Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 603: Rune Sage I

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"How is that possible?" Alex questioned.

"I'm not completely sure about the precise workings," One Heaven confessed.

"The Heavenly Venerable came up with this right before the last clash with Gu Mo, after watching the Dragon Emperor employ Dragon Tongue for numerous mystic arts."

"The core cause seems linked directly to language."

"Language?" Alex repeated.

"Indeed," One Heaven affirmed with a nod.

As he stroked his beard, he pressed on,

"Spellcasting, for anyone gifted enough, boils down to communication—a special tongue to converse with the Universe and trigger certain events."

"Yet, not every method of communication—not every tongue... holds the same weight."

"The Universe reacts swifter—and fiercer—to certain ones over others."

"Depending on the caster’s level and providence?" Alex inquired.

"That too, certainly," One Heaven answered. "Though other elements factor in as well."

"The actual language employed makes a huge difference."

"Like I said before, the Heavenly Venerable developed this idea upon seeing the Dragon Emperor unleash mightier versions of the same spells via Dragon Tongue.

"He reasoned that Dragon Tongue holds far more value in the Universe's sight than our everyday Verdantian speech."

"Hold on..." Alex's gaze intensified. "You mean actual languages carry their own Providence as seen by the Universe?"

"The Heavenly Venerable believed so," One Heaven verified.

"He suggested a ranking among languages, set by their Providence levels."

"The loftier a language ranks in that order, the quicker and stronger the Universe answers spells or Mystic Arts spoken through it."

"From that insight, he outlined two main principles."

One Heaven held up two fingers.

"First—the Providence of any language stems from three aspects:

"The total count of people who've ever used it—its shared providence.

"How long it's endured—its age-based providence.

"Plus the count of mighty figures born from its speakers—its peak-tier providence."

"Second—every language, drawing from the Providence shared by its current speakers, wields something called Language Power."

"This Language Power dictates the drop in spell difficulty and the boost in casting speed, particularly for top-tier spells."

At these words, a flash of insight struck Alex.

’That explains Dragon Tongue's dominance,’ he thought to himself.

’Humans scatter their tongues across endless planes, but Dragon Tongue reigns as the sole one across the cosmos.’

’Dragons in one plane may pale in numbers to other races... yet across the universe, their hordes must be immense.’

’Moreover, Dragon Tongue dates back to the dragon race's origin—probably from the primordial dragon at creation's start.’

’Just its antiquity defies measurement.’

’And for powerhouses... dragons epitomize might across myriad planes.’

’Combined, those traits make Dragon Tongue's Language Providence crushingly superior.’

He lingered a moment, then pondered the next principle.

’Regarding Language Power...’

’True, nearly every dragon chants spells in Dragon Tongue, but their active numbers stay low—even universally.

’Especially against the vast ranks of human casters in human-led planes.’

’Their limited users grant Dragon Tongue immense Language Power, elevating its spellcasting superiority over rivals.’

’No surprise it's prized for advanced spells.’

A soft laugh resounded in his thoughts.

’What fortune... taking a dragon—no, an Ancient Dragon—as my teacher, and mastering Dragon Tongue along the way.’

"Lastly," One Heaven went on, "the Heavenly Venerable determined that for high-grade spells—demanding grander phenomena from the Universe—the best choice is a tongue brimming with Language Power."

"Through it, the language shoulders much of the spell's load for the caster."

His eyes turned to the scroll clutched in Alex’s grip.

"I share this so you grasp that the scroll's technique, to lessen dependence on Heaven and Earth's raw force, hinges on harnessing Language Power."

"The Heavenly Venerable discovered a forgotten tongue, spoken by scant few in our era, but ancient beyond measure," One Heaven elaborated.

"Its rarity actually proved a boon."

"That amplified its Language Power beyond most alternatives."

"Thus, this approach could theoretically craft any Mystic Art or casting method.

"Success in reality, however, hinges on various conditions—ones your present rank might not meet.

"Stick to tongues with superior Language Power to ease the strain... or skip this for overly intricate works."

Alex nodded, grasping the point.

One Heaven figured he'd just commit it to memory for future days.

About to stand for the closing rituals, he paused as Alex piped up.

"Can I try it right now?"

One Heaven's brow furrowed on reflex.

Yet, mindful of Alex's past triumphs, he wavered.

The young man wasn't purely impulsive—and he often pulled off miracles.

Restraining his scolding impulse, One Heaven merely nodded.

He wondered too what Mystic Art Alex aimed to forge.

Alex nodded back, rising from the pavilion.

He stepped into the wide garden and settled under the vast blue heavens.

Moments later, faint murmurs escaped his lips.

Shockingly to One Heaven, the tongue Alex uttered was utterly alien.

Not the common Verdantian speech.

Not the Pangean dialect from Alex’s companions.

And astonishingly, not Dragon Tongue—as One Heaven had anticipated.

’Does he command a tongue surpassing even Dragon Tongue?’ One Heaven pondered.

Still, he held his peace.

He observed silently.

Unbeknownst to him, Alex drew from neither Pangea nor Verdantis.

He invoked a tongue from his past existence.

English.

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