The Third Rune: Intuition!
The third rune, the Intuition Rune!
My eyes flashed.
Intuition. True to its name, this rune enhanced one's senses.
"Whoa! Lord Aleck, interested in the Intuition Rune?"
As my eyes gleamed before the rune, Kind spoke up from beside me. There was a note of bewilderment in his voice.
"Intuition... I heard it's not that great..."
Kind trailed off.
"I know."
I knew exactly why he said that.
The Intuition Rune amplified one's senses, plain and simple. But even without it, senses sharpened naturally through repeated moltings and growth stages.
Especially once you reach Complete Body and unlock Primalization, your senses explode anyway...
Those who took the rune didn't see much difference in sensory range. Which was why it was shunned—too inefficient for a precious rune slot.
That's because they don't know how to evolve it properly.
The rune that had propelled me to the pinnacle of power was Intuition. Or more precisely, the Transcendent Sense it evolved into after countless upgrades.
The Transcendent Sense Rune! It amplified innate senses by dozens, hundreds of times. Beyond mere sensory enhancement, it unlocked the Domain of Transcendent Time.
Thought accelerated wildly, making objects seem to slow. You could read an opponent's intent, predict attack trajectories—a cheat ability worthy of being called a divine power!
Of course, there's an intermediate stage between Intuition and Transcendent Sense: Hyper Sense.
The fact that Intuition could evolve into Hyper Sense would soon become common knowledge. But the path from Hyper Sense to Transcendent Sense? That was my secret alone.
A hidden piece I'd uncovered by painstakingly raising a Guide species during my game days.
So... I'll choose Intuition here.
I selected the Intuition Rune without hesitation.
B-rank isn't low at all, but after A- and S-ranks, it feels underwhelming.
It wasn't easy to acquire since demand was low, so I needed it early to start evolving it fast.
"You're really picking that? Think it over again..."
"Aleck must have his reasons, right?"
"Exactly."
Kind tried to dissuade me again, but Ruslan countered, asking if I didn't have a good reason.
I nodded with a smile at Ruslan's reserved question.
"Yeah, there must be a reason Lord Aleck chose it!"
Kind quickly nodded in agreement.
"Decided on yours?"
"Ah! Not yet, sir. Ugh, no clue what to pick..."
Kind clutched his head, face twisted in agony.
"Any chance you could tell me what rune would make folks say I picked a winner?"
He looked to me pleadingly. I chuckled and recommended a fitting one.
"You focus on quicksword, so grab both Concentration Rune and Discernment Rune. Start with Concentration—it'll boost your training too."
"Oh... Got it!"
Kind selected the Concentration Rune without pause. Quicksword relied on focusing intent for a decisive strike. Concentration gathered that intent efficiently, while Discernment pinpointed enemy weak spots.
And once both evolved to A-rank? You'd unlock One Strike, One Kill (S).
Help him get Discernment later, and it'll repay the debt while building his foundation.
Of course, evolving them depended on his effort.
If he can't manage that, he's not worth raising.
"This one's mine!"
Bishier chose the Amplification Rune. It boosted attack power on activation—a solid pick for her explosive sword style. Kind could use it well later too.
Active runes like Amplification are better later, but...
Runes fell into passive or active types. My Intuition and Kind's Concentration were passive. Ruslan's Iron Shell and Bishier's Amplification were active, granting temporary effects on use.
For a late-bloomer build like mine, stacking passives early widened your vessel for future growth. But actives weren't bad either—everything had trade-offs.
Amplification suited Bishier, so I respected her choice.
Robed was last. She pondered deeply too.
"Hmm..."
"Tough choice?"
"Ah! Yeah, can't decide."
She nodded. Fresh into Juvenile Stage, her talent was clear, but experience was thin. No wonder she hesitated.
"You'll keep pursuing Transformation Sword and Illusion Sword, right?"
"Yeah, that's my path."
"Want my recommendation?"
She stared at me, then nodded readily.
"Sure, I trust your judgment, Aleck."
I trust you... Her sincere words hit home. Choosing your first rune was a major fork in growth potential. Yet she deferred to me on something so crucial.
Then I'll give her my best advice.
Kind was one I'd planned to raise, so his path was mapped out. But not Robed.
I've won tribal wars raising a Transformation and Illusion Sword build before.
Different species back then, but the concept was identical.
Transformation and Illusion Sword thrive on change. Related attributes like diversity, creation, flexibility, openness, originality, adaptation—but too many to grab separately. There's one that bundles them: Plurality.
My gaze settled.
"Plurality Rune. I recommend this."
"Huh, Lord Aleck? Isn't the Plurality Rune for spellcasters?"
Kind blinked in confusion. It was popular with multi-attribute shaman types.
But Plurality wasn't limited to attributes.
It massively boosts Transformation and Illusion Sword too.
I'd walked that road.
This world lacked Earth's rigid categorizations, so Kind's question made sense.
"Plurality isn't just for spells. It'll outperform any known rune for those styles' potential."
"Got it, Aleck. I'll go with it. Thanks!"
Graciously, she accepted without questioning the source. Proof of her faith in me.
"Heh, I wasn't doubting your eye, Lord Aleck—just checking, y'know..."
Kind scratched his head with a lame excuse.
"I know."
I chuckled and nodded. His curiosity was no surprise.
And so, we claimed all our Mantis Hall rewards.
* * *
I returned to my quarters and set the Intuition Rune before me.
"Hoo."
A deep breath to relax before absorption. Superstition said it helped, even if it didn't matter.
Gulp.
The rune stone went straight down my throat. A familiar, fiery heat scorched its path.
Shaaa—.
It sank to my navel, then spread through my body.
...!
My senses stretched instantly. Like visibility in fog jumping from one meter to three.
Success.
I smiled, matching my pre-regression memory.
Then—
...!
Lightning struck my crown. Vision blacked out.
* * *
Shiver.
Sinking... deeper... down.
Down.
Where...?
I came to, feeling like I was plummeting into deep water. No discomfort—just cozy, like a mother's embrace.
Once fully aware, I recognized the place.
My subconscious depths.
I'd been here before. Where I'd glimpsed a transcendent being.
Woooong—.
The massive drumbeat echoed again. The pitch-black void lightened.
...!
A colossal figure filled my sight, just like last time. Upper body only, yet mountain-like.
Thanks to my growth, I feel it clearly now. Definitely tied to Megaera Mantis.
Flash—.
Sulfur-yellow eyes blazed open. I stared into them, feeling the sun's blaze.
—□□□□□□.
Incomprehensible noise filled my ears again.
No communication this time either.
Regret tinged me as I kept watching. The eyes closed, then opened.
—□□□□Run. □time□□□.
...!
Faint meaning trickled through. Straining to decipher from my tiny pupil-perspective, the eyes—now faintly alive—spoke once more.
—Run□□□. no□□□out!
No time. Hurry!
That was it. I wanted to ask what, but time was up.
Fwaaah!
Light burst from me. My sinking body rocketed upward.
Bwoooong!
Breaching surface consciousness—
...!
I beheld an astonishing sight in the sea of ether before my eyes.