Power of Runes Chapter 537: River of Time (1)

"That’s a lot to take in. The Rune of Fate... something like that actually exists? I feel like I know where the source of all my bad luck and these shitty encounters originated from, and he even has such a high comprehension of it. Damn it."

Ash was frustrated, but despite the frustration, his mind was becoming even calmer and more precise, because the more tension and stress he experienced, the harder his mind worked to find something, anything, that could become a solution.

"Give me some good news, and tell me how much comprehension he has reached."

Ash asked with a piercing stare, although he was staring at nothing but the endless White Void, making the scene rather amusing to anyone who happened to witness it.

"We don’t have an accurate value, but from what we can perceive, it appears to be around 80%."

The Rune of Stability answered his question.

"Bravo! Such good news. I am absolutely delighted."

Ash’s voice was filled with such exaggerated sincerity that it almost sounded like he was congratulating them while clapping.

The Runes remained silent after hearing his curse, because they understood that Ash was merely venting some of the stress that had been building inside him.

"That was satisfying... hah."

Ash released another breath before continuing.

"Basically... I’m fucked, aren’t I?"

"You are correct," the Rune of Time replied without hesitation, before adding in an almost cheerful tone, "You are indeed fucked, and quite royally at that. Congratulations! That’s exactly why you have no choice but to run across the River of Time. It should be an interesting show to watch."

"No shit, Sherlock. I understand what you’re saying, but can you be generous enough to tell me how that is actually going to help me? Even if I run, how long am I supposed to keep running? I can’t exactly run forever."

Ash’s words came out in a rapid, unfiltered stream, as though his brain had started processing possibilities faster than his mouth could properly organize them.

"You are right. You cannot run forever, and that is not the purpose of sending you across the different timelines in the first place."

The Rune of Time continued explaining.

"The reason you are being sent into different timelines is so that you can search for the objects containing traces of the other Runes. Same objects that you have been using to make a connection with us. As long as you can find those objects in the past or future and establish a connection with us through them, that connection will remain even after you eventually return to the present."

"We can maintain separate connections with different beings throughout the Past, the Present, and even possible Futures, but there is one thing you must remember: only one connection with a particular Rune can exist at any single point in Time or History."

"For example, if you travel into the past and someone already has a connection with, let’s say, the Rune of Life during that period, then the connection belonging to that person will disappear once you arrive at that timeline, because we are biased and are standing on your side."

Ash remained silent as he listened, carefully processing the implications.

"There is another thing you need to remember. Whatever you do in the past will inevitably affect the present and, in some cases, even the future. However, considering that you are already an Anomaly whose existence has been affecting the flow of events, your presence alone is enough to create changes that should never have existed in the original Timeline."

"So whether you deliberately change something or merely exist there and cause a deviation, the result will still carry consequences. That does not mean your actions are without a price, though. Everything has a cost, and the changes you create in the past will have their own consequences, so you must keep that in mind."

Ash remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

"I have a question. From what I know, my entire body was made up of the Runes. Speaking of my body, I suddenly remembered my Trait. Who gave me that Trait, and why?"

He paused for a moment before returning to what he had originally wanted to ask.

"And coming back to my question, if my body is already made up of the Runes and I already contain traces of your powers, then why do we need to go through all of this just to establish a connection? What’s the point? And even if I do collect most of you, or even all of you, how will that actually change anything?"

The White Space became quiet for a moment before the Rune of Knowledge finally answered.

"Sigh... there are some things that cannot be told to you yet, and you have no choice but to trust us. As for your Trait, let’s talk about it some other time, because it is not important to your current situation."

The Rune of Knowledge paused before continuing.

"Your body contains the power of the Runes that are already connected to you, but the Runes that have not established a connection still require a trace of their power to act as a medium. You also cannot simply search for those traces within your current Timeline, because an Executioner will be coming to execute you."

"As for what collecting the Runes will actually do for you, and how it will change your situation, all I can tell you is this: trust us, Ash... just as you always have."

Ash chuckled softly as he shook his head.

"Trust? That’s a hard thing."

His voice was calm, but there was a clear edge beneath it.

"I trust no one, so how exactly am I supposed to trust you? To be honest, I feel betrayed. There was such a shocking secret hidden behind everything, and all this time, I thought I had a Rune of my own, that I had actually obtained something that belonged to me. Something that I can truly call my own."

His expression gradually became more complicated as he continued.

"But now... I’m learning that I have nothing more than a connection with it."

Ash fell silent for a moment before finally saying what had been weighing on his mind.

"So I can’t trust you guys. Not anymore."

***