The Runesmith

Chapter 588: Half Way There.

Small mechanical legs clicked softly as an egg-shaped spider climbed a steep wooden wall. Rather than digging its legs in, it clung to the surface by magnetizing itself to the high metallic content within the wood. Slowly, it reached the top and used its single large eye to scan the surroundings. Nearby, it spotted a lone guard leaning against the wall of his lookout tower, completely inattentive and struggling to stay awake.

“I shouldn’t have drunk that ale… the boss will kill me if I fall asleep, I need to hang in there.”

The man mumbled to himself while the small arachnid scanned the surrounding environment. It fed the visual data into the main console hidden within Roland’s shelter and also transmitted valuable information to dozens of other spider units that were slowly approaching the area. One group was already closing in on the circular wall, preparing to infiltrate the interior.

The spider adjusted its posture, flattening its body to blend into the support beam. Its matte-black shell shimmered faintly as it merged with the unlit shadows of the night. Although the dungeon had shifted into its night cycle, the adventurer-run town remained active. A transparent barrier shaped like a dome blocked sounds from escaping, but now that the small golemic arachnid had reached its vantage point, its sensors picked up a large amount of noise and movement inside.

People were walking around and shouting. This was clearly a place meant for adventurers, as almost everyone was carrying a pitcher of alcohol and appeared to be drunk. The noise provided excellent cover, allowing the small golem to blend in easily and proceed with infiltration. It descended along the wall and, upon reaching a building, began burrowing into the ground deep enough to remain hidden, yet shallow enough to eavesdrop on every nearby conversation.

In time, many more of the egg-sized arachnids began scaling the walls of the Dragon Valley Settlement. They slipped inside and continued burrowing underground, spreading throughout the area. The man behind the infiltration watched a screen as the once-empty map gradually filled with detailed renditions of the exteriors.

Thanks to the scanners, he could now see every building rendered in three-dimensional space. Although the golems did not actively stream visual feeds, the scanners still detected the presence of adventurers, displaying them as moving dots similar to those on his original mapping device. This time, however, there was also sound.

"The dra… kshhhh have been rowdy lat… krrzt I heard a rampage bzzzzzt …could occur at any momen… shhhk."

A man's voice came through the feed. At first, there was some static, but after a few adjustments, it began to come through clearly.

“Kzzz… Why are you talking about this now? Just shut up and drink.”

“Hah, you’re right. No use worrying now. We’ll get through it like we always do.”

The conversation came from inside a rowdy tavern not far from what appeared to be the central square. With all the overlapping audio inputs from outside, it was difficult to make out exactly what people were saying. Still, given enough time, Roland hoped to gather enough information to prepare for whoever was in charge of the settlement.

From how the blacksmith had been treated, the place didn’t seem to follow any clear laws. But he couldn't be sure of who to blame yet. It was possible that multiple factions were working against one another and that the leader held no real control over them.

“Everything is progressing smoothly. That should be enough for now.”

In his small underground lair, Roland stood before the console. He watched as the map took shape in real time and had already made the decision to keep all his golems underground, avoiding any placements in higher vantage points. The dungeon floor was saturated with mana, which would help conceal the spider golems from mages and other detection skills.

“The underground net is now set up.”

His golems were designed to exchange information with each other through an underground network. They kept sending signals horizontally to avoid detection, and for now, it seemed to be working effectively. The adventurers living here probably never expected anyone from outside to be monitoring their entire settlement from every direction. As long as none of his golems were uncovered, he expected to remain hidden.

Even if one of them was discovered, it was built to self-destruct and leave no trace behind. Without both a runesmith and a runemage working together, no one would be able to trace the signal back to his current location. Then, if they managed to do so, he could still escape through the teleportation gate and destroy his hidden lair to eliminate all evidence.

"Now then, the blacksmith’s home should be somewhere around here..."

While his main reason for placing sensors around the settlement was to gather information on the residents, he also had a secondary objective. The two men who had nearly killed the blacksmith he questioned had mentioned something about the man's family. As someone who had his own loved ones, this didn’t sit well with him. If he ignored it now, his conscience would likely keep him awake at night.

"This might take a while... let's give the order to filter for any mentions of the name ‘Ermes.’"

After giving the order, he leaned back and turned toward his status screen. He was now a Level 50 Runesmith Overlord, and for one reason or another, this advancement had granted him not just one new skill but two.

He first examined the active skill Rune Concealment. At a glance, it didn’t seem particularly impressive as it simply allowed him to hide runes from view. However, after testing it, the results were unexpectedly remarkable. ṛΑɴȏ฿Εꞩ

"Quite fascinating, it’s as if there was nothing there from the start."

He said as he reached out with his hand, which was encased in armor. The runes were engraved on various parts and also on the underside of the armor’s plating, and whenever he cast spells, they would usually flash and emit mana. While there were already methods for masking such traces, none were perfect. Yet once he activated the skill, the vibrant glow began to fade until his gauntlet appeared entirely devoid of magic.

"If I didn’t know something was there..."

It was a remarkable ability that concealed all traces of runic magic. Once activated, it consumed a steady amount of mana to keep the runes hidden on any target he chose. As long as the runes remained inactive, they would stay undetectable. The only limitation was its continuous mana cost, similar to a buff spell. When used on objects, the concealment lasted for a limited time, no more than ten minutes.

“With this skill, they shouldn’t be able to detect anything.”

Only one day remained before his departure to Isgard. There was a major problem with the assembly as he couldn't bring his full arsenal with him. Although he had created several methods to summon his gear within seconds, they were problematic solutions. In a world where tier-three and tier-four class holders fought, even a fraction of a second could mean death.

He had built a special launch platform that could fire his armor into the air, allowing him to leap up and equip it midair. It felt like a ridiculous transformation sequence, and he was glad he likely wouldn’t have to use it. If he could conceal the runic equipment he wore, he could simply store everything inside a spatial container. But if he could smuggle gear in, it meant others might be able to do the same.

"I might be overthinking things, but..."

There were aspects of this assembly that unsettled him because they broke from tradition. He understood how nobles clung to their customs and only abandoned them in the face of extreme circumstances. He didn’t want to expect trouble, but the second skill he had acquired was designed for situations where attacks came without warning.

“This one sounds like it’s giving me a second phase.”

While the first skill had helped him resolve a recent dilemma, the second possessed far more dramatic potential. It was a passive ability that only activated when he was critically injured, but once triggered, the effects were astonishing. Not only would it restore him to full health and replenish all his mana, it would also allow him to unleash his Overlord’s Might again, this time for an extended duration. It was a skill meant for desperate situations, and though he wanted to test it, intentionally lowering his health below twenty percent was a dangerous gamble.

Although he was no stranger to pain, he decided for now not to resort to self-harm. The skill was useful, but he had no intention of ever needing it in the future. With careful planning and thorough research, he would ensure that such a situation never arose. Still, it was reassuring to have this ability when faced with overwhelming danger. His enemies would likely never anticipate him gaining a second wind ability similar to those found in certain creatures. Perhaps the Overlord class truly was connected to monsters, and he could only wonder what kind of skill he would unlock upon reaching level one hundred.

“Hm?”

Before he had time to think further, his monitor flashed. It seemed that someone had mentioned the name of the blacksmith he had rescued. He quickly ordered the nearest underground spider drone to focus on the conversation.

"Where is he… It's been several days. Those bastards did something. It must be that man. It's because Father's master refused to repair his weapon."

"Millie, keep your voice down. What if someone hears you?"

"But, mother!”

"I know… but still… this is not what your father would want. If you bring this up with those people… there is no telling what they could do."

Roland listened closely. The girl named Millie appeared to be the blacksmith’s daughter. During the interrogation, the man had given them this very name, so he assumed this was the person he had been referring to. Knowing that the two were alive and safe brought him some relief. Millie's tone and words made her anger clear. Her mother was trying to calm her down, likely out of fear that speaking too openly could attract attention from dangerous people. They seemed to be ordinary commoners with no combat abilities, likely relying on others for protection. Roland wished he could help them more, but doing so would risk exposing himself to adventurers.

There was no guaranteed way to get in and extract the two women. Even if he managed to infiltrate the area as he had during Lucille’s rescue, they would likely refuse to cooperate. The capabilities of the adventurers remained uncertain, and there was also the growing issue with the lesser draconic monsters in the dungeon. These creatures had become more agitated and violent, causing most of the adventurers to remain inside their settlement. This made any attempt at infiltration much more difficult. Half of the residents there were tier-three class holders, and some were even mithril-ranked adventurers who were only one step away from reaching tier four.

“I’ll see to it once I’m back, but for now, you’ll have to hold on.”

Roland leaned back from the console. The infiltration mission had ended, and none of the adventurers had detected his small golems hidden around their headquarters. Due to the increased agitation among monsters, the surrounding mana concentration had also risen, which made it easier to conceal the golems’ presence even with more adventurers nearby.

“I should head back. Arthur will be going through his final attempt soon.”

It was time to leave. He had done all he could in this short window within the dungeon. While he wished he could spend a few months here grinding levels, retreat was necessary. His base of operations was assembled, and the monitoring system was partially complete. With everything in place, he could continue gathering data on both the adventurers and the monsters they fought. By the time he returned after the assembly, he would have a detailed list of their strengths, weaknesses, class types, and even party names. All of this would give him an edge if he chose to act. When he returned, he planned to infiltrate their base properly and determine whether he could use it to his advantage.

Soon, the gate activated, and he stepped through, arriving in his workshop. Only one day remained until their departure. Arthur had one final chance to reach tier three on his third attempt. If he failed, he would be forced to leave, as he was a tier two. This might be his only opportunity to prove his progress to his father, an opportunity that could open the path for him to be considered a legitimate heir candidate.

As things stood, Roland was uncertain whether Arthur, as an illegitimate son, could ever claim that title. Fortunately, some nobles valued ability more than bloodline purity. Perhaps Arthur could become one of the rare few born out of wedlock who went on to lead their family.

‘It’s a hard road he chose for himself…’

Roland watched the teleportation gate fizzle out while his thoughts turned to the future. Arthur was not hiding; he was doing the opposite, making himself known to the other nobles and especially to his father. This approach contrasted sharply with how Roland had lived for most of his life, always trying to stay out of sight, avoiding his family and the world around him. But time had taught him that hiding would never be enough. Only by gaining power and forging strong alliances could he hope to secure the freedom he longed for.

While thinking about the future, he stepped forward and walked into his armory. His armor detached from his body and was placed on a rack beside his four main elemental sets. Some of the slots were empty because he had not yet completed all of the sets, though several pieces were partially finished.

He reached for one of these, a single armored glove polished in white. The piece looked pale, as if it had been coated in snow-colored paint. When he held it and channeled mana into the runic components, a warm glow filled the entire room.

After nodding, he picked up a different gauntlet, this one pitch black. When activated, it emitted a dim, shadowy glow that immediately began to drain his vitality. He quickly deactivated the effect, realizing it was more potent than intended.

"This should be enough for now.”

When the test was completed, he set both gauntlets aside. After inspecting all of his gear and confirming that everything was in order, he received a message from the city lord. It was time for the final attempt, and this time he would take part in the trial instead of Sebastian. Just as they had done during the two previous attempts, they gathered in the memory chamber and prepared to begin.

"Are you ready?"

Arthur stood there, more determined than ever. He responded with a strong nod and quickly got onto the chair.

"I will not fail again. I can't."

"I see.”

Roland replied while fiddling with the panel controls. Arthur looked past him, not quite focused on the question. It was as if his eyes were lingering on the image of his father standing behind Roland. There was exhaustion in his gaze, and it was clear that he had gone several days without sleep.

"Once the trial begins, your body will feel refreshed, but it's still better to get some rest beforehand.”

Roland gave him some advice, but this only made Arthur chuckle drily.

"Sleep? At a time like this? That’s not happening, my friend."

"I suppose you're right. Let's begin then. Good luck."

Soon, Arthur grasped the crystal and was transported back into the ascension trial space. Roland remained behind, gathering data and waiting for his return. He could only begin recording once the trial ended completely and the brain was fully flooded with the returning memories.

"Hm… It's taking longer than before.”

Even though it was only half a second longer than the previous attempt, it was a promising sign. At last, the monitors flickered to life, and Roland began watching the stream of memories playing out from within the trial. For a moment, he stopped before one picture, his mouth becoming wider.

“Wait, what is this…no, did he…”

For a moment, he was speechless, his eyes twitching in disbelief but he could not deny what he was seeing…