Moreover, the eighteen runes ultimately chosen had not been deciphered from a single god's divine core. They came from countless gods of different domains, ranks, and types, as well as numerous divine creatures, both born divine and elevated to divinity later. The wizards had identified what those different divine cores shared, then used their envisioned path of the Faith Wizard as a blueprint, selecting what suited their needs or directly reshaping it to their satisfaction. Finally, they had rendered it all into runes, settling on these eighteen peculiar symbols.
They had simplified it in one stroke into something even Wizard Apprentices could use, allowing apprentices to follow the path of the Faith Wizard from the very beginning.
As Ruger read the notes, he could already imagine how many fascinating stories those eighteen runes had sparked-some great, some small, some earthshaking, and others utterly silent.
Of course, the gods might not have found them quite so fascinating.
Most of the wizards who had contributed, those pioneers of the path, were probably no longer in this world, even the powerful ones. The river of time could wash away every trace, but these runes remained, passed down through the generations. They embodied their effort, their painstaking work and wisdom, and bore witness to their power.
Ruger glanced at the darkness outside the window.
Tonight, he would savor the fruits of his predecessors' wisdom.
"Master, merciful master, mighty master, master who never fails, I'm ready! I, Stray Hair One, am the bravest!"
Stray Hair One tried hard to straighten himself, but the straighter he stood, the more obvious his trembling became.
Ruger smiled and pointed a finger.
With a ripple of spell energy, Stray Hair One let out a shriek.
"Aah-!"
Stray Hair One screamed and went limp.
The way he trembled made it