Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 511 - 510- Nothing unexpected

Nathan had heard a lot about the man his commander was friends with.

The commander rarely spoke unless it was about work, yet whenever this man came up, she could never quite end the conversation.

She always spoke a little more than usual when the topic was him, and that was what first caught Nathan’s attention.

Someone earning the commander’s recognition was no ordinary matter.

And when Nathan examined the tool the man had sent over, he realized that her appreciation was well deserved.

Nathan had been trying to replicate the same artifact for the past few weeks.

He had the materials and understood the concept, yet he could not achieve the same efficiency.

His version consumed more and produced less.

What a single artifact from Adrian could accomplish required five of Nathan’s to achieve the same effect. That disparity frustrated him, but it also filled him with admiration for the original creator.

And now, at last, he was standing before the man he had so many questions for.

"You will teach us how to make that?" Tasha asked, pointing at the artifact attached to the wall.

Adrian smiled and nodded. "Yes, but not exactly that."

As he spoke, soldiers began carrying away the artifacts Adrian had brought.

Iris left with them as well, likely to oversee their proper allocation.

Adrian then asked, "First of all, tell me the procedure you use to create an artifact."

The younger ones glanced at each other before the largest among them, who had introduced himself as Sei, spoke up. "We tune the first thread to the artifact using an ice user as the subject."

Adrian nodded. "Do you mind if I see one of your finished artifacts?"

Nathan nodded and signaled to Tasha.

She walked back to where Nathan had been working earlier and returned with something similar to Adrian’s artifact. The design was almost identical, which made Adrian chuckle inwardly.

He took the small, shell-shaped artifact. The moment his fingers touched it, he felt the soft hum of runes resonating within.

Adrian closed his eyes and silently examined the flow of mana through its structure.

Then he frowned.

Nathan grew nervous.

Adrian opened his eyes and channeled his own mana into the artifact. Instantly, it split into two pieces.

Tasha gasped, and Nathan’s expression fell.

"I apologize for this," Adrian said, sounding genuinely sorry rather than disappointed.

He handed the broken pieces to Sei and asked, "What dialects of runes do you know?"

Tasha blinked and glanced at Nathan.

Meanwhile, the team captain shook his head. "We do not know what you are referring to."

Adrian hummed, not surprised, given how underdeveloped runesmithing was in this world.

He then explained, "As you know, not all attributes are the same. There are four parent elements, and elements like ice, magma, and sound are branches derived from those four."

He continued, "If you want to draw out their full potential, you must choose the dialect they resonate with the most. The dialect used for the ice element is called Confluence."

Nathan carefully noted every word before asking, "Then... what have we been using until now?"

Adrian hummed again and glanced at the broken artifact before answering, "You have been using plain rune words, not a dialect, to tune the threads. That is exactly why the artifact lacks efficiency."

He hesitated slightly as he spoke, worried that his words might offend them.

After all, he was a complete stranger who had suddenly appeared and told them that everything they had been doing was fundamentally flawed. That was not something anyone would take lightly.

However, he underestimated the young ones. Not only did they not appear even a bit offended, they actually were listening to him carefully.

Then, Nathan said, "Sir Adrian..please teach us the right way to tune an artifact."

Clenching his fist on the side, he added, "We might not be the wisest bunch you have dealt with but given our desperation, I can assure that I and my team would give their hundred percent."

Not only Nathan, but the other six nodded firmly in agreement.

They had watched their people wither before their eyes.

The ability to manipulate mana had never made them feel so helpless.

They had seen their family members take their final breaths in front of them, yet they could neither save them nor follow them.

That weight was the greatest burden on their existence.

So when someone appeared who was willing to help, to these seven, Adrian was nothing less than a god who had come for their salvation.

Seeing their sincerity, Professor Adrian nodded with a smile and said, "I understand. Now, let us begin the class."

.....

The world beyond the windows lay silent, drowned in stillness.

Ruby and the other two slept peacefully, their breathing slow and steady, undisturbed by the passing of time. The room was warm, wrapped in a quiet calm that made everything feel suspended, as if the night itself was holding its breath.

Then came a subtle sound.

Soft. Almost nonexistent.

It slipped into the silence like a whisper and brushed against the redhead’s senses.

Ruby shifted slightly in her sleep. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened, hazy and unfocused at first.

For a moment, she simply lay there, listening. The quiet felt different now, thinner somehow, as though something had disturbed its balance.

Her brows knit together.

Carefully, she rose from the bed, making sure her movements were slow enough not to wake the others. The mattress barely dipped as she sat up. She turned her head and glanced at the two figures beside her.

Annabelle was curled close, her expression soft and innocent even in sleep, arms wrapped around Ariana.

Ariana herself slept deeply, her features relaxed, a faint sense of peace resting on her face.

Then, finally, Ruby’s eyes landed on the figure standing in the dark corner of the room

No...standing wasn’t the right word. It was struggling

Ruby pulled a knife from the bedside drawer and asked, "Who is there?"

Her voice stirred Ariana as well, while Ruby got up from the bed.

She slowly advanced toward the lamp.

Once it was ignited, the dark figure finally got a face...and that face was familiar.

Trapped in several threads that bound her body completely was the familiar violet-haired woman.

"Sarah? What are you doing here?" Ruby asked, her tone wary.

She approached the woman and took off the coiled thread from her mouth.

Once released, Sarah took several deep breaths before finally delivering the news, "Haah...haah...I-It’s my father...h-he is about to attack Adrian..."

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.