From a new technique to a new natural theory, whenever a cultivator is affiliated with an academy or sect, they can request to expose their invention in front of a discovery tribunal.

A discovery tribunal is a group of high-stage cultivators that would judge the quality and value of an invention, and, depending on their opinion, the cultivator that summoned the tribunal will be awarded for his contribution to the faction. In the case the tribunal decided that the cultivator was wasting their time, the cultivator would be punished, most of the time having to pay a small fine for the lost time.

Because of this, not everyone would request the presence of a discovery tribunal for small things, and they would often be sure to have something good before requesting it.

After the discovery tribunal decides that your work is acceptable, they will reward you with money, resources, or even power within the same faction.

"—Extract from "Discovery Tribunal and their functions.", by Vice Head Master of the Lumite Academy, Blast Twinfate.

As Travis and Marianne began to read Nathan's notes, their faces turned into ones of interest.

"So, are you saying we can combine these three runes on one single weapon?" Travis asked as he rubbed his chin.

"If we do it right, yes, we can," Nathan replied.

"That means we are going to be fucking rich! Prepare world, Travis' Magical Weapons Store is going to change the way war is made forever!" Travis was ecstatic.

"Relax your ass. You aren't going to change anything with our current situation." Nathan said.

"Nathan is right. Changing the world is not as simple as knowing how to inscribe a few runes." Marianne said

"What? Don't you think we would be able to do it? Are you doubting our capacities?" Travis asked, surprised.

"The problem isn't if we are able or not. The problem is that the runes have probably appeared everywhere, so we can't simply assume we are the only ones that know how to use them." Nathan said. "Not only that, but it is safe to assume that these are not the only existing runes and that there are tons of them around the world."

After hearing Nathan's words, Travis couldn't help but stay quiet for a few seconds.

"Ok, you are right. What is the plan then?" He finally asked.

"I don't know," Nathan confessed.

"Should we join a new organization? The support and resources from a faction could speed up our investigation a lot." Marianne suggested.

"It could be interesting, but it would be a problem if they tried to steal our work again," Travis said.

"I think we have a better option. If we stay unaffiliated with a faction, we will be free to go anywhere. That way, we could travel around Orixe while searching for any new rune we may encounter." Nathan explained.

"That doesn't sound bad. If we encounter new runes, we may be able to combine them to create even better tools. With enough knowledge, we may be able to create weapons capable of easily killing high-stage magical beasts." Marianne said.

"Travelling for a few years while we gather runes and knowledge. It doesn't sound like a bad plan. After that, we may be strong enough to become an important figure inside any faction or even create our own." Travis said as he began to smile."The question is: Where do we start?"

"I would say we enter the Guburg territory. They control the biggest part of Orixe, so if we want to find information about new runes, it would be easier to do it in their cities." Nathan said.

"Well, now that we aren't part of the academy, we shouldn't have any problem with us entering their territory. And we can't forget the possibility of studying their tattoos. After all, the book that you found in the library was of great help when developing our inscription technique." Marianne said while looking at Nathan.

"Yeah, like they would share their secrets and techniques with anyone because they are inside their territory," Travis said mockingly

"Of course not. But if we spend enough time and help them whenever we can, they may teach us the basics, and even that would be a great opportunity for us." Marianne said.

"Well, I guess it is decided. We are going to the Guburg territory." Nathan said as he stood up to begin their travel.