Power of Runes Chapter 434: Fated Encounter

{So, what’s the plan? What are we gonna do next...?}

In her projection form, Eva drifted around Ash, circling him leisurely as though attempting to glimpse his innermost thoughts from every angle, her gaze locked onto him with evident curiosity.

Yet Eva remained unconvinced by his statement.

{Just admit you have no clue about it, why complicate things? Own up that even the mighty Ash occasionally lacks ideas; it won't shatter your pride or anything... unless it's truly that delicate.}

A slight vein throbbed on Ash’s forehead at those words, his composed facade fracturing ever so slightly.

{Hey!!! I heard that. How dare you think of striking my flawless face...? Do you realize how exceptional this perfection is?}

{Tsk, keep blabbing like that and you'll stay single forever—no woman will put up with such drivel. Meanie Ash!!!}

Ash halted his steps momentarily upon hearing her remark, pausing as if her words had struck a chord deep within, though he resumed walking the very next instant like nothing occurred.

As he passed by Eva, Ash replied in a serene and casual voice, cradling the slumbering Snow securely in his arms with gentle, measured motions to avoid rousing her, heading toward his room adjacent to the common area.

Meanwhile, Eva hovered motionless in place, her motion halting entirely while she mulled over his recent words, her typical mischievous look dimming a bit as those statements echoed in her thoughts far longer than anticipated.

A subtle flush gradually colored her cheeks, her eyes darting aside without cause, as though she abruptly forgot where to direct her gaze.

{Big fat dummy!!!}

With her cheeks still rosy, Eva whispered to herself, and moments later, her projection vanished soundlessly, enveloping the area in a gentle quietude that carried a subtly altered nuance.

Meanwhile, Ash stepped into his room—a straightforward setup exuding a warm coziness, featuring a spacious bed positioned squarely in the middle, a desk off to one side, a bathroom tucked in the corner, and soft lighting bathing the space mildly without glaring, complemented by a lone rocking chair in the corner that lent a touch of serene tranquility. A closet and assorted essentials rounded out the adequately comfortable quarters.

No windows graced the room, since it resided in the extended internal space, fully isolated from the external realm.

Having tenderly laid Snow on the bed and tucked her under a cover to ensure her peace, Ash headed for the bathroom, planning a quick rinse to refresh his mind briefly.

Yet after only a few steps, he abruptly froze.

His head whipped toward the shop entrance, his tranquil features nearly shattering for an instant before he swiftly regained control the following moment, erasing every hint of that response from his face.

Ash rejected the notion of mere coincidence, particularly one where the exact individual on his mind mere seconds prior showed up unannounced at his doorstep—in this world, such events seldom occurred sans purpose.

In the blink of an eye, his form vanished from the room and rematerialized behind the shop counter, lounging casually as though stationed there all along. With Eric absent and Eva unable to manifest before strangers, handling this fell solely to him.

That realization surfaced effortlessly, trailed by another of equal weight.

-Ding!!!

A gentle, harmonious chime resonated across the shop as the door swung open, the overhead bell tinkling softly and delightfully.

Right then, Elizabeth—the personal disciple of an Eternal Supreme—entered, her mere arrival transforming the shop's vibe entirely as she stood before Ash in all her splendor.

[Elizabeth’s POV]

Upon entering, the bell's faint peal behind her receded into the distance, and Elizabeth scanned the shop leisurely, absorbing details of its interior.

Initially, nothing struck her as extraordinary; it wasn't vast, nor did it exude an oppressive aura that weighed on visitors instantly, but a subtle harmony prevailed in every detail—from item placements to the ambient feel—suggesting deliberate curation rather than haphazardness.

That initial view, however, quickly shifted.

Her attention lingered on several outfits arranged tidily along a wall, her face subtly altering for a second, for those patterns dismissed as mere ornamentation by most were far from commonplace.

They were runes.

These runes had been etched into the fabric so precisely and subtly that they seamlessly integrated with the pattern, rendering them nearly undetectable without the insight to peer beyond the obvious, and comprehending their function was a whole other challenge even if spotted.

Elizabeth, however, wasn't the type to miss such details.

The instant her gaze fixed on them, she instantly identified what they were without trouble, and crucially, she sensed these weren't haphazard markings but deliberate creations born of true knowledge, sparking her intrigue steadily yet silently.

Her eyes dwelled on them a bit longer, as though delving deeper into their secrets, before shifting her focus onward into the shop's interior.

That's when her sight landed on the central counter.

And that's where he came into view.

A young man lounged back leisurely, utterly relaxed with his legs propped up on the counter, a book draped over his face like he cared nothing for the world around him, exuding vibes of supreme nonchalance or total detachment from external affairs.

From all apparent views, he seemed utterly mundane.

No aura radiated from him visibly.

No oppressive presence emanated.

Nothing about him sparked wariness or vigilance in others.

Yet when Elizabeth sharpened her perception and truly honed in on him, an inexplicable shift occurred beyond ordinary explanation.

Her Soul Flame stirred faintly of its own accord, a reaction she didn't dismiss, and via that link, she detected something imperceptible to everyone else.

The individual before her had surpassed the bounds of Will Power.

Not entirely, not wholly, but sufficiently to breach a barrier most never neared in a lifetime.

He had advanced halfway into Transcendence.

He teetered precisely on that brink, no longer mere mortal but not yet ascended to higher realms.

All he needed was direction, true insight into igniting the Soul Flame, for only post-awakening could Will Power expand further.

Lacking that spark, progress halted there regardless of toil or trials.

Though it wouldn't grow more, the Will would solidify immensely, gaining resilience far beyond the norm, a hidden strength.

But the base would strengthen profoundly.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed faintly as she kept observing the youth, her fascination growing moment by moment while pondering what sort of figure could attain this level yet recline so indifferently.

While the Rune of Concealment was renowned for its potency in thwarting most probes, it wasn't flawless until Ash mastered it fully at 100% comprehension, since such techniques always had boundaries, particularly against forces defying convention.

Will Power counted among those.

It couldn't be readily concealed or fully quashed, as it wasn't mere external power to cloak but a profound existential essence that unveiled itself to peers at comparable pinnacles.

Indeed, runes' influences could even be overridden briefly via Will Power, proving that concealment alone fell short against perceivers who pierced such veils.

***

A/N: Just to remind you guys, in case you forgot, Ash was already able to suppress the healing effect of the Rune of Life for a short period of time using nothing but his Will Power.