I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 2 - Uncle Wang, Let Me Explain!

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【Host: Xu Shen】

【Age: 18】

【Cultivation: None】

【Techniques: None】

【Engraving Points: 10】

【Runes: None】

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The panel was simple and straightforward.

This strange interface had appeared in Xu Shen’s mind the moment he picked up the rusty black knife from a sewer. At the time, he had been in the middle of a brawl, taking on seven or eight guys by himself. Although he got beaten to a pulp and tossed into the sewer, that’s where he found the knife.

Xu Shen wasn’t sure if it was some “blood recognition” trope like in novels, but the moment he grabbed the knife, he felt as though it had bonded with him.

And just like that, he instantly understood the knife’s purpose—it was for engraving Runes!

Engraving and refining runes for others would grant him Engraving Points. Killing ghouls would also yield points. The ten points he currently had were from slaying that ghoul earlier.

He discovered that these points could be used when engraving runes on himself, but beyond that, he didn’t know much else yet.

In this era, Xu Shen didn’t know much about runes, but after years of working odd jobs and overhearing conversations, he had picked up bits and pieces of information.

Aside from cultivators, there were also special professions—one of the most prestigious being Rune Engravers!

Rune Engravers possessed extraordinary mental strength and mastered advanced engraving techniques. They could refine and perfect a person’s runes, making them more powerful and efficient. A poorly engraved rune could limit its potential, reducing its power to half or less of what it should be.

This made Rune Engravers highly sought after. Some wealthy families would spend astronomical amounts to hire master engravers for their children right after they awakened their attributes. The materials and fees involved were unimaginable for ordinary people.

Becoming a qualified Rune Engraver required immense mental strength, exceptional skill, and a deep understanding of various rune patterns. These requirements crushed the dreams of most aspiring engravers.

When Xu Shen realized the black knife was meant for engraving runes, his expression turned complicated. Sure, his parents had been artists, and he had been hailed as a child prodigy in painting, but engraving runes was an entirely different ballgame!

Plus, he wasn’t even sure if his mental strength was up to par. And without formal education or resources, how could he possibly become a Rune Engraver?

Despite his doubts, Xu Shen brought the knife home. After recovering from his injuries, he went back to work as usual. One day, he stumbled upon an abandoned yard where a newly formed ghoul was attacking chickens.

As someone who had ruled the streets for years, how could he ignore such a scene? He stealthily pulled out the black knife and stabbed the ghoul in the head. To make sure it was dead, he twisted the blade around for good measure before setting it on fire to dispose of the body.

Unfortunately, during its death throes, the ghoul managed to scratch his back. Seeing that the chickens had also been bitten or clawed at, Xu Shen decided to put them out of their misery to prevent them from turning into ghoul chickens.

The fire from burning the ghoul attracted attention, leading the homeowner to call the Xinhuo Guard, which resulted in the whole mess with Uncle Wang.

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Back in the present, Xu Shen tucked the black knife into his waistband and threw on a jacket to hide it before leaving the hospital. Outside, he saw Xu Dong and Xu Xia walking toward him with ice creams in hand.

“Big bro, we got you something,” Xu Dong said, pulling a bottle of beer from behind his back.

“Nice! Good stuff!” Xu Shen laughed as he took the bottle and downed a swig before leading his siblings home like a carefree rogue.

When they arrived, the door to their neighbor’s house was open, and the smell of cooking wafted out.

“Get in here and eat!” Uncle Wang’s voice called out from inside.

Xu Shen tightened his jacket around himself and led Xu Dong and Xu Xia into the house. Uncle Wang was lounging on the sofa with a cup of tea in hand while watching TV. In the kitchen, a beautiful woman was cooking. She turned and smiled when she heard them enter.

“Xu Shen, I heard you got caught for killing over twenty chickens this time?” she teased.

“Aunt Li, don’t put it like that! I was helping them move on!” Xu Shen replied with a serious expression.

The woman chuckled and shook her head before returning to her cooking. Her name was Li Li, Uncle Wang’s wife and a cultivator rumored to be even stronger than him.

Xu Dong and Xu Xia quickly joined Uncle Wang on the sofa to watch TV while Xu Shen glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to him. His gaze landed on a painting of a wolf hanging on the wall—a majestic gray wolf with powerful limbs and sleek lines that made it look like a work of art.

Though it was just a painting, its eyes seemed to glow faintly with green light and radiated an aura of killing intent. As Xu Shen stared at it, he suddenly felt as though the wolf’s lines shifted slightly.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked again. One second… ten seconds… a minute passed. Suddenly, it felt like the wolf came alive and lunged at him!

Startled, Xu Shen stumbled back but was caught by a large hand on his shoulder.

“You haven’t even awakened your attribute yet, and you dare stare at a rune for so long?” Uncle Wang said with a hint of amusement. “This Ghost Wolf Rune is all about slaughter; ordinary people can’t handle more than three seconds of looking at it.”

Xu Shen forced a sheepish smile but didn’t get a chance to respond before someone jumped onto his back with a fragrant breeze.

“Xu Shen! Where have you been these past few days?!” A girl’s voice rang out angrily.

Before Xu Shen could answer, Uncle Wang’s face darkened. “Wang Qingqing! Get off him! Where are your manners?!”

“Come on, Dad! It’s been so long since I’ve seen him!” The girl hopped off and revealed herself—a tall girl with short hair that gave her an energetic look. Her long legs were toned and healthy-looking, and her sharp eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned at Xu Shen.

“Hey there, my wife! Long time no see!” Xu Shen joked with open arms but quickly stepped back when Uncle Wang reached for his belt.

“Who’s your wife?!” Wang Qingqing laughed as she flipped him off before heading to her room to change.

After dinner with Uncle Wang’s family, everyone went their separate ways to rest. Uncle Wang stayed on the sofa with his communicator nearby in case of any ghoul sightings.

—

Later that night, Xu Shen sat quietly across from Uncle Wang, who had dozed off while watching TV.

With a sly grin, Xu Shen muttered under his breath, “Uncle Wang… don’t blame me when you wake up…”

His hands trembled slightly as he pulled out the black knife. Ever since staring at that Ghost Wolf Rune earlier, he had inexplicably memorized every detail of it as if he’d been engraving it for years.

Carefully lifting Uncle Wang’s sleeve, Xu Shen prepared to test his newfound skill by engraving a small adjustment to one of Uncle Wang’s runes.

Just as he reached for Uncle Wang’s shirt collar to access his back…

In the dimly lit room, Uncle Wang’s eyes snapped open like two glowing orbs as he stared directly at Xu Shen.

An awkward silence filled the air.

Finally, Xu Shen let out a nervous laugh and said weakly, “Uncle Wang… let me explain!”

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