When they finally ran out of moonstones, Sokram turned to Savannah with a proud smile, amazed by her talent. ‘Heh, the Records never miss, do they?’ he thought.

“Well, now that your turn is over, mine is just starting,” he said, referring to his guard duty.

But then he motioned for her to follow him. “Before you go to sleep, let me show you how to siphon mana from someone.”

By that time, the sky was already dark, the starry expanse of the northern night a breathtaking sight.

Yet Savannah had been so engrossed in trying to make the runestones that she barely noticed the passage of time, much less the beauty above. Despite her efforts, she had only succeeded twice, hardly enough to be useful for tomorrow’s hunt.

She stored the runestones she had made in her spatial pouch and followed Sokram, sitting cross-legged and listening intently.

“There are three ways to siphon mana from someone,” Sokram began. “The first is through continuous contact, which won’t serve us tomorrow, so I’ll teach you that later.”

He noticed the disappointment on her face and found it somewhat amusing, though he admired her hunger for knowledge. “The second is through runic marking. This is a runic enchantment of mutual agreement; it can only be maintained as long as both parties consent to it. This is the one we’ll be using.”

Sokram’s expression turned serious as he held her gaze. “The third is through a ritualistic blood rune.”

Savannah’s eyes widened slightly as she understood the implications of blood magic.

“Yes, blood magic,” Sokram confirmed. “Much like a slave mark, the blood rune can be branded without the other party’s consent, as long as they can’t resist. I’ll teach you that rune later as well. Just don’t abuse this knowledge. But it can become useful one day, so it’s better for you to know.”

Finishing his explanation, Sokram summoned a few sheets of paper and some ink from one of the rings in his Void Glove.

He began writing a list.

“Here, this is the list of materials you’ll need to make the solution for the runic marks, both of them. I have everything we need for this lesson and for the hunt tomorrow, but after that, gathering your materials will be your responsibility. I can show you some good stores once we’re back in town, though.”

Sokram started drawing a small, intricate array with many runic symbols on a new sheet of paper.

The array was interconnected with each rune, and even though he was using simple ink, Savannah could feel the ambient mana reacting to it. Noticing this, Sokram praised her with a sincere smile. “Your senses are sharp, big sis. With talent like yours, you’ll become an amazing Runic-Warden in no time. What intrigues me is Nature’s ties to your class. I wonder… did the Records sense a trace of Elemental or Dryad bloodline in your veins? If so, the Records have certainly pushed you in the right direction. Our classes are the Records’ way of guiding us, showing us the path we should follow based on our innate talents.”

But his smile never faded, and for once, there was no trace of his usual mischief, just sincerity.

It was strange, disarming even.

Savannah felt warmth creep up her neck, her fingers curling slightly over her lap.

She lowered her gaze for a second before offering him a small, genuine smile. “Thank you, little brother.”

Her thanking him like that broke Sokram from his rumbling about the Records.

He noticed her smile and the slight flush over her cheeks, and for a moment, he was captivated by her beauty.

As he imagined how radiant she would become as she continued to evolve, a fleeting thought crossed his mind: ‘Should I expand my harem beyond what I had in my previous timeline?’

But then he remembered the chaos of managing six wives and twelve concubines and shook his head inwardly. ‘Sigh... I’ll leave these thoughts for later. Better to focus on what’s ahead.’

Unlawfully taken from NovelBin, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Still, the temptation lingered, a quiet whisper in the back of his mind.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Sokram went back to the task and started explaining, “This Runic Array is for the sender, the one providing the mana. Whoever you’re siphoning from must be marked with it. The runes here are intricate, and even a small mistake could disrupt the flow. Make sure to remember the difference between this array and the ones I’ll show you for the receivers.”

After Savannah memorized the runic array, Sokram removed his chest armor, his actions drawing curious glances from Savannah, Amber, and Lucy.

Amber’s eyes widened in surprise, while Lucy raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and suspicion.

Before they could jump to conclusions, Sokram explained, “You’ll need to draw this symbol on my back, near my lungs. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you.”

Sokram mixed a few ingredients in a small mortar and pestle before adding the monster's blood and handing it to Savannah. “Here. Now, draw the runic array on my back. Use just enough mana to activate it, and don’t let your mana go beyond my skin. If I feel you probing… Hehe.”

Sokram stopped at the laugh, but the grin that appeared on his face as their eyes met gave Savannah goosebumps.

“I won’t! Don’t worry!” Savannah promised hastily, unnerved by the dangerous glint in his eyes.

Sokram sat with his back to her, his posture relaxed despite the task at hand.

Savannah steadied her breath, the crisp night air cool against her skin as she traced the rune with careful strokes.

Yet each time, a mistake, a line too thick, a misdirected current of mana.

It was like sculpting with water, impossible to grasp yet demanding perfection.

Her frustration simmered, a faint prickling at the back of her neck, but she forced herself to focus.

She had to get this right.

But Sokram’s calm guidance steadied her, and after a few tries, she finally succeeded.

Each mistake left a small burnt mark on Sokram’s back, thirteen in total, but he dispersed the Chaos energy before it could do more than damage his skin.

“Sorry…” Savannah lowered her head after counting the burns, but Sokram lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

When her eyes met his proud smile, she was momentarily confused, but his words were calming and reassuring. “You did amazingly for the first time. If you read the book I lent you, you’ll see they recommend starting with rats or small monsters. But you’re so talented that you succeeded after just a few tries.”

“You idiot! How could you use yourself as a test subject like that? What if I…” Sokram covered her lips with a finger, stopping her mid-sentence.

“I did it because I knew the risks well, and because I knew you’d succeed,” he said.

Standing up, he glanced at Amber, who was meditating, trying to recover her mana as she practiced the spell repeatedly. “And look at the bright side. Now that you know how, you can draw the receiver marks on yourself and Amber. This time, it has to be over your hearts.”

Savannah’s eyes widened. “You’re planning on carrying the two of us?”

Sokram smiled. “How else would she have enough mana to keep using that spell? Besides, big sis, the way I breathe mana, I could carry the whole team without breaking a sweat. Don’t worry.”

Sokram then put his chest armor back on and sat in front of her, summoning five runestones from his glove. “Now, what you need to learn is how to activate runestones from a distance. The process will be simple this time, as I’ve already engraved the runic key in the runes you’ll be using tomorrow.”

Savannah looked at him, surprised. “I’ll have to activate them?”

Sokram nodded and explained, “Only the ones we’ll be using as traps. That’s the main reason you’re siphoning mana from me. To keep them active, you’ll need to keep feeding mana into them, and that’s something only you can do because of your class predisposition and innate talent.”

Seeing Savannah’s confusion, Sokram dipped his finger into the mortar and drew the runic key on his left hand.

He arranged five runestones into a circle and activated them. A pentagonal, five-meter-tall barrier formed.

“These are different from the ones for personal use. Although they use similar runes, the runic spell was cast with a different intent. As for why must you be the one to activate them?”

Sokram answered his own question by walking away. After reaching three meters from the runestones, the barrier dissolved.

“You see, although I can use it, I don’t have the natural talent to maintain it from a distance. But your class shows you have the innate ability to keep mana links intact even over greater distances.”

Sokram sat back beside her and drew the runic key on a piece of paper. “Now it’s your turn. You’ve already gotten the feel of drawing a rune on someone else’s body, but drawing it on your own is different. You can’t lose focus. Your mana will become agitated as the rune activates, so be extra careful.”

Savannah nodded, doubling her attention.

Sokram was ready to intervene if needed, but her talent didn’t disappoint. She only needed two attempts to get it right, though she still burned her left hand.

Seeing that she had finished, Sokram quickly held her left hand and cast a healing spell on it.

Savannah smirked and teased him, “You know I’m also a healer. Did you want to hold my hand that badly?”

Sokram looked deeply into her eyes, his expression serious. “How could I let your perfect skin be damaged because of my plans?”

As he said that, he kissed her hand before letting it go, meeting her eyes with a teasing grin.

‘Ba-dum!’

Savannah’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt her cheeks burn.

“You rascal!” she exclaimed, though her voice lacked its usual sharpness.

“You started it,” Sokram replied with a smirk. “Don’t try to prank the prankster.”

Savannah knew he was right, but the thought lingered: ‘How can someone so young be so… bold?’

It was infuriating, yes, but also undeniably intriguing.

A part of her wanted to scold him, while another part couldn’t help but admire his confidence.

She wasn’t sure which feeling was stronger, and that uncertainty only flustered her more.