Chapter 225: Memory Crystal.

Time passed.

After going through what felt like an endless number of items, Kael’s expression had gradually turned into one of pure frustration. He stared at the collection of rewards before him, then let out a long sigh.

"Trash. They’re all trash..."

Technically, that wasn’t entirely true. Most of the items weren’t actually bad. In the right hands, some of them could even be considered quite valuable. The problem was that nearly every single one had something to do with monks, Buddhism, preaching, or some variation of the path the monk had walked.

For example, one of the pendants that was included among the rewards.

It was an item designed specifically for someone who wanted to spread a faith.

When worn and activated while preaching, it could subtly strengthen the connection between the speaker and their audience, making it easier for the preacher’s words to reach their hearts. For someone trying to establish a religion or gather followers, it was undoubtedly an excellent item.

For Kael?

Utterly useless.

Then there was the holy book.

It contained the experiences and insights of some high-level cultivator who had apparently walked an impressive distance along the Path of the Buddha. The knowledge contained within was valuable to anyone following that particular path, perhaps even enough to serve as a treasure to some monks.

Kael had stared at the book for several seconds.

For one brief moment, he’d seriously considered keeping it around specifically to wipe his ass with after taking a shit.

He eventually decided against it.

There was no reason to insult an entire faith simply because his first encounter with one of its practitioners had involved getting nearly beaten to death.

Kael sighed as he shifted his attention back toward his inventory, his frustration slowly giving way to curiosity.

After sorting through the remaining items, only one was left.

He stared at it for a moment before sighing.

"This better be good."

With that, he pulled the final item from his inventory.

A clear crystal orb roughly the size of a ping-pong ball appeared in his palm.

The crystal was almost perfectly transparent, yet there was something strangely mystical about it. A faint, bone-deep cold radiated from its surface, carrying a sensation that made Kael instinctively realize this was no ordinary crystal.

He focused on it and activated his Eye of Judgment.

The information appeared before his eyes.

[Memory Crystal]

[A recorded experience that belongs to a once-reputable Runesmith. Absorbing the contents of the Crystal can elevate one’s knowledge of the Rune Arcana.]

Kael’s brows furrowed.

"Rune Arcana?"

He stared at the crystal.

"What the hell is that?"

He had never heard of such a thing before.

Still, there was only one obvious way to find out.

Kael tightened his fingers around the crystal.

The moment he did, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Do you wish to absorb the experience contained within the Memory Crystal?]

[Yes / No]

Kael selected yes.

Another notification immediately appeared.

[Warning.]

[The Memory Crystal contains a high level of Arcana knowledge.]

[Absorbing the recorded experience may place an excessive burden on the user’s mind and brain.]

[Low-level individuals may suffer severe mental damage.]

[Do you still wish to proceed?]

[Yes / No]

Kael stared at the warning for a moment.

Then he selected yes again.

There was no reason to hesitate.

He trusted his own mental capacity, and besides, the warning that the knowledge was dangerous only made him more curious about what was inside.

The crystal suddenly began to churn in his hand.

A strange sensation spread through his palm.

Then the cold energy erupted.

It rushed through his arm like an icy current before pouring directly into his head.

Kael’s eyes widened.

The next instant, his mind was flooded with information.

Concepts he had never even imagined existed.

The knowledge came all at once, without any regard for whether his mind was capable of understanding it.

Kael’s head throbbed violently.

It felt like someone had taken the most complicated mathematical equations imaginable and started forcing them into the mind of a child who could barely count from one to ten.

That was the closest comparison he could make.

His brain desperately tried to process everything.

For a while, Kael could do nothing but endure.

Then, slowly, the torrent began to weaken.

The information flowing into his mind became slower and slower until, eventually, it stopped completely.

Silence returned.

Kael remained sitting where he was.

He didn’t move.

He simply stared forward, his expression blank as his mind struggled to organize everything he had just received.

Time passed, and finally, as the second hour drew to a close, Kael’s eyes slowly moved.

He blinked several times before slowly sitting upright.

"Wow..."

His voice was quiet.

He looked down at his hands, still trying to comprehend what he had just experienced.

"To think mana could be used like this..."

Kael had thought he already possessed some fairly advanced knowledge about mana.

After all, Varek had given him a few lessons about the Arcana. Kael could sense Ambient Mana, understand the basic concept of mana circulation, and had already begun experimenting with manipulating it within his body.

Back then, he had considered that impressive.

Now, however, he almost wanted to laugh at the thought.

Compared to what he had just learned, his previous understanding of mana was like knowing how to hold a cup and thinking that made him a master of pottery.

"I really don’t know shit about mana."

Kael rubbed his temples.

In fact, his Arcana knowledge was so pitifully low that calling it basic would probably be an insult to the word basic.

But surprisingly, that wasn’t even the part that excited him the most.

The real treasure contained within the Memory Crystal was the knowledge of Runes.

That was what made Kael’s mood finally improve.

From the knowledge he had absorbed, Kael had gained a completely different understanding of what Runes actually were.

If magic was a phenomenon in itself, then Runes were a language.

A language used to communicate with magic.

Runes were not simply symbols that could be drawn onto an object to produce an effect. They were a structured means of expressing magical intent. Every line, sequence, arrangement, and combination carried meaning, and even the slightest mistake could alter the result entirely.

But then another thought immediately followed.

If that was true, then something didn’t make sense.

Kael frowned.

"Then how do Awakeners use their skills?"

He had seen countless Awakeners activate their abilities without drawing a single Rune, so how exactly was that possible?

If every magical ability relied on perfectly communicating with magic through the language of Runes, then where did Awakeners fit into the equation?

Kael furrowed his brows.

According to the knowledge contained within the Memory Crystal, magic was supposed to be performed by communicating with it through its own language. There were different methods of doing so, with some practitioners using chants to carefully speak the required words and invoke the desired phenomenon.

Others relied on magical circles and intricate formations to construct and contain their spells, but regardless of the method, they were all essentially communicating with magic through its own language.

Yet Awakeners didn’t seem to need any of that.

Even he himself was no exception. The moment he willed a skill to activate, the power responded.

There was no lengthy preparation, no complicated incantation, and no need to consciously construct some elaborate magical formula.

That shouldn’t have been possible.

At least, not according to the knowledge he had just acquired.

Unless...

Kael’s brows drew together as he considered the possibility.

Perhaps Awakeners were fulfilling the requirements through some other method without even realizing it.

Maybe their Skills themselves served as a medium for communicating with magic, or perhaps the process had already been completed when an ability was awakened.

There were simply too many possibilities, and with his current level of understanding, he didn’t have enough information to determine which one was correct.

He thought about it for a little longer before eventually letting the matter go.

There was no point in overthinking something he didn’t have enough knowledge to solve.

He would figure it out eventually.

For now, there were more immediate concerns.

Kael shifted his attention back to his body.

A couple of hours had passed since he drank the healing potions, and the difference was obvious. Most of the external injuries covering his body had already closed.

His internal injuries were another matter.

Those were healing much more slowly.

His organs and deeper tissues had suffered far more damage than his skin suggested, and even with his abnormal regenerative ability, they would need more time before he could consider himself fully recovered.

Still, the improvement was enough.

At least now he could stand.

Kael slowly pushed himself upright.

His body protested immediately, but there was no longer the crippling weakness that had forced him to remain still earlier. He steadied himself for a moment before taking a few careful steps.

Good enough.

It was time to leave the Tower.