Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 518 - 517- Die for you

DOOOM

Ariana flinched as the explosion echoed from the first floor.

Everyone was alerted, not only her group but the Acolytes on the base floor as well.

Annabelle instantly turned to Ariana and said, "Keep them away from the upper floors. I’ll go check on her."

Ariana nodded and charged straight toward the building. With her arms extended, she let the hammers slide into her grip.

Runes flared to life across the flat metal as she leapt high and slammed both hammers into the ground.

DHAK CRUMBLE

The ground split apart as jagged rocky spikes surged forward, marching straight toward the building.

"GHA!" One of the Acolytes failed to notice the incoming danger and was impaled by the spikes.

The remaining seven turned their attention to the woman blocking their path to the stairs, their eyes burning with bloodlust.

Two Umbral members arrived at Ariana’s side.

She twirled the hammer in her right palm and settled into a battle stance.

With a grin, she ordered, "Just stand back and watch the show."

The two exchanged glances before taking position as the second line of defense. By then, Ariana had already charged her targets.

One of them hastily raised his hand, channeling mana as a spell circle formed.

"Die, you bitch!" he shouted, hurling several ice spikes at her.

Ariana chuckled and her pace suddenly elevated.

"Wh-What?" None of those spikes were able to even graze her, let alone harm or stop her.

The Acolyte was too stunned to notice she had already closed the distance.

THUMP

Her hammer crashed into the man’s throat, blood bursting from his nose and ears.

THUD 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He collapsed from a single blow, prompting Ariana to scoff. "Quite a fragile unit."

The others showed neither grief nor hesitation. They were already chanting, preparing to erase the threat then and there.

Ariana tightened her grip on her weapons and crouched, ready to spring.

An excited smile lingered on her lips, betraying how much she relished the fight.

Meanwhile, Annabelle had climbed through a first floor window and was assessing the situation inside.

What troubled her more than the explosion was the fact that Ruby had allowed someone to cause such a disturbance.

As she peered into the room, she understood why.

An ancient magic user. Her eyes narrowed as realization struck.

That red cloak was unmistakable.

During their ambush on the Acolytes’ base, her darling had told her about a sorcerer who wielded a strange branch of magic, one he could not dismantle even with the bullets Forgelet had provided.

These people had acquired lost and forgotten knowledge, sorcery once commonly used during the war.

Annabelle had witnessed what such magic could produce, and that was precisely why she was wary of the man.

Annabelle tried to enter the room, only to be stopped by an invisible wall.

"Hm?" The acolyte suddenly turned toward the window. "Now, now. I don’t want any uninvited guests."

Annabelle narrowed her eyes, thunder crackling around her as she prepared to shatter the barrier. But before she could act, Ruby called out, "You go ahead. We’ve got this."

Annabelle glanced at the redhead, who met her gaze with an assuring look.

Tiffany looked slightly wounded, but she was still in fighting condition.

Annabelle did not linger. After giving a brief nod in return, she stepped away from the window and looked up.

Lowering her stance, she leapt high and caught the ledge of the upper floor window.

She was aiming for the ultimate kill.

The cult leader.

And Borodicus fucking Clark.

.....

Returning to the base through teleportation, Adrian checked on the runesmiths one last time.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that they had already completed more than ten artifacts.

"Ah, Sir Lockwood. Could you please inspect the artifact?" Sei asked, enthusiastically carrying over the one he had made.

Nathan and the others turned toward Adrian, the youngest among them growing visibly nervous, since every artifact had been built under his supervision.

Adrian took the artifact and sent a wave of his mana into the tool.

This time, it did not snap open like before, though it demanded a considerable amount of mana to operate.

Critically speaking, it was still far from perfect, but "It works," he said with a nod. "I believe four of these would be enough to regulate the temperature of this hall."

Nathan let out a long breath of relief. He knew he was nowhere near the level of perfection Adrian had previously shown, but having his work approved all the same lifted a heavy weight from his chest.

"That’s reassuring to hear," Iris said as she approached. "Now, Nathan, your duty is to supervise rather than involve yourself in the creation. Go around the workstations and guide everyone. Do you understand?"

The young man nodded, determination burning in his eyes.

He gave Adrian one last grateful nod before getting back to work.

Iris and Adrian walked away from the busy work area, heading toward the spot where Adrian had first appeared.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Iris asked. "I’ve already kept you here for so long."

Adrian shook his head. "It’s fine. I was expecting this, so there’s no need to worry." He had gained a clearer understanding of what he was dealing with. Not the source itself, but the factor he needed to focus on to draw closer to the mutant plant.

After a brief pause, he continued, "I’ll head back now and start working on the project. Let me know if you need more of those artifacts."

Iris gave a faint smile and shook her head. "I’m already troubling you enough by asking for help. With Nathan’s team, I’m confident we can stabilize things for the time being."

Adrian shrugged. "No worries. If a few extra hours of work can save an entire planet, then isn’t that the best reason to overexert myself?"

Iris smiled at him, a strange warmth and respect gathering in her eyes as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Adrian.

He was momentarily surprised, but he did not pull away.

Adrian gently patted her back and said, "It’s okay, Iris. Everything will be fine."

She hummed softly. "I know... I’m just glad I’m blessed with such a helpful friend."

Adrian chuckled. "Don’t worry. When the time comes, I won’t hesitate to ask for your help either."

Iris stepped back and spoke with quiet sincerity. "In exchange for this, even if you asked me to die for you, I wouldn’t hesitate."

She held his hand and added, "And that’s a promise."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, drop a comment.