The Runic Alchemist

First, he checked whether the golem could activate the runic scrolls using his mana threads. He could activate them remotely, but the range was limited. However, since the golem was connected to his mana, he could trigger the scrolls with just a thought and the activation words.

It was a relief to know this worked, but there was still one other thing left for Damian to test—something he couldn't do in front of the guards. So, making an excuse to go to the washroom, he took the golem with him.

Alone in the washroom, Damian summoned his iron golem and connected his mana threads. Carefully extending his hand to the side, well above the wooden floor, he summoned his soul spear. With a small flash of the size of spear near his palm, a red, fiery spear appeared out of thin air and gently settled into his grip. Damian felt the intense burning mana inside the spear.

It bore no visible runes, and if it was enchanted, he couldn't tell, but the spear clearly held great magical power. He had never used it in real combat that much before, but this upcoming battle wasn't one where he could afford to hold back.

Now came the moment of truth. Damian slowly placed the spear in the iron golem's grasp, which was connected to him by seven mana threads. The scene, with the golem standing facing him, looked like Damian was ceremoniously handing over his weapon, they were still in the washroom though. He waited—ten seconds, twenty seconds, a full minute—but the golem showed no signs of heating up.

Damian touched its hand, and it was still cold.

Great! Whatever magic protected him from the spear's burning effects also worked for the golem connected to his mana. At least now the golem had a reliable weapon when the situation went out of control.

This one thing off Damian's mind he returned to the rooms with materials and continued his work, making more parchments with the help of his golem to increase his familiarity of him while simultaneously thinking of ways to modify and improve his known spells.

Once again, Damian lost track of time until Sena arrived to fetch him and the guards for dinner. She ducked into the room with her cute, green-haired face and called out in her high-pitched voice. Damian, realizing his hunger, gathered the necessary materials and followed her to the staff dining hall, where he usually ate with the other maids and soldiers under Vidalia's service.

He took his usual seat, as did Paul and Kyle beside him. Damian didn't talk much, but many of the older maids greeted him with smiles. Though he wasn't fully accepted, there was a sense of familiarity after eating together so often. He couldn't help but notice that some of the women would occasionally smile at him.

It was something he had noticed even back in Pyron—this form of a child seemed to have looks that were too good for his own good. Damian had been an average guy on Earth and wasn't used to such attention. It felt so fake to him. But there was no time to get flustered about it, not in the middle of a war camp.

Around him, people began chatting about their day, new information, and gossip about the various lords in the camp. Everyone smiled and listened as they enjoyed their food. Damian observed Sena's mother, an important maid to the commander, who rarely spoke but always listened and gave kind replies, offering advice and encouragement when needed. She was kind of head maid around here.

It wasn't the perfect place that Damian had imagined, but it was warm enough—at least they didn't treat him like the soldiers in the camp did.

Suddenly, a wave of unease washed over Damian. Freezing mid-bite, he extended his mana senses to it's limit and detected an anomaly—a large mana reaction directly ahead of him in the sky, beyond the wooden building. Odd. No one could be up there in the air except Vidalia, and his senses told him she was in her room.

It wasn't a person he was sensing, but rather a concentrated mana presence, growing in strength as if something was piercing the fabric of space, attempting to enter their world.

Damian immediately unblocked the link between him and Vidalia to alert her.

'A strange mana reaction directly above us... It seems unnatural...'

'Huh...? Damn! Protect yourself!' she replied hastily, her mental voice screaming in urgency.

Not wasting a moment, Damian pulled out his ten-parchment sewn-together invisible box spell scroll and spread it across the table. Then he shouted, "Everyone! Gather around me—something strange is happening!"

At the same time, he summoned his iron golem, now equipped with the newly delivered steel weapons, sparing him the trouble of summoning his soul spear.

"What...?"

"Huh..? What's going on?"

"Why are you shouting, kid?"

Before more questions could be asked, the head maid, already holding Sena in her arms, shouted, "Stop asking questions and do as he says!" Her commanding tone spurred the others into action, and they hurried to gather around Damian.

As the large black runic circle finished forming, invisible walls began to take shape around them. Just then, Damian sensed a sharp, oppressive mana signature directly above.

An unknown third-ranker? Or was it the Threadripper?

There was no time to figure it out. In the next instant, a wave of oppressive mana hit the people around him. Those who made it into the box were down on their knees which was painful but fine, but several others hadn't made it in time.

It didn't end with the left behind ones just coughing up blood, sprawled on the wooden floor though—a massive gust of blood-curdling air sliced through the wooden roof, splitting the building in two. Then a huge fiery wave followed, burning everything in its path.

Damian watched in horror as half the maids and soldiers outside the invisible box were sliced in half by the air blades. The wave of fire that followed obliterated everything around him, even cracking the invisible box. Then, another barrage of air blades broke through, sending everyone inside the broken invisible box crashing through the burning building.

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