The Runesmith - Chapter 637 – Blue or Green?

“Grrrr…?”

A large wyvern peered out from its mountain nest as something unfamiliar buzzed past. Its lizardlike eyes narrowed, and it unfolded the webbed wings that grew from its forelimbs. It was not the only one that noticed. Several other wyverns lifted their long necks to stare at the small intruder. The object was not made of flesh or blood, yet it released a strange mana signature that all of them disliked.

“GRRRAH!”

One of the beasts rose to its full height, wings spreading while its heavy claws dug into the stone beneath it. The hardened rock cracked under the pressure as the wyvern pushed itself forward and charged at the strange visitor. A sharp shriek echoed through the cliffs as it launched itself from the nest. Its jaws opened wide as it surged toward the metallic creature, moving with astonishing speed. Just before its fangs could snap shut around the one-eyed construct, the object reacted.

A small panel slid open on the surface of the dodecahedron and revealed a narrow vent. The wyvern ignored it and continued its attack, but a sudden hissing sound filled the air. A thin stream of mist drifted into the creature’s open mouth, and only then did the wyvern realise its mistake.

Its pupils shrank to pinpoints. Its wings folded tight as it tried to pull away in mid-flight, tumbling through the air as if struck by an unseen spell. It gagged and writhed, its elongated neck twisting as it attempted to escape the drifting fog now seeping from the floating construct.

“GRAAA… kah… KRAAH!”

The wyvern crashed into the cliffside, claws scraping for something to grip while its wings flailed. A heartbeat later, it threw itself out of the mist in a panic and abandoned its territory entirely. Several nearby wyverns recoiled as well, their nostrils flaring and their heads snapping back in alarm. The mist spread quickly, and the wind began to carry it toward the entire nest.

“GRRRRREEEEE!”

Every wyvern within sniffing distance screamed at once. Wings beat in panicked retreat. Some shot into the sky. Others scrambled across the cliff face like oversized lizards fleeing a rockslide. One hurled itself off the ledge and glided away without even opening its wings completely.

The dodecahedron hovered in place as the last of the mist escaped from its shell. It was not alone. Several similar constructs drifted into view behind it, and each one circled around another piece of equipment. They carried a strange device that hung from them on metallic cords. It had a cylindrical body and a drill-shaped head pointed straight toward the sky.

With the wyverns gone, the floating devices continued unperturbed. They continued to ascend far above the jagged cliffs and monsters’ nests that resided there. As they rose, they went through clouds to stop before solid rock, the false skydome of the dungeon. The cylindrical device was hoisted up and its drill connected with the rocky surface. Once there, the drill was activated, and soon a hole began to take shape.

Mangled rocks and pebbles began to fall as the strange device pushed farther into the sky rock. It took a few moments, but eventually it embedded itself fully, leaving something that resembled a large screw bolt jutting outward. To complete the process, one of the floating devices drifted closer and slowly twisted itself onto the bolt, securing it tightly into the dungeon’s artificial sky.

“It is in.” 

Roland said as he watched his golems force the monitoring device into the upper side of the dungeon. This was his main strategy for avoiding detection. His spider golems had to remain dormant at all times because adventurer patrols were becoming more frequent. To solve the problem, he placed everything where no one would think to look, directly above the patrols.

“Maybe someday I will be able to make real spy satellites.”

He chuckled to himself as the camera came into focus. The cylindrical bolt embedded in the ceiling was equipped with runic batteries that fed extra mana into the golem attached to its tip. It was simply a repurposed floating golem, but with the added energy, it could safely observe everything from above and even zoom in. Although the view would never be as clear as sensors placed on the ground, he could still use both sources.

The system was simple. The devices fixed inside the sky dome would monitor everything at a steady pace. The ones he had buried and hidden on the ground would remain dormant until needed. When an event, object, or person of interest appeared, he could watch from above and then activate the ground sensors for additional information. With the upper cameras, he could determine where the safe region of detection lay, ensuring that no one would uncover his work.

“As long as no mage close to tier four appears here, I should be safe.”

Thanks to Rastix, he had also brought wyvern repellent. It worked quite well, although it was not something he had invented. He had simply recreated it and made it a little more potent. With it, placing his ceiling cameras even among the flying wyverns would be easy. For the rest of the night, while he and Agni cleared out another lake, his floating golems would continue attaching the devices without any disturbance.

“Woof.”

“Yes, I know, Agni. It is getting dangerous. We will need to lay low for a while after this.”

He had gained several levels since arriving here, yet the other adventurers were steadily catching up. He knew that if he kept pushing his luck, someone would eventually discover him. There were rules in this place, and an unregistered adventurer who had never passed through the proper channels would be hunted down. The last thing he needed was a bounty on his head. He could probably handle most of the parties, but he had no desire to become a criminal and kill people just to gain a few more levels, especially while other options still remained.

Soon, he was back in his workshop. The gate burst open, and a faint mechanical sound greeted him even before he stepped inside. The lights were dimmed to evening mode, and the room was covered in a muted amber glow. One that he liked to use to conserve his and others’ eyesight. 

“Welcome back, Master.”

Sebastian’s voice echoed through the workshop. As Roland moved farther in, he saw a hovering sphere that looked more intricate than the usual golems. Beside it stood a humanoid golem that housed another instance of his AI assistant. Both forms were busy with their tasks.

“How is it going?”

“The absorption of today’s knowledge is at sixty-seven percent.”

“Good. Keep at it. More books will arrive later.”

“Yes, Master.”

Sebastian returned to his work. The floating white orb scanned text after text while the humanoid golem flipped pages at impressive speed. This had become Roland’s way of bringing his supercomputer up to date with everything this world could offer, even material that most people would consider trivial.

Roland himself could never hope to read every book on the continent. His AI, however, had the storage space and the time to do it. The results were not always perfect, since Sebastian had not yet developed the nuanced logic needed to sort all information properly. When asked to recreate what he had learned, he occasionally produced odd answers. 

Even so, the progress was steady. As a search engine similar to the ones from Roland’s old world, Sebastian performed surprisingly well. Thanks to this, Roland no longer needed to dig through archaic texts himself. Sebastian could usually provide a clear summary or, when necessary, display the scanned words exactly as they appeared.

“I wonder how people would react if I gave this technology away for free.”

Coming from a modern world filled with search engines and countless innovations, he understood how much such a tool could improve lives. Halbrecht shared his enthusiasm, and together they were already working to install underground cables. 

Once the connection was established, he would be able to request scans and information instantly. The same system could eventually link to other magical academies. At first, the mages and the Kingdom would likely try to hoard or suppress the new resource, but given time, an age of free information might finally emerge.

‘Though that will not happen anytime soon…’

There were many obstacles. The nobles preferred their people docile and uninformed. Foreign spies could potentially gain access to the new magical network he hoped to create, forcing the Kingdom to shut it down. He could only hope that the benefits of rapid communication would outweigh the dangers of information escaping beyond their intended borders.

“Now then, how much time should I invest in this…”

Roland picked up a stack of papers from his desk. On top were several images and short descriptions of different people. He recognized a few of them, since he had nearly been spotted by them inside the dungeon. This was the personal database he was compiling on adventurers he needed to avoid. It also included information supplied by the Guild Master. With the help of his golems, he had managed to capture a few snapshots of people of interest, although not everyone. The leader of the stronghold still remained hidden and had yet to make an appearance outside for reasons Roland did not understand.

“I could go through the proper channels to establish my new identity, or I could ignore everything and save time.”

After placing the papers aside, he picked up a small item beside them. It was something he already possessed, a platinum adventurer card. The guild had provided it, complete with a new identity that he intended to use if he was ever discovered. He still did not know how to approach the situation.

His new persona would be that of a Magic Warmaster. This class was something of a jack of all trades, capable of using many types of weapons and suited for heavy armor. He planned to use his rune concealment skill to hide any traces of runes on his new equipment and present himself as an adventurer who could handle multiple kinds of magic. It was a versatile class with enough breathing room to conceal his true abilities.

He saw two possible paths ahead. The first was to travel to Isgard and enter the dungeon through the official route before making his way down into the Valley. The dungeon contained several checkpoints that verified each adventurer’s identity. For him, they would not be difficult to bypass, and this method would likely draw the least suspicion.

The second option was to ignore the formal process entirely. He could move into the stronghold as he was now, or abandon the idea of entering directly. He could continue to hide, and even if someone discovered him, he could simply present the new card as identification. The dungeon was relatively isolated, and the information used to verify his status as an adventurer would take time to reach the outside. By then, he would probably be finished with his task.

His current mission was to level up. He only wanted to visit the stronghold to gain a clearer understanding of the area and decide where to place additional underground bases. The lake was one promising site for gathering metal, and other opportunities might appear as he explored.

He still did not know how long he would remain inside the dungeon or how much effort he should commit. Entering through the official entrance had certain advantages, since he would be able to study the entire structure. He was still researching dungeon cores and other anomalies, and passing through the main route would allow him to place sensors along the way to gather more information about the super dungeon.

“But is it worth the loss of time? It would probably take a few days to travel through the dungeon by myself…”

If he wished to place sensors along the path, he could easily assign the task to one of his people. At times, it was better to rely on his own retainers, and even giving the job to Armand was entirely possible. He continued to think the matter over and was just about to make a decision when the screen before him flickered, revealing new information. To his surprise, the report concerned the dungeon and the stronghold directly.

“It is about that blacksmith. Has he decided to go back into the dungeon? This does not look good…”

He read through the document one of his spies had submitted. The man called Ermes had been trying desperately to convince others to take the assassination attempt seriously, but most had brushed him off. After spending some time in the city and using his skills to earn enough coin, he finally had the funds to return inside. His worry for his wife and daughter was obvious, since no one had agreed to help him. 

“Will he even make it there alive?”

To Roland, it seemed very likely that if the man entered the dungeon again, he would never return. The report contained some troubling speculation from the spy. According to the information received, the thugs who had tried to deal with the man were possibly tied directly to the Guild. This explained why the Guild had refused to help and suggested that the man might be targeted once he ventured inside. The dungeon was a dangerous place, and if someone died there, no one would bother to ask why.

“This is when having a conscience becomes troublesome.”

Roland had already involved himself with this man far too much. He had even gone so far as to investigate his wife and daughter. If he abandoned the matter now, he knew the guilt would linger.

“Well, at least I can use this to my advantage. A little blackmail material on such an influential guild could be useful.”

There was a reason this man had become a target and a reason so many were eager to see him disappear. There was also profit to be found in the situation, but Roland knew that was only an excuse. He liked to claim otherwise with cold logic, yet deep down, he and others knew he had a soft heart. It had grown even softer as his relationships deepened. He could not simply stand aside and allow a good man like this blacksmith to be torn away from his family. There was also someone else he wanted to learn more about, and helping this man would bring him closer to them.

“I suppose that settles it. I just need to get Agni ready. The trip should not take more than a few days.”

With that in mind, he headed to the armory first. The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and he stepped inside, eager to examine his newest creation.

“It came out quite nicely. It might be the best armor I have ever made.”

Roland felt a spark of pride. His new work was not only practical, as his previous designs had been, but also carried a sense of style while keeping its full functionality.

It was far more durable than his earlier armors and provided a useful set bonus that would certainly help him during his next venture.

“This only leaves my disguise and Agni.”

He glanced at a nearby table where two large gems, each the size of an apple, rested. One was green, and the other was blue. Agni would have to decide which one he preferred, since Roland did not care much either way. Soon, he took the elevator up to Agni’s stable-sized doghouse.

“Woof?”

Agni was curled up, ready to sleep, when Roland appeared. They had spent the entire night adventuring, sneaking around to avoid detection, and fighting monsters, so the wolf was exhausted. Even so, he lifted his head for his master.

“Which one do you want, boy? Green or blue?”

Roland held up the gems. Agni’s ears perked, and his eyes lit up. The moment he sensed the faint mana within them, his mouth began to water. He had never lost his love of eating mana crystals, and these two stones gave off a similar allure.

“Worf?”

“No. You can only have one, so choose wisely.”

Agni rose and trotted toward him. He sniffed at the green gem in Roland’s left hand, then moved to the blue gem in the right. He hovered between them, clearly torn. Both looked delicious and equally tempting, but his master had made the rules clear. He could only eat one.