Thursday night, inside Cristopher’s dorm room.

“It’s tomorrow, right?” Cristopher asked as he took a couple of beer cans out of the table.

“Yes.” Hajin nodded, sitting down at the table while drinking a beer.

“Mistilteinn… Is it?” Cristopher rubbed his chin for a moment.

“Yeah, the god-slaying weapon.”

“Right.” Cristopher nodded while he thought for a moment. “Hey, give me Aether and your Desert Eagle.”

Hajin looked at Cristopher’s extended hand for a second.

“Why?”

“Did you forget? I told you I would help you to increase your equipment’s power with runes.” Cristopher rolled his eyes. “So move, better do it fast.”

“You already did that, though.” Hajin said as he tilted his head.

“Yeah, I inscribed a few runes on your Desert Eagle and the jacket Rachel gave you, but nothing like what I’m going to do right now. Those were simple strengthening. I think it’s time to turn up the level, after all, you’ve improved quite a lot.”

“Oh… Okay.” He nodded.

He first gave him his Desert Eagle which he took out from the Stigma, then he commanded Aether to form a ball on his hand, which he then put on the table.

“Great.” Cristopher nodded as he looked at the Desert Eagle’s first. “Mm...”

“What? Is there a problem?”

“Not really. I just thought that both weapons change forms.”

“So…?”

“Last time, I inscribed a couple of normal runes on your Desert Eagle, but there’s a risk of them not working properly if the transformation affects the engraving, still as I didn’t do anything that big, it worked fine. But what I’m planning to do now is quite different, if they change forms, it could affect the engraving.”

“Huh… So it’s not possible?”

“Yes, it is. I just have to change the method to engrave them.” Cristopher smirked.

Suddenly, Hajin’s eyes went wide open when he saw Cristopher’s hand being covered in red scales, while his fingers turned into obsidian-colored claws.

“What... the fuck…?” Hajin asked.

“Mm? Oh right. I haven’t shown you this, right?” Cristopher asked.

“No...” Hajin looked dumbfounded. “What the hell?”

“Remember that I’m technically a half-dragon? Well, you could call this a partial-dragonification ability.” Cristopher shrugged. “It’s not that great, actually, its power is controlled, and at most it slightly increases my stats by a couple of points, while giving me a good weapon. But right now it’s my best way to make a special engraving on your equipment.”

“Oh...” Hajin nodded absentmindedly.

After explaining, Cristopher’s index finger’s claw started to glow in a darkish red color with black highlights as he grabbed the Desert Eagle.

“Let’s start with your Desert Eagle.” He said, as he grabbed the gun and started engraving a rune on top of it.

“...” Hajin looked, mesmerized by the process, as the darkish red energy engraved a rune on his weapon.

After a couple of minutes, a new rune was engraved on the gun. It was a weird mix of lines, geometric patterns, and symbols. Though he somehow felt like he recognized it, or at least felt they were familiar.

“What is that for?”

After he thought for a bit, he remembered that these symbols were similar to the ones on Cristopher’s Stigma.

“That’s a draconic rune.” Cristopher said. “That’s why I used draconic power for it. It’s one of the best choices when it comes to increasing overall power. You can check it out.”

{So that’s why they’re similar... }

He wasn’t sure, but it sure made sense for him that both Cristopher’s Stigma and this rune were somewhat similar, they had to do with dragons.

With a shrug, Hajin received his weapon and looked at it with his Gift.

[Desert Eagle]

[Wyvern-hunting Gun. A specially modified weapon capable of adapting to most circumstances. Contains several added effects and it's further strengthened by a mysterious energy.]

[Pinnacle-ranked Gun. Metal attribute]

[- Attack Power Amplification – 5/10. 

- Low-rank Weight Reduction Magic. 

- Intermediate-rank Recoil Control Magic.

- Transformation: Allows the gun to transform into different weapons with the help of Stigma.

- Shotgun mode: transforms into a 12. gauge shotgun when Stigma is applied.

- Sniper rifle mode: transforms into a high-powered anti-material sniper rifle when fused with Aether

- Growth: When a monster is one-shot-killed by the Desert Eagle, its attack power is amplified.

- Using Low-Intermediate rank as the standard, 1% attack power increase per kill.

- Repeated killing of the same ranked monsters will slightly lower the amount of attack power increase.

- Draconic Coating: Draconic energy coats the bullets shot by the Desert Eagle, increasing their speed, power, and penetration. It also bestows the bullet with the special effect 'Lightning Dragon's Electric Shock'

- Lightning Dragon's Electric Shock: Monsters hit by the bullet will receive a slight shock due to the static charge of the Lightning Dragon's energy coating the bullet.]

“Wow...” Hajin looked at it. “This is insane...”

“I know right? It’s amazing how just a small engraving can give such absurd results.” Cristopher shrugged as he took Aether. “That’s the reason why I made the effort to learn enchanting, runesmithing, engraving, magic glyphs, some magic engineering, and stuff about magic circuits.”

“Wow… If you put it like that, it pays off to learn those.”

“Yeah, no joke. You can amplify anything with the correct symbols.” Cristopher nodded as he stared at Aether. “Though, for this little thing, I’m quite confused on what to do.”

“Mm? Why?” Hajin tilted his head.

“I mean, there’s a limit to how much you can engrave on equipment. Normally this limit is given by the weapon’s quality and the materials used.”

“So?”

“So, I’m not sure what to engrave on Aether, while your gun’s purpose is quite obvious, Aether’s purpose is not. I mean, it boosts your physical capabilities, it also works as a shield, and it even has offensive properties.”

“Oh, I get what you mean now, you just don’t know what would be best to engrave to Aether.”

“Precisely.” Cristopher nodded while rubbing his chin. “If you were the kind to engage in close-range combat, I would say that strengthening the aide it helps to your physical capabilities would be a good choice.”

“But I don’t...”

“Yup.” Cristopher nodded.

“Then isn’t there a way for you to improve its ability to support my other weapons?”

“I mean, sure, there is a way.” Cristopher nodded. “But I somehow think it’s a real waste.”

Both of them talked for a while on what to do with Aether, and finally, both got to the consensus that it would be a waste to just focus on one aspect.

After a couple of minutes, Cristopher finally let out a deep sigh and gave a stern gaze to Aether.

“There’s one option.” Cristopher said. “Last time, when I inscribed simple runes to your Desert Eagle and jacket, I didn’t touch Aether on purpose. I had the same problem before.”

He turned towards Kim Hajin.

“Since that moment I’ve thought really hard on what we could do with this particular equipment of yours.”

“And what was the solution you thought?”

“A one-time solution.” Cristopher said after a couple of seconds in silence. “I will engrave a single rune, a rune that not only will block any future chances of engraving more runes, but that will also completely fuse with Aether.”

“Is that something bad?” Hajin tilted his head.

“Not per se.” He shrugged. “The rune in question has a fundamental purpose. Amplification and growth.”

“I’m sorry. You lost me there.” Hajin said as he tilted his head.

“I’m saying that you will not get instant insane power from the get-go, but the rune’s existence will help you grow in the long-run, and will also help you amplify the rest of you and your abilities.”

“I still don’t get it.” Hajin smiled awkwardly.

“Okay, this is getting nowhere.” Cristopher sighed. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes…?” Hajin answered with uncertainty.

“Oh come on. When did I do something that harmed you?” Cristopher lifted an eyebrow.

“Never… But still, the way you ask makes me worry...” Hajin scratched the back of his head.

“Let’s do this easier.” Cristopher said with a sigh. “If you had to choose between immediate power or the chance to grow stronger in the future, and not just you, but every equipment and ability, what would you pick? Mm?”

“...” Hajin pondered while rubbing his chin. “That’s a tough question… Power wouldn’t be bad right now… But…”

“Choose.” Cristopher urged him.

Hajin finally let out a deep sigh and looked directly at Cristopher’s eyes.

“I… Choose the latter.” Hajin finally said. “I would pick the chance to grow stronger in the future.”

“Excellent!” Cristopher said. “Now, you’ll have to know that while what I’m about to do will make it impossible to engrave another rune on Aether, the results speak for themselves.”

Hajin simply nodded and gestured at him to continue.

“Great!” Cristopher said, and his finger, which was still turned into a claw, started to emit the same darkish red color.

But it wasn’t the only color present, a whitish-cyan and a pure white color also started to dance on his clawed finger.

“Now… Could you please extend Aether? I need you to turn it into a sheet so I have more space.”

“Sure.” With a shrug, Hajin commanded Aether to become flat as a sheet of paper. “Like this?”

“Excellent.” Cristopher nodded. “Now, please be as quiet as possible.”

With those words, he started to work. Minutes passed, and slowly, a weird picture started to appear on the flattened Aether.

As time went by, Hajin’s face wrinkled more and more with a frown.

{What’s that…?} He couldn’t comprehend what was being drawn on Aether, as it looked a lot different than what was drawn on his Desert Eagle.

Time passed by, and just as Hajin thought this would never end, Cristopher finally finished.

“It’s done.” He said, sighing. “Man, it sure is a pain to draw complicated stuff like this...”

“...” Hajin looked at the symbols, runes, and what seemed to be glyphs, on Aether, shining in three different colors. He actually had a question after looking at the result.

He turned to Cristopher and stared at him for a while until the latter turned to look at him.

“What?”

“I thought you couldn’t draw at all...” Hajin honestly said.

“Ah? What the hell do you mean? Don’t you remember my Mona Lisa? THAT was a masterpiece.”

“...” Hajin just looked at him dumbfounded.

“Fine, fine.” Cristopher rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how to draw, but this is different. I’m not using a pen or something like that to do it. I’m basically using my energies to mold the concept in my mind. I just have to give a general direction with my finger, and my powers will do the rest.”

“...” Hajin’s mouth opened wide. “Then why don’t you do the same when drawing?”

“Because this isn’t drawing per se. More like a printing?” Cristopher tilted his head. “Either way, stop blabbing nonsense. Be grateful that my… less-than-adequate drawing skills don’t affect my ability to engrave runes.”

With a sigh, Hajin turned to look at Aether again.

What he found was a complete mystery to him.

The first thing that entered Hajin’s eyes was the outline of a tree. 

It was the center of the entire picture. Its root extended under it, and its branches extended high above it, with five main branches that extended into multiple smaller ones. Both ends of the roots pointed upward, and from there, symbols and runes similar to the ones on Cristopher’s arm went up, covering the tree in a dome. Some of the branches also met with these symbols and runes, fusing with them.

He could also see that there was a creature at the base of the tree, and it didn’t take long for him to actually discover that it was a dragon that was laying around the tree. With its head, which had moon-like antlers instead of horns, resting at the base and its long tail, which had leaves all around it, embracing the tree’s trunk. Its eyes looked lively, as energy freely flowed through them.

As he looked closer, he noted that even the lines that formed the tree and the dragon were like small runes intertwining themselves to form the final picture.

At the top of the tree, in the middle of the branches, as if hidden by them, was a human. He sat cross-legged. Meditating with his eyes closed.

The entire picture had a mystic look overall, a mystic appearance that strengthened more whenever a stream of energy flowed through the different runes and symbols.

“What… Is this…?” Hajin finally asked. “It’s nothing like what you did with my Desert Eagle...”

“I told you.” Cristopher nodded, also looking at his work. “This isn’t just any rune. This is special. I would tell you to look at it, but Aether will need at least the entire night to process this rune, and evolve.”

“!” Hajin flinched and looked at Cristopher. “Evolve?”

“Of course. Amplification and-” Cristopher started to speak but was interrupted by the muttering Hajin.

“Growth...” Hajin turned to look at Aether before he smiled.

“I guess you’re happy with the final outcome, huh.” Cristopher smirked.

Hajin just nodded while looking at Aether, before he remembered something.

“I almost forgot. You will take care of Evandel tomorrow, right?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Cristopher said with a sigh. “Also...”

“You will present her tomorrow?”

“...” He nodded. “I really thought about it. But it’s still the best way I can think of.”

“...” Hajin frowned for a moment, but then sighed. “I get what you mean… And I honestly can’t even comprehend what you're so worried about. But… At the end of the day, I know that you do it for her benefit… Just be careful, dude. Really careful.”

“...” Cristopher nodded while he crossed his arms and shrugged. “Though, I’m not going directly to Locket of Hope. I first have to train with her, and I also promised that we would go play at Disneyland.”

“Disneyland?” Hajin frowned and tilted his head.

“Yeah, the kid saw a commercial on the TV.” Cristopher shrugged.

“Oh… Ok.” Hajin nodded. “Oh well, with what you’re about to do. I don’t think it’s going to be something really bad.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, before chuckling. “Though I’m still having trouble trying to think of how to explain to her why we won’t be able to go into some of the more amusing rides.”

“Pfft… Haha.” Hajin chuckled. “Right, her size… Huh?”

“Precisely.” Cristopher smiled at the thought of the little Evandel pouting with her arms crossed, not being able to go into the amusing rides she saw on TV.

The rest of the night continued with them chuckling about the incoming future, both of them trying their best to keep their worried hearts as calm as possible. At least, until it came time for both of them to go to bed.

That night Evandel went to Cristopher’s dorm room and stayed with him, as she would be staying the whole weekend with him.