GLOBAL AWAKENING: My 10,000x Exp Multiplier-Chapter 56: []The Runic Reclamation; The University Ruins

Chapter 56: [56]The Runic Reclamation; The University Ruins

The ash-choked ruins of Sovereign City stretched endlessly beneath the fractured sky.

Outside the protective boundary of the White City, the world was a desolate canvas of gray concrete and corrupted red data streams. The silence was absolute. It was broken only by the crunch of boots against the ruined asphalt and the distant guttural roars of high-level Abyssal anomalies hunting in the smog.

Vahn Ryker navigated the wasteland with fluid effortless grace.

He didn’t wear heavy armor. His simple black combat jacket fluttered in the toxic wind. His Agility allowed him to weave through the debris with the casual ease of a man taking a morning stroll.

"I still think taking Sia would have been more optimal," Aria muttered. She stepped carefully over a molten piece of slag.

The Priestess was following closely in his wake. Her Crimson-Lotus Vestments projected a localized barrier that actively repelled the environmental radiation. She gripped her wooden staff tightly as her emerald eyes darted at every shadow.

"Sia is a fighter. I heal people. If we run into something dangerous out here, I am going to have to rely entirely on you."

"That is exactly the point, Aria," Vahn replied smoothly. He paused to let her catch up and offered her a warm genuine smile. "Sia is needed at the White City to maintain the perimeter defenses. Hana needs a dedicated guard while she organizes the civilian logistics. And Kora..."

He gestured vaguely to the right.

The tiny crimson-haired dragon-girl was currently chasing a massive mutated centipede through the rubble. She giggled maniacally as she prepared to devour it.

"Kora is keeping the local wildlife distracted," Vahn finished. He looked down at Aria and his gaze softened. "Besides, I wanted you here. You have a terrible habit of putting the entire faction’s emotional weight on your shoulders. You needed to get out of the triage wards for a few hours."

Aria’s breath caught. A sudden brilliant flush of pink dusted her cheeks. This completely betrayed her attempt at maintaining a professional tactical demeanor.

"I do not require a field trip for my mental health, Vahn! I am perfectly capable of managing my stress parameters. And... and you shouldn’t say things like that with such a straight face." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"I merely speak the truth," Vahn chuckled. He thoroughly enjoyed the banter.

The old Vahn would have viewed this conversation as a waste of breath. But walking through the ashes of the old world, he found her flustered humanity to be the perfect counterweight to his own calculated nature.

"You force me to remember why we are fighting, Priestess. I like having you by my side."

Aria looked away quickly. She aggressively adjusted the collar of her robes to hide her blush. "You are impossible. Just... tell me what we are looking for."

Vahn’s expression sobered and his deep purple eyes locked onto the horizon.

"We are heading to my old university. When the Spire first began bleeding its code into our reality years ago, the initial micro-tears occurred near the campus laboratory. The Alien AI that manages the Galactic Arena left a primary data hub there. If Earth is truly ranked F, I need to access that terminal to understand the exact metrics of the Starmark System."

They walked for another twenty minutes. They navigated the twisted metallic graveyard of the financial district until the architecture began to shift.

The ruined skyscrapers gave way to sprawling gothic-style stone buildings heavily overgrown with strange glowing flora. Massive vines pulsing with bright blue mana wrapped around the collapsed clock tower of the university.

The air here didn’t smell like ash. It smelled like ozone and ancient magic.

"The environmental rendering here is incredibly dense," Aria observed. Her healer’s instincts analyzed the ambient energy. "The flora is actively rewriting the physical terrain. It is beautiful, but it feels incredibly hostile."

"It is a Runic Reclamation zone," Vahn explained. His Verdant Chronos-Sight flared to life. The green and azure circuits mapped the underlying wireframes of the campus. "The Spire’s engine is using this location as a localized server hub to process the planet’s data."

Before they could take another step, the glowing vines wrapping around the courtyard violently shifted!

The ground trembled!

Three massive figures ripped themselves free from the overgrowth. They were Runic Golems. Towering monstrosities constructed of ancient stone and bound together by thick pulsating vines.[Threat Detected: Overgrown Runic Golem. Level 45 (Elite).]

"Vahn!" Aria warned and instantly raised her staff. A brilliant pink-gold aura of restorative magic flared to life around them. It boosted Vahn’s latent stamina regeneration.

"Stay behind me, Aria," Vahn ordered. His voice shifted into the cold absolute authority of the Architect.

He didn’t draw the Soul-Bound Shadow Blade. The legendary dagger was entirely unnecessary. Vahn launched himself forward and his boots cracked the stone pavement.

To the Golems, the human simply blurred out of existence.

The first Golem swung a massive stone fist. Vahn casually ducked under the crushing blow and pivoted flawlessly on his heel. He channeled his base 9999 Strength into his palm and delivered a brutal open-handed strike directly into the Golem’s glowing runic core!

"BAM!"

The impact sounded like a detonating artillery shell. The kinetic force sheared completely through the dense stone and instantly shattered the beast’s foundational code. The Level 45 Elite exploded into a shower of blue pixels and harmless pebbles.

The second and third Golems lunged simultaneously.

Vahn didn’t retreat. He stepped into their guard. His movements were a masterclass in terrifying surgical minimalism. He grabbed the incoming wrist of the second Golem and used its own forward momentum to hurl the massive beast directly into the third.

As they collided in a tangled mess of stone and vines, Vahn raised his right hand and pointed his index finger at the resulting pile.

"System. Localized gravity parameter. Increase downward force by five hundred percent."

"Crunch!"

With a deafening sound, the two Golems were flattened into the courtyard. Their dense bodies were instantly pulverized into dust by the invisible crushing weight of the edited physics engine!

The courtyard fell dead silent.

Vahn slowly lowered his hand and turned back to Aria with a completely relaxed expression. "The perimeter is secure."

Aria lowered her staff and stared at him in absolute awe. She had seen him fight a hundred times, but the sheer effortless dominance he exerted over reality never failed to leave her breathless. He didn’t just defeat enemies. He actively deleted them.

"You really are a monster," she whispered. A fond amazed smile broke across her face.

"Only to them," Vahn promised softly. He gestured toward the ruined library at the center of the campus. "Come. The entrance to the Hidden Laboratory is beneath the archives. It is time we finally see what these Overlords are planning."