The Runesmith

“This is quite a large mana stone. I should be able to make aether mithril with this, or maybe I should save it for something better?”

Roland used a sharp knife to sever the monster’s flesh. The blade buzzed with energy, enhanced by a cutting enchantment. Although the exterior shell was covered in thick scales, once he opened a wound, it wasn’t too difficult to peel away the layer of skin beneath. There, nestled inside, he found a large mana crystal about the size of a fist.

“Reminds me of the good old days.”

Back when he first started exploring the Albrook dungeon, one of his earliest methods involved implanting mana stones directly into his older sets of armor. As his knowledge grew, he learned more advanced techniques and began infusing mana stones into the metals themselves. This let him benefit from the stones without the risk of them shattering in the middle of a fight.

It was much more difficult to merge stones into higher-grade metals like mithril. That process demanded superior-quality stones, which couldn’t be found in the Albrook dungeon. Most undead monsters lacked them entirely, relying instead on their monster cores to hold themselves together. The process was expensive and inefficient, but now things could change. He had stumbled into an area teeming with high-level draconic creatures that actually carried the stones he needed. Judging by this Wyrm’s crystal, there were likely more just like it.

“Hm? Three incoming? Did I kill their leader or something?”

The drones hovering in the sky picked up signs of movement. His mapping device also showed several dots moving in his direction. Even though he had surrounded the area with a silencing barrier, these creatures somehow knew he was here. He would figure out how that was possible later. For now, he needed to prepare for a fight.

Roland’s eyes narrowed as he studied the small screen inside his helmet. One of his floating golems was feeding him a live video feed. The monsters approaching looked like the same type as the one he had just killed, though smaller and a few levels lower. From what he could tell, this species seemed to grow in size with each level gained. If that was true, then at level two hundred and fifty, they probably reached twice the size of the creature he had just faced.

They were all weaker, but that did not mean he could afford to ignore them. Previously, he had combined aura with wind energy to bring down the monster more quickly. This strategy consumed a large amount of mana, but it still allowed him to retain both Overlord’s Might and Mana Overflow for when the fight became more intense. Fortunately, his mana was already recovering at a fast pace, and even if it had not been, he still had a supply of recovery items to rely on.

His analysis of the species was ongoing. So far, he had learned that they seemed to possess some kind of sixth sense that allowed them to detect traps and lurking threats. However, they had one big weakness: their inability to fly. He, on the other hand, could.

Roland’s wind-focused armor began to glow as he gently lifted into the air. The suit had been designed for speed and aerial agility. Even without the additional flight unit he sometimes used as a jetpack or the large glider platform, the armor alone allowed him to maneuver through the skies with ease.

As he rose higher, the armor began to shift. Small openings appeared across its surface, releasing pulses of concentrated wind magic. The largest vents were located on the soles of his boots and along his back. These channels expelled directed gusts of air, functioning much like a refined form of jet propulsion. Guided by wind magic, Roland could ride and redirect air currents just like certain massive creatures that seemed far too heavy for flight, yet still soared through the sky with grace.

The wind whispered around Roland as he gained altitude, but he was careful not to stray too far. The wyverns he had avoided gathered near the mountaintops, but that did not mean none were lingering near this area. He needed to maintain a careful balance to avoid attracting the attention of any new monsters that might spot him hovering above the forest.

Below, the forest trembled before the advance of the three lesser Wyrms. Though only slightly more than half the size of the one he had already slain, they were still tier-three creatures. Their purple-gray scales shimmered under the illusion of afternoon light, and their slit-pupiled eyes glowed faintly with malice.

‘They’re going for the carcass of the larger one.’

He noticed that the monsters were not acting in coordination. Instead, they seemed drawn to the remains of the dead wyrm he had carved apart. Roland could not tell whether they were attracted to the blood or to the large mana stone he had retrieved. Somehow, they perceived something was still there despite his protective measures. Was this a special ability unique to wyrms, or was it shared by all lesser dragons? If the latter was true, then hunting them would become far more difficult.

At first, he planned to attack but chose instead to wait and prepare his weapon. The hammer he had used before unfolded and shifted into a runic staff. Wind energy gathered around him once more, cloaking him from sight as he studied the strange behavior of the monsters below. He had read something about this dungeon and others like it, and before making a move, he wanted to confirm a theory.

Roland remained still, floating high above the treetops like a silent specter. The runes on his armor subtly adjusted, channeling the wind to keep him aloft. Below him, three wyrms slithered towards the corpse of their fallen kin. They moved quickly toward the clearing where he had placed the body, entirely fixated on it for reasons that were not immediately clear.

The creatures seemed to be fighting over something. Two of them bumped into each other, hissing and snapping their jaws. This distraction gave the third wyrm a chance to reach the corpse first. It became clear to Roland what they were after: the large mana stone he had extracted. The creature sniffed the spot where the stone had been and appeared to grow increasingly frenzied at the realization that it was missing.

These monsters were not acting like the usual dungeon inhabitants. They behaved more like independent beings. Unlike the mindless creatures he had faced in other dungeons, which resembled golems in their mechanical behavior, these showed signs of thought and instinct. Natural-born monsters consumed mana stones and monster cores to evolve more effectively and gain experience. These three were doing just that. They were not bound by the will of the dungeon, and they even seemed capable of fighting each other. Something that perhaps he could use to his advantage.

The mana stone he had taken was safely hidden in one of his spatial runes, but he retrieved it again. As soon as it appeared, the monsters reacted. They began scanning their surroundings, clearly sensing the stone’s mana signature. Fortunately, his concealment spells were working well enough. The creatures knew the item was nearby, but they could not locate it precisely.

While they searched, Roland devised a plan. He summoned one of his floating golems. He attached the mana stone to the golem, using the same adhesive he had previously employed for placing sensors in the tunnels. Once it was on tightly, the golem was commanded to fly around the clearing.

As soon as the golem moved beyond the reach of his concealment magic, the monsters snapped their heads upward. Their nostrils flared, releasing acidic breath, and drool began to drip from their mouths. All three immediately gave chase, focused entirely on the golem and not on whoever had sent it.

This gave Roland a perfect opportunity to move closer and wait for the right moment to strike. He was not here to engage in prolonged combat just yet. His priority was to buy time until his golems finished preparing his temporary hiding place, and to make sure that it was safe to place his teleportation gate there. 

Just as he had expected, the three monsters chased after his golem like cats chasing a wiggling toy. It darted through the air in unpredictable patterns, neatly avoiding their attacks. Though the monsters were powerful, they lacked range beyond their acidic breath. The deadly attack used by the earlier creature was dangerous, but it clearly couldn’t be unleashed as frequently as standard dragon fire. Meanwhile, the golem was doing an excellent job of provoking the trio into wasting their limited stamina and abilities.

‘That should be enough. The barrier is set up, all preparations have been made, nothing should get through this time around.’

Once he was confident that they had exhausted a good portion of their energy, he began his assault. Activating his Mana Overflow skill, the green aura surrounding him shifted to a bright cyan. With a sharp release of concentrated wind energy, a cyclone surged toward the three monsters, who had now surrounded the golem. To them, it appeared trapped, but Roland had placed it there on purpose. It was never more than bait.

From high above, Roland extended his arm and raised his staff, unleashing a powerful spell. A colossal twister of green energy roared to life, spiraling downward like a divine spear. It struck the clearing where the three wyrms had gathered, expanding with violent force as it touched the ground. The cyclone grew rapidly, wide enough to engulf all three monsters as well as his golem. The octagonal construct had fulfilled its purpose and was consumed by the swirling magic, torn apart into thin pieces. Even the mana stone it had carried was shredded by the raging energy along with the golem itself.

The Wyrms had no idea what had struck them. While they were not particularly susceptible to wind magic, the sheer force of Roland’s spell overwhelmed even their thick, scaly hides. The magic began to tear into them, and although they resisted and tried to escape the growing storm, the effort was in vain. As they pushed outward in desperation, the winds dragged them back toward the center with relentless force.

Above the storm, the air rippled as the winds collided with the barrier he had created. His floating golems hovered in specific positions, forming a protective magical field. Not only was the barrier completely invisible to the naked eye, it also cast an illusion to conceal the battle below. After analyzing the behavior of the monsters, he ensured that not even a trace of mana leaked from within. It appeared to be working. No other creatures had taken notice of the location, and the Wyrms trapped inside the emerald cyclone were being sliced apart.

‘I can use their behavioral patterns to my advantage’

Once the task was complete, Roland descended into the heart of the cyclone. All that remained were the shredded remains of the serpentine monsters. Not even their draconic heads had been spared, and with enough magic, even their scales had been cut clean through. Now that he understood how these enemies responded, he could envision isolating one of the stronger beasts and drawing the smaller ones into an area of effect spell.

The only drawback was the lack of experience points. To earn the highest amount, it was best to avoid fighting enemies more than ten levels below his own and to target those above his current level instead. These creatures still gave him a decent amount of experience and were worth farming, as long as he could lure them into a trap to make the fight easier.

His testing wasn’t finished yet. Normally, he would dispose of the monster remains, since he had learned that the local creatures were attracted to them. However, if he removed the important parts such as mana stones, and perhaps the lesser dragon hearts, eyes, and fangs, then neither creatures nor adventurers would bother with what was left.

After taking what he needed, he waited to see how the dungeon would react to a defeated monster’s body. At first, he wondered if it would surprise him again by leaving the remains to decay naturally. But not everything had changed. After about thirty minutes, the remains began to sink slowly into the ground. The process was gradual but familiar. The dungeon was absorbing the corpse, likely recycling its materials for future use.

This was still a dungeon, and this was proof of it. It would be enough for the first scouting mission and initial battle. As he waited, a beep echoed inside his helmet, signaling that his golems had finished assembling the temporary lair. The floating golems were recalled, and soon he flew back to the area where he had first arrived. The spores were still drifting through the air, but to him and the golems, they posed no real threat. Instead, they were quite a good deterrent for monsters and adventurers.

Once he landed, he saw his golems crawling out of a hole and placing a thick cover over it. The design he had in mind resembled an old bomb shelter with a direct descent underground. As with other dungeons, he expected the soil to eventually conceal the entrance, though he had other methods of hiding it as well.

After activating his spatial storage, a hammer appeared in his hand. He hadn’t been certain how to enchant the entrance before, but now he knew exactly what to do. The golems positioned themselves around the area to muffle the noise and block the sparks that started flying. He began striking the lid and the surrounding metal that the golems had already installed. His runes appeared quickly as he filled in empty spaces and connected them to the existing runecrafted traces. 

It didn’t take him long to move into the shelter, which was little more than a rectangular space with a square floor about ten meters wide. The ceiling rose roughly three meters above, and in the center was the circular entrance he had used to come in. There was no need for a ladder since he could float, and he had no intention of bringing anyone else here anytime soon. The surrounding areas were dangerous, and he planned to explore all of them, including the nearby settlement where people were living. He feared those people more than the monsters, as they were far harder to predict.

“Now then, let’s get it all set up.”

Once the runecrafting process was complete, he allowed a single orb of light to illuminate the room. The lid was closed, and all the humanoid golem workers were retrieved. He, however, moved toward one of the thicker walls that was already imbued with functioning runes and specifically, spatial runes.

To the average observer, it would have looked like witchcraft. He simply held out his hand, and from within a thin layer of space, items began to appear. Despite the illusion, there was a system behind it. Every item he placed in the spatial storage carried its own unique mana pattern. When he activated the runes that opened the storage, he could sense the location of each item inside. With a simple mage hand spell, he could draw out whatever he needed. The gravity within the magical storage was also weaker, so everything inside felt significantly lighter.

Soon, he gathered all the necessary components for the minimalist teleportation gate. It stood two meters tall, one meter wide, and was shaped like an oval. While teleportation gates were typically circular, it was possible to limit their size. For now, this was the smallest configuration he could manage without causing issues. Further reducing the runes would lead to instability.

Time passed, and the setup was finally complete. On the left side of the gate stood a large canister filled with mana fluid. On the right was a rectangular storage unit with several openings designed to hold smaller rune batteries. He had deliberately prepared two separate energy sources. Once he left the dungeon, he needed to ensure that it would not draw power from the gate, which remained a real possibility.

To prevent any potential issues, he also brought a smaller version of the console that he kept in his workshop. While it couldn’t be linked to the main unit or operated by Sebastian, it still offered several useful features. One of them allowed him to monitor the area outside the dungeon. If a monster attacked or another problem occurred, the device would send out a distress signal that could be picked up by one of the sensors he had left near the secret entrance he used to reach this location.

“That should do it. Should I head home now?”

Roland felt satisfied. He had accomplished everything he set out to do. If he left now, he would be back in time for dinner. However, just as he was about to activate the teleportation gate, the console lit up red. Something was approaching, and it did not appear to be a lesser dragon or any other monster…

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!