The Runesmith-Chapter 557: Transmute.

Lucille’s lip quivered as she realized the trial had officially begun. The massive hourglass in the distance trickled fine grains of luminous sand, each one marking the precious seconds she had left to complete this intricate puzzle. She had no doubt that failing to finish before the last grain fell would result in her rejection from the ascension. And that was not an option.

She hurriedly reached for another floating rune, analyzing its shape and structure. It was another part of the puzzle and needed to be combined with two others to form the correct runic structure. It seemed that at least this part of the ascension trial was focused on testing her knowledge of runic components and how they interacted with each other. She was unsure if there would be a later stage where she would need to apply this in battle, as tier three trials usually consisted of multiple tasks.

To make things even more interesting, the rune that she previously created started floating towards the obelisk in the middle. It slowly merged with the runic writing there and combined with the first rune. It was now clear to her what she was to do and before the sands on that hourglass ran out, she had to finish the whole runic passage.

Lucille’s pulse quickened as she gathered more floating runes, her mind racing to piece them together in the correct sequences. Each rune had a unique shape, glowing with distinct hues, and she quickly discerned their functions. Some were foundational, serving as the base for larger constructs, while others were modifiers, altering or amplifying effects. If she made a mistake in assembly, the unstable magic crackled and forced the components apart.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm despite the pressing time limit. As she carefully selected and merged the next sequence of runes, she realized that this was more than a simple memorization test as it was also about intuition, adaptation, and mastery over the very nature of runes. This trial was tailored for someone willing to push the boundaries of rune magic itself, something she always wished to achieve.

The obelisk in the center pulsed with growing intensity, absorbing each successfully crafted rune cluster. With every addition, the runic script filled out and glowed with increasing brilliance, indicating that she was nearing completion. The more runes she combined, the clearer the pattern became. Yet time was running out, and only a few minutes remained.

Her eyes darted between the floating runes and the obelisk, assessing the patterns as she worked. Each completed sequence resounded with a strange chime before being absorbed. Sweat formed on her brow as she struggled to recall her past lessons under Professor Arion. She had fallen in love with runes the moment she discovered the vast possibilities of their applications. Many dismissed them as mere enchantments and favored elemental magic instead, but she was determined to prove that runes were the most superior form of magic this world had to offer.

"Runes can adapt to anything. They can be anything you wish them to be. That is their strength. They are only limited by one's imagination and knowledge!"

Just as the last grain of sand fell from the hourglass Lucille brought the final sequence of runes together, her hands steady despite the pressure weighing on her. The moment they fused, a blinding pulse of energy erupted from the obelisk, sending a wave of power cascading through the space. The completed runic inscription glowed brilliantly, the shifting symbols settling into a final, perfected form.

For a breathless moment, silence reigned. Then, the obelisk trembled, the runes upon its surface unraveling and began spiraling through the air like celestial constellations. The platform beneath her feet rumbled, and the entire trial space quivered as if acknowledging her success. Lucille shielded her eyes as the luminous script formed something resembling steps, each one consisting of a rune that she had just assembled.

“Not over yet…”

Lucille hesitated for a moment, staring at the floating stairs before her. Each step was made of radiant runes, glowing with an energy that felt both ancient and new, as if they were alive. The moment she stepped onto the first one, it hummed beneath her feet, as if her presence was awakening the magic within it. The instant her foot left the step, it froze over, activating a freezing spell.

“How magnificent. The spell has some kind of delayed frost effect… it’s so beautiful.”

She couldn't help but marvel at the frost particles swirling through the air as she ascended. With each step she took, more frost appeared behind her, erasing the stairs she had already climbed. It was clear that this was a one-way journey, and she wondered what awaited her ahead.

As she climbed higher, she arrived at another platform, where a much larger obelisk stood, adorned with an even more intricate network of runes. The runes pulsed with a crimson glow, indicating the type of runic spell she was about to work with.

“Fascinating… this time, it’s some kind of flame spell.”

Lucille stepped onto the second platform, her eyes darting around. The frost-covered stairs behind her had dissolved completely, leaving only the path forward. The obelisk before her pulsed with a deep crimson glow, and as she approached, the runes along its surface became clearer. It was obvious that the complexity had increased but the hourglass in the distance was of the same size.

“This won’t be easy… but…”

Even though the intensity of the challenge increased, this test brought her immense joy. She loved identifying the correct components and bringing them together. In the previous test, she had needed to combine three runic parts, but now some required four. The more she worked, the more she became consumed by the intricate symbols, each one more complex than the last.

Yet, as time passed, her knowledge began to waver. The rune structures grew strange and unrecognizable, and before she knew it, her first ascension trial had come to an end.

“Ah… N… No!”

“It’s okay, you’re safe.”

A soothing voice called out to her but she had different things on her mind.

“No, let me study more runes. I wasn’t finished!”

“Huh?”

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Lucille opened her eyes and found Robert standing before her. His confused gaze made it clear that her outburst was unexpected, especially for someone who had just failed their first tier-3 ascension trial.

“Did you enjoy yourself that much? First, focus on the trial. Recall what happened”

Roland called out, his gauntlet hovering over her head, glowing with a golden hue as he cast the same spell he had used on Robert. As the memories of what had transpired returned, Lucille quickly began talking, describing every detail of her experience with excitement, to the point that Roland seemed almost uncomfortable.

“Ah, I see… interesting. Shifting runes and the power to transform them?”

“Yes!”

Lucille’s chest still heaved from the excitement of the trial, her eyes glowing with the lingering energy of the runic forces she had worked with. Failing should have devastated her, but instead, exhilaration coursed through her veins. She knew she could eventually return to the same trial with more knowledge and attempt to solve even more runic puzzles—a dream come true.

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“I must return… I should be able to soon, right?”

“Hah…”

As she stood up, she heard Roland chuckling strangely. Robert, meanwhile, watched her with a concerned expression, glancing at Roland as if to confirm that everything was truly fine.

“She is fine, I suppose. It was an interesting trial, but you won’t be able to retake it for at least the next twelve hours. How about you rest for now, and we’ll talk about it tomorrow?”

They had started the trial late at night, intending for her to rest if it proved too taxing on her mind. But she wasn’t tired at all. Instead, her thoughts raced with new ideas, fragments of runes and structures swirling in her mind. She had no intention of resting. What she needed to do now was research the runes and write down everything she remembered before the details faded.

“Yes, I need some paper!”

Lucille shot upright and sprinted out of the workshop's resting area, where a comfortable leather couch sat untouched. She didn’t care about rest as her mind was too alive with ideas. She rushed to the nearest desk, her hands trembling with excitement as she grabbed a fresh stack of parchment and a quill, dipping it hastily into ink.

The torrent of ideas in her mind felt like a puzzle she had to solve before the intricate details faded. Her quill danced across the parchment, sketching the shifting runes she had encountered, trying to replicate their complex transformations. Every now and then, she would pause, staring at the patterns she had drawn, as if expecting them to come alive on the page as they had in the trial.

“Interesting…”

“Eeek!”

She had been so absorbed in her work that she completely lost awareness of time and of the two people standing behind her. The sudden sound of Roland’s voice startled her so much that she nearly fell out of her chair. Fortunately, Robert caught her before she could hit the ground.

“I see. Wait here for a moment.”

Roland, more interested in the runes she had sketched than her near fall, studied the parchments briefly before disappearing from the room. When he returned, he carried several notebooks that looked familiar.

She recognized them immediately. She had gone through many of Roland’s notes in the past, but she hadn’t fully understood them at the time or had chosen to focus on different aspects of rune research, particularly the inner workings of individual runes.

“Use these”

Roland said, handing her the notebooks.

“They’ll teach you the logic behind rune component placement and help you get past that trial.”

Lucille eagerly took the notebooks from Roland, ones she had gone through before. However, now that she had endured that trial and remembered some of the floating runes, the small components neatly drawn and explained here made much more sense than before. The system was logical, simple in design but difficult to master. There were many combinations, and for her to pass that test, she would probably have to go through all of them.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry. Now get some rest, you’re making my brother worry.”

“I wasn’t worried…”

Robert, who was standing nearby, blushed and turned his head away as Roland pointed it out. Soon, Lucille was left alone with him in the room, and she smiled.

“Sorry for worrying you. Let’s go home.”

The two returned to Albrook and their home, but instead of sleeping, Lucille stayed up the entire night, poring over Roland’s notes with an insatiable hunger for knowledge. Every page she turned sent a rush of exhilaration through her veins, each diagram unlocking a deeper understanding of rune structures. She scribbled her own thoughts in her personal notebook, copying his old schematics and expanding on them with her own ideas.

Her mind burned with possibilities. What if she could modify the structures mid-formation? What if she didn’t just complete runes but created entirely new ones? The shifting runes from the trial had been alive in a way she had never encountered before. Was it possible to replicate that effect and make it her own power? The thought of not having to rely entirely on runesmiths was exhilarating, pushing her to work late into the night until exhaustion overtook her and she slumped forward, finally succumbing to sleep.

When morning came, Lucille felt something soft against her face. Someone had left a pillow for her while she slept at her desk. Blinking groggily, she struggled to shake off the lingering haze of excitement from the previous night’s research. Scattered notes and open notebooks surrounded her, proof of the hours she had spent immersed in her studies.

“Robert?”

She called out but received no response. Instead, her gaze landed on a single leftover note, the handwriting unmistakably his.

"I’ve left to train with the knights..."

A smile crept onto her face as she read. He had draped a blanket over her and placed the pillow beneath her head after she had passed out from exhaustion.

"... please get some rest, he says… I should probably stop making him worry.”

After finishing the letter and stretching Lucille exhaled deeply, staring at the golden morning light filtering through the window. The world outside was waking, but her mind was already racing ahead. She had tasted something in that trial and she now wished to complete it. Only then would her life as a true rune researcher begin.

Lucille’s research consumed her, to the point that she neglected her golem control practice. Fortunately, Roland allowed it, knowing she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else until she made a breakthrough. A second trial arrived a few days later, bringing with it another failure. She had made progress, pushing past three obelisks, but more remained. So she continued.

On her third attempt, she finally succeeded. Five obelisks were needed to complete the first part of the trial. To no one’s surprise, it was more than just a simple runic puzzle. When the last obelisk was activated, another set of stairs appeared, leading to an unknown area. As the blinding light faded, she found herself standing at the entrance of a vast maze, another test she would have to overcome.

The maze stretched before Lucille, its walls containing swarms of glowing runes. It was a work of art and magic, but also a puzzle in and of itself. Each turn held secrets, and each corner could lead to either further obstacles or the exit. The runes ignited on the walls as if waiting for her to study them and alter their composition.

“It’s another trial… this side looks like it has a trap but that one is a dead end…”

It quickly became obvious to her that this was going to be difficult. A rumbling sound resounded behind her as the path constricted. She had a limited amount of time to get through here and she would need to decode the runes on the walls to get through. Soon she appeared before the seemingly blocked wall only to discover a hidden passage that would lead her to a safer location. This was what this next test was about, to manipulate runes while facing death.

Her struggle continued, and failure followed. Just like before, she found herself unable to press on, suffering another mistake when she misinterpreted some runes while frantically evading the ever-closing walls lined with spikes. Yet, all of this was worth it. With each failure, her understanding of runes grew deeper, and the longer this continued, the more she realized how little she truly knew.

Though the failures persisted for weeks, she didn’t mind. Each one was an opportunity to learn and uncover more about the world of runic power.

On her fifth attempt, she finally succeeded, and a third trial awaited her. This one involved a giant automaton resembling an obsidian statue of a hero, strangely resembling a certain armored benefactor. It was cracked and fragmented in several places, and her task was to restore it. At first, it seemed like a strange challenge for a runic mage who couldn’t truly mend runes or metals together, but the test granted her an intriguing new ability.

Congratulations, you have gained Transmute Rune

Through her understanding of the runic structures, she was able to grasp the method, though whether she would retain it for long was yet to be seen. The new skill was amazing, it allowed her to change and reshape the very runes she loved. It was a dream come true but required a lot of concentration and mana. It seemed that this part of the trial was about being resourceful as her mana had its limits.

Lucille stood in the middle of the trial's potentially final stage, her heart racing as she focused intently on the ancient obsidian automaton before her. Her fingers twitched as she surveyed the cracks and fragments, the metallic surface gleaming faintly in the dim light of the trial chamber.

“I can do this, I can reshape the runes to my will…”ll her attention on a part of the golem before her. A lone cracked rune flickered and shifted there. Though the structure had been damaged by age or some accident, she could still manipulate the rune. Affecting the metal itself was impossible, but with her new skill, she could pull the rune closer, adjust its size, or elongate it to fit elsewhere on the piece of metal. She was almost there as the path toward rune transmutation was opening before her, and she would never forget who was responsible for it.