Power of Runes Chapter 414: Finally Completed (1)

"Still refining your energy?"

Ash pivoted at the query to find Eric strolling toward him. Freed from his usual monocle and the stiflingly formal attire he typically clung to, he had finally opted for casual clothing.

A short chuckle escaped Ash at the sight.

A vein throbbed on Eric’s temple, and he demanded in a prickly tone, "What’s so amusing?"

Ash shook his head, though the trace of mirth refused to leave his features.

"I just recalled that afternoon when Eva politely suggested you ditch the costume and act like a normal person. It was gold. You looked positively crushed, even though she wasn't even angry. Haha!!"

Ash laughed again as the memory of Eric’s bewildered expression played back in his mind.

Under that gaze, Eric’s cheeks flushed a deep, embarrassed crimson.

"You... You... You..."

Eric spluttered, finger jabbing at Ash, clearly struggling to articulate a retort as his frustration mounted.

Before he could mount a defense, a soft, genuine burst of laughter rippled through the Soul Space.

"...Hihi... hihi... you look so adorable when you’re worked up, little brother. I’d love a chance to pinch your cheeks someday... or maybe tease you too..."

At the sound of her voice, Ash’s grin softened, while Eric’s fury evaporated as if doused by cold water. He breathed a resigned sigh, finding it impossible to stay cross after hearing her lighthearted joy.

A moment later, however, a spark of resolve flickered in his eyes. He thudded a fist against his chest, fixing a determined gaze on the Soul Tree. "Don't fret, sister. I’ll find a way for you to manifest in the physical realm... I’ll definitely make it happen."

"Fear not, brother. I believe in you."

Her small, projection appeared before them, resembling a ten-year-old child with iridescent hair, sparkling prismatic eyes, and three petite horns peeking from her brow. Her tiny, ethereal form was strikingly cute, and she echoed Eric’s earlier stance, hands on her hips with a dramatic, imitation confidence.

The playful mimicry warmed the air, making it seem as though those long centuries in the Soul Space had truly forged a bond of family between them.

Observing their natural camaraderie, Ash inquired, "Well then, what brings you here? You rarely visit unless something is amiss or there is a task at hand. What is it this time?"

"Don't make it sound like I'm a harbinger of doom, tsk. Anyway, I wanted to know when we’re finally vacating this place? When will your body be fully restored? I don’t intend to spend my eternity trapped inside your soul, you know. Even for us Unicorns, life isn't endless. So, when are we leaving?"

This time, Eva remained silent. She, too, burned with the desire to escape this void and experience the wider world, having been far too young to see it before tragedy struck her family.

Ash closed his eyes, lingering in silence for several heartbeats, as if grasping for sensations far beyond the confines of the Soul Space, before snapping them open.

"We shall depart quite soon. I can feel it. My body is responding; I can even twitch my fingers now. I suspect we won't be lingering much longer."

Eric’s eyes rounded at the revelation.

For a fleeting second, he stood frozen, as if his mind couldn't reconcile the news, but as the implications settled in, a wave of sheer electricity surged across his face.

"You’re... you’re serious?"

His voice rippled with a mixture of hope and skepticism as he stepped closer, locking eyes with Ash, desperate to confirm if it were reality or another pipe dream.

Ash nodded steadily.

Eric’s demeanor shifted at once.

Hesitation dissolved into pure fervor, and his tail flicked behind him, brimming with a manic energy he usually labored to conceal.

"So that means... we’re finally getting out?"

His voice rose, thick with anticipation he could no longer mask.

For hundreds of years, he had endured the silent, blank span of the Soul Space, waiting for this very junction.

While time moved differently here and he had not aged as he would have in the mortal realm, the crushing weight of confinement within another’s soul had taken its toll.

With the finish line in sight, his restlessness reached a boiling point.

Eric started pacing, blurting out, "Do you even grasp how long I’ve waited to see the sky again? I swear, the second we step out, I’m running to the horizon just to stretch my legs properly!"

Ash watched him with a thin, patient smile.

"I want to see the peaks again... the forests... and real rivers instead of this eternal dark void. Sunlight... can you imagine how long it’s been since I’ve touched sunlight?"

Eric paused, casting a look up toward the Soul Tree.

"Sister... did you hear? We’re finally leaving."

A brief silence hung in the space before Eva’s soft voice resonated.

"I heard..."

There was a gentle warmth in her tone that had been missing for ages.

"It appears our long wait is finally drawing to a close."

Eric flashed a brilliant grin and turned back to Ash. "Then quit dawdling and finish waking up! I’m sick of living in your soul!"

Ash gave a slight, wry chuckle.

"Trust me... I’m doing my best."

After their conversation, Ash drifted away, settling into his chair within the Soul Library. His gaze fell upon the list drafted at the start of his long vigil.

[To-Do List]

- Comprehending the Runes.

- Creating a Weapon Art.

- Creating a Movement Art.

- Mastering Alchemy.

- Mastering Smithing.

The 1,500 years dedicated to Eva weren't solely about her awakening; they were also a hidden tribute to Solareth and Lumielle, though he would never openly admit to it. If pressed, he would simply claim he was merely optimizing his own assistant system.

The final century was devoted entirely to his combat arts. He didn't limit himself to the pole blade; he transformed Eclipse into firearms for attrition and practiced with the sword, finding comfort in the weapon he had handled for generations.

Ash pressed his palms to his face as that familiar thought crossed his mind.

Since he had integrated the massive Runic formation—a structure now the size of a carriage, orbiting his Spirit Devouring Crystal like a moon—every sequence functioned with absolute, mechanistic precision, cycling energy in a perfect, endless loop.

Because of this, Eva was privy to almost every flicker of his intent within the Soul Space. There were things he could no longer speak of aloud.

Yet, there remained one sanctuary beyond her reach: the deep, shadow-drenched expanse where he had first grappled with the raw essence of the Runes. There was also a partitioned layer of his mind, reserved for his highest Runic insights, which Eva could not penetrate without his explicit consent.

He could have locked her out entirely, imposing ironclad restrictions. But he chose not to.

He refused to let her exist as a prisoner in a cage of his own making. Everything within his reach was open to her. After all these centuries of shared existence, he had come to trust her implicitly.

She was far too innocent for deceit.

As he pondered this, the image of Elysia specter-like, flickered across his thoughts.

Ash shook it away with force. It wasn’t the first time she had intruded upon his focus, but the innocence of Eva always seemed to summon her memory.

"Sigh... not again..."

He remained baffled as to why. As his body edged toward completion, and as he watched the pure nature of Eva, Elysia seemed to resurface with increasing frequency—a distraction that never quite caught hold, but always lingered at the edges of his concentration.

Pushing the intrusive thoughts into the void, he focused on his Status screen instead. As his flesh became whole, various abilities were unlocked, their seals shattering one by one.

Time blurred as he browsed his own power. Almost without noticing, another year bled away. By this day, having spent roughly 6,858 years within the space—some four years and nine months in the mortal world—the shift finally arrived.

He was idling in his rocking chair, beneath the calming halo of the Soul Tree, when suddenly, his eyes snapped clear.

An ancient, crushing pressure, vast as the cosmos, filled the room. The surrounding energy recoiled, the very architecture of the Soul Space trembling as if hit by a seismic event. Through it all, the Soul Tree remained an unmoved mountain.

"Brother Ash, your spirit is fluctuating..." Eva’s voice, spiked with panic, echoed through the chamber as she materialized. Eric was close behind, on edge.

"What is happening? Didn't you say this space was undetectable? Is someone attacking us?"

Eric scanned the void, armor rippling into existence on his skin, ready for battle. Yet, the chaos was self-inflicted.

Ash offered a calm grin. "Stand down. My body is almost finished. My soul and physical shell are syncing at last. Don't be afraid; it will resolve shortly."

Unfortunately, that 'shortly' stretched into a full week of internal turmoil.

For seven days, an invisible tide of pressure ebbed and flowed through the soul, making the ambient energy roar. Eva and Eric could only watch, tethered by their inability to aid the synchronization.

When the heavy burden finally broke, the peace returned in a rush.

In that threshold, Ash’s form began to fray and shimmer, his presence wicking away as if pulled by an irresistible magnet from the world outside.

Before he vanished, he threw one last look at his companions.

"Do not fret. I’ll be back for you soon."

With those words, Ash faded entirely from the Soul Space.