Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 855: Universal Ascension Method

CH855 Universal Ascension Method

***

Eleanore didn’t immediately answer. She seemed to consider it for a few good seconds.

Eventually, she said, "First and foremost, we do not have the method the Heavenly Venerable used. In addition, whatever method he used, I would bet it was a sorcery method, which would explain why he didn’t bother giving it to you."

Alex nodded in agreement.

"Then, in that case, it will most likely not work," Eleanore concluded.

Alex frowned. He certainly didn’t like the answer.

Eleanore saw this, so she added, "Alex, think about it holistically. Take a step back and look at it from a wider point of view.

"Generally, every world has its own unique method of ascension. While every method indeed converges at Class 5, which requires comprehension of concepts, the fundamental method to reach that point is almost always unique to the plane in some way. It is an identity of said plane, especially higher-ranked planes like ours, Pangea, and this plane, Verdantis.

"Discovering a method that would potentially make it possible for everyone on a plane to walk the path of ascension—no matter whether it is flawed or resource-intensive—is already a tall ask. Expecting to break the greater cosmic ironclad rule...? That’s asking a lot," Eleanore said.

Alex smiled wryly when he heard this.

"I guess you’re right." He sighed in submission to the unfavourable reality. "’Talent’ exists for a reason. It is almost as if planes cannot support having all their denizens—particularly all their intelligent denizens—walk the path of ascension.

"It’s almost as if it is some ingrained rule or law potentially preventing a plane from being drained.

"It is already a tall order to find a method that can break this rule or law. I guess expecting the same method to also break the larger, more ironclad law is an impossible feat after all," he admitted.

Eleanore stared at his disappointed expression for a moment. She tried to resist the urge to comfort him, but she couldn’t.

She walked over to him and wrapped his head in her soft, warm, encompassing embrace.

Her soft mounds enveloped Alex’s face in comforting warmth, while her faintly milky scent helped steady his mood.

Gently caressing his hair, Eleanore said, "I never said it was impossible to do. In fact, if there’s anyone who can break these so-called ironclad rules, you—or rather, your Rune-Tech platform—would be the one to do it."

Alex intentionally lifted Eleanore’s soft mound with his hand, rubbing his face against it vigorously.

"Stop that." Eleanore playfully patted his head before moving back with a smile.

Alex also smiled. "Thanks, but you don’t need to comfort me like that. I’ll get over it in a few minutes."

Eleanore sat back down on her stool.

"I wasn’t just comforting you. I actually truly believe it," she said.

"After coming to the realisation of the limitations of the current project I’m working on, I also pondered on a universal method that could potentially be useful across different planes. While I couldn’t come up with a solution myself, I came up with a hypothesis that the answer may be found in your Rune-Tech platform.

"Beyond just my faith in the versatility of your Rune-Tech platform, due to the many miracles you have brought to life with it, when I look at the ascension systems of different planes, I realise that there are indeed overlaps. Overlaps which I believe could be the way in for your Rune-Tech platform to influence a plane’s ascension system."

Alex’s smile slowly withdrew as he listened, becoming serious as he carefully listened to and digested Eleanore’s words.

"Explain." He nodded encouragingly.

"When I was pondering over this matter, I recalled a breakdown of your thought process with regards to a solution to Sister Zora’s condition," Eleanore said.

"Bloodlines are formed when a powerful, high-ranking professional gains the acknowledgement of the natural order and is able—or allowed—to infuse an ability, spell, or method—likely created through their understanding of their concept, law, or some other metaphysical factor—into their genes, enabling them to transfer this to their progeny.

"Ancestral Markings are magical glyphs-cum-genetic expressions that regulate or influence the functioning of a bloodline in a bearer. For instance, Sister Zora’s Nirvana Markings absorb the Yin energy needed by her Ice Phoenix bloodline to undergo nirvana."

"This breakdown is important because it introduces a way in for your Rune-Tech platform," Eleanore stated.

"Since Ancestral Markings are magical glyphs, and my Rune-Tech platform is founded upon magical glyphs, it is possible to influence Ancestral Markings with my platform. That’s the foundation of my belief that I may be able to aid Zora," Alex said.

"What I am envisaging is more than that, Alex," Eleanore said. "You know the history, Alex. Humans of old on Pangea did not originally possess ’talent’ for the ascension path. We have ascension talent now because our ancestors fed on monster carcasses left behind by powerful predators or gave themselves up to mate with other species.

"In both cases, there was an absorption of genes from foreign species into our collective human gene pool. Essentially, our collective human gene pool absorbed the bloodlines of foreign species in order to give birth to progeny that possessed ’talent’. What if your Rune-Tech platform allows us to do the same?"

"You said your Rune-Tech platform is based upon magical glyphs. It is more than that now. At least, there is now a product of your Rune-Tech platform which, on the surface, is not based on magical glyphs that can be used here," Eleanore continued.

It took a few breaths, but Alex eventually caught on.

"Ava," he said.

"Ava," Eleanore confirmed with a nod. "Ava is able to take genetic information from other species. What if we can safely inject said genetic information into the genes of a non-professional?

"What if, rather than waiting for this information to manifest in later generations, it can instead be linked to and influenced by a Rune-Tech marking—no, a Rune Tattoo—that causes the genes to awaken in the injected non-professional?

"What if, by doing this, we enable this non-professional to draw from or obtain the talent that would have been inherent to the offspring of the creature whose genetic information was injected, thus granting them some form of talent for the ascension path?"

Eleanore’s postulates hit Alex one after another, causing his breath to slowly become laboured with excitement.

"I see where you’re going with this," Alex said. "We will use Ava to design a serum containing dormant genetic information that would fuse with the genetic makeup of the subject.

"Since the genetic information is dormant, it potentially won’t cause an immediate reaction in the subject. That’s where the Rune Tattoo comes in, acting as an Ancestral Marking to enable us to safely guide the metamorphosis.

"In practical terms, we will be tricking the world into thinking the subject is an offspring of an entity in the world that should have ’talent’ for the ascension path. And, hopefully, without turning the subject into a member of the entity’s race, the subject will gain a talent for the ascension path."

He paused, then realised something.

"Isn’t this a bit similar to what the Heavenly Venerable did, though?" he asked.

"In a sense, I guess." Eleanore nodded thoughtfully.

The Heavenly Venerable had injected genetic material from an entity on the plane with cultivation talent into a subject without it. Once the subject absorbed the genetic material, it caused a change that allowed them to gain cultivation talent.

It was somewhat similar to what Eleanore was proposing.

"The difference is that we won’t be injecting actual genetic material from a real entity, but instead, synthesised genetic material of a known bloodline accepted by the natural order and potentially designed specifically to be accepted by the subject’s body, based on your Rune-Tech platform’s methods within Ava," Eleanore said.

"Why does that matter?" Alex asked.

"Your Rune-Tech platform adapts itself to every plane, right?" Eleanore asked.

"Essentially, yes." Alex nodded. "My Rune-Tech platform will learn and absorb the magical glyph format of any plane I arrive in and adapt itself to function on that plane."

"Exactly," Eleanore smiled. "That means that unlike the Heavenly Venerable’s method, which seems limited to the Heaven of this plane, whatever method we create with your Rune-Tech platform will adapt itself to be acceptable to any plane where it is used. This ensures that a method created with it can go unnoticed by the natural order of other planes—thus essentially becoming a universal method."

"This is good and all, but it seems dependent on me being able to connect my Runes to a subject’s bloodline," Alex said.

"Well, there’s also the matter of actually designing the genetic information from a target entity to be injected into a subject in a way that is compatible with that subject," Eleanore said. "But yes, the biggest roadblock seems to be using your Rune Tattoos to influence a bloodline."

"Rather than trying to influence an injected bloodline, you can try working on using your Rune Tattoos to influence a bloodline within someone who already possesses it. Something as ’simple’ as suppressing or enhancing the bloodline’s effects," she added. "I’ll handle the genetic information synthesis side."

"I guess that seems like as good a plan as any." Alex shrugged.

***