Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 547 - 546- Problem

"Is she okay?" Iris asked, her tone heavy as she looked at Elana lying unconscious in Adrian’s arms.

Adrian nodded calmly. "She is. Just exhausted. Some rest will help." He had already checked her pulse and breathing. Her face was pale, and he could clearly sense how much her mana had diminished.

When he cast a healing spell, he quickly realized she wasn’t injured. She had simply overused her mana.

Was she reckless? A little.

But her interference had allowed everything to be resolved far faster and more efficiently than it otherwise would have.

The mutant plant had been on the verge of launching something catastrophic, something that might have caused destruction beyond anyone’s expectations. Elana stopped it. She displayed an exceptional connection with her armament, and her battle brilliance was, as always, flawless.

She showed a courage that left him awestruck.

"This... finally ended, huh?" Iris said softly, her eyes fixed on the ashen plant. It no longer moved, no longer radiated heat. It was nothing more than a charred husk.

Adrian’s voice turned firm. "Remove its soil. Carve through the entire ground here. If it has left behind any offspring, they must not survive."

Iris nodded. "I’ve already commented the backup unit to start. We can’t afford for that bastard to take over our home again."

Adrian glanced at the dying remains. He had never encountered something like this before. Even Avirin’s memories offered no insight.

"Mind if I take a sample?" he asked.

Iris blinked, then shook her head. "No. Please, go ahead."

Adrian nodded and gently handed Elana over to Iris before walking toward the remains of the plant.

The redhead looked down at the unconscious girl, a heavy sigh slipping from her lips.

The same girl who had stood like a gallant warrior, leading from the front and facing danger alone without a flicker of hesitation, now seemed small and fragile in her arms. The contrast was so stark that Iris suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to have a baby of her own.

’Speaking of that... I wonder how Mark and the others will react.’

Her lips curved into a soft smile at the thought of announcing that the threat had finally been subdued.

She could hardly believe it.

For so long, she had lived under the constant shadow of an unseen enemy, something that could crush them at any moment. She could not see it, could not understand it, and certainly could not defeat it.

All her life, a single concern had gnawed at her mind: finding a way to protect her people.

The threat of devastation felt inevitable. It stole her sleep at night and made even her smiles feel strained, as if the weight on her shoulders never allowed her to relax.

For the longest time, she had done nothing but calculate. Measures, contingencies, sacrifices. Every possible step to ensure her people’s survival.

Then, everything changed.

A new light appeared. A possibility she had never truly allowed herself to believe in. Someone made her realize that survival was not the only option. There was something far bolder, far better.

To eradicate the danger at its root.

Many had told her it was foolish. That the plan would fail. That they would lose everything for nothing.

Yet she trusted her instincts.

And she trusted the quiet certainty Adrian carried, the kind that needed no loud promises. His unwavering confidence alone had been enough.

She took the bet. And now she stood before the disaster that had haunted their world.

Dead. Fading.

’I really can’t thank you enough, Adrian,’ she murmured under her breath, her gaze fixed on his crouched figure as he carefully collected samples from the remains.

Before long, soldiers moved in and began cutting through the earth, severing the plant from its roots.

Adrian returned and gently took Elana back into his arms.

"You’re staying for the celebration dinner, right?" Iris asked. It sounded less like a request and more like a quiet hope.

Just as she expected, he gave a sheepish smile. "Iris... I have too much waiting for me back home. With Nytharos constantly hanging over my head, I can’t afford to stay away for long."

The redhead knew that if anyone besides the Dark Knight had to remain in their world most of the time, it was him.

She let out a quiet sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder. "The system enforces barter between its users. An exchange of equal value. For what you did for me... the least I could offer in return is my life."

Adrian chuckled lightly. "I’d rather not make an enemy out of Mister Mark, so don’t worry. I won’t be asking for your life."

Iris shook her head, her expression turning serious. "Jokes aside, Adrian. Any incident, any day, any time you need my help, even for something trivial, you must tell me. I can’t even begin to express what you’ve done for me. If I can’t return even a fraction of it, I’ll always feel guilty."

Adrian fell silent for a moment, looking into her trembling eyes.

She was emotional.

And she had every reason to be.

Her planet had been on the brink of collapse. Millions could have been swallowed whole, and even though she knew the cause, she had been powerless to stop it. So yes, he understood exactly how that felt.

He gave her a reassuring nod. "I understand. When the time comes, I’ll ask for your support. I won’t hesitate."

At last, Iris smiled. "I’ll wait for your call, Adrian."

...

"Haah... that was a wild ride," Adrian muttered as space twisted around him. His body shifted through the distortion, and a moment later, his feet touched a familiar surface.

He was back in his Time Chamber.

Elana was still unconscious, but the color had slowly begun to return to her face.

Adrian planned to take her to the infirmary and have her properly examined.

But before that... "What am I supposed to do with you?" he muttered, glancing at the spear floating beside her. It hovered like a vigilant pet, poised as if it might strike the moment he showed the slightest ill intent.

"It’s remarkable," Adrian murmured with a faint smile.

The armament remained active even while its wielder was unconscious. Elana’s complexion was improving, and her magical presence was steadily strengthening. That meant that despite her severe drain, the spear was not siphoning enough mana to worsen her condition.

These subtle observations helped Adrian understand the fifth thread more clearly.

Imagine possessing a sentinel armament that guarded you even after you fell on the battlefield.

Armaments were resistant to hypnotic spells and illusion-based interference. A wielder could be confused, misled, or dragged off course, but their weapon would not.

Not to mention the destruction it had caused earlier.

That plant was a phenomenon unique to its world. It generated such overwhelming heat that no matter how many spells Adrian might have cast, he knew none of them would have reached its core.

But the Void Elana created was different.

She did not simply expand a frost domain or lower the surrounding temperature to stabilize the environment.

She inverted the phenomenon itself.

That was the true nature of the sixth tier spell. The more heat the surroundings produced, the more violent the blizzard became. It fed on excess, turning the enemy’s strength into its own weapon.

And she had accomplished that.

It was her first time wielding a fifth-grade armament. Her first time chanting a sixth-tier spell. Yet she executed it flawlessly.

Every time he recalled how she dominated the battlefield, a quiet smile formed on his lips. Pride swelled in his chest.

She had surpassed even her own limits.

"Alright. Let’s get you back and let you rest. Transfer," he instructed the system.

His vision shifted at once.

He was back in his room.

The moment he appeared, he noticed a familiar girl sitting quietly on the bed.

"Annabelle? When did you get here?" he asked as he gently laid Elana down beside her.

Strangely, Annabelle did not leap at him or greet him with her usual warmth.

For a second, Adrian wondered if she was still sleepy. But no. Her eyes were open, unblinking, narrowed with unusual seriousness.

He frowned slightly. "Bella? What is it?"

He moved around the bed and crouched in front of her. "Were you worried about me?"

Annabelle finally lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Darling... Nytharos came knocking on our door."

For a brief moment, Adrian’s mind went completely blank.

Then instinct took over.

His eyes scanned her body for injuries. She seemed unharmed. No wounds. No signs of struggle.

"Where is she?" he demanded at once. "Ariana?"

He was already on his feet, ready to move.

If Nytharos had dared to take her away, he would not hesitate this time.

She caught his hand before he could leave.

"Ariana is in the gym, overseeing the examinations. Don’t worry. She’s fine."

Adrian exhaled, but the tension did not leave his shoulders. "Then why did he come? And why do you look so worried?"

A sharp thought crossed his mind.

Did Nytharos tell them?

Was it about his transmigration?

Nytharos was the only one in this world who knew that Adrian had once been Lex.

But Annabelle’s next words steered the fear elsewhere.

"He came to warn us," she said quietly. "About one of his fragments. The deities have it. He said that through that fragment, they can control me and that girl whenever they want."

Adrian’s expression darkened. The secret he feared remained untouched, but what she revealed was no less alarming.

"I see," he said slowly. "What else did he say?"

He crouched before her again, searching her face.

Annabelle did not look away. Her gaze stayed locked onto his.

"He said you know how to suppress Nytharos’s blessing," she continued. "That you know a way."

Adrian’s lips parted, yet no words came out.

"And Ariana told me the method," Annabelle added softly.

Silence fell between them.

This... was going to be a problem.