Return of the Legendary Runesmith

"This could be the very beginning of the end."

The voice wasn’t loud, yet it echoed clearly in the minds of everyone seated at the table.

The heads of all the Towers glanced at each other listening to those words.

"We all know Darkness never truly vanished from this world. It was sealed deep within the planet’s core, locked away where it couldn’t regain its strength or rise against us again. And now... it seems the Acolytes have found a way to awaken a fragment of the greatest evil humanity has ever faced."

Ruby frowned, though for reasons different from the others.

The question forming in her mind was asked soon enough.

"How can you be so sure?" Someone said, "All the great heroes of the past united to seal that being ages ago. How could mere Acolytes of this era awaken something like that?"

Darkness meant ruin, and the Acolytes had always sought destruction, forcing submission to their lord, their benefactor, Nytharos.

Years had passed. Generations of Acolytes had risen and fallen, many mastering every known branch of sorcery.

And now, when the magical prowess of these followers had begun to wane, someone had supposedly discovered a way to awaken the Darkness.

That... sounded more absurd than alarming.

"Believe it or not, something has stirred the past," the man continued. "Fragments of history long buried have begun to resurface. Something has awakened what lay dead and forgotten for ages. The appearance of that ancient creature at Runebound Academy is proof enough."

Ruby let out a soft hum of surprise. "How do—oh." She stopped herself mid-sentence. Of course they knew. Spies, interrogations, or perhaps the students themselves had reported it.

"Miss Vermillion," he said, turning to her, "I would like your opinion. You’ve witnessed these events up close. You’ve been involved in incidents that reflect the shifting state of this world."

Ruby nearly scoffed at the obvious attempt to draw information from her.

The truth was, she didn’t even know where she stood.

Should she follow the fundamental instinct of humanity and oppose the Darkness?

Or should she protect it, knowing Adrian’s origin was tied to it?

In the end, she chose the safest path.

"I can say this much," she replied calmly. "The Acolytes have been moving differently of late. The way they’ve been uncovering fragments of Nytharos’s remains and refining their tools... it suggests something is guiding their growth."

Charles offered a faint smile. "As you’ve heard, things have changed. None of us truly knows why."

He raised his hand slightly. "But I believe history is about to repeat itself."

An older man groaned. "If you’re going to say something like that, wipe that smile off your face, boy."

Charles shrugged. "Proving a point tends to be satisfying. But yes, back to the real issue... how do we prepare for what’s coming?"

"I still don’t believe it," another woman spoke. Her dark skin contrasted sharply with her platinum-blond hair, and her razor-sharp gaze remained fixed on Charles. "I can’t accept that the Acolytes have found a way to awaken that entity."

Something that hadn’t happened for a thousand years was suddenly becoming possible just because an ancient creature had appeared?

Ancient beings had surfaced before. Some had caused far greater devastation than anything seen now. Yet even then, no one spoke of reviving the Darkness.

Charles nodded slightly. "I won’t force you to believe me. But I can suggest a course of action in case my assumption proves correct."

"No, wait," Albec interrupted, his voice firm. "Why are we jumping to the worst-case scenario? We should be focusing on stopping those magicians before they achieve what they’re after."

His argument held weight. Why wait for disaster to arrive when they could stop it before it even took shape?

"Well, there is a problem," Charles said. "We don’t actually know where they’ve been gathering. That’s why we invited her." His gaze shifted toward Jean.

A man let out a mocking snicker. "So now we’re relying on a criminal?"

Jean didn’t react. Beneath the table, she gripped Ruby’s gown, silently stopping her from speaking.

Then, with calm indifference, she replied, "If an organization can accomplish what your so-called reputable, law-abiding one cannot... then perhaps staying rogue is the better choice."

The man’s face twisted. "You—"

"You speak as if you already know their location," the dark-skinned woman interrupted, raising a brow.

Jean leaned back in her chair, unfazed. "Even if I do, why should I trust you? I’ve been betrayed before. What’s stopping one of you from tipping them off and letting the Acolytes relocate?"

The room fell into a tense silence.

Every gaze sharpened at her words.

These were the heads of the most powerful Towers across the world.

And yet, in this moment, their credibility was being questioned by someone they would normally dismiss as insignificant.

Breaking the tension, Charles spoke, "Who do you trust here, Miss Jean?"

Jean hummed softly before raising her left arm. "These two." She gestured toward Albec and Ruby.

She had worked with Albec enough to know he was reliable. And more importantly, Adrian trusted him. That alone made the choice easy.

As for Ruby... she didn’t even need a reason.

"Very well," Charles said. "Then the three of you can form a plan and inform us when and where you require support."

"Why would I send my forces?"

"Same, i won’t."

"My personnel are elite warriors. I won’t hand them over just because someone asks."

One after another, they voiced their refusal.

Ruby’s frustration built until she could no longer hold it back.

"You know what? This entire meeting is pointless."

The hall fell silent as the redhead rose from her seat.

"If you wanted was to deliver a message, you could’ve sent a letter. From what I see, none of you are willing to do anything beyond returning to your posts, burying yourselves in books, and making hollow remarks."

Jean and Albec exchanged surprised glances at her bluntness, but Ruby showed no sign of regret.

She had spoken exactly what she felt.

"You... woman..." one of the men growled, his temper barely contained.

However, Ruby already had enough of the crap.

She got out of the seat and said, "From here on, I will operate how I like. I don’t need any support or backup." With her gaze hardening, she added, "I will prevent this disaster from befalling us."