Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

The words before him blurred and distorted, melting into indistinguishable shapes, as if his mind were adrift in an abyss. In this murky void, ethereal symbols flickered and vanished, their gentle glow captivating his senses.

As his imagination soared, he witnessed ordinary objects come alive with peculiar essences, only to effortlessly transform into extraordinary artifacts with a simple snap of his fingers.

The books by Runemasters were exceptionally well-written. They provided concrete examples that were incredibly easy to visualize, making them accessible even for beginners.

'I understand now... We can compare runes to program codes. They set rules and translate commands into practical actions.'

He understood his first lesson and couldn't help but feel his heart beat faster, a smile of interest appearing on his face.

He wasn't an expert in programming, but he knew a few things, which led him to look at the examples in the book differently.

'A program comprises providing the computer with clear and precise instructions. The computer, using its own set of rules and a specific language, has distinct structures that enable it to perform the steps to answer any set of questions. In my understanding, runes function as the syntax underlying the special applications in this world.'

He scratched his chin, thinking of one of the simple examples in the book he was reading, imagining what it would be like.

'The major distinction between the art of Runemasters and programming lies in the fact that creating special items in Twin Land is much easier than creating a program on Earth.

Take the magic lamp as an example—it is essentially a regular glass artifact with a small core that contains the rules governing its functioning. A rune for mana absorption draws mana from the atmosphere into the lamp's core, while another rune converts the absorbed mana into light energy.

The simplest lamp only requires these two types of runes. However, a more intricate lamp can incorporate additional runes. For instance, it may include a rune that detects low or high ambient luminosity levels and automatically switches the lamp on or off. It could also have a rune that responds to simple commands or even one that detects human presence and activates accordingly.'

Liam clearly understood what runes were and how they could alter the world around them.

But knowing that didn't make him a Runemaster. Runes were not easily manipulated or inscribed on artifacts. Moreover, there wasn't just one type of rune, but thousands.

The art of a Runemaster was basically learning the universal language of magic, mastering it, and learning to write it on living and non-living physical beings.

The first books he read didn't go into detail about the high level of the profession. Yet, they left enough clues for Liam to understand the surreal distance between inscribing something on a piece of paper or on a person.

'Most Runemasters rarely put 'curses' on people because they couldn't simply inscribe on living beings that could absorb mana and control it in their own ways.

An inanimate object, like a glass, may absorb mana. But without a consciousness behind it to control that mana, it was much easier for the Runemaster to put inscriptions on it than on an intelligent living being capable of cultivation.

That must be why most of the cursed people are mortals who haven't awakened their powers. There's a difference between a mortal and a cultivator.'

Liam pondered in silence, so focused on what he studied he didn't see the time pass and almost 70% of his study time under Ann's tutelage today.

As he opened the fourth of the over twenty books he would have to learn before taking the next step in the profession, he came across what he had been longing for since the first book he had read in this classroom.

{Types of Runes}

{Behind the runes are characters—each with its own meaning and effect—that can be combined to form runes. There are 4,000 known characters, 400 of which are behind 70% of the special artifacts in Twin Lands.}

{The universal language of runes, however, is not a dead language. Because it is alive and connected to infinite forms of existence, the language can lose or gain new characters. The creation of new characters remains a secret to the continent's Runemasters, but the Great Sage Gest, 13,000 years ago, witnessed the emergence of a special character that had not existed before (𐰊)...}

Liam continued reading, going through the brief passage about new characters appearing, or rather, in Liam's understanding, being discovered.

But the text didn't deal with the many types of characters behind the runes. It gave a brief introduction to this vast world of runes, pointing out its limitations and how most Runemasters would never understand 80% of the "alphabet".

The book itself, at least 80% of it, talked about the 10% of the most common characters, the 400 characters behind 70% of everything that existed on the continent.

During this section of the reading, Liam encountered more intricate content. The characters were portrayed in greater detail, including their symbols, the underlying meaning they represented, and their interactions with other character types.

Apparently, there was an affinity, repulsion, or neutral reaction when over two characters were combined. According to the book, all imaginable combinations were possible if done in the right way. But only a handful of combinations would work without great difficulty.

Of the 400 symbols, Liam studied only 10 of them today, as his three competitors finished their work for the day and Ann stood up to get everyone's attention.

"All right, that's it for today. You can go back to your business. We'll meet again tomorrow."

The three left, with Liam sighing as he stood up, curious to learn more about these symbols and how to combine them to form runes.

"I have a question. Can I take one of these books?" He asked Ann, showing a twinkle in his eye that she couldn't ignore.

"No." She smiled at him and explained, "our path is important, but it's not everything—at least not until you become a great Runemaster. You have your responsibilities to the sect, cultivate and, well, survive the competition. You won't be able to do all that if you spend more time studying our art than you should."

"I could master the essentials faster," he said as he turned away from the books.

"Even if I allowed it, it would hardly happen. The universal language is not as easy as you think. Two hours of study a day is the most an ordinary mind can take from the universal language. More than that and you'd go crazy."

Liam's eyes widened with realization. 'So there are risks to learning this... It makes sense. It would be convenient to change reality with no problems.'

"I see. I appreciate the recommendations, Senior Ann." He stopped in front of her and made a gesture of thanks. "By the way, one last question. Why are you being so nice to me? Have I gotten your attention already?"

For a moment, Ann thought Liam was going to ask a serious question and she couldn't help but be surprised. But behind the boy's charm, she could see what he was really thinking.

"The Demon Gate is often perceived as a chaotic place, but in reality, it is not as disorderly as everyone believes. While it is true that there are dangers here that righteous sects do not encounter, it is important to note that our success as one of the largest sects on the continent for countless centuries is not solely based on constant plotting against each other.

Yet, it doesn't mean I won't curse you or kill you for my benefit." She approached him and put a dagger to Liam's neck.