City of Sin

Book 6, 82

Rune Convention Scheduled

A short while later, Richard got the chance to witness the true power of a legendary mage once more. Less than a minute after Thor finished speaking, black light just erupted from the void and tore space apart. Richard took a subconscious step behind as they pulled open a rift, and a rather short old man jumped out from within, blue beard swaying as he roared angrily, “I’ve been stalking a black astral beast for more than a month! I almost found its nest, you old coot! You better not be lying to me!”

As he spoke, Kenny just waved his hand to disperse the magical attacks from the defensive array. Thor stared hard at him, “You think a black astral beast’s eggs can compare to a pseudo-grade-5 rune? Take a look.”

Kenny immediately grabbed the rune design and started inspecting it closely, shock spreading across his face as his forehead started leaking sweat. Richard stealthily took another step back— this man’s powers were unfathomable, and the fact that he managed to aim a portal so precisely despite being off in the void showed that his control of magic was far beyond what even Manacycle could afford.

The short old man suddenly raised his head and rushed forwards, “Kid, you made this?”

Even though Kenny was a mage, he had lightning-quick reflexes. He moved over to Richard in a flash, giving him almost no room to dodge. However, Richard himself had spent many years doing battle in the Land of Dusk; a dull red glow flooded out from his throat as he leaned backwards, lightning immediately sparking on his body as his now-bloody fingertips flew towards the legendary mage’s throat.

Kenny’s eyelids twitched as he sensed the great peril he was in, his hand suddenly stopping in mid-air and giving Richard the chance to retreat. Astonishment flashed in the legendary mage’s eyes as he sized Richard up, “Not bad, not bad. Now it’s slightly more believable that you crafted this.”

“This rune is not my design,” Richard said coldly, keeping his eyes trained on Kenny, “it was designed by Saint Lawrence. However, I can craft it as well.”

Kenny seemed to be surprised at the mention of Kenny’s name, sighing softly, “Lawrence, that little rascal... He really was talented, but such a pity about his rashness. I didn’t think I would see such runes again... It seems like there’s still potential to upgrade this?”

Looking at the hint of yearning on Kenny’s face, Richard forced a smile, “This rune is already better than most other grade 4 runes. If it was grade 5, I’m afraid...”

He didn’t have to finish. Naturally, a grade 5 Mana Armament would immediately make him a saint runemaster, someone who was famous in all of Norland.

“Heh, you have a point. Grade 4 is enough. Alright then, how much is this worth and when can you get one ready for me?”

Richard had already thought this through, “This rune costs an enormous amount in ma—”

“Two top-tier offerings or two spider crystals. My spider crystals are top of the line.”

Richard immediately shook his head, causing Kenny’s face to sour, “Three then.”

Richard still shook his head, but before he could speak Kenny turned blue and raged, “The only reason I need this is for my exploration of the Twisting Galaxy, you wouldn’t be able to find someone else willing to pay this much. Don’t bite off more than—”

Thor put a hand over the man’s mouth, glaring for a moment before turning to Richard, “I apologise, this old bastard is always very anxious. He’s been dreaming of this for more than a decade now, the Twisting Galaxy has something that is very important to him. So, what is it you wanted that this fellow stopped you from saying?”

Richard nodded, “I was about to ask for two top-tier offerings and a favour.”

“What’s the favour, say it!” Kenny shouted.

“I have a... rival, named Voidbones. He’s also a student of Her Excellency Sharon, but I don’t particularly like him. I ask that, if he appears in the Deepblue any time during the next two years, he should be chased away. It would be best if you can kill him.”

Kenny and Thor looked at each other before the latter spoke up, “I’ve heard of the kid, he’s not inferior to a legendary mage. It would be quite a challenge.”

Kenny’s vision drifted as he quickly made a decision, throwing a gold plate towards Richard, “The Shadow King owes me a favour. Contact him with his, and he’ll send you three antimages. With then, this Voidbones won’t be able to gain a footing in the Deepblue. However, are you sure this won’t anger your master?”

“Master wouldn’t care, and the grand mages of the Deepblue have no opinion on the matter either. Of course, I’m assuming the antimages won’t do anything foolish.”

“You can rest assured, these antimages won’t dare to defy an order from the Shadow King. So, when can I collect the item?”

“Hmm... Ten days.”

“Ten what?” Kenny almost screamed.

“I’ll be crafting it in my private plane, and the entire process takes about three months if everything goes according to plan,” Richard clarified. He obviously didn’t mention that he needed less than a month.

“That’s still fast... Alright, I’ll wait ten days for you. You can have these two offerings for now, let Thor know if you need anything special. I’ll be off!” Kenny immediately ripped open another hole in space, dispersing the automatic attacks again as he teleported away.

Once he was gone, Thor shook his head, “Don’t take him to heart, he’s very impulsive. Could you sell these Mana Armaments to the Association in the future? I can offer two top-tier offerings and a greater one to purchase it. You can also be made an honorary elder of the Association, capable of giving out jobs or buying from our treasury.”

“Alright, but is this rune really that popular? Do you need mages who are skilled in melee?” Richard still felt a little strange. Most mages preferred honing their magic, believing it could solve everything. That was wrong, of course, but it wasn’t too far off from the truth.

“There are some circumstances where one cannot use magic, like when one’s enemies are immune to or can reflect magic. This rune would be a lifesaver in those situations. Take Old Kenny for example, he’s had some problems with a bunch of weaklings in the Twisting Galaxy who are completely immune to magical energy. With Mana Armament, he could just smash them apart.”

“Okay,” Richard nodded in understanding, “I’ll send you one in a month.”

“That’s quick!” Thor smiled.

“As a runemaster, runecrafting is my greatest asset. Quality can’t be the only thing I offer,” Richard said with a chuckle.

Thor’s smile grew so wide his eyes almost closed. He patted Richard hard on the shoulders, “No wonder Philip likes you so much, let me arrange for your rune convention now.”

A whistle immediately called in a grand mage, and Thor instructed him, “Master Richard is about to hold a rune convention, book it for a month from now. Use black tulips for the invitation?”

“Tulips? Are you sure?” the grand mage asked to confirm. This was the highest class of invitation they sent out, and anyone who received it would do their best to attend. Such invitations were only sent out once or twice a decade.

“Yes, tulips. Send one to every legendary mage in Norland, be it friend or foe.”

“Alright, Your Excellency. However, the timing might clash with another convention at the same—”

“Who cares about that fraudster? Push it back, and if he whines just cancel it! Go, now... Wait, come back! Take this with you!”

The grand mage took the Mana Armament design and snuck a glance as he walked away. A few moments later, a gasp sounded in the corridor as he realised just what it entailed. As he dashed forward to go as fast as possible, he forgot all about Lunor. Even though Lunor had announced that he would showcase a pseudo-grade 4 rune, his words had to be taken with a pinch of salt. On the other hand, many legendary mages were in the middle of exploring the myriad planes; nobody knew when they would receive the message. It had to be hurried out as quickly as possible.