The Runic Alchemist

Chapter 846: Chains & Intution

Damian wasn’t going to do that in the sanctuary, but somewhere far away anyway.

Keeping the man imprisoned simply because they were unfamiliar with him and slightly afraid did not sit right with him. The dwarf’s story was unbelievable by any standard, but most of the things he had revealed matched exactly with the information Damian had gained from the Pigmen Sun God and the item descriptions the system showed at times.

“So he is alive right now because of you?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know. But I received the title when I summoned the first metal golem of my life. Unless there is a way he can read my mind, information like this is hard to fake.” Damian replied.

“He is right,” Einar said. “The elves have many heirlooms that Evrin said revealed some connections between the gods. They have also gathered a bunch of primordial era things over the years, suggesting an epic war of enormous proportions that had happened in their time.”

“I have heard the name Lightbringer before. The waygate tool that was in Ashenvale’s hands and is now in Eldoris had revealed details about it when I used my analysis spell on it.” Damian added.

“I have also heard that name before,” Souldealer said. “Not in anything definitive, but I remember hearing stories about it when I was young.”

“Keeping the man in chains just because we fear him doesn’t seem right. Sam and I will take the guy somewhere in the middle of the ocean, where we will try to break the chains. Don’t worry, the only way I let anyone destroy what we have built is after I am dead and buried.” Damian said, looking at all the eyes aimed towards him.

“That day will never come,” Souldealer commented with a smile.

“Yeah, if there is anyone who can ascend further, it’s you.” Einar’s lips revealed a confident smile as well.

“Yeah, don’t worry! We have got this!” Sam patted Damian’s shoulder with full enthusiasm.

Damian nodded at him, and together they entered the room again.

“Do you mind if we change location?” Damian asked the dwarf god; it was more of an order and not really a suggestion.

Damian and Sam did not wait for his answer as he opened the waygate, and Sam picked up the guy in chains effortlessly. With one last exchange of nods, Damian and Sam dragged the dwarven god together with them inside the waygate.

“Where are we goi-” the god of metal golem’s eyes widened, watching a chant-less spell opening a portal in mid-air. “What in the space-time mess is that?” the old god muttered, but no one replied.

On the sandy beach of a small island somewhere in the middle of the ocean, Sam put the dwarf down. The coconut trees swayed under the ocean winds as moonlight washed all things around them black and white.

“That’s an impressive space-time spell,” The old god commented. More than his changed location, the guy had a greater interest in a unique spell. But after a moment, he added,

“If you are planning to kill me in this solitary land, let me tell you people far greater than you have tried and failed. I cannot be killed as long as my last believer exists.”

“And where is this believer of yours?” Damian asked curiously.

“I don’t have my usual powers, so even if you force me, you won’t get any answers because I, myself, have no idea who that person is.”

“You were unconscious for a long time. Why did you suddenly wake up?” Damian asked.

The old dwarf met his eyes, then looked away towards the calm ocean waves.

“Perhaps Intuition. I have no idea why. I sensed something different trapped inside my astral plane, and before I knew it, I had enough strength to push myself out. It’s only possible if..” The primordial god trailed off.

“If your believer is nearby,” Damian finished.

For the first time, there was genuine fear in the dwarf god’s eyes as his head turned towards him with a vengeance and something far more primal etched on his old, bearded face. Now, that look he could associate with a god.

“If anything happened to him-” He spat out, but before the man could finish, Sam put an end to it.

“Relax, we are not killing anyone today. We brought you here as a precaution.”

Damian looked at the grizzled old man with amusement in his eyes. He was indeed curious to hear what the man was going to threaten him with.

“Precaution for what?”

“A threat to our country,” Damian replied. “Now every day we meet chained old men claiming to be god.”

“You are breaking the chains?” They could see surprise evident in the old god’s face.

“Hundred steel doors, right? How much force is enough to break 300 meters of solid steel?” Sam asked, puzzled.

“Any other way to disable the spell active on these chains, golem god?” Damian asked.

“There was a deactivating spell etched on a key. Last time I saw it, we were still in the primordial age. And call me by my name, Steelweaver.” The grizzled old dwarf god replied.

“Where is the source of power for this spell? It’s not the environment mana. It can’t defy basic laws of conversion.” Damian thought aloud.

“It’s a prime spell,” Steelweaver answered, staring at him as if seeing him for he first time, “Why are you so sure the chains never used environment mana? A possibility of gathering in batches can not be predicted.”

Oh right. Damian had only ever faced spells that actively used the environment’s mana to work. But with a good enough container, like some rare metal or relic, the mana could be stored, and the spell that only collected mana in batches could indeed be made.

It all depended on having that invaluable metal that could store mana. Till now, he had never seen such a thing. Mana stones did not work like that either.

“He is a transcendent runesmith. Runic tools and spells are like naked women to him. He likes to steal as well.” Sam said with great pride.

Damian squinted at him. What the fuck was that comparison?