Chapter 142: Chapter 142

Imari's face lit up, a brilliant flash of vermilion against her pale skin as she shot her hand into the air with the eagerness of a child.

The subtle ripple of her voice, a melody pure and enchanting, filled the room as she, carelessly, revealed her Level of Existence without a hint of fear.

Still, she gained a disapproving glare from the others.

“Sorry, Big sis, but it would be best if it were a male, as he person would need to be shirtless.”

Sokram refused, knowing that the slightest mistake could burn her skin and shatter the fragile trust he had just begun to build.

“What are you trying to do?” Kairo raised an eyebrow.

Despite his calm exterior, the suspicion concealed in his eyes was easy to see through.

“My grandmothers always told me when I was a child that the best way to prove sincerity is to go further than what is expected. So, the enchantment of the ring was a personal gift to Imari. This will be a gift for the Red Moon and to prove I am sincere in my intentions toward you.”

A warm, inviting smile settled on Sokram's face, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a convincing display of good intentions.

“All of this for a non-aggression pact?” Kairo raised an eyebrow.

“No, the price I’m paying for the non-aggression pact is these three techniques.”

Sokram explained as he patted the three sealed scrolls on his lap, which he left there leisurely, knowing no one would act the fool with Hannah sitting right next to him.

Kairo's voice, calm and commanding, echoed in the sudden silence.

He didn't have to look.

There was a subtle shift in the air, the nearly undetectable movements in the corners of the room as Kairo's order went out to the shadows hidden in the ceiling and behind the furniture.

They were like ghosts, a silent and deadly defense.

‘Twenty-five’ Sokram silently counted, choosing not to expose their number to preserve the illusion of safety within their own home.

Yet, that failed, as neither he nor his grandmothers seemed to be taken aback or even slightly surprised when the feline-kin woman dropped from the ceiling right behind the sofa they were in and left by the door they had entered.

‘Pitiful show of power…’ Hannah’s smirk betrayed her thoughts.

A few minutes later, the door swung open.

A 1.9-meter-tall burly man in his early thirties, a wall of muscle and leather. With short brown hair and brown eyes, his figure filled the doorway.

His boots thudded softly on the rug as he entered, and his voice, a deep, rumbling baritone, cut through the quiet: “Here, Boss.”

“Take your shirt off,” Kairo ordered.

Jorvi's brow furrowed, a strange, puzzled look crossing his face.

He thought Kairo was joking.

But seeing Kairo’s and everyone’s serious expression, Jorvi understood his boss was serious and followed the order.

Sokram looked at the man with a smile and pointed at the floor in front of him, “I need to draw on your back and shoulders.”

Jorvi nodded and sat in front of Sokram, but once he saw the blood ink that was shimmering with mana, he instinctively flinched.

“Is it going to hurt?”

“Not if you don’t move.” Sokram grinned jokingly.

A ripple of laughter spread through the room as the other leaders watched the big brute flinch as if the blood ink itself might leap at him.

The pencil in Sokram's hand, dipped in the shimmering blood-ink, moved with swift, confident strokes across Jorvi's back.

The ink, warm and thick, felt like a living thing as it was drawn into the lines and curves of the intricate tattoo.

The Wood Elf, who had read the runes for the ring, had his eyes narrowed in a confused frown as he leaned closer, trying to decipher the complex runic inscriptions.

Sokram's drawing was an intricate piece of art, resembling a tribal tattoo.

The runic inscriptions were so complex, so layered with intent, that only a Rune Crafting Master could hope to decipher them, and even so, it would take a long time.

Once he was done, Sokram looked at Hannah, “Do you have any Chaos or Beast Core stored? I used everything I had during the attack.”

“Which level?” Hannah flashed him a grin, already searching through her ring.

“Flawless would be best, but Reformed will work fine too,” Sokram's tone remained nonchalant, as if he wasn't asking for something worth a fortune.

Hannah summoned a Flawless Beast Core from her spatial ring, a polished orb of pure energy that glowed with a soft, internal light, about the size of a fist.

Sokram's hand, placed flat on Jorvi’s back over the runic tattoo, began transferring the energy from the Core into the drawing.

“Don’t resist it,” he warned, his tone focused and serious, "or this time, it will truly hurt."

Jorvi only nodded meekly, and Sokram activated the spell.

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A sound that vibrated in everyone's bones as a torrent of raw energy, so vast and chaotic it made the air shimmer, coursed from the Core into Jorvi’s body.

The other leaders took a collective step back, their faces pale with fear as they worried Jorvi was about to be torn apart from the inside.

Instead, it was the Core that started shrinking, slowly.

As it lost its size, the energy in it was absorbed by the mark that extended from Jorvi’s upper back to his shoulders.

The runic mark on Jorvi’s back, once a simple tattoo, now pulsed with a faint, crimson light, a visible sign of the power it held.

It wasn't just a glow; it was like liquid fire that rhythmically pulsed, mirroring the beating of a heart.

Everyone's eyes widened in a collective gasp of shock and sudden realization.

“That’s the spell you used on the day of the attack!” The Wood Elf’s eyes widened in shock.

“No, this is the finished and stable version. What I used during the attack was more of a prototype…” Sokram's lips thinned into a grimace.

A flash of memory, the chaotic rush to save his family and the city during the orcs' attack.

He could still feel the phantom pain in his muscles, veins, and every fiber of his body caused by his rushed spell.

A byproduct of the desperate act of a man who was running out of time. He remembered the mistakes, the minimal but critical flaws in his design that he had overlooked in his haste.

But while he recovered in his Soul Realm, he had time to correct the mistakes he made, and now he could translate the Body of the Ancients to a simple Runic Spell without risking the health of the user.

“I was planning to call Runic Body Mark, but my naming sense is quite cringy. Any idea on a better name?” Sokram shot Hannah a sheepish look when the Core that was in his hand disappeared completely.

“How about Runic Blood Tattoo or Runic Blood Marks since you use quite the expensive blood ink to draw it without damage to the body?” Hannah suggested.

“Alright, we’ll go with that. First product of our Magic and Alchemy Stores.” Sokram nodded, mumbling to himself.

Then, turning to Jorvi, he tapped him back, “How do you feel? Wait for the energy to settle, and we can test it, alright?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for the honor, sir!” Jorvi nodded eagerly, realizing he was probably the first one other than Sokram to ever receive these runic markings.

“What does it do?” Kairo looked at Jorvi, failing to contain his curiosity.

“This one in particular mainly increases strength, but also dexterity for strength control,” Sokram explained, gaining him a few surprised looks. This update ıs available on n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

“Of course, it won’t be to the same level as those I used during the battle. But right now and for the next two weeks, if he doesn’t overuse it, he will have the strength of a Tier 10 Reformed Existence.”

Kairo couldn’t contain his surprise.

Imari, Fjonna, and Fjoli covered their mouths to silence another surprised gasp that escaped their mouths.

The other leaders exchanged subtle, skeptical glances.

Their arms were crossed, their expressions a mix of disbelief and caution. They were experienced warriors, men and women who had seen countless battles, and they knew that power didn't come without a price.

But Sokram paid them no mind, knowing the results would speak for themselves, and concluded by adding, “I believe that in battle, they can last for an entire day. But expensive as these marks are, I believe no one would use them recklessly, right?”

“It’s something that can definitely shift the tide of a battle at a crucial point.” Kairo nodded, understanding that, if the Runic Blood Tattoos worked as he said, it would be a valuable tool.

Especially for a mercenary group like theirs.

“You said it will become a product of your stores. When will they open?”

“In two or three years, there is still much to prepare.”

Sokram scratched the back of his head, thinking of how much work there would be, but pushed those thoughts aside so he wouldn’t suffer from anticipation.

“But to the Red Moon, I’ll gift the Mark of Controlled Strength today.”

“Only this one then?” Kairo looked at him with a flicker of disappointment.

This was Sokram’s turn to frown, “Aren’t you being greedy, Uncle? I’m showing you goodwill, and you want me to open the safe in my house so you can choose from?”

He shook his head disappointedly.

Kairo looked at him, taken aback as no deal had been settled yet, so he believed he held the power in the negotiation. But with that simple statement, Kairo started to feel the power shifting.

It was then that Sokram’s practiced businessman smile appeared, as he offered, “But… if you want the other Marks, I can sell them to you. Ten thousand gold each. But before Uncle says it's too expensive, why don’t you test it? Jorvi, here is ready, right?”

“Yes, sir. I feel so much stronger!” Seeing Jorvi acting like that, it felt almost as if he had changed sides.

But the reason Kairo had chosen him was precisely because he knew how honest Jorvi was.

“If that’s the case, then come, let me test your strength!” Kairo stood up and walked to the other end of the room.

Jorvi followed him, looking somewhat concerned, but Kairo assured him, “This won’t break your Oath, Jorvi. This is for the sake of the Red Moon, now punch me with all your strength!”

Kairo rested his hands on his waist and stuffed his chest.

Sokram was about to warn them to at least raise some barriers, but he was too late.

Jorvi, with all his might, punched Kairo on the chest, forcing the wolf three steps back, which shocked everyone, as Kairo was the strongest in their group.

More shocking than that was the huge hole that formed on the wall behind him as Jorvi’s punch carried the strength of a Tier 10 Reformed Existence.

Kairo looked behind him, seeing the city, and he looked down, and was thankful to see that no one was hit by the debris in the back alley behind the tavern.

He looked at Sokram, who sat there with his hand raised with an awkward expression, “I was about to say you should have raised at least a barrier or two. But well… too late, right?”

At that moment, not even his grandmothers could look at him without surprise, because that was something they had never seen before.

Not even Hannah, in all her years, has seen such an absurd and instantaneous way of increasing someone’s strength.

Now the squad leaders of the Red Moon looked at him with awe instead of skepticism.

But Sokram just leaned back, sitting between his Hannah and Margiory, and asked Kairo with a smile, “So, did you like the gift? Which other Marks will you want to buy?”

Kairo realized then, even if he was the one buying, the power of this negotiation was never in his hands. Because he would never let such an opportunity escape, unless he was a fool, which he wasn’t.

After a few more minutes of negotiation, besides the Cultivation Techniques and the Mark of Controlled Strength.

Sokram gifted them the technique of Runic Blood Mark activation, which the Wood Elf, who was also a Rune Crafter, would be responsible for learning how to use.

Sokram also sold five other marks: Fast Health Regeneration, Controlled Speed, Increase Magi Exertion, Increased Aura Exertion, and Controlled Stealth.

“But I must warn you, until you master drawing it and activating it without messing someone’s energy flow, don’t draw more than just one mark per person. Otherwise, even if this version is safe and stable, the energy of a beast isn’t.”

Sokram warned the elf, who nodded eagerly and obediently as if he was talking with a millenary Rune Master instead of someone much younger than him.

Then, remembering something, Sokram added one last warning, “And don’t try using Chaos Cores, I only did it because I was sure I could purify it. You have been warned.”

Sokram warned as sternly and as clearly as he could, so no one would blame him later.

Besides, he eagerly wanted to recruit the Red Moon into his clan to increase the number of forces he controlled.

He would need good fighters in the not-so-distant future.

After signing the contracts and agreeing on the day King Lucien would send someone to sign the non-aggression pact, Sokram scheduled with them when he would start converting the Cores for those of the Flawless level.

And teach them how to convert the cores of those below the Flawless level.

The reason Sokram was being so generous with sharing knowledge wasn’t only to gain their trust, but also because, although they weren’t bound to duty in Eversnow, they risked their lives to protect it.

Thus, in his eyes, they gained that much favor from him.

As Sokram and his grandmothers were preparing to leave, Imari approached him and bowed politely, “Once again, from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, thank you for saving Kilina’s life.”

Her voice was low and trembling, as though each word was carrying a weight she’d held too long.

Although Sokram's fame as a hero was a simple byproduct of his wanting to save his people, he accepted her gratitude.

“You and your family are welcome, big sis. And thank you for the song, that was a gift I never dreamt of receiving, but one I’ll never forget.”

After that, Sokram saluted them once more, and he and his grandmothers finally left.