CHAPTER 316: CHAPTER 315- NEED TO RETURN

The brain was the command center—of both body and mana.

Adrian knew it would work. He knew he could read the elemental affinity of the golems and tune their threads. But still, when it actually happened, the sensation was strange.

As he wove the first thread into each golem, he asked, "Don’t you have any Runesmith who could handle this instead of me?"

Forgelet gave a wry smile. "Normally they use the magical orb to check affinities. But that orb doesn’t work on these golems."

Adrian exhaled through his nose. "Figures. Nothing less from a monstrosity."

"Hey! Don’t insult my babies like that!" she shot back, but he ignored her.

From the side, Michael finally spoke. "Isn’t he a bit young for you to be praising him so highly?"

Forgelet chuckled. "He hasn’t reached his former glory yet, but even now, his knowledge makes him the most brilliant Runesmith alive."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Aren’t you overhyping him? I’ll admit his methods are different and effective, but calling him the best..."

Forgelet tilted her head, then asked, "Do you remember the hammer I showed you? The one I wanted a third-grade rune on so it wouldn’t break and could endure heat forever?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah... that was embarrassing."

That incident was still fresh in his memory. A few months ago, the best Runesmith Michael knew had been invited to Evilyn’s workshop to prepare that hammer. He had chanted the third-grade rune with confidence. But the moment Forgelet tested it, the hammer shattered after only a few swings.

Michael had never felt such secondhand embarrassment.

The Runesmith hadn’t even taken the blame. Instead, he claimed the fault lay with the material—the same strange metal used for the golems. It was too hard, too demanding. She might as well stock an entire warehouse full of hammers if she wanted to keep working with it.

Forgelet’s grin widened. "Avirin made a hammer for me. And with that single hammer, I created every one of these golems."

Michael froze, staring at her in disbelief.

With a helpless smile, she added, "And that hammer wasn’t even third-grade. It was only second. At the time, he wasn’t ready to tune a third."

Michael fell silent.

Crossing her arms, she said with a sly smile, "Now you understand why I trust and respect him so much?"

Michael bit his lip. "If he’s really that talented... why not just recruit him? It’s not like you lack the resources."

Evilyn wasn’t just anyone. She was the seventh-generation lead developer of the greatest forge on the planet. A monstrous genius, praised even by the retired elders who rarely gave anyone their respect.

The youngest Forge Master ever recorded in history. The mind behind inventions that had reshaped the world.

If not for her, their home would have fallen years ago.

She once built a meteor destructor—just while playing—out of nothing more than the scrap the forge used to collect.

Evilyn wasn’t simply a craftsman. She was the new face of the Forge itself.

And with all that weight behind her name, hiring a Runesmith should have been nothing. She had the gold, the connections, the influence. Anyone in Adrian’s shoes should have caved instantly to her offer.

Evilyn dryly smiled, "There are things you can’t buy with money in this world...and that man is a prime example of that."

Michael’s brows elevated, "Even if you were to offer him your creations?"

Evilyn glanced at him with an innocent smile, "He already has plenty of my creations."

"...!" Michael’s eyes widened...the same Evilyn who never easily releases her creation to the public unless it’s an emergency...

"You are so rudely unfair." He muttered, crossing his arms.

Evilyn giggled before she asked, "Need something to drink, Avirin?"

Adrian looked up from the cockpit before asking, "Anything human."

Forgelet chuckled, "Don’t worry, I won’t give you larva soup."

Adrian grimaced before returning to the work.

....

Annabelle sat beneath a tree, breathless.

After losing control of her mana, her body had nearly given out. She almost fainted.

But something stirred her awake. She couldn’t tell what—only that when her eyes opened, the Fallen God was gone.

Silence. No voices. No footsteps. No presence nearby.

She forced herself to stay still, taking a few moments before slipping into a more secure hiding spot. Charging recklessly into the base now would only be suicide.

What just happened...?

Her chest tightened. She had never experienced anything like that before. But then again, this was the first time she had faced such a terrifying opponent.

Nothing worked on him. Physical attacks were useless—his body could heal even after being decapitated.

I need to tell Darling...

The cult had discovered her presence. But how? Were they tipped off by Nytharos?

She had been careful—painfully careful. Not even the spies working under her knew she had come here. Which meant it was him. The Fallen God. He must have sensed her and revealed her to them.

And now, with their cover blown, the cult would surely evacuate the site.

"Tch... how could things turn out this bad?" she muttered, her voice low and sharp.

Frustration burned inside her chest, her failure stoking the fire of her anger.

I have no other option...I need to tell Darling

Opening the Dimensional chat, she sent the message, "It’s an emergency, Darling. I was spotted. They are moving the base. Need help."

....

[A few minutes ago]

"Haah...it’s done." Adrian exhaled a sigh, wiping his hands with a dry towel as he finished tuning the golems.

It took more than ten minutes but he perfectly tuned them.

These golems were truly something...after all, they were kind of Acolytes at the moment but with a short range of spells.

They didn’t need an armament because the golem’s body itself was an armament. And the brain was there to use the runes.

So yes, this kind of invention was new and mind boggling.

"Great work, Avirin. Here." Forgelet extended a glass of water which was too big for him to hold with a single hand.

As he took a few gulps, he heard from the girl, "What do you need in return? I am feeling quite generous so you can choose anything from my workshop."

Michael stiffened at those words, however, Evilyn completely ignored him.

Adrian was thinking what he should ask for when suddenly, the system flashed the dimensional chat before his eyes...and, Adrian froze.

The only fact Bella was calling for help means...

"I need to go."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a review. You have to.