Chapter 104: Magic Runes

Chapter 104: Sister! Sister!

"Who? Who is speaking to me?"

In her sleep, Mei felt a surge of mental energy enter her consciousness, prompting her subconscious question.

"Sister, I have finally reached you! I am your brother, Galoer! I have been searching for you for so long, and I have finally made contact!" The other party seemed overwhelmed with excitement, his mental fluctuations rapid and erratic.

"Brother? Are you sure you have the right person?" Faced with a stranger suddenly claiming to be her brother, Mei’s first instinct was that he had made a mistake. If she truly had a brother, why had he never reached out in the seventeen years of her life?

"Of course. The bracelet made of holy stone on your wrist was placed on you by our parents the moment you were born. That bracelet reacts only to your mental energy; it is completely useless in anyone else's hands. You haven’t been wearing it, have you? Otherwise, I would have been able to contact you much sooner!" the voice explained.

Mei pondered this and found the reasoning plausible. Ever since she had entered the Ultimate Human Cultivation Center, she had indeed stopped wearing the bracelet.

"Then where are you?" Mei asked after a moment of thought.

"My current location is very far from you! But don't worry, I have already locked onto the planet you are on. Just stay there and wait for me, little sister. I am coming to get you!"

A planet? Does that mean he isn't even on this world? Does this mean that, by the definitions of the people here, she is actually an alien?

Mei found the whole situation bizarre. If her kin were on a planet so far away, how did she end up here alone? She had been brought into the laboratory as an infant; how could a baby cross the stars?

Mei conveyed these questions to him. The other party was silent for a long time before responding.

"The reasons are complicated. I will tell you everything in detail when we meet! Regardless, you were stranded on another planet due to an accident; you were not abandoned!" Galoer emphasized the last sentence.

Mei received the message but remained noncommittal. She simply asked, "How long will it take for you to get here?"

"Half a year. In half a year, I will definitely arrive! By the way, have you been doing well all these years?"

"You'll see when you get here! Half a year—I'll be waiting." Unwilling to discuss her life with a stranger, Mei replied vaguely.

"Alright then! We will meet in six months at most. Take care of yourself during this time and wait for me, alright?" Perhaps fearing she might wander off, Galoer emphasized this.

Mei felt a sense of speechlessness at his mental tone. He didn't even know what she looked like, yet he was speaking to her in a tone used for small children. What was that all about?

***

Ending the mental connection, Mei opened her eyes. It was late at night, but she was alone on the bed. Ye Jingxuan was sitting in the driver’s seat, steering the vehicle.

The energy vehicle could only reach maximum speed when manually operated. When left on autopilot, it could only maintain a moderate speed. Every time Mei fell asleep, Ye Jingxuan would take the wheel, desperate to reach their destination as quickly as possible. After days of traveling without rest, he looked visibly haggard. If not for the need to care for Mei, he likely wouldn't even have the energy to groom himself.

"Ah-Ye, at this rate, you’ll collapse before we even reach Longsheng!" Mei couldn't help but speak up.

"Mei'er, you're awake? Are you feeling uneasy again?" Hearing her voice, Ye Jingxuan immediately switched the car to autopilot and walked over.

Because Mei's current body could not withstand the friction of clothing, she was covered only by a light silk sheet while lying on the bed. To ensure she didn't get cold, Ye Jingxuan kept the cabin temperature high. He himself was wearing a silk shirt, and he was sweating profusely.

Seeing his collar open and his sleeves rolled up, Mei couldn't help but say, "Ah-Ye, I told you, I'm not cold. It’s fine if you turn the temperature down."

"I'm fine!" Ye Jingxuan said as he rolled down his sleeves, completely disregarding her words. This temperature was just right for her, but if it dropped even slightly, her hands and feet would turn icy.

Mei knew he wouldn't listen, but she was puzzled. "Then Ah-Ye, why don't you change into a short-sleeved shirt?"

"It's nothing. I'm just not used to wearing short sleeves."

"Is that so?" Mei looked at him with skepticism. Catching him off guard, she flicked her hand, and a blade of light sliced through his thin shirt without harming his skin in the slightest.

"Mei'er!" Ye Jingxuan was caught off guard by her sneak attack. He was both helpless and worried. "Didn't I tell you not to use your powers until your body recovers? Do you feel unwell?"

"Who told you to keep hiding things from me? What is that black thing on your skin?" Due to her angle, she couldn't clearly see what the black markings on his skin were, so she asked.

Ye Jingxuan had wanted to keep it from her, but seeing that she wouldn't let it go, he helped her sit up so she could see clearly. He didn't explain it himself, mostly because he didn't know what these tattoo-like black markings on his skin were either. They had appeared after he was injured by the energy within Mei’s body at the laboratory. He had hidden them to keep her from worrying.

"These are naturally formed Magic Runes!" Seeing them up close, Mei quickly recognized what they were, her expression shifting to one of surprise.

"Magic Runes? What are those?" Seeing that she was surprised but not worried, Ye Jingxuan stopped hiding them, took off his shirt, and revealed his upper body to her.

"Magic Runes, also known as Elemental Runes, are usually bestowed by powerful individuals upon their followers or juniors to enhance their strength. In your case, it seems that after being injured by the energy storm within me, your body automatically absorbed the dark-element energy, causing these to form naturally. This is extremely rare; it seems your body is highly compatible with dark-element energy!"

Reflecting on it, Mei realized how the runes had formed. Remembering how he had tried to reach her while covered in blood before she lost consciousness, her heart ached slightly. Beyond the heartache, she was amazed; such an occurrence was so rare that it rivaled the rarity of a practitioner of the Great Prophecy.

"What is the use of these? Do they affect you?" Since these runes were formed by absorbing her energy, Ye Jingxuan was naturally worried that draining her energy would have a negative impact on her.

"They won't! The function of the Magic Runes is simply to add supplemental attributes to your powers. Take you, for example: you are a Gold-element user; combined with dark-element Magic Runes, you can create metal weapons that carry corrosive or paralytic toxins. Your energy will also take on a devouring characteristic. Whether you are attacking or defending, you will be able to weaken your opponent's energy. However, the effects provided by these runes are fixed and cannot be improved. They are effective against enemies only slightly stronger than you, but against far superior foes, the effects won't manifest. Once inscribed, they cannot be removed. Unless I die, they will not disappear from your body."

Although Mei considered the Magic Runes a rather mediocre ability, the matter was settled, and there was nothing she could do to change it.

"I don't need them removed. This is just fine!"

Hearing that the runes had formed naturally and required a high level of physical compatibility, Ye Jingxuan had never even considered removing them. Although they might look a bit strange, they were a gift from her energy. As long as it came from her—good or bad—he would accept it gladly. Moreover, these runes represented her life, which made him even more unwilling to remove them.

"Fine? They look terrible. Let me change them for you!" Mei looked at the clusters of black runes with disdain; they ruined his perfect physique and lacked any artistic sense!

Ye Jingxuan didn't expect them to be modifiable. Just as he was about to ask how, he felt Mei’s fingertip gently slide across his skin. As her finger moved, the runes on his skin seemed to come alive, trailing her touch and transforming into intricate lines that slowly coalesced into a pattern.

Mei was focused on drawing the runes, but as Ye Jingxuan felt her fingertip wandering over his skin, his entire body stiffened. His muscles turned hard as stone, and beads of sweat quickly broke out on his skin.

"Ah-Ye, are you very hot? Why are you covered in sweat?" Mei asked, puzzled as she touched the beads of perspiration. The temperature hadn't changed; why was he suddenly sweating so much?

"Yes, that's it! Are you finished? If so, I’m going to go take a shower!" Ye Jingxuan's voice was urgent and had grown hoarse.

Hearing the change in his voice, Mei was even more confused. She attributed his abnormal behavior to the heat and hurried her movements. Just as Ye Jingxuan was about to lose his battle against the surging fire of desire, Mei finally pulled her hand away.

"Done! Do you like it? If you aren't satisfied with any part, I can change it!"

Hearing that she was finished, Ye Jingxuan breathed a sigh of relief. He threw out a quick "It's perfect, no need to change it," and hurried toward the bathroom.

Only when the icy water finally extinguished the flames of his desire did his tense muscles begin to relax. Looking at his disheveled reflection in the mirror, Ye Jingxuan couldn't help but offer a wry smile. His self-control was getting worse; just the touch of her fingertips had reduced him to this state—he was truly hopeless.

Shaking his head to clear the sensation, Ye Jingxuan looked carefully in the mirror at the newly drawn runes. The original clusters of ink-like marks had been transformed into an intricate, complex pattern that looked like a totem, extending from his left chest to his left shoulder, down his arm, and across his back. Although he didn't know what she had drawn, the pattern complemented his tawny skin perfectly, adding a touch of wildness and sex appeal.

Looking at the newly designed runes, a sense of anticipation rose in Ye Jingxuan's heart. Could he interpret this as her actually being satisfied with his body?