Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Adrian sat in the heart of the forest, surrounded by the hum of insects and the endless green.

He had settled himself on a moss-covered boulder, tangled roots of nearby trees curling around its base like old guardians.

His eyes were closed, his mind stripped of all noise. No thoughts of runesmithing, no faces, no plans—just silence. Just focus.

He knew the truth now. With his current strength, he would burn out too quickly to leave any real mark in a serious fight.

The problem was clear: his mana kept spilling out, slipping through his grasp like water through open fingers. Because of it, he always had to fight smart—keeping his revolver close, striking fast, and ending battles before his reserves bled dry.

But that approach wouldn't work anymore.

He wasn't just preparing for another fight. He was preparing for war—against one of the two great demonic factions.

This time, he wouldn't have an army at his back. He intended to bring only a handful of people, the few he trusted with his life. And if that was the case, then he couldn't afford to hang back. He would have to stand at the front, to strike as one of the main blades.

Which meant one thing—he had to fix his weakness.

"Fuu… let's see." Adrian exhaled and opened his eyes.

Mana wrapped around his body like a second skin, faint yet steady.

To him, it always felt like clutching sand in his palm—always shifting, always threatening to slip away.

But over time, he had learned to open his hand just enough, giving the grains space instead of forcing them. The hold became steadier, more controlled.

With a slow breath, he shut his eyes again. His focus sharpened. The outer mana stirred, and under his will, it stretched and twisted—taking form as thin, glimmering threads.

The first attempt was a mess.

The mana threads unraveled before they could even form, scattering into the air like smoke torn apart by the wind. His body shuddered under the loss, and his chest tightened as the familiar emptiness gnawed at him.

"Too much," Adrian muttered under his breath. He steadied his breathing, forcing himself not to get frustrated.

Again, he gathered the mana, weaving it together, careful this time. Yet the more he tried to tighten his grip, the faster it slipped away, spilling from his body in waves. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His revolver would've been easier—pull the trigger, end it quick. But that wasn't the point. Not anymore.

Minutes turned to what felt like hours. Each failed attempt drained him a little more, leaving his arms heavy, his head light. The forest buzzed on, uncaring, while he fought a battle against himself.

Finally, after one more deep breath, he tried a different approach. Instead of crushing the mana into shape, he guided it—gentle, like coaxing a flame instead of smothering it.

The thread quivered.

For a moment, it almost collapsed again, but Adrian held on, letting the flow steady itself. Slowly, a single strand of mana stretched out before him, faint but real, glimmering in the dim forest light.

His lips curved into the ghost of a smile. One thread. One success. It wasn't much, but it was proof. Proof that he could do this.

He guided the thin thread of mana toward a fallen branch lying close by.

The energy clung to the wood—not wrapping around it, but covering its surface—before Adrian carefully lifted it off the ground.

It worked… at least for a moment. His control slipped as fatigue washed over him, and the branch dropped back down.

"Huff… huff… this is harder than I thought." He wiped his pale face, deciding he had pushed himself enough. Any more and he might end up skipping classes today.

Rising to his feet, he slipped on his shirt and began heading back toward the school.

As he did, he asked the system,

'Based on my current abilities and mana control can you prepare a chart of how many times or for how long can I use some certain spells?'

[Name the spell.]

'Hmm, body strengthening?'

[Based on current mana control: 20 minutes]

Adrian was pleasantly surprised. When he fought Rylie he could only fortify his body for a few seconds.

He has come a long way.

After a brief pause, he asked,

'What about teleportation?'

[It depends on how many people you are teleporting. Based on the estimate, the highest number you can carry is 300 and if you teleport individually, you can go for 20 rounds before exhaustion hits you.]

Adrian hummed, that's quite a number but he was sure he teleportated more than three hundred during the ambush.

'Possibly, the system is playing safe.'

[Ensuring your safety is one of the basic features.]

Wryly smiling, Adrian asked, 'What about barriers? I recently started using it.'

[Barrier magic is still a very vague subject for the host. Barrier magic allows you to condense your mana to form a protective shield. Your mana is still too unstable. So, using the basic barrier would lead you to exhaustion within twenty seconds.]

That was harsh, but true.

The basic form of barrier is just to condense your mana and make a cover for you. The advanced barrier magic needs chanting but Adrian doesn't want to jump there before learning the basics.

'Hah…so many things to learn.'

When he stepped onto campus, a group of students passed by. Normally, they would greet him with cheerful voices and smiles. This time, however, some only gave a brief bow, while others acted as though they hadn't seen him at all.

Adrian frowned but held his tongue, choosing not to question it. With a quiet stride, he made his way to his room.

There, waiting for him, was a familiar figure.

Ariana sat on his bed, and the moment she spotted him, she quickly stood and held out a newspaper.

"Look at this," she said, her tone urgent.

Adrian's brows elevated as he took the newspaper and on the headlines, he found his name.

"Runebound Academy's Renowned Runesmith Under Suspicion!"

"Professor Adrian Lockwood Speculated to Be the Mysterious Acolyte Who Saved Survivors!"

"Legendary Staff of a Century Returns—Now in His Hands?"

"Warm Smile… or Hidden Malice? Who Is the Man Behind the Mask?"

Adrian's brows were elevated, "Why are you so tense? Wasn't this expected?"

Ariana spoke in a heavy tone, "Yes, but isn't it too sudden?"

Adrian hummed…even if the Tower had discovered the fact that Adrian was the one who used the teleportation portal, the news shouldn't have spread this early.

And about the magical staff? Yes, this was suspicious.

Ariana stated, "I believe someone from the cult has informed the reporters about this."

Adrian nodded in agreement. He could see what tactics they were adapting.

The war has begun.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.