Countless worlds exist and more often than not the laws and powers that governed these worlds differed. There may be common points depending on how close the worlds are in the greater cosmos. Hiro's world was different from this one, power from his world originated from one's will be it magic or some other beyond human powers. While in this world there were runes powered by life force. In a way this world was a step back from his, both sharing the existence of life force. And by virtue of it being common meant people from Hiro's world could potentially use runes. While this world might not harness the power of wills. Of course this was not Hiro's point of interest, by knowing this world's power, fighting the fragment would become less of an effort than not knowing this world's power.

  "Runes... Well to start of runic scripture is the language of worlds. In order to use one you first need to be acknowledged by a world. Doesn't matter if you use your life force or the world's life force, without a world's acknowledgement they're just fanciful symbols. All runes have meaning by infusing life force into them that meaning is brought to life. Beyond that it's just fields of expertise, level of mastery and the various meanings of these runes"

  (I don't think it was using runes earlier but asking for more will not hurt). "We might fight side by side, knowing these fields will be of some help. Mind giving me just the basic run down"

  Said Hiro moving to one corner of the balcony.

  "It isn't that complicated there are three and half ranks known with others speculated to exist, I won't be mentioning those though. There's the lowest rank rune apprentice, mid rank rune expert, highest rank rune master and finally grand master which is just rune master who utilizes more power per rune than a normal master. All ranks further divided into three levels, entry level, mid level and peak level. The paths or fields are where it gets complicated, to simplify there are three basic paths warrior, finder and helper"

  Aleus pointed at Hiro's sword before continuing.

  "Warrior path is self explanatory so I'll skip it explaining the other two, finder is a path that studies the runes themselves to find ways to fuse and dismantle already existing runes to create new ones."

  He said while taking out a pen and drawing on air. As he traced his pen on air drawing a gold light followed along creating two runes, one meaning cold the other meaning water. After writing he fused the two runes into a single rune, meaning ice.

  "This is one example but obviously I am not making anything new here. Dismantle the rune of magma you get a heat and an earth rune respectively."

  He put the pen away before he praised.

  "Finder is by far the best path and has knowledge on runes from all paths"

  "You're a finder aren't you"

  "Guilty as charged. I'm a master mid level by the way"

  He said proudly raising both hands.

  "The helper path is also self explanatory in a way in which it involves using runes that improve everyday life be it communication, transportation, health and anything that fits this category. In short rune technology."

  (This is far from what I was expecting, glad I asked.)

  From their names Hiro was under the impression finders were scout related rune practitioners while helper rune practitioners delved in healing or supporting role in a combat unit.

  "It is a pretty simple system if you ask me"

  "Well it does get complicated when you dive into more than the basic and how everyone can specialise in more than one path. Me for example a finder, sub warrior, same with Arisu but a level lower"

  By assessing how Aleus cemented how Arisu was a level lower, Hiro speculated that these two were either twins or Arisu was older however from Aleus's behavior earlier Hiro believed the former was more likely. Regarding the matter about runes Hiro could see how it was not an exaggeration.

  With how many runes existed even the single path of finder had many branches, finding runes of a particular category like elemental, or warrior having swordsman, spearman, archer, brawler, ...etc.

  "Warriors are the most simple and their sub path is usually finder, if they have one that is"

  "I can imagine why, making new runes to improve their battle style"

  "That's them alright. Always surprises me, how their muscle brains have the room and capacity to develop new runes to strengthen themselves."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Oh, we warrior types should be dumb is that it"

  Said Hiro with an eye brow raised looking at Aleus.

  "In my defense I'm a warrior too, it's okay for me to say that."

  "I don't think having it as a sub counts"

  "It definitely counts"

  The two argued over this before moving on to Hiro asking a few other things he was curious about and after having understood the idea behind them, he sat at his corner meditating. After reaching the rank of sword grandmaster he could master and improve any sword technique by seeing it once while practicing with the body no longer had any improvement, only mental training and actual combat would lead his progression.

  Not wanting to disturb him Aleus went back inside. It was perhaps time for him to finally talk to his father about a few things, maybe a lot of things.

  (Now that I know what others don't, even if the disaster will take years to arrive... no that's wrong, the disaster has already begun it will simply be at its final stage after those years)

  He thought as he navigated his way around the hall looking for his father, the king. From his conversation with Hiro, he could deduce a few things even without Hiro stating them one of which being the fragment was getting stronger by the minute. In order to make the a sun it would have to have increased its life force be it from absorbing it from other worlds or some other way. But by knowing how the moon was formed he knew it wouldn't be an instant change it would be gradually from moon creator to sun creator. How strong it would get in a week's time he couldn't be sure. But his intuition told him going past a week before doing anything would be dangerous if it doesn't lead to death, the longer they waited the greater the chance of death became.

  "Father, which do you think comes first, adjusting to the changes or moving to subjugate the dragon and confront the changes after?"

  "Aleus, what brought on such a question?"

  "Mere curiosity father"

  "Isn't ushering in a new age our duty. Sending out apprentices across the land as soon as we're able and giving our people the hope they need, hastening the rise from fall. As much as the dragon looms over us, we don't know how long the subjugation would take. You know how long the war between it and the masters at the time lasted, a full month."

  Aleus knew this was true, with the skies now clear the people would be driven into confusion and who would they look up to for answers, them. As both masters and royalty this was something they couldn't avoid more so when today of all days, the meeting of masters, the skies cleared. At the same time the life force being restored didn't bring new life, the forests were still gone the land as desolate as before but with their runes an entire forest could be raised in a week by a group of rune masters and rune experts. Forests meant food and self sufficiency of non rune practitioners, right now they were relying on runes just to get by every single day.

  "How long do you think it'll take before neighboring kingdoms pay us a visit?"

  "Bad or not, some foreign masters have already left for their kingdoms, word is spreading faster than it can be contained. Some have already sent word of their visit and circumstances don't allow for us to refuse."

  The king sighed before finishing the glass of wine on hand.

  "Worse yet we can not conceal the change originated from within the palace, that pulse of life force was definitely felt world wide. By now I'm sure those foreign masters have reported as much as they know. With that in mind I believe we'll see them before two days time. How long they'll stay, even I cannot predict that. They'll snoop around trying to figure out the secrets of today. Luckily everyone present at the time is part of the court's inner circle."

  Fortunate or otherwise by dismissing everyone after the defeat of Jura with only officials of Akarn left saved him a great deal of headaches he believed.

  "Fortunately our other saving grace is that he introduced himself as someone who doesn't wield life force."

  Added Aleus noticing the grim look on his father, while he could see this to any outsider the king looked as indifferent as before.

  (Sigh, nothing looks good on all fronts. Waiting for master is no longer an option, I'll have to find her.)

  He agonised over what to do, he could tell them the truth but how many would believe and how many would be rational about it, and could a conclusion be reached within time. To begin with Hiro the source of the information was a suspicious person by all accounts, his background unknown.

  (I believe him but can the same be said of everyone else. Even if they do would they not let personal interests interfere in their judgment.)

  "Father I will go out and search for master, do I have your permission?"

  "I don't think it'll be necessary with this commotion on the horizon, I believe she'll find her way back sooner than you can find her. In the meantime I want you to keep watch over our guest, we can't have outsiders threatening him. Offending him could lead to something catastrophic, if he can heal the world, harming it should be a simple matter."

  With what they had seen they didn't believe anyone would succeed in harming him but even the attempt itself could possibly ruin the relationship between him and them. And as Hiro's hosts they couldn't allow such a thing. "Yes father I'll do just that. And before I forget I asked him that question, he said there's no one like him on the continent"

  The king deeply doubted this in his heart.

  "He could have been lying, if one such person exists what's to stop another. But a new power is strange enough he really might just be the only one possessing it"

  Conversing with his father cleared a few things out for the prince. He would wait a day or two and see what he does with the information in hand.

  (Sigh. This is really headache inducing, the elites of Akarn are mostly people of the state. With them gone for who knows how long, how will things turn out. It seems being a kingdom of Runes has its challenges too)

  Everyone went on with the gathering merrily, not many knew this was just the calm before the storm. A race had begun and all kingdoms were participants, a race for which kingdom will claim the new age. Former structures and systems had been ruined but with how the world was now, restoring everything was possible. But this required more than runes, a kingdom's economy was not something runes could control directly thus the first kingdom to reach self sufficiency for non rune practitioners would win and could even conquer more land or the continent whole if they so desire. Akarn had an advantage in this race but if they shifted their focus to the fragment, that was the same as giving up on the race.