Chapter 75: Livia’s Rune Legacy

Humanity’s history, while undeniably vast, can only be reliably traced and scrutinized for a mere few millennia.

This is because approximately three millennia ago, an unprecedented catastrophe unfurled across the world.

It was a cataclysmic natural disaster that raged for several years, marked by the roaring of colossal waves, the collapse of mighty mountains, and the very tilting of the entire continent.

This sweeping calamity claimed almost ninety percent of all life, engulfing every living creature in its path.

Glorious kingdoms and advanced magical civilizations alike were utterly annihilated in this disaster, leaving behind nothing but scattered ruins and fragmented legends.

The origins of this disaster remained a mystery to all; the survivors could only surmise that some unknown transgression had incensed the deities, prompting them to unleash such a devastating punishment.

In the centuries that followed, after enduring immense struggle, humanity finally embarked upon a path of revival, slowly forging new civilizations from the ashes of the old.

The era preceding the catastrophe, a period of history lost to time, was subsequently dubbed the ‘Ancient Civilization’ by future generations.

From the scattered historical records and ancient tomes that survived, one could glimpse the vestiges of a profoundly advanced civilization.

Even now, with magical development seemingly reaching its zenith, the current achievements pale in comparison to the accomplishments of that ancient era, appearing as nothing more than the tip of an iceberg.

Nevertheless, attempting to advance knowledge solely through ancient texts proved to be an endeavor fraught with immense difficulty.

This was because, during that bygone era, people employed a mysterious script known as ‘Rune Language’ whenever they sought to record anything pertaining to magic.

Composed of peculiar symbols, each distinct in form, this language conveyed a multitude of individual meanings; yet, when these symbols were arranged and combined in myriad configurations, entirely new concepts would emerge.

Rune Language functioned akin to a meticulously crafted cipher; an individual attempting to decipher it alone might spend decades without ever fully interpreting a single complete passage.

To genuinely unravel these ancient writings, one absolutely required the divine authority of Akasia, the God of Wisdom.

‘Omni-Analysis’ was the divine authority bestowed by Akasia.

At its core, it was the power to perceive fundamental truths, revealing the most rudimentary logic and structure of any information in the world to its wielder.

For the ancients, this ability was commonplace, something even a small child could effortlessly manifest.

Yet, in recent times, those favored by Akasia became exceedingly rare, and among that select few, even fewer still possessed the innate ability to wield this particular divine authority.

Furthermore, the more profound the Rune Language became, the more exponentially the difficulty of deciphering it increased, which explained why the contents of ancient grimoires and magical artifacts remained an unsolved enigma to this day.

At best, only rudimentary texts, such as simple chronicles, could be even partially deciphered.

Yalin Ravenster had perused dozens of these ancient tomes, only to abandon each one in frustration, unable to comprehend their cryptic script.

Scattered near some of the older texts were various manuscripts, remnants of earlier attempts at decipherment; regrettably, they contained little in the way of truly useful information.

Despite having squandered nearly an entire afternoon, he had not, however, emerged completely empty-handed.

Indeed, he had stumbled upon a most intriguing manuscript.

The manuscript bore the signature of Livia—none other than Yalin’s own mother.

His mother, as he remembered her, possessed no particularly striking features beyond her beautiful, long black hair and a somewhat slender frame.

She was a gentle soul, who, when left to her own devices, invariably retreated to the study, where she would spend hours absorbed in writing.

Had Professor Fulin not personally disclosed it, Yalin would have found it utterly inconceivable that his mother had once been such a formidable individual.

The signature simply read ‘Livia’; it appeared his mother must have been a commoner before marrying into the Ravenster family, lacking a distinct family name of her own.

‘Or perhaps, she was simply too indolent to bother with it?’

The contents of this particular manuscript were, moreover, exceptionally peculiar.

Unlike the other manuscripts, the majority of this one was, astonishingly, composed in Rune Language.

While its structure was considerably simpler than that found in the ancient texts, it remained utterly incomprehensible to the average person.

Yalin furrowed his brow, his mother’s persona growing ever more enigmatic in his mind.

The books and documents housed within the basement library were all protected by specific sealing enchantments, rendering them impossible to remove; however, photocopies could be borrowed if the item was a manuscript.

Only after Cedric had completed the tedious procedures with a scowl did Yalin finally ascend to the first floor, clutching a substantial stack of photocopied manuscript pages.

“You brat, you’re likely the first student ever allowed into this section.”

Cedric remarked, a hint of wistfulness in his tone, as he clapped Yalin on the shoulder with considerable force.

“Still, try not to come back unless it’s absolutely necessary; you’re nothing but a nuisance!”

Yalin, far from being offended, merely offered a helpless smile and waved farewell to the cantankerous old man.

The hour was late, and night had fallen deep; outside the window, the world was cloaked in an inky blackness, save for a few faint glimmers emanating from the tall school buildings in the distance.

The main library, spanning seven floors above ground, featured a grand spiral staircase ascending towards its apex; glancing upwards, Yalin noted that only a few figures remained.

After all, closing time was fast approaching; anyone who lingered would be forced to spend the night within its hallowed halls.

‘Yel… no, was it Yelle? Hiss, what was that word again…’

As he walked, Yalin remained engrossed in contemplation of the manuscript’s contents.

It wasn’t until his eyes fell upon those particular words within the manuscript that a sudden realization struck him: his mother, it seemed, had been quite familiar with Rune Language.

He distinctly recalled her teaching him some basic Rune Language when he was but a small child.

While the meaning of Rune Language often necessitated intricate arrangements and combinations for accurate interpretation, lacking fixed vocabulary or phrases, certain common symbols and their associated meanings were, nonetheless, frequently recurring.

His mother had, in fact, taught him a particular Rune Language phrase many years ago, and that very phrase now appeared within the manuscript, conspicuously marked with a heavy red pen stroke.

Regrettably, the young Yalin had possessed absolutely no interest in such dry subject matter at the time, dismissing it entirely; consequently, his mother never broached the topic with him again.

‘Alas…’

Yalin sighed, a profound sense of frustration washing over him.

Lacking Akasia’s divine authority, he knew that deciphering his mother’s manuscript would demand a painstaking, bit-by-bit analysis, akin to cracking an intricate code.

‘Who knew how many years such an endeavor would consume?’

‘Perhaps I could ask someone else…?’

Yet, individuals capable of deciphering Rune Language were exceedingly rare; even someone as formidable as Fulin possessed no such talent.

Even within the entirety of the academy, only a mere handful of professors genuinely delved into such arcane studies.

‘I truly can’t fathom why Mother would deliberately choose to write something like this in Rune Language…’

‘Never mind,’ he mused. ‘At least I’ve found a clue. Perhaps my old family home conceals more useful information than I realize.’

Yalin tucked the manuscript’s photocopy into his pocket; just then, a faint, almost breathless voice drifted from behind him.

“That word is pronounced ‘Yella,’ and it means ‘love.'”

“Yes, yes, that’s it… Wait a moment?”

Yalin abruptly halted, only then realizing that someone was, in fact, standing directly behind him.