Return of the Legendary Runesmith

This was messed up.

Adrian had always known something was off about him—but this… this was beyond insane.

He could use independent magic.

Not just teleportation—but other spells too.

Sure, casting even a basic strengthening spell—something Acolytes use as easily as breathing—had drained almost all his mana. But that didn't change the fact: he had used magic without any armament or rune.

How was that possible?

Unless someone was a devoted follower of the Fallen God, they couldn't use magic freely. And even if they were, those people couldn't wield rune-enchanted weapons.

But Adrian could do both.

This wasn't exciting. It wasn't thrilling. It was terrifying.

He was starting to feel like a puzzle with missing pieces that didn't belong anywhere.

First, he believed he had awakened memories of another life—when he was Lex, in a different world. Then came the messages from the group chat, people who claimed to know him. They told him there was something more about his past… something he still hadn't remembered.

And now this—he could use magic like an Acolyte, yet he clearly wasn't one.

He was inside the Time Chamber now, trying to make sense of it all. The silence was thick, but his mind was racing.

He picked up a piece of chalk and began writing everything on the green board in bold letters.

Adrian has the soul of a legendary Runesmith.

That explains why he can learn things in days or months, things that take others years.

In the group chat—a place where everyone remembers who he was—they all call him Runesmith. That likely means his main role was to enhance weapons.

Second, he can use magic. Like an Acolyte.

He had only studied that strengthening spell a few days ago, and yet he cast it successfully. His body had gotten faster, stronger—his senses sharper. He felt it. That wasn't imagination.

And that punch… He had dodged and struck Rylie without hesitation, though he failed to control the force behind it. That could have been dangerous. Too dangerous.

Then there was the Lex part.

Was all of this tied to Adrian alone? Or to Lex?

And if Adrian was truly so special, so powerful—then why did he never appear again in the original novel?

Too many questions. Too little knowledge.

He sat down, trying to calm his thoughts, and pulled open a book from one of the shelves. The Time Chamber didn't allow things to be taken out—but anything could be brought in.

He flipped through the history books—most of them focused on the Hero who fought against the rise of Darkness.

But Adrian already knew everything about these seventeen volumes by heart.

Then there were the books on the Seven Gods who once ruled the world and battled the Darkness long ago.

His fingers hesitated over one of them.

Where should he begin?

The system pinged without warning.

[The system suggests focusing on the Fourth Thread.]

Adrian let out a long, annoyed sigh.

"You just want me to get done with all five threads, don't you?"

[The system aims to help the host reach the pinnacle of Runesmithing.]

He fell silent.

It was always like this. No matter the path, no matter the detour, the system had a way of circling everything back to Runesmithing.

Whether it came wrapped as a quest, a hint, or a punishment—it all led to that one goal.

But this time, he had something else in mind.

"System," Adrian began again, voice low and curious, "you know about my past self, don't you?"

There was no response.

He continued anyway, not expecting one.

"You make me hide my personal life from them... You block out anything they say about who I used to be. That means only one thing—you don't want me to learn the truth."

His gaze darkened. "You do realize, it would only take me a few hours to reach Annabelle. Once I tell her I'm the Runesmith she's been talking to, you won't be able to stop her from telling me everything."

There was a pause. A long, quiet moment.

Then the system finally spoke.

[...It would overwhelm the host to remember everything at once. Years of memories crashing back in a moment—it could tear your mind apart. Worse, it could pull your focus away from the path of the Runesmith.]

Adrian didn't answer right away.

He simply sat there, eyes fixed ahead, heart pounding beneath the weight of truths still out of reach.

After a long pause, Adrian spoke again, voice low and firm.

"I need to start somewhere, right? A book… anything that might hint at where I come from. I won't approach Annabelle, so at least give me something."

There was desperation behind his words—quiet, but real. He didn't want to risk burning himself out mid-spell. He didn't want to collapse from some vision of a past he didn't understand. That one dream... the sheer dread he felt that night still haunted him.

He just wanted a place to begin.

A small silence stretched.

Then came the system's reply.

[If the Host masters the Fourth Thread within fifty days, a hint will be granted.]

"..."

Of course. This damn system—always tying everything back to Runesmithing.

But still... this wasn't really a punishment. He did want to understand runes better. He wanted to know everything.

"Alright," he said quietly, a faint smile touching his lips, "challenge accepted."

Three hours later, after diving deep into the second step of the Fourth Thread inside the Time Chamber, Adrian finally emerged.

He showered, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped out into the quiet hallway.

It was late—long past dinner—and the academy had fallen into a heavy silence. No students in sight. Just the distant creaks of settling wood and the muted hum of lanterns.

Sylvie had been doing better lately. Olivia had asked to stay by her side, and Ariana had given permission. It helped knowing someone was there with her.

And then there was Elana.

Adrian couldn't forget what she'd done for him. Hiding under the bed for hours, waiting for Michael's trap to spring—that took guts. That took patience.

She'd earned a reward.

She deserved it.

He soon reached the main academic building.

He nodded to the guards before climbing the stairs.

It wasn't weird for Adrian or any other teacher to visit their office at these hours. They have to do a lot of preparations for the next days, so Adrian didnt receive any weird looks.

However, rather than pausing before his office, he walked ahead and soon reached the room near the corner.

After glancing around, he knocked.

"Who is it?" Came a voice from very close to the door.

"It's me," Adrian called out and instantly, the door was opened from the other side.

Adrian was about to step inside...but the moment his eyes landed on the beauty before him, wearing racy black lingerie...he froze.

Fuck.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Next would be smut, but after that, a little long pause before I bring another sex scene.