There are two types of runes.

The first type were ordinary runes; the power needed to do their work was imbued by their creator and did not require an external power source to function.

The second were the so-called sacrificial runes, which worked by a mechanism that sucked in the energy of a sacrifice, which could be anything from mana cores to living people, and then redirected that energy to fulfill the role defined by its creator.

Above these runes was a deity: Runelord, the God of Runes, a being whose power was far beyond anything the Eternal Isles had ever seen in its existence.

But even though he called himself the God of Runes, the runes were not created by him or even dependent on him. He was more like a parasite, an ancient specialist who had learned to channel some of the power of the runes and use it throughout the universe, and by abusing this stolen power, he had risen to divinity.

His usual form was that of a humanoid ram who roamed freely through space, cultivating his power on the surface of the stars.

A habit he was doing right now.

His body was the size of a moon, his skin was red and full of black hair, his eyes were golden, and on his head, two huge horns stretched for thousands of kilometers.

"This feeling... is this?" The Runelord opened his eyes, and the energy of the star became chaotic as he looked towards the horizon, his eternal and calm voice wreaking havoc throughout this solar system.

"So powerful. What power is that?" Runelord's body trembled with pleasure as he felt an ancient ancestral power penetrate his body. This power was as black as the abyss, and its aura was corrupted to the point of darkening even the star where he was cultivating, but Runelord didn't seem to care as he absorbed this energy without stopping.

"That's it... more! A little more, and I'll be able to make my breakthrough, hahahaha!" The Runelord roared, and the space around him shook and nearly collapsed as he laughed in the ecstasy of this power.

But suddenly his laughter stopped, his eyes fluttered, and the constant flow of energy into his body ceased.

"A bigger ant, able to sneak under Miquella's creation and even steal the power channeled by her, I could even congratulate you on that." An ancient voice rang out across the void of space, and the star's already dim light went out completely, leaving only a deep darkness.

And out of that darkness, two purple eyes opened, illuminating everything once again.

"But unfortunately, you dared to take some of my power, a crime I cannot forgive." The voice resounded once more, the power within it striking fear into the Runelord's heart.

"W-what are you?" Runelord asked, his voice once divine and serene, now flawed and weak, like a final sigh before the overwhelming aura of those two purple eyes.

Unfortunately, he never got his answer, and soon after his voice fell, his body was torn and dismembered, his pitiful screams echoing throughout the cosmos until all that remained was a faint sphere of light, the divinity he had formed.

"Fly, little one; find an heir worthy of your abilities." The voice sounded one last time before returning to its slumber.

The small sphere of light trembled faintly before moving at many times the speed of light into the infinite cosmos that surrounded it.

***

Unaware of what was happening on a battlefield far beyond his abilities and comprehension, Ethan finally opened his eyes just in time to feel Jhon rush past his body with Durgan and Clark.

‘System... what happened?’

[A Rune of Sacrifice: those men betrayed you and wounded you badly. I managed to protect your soul, but I had to make some changes to Seraphar's plans to heal your body].

"Changes?" Ethan asked, and the next second, his eyes widened as he realized the changes in his body. His strength had increased greatly, and his vision seemed as clear as day, even in the darkness of the night.

[First of all, know that I only intervened because this situation involves greater power, and there won't be a second time, so don't blindly trust what I've done today.

My job is to help you, but I'm not allowed to go beyond presenting you with the system and information within your level of authority.

I broke the rules set by Seraphar and evolved your lineage to the second level, and I also raised your cultivation to the foundation level, because that was the only way to keep you alive].

"I see... Thank you for that." Ethan sincerely thanked the system and stood up. This situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and he was about to take a look at his winnings, but he was stopped by the system's notifications.

[Mission: The Request of a Lord has been completed.

You have received 10,000 corruption store points.

[System: A new mission is available for you!

{Sweet Revenge.

Description: The companions you trusted so much betrayed your trust and used you as a mere sacrifice to activate a rune. Show them the true terror of a black dragon.

Severity: E

Reward: 2,000 points from the corruption store points}]

These messages snapped Ethan out of his daze and reminded him of his situation: He was on a dangerous mission and had just been betrayed by people he trusted, if not completely.

"It looks like a look at my new power will have to wait. Some sons of bitches will have to feel the cold of my blade before I get some peace." Feeling his blood boil, Ethan lifted his sword from the ground, his eyes taking on a crimson hue and an intense aura surrounding his body.

His power was many times greater than before, and although he was still at the initial level of the foundation stage, he clearly felt that he could already fight enemies at the intermediate levels of the foundation stage.

With a mixture of hatred and determination in his eyes, Ethan set off, the ground beneath his feet sinking as he rushed forward at a terrifying speed.