Return of the Legendary Runesmith - Chapter 402

Chapter 402: Chapter 401- Play with them
Adrian was inside the Time Chamber

After he had dinner with everyone, they decided it was quite late so they should sleep.

Naturally, Adrian couldn’t sleep yet since he has only two days to finish the artifacts and take them back to Raven’s world when they are prepared.

Ariana and the others volunteered to help with the rough part of the work, like hammering big shards of the stone, sharpening them up, and the cleanup was handled by them.

For the rest, Adrian said he has it so they should go back and sleep.

Ariana, though, was insistent on staying with him. However, considering she barely slept last night as well, Adrian gently convinced her to go back.

‘Promise me you will sleep with me whenever you are done here,’ She said, a little nervous. And Adrian could understand her stance.

Just last night, they slept separately after what happened in the bathroom.

Though they talked things out and now everything was back to normal, Ariana was still nervous that Adrian might be upset about her behavior.

‘Really…that girl.’ He smiled fondly as he browsed the books and his eyes finally landed on an interesting book.

‘Hollow Side and its residents’

He heard about the Hollow Side from Forgelet for the first time. But she refused to tell him any further about it.

While Adrian had more or less figured out what kind of place that is, he wanted a detailed explanation of that dimension.

Adrian sat on the chair, put on his glasses, and read under the dim light,

『The Hollow Side is not a world — it is the absence of one. A dimension beyond the mortal plains, unbound by the limits of stars, planets, or even reality itself. It stretches endlessly in all directions, with neither beginning nor end, existing as a reflection of the void that lies between creation and oblivion.

Unlike the mortal realms, which are woven by laws of balance and order, the Hollow Side knows no such restraint. Time does not flow — it drifts. Space does not exist — it breathes. It is said that every fear forgotten by gods and every shadow erased from mortal memory finds refuge there.

Unimaginable beings dwell within its boundless expanse — creatures not of flesh or essence but of concept and hunger. Some whisper that they are remnants of the first failed worlds, the echoes of civilizations devoured by their own creators, given new form by the Hollow’s will. Others believe they are thoughts of the universe itself, grown sentient and twisted by solitude.

No one has ever ventured into the Hollow Side in person. Only faint traces — like rifts, distortions, and broken echoes — have brushed against the mortal plane, bringing madness to those who linger too close. There are tales of mages and scholars who tried to gaze into it through forbidden rituals, only for their reflections to smile back before consuming them whole.

To most, the Hollow Side is myth — a story to frighten the arrogant. But among the ancient archives of the High Arcanum, a single phrase is carved beside its sigil:

“It is not the other side of the world… but the side the world hides from itself.”』

Adrian let out a long sigh as he flipped through the pages, reading the terrifying descriptions of the Hollow Side. The hand-drawn sketches showed the eerie shapes people claimed to see whenever the mortal realm brushed against that endless void.

“If no one has ever looked inside the Hollow Side,” he muttered, “then why is there so much written about it?”

[The Hollow Side remains a mystery to all living beings, host. However, there were some in the past who gained knowledge directly from its dwellers.]

Adrian’s eyes widened. “They can talk?”

[Yes, but only under certain conditions.]

“And what kind of conditions?”

[When you gain their absolute obedience through sheer dominance… or when you slowly tame a Hollow Creature over a long period of time.]

“I see…” Adrian murmured, leaning back in thought.

He remembered what Annabelle had told him — that the creature lurking beneath the surface might be guarding something. That would mean it had developed enough awareness to protect, to choose, rather than just obey a command left by its master.

If that was true… then it wasn’t just a monster. It had a mind — maybe even a heart.

“By the way,” Adrian asked after a pause, “who wrote these books? I mean, I can’t imagine just anyone could tame a Hollow Creature.”

There was a brief pause before the system finally replied,

[Your ancestors, host.]

Adrian’s brows lifted in surprise. *So these books were written by the witches…*

Did that mean they actually had the power to tame those creatures? He wasn’t sure, but considering how little he truly knew about ancient witchcraft, it wasn’t impossible. There were still countless spells and rituals beyond his understanding.

*So yes,* he thought, *there’s a good chance they really did have the means.*

He looked back down at the book and flipped through a few more pages. Some lines were underlined, marked with purpose.

He read them slowly, his brows furrowing as he took in the words:

『Hollow Creatures share several common traits — mana nullification, adaptability, and above all, the ability to learn through battle. A matured Hollow Creature may surpass its opponent in awareness and strategy during combat.』

While Adrian was reading, a soft notification blinked on the corner of his eyes.

[Yes, I am here!]

It was Forgelet — she had finally replied. He had texted her earlier but didn’t expect her to respond this soon.

Adrian closed the book and turned his attention to the chat. “Hey, how are you doing?”

[Oh, Avirin is asking about me. Fufu~ I’m very good. What about you?]

“I’m well. Were you busy?” he asked, standing up from his chair and walking over to the kettle nearby.

He pulled out a small pouch of ground coffee from his pocket, poured some into a cup, and added hot water, the aroma quickly filling the room.

[No, I’m not busy. What’s up? You needed my help?]

Adrian took a sip of the steaming coffee before replying, “You remember the golem you used to hunt the worms back then?”

[Oh, yes — the unmanned golem. Do you need one?]

Adrian gave a short hum. “Yes… I do.”

There was a brief pause. For a moment, he wondered if she would refuse. But then her next message appeared.

[What do you need it for? Don’t get me wrong, Avirin, but the artifact you’re asking about could make me infamous very quickly.]

Adrian nodded quietly, understanding her concern. He knew exactly what she meant.

Forgelet’s golems weren’t ordinary constructs — they used human brains as the core. That was what allowed the rune sequences to activate on their own, eliminating the need for a pilot.

To someone like Adrian, it was pure genius — an incredible feat of magical engineering. But to others… it was something dark, even horrifying. An act that crossed the line between creation and cruelty.

“I understand. There’s an ancient creature hiding just beneath the surface,” Adrian said. “It seems to be guarding something. I want that golem to find out what it’s protecting.”

Valor, who was also online, replied bluntly: [Then just kill it?]

Adrian gave a crooked smile. “It’s an ancient creature, Valor.”

[I know… but aren’t they just oversized beasts you can cut through?]

Valor pressed.

Forgelet answered before Adrian could: [No, Valor. It’s not that simple. And besides—you’re absurdly strong, that’s all.]

There was a brief pause before Adrian exclaimed,

“Really? He has slain ancient creatures?”

Forgelet: [On his planet, there are sorcerers who can draw them out just so Valor can play with them.]

“…”

Valor: [Ahaha…I forgot I have some work to do. Brb.]

And then, he went offline.

Despite his strength, he is a shy person.

Adrian heaved a sigh, “Well, where were we?” He asked, “So I need the golem to investigate what is inside the surface.”

Forgelet: [I can give you a golem but how will you see under the surface? Won’t it be too dark?]

“Hmm, I am thinking of adding light runes on it.”

[Then how would you know what it saw?]

Adrian crossed his arms…right, that too.

After thinking for a few moments, he asked, “Do you have any idea?”

There was a brief pause before Forgelet spoke,

[I have a reflector that can project what it sees to you but I would need to see the range of the light it would be projecting. And for that, you have to tune the runes before me. Can you come over?]

Adrian sighed, “There is still a cooldown, so I can’t right now.”

Adrian was already thinking of an alternative of how to tackle the problem, when suddenly, Forgelet said,

[Well, we don’t have any other option left then. Alright, I am coming over.]

“…!!”

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, you know what you must do.