So apparently I no longer need to be a [Hedge Mage] because Wardcruncha decided that he will help me get a better class instead. Or rather, he "reconnected" with a friend of his and "that guy" is willing to help by providing knowledge on how I can get a special class.

  I don't buy it obviously and this isn't an insult but I knew Wardcruncha didn't have a friend outside of Flotol. I nodded and played along anyway. If he wants to hide his magical knowledge, then sure, that's his business. I'm not gonna pry since I respect his privacy.

  More importantly, digging into his past sounds like some kind of side quest.

  Which okay, to be fair, I know this world isn't a game anymore and side quests can give you amazing loot. That's their entire point after all. But at the same time? I'm not gonna pretend that I'm strong enough to come out of whatever that is alive.

  Overall, Wardcruncha and the mystery surrounding him feels like a mid-game type thing. I'm at the start of my playthrough and can't even kill an aberrant without a trap so I'm not ready for that yet.

  But maybe one day. And assuming that Wardcruncha opens up because to be honest? I won't touch on it if he doesn't want me to, legendary loot or not his past is strictly his business.

  Now then, where was I? Right, the scrolls and the runes in them and the fact that I'll get a cool class if I study these.

  Thanks to my time as an acolyte, I know how to read. But reading and comprehending what the words and sentences mean are two completely different things. I understand some of the things being described in the book but most of it is lost to me. This entire thing feels like reading algebra.

  Runes and how they functioned, their purpose, and roles in an enchantment are way too much for my feeble mind to comprehend. Also they look like squiggles. Literally.

  Whoever made these must have been insane because what I'm looking at isn't a written language. The runes are a bunch of dots with tentacles attached to them, I can barely understand any of it.

  But sadly, I needed to learn how to read these things to get my class so I'll force myself to do it.

  After a few minutes away from its pages, I opened the book again and started reading. My gaze went over the text, absorbing as much information as I could, but often, I forget what I'm doing and I start reading with my eyes instead of my head.

  When I do that, I gloss over entire sections and force myself back to re-reading them.

  Ugh. This is why I hated college. Damn it I thought I left this behind on earth?!

  Like a masochist or maybe a senior college student– what's the difference? – I keep reading anyway.

  How do runes work? After half an hour, it's safe to say that I can now answer that question. Runes are a language within magic set by the Pricors– which explains the odd way they're written, I guess. – an ancient race that's now gone, in their absence they left some useful stuff for humanity to find and use. Runes included.

  And dungeons, the uh, ones that don't naturally spawn.

  The most important thing among these would the Light House, or the God of the native humans.

  It's a... Giant building, I guess? There's no known information about it other than the fact that its light causes crops to grow quickly and can also become a beam of death that kills anything it touches.

  Going back to runes, they are used to empower objects and give them magical properties, you know, standard fantasy stuff.

  Sometimes the runes can make something come to life and even grow organic parts but that's only the case if the enchanted item has existed for a long, long time and has been exposed to a lot of magic. This is how natural dungeons form too.

  Since the Pricors spoke another language, humans– like myself. – are forced to study the damn things like their lives depended on it.

  And that got me curious enough to ask just what were the Pricors really? There's no image of them anywhere, even back in the game's wiki.

  What did they look like? What did their cities look like?

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  It's revealed in Firelight Chronicles that the dungeons are actually prisons and military bases so determining the aesthetic and culture of their society solely from dungeons wouldn't work to create the full image of what life is like in a Pricorian city.

  "I'm thinking way too hard about this." I muttered before going back to reading. Pricors aren't the thing I'm supposed to be curious about!

  The night went on, and just as my candle light was about to die and I am about to stop reading, I saw something that piqued my interest. "Is this?.."

  Another candle becomes alight. I need more time.

  With the renewal of the brightness in my room, I ran a hand across the parchment. There's no way right? But it's so distinctly familiar that I can't help but assume that I'm right. It's literally the same thing.

  The page in front of me visually describes an example of a "runic matrix" and I can't help but chuckle at the sight of it because this? It's just...

  ... A line of code.

  One in a language that I'm unfamiliar with, sure. But I've switched from Python to Java in my past life and if I did that then I can learn this coding language as well.

  I knew that the Pricors were advanced, that much is obvious when you look at all the gear you can loot from their dungeons.

  Some of those are literally techno-organic guns, a full set that's obviously just power-armor but organic, and so much more. Even the accessories you can get from them are the same: night vision goggles? Wrist watches?

  But then if they're so advanced how did they die? Did they die at all? What about the lighthouse? What is it for?

  Pricor ships have never been seen in the game, even in high ranking dungeons. It's like they took all possible modes of transportation and left this world, but to where?

  Are they still out there?

  A knock on my door broke me out of my thoughts. "Rontress? Kill that candle and go to sleep." My mother's voice came from the hallway. "Staying up late will only hinder your growth."

  "Okay..."

  I blew out the candle and went to sleep.

  Come morning, I was reading my new book after breakfast. I had already prepared most of the stuff I'll sell last night so there's no need for me to work. I can leave right now but I won't. Not because I'm lazy, but because I'm prioritizing my brother's love life over my income.

  At least for today.

  Someone knocked on the door, I smirked. Looks like she's here! Perfect. During my usual morning task earlier, I cleaned out not just the table, but also the rest of the house while mom prepared breakfast earlier so everything looks presentable.

  "Laself!" I opened the door and beamed when I saw the older girl. "Thank you for coming over! I overslept last night so I'm feeling tired. I'm so happy you wanted to help me with the cart."

  "Well, you are the one paying me." She giggled and I could almost see the heat coming up Howaph's neck from the sound alone. Where is he actually? "That's a weird thing to say isn't it? You're younger than me after all."

  "No, not at all. Everyone has their own pace in life, it just so happens to be that Rontress works through it pretty quickly." My mother said from behind me. "You must be Laself, Howaph told me about you once, but only once." Atterson rubbed my head. "Rontress has spoken about you more than he did."

  "Eh? Really? Howaph did that?" Laself was blushing just from my mom mentioning that Howaph talked about her, she even glossed over my part of the sentence!

  Seriously, if my brother fails at this I will just... Kick him on the shin, I guess?

  "Speaking of Howaph." I clicked my tongue and turned back to our living room and there he is, frozen. Why do I even try? "Laself is pushing my cart and you're just gonna stand there?! Offer to push it instead!"

  "It's okay I can–" I shook my head at Laself. She sheepishly smiled. "... Okay."

  "Dad and I are about to–" My eyes narrowed, is he and his future wife made from the same cloth or something? Why are they both stuttering and hesitating? Why the hell do I have to make the first move for them?!

  "It's fine, I'll do it until you're with me." Our father said and I nodded at him in gratitude, he smirked in response.

  Thank god the rest of our family has the common sense that Howaph lacks! Otherwise he'd just wait forever without making a move. Idiot.

  "R-right." Howaph started making his way towards us and since that's now done, it's my cue to act out the rest. Time to make them both talk naturally.

  "I'm going to the front of the cart so push me okay?"

  Howaph nodded and smiled. It's weirdly genuine, like he's happy to push the cart while I'm on it. Well, he did like carrying me on his back when we were younger didn't he? Guess this is expected?

  I sat down on the front of the cart and waited. Before long, I was moving.

  Him and Laself made small talk as we passed houses, it was about one thing or the other. I couldn't care less about their topics since I'm too busy reading the mood in the air. If it gets good enough, I'll pretend to be distracted by something and start running away.

  I'll do this every morning. Until he gets comfortable talking to his goddamn crush, because honestly? What is he? Some kind of romcom protagonist? Why is he so slow? If I throw him into the swamp will he just sink to the bottom thanks to his high density?!

  Oh and I guess the conversation between them is now turning good, in a nostalgic manner. Guess this part of Flotol is where they used to play when they were younger? Neat.

  I need to go.

  "I forgot! I need to talk to Wardcruncha about something!" Perfect acting. Maybe I should have become an actress in my past life?

  I got off the wagon and glared at Howaph. Now to make sure he does this slowly and doesn't rush to the pier. "Don't spill anything by pushing the wagon too quickly, got that?"

  He nodded, smiling.

  There. I ran away. They should continue their previous conversation seconds after I leave.