Chapter 26: Runes Complete, Advancement

Three gaunt, elongated monsters, encircled by icy blades, charged toward Zhou Yan.

To tell the truth, a certain sense of pressure gripped him.

He followed his instincts and turned to flee on the spot.

In just a few strides, he dashed back through the doorway he had just entered.

Behind him, the three Iceblade Fiends hurried after him on their spindly legs. One of them, a little faster than its companions, outpaced the others by several meters and lunged through the door.

The next instant, a crimson-glowing bat swung toward it!

Like its predecessors, which had fallen one by one, it instinctively raised its icy blade to parry.

Then—blade shattered, head flew.

[Killed "Iceblade Fiend," gained 73 Spirit]

[You have obtained "Rune Factor: Acuity"]

Zhou Yan felled one Iceblade Fiend in a split second, pausing not at all; his ankle flexed, and his body flickered a meter to the side as if shrinking the distance.

In the next instant, another Iceblade Fiend, close behind, whirled past like a spinning top!

Its shoulders, elbows, and knees were all constructed with icy blades, enabling it to launch simultaneous slashes from above, middle, and below as it spun after a charge.

A single misstep would see one sliced into quarters.

Zhou Yan dodged the initial strike but failed to seize the chance to counterattack.

For the third Iceblade Fiend immediately swept in after him!

The two monsters advanced and retreated in tandem, one pressing while the other paused, forming a surprisingly effective joint assault in a brief moment. Zhou Yan found himself forced into a desperate dodge beneath those gleaming blades.

His mind raced as he considered countermeasures while swiftly darting about the corridor of the entrance hall.

Yet, before he could devise a plan, his foes collided with each other.

One Iceblade Fiend’s shoulder blade even pierced its companion’s chest.

So, they weren't coordinating at all.

They were simply both so frenzied to attack Zhou Yan that it only looked like perfect teamwork.

Zhou Yan seized the opportunity at once, sprang forward with a swift toe-pivot, and readied his stance for a home run mid-charge.

Crimson light erupted from the bat like flames.

Die!

Ultra Home Run!

A brutal, explosive swing instantly smashed the two colliding Iceblade Fiends into four pieces!

[Killed "Iceblade Fiend" x2, gained 144 Spirit]

[You have obtained "Rune Factor: Spirit"]

Zhou Yan finished the two demons off, ensuring their deaths, and smiled at the sight of another rune factor reward.

He glanced toward the main hall door where the Iceblade Fiends had emerged earlier, hesitated, and decided not to enter immediately. Instead, he retreated outside for now.

He would recover his endurance—and take this time to fill up his rune slots!

He returned to the small courtyard where he had slain the bailiffs.

Looking at his newly acquired rune factors, Zhou Yan immediately chose to attach them.

The two rune factors transformed into beams of colored light and were instantly absorbed by his Fategear.

Immediately, several new messages flashed before his eyes.

[Runes: 10/10]

[Advancement requirements for Fategear met]

[Advancement begins]

In the next second, his entire Fategear was enveloped in a strange, luminous glow.

Intricate runes and glowing lines appeared across its surface.

The light grew ever brighter, then, after several breaths, was completely absorbed into his Fategear.

A surge of power, noticeably stronger, flooded Zhou Yan’s entire body!

Before he could savor the sensation, a succession of notifications scrolled across his vision.

[Advancement complete]

[Runes fully absorbed]

[Rune bonuses (including rune circuit effects) have been solidified as inherent Fategear attributes]

[Fategear attribute bonuses increased: Physique +5, Acuity +5, Spirit +5]

[Fategear maximum endurance increased: +50]

[Your Fategear’s form has undergone minor changes]

Zhou Yan’s eyes shone bright!

So, filling all the rune slots triggers Fategear advancement, enhancing its stats!

He hurriedly pulled up his Fategear’s status panel.

[Fategear: Basic Reinforcement Suit]

[Rating: 0 Star, Tier 1]

[Class: None]

[Damage Absorption: 50%]

[Attribute Bonuses: Physique +12, Acuity +13, Spirit +9]

[Path: Continuity—Recovers Fategear endurance over time according to its star rating and tier; recovery rate is doubled outside combat (current base recovery rate 10/sec)]

[Runes: 0/10]

[Rune Circuit—Active (1)]

[Endurance: 210/250 (recovery rate 12/sec)]

[Note: Fategear attribute bonuses apply even when not equipped, but only at 20% effectiveness, and endurance consumption is likewise reduced to 20%]

*

After reviewing his Fategear’s attributes, Zhou Yan quickly compared them to recall the changes.

In short, upon “advancement,” the Fategear not only absorbed all attached runes as its own power, but also further boosted its core attributes.

Physique, Acuity, and Spirit—each basic stat had increased by five points.

That was equivalent to the effect of fifteen basic rune factors!

Moreover, the “Path” ability had also doubled its recovery rate thanks to the tier upgrade.

Most importantly, after the advancement, the once-full “rune slots” had emptied out again, ready to receive ten more.

This meant he could continue collecting new runes to further strengthen his Fategear!

And once he filled them again, he could advance his Fategear once more?

Incredible!

Zhou Yan’s face lit up with growing excitement.

“I wonder how many times this Fategear can be advanced...”

He muttered to himself, eyes unconsciously drawn to the “rating” entry.

Zero Star, Tier One...

If he followed conventional logic, “Zero Star” must refer to a higher level of advancement, right?

So how many “tiers” must his Fategear ascend before increasing that “star” count?

And what kind of enhancements would come with a higher star rating?

Everything was uncertain, yet brimming with anticipation.

All Zhou Yan felt now was a burning passion.

Slay monsters, complete quests, and then—grow stronger, ever stronger!

Nothing can stop me from becoming more powerful!

He closed his personal panel, composed himself, and immediately continued his quest.

Then, he noticed another change.

“When did this happen...”

He reached up and touched his face, discovering that the lower half—mouth and nose included—was now completely covered by that black, gelatinous substance, masking his features like a visor.

Yet, though his mouth and nose were blocked by the material, his breathing seemed entirely unaffected.

In fact, the air he inhaled seemed even purer, as if filtered.

He remembered clearly that, prior to this, his face had not sported such a mask.

Then Zhou Yan recalled the earlier notification and hurried to check his logs for confirmation.

[Your Fategear’s form has undergone minor changes]

That was it, no mistake.

Zhou Yan paused, gradually understanding this “change”—it referred to his mask.

He hadn’t expected this aspect of the Fategear’s evolution to be seamlessly integrated into his merged form.

So, if he kept advancing, would his Fategear’s form become ever more complete?

Zhou Yan pulled his thoughts back to the present—there was no need to dwell on distant possibilities.

First, he had to complete this task.

***