Power of Runes-Chapter 168: Before you celebrate, Check the Ashes

A/N:

Hey hey, quick update!

I’ve decided to change the characters’ ages from 12 to 15 — right from the start of the story. After thinking it through (and asking you amazing people on Discord), this felt like the best move for the tone and plot going forward.

Don’t worry, nothing major is changing personality-wise — they’re still the same chaotic, broken, fate-cursed kiddos you love (or fear). Just slightly older now, which makes everything feel a bit more natural for what’s been happening in the story.

So yeah, now they are all 15 years old (first year students).

All related details will be updated by tomorrow.Hope you don’t mind 🥲Thanks for always supporting me — y’all are the best fr 💛

NOTE: Those of you who are reading this novel on different platform (You know what I am saying), I have to apologize, I can’t edit things on that platform, If you have read till here. I hope you will keep in mind they are 15 right now, not 12.

****

[Go. Kill them]

The distorted voice echoed once again, its tone stretched and warped, as though a thousand mouths were laughing in unison, contaminating the air like a spreading plague of madness.

[HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!]

Ash stood motionless, completely trapped in the stillness of time, but his sharpened thoughts continued to observe everything.

The enormous violet spear descended from above, cutting through the suspended world like a falling star blazing with wrath. It radiated nothing but pure annihilation.

Within the space of a single second, the spear reached him, its speed unhindered, its aim unshaken.

I am glad Omni Thought is activated... I will at least be able to suppress the pain.

The thought barely finished when the spear struck him with unstoppable force. It tore through his body mercilessly, vaporizing flesh, bones, and every last trace of life. No sound escaped him, no resistance could be seen.

The only thing that remained was his left hand, the one that had been gripping the Sealing Dagger, had been thrown to the side.

It spun through the air, wrapped in the last surviving pieces of his clothes, somehow untouched due to the protective layer of life mana embedded in the dagger.

The rest of his body, including the right arm, had been completely disintegrated by the impact.

The spear, having consumed Ash, did not stop. It carved a path through the frozen world, flying directly toward Serena, without even the faintest pause.

[Yes. This is it.]

[But wait... if she dies here, how will I ever get the chance to enjoy her? Hmmm.]

[Well, it does not matter much. There are many women across the continent. That aunt of hers seems to have an even more enticing body. Kekekeke.]

And right at the moment when the spear cleared Ash’s last position, the still world resumed its flow.

The suspended particles of mana began to stir again, and the frozen silence was shattered like broken crystal.

[I guess that’s my limit for now. That time stop was too short. Tsk.]

Serena blinked, returning to consciousness, only to witness the tail end of a violet blaze cutting through the one she called Mr. Unknown.

Her breath caught as her vision focused on the massive violet spear, now only a few meters away from her, burning with violent heat and carrying a force too great to be resisted.

Her body refused to move.

In that single instant, all thoughts vanished. The world around her seemed to slow, each second stretching beyond reason, as if time itself grieved what had happened. A single, suffocating thought echoed within her collapsing heart.

He died because of me... maybe it really is true... maybe everyone around me really does die...

That one thought swallowed every other emotion. The guilt, the grief, the helplessness—they wrapped around her like chains, and her knees weakened beneath the weight. She gave up. Her will crumbled.

She closed her eyes and accepted her fate.

But in the very next second, everything changed.

She felt the sensation of her body burning. Her clothes were catching fire, the intense heat searing into her skin. She didn’t even register the moment someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Everything was happening too fast. Everything was too much.

Then suddenly, the world around her shifted.

A burst of wind exploded outward.

SWOOSH!!!

And in that single moment, the spear vanished from her sight, disappearing as if it had never existed at all.

[Finally all dead, if I had not cancelled my spell at the last moment, the space would have been destroyed.]

[Shall I rest then? I used too much....]

The voice could not finish its words properly, because it was suddenly interrupted by a sharp scream that tore through the air.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

[WHAT????!!!!!]

***

What happened..?

Serena stood still, completely dazed. Her expression was blank as her mind struggled to process what had just happened.

She was confident, absolutely certain, that she had been on the verge of death—yet now, here she was, alive and still breathing, but injured.

That was when she noticed something resting on her shoulder.

A hand.

She slowly turned to see who it belonged to, and the moment her eyes landed on the figure standing beside her, her breath caught in her throat.

She couldn’t help but scream again, this time out of pure shock and fear.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

[WHAT???!!!!]

In a panic, she slapped her hands over her mouth, too late to stop the sound from escaping. The demonic entity turned its attention toward her, drawn by her voice.

But even then, her eyes were drawn back to the one who had touched her. And when she saw him clearly, she finally understood the reason behind her scream.

The figure in front of her had no skin. His body was stripped down to the muscle, the raw tendons and bone exposed.

Only his left hand seemed normal, still gripping the Sealing Dagger, and it was partially covered in the burnt remnants of his clothes.

His other hand was the one that held her. His body looked like something that had no right to be alive.

Yet he was.

His lower half was slowly regenerating. Muscles were rebuilding. Bones were snapping into place.

Due to her earlier push, he had fallen backward onto the ground, sitting awkwardly in the dirt.

Yet, even in that state, his voice came out calm, steady, and filled with irritation.

"I told you to act like a queen... Why are you always screaming at every single thing...?"

Serena could only blink in shock, her lips slightly parted. The voice was little sweet rather than rough and distorted, but the way he spoke, his choice of words—those were unmistakably familiar.

That voice... It’s him. He is alive....

"Mr. Unknown...?" she asked slowly, needing to hear confirmation herself.

"Who else do you think it is? A ghost? Sigh... whatever, I will make sure to take compensation for this later," Ash replied, grumbling as he spoke.

While he spoke, his body continued to regenerate rapidly. New skin stretched over muscle. His long silvery white hair grew back, and he began to rise to his feet once more.

Seeing his body come together like that, Serena was hit by another wave of shock. Her eyes went wide, her cheeks flushed red, and she felt like steam was rising from her face.

Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice cracked when she tried to speak.

"T-T-T-That... That’s... your body..." she stammered, unable to find the words.

"What???" Ash replied without looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the Demonic Heart, which had gone strangely silent.

Even though he spoke, his mind was already running.

I was sure it went quiet because it was shocked to see me alive. But now... what is it waiting for?

The spirits are all gone, so I should be able to seal it easily now.

But... why do I feel this strange chill? Wait... Is the armor not functioning properly...?

Only then did Ash finally realize what had happened.

He was completely naked.

His entire body was bare, exposed to the open air. His face, chest, and legs—everything was on display.

He slowly turned his head toward Serena, who had her hands covering her face while still trying to peek through the gaps between her fingers. Her expression was a mess of confusion, panic, and embarrassment.

I messed up again... I completely forgot...

With a deep sigh, Ash channeled mana into his left hand, which still held a portion of his armor. In the next moment, his entire outfit returned. The armor reformed, his mask settled into place, and he was once again fully clothed, hidden behind the guise of Mr. Unknown.

Should I kill her...?

The thought passed through his mind for a moment, but before he could dwell on it, dozens of magic circles flared into existence all around him.

Hellfire burst out once again, surrounding him with burning destruction.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion erupted across the battlefield.

[Take that!!! I do not care how you survived before, this time, it is over.]

"Oh no!" Serena shouted. The panic snapped her back to reality. All her embarrassment vanished in a heartbeat.

She ran toward the explosion, her breath catching in her throat. But when she reached the spot, there was nothing there.

No one.

Only empty space remained.

[HAHA!! What are you looking at? He is gone now. This time, he is truly dead. I do not know what trick he used last time, but it will not save him again.]

The voice boomed through the area, filled with triumph. But it was only a façade. Its thoughts did not match its words.

What in the name of hell was that...? How can someone survive that...?

The demonic being’s mind was in turmoil. It had been completely sure it had killed him before, yet somehow, that boy had returned.

The creature stretched its senses across the entire area, checking carefully, but found nothing.

No signs of life. No trace of him.

Looks like he finally died this time. That must have been some rare artifact or special trick.

He was dangerous... far too dangerous to be left alive...

-CRACKLE!!!!!

And then, without warning, thunder roared across the space. The sound shook the ground and tore through the silence.

White Lightning sparked through the air, bright and wild.

***

Read 𝓁atest chapters at fr(e)ewebnov𝒆l.com Only