The Runic Alchemist

---

Name :

Damian Sunblade Lv.76

Rank :

Lord

Affinity :

Water, Space-time

Mana :

7786/9000

STR :

118

DEF :

86

INT :

177

AGI :

84

DEX :

86

CHA :

19

LUC : 10

Jobs :

Runic Forge Master (Lv.1) Elder Runebreaker (Lv.25), The Runic Chemist Lord (Lv.25)

Blessings :

Godless [100 Available Points]

Titles :

[Cold Blooded Killer], [Wild Hunter], [Primordial Metal Shaper], [Titan Killer], [Curse Bound]

Skills :

[Ascended Tree Climbing Lv.1], [ Clarity of the Soul Lv.1], [Master Scholar Lv.1], [Master* Swordsman Lv.1], [The Runic Archon Lv.1], [Runic Mastery Lv.1], [Arcane Synthesis V3 Lv.1], [Iron Nerve Lv.1], [Master* Spearman Lv.1] [Rune Shatterer Lv.1] [Mana Reaver Lv.1] [Master Forger's Expertise Lv.1] [Rune Engraver Lv.1]

Penalty :

(1). Use of (Veil of Containment) now costs five times the original mana, taking a piece of the user's guilty soul with it each time.

—

The second part felt easy for Damian, but it might be the hardest for others. The first forging phase also tested one's knowledge of true forging. Had he not trained for months, he wouldn't have been able to make even five swords. The rune engraving part, however, was a true trial of mana control and the visualization of one's spells and runes. Support classes like runesmiths or other mages don't have that fine control over their mana threads like Damian, who could sense mana all around him. With a mold, they could forge, but completing it in a day? That might be hard for some—almost impossible if one wasn't prepared. Crafting classes were like this: months or even years of preparation, then one test to gain greater expertise. In warrior or mage classes, one could fight their way through, but crafting classes weren't for those who lived by instincts. They were for those who planned meticulously and worked diligently toward their goals.

It felt good to finally be back in his own body rather than someone else's. Toph came trumpeting toward him, charging with his increased strength and knocking him back onto the bed, as if he sensed the changes in him. Even after years of eating healthily—much more than his own—Toph remained the same size. His levels had increased when Damian had brought him to the dungeon, making him finish off some monsters that were on their last breaths. It raised his level, but not as much as a beginner's should have. Maybe he had to kill them himself. Damian made him face unranked monsters with his spell ready behind him. After a surprisingly cute clobbering fight, Toph managed to defeat a rabbit, but the little guy just wouldn't finish him off.

When Damian explained to him in detail how it was the only way to level him up, Toph finally delivered a fatal blow and leveled up to 7. But that wasn't all…

---

Name :

Toph Lv.7

Rank :

Unranked

Affinity :

Fire, Space-time

STR :

10

DEF :

9

INT :

12

AGI :

11

DEX :

9

CHA :

7

LUC :

10

Titles :

[Curse Bound], [Emperor]

Skills :

[Power core Lv.3] [Trunk Strike Lv.2] [Quick Dash Lv.3]

—

Toph had gained a new skill. The system was the same for animals and humans alike, but something wasn't right. The book on beasts and monsters clearly stated that animals could only learn skills their species could perform. Unlike humans, who had millions of options and many classes, animals and monsters had fixed evolutionary paths and never diverged from those known paths for their species.

The species Toph was from were called

Celestiphants

. They were just normal elephants with space-time and fire or light element affinities. Their evolutionary path culminated in a giant elephant Damian had fought, called the

Astralox Titan

. That was the known path for this rare species, although they weren't extinct—they could still be found. In all stages of their evolution, the Quick Dash skill was never present. In fact, they were supposed to be slow, and in rare cases, they could unlock spatial travel, but that was mere speculation, based on the words of a few experts. The masses, whether nobles or commoners, had never seen such a thing.

The book stated their first evolution stage occurred at level 50, so Damian let Toph roam free for now, observing him to see if he could learn other random skills and prove whether he was capable of learning new skills for some unknown reason. Who knew if, like them, Toph couldn't learn new skills after his first evolution? Though they weren't supposed to learn anything before that too, it was completely uncharted territory, this guy was equally as weird an entity as him. Damian didn't want to risk ruining his chances of becoming as strong as possible, so for now, he chose to observe Toph before doing anything irreversible.

Damian ignored the little munchkin jumping around and smacking him with his small trunk, a new thing he had learned somewhere, and checked his own new skills.

Everything else seemed like an upgraded version of the previous skills, with better effects. The exception was

Arcane Synthesis

, where Damian noticed that the two slots had increased to five. That was one very strange skill, but a welcome one nontheless. Five slots would be really nice.

[Runic Forge Master :

A true master of the forge, your work speaks for itself.

(Master Forger's Expertise :

Years of practice allow the Runic Forge Master to significantly speed up their crafting process without sacrificing quality. Increases the blacksmith's control over their forging hammer, enhancing their ability to shape metal with precision.

)

(Rune Engraver :

Grants the Runic Forge Master the ability to permanently engrave powerful runes into weapons, armor, or tools. The engravings are permanent unless overwritten.

)]

Master Forger's Expertise

… Damian did feel like he knew thousands of things about forging and metalwork that he hadn't known just an hour ago. Was this the effect where one could learn skills that take years to master in mere seconds? This was how legendary runesmiths could shape weapons and armors that others could only dream of, yet they couldn't teach others, because they had learned it as a skill that only the recipient could earn.

Just like before today, Damian had struggled to reach inside the metal with his mana threads but had never sensed any gaps or empty spaces. Now, however, he could understand the structure of metal much better and felt the pockets of empty matter that were hidden from him before. Did he already learn the skill before trial..? Or was that a temporary thing..? With no status tool in there he couldn't really tell..

In short, that's how he received his third job at the end of year three. Spending tons of royal money on his newly acquired skills. Another six months passed. It had been four years and three months since the end of the Broken Greed War, and once again, he was called to the royal castle. It was rare, as they had nearly lost all interest in recruiting him in the past few months. Was this another offer of some kind…? What did they have this time..?

Note

:

(

Master*)

:

The Master ranked Swordsman skill is different from the Master of Swordsmanship title that many nobles aspire to. It's a title called "Master Swordsman," held by only a select few in the world who have earned it.