Return of the Legendary Runesmith - Chapter 403

Chapter 403: Chapter 402- Inventor
“Is this really important?” Ariana asked, crossing her arms as she watched Adrian put up a barrier around the mansion. The faint hum of mana spread through the air as thin layers of light coated the walls, slowly blending the house into its surroundings.

The noise from him clearing the backyard—removing the campfire, dragging benches aside—was enough to wake most of the others. Though, not everyone. Annabelle, true to her nature, slept through the racket. Once she was out, not even a thunderstorm could stir her.

“Yes, it is,” Adrian said firmly, setting another disk-shaped artifact along the fence. “There are no dwarves left alive on this planet. Her presence will definitely attract attention.”

Jean rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep. “But if she’s a dwarf, how would anyone even notice? It’s the middle of the night.”

Her question wasn’t wrong. The villa sat at the far edge of town, wrapped in silence. Not a single soul wandered the streets this late.

Adrian gave a faint sigh. “You’ll understand once she’s here. For now, just let me finish this.”

He walked around the yard, checking the artifacts one last time. When he finally stopped, a thin shimmer flickered along the fence line—proof that the barrier was complete.

Ariana approached him quietly. “Should I prepare something for her? Maybe snacks?”

Adrian nodded slightly. “I doubt she’ll stay long, but yes… a large cup of tea would be good.”

“Large?” Ariana echoed, raising a brow.

Adrian grinned, a knowing look in his eyes, before speaking through the Cross-Dimension chat.

“I’m ready.”

[Okay, I’m coming over now~]

The moment the message faded, the air twisted. A massive portal swirled open, nearly twenty feet tall, glowing softly in the moonlight.

Then she stepped through.

A giant woman—around fifteen feet tall—emerged from the other side, her ashy grey hair catching the light. Her big round eyes blinked slowly as she took in her surroundings. Dressed in short pants and a floral-patterned shirt, she looked oddly casual for someone so towering.

Jean and Ariana stood frozen, their jaws slack, unable to process what they were seeing.

So that’s why he needed the barrier.

“Ah… why do I feel so light?” Evilyn—Forgelet—muttered, wiggling her toes against the soft soil.

Adrian crossed his arms with a faint smile. “Didn’t you say it yourself that the gravitational pull is different between our worlds?”

The woman nodded, “Right… I feel like I’d fly away if I jumped a little harder.”

She bent her knees and gave a small hop, rising higher than expected before landing with a soft thud that made the ground tremble faintly. Her eyes widened with a glimmer of amusement. Once satisfied with her little test, she turned toward Adrian and smiled.

“Hello, Avirin. Long time.”

She stepped forward and hugged him lightly, her enormous arms careful not to crush him.

Adrian returned the gesture with a small smile. “Thanks for responding to my request. You used your Cross-Dimension jump just for me.”

He knew better than anyone how valuable that ability was. For others, the cooldown lasted a full month—something they reserved only for emergencies. Yet Evilyn hadn’t even hesitated.

“Don’t mention it,” she said, her tone warm and sincere. “You practically saved my people and my planet. I can at least do this much.”

Adrian didn’t respond to that, though the look in his eyes softened briefly. He turned to the others and said, “This is Ariana—my fiancée.”

Ariana blinked, caught slightly off guard, before offering a gentle smile. Her gaze traveled up the giant woman’s figure in silent awe.

“So you’re the inventor he openly admires, huh,” Ariana muttered, her tone half teasing, half genuine.

Evilyn laughed sheepishly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I’m not that great. I just put scraps together and hope they work.” She rubbed the back of her neck, clearly embarrassed by the compliment.

Ariana shook her head. “No, you don’t give yourself enough credit. Your creations have helped us more times than I can count.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. The artifact Adrian relied on the most—the one he kept close at all times—was one of Evilyn’s early works. And the massive golem that had torn apart the grave of the fallen God? That, too, was hers.

Forgelet’s name had surfaced again and again whenever their victories were discussed. Not just once or twice, but in several critical moments where her inventions had made the impossible achievable.

Ariana smiled softly. “You’ve been with us, even when you weren’t here.”

Evilyn’s eyes glimmered for a moment, then she chuckled lightly. “That’s a nice way to put it.”

Adrian smiled faintly at the sight of the two women getting along before turning toward the last person. “And this is Jean,” he said. “Ariana’s friend, and someone who works for Annabelle.”

At that name, Evilyn’s brows lifted. “Annabelle… you mean Idiot?”

The air shifted slightly. Jean’s eyes narrowed in an instant, her expression tightening. It was subtle, but the displeasure in her gaze was unmistakable. Considering how deeply she respected Annabelle, her reaction was expected.

Before she could say anything, Adrian quickly stepped in. “Wait—’Idiot’ is just a nickname I made for Annabelle on the server. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

Evilyn, suddenly realizing the tension she’d caused, waved her hands nervously. “Yes! Exactly! It’s Avirin who always calls her that. I would never!”

Jean exhaled slowly before giving a polite nod. “I see. Then, I apologize for my rudeness. It’s nice to meet you.”

Evilyn wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from her forehead and forced a laugh. “You’re surrounded by strong women, Avirin.”

Adrian chuckled under his breath. “Well,” he said, pausing for a beat, “do you want something to drink before we get started?”

Evilyn shook her head. “No, let’s finish the project first. We can gossip after.” Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, “I want to hear *everything* that happened between you and Raven when you went over there.”

Adrian froze. He could practically *feel* the temperature drop beside him as Ariana’s gaze turned icy.

He coughed into his hand, straightening his posture as if nothing happened. “Ahem… right. Let’s get to work.”

…..

Not long after, Ariana and Jean headed inside to prepare some refreshments, leaving Adrian and Evilyn to work in the backyard. The night air was still, and the faint hum of the barrier surrounded them like a quiet heartbeat.

“Where’s the golem?” Adrian asked, glancing around.

“Oh, right here,” Evilyn replied casually. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out what looked like a small metal cube, no larger than her palm.

Setting it on the ground, she tapped its surface twice. The cube began to glow with a dim, dark light, lines of energy pulsing through its surface. Then, with a series of soft clicks, the cube unfolded—panels shifting, expanding, and locking into place until a pair of massive legs formed. A moment later, a broad torso rose above them, assembling itself piece by piece until the entire golem stood tall and imposing once more.

Adrian watched the process with genuine intrigue. “I’m still curious how you manage to compress something that big into a cube that small,” he muttered, half to himself.

Evilyn chuckled, brushing her hands together. “That’s our race’s secret, Avirin. I’m afraid I can’t share that one.”

Adrian smiled faintly. “Worth a try.”

She smirked before urging him, “So? What runes were you talking about?”

Adrian said, “I’ll put a flexible band around its wrists, ankles, and head. When activated, it’ll emit light—but no heat—so the creature won’t notice.”

Evilyn’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What about mana balance? Multiple runes mean a heavier draw, and more mana means the ancient being could sniff it out. And then…”

Adrian nodded, already anticipating her concern. “I’ll only need a single rune.”

Evilyn blinked, taken aback. “What…? Even the first thread needs three.”

“True,” Adrian replied calmly. “That’s for a human—and only when precision matters.” His gaze shifted to the towering golem, its metal body reflecting the moonlight. “But this thing doesn’t feel the pain of backlash. It doesn’t need delicate control. All it has to do is scout.”

Evilyn crossed her arms, still skeptical but intrigued. “You’re planning to force efficiency through structure, not stability… That’s risky.”

Adrian smirked faintly. “Risky for humans. For a golem, it’s just another day.”

Evilyn muttered, staring at the golem and the words he shared.

Adrian then asked, “Can you adjust the reflector so that they could cover three hundred and sixty degrees?”

“I can…”

“Then leave the rest to me. We just need to make sure the reflectors are built in such a manner that the brightness doesn’t overwhelm them nor too dull for them to catch anything.”

Evilyn hummed, “Since you sound so sure about it,” she pumped her fists and with a grin she said, “Then let’s do this. Let’s build an inhumane spy.”

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Should I go back to two chapters a day upload rate? I am unsure given the absence of audience these days.