Chapter 180: The Serpent’s Ability
The screams continued, though the thick stone walls of the castle muffled the sound, making it faint in the bedroom.
Rhaegar lay there, absorbing the knowledge from the two runes, his breath quickening. The infusion of such knowledge was intoxicating, almost addictive. After a few moments, he felt the rush subside and took a deep breath.
"Bronze, Serpent," he murmured, sifting through the newfound knowledge.
The runic system was fundamentally different from the magic system. While his talent as a pyromancer allowed him to manipulate flames, runes offered a unique way to harness magic through specific symbols and formulas.
Runes acted as a specialized medium for magic, requiring mental focus to carve and activate their powers. The Serpent Rune, for example, not only created a physical mark, but also established a specific spell or gesture for quick activation. The Bronze Rune, while basic, provided rare defensive capabilities, forming a magical armor piece by piece.
As he grasped the significance of the runes, Rhaegar felt a mixture of shock and exhilaration. He tried to sit up, but pain shot through his left arm and abdomen, forcing him to lie down again.
"I should test these runes," he thought, deciding to try something practical despite his injuries.
Rhaegar glanced at the sleeping Rhaenyra beside him, a faint smile touching his lips. The fact that he was alive and surrounded by those he cared about filled him with contentment.
"Serpent," he mentally commanded, focusing his mind to carve the first rune of his life.
Carving a rune required a supply of magic, but it wasn't as demanding as the pyromancer's talent, which required pure dragon blood or an affinity for fire.
Every Targaryen carried a trace of magic in their blood, a heritage of "Blood and Fire."
Enhanced by Dreamscape and his knowledge of runes, Rhaegar's mental power was formidable. Concentrating deeply, he felt his magic flow smoothly throughout his body
Buzz...
A bright light flickered in Rhaegar's heart as his mental strength mobilized the magic in his blood. Given his strong Targaryen bloodline, the magic was strong and robust.
The light grew brighter, outlining a streak as black as ink. Rhaegar frowned slightly as a strange murmur filled his ears. He remembered the words about runes on the Explorer's System: "Each rune is a treasure to the world, and its birth is highly anticipated."
Rhaegar smirked, dismissing the ethereal whispers, and focused on engraving the runes. Time passed slowly, and morning sunlight streamed through the glazed window, casting a warm glow on the corner of the bed.
On Rhaegar's bandaged chest, a dark, black serpent symbol began to form, emitting thick black smoke. The serpent was long and twisted, with no eyes, nose, teeth, or tongue, only a large black mouth disproportionate to its head.
This was the prototype of the serpent rune. The next step was to create a spell or gesture to fully control the rune. Rhaegar's talent with runes was remarkable; he engraved the advanced rune with precision and ease.
He decided to implement a dual control system using both a spell and a gesture. This precaution was recommended in the runic knowledge, as one could never predict when they might lose the ability to speak or move.
"Reverse!" he whispered in High Valyrian, setting the first stage. Suddenly, his face paled and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. The magic in his blood was almost gone. Any further extraction might burn out his blood supply.
"Roar..."
Just as he hesitated, a deep dragon roar echoed in his mind. A wave of fiery magic flooded his body. Rhaegar immediately recognized it as the magic of Cannibal, his dragon. Dragons were magical creatures, and their bodies were reservoirs of fire magic.
This was the effect of the [Knight's Oath]. Cannibal, as his guardian knight, shared a magical bond with him, allowing the transfer of power.
Buzz...
A powerful magic filled the room. The spell and gesture were successfully set, and the rune was quickly engraved. The serpent rune twisted and turned, its slender body forming a circle with the mouth biting into the tail.
Dark light blossomed, and wisps of black smoke filled the room, dispersing the morning sunlight that filtered into the bedroom.
"Uh huh~~"
Rhaenyra grunted softly, her eyelids fluttering slightly as her arms and legs began to move.
Rhaegar hesitated, then stopped supplying magic, causing the snake rune to dissipate. The bedroom returned to normal.
"Rhaegar..."
Rhaenyra woke, her eyes opening in a daze.
"Calling someone?"
Rhaegar smiled and took her small hand from his chest.
"You're awake?"
Rhaenyra's almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise, and she sat up quickly, a delighted curve appearing on her lips.
"Rhaenyra, I'm hungry," Rhaegar said with a pitiful look, pointing to the morning sun.
Yesterday's intense battle had taken its toll. Ninety percent of his blood and magic had been drained, leaving him weak.
"You wait, I'll prepare something for you right away."
Rhaenyra hurriedly got out of bed, hastily put on her boots, and dashed out the door.
"I still want to ask about the situation in Runestone..." Rhaegar trailed off as she disappeared.
With a resigned smile, he retrieved a loaf of bread, a plate of ham, and a bottle of milk from his space bracelet. Having such an artifact, it was only natural to keep some food handy.
He intended to tease Rhaenyra, but she had already run off. After finishing his meal, Rhaegar felt much better, his hunger satiated.
"Let's test the ability of the Bridled Serpent Rune," he murmured.
Rhaegar extended his right hand, touching his thumb and pinky together in a swearing gesture. Magic flowed, and the black serpent rune appeared. He directed it towards the wound on his abdomen. The serpent released its tail and slithered into the wound.
Zi Zi...
Black smoke began to rise from the wound, visible to the naked eye. However, the smoke wasn't caused by the serpent, but by the dirty air that had accumulated in the wound.
The serpent opened its mouth wide and inhaled the black smoke. As it inhaled more and more, the pain in the wound lessened.
After about five minutes, the serpent, now bloated, closed its mouth. When Rhaegar examined the wound, the black smoke had diminished considerably. The snake, resembling a fat loach, twisted its body and returned to his hand.
Rhaegar understood that his mastery of the serpent rune was not yet sufficient to heal the wound completely in one go. He would have to wait for the snake to digest before attempting another healing session, probably by this time tomorrow.
"Rhaegar, I'm back. You must be starving," Rhaenyra's hurried footsteps echoed outside the door as it creaked open.
(Word count: 1,122)