Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

They walked inside, looking all around them again. The place was filled with Runes, so much so that some of them drifted freely around.

Moon Aiko sniffed a few times.

”I can’t feel the Ghost?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”There is no Ghost.” Danji agreed with Aiko. It was strange that they couldn’t feel any other presence, no matter how faint it was.

”Did he run away?” Moon Aiko figured that the Ghost didn’t have much time to live, since he was almost completely see-through.

”I wouldn’t say run away...” Danji tilted her head. ”We can’t feel him, but something tells me he just ditched his home while we were around.”

”So he ran away.” Moon Aiko nodded her head.

Danji was silent, since she couldn’t properly explain this feeling.

”This place is... incredible.” Moon Aiko stilled each time a Rune floated in front of her.

”Why does it feel like you are attracting them?” Danji tilted her head.

”Help me out, please.” Moon Aiko knew that she would be stuck here for a few months if not for Danji. ”We are looking for any material that is not nailed down, but it can’t be a vessel. I don’t want to drag another Ghost around, since I don’t have any use for them, for now.”

Maybe once she completely redid the Lamp, she would consider more Ghosts, but for now, it was better not to take another one with her.

”Anything that is not nailed down, got it.” Danji nodded her head. She also wanted to have some time for herself, so this was the perfect situation for her.

Moon Aiko touched another Rune that floated around, and it gently shone on her. ”Be careful.”

”En.” Danji smiled gently. It was a simple, yet sincere smile that Aiko adored.

Moon Aiko looked at the Runes around her and realised a few things.

The main thing would be the fact that these Runes were ’wild’. Everything that was written on them was taken literally.

For example, the Rune ’Gather’ would quite literally gather anything within its power.

Be it bricks, Qi, or even the air itself.

The Rune ’Break’ would quite literally demolish anything in its path.

Now, if you gathered and connected Runes, you could limit them to Qi Gathering. That’s how Rune combinations worked.

’Maybe I can abuse this slightly?’ Moon Aiko tilted her head as she connected the floating Rune ’Search’ and ’Amplification’.

She then touched those Runes as they lit up.

*Pfft*

Blood rushed through her mouth as she spat it on the floor.

Moon Aiko’s brain was overwhelmed, making her own energy run berserk for a moment, due to the consumption of the floating Runes.

Moon Aiko fell to her knees as she kept breathing and spitting blood. This wouldn’t endanger her, but it was definitely not a pleasant feeling.

’That’s why he said one shouldn’t enter the Rune Cultivation Path until they are ready for it.’ Not only was there a Qi requirement, but also a knowledge requirement.

Moon Aiko gathered information not only from this place but also from the nearby caves.

Powerful Beasts resided there, but they fortunately didn’t get agitated.

’Does that mean the Rune ’Search’ doesn’t alert enemies?’ Moon Aiko thought that was incredible, but the consumption of these Runes was no joke.

’It’s not really usable.’ Moon Aiko felt that it was easier to just scout with her senses to pay such a steep price...

Shaking her head gently, she looked around again.

More and more Runes appeared around her, but just outside of her personal space.

They kept swarming her as if trying to tell her something.

Moon Aiko stored these Rune combinations inside her mind for later, since she noticed Danji coming back.

”Are you alright?” Danji hurriedly came next to Aiko once she smelled blood.

”I’m fine, just had a small accident.” Moon Aiko chuckled.

”This place is quite dangerous. I have already burned 20% of my blood for protection.” Danji warned Aiko and wanted to drag her out.

”Right...” Moon Aiko touched her forehead to extract information. She already did it before, but it’s quite difficult since it needs to be simple and concise.

”Here.” Moon Aiko tried to transfer that information without the system, but...

”A lot of numbers.” Danji nodded, trying to look like she understood what it meant.

”Sorry... I tried to give you information about all the traps, but...” Moon Aiko didn’t feel her legs at all.

Danji scooped Aiko in a princess-carry and waited for her to settle down.

”Just guide me~” Danji hummed. She didn’t mind this kind of thing at all.

”Alright.” Moon Aiko wouldn’t reject this, since she didn’t feel all that good.

”Take a few steps-” Moon Aiko guided Danji into all the rooms that stored anything of value.

The first room had a special spear.

The second room had a special material.

The third room had a book.

The fourth room had an assortment of prototype rings for storage.

The fifth room had a special Array to nurture the Soul, but it was supported with Inscriptions.

Moon Aiko stored all of them before they returned to the main hall.

”Is there anything else?” Danji looked around.

”I don’t think so.” Moon Aiko kept all the information extracted from the Rune ’Search’.

”Could there be some kind of hidden room?” Danji was curious.

”Unlikely, since the Rune ’Search’ would find it...” Moon Aiko believed that those things would show, but thinking about it again...

”It’s possible that there is a hidden room that can hide from Runes.” Moon Aiko came to that conclusion, but that was not her real goal.

”Can I explore it?” Danji smiled like she was looking for treasures.

”First, take me out so I can work on the revenge tool.” Moon Aiko ’ordered’ Danji, and she happily obliged.

”What else, Mistress~?” Danji teased Aiko, since this one didn’t take the teasing all that well.

”Shush.” Moon Aiko pouted while Danji gave her a light peck.

”I’m doing this for you, so stop bullying me.” Moon Aiko pouted even more.

”But you are too lovable.” Danji sighed as she shook her head.

”You have no self-control.” Moon Aiko speechlessly shook her head.

”That’s my middle name~” Danji smirked as she teased Aiko even more.

”Very funny.” Moon Aiko rolled her eyes, but Danji would nuzzle her while she carried her.

”Alright, alright. I give up.” Moon Aiko conceded defeat from that relentless assault.

”Hehe~” Danji happily laughed as she carried Aiko out. ”Why did it feel that the insides are bigger than the outsides?”

”Because that’s the reality. The whole inside is littered with Inscriptions.” Moon Aiko proclaimed. ”While they are older, they have similar structures to what you can find in the flying ships. So the space inside is actually bigger.”

”But I thought it consumes a lot of Qi?” Danji tilted her head.

”That’s where the gold comes in. For some reason, it’s packed with Qi and is used as the main energy source.” Moon Aiko already realised it, since parts that were drained by the Inscriptions turned into stone.

So this whole temple was actually made out of gold! Although all that gold eventually degraded into normal rocks, leaving only crushed rocks behind.

”That’s amazing... and expensive.” Danji had mixed feelings about this.

”That’s only natural.” Moon Aiko nodded her head as Danji nestled her on her lap.

”I need some room.” Moon Aiko coughed awkwardly.

Danji smiled and prepared a small nest for Aiko.

”You didn’t have to-” Moon Aiko tried to gently shoo her away, but-

Danji cut Aiko short. ”Should I pester you more~?”

”Thank you for this bedding, I will cherish it.” Moon Aiko caved in immediately since she was more curious about the loot.

”Tsk.” Danji clicked her tongue. As she thought, the most lovable Aiko was the Dark Aiko!

”I will go explore inside.” Danji dusted her clothing before storming back inside.

”...” Moon Aiko was slightly startled, but she had to work on her project as soon as possible.

The first loot was the strange, half-translucent spear.

It quickly became obvious that it was a special spear that could affect Ghosts.

’If I cut it into parts...’ Moon Aiko narrowed her eyes as sinister ideas flooded her mind.

The next one was similar to her Soul Wood, but as sand? It kind of felt familiar...

’The [Primordial Devouring Fire-Fox Glass Vessel]!’ Moon Aiko quickly realised where that familiar feeling came from.

’Does that mean I will be able to upgrade it?’ Moon Aiko pondered on it, but she couldn’t come to any conclusion.

The third one, a book that was all about Runes, but this time it was a lot more complex and explained in detail. She would take this with her since this technique is pretty much forgotten!

The fourth one was very peculiar. While it seemed like a Storage Ring, it was closer to a Spatial Ring. It was difficult to say the differences right now, but that’s how Aiko felt, and this would definitely help her in her research!

The fifth one was the most absurd one out of them all. It was so complex that even Moon Aiko was dizzy, but she was able to surmise a few things.

How to trap things. How to isolate things. How to filter things. And how to imbue things.

While this by itself didn’t seem all that impressive, the implication was obvious.

’I should be able to create something that would allow the Demonic Foxes to stay in this World without pain.’ Moon Aiko did the calculations, but that was pretty much what she found out.

But she would have to figure out how to swap the Qi inside their bodies without collapsing their accomplishments.

’I won’t be done immediately, but it should be possible.’ Moon Aiko nodded her head.

Now she turned her attention to the spear.

She didn’t have anyone who would use it, and it was practically useless, but...

’If I cut it into parts, the revenge tool would be nice.” Moon Aiko smirked sinisterly before starting her revenge work!

First, she would take down the tip. That tip was too sharp and would deal with Ghosts too quickly.

We can’t have that. That Ghost has to suffer pain for a long time, so a pointy tip is no go.

Then she took apart those frivolous feathers, since they were also useless.

Taking the parts apart, Moon Aiko soon was able to get to the cutting...