[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-power-of-runes":3,"chapter-power-of-runes-power-of-runes-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Power of Runes",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1106182,1443,"Chapter 17 17: First Skill","power-of-runes-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Present Time…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my… Didn't I say no killing?\" Vice Principal Elva's amused voice cut through the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet here you two are, trying to tear each other apart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips curled slightly, but her eyes remained sharp. \"Now, what punishment should I give the rule-breakers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elva sighed. \"Well, at least your fight was entertaining. The audience outside is losing their minds over it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, tilting her head. \"You've been going at it for hours. Your stamina is insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She released them both,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged a glance before lowering their weapons, stepping back in sync.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still, you broke the rules. And I can't just let that slide.\" She tapped her chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of tension passed between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Both of you are talented, and it will be pity to just disqualify both of you, but there is no backing of from punishment\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, here's your punishment,\" she finally declared. \"I'm confiscating all the flags you've collected.\" Her smirk widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have four hours left until the exam ends. If there are any flags left, you better go find them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, she vanished—taking the flags with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence Regained in the surroundings again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk,\" Ethan muttered, sheathing his daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ray exhaled heavily,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both turned and walked away, their bodies screaming in exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither had won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But someone else definitely had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hours earlier, when the battle first began…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan emerged from the haze, his red eyes glinting in amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Skill creation,' Ash called in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't you think you should use some kind of handicap?\" he asked, keeping his voice measured. \"You're obviously stronger than me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed time, so he decided to talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a screen appeared before him—pitch black, with white letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill name- N\u002FA\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill creation chances- 01\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probability of creating skill Successfully- N\u002FA\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan scoffed. \"I believe one should fight with everything they have. And I'm not some chivalrous fool who cares about honor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash remained silent, his attention focused entirely on the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why are you even fighting me? You already said I'm weak. There's no reason for you to bother\" He said aloud,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in his mind, he commanded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Create a skill that enhances my thinking speed, suppress pain and emotions, and consumes no mana.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Processing...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill name- Omni thought\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skill Creation Chances- 0\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probability of creating skill successfully- 98%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Creating Skill...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Tch. At least show me the description.' Ash clicked his tongue inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was screaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every muscle burned, his strength drained, his vision hazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Guess, I have no choice.....but to stall for time until the skill is created'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—he gritted his teeth and forced mana into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His limbs tingled as energy surged through them. The trembling in his stance faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength returned, his breath steadied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I can move for at least 10 more minutes before my mana is exhausted. After that, I won't be able to fight.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's gaze darkened. \"You already know why.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash felt a flicker of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's getting on my nerves…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Now? Now, I don't care what happens.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash took a defensive stance, his gaze cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—he smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From what I remember,\" he said casually, \"I didn't touch your mother after that fateful night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A split second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all it took.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's expression snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body blurred—moving instantly—a fist heading straight for Ash's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time—Ash was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blocked the strike with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Surprise, motherfucker,\" he spat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash lunged, driving his knee toward Ethan's crotch. But Ethan vanished once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk, it should have connected,\" muttered Ash under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skill Creation Successful]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Finally. Let's see what this does.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated it without another thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Omni Thought.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Ash activated Omni Thought, reality shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world lost all color, everything turning into shades of gray—devoid of emotion, stripped of meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him humans were no longer people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were tools, variables, resources to be used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his own existence became mechanical, logical, and devoid of sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, Ash never would have realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't the type to be aware of his surroundings on that level. But now? Now, his brain was operating at inhuman speeds, overclocked far beyond its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His enhanced perception caught the faintest flicker of Ray's presence, hidden in the distance, observing and watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouldn't have been able to notice Ray. Not with how chaotic the situation was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not with how fast everything was happening and with his low strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—countless threads of thought formed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His primary directive was to Reach the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing else mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless ideas flooded his mind in an instant, forming and dissolving just as quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were ruthless, others reckless, and a few so coldly calculated they sent a detached shiver through his own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his mind never stopped. His thoughts accelerated, faster than he could consciously comprehend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he found it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The perfect plan—one that wouldn't just get him to the mountain, but would also ensure he faded into the background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would make him appear weak, undeserving of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would lose, but in doing so, he would remove himself from the spotlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And better yet—he would shift that spotlight to the real protagonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything around him slowed to a crawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the outside world, only a second had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Ash, it felt like an eternity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body couldn't keep up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brain, now functioning at an unprecedented speed, was outpacing his own physical capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden wave of overload struck him—like fire searing through his skull. His breath hitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even His mana enhanced muscles trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision blurred, flickering between hyper-awareness and darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts ran faster than his flesh could handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nerves burned, his lungs strained, his muscles screamed under the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—Ethan spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You—\" Ethan's voice cut through the static, distorted and slow. \"You bastard—how dare you attack someone in that region?! Don't you have any shame?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash's mind lagged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took a full second for the words to register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumbass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to speak, but his tongue felt numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words—where were they?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The calculations in his head were too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I can't cancel the skill now, I need to see everything play as I want'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind was devouring itself, redirecting all energy to strategy and precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversing felt like dragging himself through wet cement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had to say something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash's breath hitched as he forced out a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... believe…\" He swallowed, the effort draining him. \"One… should fight… with everything… they have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own words sounded distant, sluggish. His throat felt raw, his voice weaker than he expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And…\" He exhaled shakily, his body trembling under the weight of the skill. \"I'm… not some chivalrous fool… who cares about shame…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp migraine split through his skull like a blade, but he had to push forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's face twisted in anger. His red eyes burned with fury, his entire body trembling with unrestrained rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash barely processed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind struggled to keep up, drowning in the flood of Information from the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's voice cracked with rage. \"This—this bastard! First, he was traveling with Melissa, my fiancée, and now he's asking what he did wrong?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, Ash's brain short-circuited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Oh'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'So that's why this guy was after me.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the suffocating strain in his head, Ash barely managed to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahh… right. This bitch was Melissia's fiancée.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan was fuming. Ash could see the veins bulging on his forehead. He had to respond, but his body was failing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision blurred, darkness creeping into the edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he forced a smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, that?\" His words slurred slightly. \"I was… just taking a lift… if you know what that means.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His knees buckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And besides…\" He took a ragged breath. \"I… was forcefully taken by them. That bitch—oops, I mean, Melissia—She's unreasonable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head throbbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan clenched his fists, his fury reaching its boiling point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see it all—the shifting of Ethan's muscles preparing to attack, the particles of dust rising from the ground, the movement of leaves swaying in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every frame of reality slowed, stretched into data points for him to analyze, process, and calculate the optimal response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan, unable to hold back any longer, vanished from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Good, he is attacking in anger just as planned'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced his body forward, allowing Ethan's attack to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's what he needed to show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to lose convincingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to make it seem as if he were nothing more than a struggling weakling, barely holding on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could make Ray step in, then everything would go according to plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would get out scot-free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would be healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would escape the spotlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's fist connected—a brutal impact straight to his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision cracked, as blood splattered from his mouth, a sharp jolt running through his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tooth flew out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I am glad that even pain was nullified due to the skill'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was weightless, flung backward like a ragdoll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crashed into a tree, the impact shattering the trunk behind him. Bark and splinters rained around his motionless form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blackness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body gave out before he could see it through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The side effect of the skill hit him all at once, and just like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A\u002FN:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Want to read extra chapters? You can unlock them by supporting on Patreon or by completing the goals listed in the synopsis!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your support keeps the story going! 🚀📖\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1630,"2026-06-03T11:25:58.029Z","2026-06-03T11:26:07.394Z",1,"novelbin.me","88339b4cda7467f1c0db650d7a35aeebd9a014a9d4d03ed12c78ed40756fe9ba","power-of-runes-chapter-18","power-of-runes-chapter-16",452,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpower-of-runes-cover.jpg"]