The Runesmith

Chapter 621: Another Mad Scientist.

“Awooo!”

“No, down boy, don’t you dare!”

“Worf!”

“I said dow–”

Roland never finished the sentence because a speedy wolf collided with him and knocked him to the ground with a tackle of love. Fortunately, his superhuman strength and durability kept him safe from injury, though any normal person would likely have died from the impact. He slid across the ground, leaving long marks in the dirt.

“Woof!”

“Stop licking me!”

He shouted in protest, but the sunlight wolf refused to listen. Eventually, Roland gave up and let him continue. Thankfully, he was still wearing his flame armor, which protected his face from getting too much slobber on it.

“Okay, I think that’s enough…”

After half a minute of letting Agni enjoy himself, Roland finally stood up and pushed him away. The wolf jumped back and began darting around the area as if he were about to pounce again, stopping at the last moment each time. His massive paws left deep impressions in the ground, making Roland wonder if he should expand the area so Agni had more space to run around.

“Agni, I’ve got your favorite.”

Fortunately, Roland was not alone. Elodia arrived just in time to rescue him, carrying a platter of roasted meat seasoned to please Agni’s refined palate. Despite being a creature born of fire, the wolf preferred his food mild.

“Here, have a bite and give me my husband back.”

Elodia laughed as she set the meal in an oversized steel bowl. Agni looked at the food, then at Roland, but his drooling betrayed his true priorities. In an instant, he began devouring the meat, leaving Roland free to head inside. Once home, Roland finally removed his helmet and looked at his beautiful wife directly, no screens or runic cameras between them.

Elodia smiled softly as she watched him pull off the helmet. His hair was a bit longer now, and he had no time to shave. Faint lines of exhaustion around his eyes spoke of the stress that came with his duties in Isgard. Yet the warmth in his gaze that focused entirely on her made Elodia’s heart skip a beat.

“You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

She said while brushing a hand along his cheek.

“Did you even eat properly while you were there?”

Roland chuckled as she touched his short, scruffy beard.

“I did, though I would rather forget most of the meals that were not cooked by you. Those madmen in that mage tower ate nothing but dehydrated food. Luckily, I had your packed lunch to get me through it.”

Elodia let out a quiet laugh.

“Good to hear that, but perhaps it would be better if you rested now. How about a warm bath?”

Her voice softened, carrying a note of longing. She had not seen him in weeks, and neither had he seen her. Being surrounded by the unknown and constantly on edge was not good for the spirit. Roland tilted his head slightly, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ṜἁꞐɵ𝐁Ês

“That sounds perfect, but it would be even better if you joined me.”

He stepped closer and placed his gauntlet gently against her waist. Her hands rested on his armored chest, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. Elodia’s heart fluttered at the closeness, at the familiar scent, and at the look in his eyes.

“I missed you, but perhaps you should remove this armor first and give me time to get ready.”

She spoke in a teasing tone, and a grin appeared on Roland’s face. He was ready to lift her up and carry her away, but before he could, something unexpected happened. For a moment, the entire area shook as if struck by an unseen force from outside. A deep boom rattled the windows, and the following tremors sent several vases crashing to the floor. The runic lights flickered while dust rained from the ceiling.

“What in the world?”

Roland froze, his instincts immediately on alert. He raised a barrier that surrounded his entire home just as a second explosion echoed through the air. Outside, Agni barked furiously and then bolted toward the source of the chaos.

“What was that?”

Elodia’s romantic tone vanished, replaced by confusion.

“We’re not being attacked from outside. This came from within the compound.”

Roland blinked, wondering if someone had launched an assault on his home. The answer came quickly as smoke began rising from a familiar direction.

“Oh no, it’s him again.”

Elodia groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Rastix.”

Roland sighed and ran a hand down his face.

“Of course it’s him.”

His shoulders slumped.

“I’ll go check on him. Stay here. We don’t know if there’s anything hazardous in the smoke.”

He said as he placed a hand on Elodia’s shoulder. A veil of mana surrounded her to block out any potential danger. He did the same for himself, and after grabbing his helmet, he headed outside to find the alchemist.

‘I almost forgot that I live next to a mad scientist.’

The image of the deranged researcher from Isgard flashed through his mind as he stepped out. Rastix’s workshop had gone up in flames more than once, and as Roland arrived, several golems were already spraying extinguishers to contain the fire. From within the thick smoke, the gnome alchemist finally appeared, holding something that looked like a small purple pellet between his fingers.

“I DID IT! SUCCESS!”

Rastix stumbled out of the workshop, coughing and laughing at the same time, the tips of his ears blackened with soot. His eyes gleamed with manic pride as he held the glowing pellet above his head like a trophy. Even the smoke rising from his beard didn’t seem to bother him as he turned to Roland.

“Success, Sir Wayland! I’ve done it! The formula is complete!”

Roland wasn’t sure what to say. He glanced at the purplish cloud hovering nearby. The smell was unpleasant, but at least it didn’t seem poisonous to humans or other races.

‘Good thing the contamination barrier caught all this smoke. It smells awful.’

He strengthened the shield generator around Rastix’s workshop since fumes often escaped from it. A shimmering barrier enclosed the area, keeping the smoke from spreading. Soon, large fans began to spin, sucking in the air around them. The fans were connected to long tubes that led to a purification chamber designed to filter out toxins before releasing clean air back into the open.

“What is that? It smells worse than a decomposing body.”

Rastix’s soot-stained face split into a wide grin as he proudly raised the purple pellet higher.

“Ah! That’s the smell of progress! A symphony of alchemical exactitude and volatile artistry! I call it–”

He coughed violently, waving away the smoke.

“The Draconis Allure!”

Roland stared at the walnut-sized orb in Rastix’s hand, which was still giving off smoke and a sharp, pungent smell. Even though he wore armor and stood within a magical barrier, a faint trace of the ‘aroma’ still reached him. He had no idea how the gnome managed to endure it and could only assume that Rastix was using a potion to counter the odor.

“I assume this is meant to attract lesser dragons?”

Roland asked.

“Precisely! Just as you ordered, and I, the great Rastix Zelbebanin, have delivered!”

The gnome declared, and just as before, Rastix held the pellet high in triumph, but his excitement soon faded. He swayed, then slumped forward and collapsed. Before he hit the ground, Roland caught him with a mage hand spell. The orb of ‘Draconis Allure’ was also secured by the spell and promptly locked away in a safe box.

‘I did ask him to make something to attract drachinids, but will this really work?’

Before setting out, Roland had decided to increase his levels in the drachinid-infested dungeon. However, there were obstacles to overcome, such as the crowded adventurer base and the vast territory where the monsters roamed. To solve this, he had asked Rastix to create a powerful lure that would draw the creatures together. The gnome’s research involved the pheromone glands of dragons and lesser dragons, and if successful, it could allow Roland to hunt them much more efficiently.

‘He might cause a lot of collateral damage, but his work can’t be denied.’

Rastix had caused plenty of destruction, yet replacing him was impossible. He had created the adhesive used for the runic prosthetics, a material that had to be produced constantly and kept secret from any imitators. Even though his lab seemed to explode every few months, the advantages of his inventions outweighed the trouble he caused. Still, it was difficult to ignore how inconvenient it was to have him living so close. The mana barrier surrounding his home helped, but if one of his experiments went wrong on a large enough scale, people could get hurt.

‘I should find him a better place to stay. He can keep this one as his house’

With that in mind, he decided to return home. Guards surrounded the property, a whole unit stationed to handle this mad alchemist if necessary. They could patch him up quickly, and he would be back to work the next day.

“Is he fine?”

“Fine? No, I think he has a few screws loose in there.”

“You know what I meant.”

Elodia said, frowning at Roland’s poor attempt at a joke as he returned home. Agni had been forced to spend time outside the barrier, but now he was back to eating his food.

“He is fine. I’m not sure how, but he might be immortal.”

Roland shrugged. Even though Rastix constantly got himself into trouble, he always seemed to escape with only a few bruises. Perhaps that was why he kept putting himself in danger, as he never suffered any debilitating injuries that lasted.

“It’s the third time this month. When will he learn? You are far too patient with him.”

“Well, he does produce results. I’ve been thinking about giving him some land further north, but instead of that, why don’t we return to the conversation we were having earlier about that bath?”

While the explosion shook his home, he refused to let it become an obstacle. He had spent too much time away and wanted at least one night of peace before leaving again. Without waiting for a reply, he tossed his helmet aside and caught his wife with one hand.

“H-hey, put me down.”

“No can do, Mrs. Wayland.”

He spoke with a grin, slinging her over his shoulder as he made his way to the bathing area. His gloves came off soon after, and when the door closed behind them, a trail of red armor pieces marked the path they had taken…

The next morning, Roland woke early, long before the first light of the sun reached Albrook. The air was cool and carried the scent of morning dew mixed with the familiar fragrance of his wife, Elodia. Her hand rested in his, holding on tightly as she slept, and he carefully performed his usual maneuver to free himself from her grip without waking her.

‘I wish I could sleep like a normal person again…’

Even after such an eventful day and night, he had not slept much, nor did he need to. His abilities allowed him to function for days without rest, and even when he did sleep, it was never for more than four hours. For someone with his workload, this was convenient, yet there were times when he wished he could simply sleep longer and go back to being a normal craftsman.

His initial goal had been to open a shop in Albrook and spend his life running his own business. His wife had stopped working there since her passion lay elsewhere, and he was unsure what to do with the place as it was not generating much income. Even so, he still hoped that one day, if things settled down, he could return to those more peaceful times.

“Now then…”

Moving quietly, he rose, put on a shirt and trousers, and walked toward his workshop. The corridor lights flickered on as he passed, responding to his mana signature. He chose to take the regular stairs, taking time to look around the underground area. There was some clutter scattered about and clear signs of Bernir’s recent work. After a few glances, he went to the elevator and descended into Sebastian’s chamber.

“Sebastian, give me the daily report.”

“As you wish.”

The screens lit up, displaying reports of events in the city since his return. Not much had changed there, but in Aldbourne, where his brother was stationed there had been some changes.

“Right on time with the sanctions and tariffs. They are really trying to squeeze us dry.”

Trade was not entirely forbidden, but merchants traveling from Aldbourne through Theodore’s lands now had to pay extra fees on everything. The surcharge was steep, starting at double the original cost, which made trading impossible. As a result, Albrook would need to support the new frontier city directly, although plans for that were already in motion.

“Those tunnels will be our lifeline. We should prioritize placing golems there and building a basic subway system. I bet the Union Dwarves will enjoy this project.”

Even without the Duke’s backing, the city still had enough funds to begin work on a small-scale railway system. It would link the two cities together, and expanding it later would be far less expensive than constructing teleportation gates.

“I added it to the notes, sir. Is there anything else?”

Sebastian asked as Roland’s words appeared in the form of text. He was carefully planning for the future, making sure he would not forget any important projects.

“First it’s the Institute, then I can actually start working. Arthur should be able to handle Julius when he arrives, but he also wants me to work on that runic eye project.”

There was a lot to do, and he wished he could clone himself at this point. The main problem was leveling, which took far too much time. For now, he did not see any shortcuts like the ones he had used in the past.

‘Even after all of that, I’ve only gained five levels.’

While most people would see gaining five levels in just over an hour as an incredible achievement, it did not mean much to him. He had nearly died, and that experience made it clear that hunting tier two monsters and even weaker tier three ones would no longer get him far. He needed to focus on creatures at or above his level.

“Maybe I should give that project a try. Having those armors just sit in spatial storage feels like a waste.”

Roland walked toward his armory, where his four elemental armors rested after being retrieved from storage. The onyx armor had been used heavily in the recent battle and needed to be reforged. Restoring it multiple times had corroded the runes, and now it could only output about forty percent of its original power.

Several floating golems carried the damaged pieces by using their own mage hand spell and floatation magic. He did not plan to work on them immediately. Instead, he turned his attention to something else. A thinner-looking golem entered the room along with the floating ones.

“It should be the right size. Bernir did a good job with the parts.”

From the pile of mangled armor on the table, he picked up one of the larger pauldrons. He walked over to the thin golem and placed it on its shoulder. To his satisfaction, the pauldron did not fall but fit as if it had been made for his own body.

“Good. This might work. But first…”

He removed the pauldron and set it back on the table. Then he looked toward the teleportation chamber and sighed. He knew he needed to go to the Institute to deal with Anzeneus. The man was probably already there waiting, and Roland did not want to keep him waiting any longer.

“I should eat something before going.”

After finishing his plans, he left his underground workshop and returned home. He wasn’t sure how much free time he would have after today, so he intended to enjoy it while he still could.