The Runic Alchemist

456,000 soul fragments were used.

In a single enchantment, Damian had torn his soul in two, making him incapable of crafting any significant enchantments in the future. Sacrificing half his life force, a powerful second-ranker could live for over 150 years—but he had shortened his own life by more than 70 years just to create a single runic tool.

But it was finished.

Lifewarden stopped pouring his mana into the spear, finally extinguishing the flames. Runefather also let the massive ladle rest, shutting off the forge beneath it. Inside, an abyssal black, liquid fire-like metal swirled constantly. It was neither solid nor liquid, radiating heat that made even third-rankers sweat—yet, paradoxically, it was cool to the touch. It was as if magical flame had been condensed into physical form, something that neither felt real nor behaved like any normal object.

"What.. is it?" Mindseer asked. She couldn't even perceive the fate of the thing.

Damian had no idea whether he had succeeded or if he had just wasted half his life for nothing. As he tried to take a step forward, his legs gave out beneath him, and Lifewarden caught him just in time. With half his soul gone and after standing in the same position for over 18 hours, his body had begun to fail him. His vision blurred, his senses dulled—yet, through sheer will, he managed to whisper a few words before losing consciousness.

"Reize.. get it close to.. her."

The Highswords exchanged glances. Just as Runefather prepared to take the strange, black liquid fire to Reize as Damian had instructed, Silverspell spoke up.

"Just a second.."

They all turned to him as he chanted a few words and cast an analysis spell on the mysterious object.

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Item: Tenebris

Tier: Mythic

Origin: Forged by Primordial Metal Shaper

Item Type: Runic Catalyst (Living Adaptive Relic)

Description:

A creation born from the ultimate price—fragments of the creator's very soul. Tenebris is unlike any known artifact, a living, evolving runic entity that merges with its wielder on a fundamental level. Within its abyssal-black liquid fire lies the culmination of a thousand perfected enchantments, interwoven with runic language at a molecular scale.

Not just a shield, not just a weapon, not just a core—this tool is everything the wielder requires, shaped by will and necessity. It has no predetermined fate, existing beyond the constraints of material, mana, or time. It does not break. It does not burn. It does not yield. It only becomes.

'You can't just mess around with enchanting, the cost of failure is too big..' the echo warned him.

'The cost of not doing the absolute best I can and living in regret all my life is worse than that,' The creator replied simply.

'Does she truly mean that much to you? Or is it just an excuse to fulfill your reckless desires?' the echo asked, but the creator had no answer for him.

Attributes:

Durability: ??? (Evolves with wielder's soul integrity and mana depth.)

Activation Time: Instant

Cooldown: None (Continuous, self-sustaining function.)

Runic Alignment: Tier I (Transcendent Enchantment)

Special Effects:

Soulbrand Convergence – This tool imprints upon the wielder's very soul, adapting to their unique essence. Only those it acknowledges may wield its power; all others will feel nothing but silence.

Living Evolution – The Abyssal Soulbound Core is self-repairing, self-adapting, and self-reinforcing. It rebuilds itself constantly at a molecular level, ensuring it never weakens from overuse or mana degradation.

Soul-Linked Resonance – The wielder's thoughts and intent dictate its form. It can take the shape of weapons, armor, shields, or any runic construct at will, instantly transitioning between solid and liquid states.

Abyssal Replication – Generates an artificial mana core within the wielder's body, mirroring their natural core's structure. This secondary core not only enhances mana flow but also provides a fallback in case of core instability or external interference.

Molecular Rebirth – Each enchanted molecule is self-replicating, capable of reconstructing itself infinitely as long as a single fragment remains. Even complete disintegration would not be true destruction.

Temperature Immunity – Exists beyond the concept of heat or cold. Neither extreme temperatures nor magical flames can alter its state unless willed by its wielder.

Willbound Form – Automatically reinforces or reshapes itself in response to subconscious needs. Acts as a shield in times of danger, a weapon in times of battle, and a core in times of need.

Soul's Last Ember – A hidden function, locked until a moment of absolute desperation. When triggered, it will awaken its creator's lingering will, providing a singular, irreversible effect beyond known runic laws.

??? – (Unidentified – Requires direct synchronization with the wielder to unveil its final ability.)

Restrictions:

Bound to creator's Soulline - (Only those whom Primordial Metal Shaper acknowledges may wield its true power. To all others, it is nothing more than inert black fire.)

Cannot Be Duplicated - (Attempts to recreate it result in failure; it is a singularity of runic and soul-bound essence.)

Irreversible Integration - Once merged with a wielder, it cannot be removed, transferred, or destroyed without completely severing the wielder's soul.

Runic Overload Risk - Due to its ever-evolving nature, layering too many complex runic spells at once may destabilize its structure temporarily, requiring time to recalibrate.

Unknown Final Evolution - As an unfinished concept brought to life through desperate means, the core has an undiscovered threshold. If pushed beyond its limits, it may evolve unpredictably, with unknown consequences.

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The shock was evident on the faces of all the Highswords present. But none felt it more than Silverspell himself.

"My.. Mythic..?" he murmured. "I thought the highest ranking for tools was Divine.."

"It can't be possible.." Bloodedge said, his voice laced with disbelief. "There was no such thing.."

"There is now," Runefather said, a smile breaking across his aged face.

There was an old saying among runesmiths: Warriors need levels to be valued. A runesmith just needs a forge. Indeed, true craftsmanship required no higher rank. A mere second-ranker—who had barely reached that stage for a few hours—had accomplished what even the primordials of old had never managed.

With Runefather leading the way, the group carried the Mythical-Grade runic tool to the girl. It was an artifact of such immense value that nations could wage war over it—yet not a single third-ranker made a move to claim it. It was useless to wield if Damian himself did not trust them. More than that, they didn't even know how to use it.

After placing Damian beside his two sleeping squires, Lifewarden and Runefather entered the room where Reize was. They stood in silence, their eyes wide, as the black liquid fire suddenly stirred to life. Sensing the girl, it stretched forward of its own accord—then vanished, seamlessly merging into Reize's body.