The Runic Alchemist

Inside one of the rooms in the Bastion.

"So… how did it go?" Voidshaper asked.

There were only four people in the room: Voidshaper, Hellseeker, Lifewarden, and Mindseer—(The petite, short woman with a ribbon in her hair).

Mindseer responded, "I can't see anything troublesome yet. He's destined to be a great man; it seems he'll do something really big and heroic. But it's just a glimpse. You know I can only be sure after using the ability everyday for a while."

Voidshaper nodded. Mindseer was a conjuring-type Esper. At first, Voidshaper didn't fully grasp the significance of why she needed to be kept hidden from others, but over time, he realized that Land Breaker had been wise to keep her true power hidden.

To most, she was known as a master of illusions, but to a select few, she was much more—a seer. Her Esper ability allowed her to glimpse possible futures for individuals. However, these futures weren't set in stone; they changed with every decision and decisive action taken.

"He sure has guts; I'll give him that," Hellseeker said.

"What did he do?" Voidshaper asked.

The three exchanged glances before Lifewarden spoke.

"He quoted Land Breaker's words."

Voidshaper narrowed his eyes after hearing the entire account. "Kids sure are something else this year…" he muttered.

Mindseer hesitated before speaking again. "He isn't wrong, though. I also believe we should just go by ourselves. We don't need everyone to put pressure on Emperor Yong Sheng Long."

The others exchanged uncertain glances but didn't seem convinced.

Hellseeker shook his head. "That might've worked before. But with Moondancer, Skypiercer, and now Flamewrought siding with him, even all seven of us together wouldn't be enough to sway him without a fight. Besides, not all of us can leave this place."

****

Damian completed the steel frame of the aircraft on time. The next day, he began working on the tree.
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Using a mana thread, he powered a growth spell on a small plant placed in the middle of the steel frame. A full steel container holding over five liters of mana liquid was completely drained in the process.

Mana flowed from the container into him as he manipulated the tree structure with seven different wood-style spells, along with the growth spell, to cover the entire steel frame. He had dismissed everyone else, leaving only Sam and a few others to observe as he worked.

If he opened his status right now, the mana points would fluctuate, rising and falling in a continuous pattern.

This much mana could have summoned enough fire or water to destroy entire cities, yet it merely accelerated the growth of one tree. It was a testament to the natural world's immense mana reserves, capable of sustaining entire forests. Of course, not all trees used mana—at least not directly. Then again, who really knew? Damian could sense mana in trees, though it felt no different from environmental mana.

Lumi, Evrin, Grace, and Einar's follower—(a feline beastman 3rd-year student named Kishi or Mishi. he still didn't know her name)—watched with wide eyes as the tree's branches wrapped around the steel frame, guided carefully by Damian. Only Evrin could truly comprehend the scale of mana required to grow an entire tree with the spell. The sheer weight of power in Damian's hand sent chills down her spine. Damian anticipated receiving another letter from Eldoris after she sent words home.

The five liters of mana liquid were gone in the blink of an eye, though it lasted long enough to complete the process without requiring a second container.

Fortunately, Damian had prepared several such containers, stored safely in a runic vault in his room. He'd crafted the vault himself to secure the containers, though only he could use their contents, as the mana was imbued with his aura.

Once the tree was in place, it was Reize's turn to work. She would cut parts of the wood from the inside to expose specific sections of the frame, then cover the interior with steel plates, construct necessary compartments, and attach the runic rotors blades and enchanted mana pipes.

With her busy on that, Damian shifted his focus to the mana core. His goal was to create a reliable mana generator that minimized the risk of explosions. Stability was his priority, though he also aimed to maximize mana output.

The basic process of gathering raw mana was simple; he could increase the pipes to collect more in less time. Automating pressure regulation with a simple on/off switch was the next step.

The most challenging part was adding chemicals while keeping the volatile mana contained. He would need to fireproof the room and stock plenty of spare parts for on-the-spot repairs. While there were other ways to make the aircraft fly, all required his mana generator to function flawlessly. To add a layer of security, he considered installing multiple generators to provide redundancy during emergencies.

Their nightly practices progressed steadily, with everyone making significant improvements and learning new spells every few days. Though technically a vacation, they worked harder than ever, pushing themselves beyond what they managed during regular classes.

Sometimes Grace, Lucian, and other eager spell-learners stayed with Damian as he worked on the mana generator. It wasn't a bother, as long as they stayed within his line of sight, allowing him to guide them while he worked.

Day after day of effort brought them closer to completion. More than half the work was done. After finalizing a few enchantments and building specific components, they would be ready for a test flight.

The mana compartment wasn't finished yet, and the control room was still incomplete, with its tangle of mana pipes and runic spell nodes yet to be organized into physical controls. Simple meters Damian planned to install also remained unfinished.

However, with a little more work on the control room and the ready mana containers in the storage compartment, they could soon test whether their design functioned as intended.

Each individual runic part had been tested and worked perfectly. The only thing left was to see if the entire system could operate seamlessly as a whole—and achieve their intended goal.