The Runic Alchemist

Franklin and the group approached him. Damian did not say anything as their eyes scanned Dreamlight behind him with curious gazes.

"Sir Damian.." Franklin said, "If it is not too rude to ask, may we question you as we wait about the magnificent vessel you have?"

Damian nodded. "A favor for a favor. If I answer all your questions, you shall do something for me in return."

Franklin smiled, though a bead of sweat on his brow was clear to see. "What will you have me do?"

Damian pulled out a status tool and placed it in Franklin's hand. The man looked at the inscribed runes intently.

Damian had still never found a way to decipher the status tool and the spell it used. He could sense a spell inside it, but the mana it held had a strange feel to it. It had to be an enchantment, since no runic circle was visible, yet there were runes in another unknown language upon it as well. Could it be some weird Esper power? The history obscuring where they had originated from in the world he had come from—and who had made so many of them—was also quite suspicious.

"You just have to hold it and say 'Status' out loud," Damian said. "Simple." The harmless smile on his face rivaled theirs in 'innocence.'

The third-rankers, some of whom had walked back inside the ship or were roaming behind him, immediately perked up their ears and quickly plastered themselves beside Damian to see what the status of this world's people would be like. Even Lifewarden and Mindseer, who seemed uninterested in politics and power struggles, had immediately come to have a look.

Seeing their reaction, Franklin looked twice at the small solid iron square and then at all the Highswords, fear and confusion clear on his face.

"It won't harm you. It's a tool that shows general information about a person—nothing too personal," Damian added, seeing the man hesitate. "In addition, I shall give you this as a reward.."

Damian pulled out another of the runic lighters he had made to motivate him. At last, Franklin gave in, his curiosity winning over his fear of the unknown. He held the status tool tightly in his hand and whispered,

"Status.."

But.. nothing happened. Franklin exchanged confused glances with the British engineers, but none could figure out what had gone wrong.

"The intent is important. If he doesn't know what he's doing, it won't work.. A child has to see others do it at least once before they succeed in activating it," Worldscribe said from beside Damian.

Damian looked at his motley crew and said with a smile, "Who will volunteer to demonstrate? I will let anyone who does use my mana cube once to collect a container of mana liquid.."

The offer almost succeeded in bribing most of them, but then his friends and the Highswords reminded them that they would be revealing their information in front of everyone, and they stopped themselves. Only one person stepped forward—someone who cared nothing for her secrets. Lumi.

The reward was much greater than the value of her secrets.

Damian took the status tool from Franklin's hands and gave it to Lumi, telling the man to focus. Lumi successfully activated it, and the floating blue screen was clear for everyone to see.

=========

Name: Luminisha Lv.47

Rank: Light Walker

Affinity: Wind, Water

Mana: 1320/2230

Stats:

STR: 44

DEF: 51

INT: 73

AGI: 68

DEX: 58

CHA: 16

LUC: 6

Jobs:

Elemental Adept (Lv.22)

Misty Breeze Caster (Lv.25)

Blessings:

Sun God's Blessing

Titles:

[Drizzle Caller], [Wandering Breeze]

Skills:

[Wind Veil (Lv.6)], [Aqua Pierce (Lv.5)], [Gale Step (Lv.4)], [Dewform Barrier (Lv.3)], [Whispering Draft (Lv.2)], [Mana Sense Lv.7], [Expert Scholar Lv.8], [Expert Swordswoman LV.4]

=========

Hmm. Impressive. She was as he had expected, though her mana pool was really pitiful. She was still aiming to be a mage. She really needed the mana liquid more than anyone.

Franklin and the Britishers stared at the strange magical window with wide eyes, unable to make any sense of it. But the words were in simple English—they could understand them, just not the meaning they held.

Damian gave Franklin the status tool back, and everyone, including him, just stared at the man intently. He nodded and once again held the tool, whispering,

"Activate.."

This time, it worked.

=========

Name: Benjamin Franklin Lv. 25

Rank: Mundane

Affinity: Magnetism, Spirit

STR: 23

DEF: 19

INT: 27

AGI: 21

DEX: 24

CHA: 12

LUC: 7

Blessings: Godless

Skills: …[Lightning Tamer Lv.9], [Polymath's Insight Lv.6], [Professional Printer Lv.9], [Wind Rider Lv.7], [Inventor's Vision Lv.6] [Ascension Rank 1(Temporary)]…

=========

Godless.. Same as him.

The guy had over 50 skills, though only 10 or so were at Lv.9. An INT of 27—meaning he had been born with 2 extra points in INT.

Different affinities.. Just like those pigmen had a new element, so did humans of Earth, it seemed. But Magnetism and Spirit? The ice element of the pigmen could still be replicated by combining fire, wind, and water, but what could one even use to replicate Magnetism?

The affinities seemed species-specific. He had to find out if they could be learned or not. Would the humans of Earth learn spells for Magnetism in the future?

There was no future for them, though.. They hadn't reached that far. But what would happen if he changed the path of history so completely?

Damian looked at the man called Benjamin Franklin as all his companions whispered about the wild implications of such a status screen in the background.

Suddenly Damian's simple voice, slightly heavier than before, broke through all the murmuring.

"Now say, 'Activate [Ascension Rank 1 (Temporary)]'.."

Worldscribe and Lifewarden grabbed his shoulders, but Damian didn't look back. They were afraid of what effect it would have..

Damian didn't care, though. Even if the humans of Earth gained this power, it would be their own—earned through the skills they had honed over the years. The long-term effects of altering history?

He had long since crossed that line.

Franklin looked deep into Damian's eyes, and finding something in them convincing enough, he spoke the words.

But once again, what they had expected to see.. did not happen.

Instead, the still-open status window displayed message after message as Franklin kept repeating the phrase.

[Skill Activation Failed..]

[Skill Activation Failed..]

[Skill Activation Failed..]

[An Overseer above Level 650 needed for the race ascension features to be unlocked.]