The Runic Alchemist

Indistinguishable chatter echoed in the distance.

"...Wake the hell up, kid! I don't have time here..."

"Huh..?"

Damian was rudely awakened from his sleep by someone grabbing his collar and lifting him completely out of bed. As his eyes fully opened and his vision cleared, he realized he was flying at full speed, hundreds of meters above snow-covered tents and patches of ground. The wind slapping his face with a vengeance.

"What in the hell..?" Damian screamed, trying to look around. He saw the commander holding him by the collar of his shirt, with two large glowing green runic circles, patterned with black, covering her front and back.

"A flying spell...?" Damian muttered in surprise, but the wind carried his words away.

'Moondancer is at the other end of the blockage, breaking it down as we speak...'

Damian had guessed as much, which was why he didn't question her.

'Do you have my bracers..?'

'You are to do nothing. Just stay behind me and don't catch her attention...'

'And what if she notices me anyway..?'

'Then be a good bait and run like hell...'

Damian conjured his mental link-blocking box. Despite being nearly blinded by the rushing wind, he had performed this spell so many times that it was ingrained in his muscle memory. If his spells were ranked, the invisible box spell would undoubtedly top the list. Only after doing that, he cursed the annoying elf in his mind to his heart's content.

In minutes, they arrived ten kilometers from the entrance to Wraith's Passage, where the trouble was brewing. The army had established a temporary waygate here, and many other reinforcements had already gathered. However, their enemy had done the same.

It would have been impossible for their team of top-level second-rankers if there were two third-rankers, but fortunately, Threadripper was not present, which was both a relief and a cause for concern.

Damian extended his mana sense to its limit and detected some hidden second-rankers and even a few first-rankers with considerable mana behind the enemy forces in the straight passage, opposite the newly formed wall. They must be the ones maintaining the waygate. Damian pushed the link-blocking box a bit away and sent his thoughts to his captor.

'I think I found their waygate. Some second-rankers are hidden nearby.'

'Where..?'

'Behind them, at a bit of a distance... 2km at best..'

Vidalia landed among a group of first-rank mages, who were watching their top-tier second-rankers battle a woman in strange clothing that was definitely not suited for the a battlefield.

Moondancer, Damian assumed—based on her third-ranker mana level—wore a flowing white gown adorned with silver-blue embroidery that swirled around the hem and cuffs, giving the fabric an almost mystical quality. Over the gown, she wore a deep blue cloak that draped elegantly from her shoulders, with the hood casting a shadow over her face, adding an air of mystery.

For a second, Damian thought the shadows inside her hood were moving... A simple belt cinched her waist, enhancing her silhouette while being practical. Lace-up boots peeked out from under the hem. She was indeed a figure who commanded attention without saying a word.

She wasn't alone, though. Many Eldoris second-rankers, other than the top five, were fighting all around with Ashenvale second-rankers. Spells going all around them while the clanking of swords and armors made a very action packed scene. Ashenvale had brought fewer second-rankers, but some were hidden trying to lure them into false sense of security, so numbers were not an advantage here.

The five top-tier second-rankers were doing their best to get closer to her, but five giant shadowy monsters shaped like all kinds of weird creatures were guarding the path, keeping each of them busy, giving her enough time to throw massive spears at the wall, which some second-ranker defenders were trying their hardest to stop from reaching at the wall behind.

Moondancer was an Esper, with a strange ability that granted her control over shadows—a being perfect for a place where the sun never shined. Damian understood now why Vidalia had called her troublesome to deal with.

"Relay my message to the five fighting right now: Head behind the enemy, two kilometers into the passage. Six people are likely handling the waygate..."

The second-rank spellsword nodded and bowed before her. She ignored him and walked slowly out of the crowd, which bowed to her one by one as they noticed her presence. Damian followed behind, keeping just enough distance to stay out of her way and not cause the link to hurt them.

Vidalia began chanting while moving both her hands simultaneously, forming two giant white runic circles, then filling them with green and red. Activating the circles, two giant fiery birds emerged and flew at blinding speed, hurling fire so fiercely at the dark creatures that they instantly turned to black vapor and dissipated into the air.

The runic circles barely lasted a few seconds; Damian had seen a little, but it was too confusing to understand or remember at a glance. The fiery birds were controlled by two mana threads that Damian could feel stretching from the commander's body.

The five second-rankers breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back as the two third-rankers began fighting at blinding speed. Moondancer threw ten arrows at Vidalia, transforming them into huge spears mid-flight. If Vidalia dodged, the wall would be destroyed, and if she didn't, the giant spears would be controlled to attack her one by one as she defended, putting her in a difficult position.

The additional numbers on their side were both an advantage and a burden here.

Lady Vidalia began another ultra-fast chant, opening her arms and making a very strange form that Damian had never seen before. Instantly, a giant green runic circle formed near her outstretched hands and activated. A massive air blade, shaped like a sword, emerged from the enormous circle. She connected her mana thread to it and swung it with full force, thwarting the dark big spears one by one.

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