CH482 Spell Enhancement Rune Tattoo

***

As for why Alex didn't simply route the energy through Zora's own energy pathways, the reason was straightforward.

That was the very problem he was trying to solve.

By modifying the Siphon Rune to also extract Yin-aligned energy, the rune itself would become a reservoir of Yin—the same Yin Alex was attempting to remove from Zora's body through this carefully constructed workaround.

If that energy were then transferred back into her body through her innate pathways, it would defeat the entire purpose of the system.

Thus, the energy had to be stored externally and utilised without ever re-entering her natural circulation.

With the energy supply method settled, Alex moved on to the Functionality component.

"The primary function of the new Rune Tattoo," he muttered, "will be to draw Yin-aligned energy from the Siphon Rune and use it to empower any spell Zora casts."

Naturally, Alex chose a solution that enhanced, rather than diminished, Zora's strength.

The simpler alternative would have been to have the Siphon Rune dump the extracted Yin energy outright. But that approach carried significant risks.

Uncontrolled release of true cold energy was a disaster waiting to happen.

It would turn Zora into a walking epicentre of freezing chill—her surroundings perpetually locked in an icy hell that leeched warmth from everything nearby. Worse still, it would make it impossible for her to remain around others safely.

And beyond the danger, it was also an incredible waste.

A significant portion of Zora's power—beyond her natural talent—came from the excess mana and enhanced potency generated by the Nirvana markings. Simply siphoning and discarding that energy would cripple her combat potential.

So Alex chose a different approach.

His method would remove the immediate danger posed by the Nirvana markings—the surplus Yin energy overwhelming her body and freezing her from within—by relocating that energy outside her body.

At the same time, it would allow her to continue using that power in much the same way she already did.

Only now, it would be buffered from her body, allowing safe and perhaps even more controlled use.

"Just to be safe," Alex added quietly, "I'll also need to expand the Siphon Rune's storage capacity and reinforce its confinement structure."

With that, a complete blueprint began to take shape in his mind.

This project wouldn't just create a new Rune Tattoo—it would also upgrade an existing one.

"The upgraded Siphon Rune Tattoo will siphon both ambient mana and Yin-aligned energy produced by the Nirvana markings," Alex summarised. "These combined energies will be stored within an enlarged, reinforced internal reservoir."

"And the new Rune Tattoo—let's call it the Spell Enhancement Rune Tattoo for now—will draw from that reservoir to supercharge, at will, any spell Zora casts with the added potency of Yin-aligned mana."

Alex leaned back slightly for a holistic look at the blueprint.

Indeed, it was elegant, efficient, and most importantly—kept Zora safe.

Within the span of a few hours, Alex produced a complete outline of rune designs that matched his blueprint. With the theoretical framework in place, all that remained was the painstaking work of fleshing out the details and bringing the design fully to life.

That, however, wasn't something he could finish in a single night.

Satisfied with his progress, Alex decided to retire for the night.

He re-equipped his Beta Bracer and rose from the modular rune table. Taking a cursory glance around the Sanctuary, he noted that nothing significant had changed. Prompting OmniRune, a gate opened before him, and he stepped through—leaving the pocket dimension behind.

Once Alex exited, the Sanctuary returned to its usual stillness.

Save, of course, for the quiet, rhythmic pulsing of the golden cocoon housing the Nest Queen as she digested the newly imbibed Faith energy… and the faint rustling of fresh leaves growing on the branches of the metaphysical bonsai tree.

When Alex returned to real space, he found Zora seated nearby, clearly waiting for him.

Beside her, Udara and Eleanor had fallen asleep, likely after waiting far longer than they should have.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Zora.

"Your sudden actions earlier worried them," she said softly. "They've never seen you so angry—especially not at me."

There was a faint, endearing smile on her lips as she glanced at the two sleeping women. Two more members of her growing family.

"They were worried," she added, turning her gaze back to Alex. "So… I told them everything."

"You did?" Alex blinked, genuinely surprised.

"Why not?" Zora replied lightly. "I know everything about them—maybe even more than you do." She winked. "It's only fair they know about me as well."

"I see…" Alex hesitated. "I guess that's… good?"

"It is," Zora affirmed. Then she said, "When I told them someone was still angry at me, they decided to stay up and wait for said person to return—so they could plead on my behalf."

She chuckled softly.

"Aren't they cute?"

"So instead of meditating to recover from today's exhaustion," Alex said slowly, "they stayed up waiting for me… and fell asleep?"

"Pretty much," Zora replied.

Alex nodded, understanding settling in.

Both Eleanor and Udara had pushed themselves hard throughout the day.

Eleanor, in particular, had cast an extraordinary number of healing spells—keeping not only the expedition party but also the orc forces and scattered adventurers alive during the nest battle.

While the purified berserk beast cores Alex provided replenished her mana stores, allowing her to cast that many spells, they did little to alleviate mental exhaustion.

And that was far harder to recover from.

It was much the same for Udara.

She had used [Shadow Dash] repeatedly during the nest raid. While the technique itself consumed little mana—thanks to her various bloodlines—the mental strain required to navigate the shadow realm without losing one's way was nothing to scoff at.

The fact that both women had even attempted to stay awake after returning to safety—after finally letting their guards down—just to wait for him, was already a feat in itself.

Zora suddenly stretched atop the seat, inadvertently flaunting her figure, before rising to her feet.

"Come on," she said. "Help me get them to bed, then we can talk. You came back earlier than I expected, so you must've come up with some sort of solution."

Her words carried absolute confidence in him.

Alex nodded.

He walked over to Eleanor, scooped her up effortlessly in a princess carry, and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently.

He was about to do the same for Udara when he suddenly felt danger lock onto him.

Udara attacked instinctively at his unexpected contact.

Before Alex could even react, the attack stopped.

He noticed the woman's nose twitch.

"Master…" she murmured in her sleep.

Alex froze for a moment.

He glanced at Zora—only to find her barely holding back laughter.

Shaking his head, Alex went ahead and lifted the sleeping Shadow Dancer anyway.

"Master…" Udara purred as he carried her, shifting closer and settling more comfortably against his chest, drawn by his scent.

'What are you? A cat?' Alex thought wryly.

Suppressing a sigh, he carried her to the large bed and tried to set her down.

Udara resisted faintly.

Her nose flared again, as if she was stocking up on his scent, before finally relaxing and letting go.

Alex tucked both women in properly, then returned to Zora.

"I thought I was helping you tuck them in," he said dryly. "Not doing all the work myself."

"Have you ever seen an Empress with the physical strength needed to carry someone else?" Zora countered.

Alex rolled his eyes—very much in a Zora-like fashion—before taking a seat.

"My plan," he said at last, "is to upgrade your Rune Tattoo… and bind another one while I'm at it."

***

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