Runes were the language of the world, which helped Runemasters achieve the desired results and also draw mana from the Astral World. They were the foundation of everything magical in the world.
Becky could have just used her Flameheart Sphere to cast a Fireball, but she wanted to try forming the Rune Spheres manually, so she abandoned that thought.
Once she recalled all the information needed to create a Fireball, Becky smiled and raised her hand. Her eyes burned with a crimson glow before she closed them.
Fireball was an F-Rank Rune Sphere, so it only needed a single layer. That was precisely why she had chosen this spell first, it was simple, foundational, and perfect for practice.
She controlled the ever-flowing mana around her and began to carve the Main Rune into the plane of her consciousness.
For Fireball, the Rune of the Fire Element served as the core. Around it, she needed to form a layer of subsidiary Runes that would give the spell more functionality, things like shaping, detonation timing, and homing behavior.
As the Fire Elemental Rune began to take shape before her, she felt some resistance from the world, making her frown slightly. It was as if she were trying to write something on a piece of paper, while invisible hands were waiting beside her to erase it the moment she began.
Becky's frown relaxed as she fought off the restrictions and focused. The Fire Rune lit up before her and began hovering in midair, affecting the surrounding region of her consciousness like ripples in water.
Then, she constructed a transparent sphere, encasing the Fire Rune inside it as the core. That part wasn't too hard. The difficulty came next—forming the subsidiary runes across the sphere's surface.
Her hands danced in the air, ash and embers falling lightly onto her skin as strange symbols began to carve themselves on the transparent shell out of nowhere.
It was as if someone were using an invisible pen to draw glowing glyphs in midair.
'Explosion Rune, Heat Concentration Rune, Homing Rune, Shaping Rune, Bloom Rune…'
One by one, Becky etched the Subsidiary Runes as if she had performed the process hundreds of times before. And in a sense, she had. Not physically, but the old Becky had, and now her muscle memory, knowledge, and instincts belonged to this new her.
Along with her memories, she had inherited Becky's habits, thought patterns, and even emotional impulses. It wasn't a possession or hijacking—it was a merger.
Soon, she opened her eyes again and heaved a sigh of relief. Before her hovered a rotating sphere filled with countless strange symbols. At its center blazed the burning Fire Rune.
She had successfully created the Rune Sphere on her first try, and although it looked simple from the outside, the internal process had been far from easy.
One needed precise mana control, one mistake could cause the Sphere to destabilize and rupture, sometimes with lethal consequences.
Not only that, but the Runemaster also had to contend with the world's natural resistance to magic. The plane of consciousness was like a fragile bridge between the physical and the Astral World, barely holding together the two energies it connected.
They also had to ensure that every rune was placed with precision. An error in positioning, timing, or size could change the entire function of the spell.
From rotation speed, spacing between runes, the thickness of rune strokes, the alignment of rune orbits, and synchronization between core and layer—everything had to be exact.
And all of this had to be done in the heat of battle.
That was what made Runemasters terrifying and elite, and also the reason Becky wanted to master her techniques before facing Arthur or enrolling in the Falcon Academy.
If she was even a second late or a beat off-rhythm, her life would be over.
Of course, her Innate Spheres were the exception. They were permanently rotating within her Sea of Consciousness and could be activated instantly with a thought.
This was why those born with innate Rune Spheres were so envied—those people became legends.
Becky stood up and admired the glowing Rune Sphere before her. It shimmered like a miniature star, compact and alive, humming with mana. The sensation made her feel euphoric and deeply connected to this world.
"It's so amazing and beautiful," Becky whispered, extending her hand to touch the Rune Sphere. With a breath, she added an additional rune—the Rune of Intensity—meant to amplify the fireball's destructive power.
For most, modifying a completed Rune Sphere was extremely risky. It could shatter the structure or cause violent feedback. But for Becky, this was her specialty.
She didn't just create Rune Spheres. She perfected them.
This was what made her a prodigy.
The Rune Sphere flared with new energy as Becky waved her hand to activate it within her consciousness.
A massive fireball materialized at her fingertips, growing rapidly until it was larger than her entire body, pulsing with rotating flame patterns and dense mana currents.
She launched it forward, watching as it roared through the air like a cannon shot and exploded midair—right where she had set the detonation timer.
The blast sent crimson winds swirling through the crimson world, and the concussive buzz of the explosion echoed in every direction.
'This... this is an F-Rank Fireball?' Becky's eyes widened in disbelief. She remembered clearly from the novel F-Rank Rune Spheres weren't supposed to be anywhere near this powerful.
"That addition... did it really enhance it that much?" Becky stared at her hand in silence and sighed, fully realizing once more the terrifying potential Becky Sinclair held.
The novel had done her no justice. The author had sidelined everything she could've been and reduced her to a character whose entire arc revolved around the protagonist.
"It'll be over tomorrow," Becky smiled and clenched her fists. "And I'll make use of this potential to the fullest."
With renewed determination, she sat back down. The Fireball was just a warm-up. As a C-Rank Runemaster, she had already mastered four D-Rank Rune Spheres. She wanted to rebuild them here, inside the Sea of Consciousness, and refine their core mechanics.
Then, she'd return to the real world and practice casting them physically until they were as smooth and instantaneous as blinking.
"The night is going to be a long one."
...
Sweat dripped down Becky's forehead as her bodysuit clung tightly to her form, outlining every curve of her heavenly figure.
Her chest heaved with exhaustion, her skin gleamed with effort, and her limbs trembled from overuse. She had pushed herself too far but she didn't regret it.
Ruby stood at a distance, silently watching the scene unfold. Her crimson eyes softened slightly as she admired her mistress and asked with a teasing smile, "Do you want any help?"
"Yes…"
Becky groaned in reply, sprawled out on the cold, padded floor.
For the past twelve hours, she had trained without rest. Not a single break. She had cast, re-cast, broken down, and rebuilt every Rune Sphere she knew. Her body was sore. Her breathing was ragged.
Even her Sea of Consciousness was showing signs of wear. The constant channeling of mana, coupled with repeated use of recovery potions, had left it overdrawn.
Micro-cracks appeared around the edges of the obsidian platform inside her Sea, showing the spiritual stress she had put herself through.
And now, her supply of mana potions had dried up. She couldn't replenish her energy again, even if she wanted to.
But Becky wasn't worried. She knew those cracks would heal in time. The body and mind of a Runemaster adapted quickly.
What mattered now was that she had caught up, no, surpassed the previous Becky in every aspect of combat.
There was no more gap between the two. She didn't just have her memories, she had reclaimed her peak.
And in some areas, she had even gone beyond that.
She was ready.
"What's up with that grin?" Ruby asked as she crouched beside her exhausted body. "You just spent hours repeating things you already mastered."
Though she spoke casually, there was no real surprise in her tone. Ruby had seen the previous Becky do the same, again and again.
In Becky's own words, "Better to master one Rune Sphere than collect ten you can't rely on."
"Bring me to my room," Becky muttered, raising her arms weakly like a child.
"Princess carry or piggyback?" Ruby smirked as she reached down, groping Becky's chest through her skin-tight suit. "I think these two prefer piggyback."
"Bingo. As a reward, you'll get to bathe me tonight," Becky smiled, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion but still playful.
Without hesitation, Ruby lifted her onto her back, steady and firm, her smirk replaced by a quiet, genuine smile as she carried her mistress toward the elevator.
The long night of training was over.