger.

• Saine described the pressure of the unseen Bat-Winged Demon Emperor and explained that the Wizard Civilization and Minghe Empire had abandoned outer planes, extracting their Star Cores with Galente Federation assistance.
• Saine asked Bai Xing about Tourmaline, and Bai Xing said she might be with the Reverse Mutant near the Minghe Empire front.
• Bai Xing encouraged Saine by pointing to the possibility of Immortal Domain reinforcements and to her Uncle Chao Feng's efforts to rally surrounding civilizations.
• A tremendous surge of power appeared near the Minghe Empire front, and a Space Frozen Crystal Curtain rapidly spread toward the Wizard Civilization line.
• Saine realized Tourmaline was still in the path of the expanding curtain and flew toward the front as the Thunder God Fortress Group followed.

Saine chose to hold his position in the Anubis Star Region as Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor’s expanding Space Frozen Crystal Curtain trapped the battlefield. His resolve steadied the allied forces, and the Reverse Mutant waited tensely beside him rather than flee alone.

• Saine judged that he could still escape the expanding crystal domain but refused to abandon his family, legions, and comrades without orders to retreat.
• Saine flew toward the frontline, reassuring allied forces and prompting Icarus, Fumila, and other Dominators to converge on the Tenth Pharaoh King’s position.
• The Space Frozen Crystal Curtain swept over Saine and prevented him from tearing through space, even by burning his Dominator Omnipotent Soul.
• Tourmaline flew to Saine, and the Reverse Mutant joined them after escaping a Level-7 Evil Tide Dominator.
• The Reverse Mutant sensed she might escape before the curtain closed but stayed beside Saine, appearing to urge him to leave with her.

Saine joined the battle on the Minghe Empire front, where the Tenth Pharaoh King was surrounded by the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and four Level-8 Demon Emperors. After activating her Self-Sealing Technique and drawing on the Minghe Holy Book, the Tenth Pharaoh King stood ready to face all five foes.

• Saine soothed the Reverse Mutant and sent Tourmaline to the rear lines under escort.
• Saine and the Reverse Mutant agreed to fight together, while Icarus, Gongsun Wudi, and Gomora gathered at his side.
• Saine charged toward the Minghe Empire front as other allies remained tied down in their own battle zones.
• Saine found the Tenth Pharaoh King facing the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and four Level-8 Demon Emperors.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King unleashed her Self-Sealing Technique and Dominator Omnipotent Soul, reaching power that rivaled a Level-8 Peak powerhouse.

The Tenth Pharaoh King struggled to hold off the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and several Evil Tide Dominators until Saine arrived with Wizard Civilization reinforcements. Saine led his allies toward her, while Gomora and Gongsun Wudi intercepted Demon Emperors so the others could press on toward the central battlefield.

• The Tenth Pharaoh King stayed calm and refused to surrender as the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and four other Evil Tide Dominators trapped her.
• Saine and the Wizard Civilization Legion arrived, giving the besieged Minghe Empire forces renewed resolve.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King moved toward the Death Vortex at the center of the Anubis Star Region while continuing to defend herself with the Minghe Holy Book.
• Saine abandoned other battlefronts and led his Dominators toward the Tenth Pharaoh King, drawing Demon Emperors to intercept them.
• Gomora fought a Level-7 Mid-Stage Demon Emperor and used his mechanical tail to hold back another Demon Emperor.
• Saine sent Gongsun Wudi to fight a Level-7 Demon Emperor, then continued toward the central battlefield.

Saine and the Wizard Civilization Legion reinforced the Tenth Pharaoh King as Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor tried to contain them. Empowered by the Minghe Holy Book, the Tenth Pharaoh King created a powerful Rule Avatar and sent a distress signal through the frozen space barrier.

• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor watched Saine approach and considered capturing him alive for Zi You after dealing with the Tenth Pharaoh King.
• Saine advanced with the Thunder God Fortress Group, Icarus, and the Reverse Mutant, who engaged Evil Tide Civilization’s Demon Emperors.
• Saine fused with Icarus and fired a beam cannon at the Bat-Winged Demon Emperor, easing some of the pressure on the Tenth Pharaoh King.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King used the Minghe Holy Book to create a Rule Avatar with Level-8 Late-Stage power and sent it to attack the Black Star Demon Emperor.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King resisted Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and sent a death-rule distress signal through the frozen space barrier.

Saine struggled against the Plague Poison Demon Emperor and Bat-Winged Demon Emperor while the Tenth Pharaoh King faced other Level-8 foes, as Evil Tide forces overwhelmed the Minghe Empire’s defenses. Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor sealed the Anubis Star Region inside a crystal curtain, leaving Saine and the others trapped with no clear escape.

• Saine and Icarus were slowed and poisoned by the Plague Poison Demon Emperor, then badly damaged by the Bat-Winged Demon Emperor’s attack.
• Saine broke the Bat-Winged Demon Emperor’s net with powerful flames and used Destruction flames and Holy Light Power to counter the poison.
• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor’s Dusk Radiance Demon Emperor pressed the Tenth Pharaoh King while more Evil Tide Dominators gathered on the battlefield.
• Evil Tide forces broke through Minghe Empire defensive lines across the Anubis Star Region, leaving the Minghe and Wizard forces outnumbered.
• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor activated her Time-Space Crystal Diamond and enclosed the Anubis Star Region in a blue crystal curtain, trapping Saine and the others.

Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor trapped and battered the Tenth Pharaoh King while Saine and the Wizard Civilization forces retreated across the Anubis Star Region. The Tenth Pharaoh King drew the allied Dominators toward the Death Rule Vortex, and Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor began to suspect they intended to use it.

• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor struck the Tenth Pharaoh King through her death shield, forcing her to burn Dominator Omnipotent Soul before counterattacking with two Fingers of Death.
• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor judged the Tenth Pharaoh King troublesome and intensified her assault, wary that Wizard Civilization might send aid.
• Saine and the Wizard Civilization legions suffered heavy losses and retreated toward the center of the Anubis Star Region as Evil Tide Dominators pressed them.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King moved toward the Death Rule Vortex, and Saine and the other allied Dominators converged in the same direction.
• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and Dusk Radiance Demon Emperor noticed the movement and speculated that the Netherworld Empire intended to activate the Death Vortex.

Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor ordered the Evil Tide forces to intensify their assault, forcing Saine to take refuge inside the Thunder God Fortress Robot as the battle dragged on. By the third year of the fighting in the Anubis Star Region, Minghe Empire Pharaoh King Umonsito had become the first Dominator to fall, while Saine and the other defenders remained overwhelmed by the Purple Evil Tide.

• Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor ordered the Evil Tide Legion to attack across the Anubis Star Region and commanded Bat-Winged Demon Emperor and Plague Poison Demon Emperor to kill Saine quickly.
• Saine fought on the move as Bat-Winged Demon Emperor, Plague Poison Demon Emperor, and three other Level-7 Demon Emperors launched increasingly fierce attacks against him.
• The Thunder God Fortress Group reached Saine, who entered it as nearby Intelligent Robots, Decepticons, and Optimus Prime joined to form the Thunder God Fortress Robot.
• In the third year of the battle, the surrounded Minghe Empire Pharaoh King Umonsito failed to self-destruct and became the first Dominator to fall.
• Saine and the other defenders continued fighting as Evil Tide forces crowded the battlefield and the defenders felt increasingly helpless.

Saine and the Tenth Pharaoh King fought their way toward the Death Law Vortex as the Minghe Empire’s war potential ran out and no reinforcements were assured. At the vortex, the Tenth Pharaoh King summoned her Master and Senior Sister; her Senior Sister cut the connection, but the Death God answered, prompting her to cry for help.

• In the fifth year of the war, Saine contacted the Tenth Pharaoh King, who admitted that the Minghe Empire had no strength left to send reinforcements and hinted at an uncertain plan involving someone she could no longer reach.
• By the seventh year, Saine reunited with Bai Xing and part of the Ashes Group Army, sheltered them in the Thunder God Fortress Group, and mechanically combined Ancient Sea God Usotos with it to strengthen the defense.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King charged into the Death Law Vortex and used the Minghe Holy Book to activate its Rule Runes and summon her Master or Senior Sister.
• The Tenth Pharaoh King’s Senior Sister briefly responded but severed the connection to the Anubis Star Region, leaving her stunned.
• The Death God answered the Tenth Pharaoh King’s summons, and she shouted for her Master to save her.

The Tenth Pharaoh King contacted Death God and began summoning help while the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor and the Evil Tide Civilization attacked the Death Law Vortex. Saine’s allies rushed to reinforce the formation and accelerate the summoning as his group neared the battlefield’s center.

• The Tenth Pharaoh King used the Minghe Holy Book and the Death Law Runes to contact Death God, while the Mist and Haze Demon Ancestor attacked the vortex.
• The Evil Tide Civilization bombarded the vortex and sent lower-level forces to disrupt its runes, so the Tenth Pharaoh King ordered her allies to stop them and speed up the summoning.
• Saine sensed the nearby auras of Cuilisi, Fumila, and Dao Dali, but he could not find Alex, Nefka, or Jing Ning.
• Level 4 and above Pharaohs from the Minghe Empire entered the vortex to help its death summoning formation run faster.
• Wizard Civilization magicians and Saine’s allies, including Lina and Mei Kaili, joined the effort by working on the formation’s Rule Runes.