Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 492 - 490- Confidence

Thankfully, all the assessments were scheduled early in the morning, allowing Adrian and Ariana to attend the public exhibition of the artifact.

Today, Borodicus Clark has promised to bring a positive change to the world.

For nearly two weeks, every newspaper had been talking about it, and today was no different. The headlines were once again dominated by Mister Clark.

[The worldwide evolution is here. The greatest Runesmith to ever exist has once again outdone himself by creating a tool that will change the world for the better.]

[The public exhibition will take place in Atonmine, the home of the Runesmith.]

[Those who wish to witness the miracle...]

Adrian heaved a sigh and put the newspaper down.

Even inside the preparation room, the others were busy talking about the exhibition.

Once again, Adrian was reminded of just how popular Clark was. And that fame had not come merely from achieving the fifth thread. His notes, his meticulous methods, and his slightly unconventional approach to Runesmithing had inspired thousands to pursue the craft and strive for greatness.

He was a towering figure in the world, someone who needed no introduction and was respected by the vast majority of Runesmiths across the globe.

As for Adrian’s view of the man, he was impressed. Clark knew how to tune the fifth thread, something Adrian himself had yet to fully master.

’I am curious, though...’ It was said that Borodicus had obtained Avirin’s lost notes from ancient ruins or something similar.

That was not entirely false. Avirin’s working notes were actually scattered freely across the world. Adrian had seen the Tower Master in possession of some of them. However, the exact method Avirin left behind remained unknown to him.

Was it something different from what Adrian was studying?

’System, I remember you once mentioned that the notes I read were originally scribbled by Avirin?’

[Indeed, host. However, the system did not strictly adhere to them. There was also knowledge from other worlds, which the system deemed beneficial for the host to learn and apply.]

Adrian pressed his thumb beneath his chin, his finger resting under his nose as he hummed. ’So... you gathered knowledge from everywhere, kept Avirin’s notes as the foundation, and modified the methods to give me the best possible result.’

[Correct, host.]

Adrian nodded. Then the system added,

[But host, you did not follow the notes completely either. You introduced your own creativity into the process, creating a new variation that resulted in something entirely new.]

That was something Adrian already knew. He had always been like that, even in his past life. In mathematics, if he saw an equation solved through three different methods and found none of them efficient, he would attempt to derive his own.

Creating one’s own formula allows a person to reach the deepest understanding of a problem. When that happens, the need to learn and memorize pre-existing formulae fades away.

Adrian tilted his head. ’But is it better than what I could have achieved by strictly following the methods?’

[The system believes, host, that you have possibly unlocked a near-perfect form of Runesmithing. And that is definitely superior to the written methods the system provided.]

Adrian smiled wryly. ’Near perfect, huh? That means I can still do better.’

[The system would have called it perfect... if it didn’t have a benchmark to compare your methods against.]

That caught Adrian’s attention. ’What do you mean by benchmark?’ He leaned back in his seat. ’You don’t mean Avirin, do you? You already gave me his notes, so that means there was someone even better than him, right?’

[...you misheard the system.]

Adrian grinned. ’No, hold on. You can’t tease me like that and then run away. Be a good system and tell me who it is.’

There was no response.

Adrian chuckled. Another mystery added to the system.

He had realized long ago that the system was connected to, or built by, something that went beyond this plane, or even the heavens.

The system never hesitated to reveal information about the Gods who ruled these lands. But when it came to its own creator—

Silence.

Adrian shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. He did not mind the wait. He was a patient man, and it was not as if that information was crucial to him at the moment.

"You appear quite happy, sir?" Rylie asked as he approached from the left.

"And you sound quite depressed?" Adrian asked back.

Rylie’s shoulders slumped. "Is it that obvious?" He sighed and shook his head. "I don’t know... I feel like I somehow offended the Headmistress. She was frowning the entire time..."

Adrian barely managed to stop himself from chuckling.

How could he tell the man that it had nothing to do with him? Ariana’s mood had soured simply because she had barely slept a wink the previous night.

Resting a hand on Rylie’s shoulder, the brown-haired man said, "Don’t overthink it. Let’s just do our best, alright?"

Rylie nodded. "Yes. Let’s do our best."

....

If Elana could, she would have written an application to the management, requesting a certain man as her assessor.

But she knew it would be pointless. Her hopes shattered when a red-haired woman stood before her, wearing a nervous smile.

"Do your best, Elana," Norma said, pumping her fists in encouragement.

The silver-haired girl sighed and asked, "Is there a time limit, Professor?"

Norma shook her head. "Just do your best. When I say time out, you stop."

Elana nodded and moved into her stance.

Almost everyone who had come to watch that day was focused on Elana’s match. After all, she was the face of Runebound, someone who had steadily advanced over months and years.

Her name was known across nations, and she had performed brilliantly in the second assessment.

Even so, many of the spectators were displeased.

"Professor Adrian or Instructor Rylie should have been assigned to her."

"Right... Professor Norma looks so weak that even a first-year student could probably handle her."

"Well... it’s rumored she once wanted to become a Warden. But with that temperament?"

There was no doubt that some of those comments reached Norma as well, and her shoulders sagged.

Just as she had thought, she would always be seen as unreliable in the eyes of others.

Hmm?

Norma’s eyes widened slightly in surprise when she felt Elana gathering mana around her.

She looked up and asked, "You... are serious about this?"

Elana did not answer. Her gaze was focused, her stance taut with tension.

Norma did not know why, but she felt a sudden surge of confidence return to her.

There was no greater form of respect Elana could have shown than taking this battle seriously.

And as her teacher, it was Norma’s duty to respond in kind.

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.