The Runic Alchemist

"What happened..? What did you see..?"

"Hey! That's a wormhole spell right..?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Where is the ending..?"

Kids crowded around him, bombarding him with questions. Even Reize, no exception, looked at him with wide eyes as Damian saw the curiosity in her expression. Damian gestured to her and others toward the wormhole. With hesitation, Reize walked up to it. She ducked under the horizontal wormhole and stood up, her height enough to go past and see without jumping.

When she returned, her reaction stunned everyone. The kids gasped, crowded around her, eager to get a glimpse. Reize stood speechless, eyes wide and ears standing straight. She walked toward him, not even realizing she was heading in his direction.

"I… I saw… I think I saw..." she stammered, slowly settling in his arms, her head resting peacefully on his shoulder.

"Ashenvale..?" Damian said, smiling. She nodded against his shoulder, holding him tightly.

The ones who heard him gasped once again and started lining up to see with their own eyes.

****

By the time Damian and Reize, along with his two assistants, finished cleaning up and noted all the changes and parameters required for today's experiment, it was already dinnertime. The incident of him showing the Ashenvale land across the sea through a wormhole—must have spread throughout the academy.

That one single spell was powered by half of the average third ranker's whole mana pool.

Damian still had one box left, which he decided to keep for now. He hadn't expected the mana to be fully absorbed by his body to begin with, but this outcome worked just as well—perhaps even better. Few besides him could utilize the mana directly, and his runic circles allowed for a level of efficiency unmatched by others.

At most, hypothetically people using the liquid mana could use it to recharge their own mana pool or power a heavy runic device, but these applications were impressive yet far less powerful than Damian's direct use in battle-ready spells. With just this one box, he could probably launch spells so intense that even third-rankers would be shaken.

Mana, as expected, behaved unpredictably—pure mana couldn't be stored in spatial storage, which came as no surprise. For now, Damian had no choice but to carry it with him. He needed to devise a mana storage system soon. While large metal pieces inscribed with mana-gathering runes could work for specific spells, they lacked the versatility he desired for repurposing the mana freely.

This challenge would require deeper thought.

After finishing up, Damian, Reize, and his two assistants went to the mess hall of the Knowledge Keeper. It was crowded—half of the academy had gathered there. Runefather had strict rules against students loitering near the labs, and as a result, many had flocked to the hall.

As Damian neared the mess hall, noble students quickly surrounded him, offering titles, lands, and marriage proposals, according to what their parents might have instructed. Soon, Highsword guards arrived and escorted Damian and his group to Worldscribe's office. Damian along with Toph was really hungry.

It took half an hour to explain what he had done and how the whole thing worked. Without knowing the unique chemical properties he had added and the closed system with internal mini runes, it was impossible for anyone to replicate the whole process. Even if someone understood the mechanics of the process, they would still need mana sense on par with Damian's and an intricate knowledge of the hand-cranked press, along with the science behind the condensation process.

Replicating it wasn't just difficult; it was almost impossible. Still, Damian never let himself get arrogant and explained only as much as he deemed necessary. Many fundamental concepts he kept to himself, even from Reize.

The next day, Damian sat down for breakfast in the Knowledge Keeper's mess hall, where Sam and the others had heard the news and come to find out what the fuss was about. Fortunately, Worldscribe had assigned a team of guards to keep the curious away, allowing Damian to eat peacefully. He had already decided not to attend any classes for the time being.

"Maybe you should reconsider," Evrin said, advocating for her kingdom. "We've proven time and again that you can trust us. There's no place better that would treat you as well."

"I don't doubt it, Princess," Damian declined politely. "But it's not finished yet, and I seriously do not want to form a contract with anyone at this point.."

"We can offer you better accommodations. I'm sure my father will talk to the king, and you will receive an official title and position in the royal court," Grace said, putting her kingdom first. Damian had suspected as much, but it was still something else to confirm—she was the daughter of the Duke himself from the main family, the only daughter of the esteemed Ashborne family.

"Yes, I can offer you my word on that as well," added Prince Maelor, who was also at the table, alongside Lucian.

"Have you really finished making it?" Lucian asked the million-dollar question. "Can you really produce mana in huge quantities? If so, you might have become one of the highest-valued individuals in the five kingdoms. I wouldn't leave this island if I were you…" She offered some ominous warnings along with it.

Your journey continues at empire

"It's still a work in progress," Damian admitted. "And I know. Which is exactly why I'm here. If I can't get the freedom and privacy I came for, I will destroy the thing myself before it falls into anyone's hands."

The seriousness in his voice and the determined look in his eyes silenced everyone around the table. They probably knew his answer already, but they still did their duty as heirs and members of their houses.

But it didn't end there. Suddenly, Damian felt the presence of a third-ranker level mana—one who wasn't a familiar professor. A group of knights in Highsword armor marched in, surrounding an older mage with white hair and a beard, dressed in a Highsword robe. This third-ranker was carrying a scroll.

Stopping near Damian, he unfurled the scroll and began to read aloud:

"To Maximus, known among us as The Morph Vialist, wielder of unparalleled skill and harbinger of brilliance. By decree of the High Table of the Highsword Organization, and in accordance with the sacred tenets that bind us, it is hereby proclaimed that you have been summoned to take your rightful place among our ranks.

Let it be known to all who bear witness to this decree that Maximus is acknowledged not only for his valor on the battlefield and the deftness of his blade but for his mastery of strategy and innovation, surpassing even the expectations of the oldest among us. As the youngest member to grace the Highsword organization in its centuries-old history, you, Morph Vialist, are a symbol of the boundless potential and strength that lie ahead for our order."

By the authority of the High Table, you are invited to take your rightful seat, Maximus, and carry forth the legacy of the Highsword with us into a new age."

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