Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Ruby stood at the edge of the pit, where the relic lay undisturbed.

It had only been unearthed two days ago—yet in that short span, it had already driven four people to the brink of madness.

She'd been invited by the Tower to inspect the object, and as someone who took great pride in her craft as a Runesmith, she had accepted without hesitation.

Her gaze was fixed on the cube—set atop a slightly raised stone platform in the center of the crater.

It pulsed with energy. Potent and vivid.

There was no mistaking it.

Artifacts could certainly exude a strong presence if finely tuned or crafted from rare materials—but this one was different.

What unsettled her most was its age.

According to the archaeology team, this relic was over seven hundred years old.

And that didn't make sense.

Only two explanations came to mind—neither of them feasible.

First: the artifact somehow absorbed mana from its surroundings over time.

But that was impossible. No known material on this planet could naturally draw and store mana on its own.

Second: someone had been recharging it. Feeding it mana.

But again—unlikely. The location was too remote, too sealed off. There were no signs of visitation.

Even if she forced herself to entertain the impossible... even if someone had truly been recharging it for centuries—

What purpose could it possibly serve?

Why go through such effort—only to curse those who approach it?

Her brow furrowed, thoughts swirling.

What is this relic meant to protect—or unleash?

And more importantly… who put it here?

"You're being unreasonable now!"

A sudden shout shattered Ruby's focus.

She turned sharply to her left, eyes narrowing.

A group had gathered near the edge of the pit—members of the Tower, but clearly split by affiliation. She recognized the robes immediately: some bore the silver trim of Celestial Hall, while others wore the deep violet of Twilight Vault.

"We arrived here first! Naturally, we have the right to examine the relic first!" one of the Celestial mages barked.

"That hasn't been established," a Twilight representative replied coolly. "And watch your tone."

Ruby sighed, rubbing her temple.

Seriously… they're fighting over who gets to claim the relic before they even know what it is?

"Human nature is like that," came a calm voice from her right.

She turned—and a rare smile touched her lips.

"Long time, Tia."

Standing beside her, arms casually folded behind her back, was a woman with a commanding aura.

One of the tower masters, Tia stood there.

Ruby and Tia had crossed paths many times before, usually in matters related to Runesmithing—a shared passion.

"I expected to find you here," Tia said with a small nod. "Though I wasn't expecting… this petty quarrel."

Ruby exhaled softly. "Politics," she muttered. "They're more interested in claiming the relic than understanding it."

Tia glanced at the arguing groups with mild disdain. "I never gave the order to retrieve it. Which means…"

"Royalties," Ruby finished.

Tia nodded. "Likely desperate for something they don't even begin to understand."

Their eyes returned to the relic glowing faintly at the heart of the pit. Neither spoke for a moment—both were aware that this object might not just be old... it might be waiting.

"No, you don't understand!"

The raven-haired mage from Celestial Hall—Trevor—snapped, his voice sharp and rising.

"Master Albec had gone to bring reinforcements. That's why we waited!"

Across from him stood three members of the Twilight Vault, and it was Ivy who responded with a mocking tilt of her head.

"Oh? So the Celestial Hall doesn't trust its own runesmiths and researchers anymore? You need external help now?"

Trevor's eyes narrowed. "I could say the same about your side."

Another Twilight mage stepped forward, his voice colder. "Watch your tone when speaking about Lady Vermillion. She's not here on a whim—she was summoned as an advisory authority. Unlike anyone on your side, she actually understands what we're dealing with."

Trevor scoffed. "And we're supposed to believe a girl her age has—"

"You!" one of the Vault members barked, stepping in front of Ivy. "Say one more disrespectful word about her, and I swear you'll pay for it."

Trevor clenched his jaw and went silent—but the fury in his eyes didn't fade.

Tia took a subtle step forward, ready to intervene—when suddenly, two figures emerged at opposite ends of the crater.

Tower Masters.

One from each side.

"What is going on here?" came a low, commanding voice.

"What is this chaos?" echoed another, more youthful tone.

To the left stood Master Albec, dark-skinned, broad-shouldered, and heavy with presence.

To the right, a much younger man, barely past his twenties—Master Aiden—whose calm gaze belied the sharp mind behind it.

"Master Aiden," Ivy turned to him, bowing her head respectfully. "They're claiming exclusive rights to the relic."

Trevor didn't waste a second. "We were here first. We should get first access to inspect it."

Albec frowned deeply, his gaze flicking toward Trevor.

"I don't understand why this argument even began," he said slowly. "When the four afflicted were captured, there was no one from the Vault present. Celestial Hall handled the initial lockdown."

Aiden pulled out a rolled parchment from within his robes and offered it to Albec.

"We received the first report concerning this relic three days ago," he said calmly. "But for some unknown reason, it only reached me yesterday."

Albec took the parchment, unfolding it slowly. His brows furrowed as he read through the contents, eyes scanning line after line.

The date was listed—but dates could always be... interpreted. Especially when multiple Tower systems were involved.

Trevor took a sharp step forward. "Master Albec, it's clear they're fabricating details. We shouldn't delay any longer. Let's begin the inspection."

Ivy's eyes flared.

"Calling it fabrication is the same as accusing Master Aiden of lying."

Trevor stiffened. That status of being the Master alone was enough to make him reconsider his tone.

His lips parted, but no words came out.

Tension crackled in the air again, rising like a tide—until Albec finally closed the parchment and spoke with authority.

"Let's not waste time."

He looked between both sides and said, "Here's what we'll do. You"—he nodded toward Aiden—"will inspect the relic first, with your people. Once you're done, Celestial Hall will proceed."

Trevor's eyes widened. "But Master Albe—"

Albec raised a hand. A single gesture, firm and final. Trevor fell silent.

Aiden gave a curt nod, calm and composed.

"Thank you for your understanding."

He turned to Ivy. "Gather the specialists. We need every eye and mind we have. We must uncover exactly what this relic is… and what kind of monstrosity we're dealing with."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.