Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Delving into someone’s mind had become far easier for him. It was not just because of the third thread, which traced a person’s strongest emotions through their memories, but also because of the fifth thread, whose intricate nature was deeply intertwined with both the mind and its Gate.

Practising over a thousand times has made it second nature to him.

The moment Adrian took Allen’s hand, he effortlessly resonated with his magical waves and slipped past the surface of his consciousness, descending into the depths of his mind.

Finding a specific memory was usually difficult. Unless he knew exactly what he was searching for or the memory had left an overwhelming mark on the person’s psyche, countless fragments blended together into an endless maze.

It wasn’t impossible just time consuming.

But neither problem existed here.

’Found it.’

Blood.

The sight alone drained every trace of color from Allen’s face, making his entire body tremble uncontrollably.

Among the countless memories scattered across his mind, this one stood out with painful clarity, impossible to overlook because of the scar it had carved into his soul.

Aries lay motionless on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath her.

Allen stood frozen before her, his blood-soaked sword hanging loosely from trembling fingers.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh, his heart growing heavier at the sight of his student in such a broken state.

Thankfully she was safe now but still, before leaving, he would make sure to meet Aries.

He continued following Allen’s memories from that point onward.

Just as he had expected, Allen had begun distancing himself from everyone around him.

Sylvie appeared time and again, doing her best to lift his spirits. Olivia also visited on several occasions, trying to start a conversation or simply coax a response out of him.

But he never could.

Why?

"Curious..." Adrian murmured.

A branch had split away from that memory.

It was another memory, one that was slowly taking root within Allen’s consciousness, attempting to merge with the rest of his recollections as though it had always belonged there.

Adrian drew a slow breath and reached toward it.

"Hmm?"

A faint hum escaped his lips as he encountered resistance.

The magical waves surrounding the memory were exceptionally potent, woven with the unmistakable intent of allowing only Allen to access it.

Adrian withdrew his consciousness and steadied himself.

Then, he began altering his own magical presence, carefully reshaping it until it perfectly mirrored Allen’s.

Adrian gave it a moment.

Ordinarily, Allen’s mental defenses would never have slowed him down. Entering his student’s mind had become almost effortless. Yet this foreign memory had forced him to expend genuine effort.

’Regardless...’

The resistance finally dissolved as Adrian painstakingly rewrote the structure of his mana, disguising it until it became indistinguishable from Allen’s. The memory’s defenses accepted him without question.

He was in.

"Hmm..."

A slight frown creased Adrian’s brow as the memory unfolded before him.

This was the memory that had left Allen traumatized.

The first thing that caught his attention was the familiar landscape surrounding him. Recognition flickered across his mind, but he set the thought aside and focused on the lone figure before him.

A person shrouded in darkness.

Only a faint silhouette was visible, just enough to follow each movement despite the overwhelming gloom.

The figure glided across the grassy field with absolute focus, every step deliberate, every motion stripped of the slightest excess. It was as though even a single wasted movement was an unacceptable burden.

Then the blade came free.

It carved graceful arcs through the air like the brushstrokes of a master painter.

Yet beneath that elegance lay something impossible to mistake.

Every swing carried an unmistakable intent to kill.

Each strike was meant to kill.

Not one opponent. Not two.

An entire group would fall within a single flowing dance of steel and impossible elegance.

Adrian found himself captivated.

There wasn’t a single flaw in those movements. Every shift of weight, every turn of the wrist, every step flowed into the next with breathtaking precision.

Despite the countless weapon masters he had encountered, the legendary warriors he had watched carve through armies, and the vast collection of memories he had witnessed over the years, he felt himself unconsciously matching that rhythm.

He wanted to move like him.

Fight like him.

Become him.

’No wonder Allen couldn’t resist the temptation.’

Adrian let out a quiet breath as he observed Allen’s own memories unfolding alongside the foreign one.

Allen stood inside the training hall, his sword weaving through the air with frightening momentum. The training dummies that had once withstood countless students were torn apart as though they were nothing more than paper.

The destruction he unleashed surpassed anything Adrian had expected.

He had personally witnessed Ariana vent her fury on those same training dummies, reducing them to splinters in moments. Few people understood better than he did just how much punishment they were built to endure.

That was precisely why the difference was impossible to ignore.

Allen had changed.

And the source of that change was these memories.

But...

Who was that man?

’Could it really be...?’

A startling thought surfaced in Adrian’s mind.

Slowly, he released Allen’s hand and opened his eyes.

Allen looked back at him with quiet curiosity, searching his face for an answer.

Instead of speaking, Adrian reached into his inventory.

"Would you hold this for me?"

Resting in his palm was the hilt of a shattered sword.

Allen froze.

"Professor...?"

The last thing he wanted anywhere near him was another sword.

"Just do it," Adrian said firmly. "Before I draw any conclusions or investigate this any further, I need to confirm something."

Deep down, he wanted this to be nothing more than a coincidence.

He wanted to believe the memories he had witnessed after touching this broken hilt all those months ago had nothing to do with what was happening to Allen.

After a brief hesitation, Allen stepped away from the stool and cautiously reached toward the relic.

The instant his fingers drew close, the broken hilt trembled violently in Adrian’s palm.

Then, as though awakened by an invisible force, it shot forward on its own, latching onto Allen’s hand.

"Huh?"

Allen stared at the object in his hand, his voice laced with panic.

"What is this?!"

His shock wasn’t without reason.

The broken sword was restoring itself.

The shattered blade, which moments ago had looked like nothing more than a worthless relic, began knitting itself back together before his eyes.

Bronze-like fragments materialized out of thin air, one after another, seamlessly joining together as they extended upward. Within seconds, the broken hilt had become a complete longsword.

Adrian could do nothing but watch in stunned silence.

Then, as if to erase the last sliver of doubt lingering in his mind,

[Host, Host Valor wants to have a chat with you.]

Adrian slowly closed his eyes.

So it was true.

The man Allen had been seeing within those memories was...

Valor.

’I have far more questions than answers now.’

°°°°°°°

A/N:- In the original timeline remember, the main villain was Nytharos so the world was never explored.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you have read this far..