The Runic Alchemist

The next morning with new day, the same journey resumed again. Damian's horse was gone so he was hitching a ride with the genius of Goldilocks, who smelled really bad.

Not worse than him though. She was just bloody while Damian was literally burned here and there.

Rosie had all their supplies, they had to keep some items out in case Damian was incapacitated or for some reason out of mana.

"Stop moving around... Will you..?"

Lucian growled from his back, she was holding on to him as he was still too wounded here and there to maintain proper balance on horseback.

"I'm Injured Lucian.. Find some mercy in your frozen soul will you ?"

She stiffened her back at that, which of course was too sudden for Damian's injured self and a curse escaped his mouth...

"Ravens and Runes, Lucian... What are you doing..?"

"Ahh, my bad ! Wait, Ravens and Runes..? What's that..?"

"Something that was written by the author of that old rune book..."

"That dirty thing in the east wing of library that no one touched ?"

"Ahh... maybe... I don't know. I don't remember where I picked it from..."

"You are still learning Runes..?"

"Who are you ? My mother ?"

That shut her up for good.

On the scenic route many unranked monsters crossed their path but Lucian managed to defeat them all. Damian was glad that he wasn't needed much, even with the healing potion he still had many bruises and still healing wounds.

He could fight somewhat but it was better not tested. Lucian was doing all the work and he was happy observing her from the horseback. Rosie also tried to help sometimes when a weaker monster came nearby like Slimes, but she attacked as if tickling the enemy and had to be rescued by someone every time.

After half a day Damian had enough time to draw runes on the empty parchments he collected, he only did it when they stopped for a quick monster killing but he made enough to last two days of normal monster fighting. Being a Rune Shaper, his weapon was neither his body nor his fighting skills.. it was his intelligence. Mostly Rune shapers fought with tools and enchanted items.

Actually Rune shapers did not like fighting at all, they were craftsman. Innovation was their goal, and that's how they levelled up too.

At last a giant spider in the distance sitting on top of the trees, surrounded by webs that were meter thick and solid like premium quality rope, stopped their easy going journey.

"We can go around it but most likely there are traps made by the arachnid everywhere, and this one is at least a Leader rank. I read it somewhere that leader rank spiders can feel vibrations through their web of surroundings. We can't escape it, most likely it already knows we are here." Lucian explained.

She was always into monsters and skills and stuff, as if she was born to level up and gain all kinds of skills. If this was a modern world, she would be called a 'Hardcore Grinding Junkie'. Damian preferred to watch monsters burning from the distance and enjoy a drink while doing it, levelling up was for children, manly man would always plan, scheme and kill steal.

"Weakness..?"

"Narrow vision, can't see clearly... But it's hearing and vibrations detecting skills more than makes up for it."

"Hmm... Sounds.. do you know any magic ?"

"I'm mundane.. doofus.."

"Chants smart pants.. Magic chants..? Since you are so into skills and all?"

"Only related to Spellsword basics... I know Mana edge and Thousand release..."

"The one which expels small amount of mana out to push everyone away ?"

"Yes, That's Thousand release."

"Can you write it down here..?"

Damian gave her a quill and some of his papers. As she was writing, Damian observed the unmoving giant spider. Wasn't it odd that even though they were going out of the forest with each step, the monsters were just keep coming their way ? At the first 5 days of journey with Thomas and all, this many monsters were definitely not normal.

Fighting another of that level of monster was out of question, he can only use it's strength against it and somehow run past it. Lucian came beside him with paper in hand, Damian took it and read it in his mind. After perfectly understanding the meaning and pronunciation of each word, he was ready.

Walking some steps away from the others Damian started carefully chanting and watched the white circles with runes in them form in his four direction, close to his body. Damian had never seen anyone use a spell that had white circles and runes before.

Looks like it belongs to an affinity far different that the 7 elements he knew.

For Damian learning spells was the easiest thing possible as long as he knew the proper chant. Because every time he made a mistake the web of forming magic circle would dissipate, so he would know where his mistake was and if he could easily check if he succeeded in proper pronunciation or not. In some 10 minutes, a loud crack sound filled the surrounding air.

A release of pure energy that rippled in a circle centered around Damian.

Damian felt his mana taking a dip, bigger than when he used any runes he knew, almost on the level of using the spacial storage tool. The sound was loud enough to even make the sleeping spider raise its head in their direction, but just as before it continued its waiting for them to walk into its area.

Four circles were unnecessary, since it was just a copy paste of the same circle. Damian drew just one on a small paper and activated it. The sound was low but it worked the same. He changed the variable that he had learned to recognize by now, intensity. Setting it on highest for the amount of mana ink used and Damian activated it again.

This time the sound was far louder than even the four circles combined. The main use for the spell was something else, he couldn't really use it for that since he barely felt the force repelling him that was in the four circle version.

Copy- pasting the same rune for two hours he had more than 50 of them, Many might not even work since he made it in a rush but he would have to take a gamble here.

Lucian who was beside him, observing his every move without asking anything finally opened her tiny mouth.

"Making noises..? That's your plan..?"

"Ohh ! Aren't you a clever child ? Here you get a magic scroll as a reward..."

Damian gave her one parchment and grinned. Her annoyed expressions were worth the 2 hours of unpaid labour.

"Get on Rosie's horse and run it as fast as you can in the opposite but parallel direction as me, understood ?"

"You will distract it..? Can you.."

"It's fine. Once it's confused enough I will also run as fast as possible with your ride."

She nodded, walked towards Rosie looked back once and got up the horse.

Starting it together they ran in sync from two different distances but parallel to each other. Just as they reached enough distance from each other Damian started activating the scrolls one by one and running in random direction. Just as Damian hoped, the monster sensed a danger from unknow variable in it's trap of web and came running towards him with it's eight legs the size of adult human.

It ran towards first loud sound and mid way turned towards Damian's horse but got disoriented by another three sounds in three different places at once. Just like that playing a tag of his life Damian managed to fool the eight legged bastard and somehow left it's territory without a single scratch. However the use of his precious mana ink and parchments hurt his tiny heart.

Regrouping with Lucian and Rosie they continued their miserable journey once more.