God of Contracts: Strongest Businessman

Chapter 10 Inexplicable changes

Elian stood by his worktable within the confines of his lab, while on the opposite side of the table, Lys observed him attentively, cradling Franky in her arms. He had just completed the task of comprehending and committing to memory the intricate runic structure before him.

The subsequent stages encompassed the programming of the AI and the inscription of its runic core. The AI's programming was already a completed task since he was already satisfied with Zeo One code.

However, the construction of the core itself remained ahead. Serving as a pivotal juncture, the core acted as a conduit intertwining the AI's programming intricacies with Quantaflux's magical attributes. Comprising an array of runes, this core encapsulated the AI's comprehensive learning algorithms, distinctive personality traits, and even its intricate communication protocols; in short, a runic blueprint of Zero One lay within. Although the memories of Zero One were slated for later importation, the core's structure stood as a foundational cornerstone.

Thankfully, the inherent attributes of Quantaflux, such as its boundless memory and remarkable processing speed, facilitated a streamlined integration of the AI core into the bracelet. This convenience negated the need for extensive planning, as Elian had already internalized the runic blueprint of Zero One's core. His focus predominantly rested on the intricate interaction between the AI's core runes and the Quantaflux runes, an exercise aimed at averting any perilous interactions.

Thus, he propelled himself into the project's most pivotal and formidable phase-the intricate process of inscribing. Remarkably, this task appeared almost trivial to him, given the extraordinary gift that set him apart.

.........

"Damn it!" The frustration that surged through Elian was palpable. In all of his eleven years of existence, he had never encountered such profound exasperation. He confronted the stark reality of his runesmithing knowledge being sorely lacking.

Throughout his life, he had heavily relied on his innate gift, bypassing the need for proper techniques or formal instruction to directly decipher runes. And even if he failed the first inscription attempt, he could rectify any errors on the fly, thanks to his unique ability to observe the live interactions of the runes.

As he grappled with the current situation, he couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance between his ocular gift and the renowned "Byakugan" . Just like the legendary ability, his own eyes allowed him to delve into the intricate world of runes, offering him the capability to zoom in and out within what he dubbed the "runic realm." The potency of his gift directly correlated with the extent of his zooming capabilities-hence, the need for runic reading lenses in the earlier stages. These lenses compensated for his limited zooming range at the time. However, his gift had since evolved to render them unnecessary.

At least, that was his belief merely a few hours ago.

As he geared up to begin the inscription process, he became aware of a significant alteration in the runic structure a?? a change so profound that had he not been present in the room, he might have suspected someone had swapped the bracelet in his absence. And then, upon a second and third examination, the changes transpired once more. Even with his extraordinary 'byakugan'-like ability, he found himself unable to initiate the inscribing process due to the ever-shifting nature of the runic structure.

The shock of the situation was so overwhelming that he stood there, mouth agape, lost in his thoughts. It was Lys's shout that snapped him back to reality, although even then, he was confronted with a barrage of questions and inquiries.

Modification of runic structures was not an uncommon occurrence. Most often, it was triggered by interactions with other materials or substances, such as chemical reactions, altering conditions like temperature or pressure, or even natural processes like decay due to radioactivity.

However, none of these factors seemed applicable in this situation. The runic formation on the worktable and the floor beneath it prevented changes in temperature and pressure. Chemical reactions were ruled out due to the absence of other reactants. Furthermore, thanks to the table runic formation, the space above the table was maintained in a vacuum environment, devoid of any air that could influence the material.

The notion of radioactivity was also irrelevant, as Quantaflux wasn't known to possess such properties.

Thus, Elian found himself without a satisfactory explanation, leading to his second question: was there anyone with the necessary knowledge to provide an explanation? While he wasn't inclined to boast, he held the conviction that his unique 'byakugan'-like ability set him apart. Without a comparable skillset, it left him wondering whether anyone else had observed this phenomenon. He was well aware that other runesmiths could only speculate about runic structures. At best, they could 'suspect' the existence of such a phenomenon, and confirming it would require the insight of seers.

In this moment, he came to recognize the limitations of his current understanding of runesmithing. Despite having diligently read all the runesmithing books publicly available within the Kingdom, he felt that his knowledge was surprisingly constrained. Though he had the potential to access more extensive resources due to his family's status, his father had curtailed such efforts to prevent the Kingdom from becoming aware of their cultivation of a talented runesmith.

Elian's frustration grew as he wished the elusive books he desired were available online. He couldn't help but imagine the convenience of having them accessible on the web, a situation that might have tempted him to utilize his hacking abilities to obtain them.

...

He needed to discover a way to enhance his skills. While his current knowledge was substantial, it still fell short.

He then immediately recalled one of his father's final gifts and smiled when he realized that it could help satisfy his thirst for knowledge. But that would have to be later. It doesn't help at the moment.

...

Knowing that the solution wouldn't come to him anytime soon, he just stubbornly continued in his ways trying to understand how the runic changes happen and how to predict or prevent them.