The Runic Alchemist

Before entering the portal, Damian created two more runic circles with his both hands. It was awkward and somewhat unsuccessful at first, but he managed to make it work. As he jumped into the portal, Damian immediately activated a water whip spell, extending it with his mana until a solid, hook-like water shape latched onto many thick branches and the solid wood of the commander's building.

With that, he activated another spell; a green circle formed beneath his feet, pushing air downwards and giving him just enough lift to slowly climb up the four-story building. It was very inefficient, using a quarter of his mana for just a few seconds of lift, but it was necessary to escape the building without causing much commotion.

Breathing heavily Damian sprawled on the wooden roof, he rested for a while there. Then Damian stood up and walked towards the other side of building to observe. However, with each step forward, the pain in his stomach grew more amd more unbearable, forcing him to fall to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony. Clenching his teeth hard, Damian forced himself to stand and took another step forward.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, accompanied by a surge of aura and mana that shook the entire building beneath Damian's feet, making him fall again.

It was her.

'Goddammit... Where is the kid? Why the hell does this hurt so much? What is happening?'

'Huh? Was that the commander in my head? Without her spell?'

'You! How is this possible? How are you speaking in my head?'

Damian quickly took out a scroll of invisible box and activated it, using his mana thread to control the spell as it formed around him, blocking her out. What was going on? Their spells had failed and were still working? She also seemed unconscious and had just woken up with unbearable pain. The vine connected them somehow.

The air inside the box was running out, so Damian had to think of something before she regained control of his thoughts.

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Drawing another invisible box runic circle, just big enough to cover the thickness of the vine, Damian released the larger box and kept the mana supply on for the smaller one, then waited with bated breath.

Yes, no random thoughts. It worked. But he was still connected to the bloody vine, and the distance only made the pain worse. Backtracking his steps, Damian stood up on top of the building, directly above where the commander was.

'Now what?'

Her people believed he had done something to her, which even he wasn't sure of. If he went to her, they would chop off his head without asking. The small mana box, no matter how efficient, wouldn't last forever. His mana was already halved. There was no point in running if she could read his thoughts and pinpoint his location.

The pain would prevent him from going more than 100 meters without screaming. The only way forward was...

With a sigh, Damian sat down on the wooden roof. The wind was fast and cold, making his skin feel piercingly sharp. Despite everything, Damian closed his eyes, shutting out the noise around him. He took a slow, deep breath, filling his lungs to capacity, holding it for a moment, and then exhaling deliberately. His shoulders relaxed with each breath, and the tension gradually melted away.

He focused on the sensation of the air flowing in and out, grounding himself in the rhythm. He did his best to calm his mind and control his thoughts, then moved the small box slightly away from the vine.

'Where is that little piece of...'

'My, my, is that how royalty speaks?'

Her mind also went blank, likely because she had experience with the other end of such spells and knew how to calm her mind. Damian was doing his best, but it was not easy; random thoughts kept slipping into his mind.

'I hope she understands this and won't complain like a brat...'

'What did you just call me, you little squirt?'

'I have a spell that can stop this thought-sharing link, but my mana is limited and I can't hold it for long...'

'The same spell you used to defend yourself from Ilarin...'

'Despite almost giving me a heart attack with that nasty display, I do not wish to be in your head... What can I do here? Can they make a runic device from my spell?'

'Not unless you teach them the spell... I should have killed you on the very first night...'

'They can't learn it. I don't know how to teach it... And I should have never come to this miserable place hoping for justice...'

'Justice? You're still on that? No one is buying your act...'

'Remove this goddamn war from your mind and think for a second. I was brought here by a second-ranker who saw me fight for my life against a lord of the city who could have just as easily killed me on the spot. Why would I go through such an elaborate measures just to fail as a spy?'

'If you are innocent, give me access to your mind then...'

'So you can mess with it as you did a few hours ago? If I were a spy, I could keep you in constant pain, making your life miserable, even killing you with me. Wouldn't that practically win this battle for Ashenvale with the only third-ranker in this camp incapacitated? I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR BLOODY WAR!'

'Whoever you are, I cannot trust you...'

Getting no success, Damian placed the box back on the vine and blocked the link. Sighing, he sprawled on the roof right above her position. The pain had completely subsided. It seemed the distance limit was barely 20 meters.

Damian just breathed out calmly, and looked up at the dark clouds which should have been moving faster but were unnaturally close and almost frozen moving in slow motion, making him feel claustrophobic. As his mana dwindled and exhaustion set in, Damian eventually passed out in the cold afternoon.