Chapter 197: Old Friends

  Within the upper floors of the Stone Tower, a polished stone hallway stretched ahead, lit by faint lanterns embedded in the walls.

  Their soft glow shimmered against the polished floors, throwing long shadows that danced with every step.

  Isabella and Ronald walked side by side, their footsteps muffled against the smooth stone.

  Isabella stood slightly taller, her black robe crisp and formal, some of her crystal accessories catching the light.

  A single crystal scale gleamed against her cheek—a mark of her lineage—and her jaw was set tight. Her gaze was fixed ahead, focused, and a little tense.

  Ronald, by contrast, carried himself with casual ease. His round glasses caught the lantern light, flashing now and then as he turned his head to speak.

  Draped across his back was an odd cape, slick and glossy like the skin of some deep-sea creature—a manta ray, if one looked closely.

  The cape shimmered faintly with a turquoise aura, the power thrumming from it almost alive, the air around him subtly charged.

  "I'll need some time to digest the rune properly," Ronald said, his voice light but edged with excitement. "The trials were... intense. Harder than I expected. But it was worth it. Beneath the lake, there was a corpse—ancient, massive. I don't even know what it was. But its power... it pushed me to Rank Two."

  Isabella nodded, offering a small, thoughtful smile.

  "I'm happy for you. Truly. You’re fortunate to have found something so pure. Most rune sources these days... they're anything but clean."

  She exhaled lightly. "I just hope the materials and research I traded for will help me track down traces of crystal or serpentine runes. Though..." she paused, lowering her voice, "there are rumors. They say the Towers uncovered a vault recently. Something tied to ground and earth runes, pulled from the Catastrophe’s aftermath."

  Ronald shifted his stance slightly, the manta-skin cape on his back rippling like a living thing. The faint turquoise aura around him pulsed once, almost as if reacting to the topic. "I heard the same," he said, voice quieter now. "A hidden trove—sealed under the old ley-lines. Some claim the ruins were saturated with entity fragments... runes older than anything we've studied before."

  He pushed up his glasses, his expression darkening. "They’re saying that's how Apostle IronKnight secured his third rune. He was given one by the tower for his service and in exchange for massive amounts of contribution points."

  Isabella’s eyes sharpened. "You think it’s dangerous?"

  Ronald gave a small, humorless laugh. "When is it not?"

  He glanced sideways down the hallway before adding, "The more power you absorb, the closer you walk toward the entity behind it. Our families warned us—there’s no such thing as a 'pure' rune. Only fragments waiting to claim you if you're careless."

  Isabella was silent for a moment, absorbing that. Her fingers brushed the crystal scale on her cheek, a small unconscious gesture.

  "Even so," she said finally, voice steady, "if there’s a chance... if the Towers truly have unearthed something, I need to see it for myself. Especially if it helps me ascend."

  They walked in silence for a few paces, the air between them heavy with unspoken thoughts.

  Eventually, Ronald glanced sideways at her, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  "Your family... aligning with Bask. That surprised me."

  Isabella’s mouth twitched—a movement caught somewhere between a grimace and a smirk. "My grandmother’s skeptical. She doesn’t trust easily. But... she’s curious. She wants to see where Bask’s ambitions lead."

  Ronald chuckled, though there wasn’t much humor in it. "Same with mine. It's a gamble. And Nando... he would've had something sarcastic to say about all of this since the biggest surprise of all was his family also aligning with Bask."

  At the mention of Nando, both of them slowed slightly, the mood shifting. The hallway seemed to grow colder. The light dimmer.

  Nando. Missing for weeks now. No word. No trace.

  Silence stretched between them, a silence heavy with worry and guilt.

  Then, movement at the far end of the corridor.

  A figure approached, walking steadily from the opposite direction—tall, confident, a familiar presence even at a distance.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Isabella’s eyes narrowed. Ronald adjusted his glasses, his body tensing slightly despite himself.

  It was Abel.

  And judging by his expression, calm, unreadable

  Abel slowed as he approached, offering a slight nod, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It’s been a while," he said.

  Isabella crossed her arms, studying him. Ronald pushed his glasses up, blinking as if to make sure he was seeing right.

  "You...you’re different," Ronald said carefully, his gaze flicking to the faint shimmer of power around Abel.

  Isabella stepped closer, frowning slightly. "Wait. Your aura... Abel, what rank are you now?"

  Abel shrugged, almost sheepish. "Rank Three."

  Both Isabella and Ronald stared at him like he had grown a second head.

  "You’re kidding," Ronald said, voice flat. "Rank Three? Already?"

  Isabella shook her head, a grin breaking across her usually calm face. "That’s insane. I thought Ronald was fast, but you..."

  Abel scratched the back of his neck. "Got lucky. Some brutal trials over the past year. Could’ve gone a lot worse."

  "Lucky?" Ronald huffed, laughing under his breath. "If this is luck, I must be cursed."

  Isabella shook her head, “If you are cursed… I'm screwed…”

  The tension melted away, replaced by the comfortable energy of old friends reconnecting. They leaned in closer as the conversation naturally shifted.

  "Honestly," Ronald said, "it's been a rough year for everyone. You’re not alone. I had to fight my way through an army of... crabs." He paused, grimacing at the memory. "Giant crabs. Some the size of wagons. And afterward, I stumbled into an ancient spirit. It gave me a rune...and it's been guiding me ever since."

  Abel raised an eyebrow. "Guiding you? How?"

  Ronald waved a hand. "Long story. I’ll explain later. But trust me—it’s weird. Helpful, but weird."

  Isabella laughed softly. "Sounds about right for you."

  She sobered after a moment, her gaze distant. "As for me... I crossed paths with a bandit group. They were enslaving people. Smuggling them through a network of underground tunnels. I—" she hesitated, "—I didn’t save all of them. But I broke their operation."

  Abel’s expression hardened, respect flashing in his eyes. "Good. The ones you saved, and prevented from falling into that life—that’s what matters."

  Ronald nodded firmly. "Damn right."

  Abel exhaled slowly, hands slipping into his pockets. "I ran into flowery beasts. Looked like something from a coral reef. They weren't just pretty—they were vicious. Later, hellhounds, too. Packs of them. Burned away a whole village and most of its residents."

  "Speaking of hellhounds," Ronald said, snapping his fingers, "Sena’s gotten massive. You wouldn’t believe it. He's still technically Rank One, but strength-wise? He's closing in on Rank Two already."

  "I can't wait to see him again," Isabella said, smiling genuinely. "It'll be good to dive into rune research together with you all once my family and Ronald’s finish settling their alignments with Bask."

  They all nodded slightly, a brief understanding passing between them.

  Change was sweeping across their world. Alignments, politics, and power plays. Nothing was staying still for long.

  "Nando’s family aligned, too," Ronald said, quieter now.

  "But..." He trailed off.

  "Nando himself..." Isabella said, voice barely above a whisper.

  Abel’s smile faded.

  Silence again, heavier this time.

  "He’s resilient," Ronald said finally, almost like he was reminding himself. "

  "We should catch up properly," Ronald said, pushing his glasses up again. "Come to my room later. We can sit down, trade some real stories."

  Isabella nodded. "Agreed. It's been too long since we actually talked without chaos breathing down our necks."

  Abel gave a small, easy grin. "Sounds good. I’ll meet you there."

  They split off at the next hallway junction, the cool stone corridors swallowing their footsteps.

  As Abel turned, something caught his eye—Ronald’s strange robe. It shimmered subtly, the faint turquoise glow pulsing almost like a heartbeat.

  It wasn’t just a robe. Abel could feel it now—something alive about it. A slow, steady vitality that brushed against his senses, like a creature breathing just beneath the surface.

  He made a mental note to ask Ronald about it later.

  But for now, he had other plans.

  Abel adjusted the strap of his pack and moved deeper into the tower, weaving through other Apostles.

  A few Rank Ones passed him—some nodding politely, most too caught up in their own paths to notice him. He didn't recognize them.

  The Stone Tower's upper floors buzzed with quiet energy—scholars, warriors, experimenters—all pushing themselves toward their next breakthrough.

  Abel reached a wide metal door marked with an intricate rune and pressed his hand against the seal.

  The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing his personal lab.

  Inside, the space was cool and sharply organized.

  Racks of tools lined the walls—chisels, small rune burners, containers of preserved materials.

  Without hesitation, Abel crossed the room and began gathering a set of tools, wrapping them carefully in cloth and placing them into his Bag of Holding.

  He was already thinking ahead. The Flower Realm. If he could establish a stable lab there, it would open up new possibilities. He needed to be ready.

  Once he felt satisfied with all of the equipment he had gathered, Abel turned and approached the far wall: the Wall of Scrolls.

  The stone surface was massive, etched with shifting glyphs that shimmered and re-formed constantly.

  Abel reached out and placed his palm against it. The glyphs flickered, sensing his presence, and a warm surge of information flowed up his arm.

  He closed his eyes, focusing. He would spend some time here, absorbing what he could.

  Then, he planned to head toward the Grand Arcane Library—the ancient repository where rare scrolls, lost arts, and forgotten knowledge were stored, accessible only through Contribution Points.

  Abel's path was clear.