Power of Runes
Chapter 191: Soul Vault

Chapter 191: Soul Vault

[Processing...]

[Failed!!!!]

**

Skill Creation Slots Available – 3

**

Of course this would happen...

It felt as if fate was determined to trip him at every step, watching from some higher place, amused by his struggle.

Which bastard claimed that fate cannot interfere with someone like me... If only they could see me now. Look at this nonsense. Fate is clearly interfering, and not even trying to hide it anymore...

He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the sudden burst of irritation boiling inside. The whisperer’s words came back to him—how fate couldn’t touch him, how his destiny was his own. What a joke. If fate wasn’t interfering now, then what else could explain this?

Pushing aside the rising frustration, he reminded himself of his goal. He couldn’t afford to break down now, not when he was this far.

Let’s see who wins, huh? I’m not stopping. I’ll keep trying... till this thing gives in. I’m not letting this go....

Skill Creation...

[Failed!!!!]

Skill Creation...

[Failed!!!!]

Skill Creation...

[Failed!!!!]

One after another, the screen continued to flash red, and every failure felt like a slap, leaving behind invisible bruises on his already tired soul. His expression didn’t change, but his mind was slowly unraveling, piece by piece.

Although it was his first time facing this many failures in a row, he did not stop. Before today, not even a single skill creation attempt had failed, yet now...

It was as if the world had turned against him, as if fate itself had decided that he must not create this particular skill.

As if something, somewhere, wanted to keep him drowning in the weight of these foreign memories, to force him deeper into despair and emotional chaos.

With every failed attempt, his patience burned away little by little. He consumed the last of the calming potion he had been saving just to keep his mind steady, but even that offered little help.

Skill Creation...

Create a skill...

[Failed!!!!]

...access any memory by simply focusing or thinking about it...

[Failed!!!!]

Again.

And again.

And again.

The white screen flickered with the same cruel red text, repeating failure like a mantra, as if trying to engrave it into his very soul.

After a total of 200 failures, Ash stopped. He slowly exhaled, his mind blank for a moment, as if reality had stopped moving.

What an irony...

That quiet thought surfaced amid the chaos.

Feeling as if misfortune was permanently chained to his back, refusing to let go, Ash changed his approach.

Skill Creation...

Create a skill using the Rune of Space that allows me to have an inventory bound solely to myself, which no one else can access or steal, something beyond the limits of normal space artifacts. It should be able to store anything—Runes, special items, even living beings..

[Processing...]

**

Skill Name – Soul Vault

Skill Creation Slots Available – 3

Probability of Creating Skill Successfully – 89%

**

He had been planning to create this inventory skill for some time.

Runes couldn’t be stored in common artifacts. And carrying them around constantly was a chore. Having a place to store them safely was more convenient.

Let’s see if you stop me even now... With a success chance close to ninety percent... Hehe.

But he shouldn’t have been that hopeful.

[Failed!!!!]

Looking at the failure message again, Ash wanted nothing more than to pull his own hair out, but with inhuman willpower, he somehow controlled himself.

Though his face had already darkened with frustration, his brows furrowed so tightly it felt like they’d stay like that forever.

You’ve got to be kidding me... Why now, of all times? You should’ve stopped me back when I first tried to create skills. Why are you getting in the way now, when I actually need it?

He didn’t know if someone was hearing his inner voice, but even if no one was, he still continued his silent complaints.

Just then, from the edge of his vision, Ash noticed Elysia staring at him. Her expression wasn’t sharp or intrusive, just quietly filled with concern, like she had been watching him for a while without saying anything.

He let out a soft sigh, the tension in his shoulders loosening just a bit.

Turning his gaze toward her, he gave a small, tired smile and said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The moment he asked, Elysia stood up without a word and walked over. She sat down directly in front of him, folding her legs neatly as she brought herself to his eye level.

Their faces were close now, enough that he could see the slight glint in her eyes, and the subtle movement of her lashes.

For almost a full minute, neither of them spoke. Their eyes simply met and held each other, as if trying to read thoughts without words.

"What’s troubling you?"

Her voice was gentle, yet clear. Even though it was harder for her these days to read Ash’s emotions than it used to be, something she once could do just by looking into his eyes.

But even if it was difficult, it wasn’t impossible.

Ash remained quiet for a while. He thought deeply, and then finally, he decided to be honest.

He couldn’t lie to her either way.

"It’s just... I’m trying to do something important, but it feels like someone is interfering with me. I can’t see them. I don’t even know who or where that bastard is. It’s frustrating me beyond belief."

His voice came out through clenched teeth, low and tense.

"I see," Elysia said thoughtfully. Her head tilted slightly to the side, her eyes narrowing just a little as she studied him more closely.

"Then... isn’t the solution simple? Just go to a place where that person can’t reach."

Ash blinked, her words lingering in his mind.

He let out another deep breath. "Yeah, that makes sense...but there’s no place where—"

Wait...

His eyes widened.

He froze mid-sentence, staring at Elysia as the pieces clicked in his mind. She was still sitting there with the same concerned, warm gaze. A subtle smile played on her lips.

A sudden spark lit in his chest, followed by a small laugh as he leaned forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Haha, you’re right. Damn it, I really am an idiot. I should’ve thought of that way earlier. How dumb can I be?"

Elysia hugged him back, her arms wrapping around him in a gentle squeeze.

"So... was I helpful?" she asked, her voice playful but soft.

"Yes, you were," Ash said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I still don’t know if it’ll work until I try, but at least now I’ve got a direction."

"I see," she nodded, then added with a teasing grin, "Then what about my gift?"

Ash blinked at her, confused. "What gift?"

Leaning close, she whispered something into his ear.

The words made Ash stiffen instantly. His eyes widened again, and without meaning to, he backed up and gently pushed her away.

He didn’t even understand why his heart was beating like this. His face felt warm.

"I-I-I’ll t-try what you suggested. Just don’t go anywhere!" he stammered out, trying to hide his flustered face as he turned and practically fled to the other side of the cave.

Although the cave had originally been a single space, Ash had extended it over time by breaking through the walls and creating a few extra rooms.

He entered one of the empty rooms. It had only the essentials—a bed, a simple lamp, and absolute silence.

Standing there, Ash took a deep breath and muttered to himself.

No, no. We’re just fifteen... yeah, only fifteen. We should wait. Right? Definitely...

His face was burning, and he brought his hands up to cover it.

Stay calm. Don’t think indecent thoughts. Just chill... I need to get my head straight.

Alright. Focus... now where were we...?

Ash took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he centered his thoughts. Once again, he sat in a lotus position, grounding himself on the cold, uneven floor of the cave.

Why didn’t I think of this earlier? If fate really is interfering with me, then I just need to go somewhere it can’t reach...

He let his thoughts sink deeper into silence.

And the only place I believe fate can’t affect... is my Soul Space.

This time, Ash wasn’t just making wild guesses. He had enough evidence now, pieces that pointed in a single direction. The mysterious man who had saved him from Dark Ash... he had appeared inside Ash’s Soul Space, not in the real world.

And even after that unknown man had vanished without a trace, something even stranger happened. A red light had descended, without warning, from somewhere unknown. It didn’t come from Ash. It wasn’t part of any rune, skill, or trait he possessed.

It appeared on its own, silently, and fused into his Soul Tree. That one action alone had awakened the Rune of Life, a rune he couldn’t have unlocked by himself at the time, and repaired the internal damage inside his Soul Space.

And if fate truly had control over everything, why didn’t it stop that red light back then?

Maybe... it couldn’t.

Arriving within the Soul Space, Ash didn’t waste time. He stood beneath the towering Soul Tree, which spread its vibrant leaves across the endless sky, and focused.

Block every single external connection. Cut off the world. Let no gaze and interference reach here.

Once the ripple settled and silence returned, Ash raised his hand slightly and spoke aloud.

"Skill Creation."

And once again, he thought the idea of inventory skill to form.

[Processing...]

[Processing...]

[Processing...]

[Skill Creation Successful.]

Ash’s eyes widened slightly, and then a grin tugged at the edge of his lips.

"Screw you, fate. I created the skill," he muttered with a spark of satisfaction, clenching his fist tightly.

He immediately brought up the description.

**

Skill Name: Soul Vault

Skill Rank: Saint Rank

Description: A storage space embedded within the user’s soul. It has no restriction on what can be stored—whether it is a weapon, a rune, a treasure, or even a living being. The vault exists beyond the grasp of the physical world, untouchable by any outside force.

**

Ash couldn’t hide his happiness. It was everything he needed, everything he had hoped for. A secure vault, completely immune to theft, interference, or destruction.

Of course, there were limitations. Anything left inside that could rot would do so faster because of the accelerated time within the Soul Space, and living beings would age much faster as well.

Though I’m the exception, obviously. I don’t age here... and nothing affects me.

He knew that in the future, once he got the Rune of Time, he might be able to control that part too. It was uncertain, but just thinking about it gave him hope.

Even with those drawbacks, this Soul Vault was perfect for storing the Runes—one of his biggest headaches recently.

Satisfied, Ash left the Soul Space and focused on transferring the contents of his two spatial rings into the Soul Vault.

Within a second, everything vanished.

He raised his hand and focused on a random object, willing it to appear.

Instantly, it was there.

Perfect. Not even a moment of delay. This will be very useful during battle.

It was common knowledge that space rings had a slight delay when summoning items—sometimes just one or two seconds, but even that was enough to get killed in a real fight. With this, he could launch surprise attacks or defend himself with perfect timing.

He returned to his Soul Space once more, curious if anything had changed.

And that’s when he noticed it.

At the base of the massive Soul Tree, a portion of the black bark had shifted. What once was just smooth wood had now taken shape into—A door.

The obsidian door was seamlessly embedded into the trunk itself, covered with glowing runic engravings of various colors that pulsed softly like a heartbeat.

It had no keyhole, no lock—only Ash’s presence could open it.

The structure looked ancient, yet flawless. A blend of mysticism and authority, carved with strange markings that felt older than even the soul itself.

So this is the physical form of my Soul Vault...

He stepped closer, running his fingers across the surface. The metal felt warm to the touch, like it....was alive.

***