286 Chapter 286 – Lighting Up the Second Face 2 in 1

With a smile, Wang Zhong said, "It's not necessary to use the word 'living', as the term living runic patterns is simply a term that we've used to allow us to conduct a discussion review. If we are to define the meaning of life in such a definite manner, we'll lose the original intention of why we are researching these runes in the first place. That would also alter the path of our research into an irreversible path, a biased path."

Moore started to wrinkle his forehead as he listened to Wang Zhong's explanation. In terms of perception, moore was indeed weaker than Old Potter and Wang Zhong as his strong points lay in research and calculations. One's composition of runic array diagrams was the most important requirement in the creation of runic weapons. The research on living runes was already slightly too difficult for Moore to handle since it was too subversive to all common knowledge. For this reason, Moore felt that his brains were not capable of allowing him to progress to a higher realm of comprehension. "Not living runes? What does that mean?"

On the contrary, Old Potter gave a fierce pat on his head and laughed loudly. "You truly have an astonishing perception, brat! That's right, we've recently encountered a bottleneck in the question on living runes. Indeed, we have been somewhat biased in our definite science ever since the beginning of our research. The term 'living runes' is just a phrase we use to define those runic patterns, yet the key is that runes aren't life! The runes on the stone slab appeared to be in disorder, yet they also have a type of rhythm to them. This, this is…"

He squeezed his brain juices as much as he could in an attempt to think of a more suitable term. Yet, Wang Zhong took the lead and asked, "What about principle runes or order runes?"

"That's tight! Principle! Order! These are the keys to our research!"

These two old men were not planning to sleep, however, Wang Zhong did not consider accompanying them in their unlimited brainstorming. When it truly came down to background and knowledge, the two old experts had far surpassed him by gargantuan lengths. Going back to sleep was more worth it for him.

Ma Dong ran back in the middle of the night, instantly waking up student Wang, who was deep in his sweet dreams., with a big bear hug. At this moment, the former's face was slightly flushed from the excitement brimming with in that still had not faded after an entire day.

In the past, when Wang Zhong had told him about the Fate Master and handed him the stone slab, it had not garnered much feeling in Ma Dong. After all, the character of student Wang Zhong was the opposite of great president Ma. While Ma Dong was able to blow an extremely ordinary matter into something astonishing and soul stirring, Wang Zhong had the ability to turn an extremely astonishing and soul stirring matter into in something casual and unassuming. Emily had always wondered how two people of completely different characters and personalities were able to live together and have such a good friendship. Just like how opposite poles of a magnet attracted each other, two extremes could result in the most perfect of friendships. Naturally though, it was easy for a lot of people to overlook the most important step of this connection between positive and negative, which was that both sides needed to be magnets for this work.

Ma Dong spent his entire night in a panicky and fluttery state, itching to rush off and fine Wang Zhong after dealing with the distinguished guests. He was simply unable to find a way till daybreak. With such stimulation from the matters that had happened during the day, how would he be able to sleep just like that?

"Just relax. There'll be no problems. You can use the name of the Fate Master in any way you want. Being a master or a disciple, all of them are okay…" Wang Zhong smiled cheekily.

Waving his hands, Ma Dong replied hastily, "Your current position is a mystery and leaving it as that would be the best thing to do. As for the detailed intricacies, the less people know, the better. This also includes me, since if I know too much it might result in others being able to spot mistakes easily."

Ma Dong knew that he was now in contact with formidable people. Knowing more would increase the chances of him making a mistake. As of now, Wang Zhong's safety was the number one priority, as it also resulted in Ma Dong's safety.

"Now, the most important thing would be to deal with the Stuart Family. Do you really not want to see the attached clauses just for safety reasons? Also, that holographic image of the Golden Stone Slab, aren't you afraid they'll make a fake one to try and deceive you?"

"That's why the first condition of this deal would be for me to check the authenticity of the holographic image of the stone slab," replied Wang Zhong. "As for the other clauses, do as you wish."

Ma Dong was speechless from Wang Zhong's reply. This was a super big bill close to 10 billion credits! There was truly no one out there who would be as casual as Wang Zhong even when faced with such a large amount of money. "You're the best! Oh, that's right. Although the final transaction won't be completed in the auction, the auction will take 1% of the final bid as commission according to the rules. What will you do about the rest of the money?"

"That's your area of specialization. Do as you see fit. We'll split it equally between the two of us," replied Wang Zhong with a smile. After knowing the mysteries of the dimension worlds, his attraction to things like money had decreased greatly.

A vacant expression appeared on Ma Dong's face when he heard Wang Zhong's reply. Although he and Wang Zhong were best buddies who had gone through thick and thin, they were talking about a fortune worth more than 10 billion credits! It even included a piece of territory that could not be purchased by money!

Furthermore, there was an extremely high possibility of a spatial fissure to appear in the vicinity of that land according to the news that his family had gathered. If that happened, the value of it would multiply several-fold! Nevertheless, Wang Zhong had handed it over to Ma Dong to manage in a single sentence, with the latter also receiving half the monetary amount just like that. This was just…

"There's no problem in helping you manage the land, however, about the matter of splitting the money evenly, don't mention it again if you truly treat me as your brother. Are you trying to insult me like that?" Only after quite a while did Ma Dong regain his senses, rejecting Wang Zhong straight out. "What's more, I have yet to achieve independence in my family. If you were to give me half of it, the money would not end up in my pockets. Although I don't have any hatred or resentment towards my family, how can I help my family defraud my brother, right? This time, I've really learnt a lesson."

"Alright. How about this? I have an opportunity. The family has an estimated cost for this entire project, which is roughly 20 billion. I'll represent you as an investor for this project, and should be able to obtain about 60% of the stocks for this. By being your representative, it'll be more than enough for me to secure a position within my family!" Ma Dong exclaimed in excitement. This was what he really wanted. Even if he wanted to invest in the project, he refused to use Wang Zhong's money. This entire experience had taught him not to become a plaything for his family, and to achieve this, he had to possess his own power.

After saying this, Ma Dong utilized his silver tongue to convince Wang Zhong about his plan, and his satisfaction of doing such a job. If he was faced with choosing between his family and Wang Zhong, Ma Dong would pick Wang Zhong without the slightest bit of hesitation. While the family had treated him like a tool, he and Wang Zhong were brothers that were about to achieve great things together. At the same time, Ma Dong had given Wang Zhong a detailed introduction of the radiative effects that a spatial pathway would bring, as well as its uses and benefits, which ended up in lulling Wang Zhong to sleep…

Emily stood in the corridor, staring straight ahead. The road before her appeared slightly dark and long, something she did not like. This was the environment that she had grown up in. She had not moved a single inch for three hours, standing still. The only thing visible to her was a glass cabinet, containing historical photos and names of the previous generation members of the Assassin Family. A single look would show the numerous quantity of names, something that would creep people out if they were to see it.

How many people needed to sacrifice their lives just for a single name?

This was something that she neither understood nor felt in the past. However, after staying in Tianjing for a period of time, she finally understood the feeling of helplessness. She had thirsted to being able to defeat an opponent like how she had imagined during combat, yet reality was a torment as the only thing she possessed was the name of Assassin. During the group training, there were many times when she sought out people for advice and guidance, however, their replies when facing her were all only courtesies, a distant smile, and flatteries. All of them were directed not at her, but at the name of Assassin and the people in the glass cabinet.

Creak. The large doors of the family leader's office were pushed open. With a perpetually emotionless face, the old steward bowed respectfully towards Emily before saying, "Please come in, miss."

"Thank you." Exhaling deeply, Emily walked through the large doors.

A white haired Tumo sat on a sofa chair, his eyes half open as he sized up Emily and said, "You came back."

Nodding her head, Emily replied, "Grandpa, I want to become stronger!"

Tumo gave a faint smile and asked, "Why?"

Hearing such a strange question, Emily instantly gawked. Was there even a need for a reason? Nevertheless, she replied, "While I was in Tianjing, I felt how weak and small I am. I want to become stronger!"

Shaking his head at her reply, Tumo said, "You don't understand the price of becoming stronger. If that's all that you know, you should go back. Follow your original thoughts of being carefree and living happily. In the future, you'll marry a good person. This is what your parents had fought for with their lives."

This was a matter privy only to the inner circle of the Assassin Family. As a successor, there was no way she would be allowed to live such a "willful" life, regardless of her qualifications or talent. This was something that was obtained by Emily's parents in exchange for their lives, completing a great mission for the family. After they had done so, they had only one request, which was to allow Emily to live the life she wished.

Emily shook her head resolutely. On her way home, she had already sorted out her thoughts. Her current life was indeed satisfying as no one forced her to train. By relying solely on her talent, she had managed to achieve her current level of strength. While in Tianjing, however, she had learnt and seen too much. Barran's disastrous experience and harsh words, Colby's determination for quota naturally led to the most important lesson; her wish to not drag others down.

"You have to think clearly about this. Once you start, you can never go back. If you want to obtain strength, you have to contribute to the family. This is the assassin's way in out Assassin Family." Tumo's voice was still as gentle as before.

Nodding her head, Emily replied, "Grandpa, I'll work hard!"

Hearing her reply, Tumo gave a smile, one which appeared extremely radiant, as though it contained the flavor of something else.

"Very good. Emily wants to accept the way of the assassin."

After Emily had left happily, the steward appeared quietly. "Master, won't this be a little too cruel for the miss? After all, she has yet to make proper preparations…"

"Our Assassin Family has reached the cusp of life and death. Everyone must face this. She is of my bloodline!" Towards the end of his sentence, a sliver of arrogance appeared in tumo Assassin's expression.

A matter that was extremely bothersome for Wang Zhong was something that Ma Dong thrived at. As the auction had ended, both Sharmie and Laura wanted to head back, as the summer holidays for the various academies was right round the corner. Both of them had a large squadron of people waiting for the two captains to train and practice. It was said that the two sat on the same armored train, something which resulted in many quiet prayers for the passengers aboard for three minutes. On the off chance that sparks flew between the two, it would be extremely easy for them to cause the entire carriage to flip off its tracks.

Two days later was the day of the transaction with the Stuart Family.

Legend said the stone slab was where one would be able to obtain the strength of principles. For so many years, there was not a single person able to decipher the mysteries that laid within it. If someone wanted to borrow the stone slab, the Stuart Family would definitely hesitate. Compared to that, they were not worried about a mere holographic image.

While Ma Dong used his Skylink to transmit over a set of holographic images, Wang Zhong waited in the dormitory. From the looks of it, the Stuart Family has shown sufficient sincerity, as the holographic images were exceedingly thorough and detailed. The three dimensional image displayed the entirety of the incomparably detailed sides of the stone slab. With just one look, Wang Zhong was already able to know that this was the best of the best, as the Fate Stone in him was already stirring and responding.

Remaining calm and unhurried, Wang Zhong sent an "Ok" message to Ma Dong, before shutting his Skylink off.

As he sensed the runes on the surface of the stone slab in detail, he could tell that they were completely different to the elementary runic system used by mankind and the living runes they were researching. These were genuine "runes", and far exceeded the scope of mankind's current research level. Even with Wang Zhong's skill in perception, they appeared like heavenly scriptures that were completely undecipherable.

The twelve faces of the Fate Stone began to stir and activate, with the second face being pulled out and enlarged from the distance. The golden runes from the stone slab in the holographic image started to drill into Wang Zhong's body as though they were alive. At that very instant, they felt exactly like the prickling sensation caused by needles. While this was happening, the runic pathways on the second face of the Fate Stone instantly lit up. Upon seeing that the runes started to move akin to being alive, Wang Zhong could not help but feel slightly excited.

He could determine that each of the twelve faces of the Fate Stone corresponded to a different power for a total of twelve powers. The previous time, it was flames. What could it be this time?

Wang Zhong was brimming with anticipation, as he was extremely clear on the degree of difficulty required just to obtain this stone slab. He would not be able to have such luck every time he entered the hyperdimension. As he quietly waited, a second face had indeed lit up too…

However, there were no distinct nor obvious feelings about this compared to the previous time. As the fate Stone returned back to its quiet state, Wang Zhong continued to sense for a while before wondering, it seems like nothing happened?

After waiting for a while longer, Wang Zhong tried to sense any changes. Yet, it was still the same.

Was it because it was just a holographic image?

This isn't possible, huh. At the very least, another face of the Fate Stone had lit up slightly. There was no doubt this, as the stone slab should be a recording object with the truly important aspect being the runes on its surface. Could it be that the physical body of the stone slab was just a primer?

Wang Zhong continued to ponder about this for quite a while. Although the Fate Stone was inside his body, it was definitely considered to have an arrogant and idle character, moving when and where it desired without Wang Zhong's control. There were only two reasons as to why this was possible. The first would be that it indeed required stone slabs, something that he was unable to fulfil. At the beginning, Wang Zhong had apprehensions about this point. If he was to borrow the stone slab from the Stuart Family, it was possible that his identity would be exposed, Furthermore, it would result in a complete change in the difficulty of the entire transaction.

The second possibility was that the new abilities were too mysterious, or that it was not yet classifiable within the systems of his scope of understanding; perhaps things that were not as easy to sense and feel like water, fire, wind and lightning? Or perhaps it was due to his first ability of pyrogenesis still being in an extremely weak state, leading to his second ability being unstimulated and unable to erupt out?

With no experience nor previous incidents as comparison, Wang Zhong could only speculate. He could assume that everything that was possible.

This was slightly disappointing. Wang Zhong smacked his lips, before feeling that his actions were laughable. He had gotten the fire special ability in such an easy and relaxed manner, that this caused himself to forget that there anything in this world that could be obtained without paying a price. Wanting to be happy and content would require him to understand his own pyrogenesis before moving his thoughts forward.

In the next instant, however, Wang Zhong started to laugh like a fool. Even without any special abilities, he was already extremely satisfied with himself. The feeling of having the peak level of 200 grassos flowing around in his body freely was too good! The feeling of having explosive energies brimming within his body was something that he had never experienced before. Furthermore, not only did his Soul Power increase, he felt an even more frightening feeling of being completely synchronised, as though this was the first time that his body was able to keep up with his thoughts and reactions. The harmony and coordination of his entire body had reached a new level which caused him to feel intoxicated and revel in this new grown fusion.