Return of the Legendary Runesmith

"Adrian?!" Ruby gasped, rushing toward the man who was kneeling on the ground, clutching his left side.

Ariana and Annabelle arrived moments later, the three of them quickly surrounding him.

Adrian shook his head, trying to reassure them. "It's nothing." He was slightly careless, believing the Crescent Severance could cut through the spell.

While it did bisect the spell, the residual of the spell still remained and hampered him.

Thankfully, he chanted a barrier on time to save himself from further damage.

"Your skin is melting and you say you're fine?" Ariana snapped, pulling out a potion and spraying it on his wound.

The burned skin hissed, the potion doing its work and healing his injury.

Ruby hurriedly took out another vial—a high-grade potion—and helped him drink it.

Adrian didn't resist by saying things about how it could be used further. Arguing with these three ladies would only lead to some strong scolding and then, he would be silenced. So he would rather not anger them.

Bella's eyes grew moist as she asked softly, "Darling, does it hurt?" Just seeing him like this broke her heart.

Adrian's face was pale, sweat dripping down his forehead, but he forced a smile, cupping her cheek. "I'm perfectly fine. Just need a minute."

Well, there was some pain and the wound burned but he was nowhere as exhausted as he was during the tournament ambush.

He still can fight.

Thankfully, the wound began to close, making Ariana let out a sigh of relief.

Ruby looked around warily, then asked, "What exactly happened here?"

Her gaze fell on a man in a red cloak lying behind her—his body cut clean in half.

'That technique…' she thought. She had seen it before. The style was almost the same, though not as sharp.

Adrian shrugged, "Well, I got to test

my new armament."

"Are they still here?" Ariana asked as Adrian finally rose to his feet.

Adrian nodded. "Let's get them."

….

Darkness stretched endlessly here.

It felt as though even sunlight refused to touch this hidden part of the base, a place one could only reach if they knew exactly where to look.

The passage connecting it to the main base had long been sealed off.

Inside the vast hall sat a lone man—waiting.

Waiting for the storm above to pass so he could finally escape.

But his hopes were shattered when the blocked passage suddenly stirred.

The walls groaned, dust rained down, as if something massive had just slammed into the barrier.

The violet-eyed man's expression darkened. Then, without warning, a small portal shimmered into existence before him. From it stepped a figure he knew all too well.

"Hey there, Armodius." Adrian greeted casually, giving a wave before leveling his revolver at the blocked path.

A second portal opened, and from it stepped three familiar women.

Ruby cracked a light stick, its glow spilling into the darkness. The sudden brightness made the man squint and raise his hand to shield his eyes.

"I am speechless," Armodius said flatly. His voice carried no emotion, no hint of surprise.

Locking eyes with Adrian, he asked, "How did you know I would be here?"

Adrian gave a small shrug. "Two reasons. First… that." He pointed to the man's left.

Ruby shifted the light, and the beam revealed a massive coffin—twelve feet long—resting against the wall.

The glow bent strangely around it, as if even light didn't want to touch it. That box seemed to hold something utterly unholy.

"No wonder it felt so ominous in here," Ariana muttered under her breath.

None of them wanted to see what lay inside.

Just standing near it, they could feel only one thing—pure danger.

"Is that the source of your little experiment?" Adrian asked. He was clearly referring to the creature that had fought Annabelle earlier.

Armodius gave a low snicker. "You still haven't told me the second reason you came here."

Adrian hummed, then grinned. "Ah, right. I should thank him—and you can blame your protégé for it. When your brat was flailing around, eager to rip me apart, I slipped a chip onto you. That little tracker told me you never left."

Armodius's brows furrowed. "But I've changed clothes since then."

Adrian only shrugged. "Doesn't matter. What does matter is this—why didn't you keep anyone else here to guard you? Right now, all I see in front of me is a cornered lamb."

Armodius let out a heavy sigh. "I couldn't trust anyone else with this. You, a sorcerer, should be able to feel it—the overwhelming power leaking from this grave. A weaker mind would crumble, give in to temptation. That's why I had to keep it hidden."

Adrian, however, felt nothing from the coffin. What he did notice was Annabelle trembling beside him, her face pale with unease.

Without a word, he reached out and held her hand, then fixed his gaze back on the violet-eyed man. "Sad for you… but we'll destroy the very thing you're trying so hard to protect."

Armodius's snarl broke the silence, a staff materializing in his grip.

"I will protect this specimen with my life."

Ruby stepped forward, daggers gleaming in her hands.

Ariana followed, her flail slamming against the floor as she locked eyes with Armodius.

The atmosphere grew heavy, any moment now, both sides seemed prepared to lunge at each other.

But just then, "Why are you guys being so serious?" A voice, a familiar one resonated from the corner.

Adrian turned towards the source, a foreboding sensation arising in his head.

And once the light fell on the man, his suspicions turned out to be true.

"Abraham."

….

[Extra scene]

[The night with Annabelle]

Lying on the ground, the two stared at the clear sky, enjoying the view of countless stars.

Annabelle felt the happiest at the moment, as she clung to her Darling's arm and giggled every once in a while.

Adrian couldn't help but ask, "Are you that happy to see me?"

"Can't explain in words. I am so just hopelessly in love with you."

Adrian hummed, and a brief silence descended between them.

Now that they were alone, Adrian felt her asking, "Bella…you do understand my feelings, right?"

Annabelle momentarily stiffened before asking, "Darling loves Bella, right?" Her voice held certainty, yet he caught her voice trembling.

Glancing at her, he found her usually detached eyes holding overflowing hope and slight fear.

Before those eyes, his heart melted.

Exhaling a long sigh, he nodded, "Yes, I love you." He dropped the topic.

"Ehehe~"

Forget about it, he would talk to her about this some other time.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.