401 Triumph

When Elliot finally opened his eyes five hours later, the first thing he saw was Jessica Sands' excited face in front of him.

In fact, it was the only thing he could see because Jessica Sands was.. about to kiss him!!

"Huh?" Elliot cried out lightly in shock.

"AHHHHHH!!!!" Jessica Sands screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!" Elliot screamed out as well.

"Yo-you.. what were you doing!!" Elliot shouted.

"What's happening? Are you two okay?" Jul'Taras immediately leapt up from her seat and dashed towards them.

Monkey King was only a split second behind her.

"Ah! Nothing! Everything is fine! I was just.. I.. I.." Jessica Sands sputtered in panic. "I was looking at your nose for inspiration!!" She finally shouted and pointed at Elliot's nose triumphantly as she found the "perfect" excuse.

"Looking at my nose?? For inspiration??" Elliot was flabbergasted.

As one, Jul'Taras and Monkey King spun their heads around and their eyes locked onto Elliot's nose like laser-guided missiles.

"What's so inspiring about his nose?" Jul'Taras asked Jessica Sands curiously.

"Hmmmm. I can't figure out what yet, but his nose does seem to be very unique. It has a mysterious feel to it. It certainly is a good source for inspiration.." Monkey King began as Jessica Sands nodded vigorously next to him.

"Right? Right? It's a very unique-"

But before Jessica Sands could finish her sentence, Monkey King went on to finish his sentence first, very loudly.

"- IF I was a nose pervert!!" Monkey King finished with a teasing smile.

"What? What nose pervert!!" Poor Jessica Sands shouted back in horror. "I am not a nose pervert! I don't even know what that is!"

"Not knowing what it is doesn't mean that you can't be it." Jul'Taras continued teasing her.

"I am not a pervert! I really did find some inspiration from his nose! Look at this." Jessica Sands took out a device and started to project a whole series of gibberish-looking scribbles for them to see.

It was, of course, the inspiration that she got from the Dark Rune. But the rest didn't have to know that.. yet.

Monkey King and Jul'Taras frowned deeply. They had no idea what the gibberish was all about, but somehow, the gibberish had an elegant yet deeply dangerous feel to it.

Elliot, however, had sprang up from his seated position in shock.

"You found such incredibly deadly inspiration from my nose???" He shouted incredulously.

"Uhhhhhh. Yes?" Jessica Sands winced lightly as she descended even further into her lies.historical

"Is my nose.. such a demonic nose?" Elliot muttered as he rubbed his nose cautiously.

"It is?" Jessica Sands said hesitantly in a tone that's more like a question than a statement.

"Is it alive? Or is it possessed by a demon? A nose demon?" Elliot asked Jessica Sands worriedly.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!! Aaahhahahahahahaa!!" Elise Sands' extremely tickled laughtet suddenly rang out from the side.

"I.. I can't take it any more!" She gasped as she tried to catch her breath and stop laughing. "Possessed nose!! Nose demon!!! That's the funniest thing I have ever heard!! And the stupidest!! Hahahahaha!!"

Elliot pointed at Jessica Sands' highly inspired scribblings and demanded "How else can you explain these breakthroughs in defenses against demonic power? These are obviously defensive applications based on very, very specific and high level demonic offensive runes!

In fact, they are so extensive and so well deconstructed that they could even be applied as a general defense against demons! But I assume that was from Jessica's genius more than my demonic nose."

Jessica Sands glowed with pride at Elliot's recognition of her abilities. But at the same time, she also turned slightly pink at how her fan-girl attempt to sneak in a little peck on Elliot's nose had deteriorated into such a mess.

"Rightttt." Elise Sands grinned at Elliot and Jessica Sands widely.

"In any case! Here are the updated Ascendant Runes!! I've incorporated the insights I got from the Dark- ah, Dark Nose Runes into them! Your attacks based on these Ascendant Runes will deal 1000% additional damage against Demons and your defensive runes will be almost invulnerable against Demonic attack." Jessica Sands shoved the device to Elliot.

"Wow, thanks alot! I-"

"Ok! You're welcome! Now sit down, close your eyes and quickly master those runes! We need to make you an emperor as soon as possible!!" Jessica Sands shouted and pushed Elliot down into a sitting position once more and then promptly casting an isolation spell around him to prevent any noise from going in or out.

Elliot could only look at the rest in confusion and then sigh deeply before delving deep into the device once more to finally complete his mastery of the twenty four Ascendant Runes.

Twelve combat Ascendant Runes, and twelve Ascendant Support Runes, modified to be extra effective against demons. Add his incredible Cosmic Dragon Energy into it, and the Dragon Souls he got from the Dragon Primals, and Elise Sands' inspired methods of modifying the River of Runes to reach Emperor level, and his Prehistoric Dragon Bloodline of all the Dragon Types available, and you will get..

An absolutely peerless power.

But would it be enough to fight against the Wild Energy Blytoros, and whatever else that could be lurking within Wild Space?

There was no way of finding out apart from a full blown battle with it!

However, that question was not the question which was being focused on by two particular girls in the room.

"So tell me. Did you manage to kiss him?" Jul'Taras whispered to Jessica Sands privately as she grabbed hold of her arms. "You don't have to deny it. I know that's what you were trying to do!"

"Ah? Hahahahahahahaah!" Jessica Sands laughed awkwardly and loudly while turning even redder than red. Steam started to rise from around her head as all the heat in her body rushed to her head.

"Oh my god, you did it! You had your first kiss!!" Jul'Taras shouted excitedly.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Jessica Sands laughed loudly again. But this time, there was no trace of awkwardness in her voice. Instead, it was filled with..

Triumph!