Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Adrian had always been curious about the other worlds.

In the novel he read, they were never even mentioned. It felt like the story had been confined to just one world—maybe to keep things simple, or maybe because Allen, the protagonist, wasn't strong enough to handle the dangers beyond.

Who knows?

The fact that the story he once read was actually a real world had already shocked Adrian.

But even that shock didn't come close to what he was feeling now.

He was standing inside a massive crater, staring at a world that was on the verge of collapse.

In the distance, loud explosions echoed through the air.

He could hear terrifying growls and the sound of countless footsteps drawing near.

The sky above was dark, covered in smoke and a strange red mist that smelled of blood.

The land around him was cracked and lifeless, littered with craters like the one he stood in.

"...Am I really safe here?" he muttered.

"I swear on my life, I'll protect you, Avirin," came the firm voice of the knight who had summoned him here.

The Dark Knight.

His real name: Athex.

He was a towering figure, around seven feet tall, broad-shouldered, and looked to be in his early thirties.

Only his face was exposed, and his dark brown eyes were fixed on Adrian with calm focus.

"So… what's going on? Can you explain things briefly?" Adrian asked.

Athex replied, "We've been at war for centuries with a foreign race called the Xeraphid. They arrived in our solar system about five hundred years ago and have been attacking our planet ever since. After years of pain and losing millions of people, we finally built what we call plantations—protected cities across the world where civilians can live in safety."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "So you're constantly fighting them and keeping people safe inside these small cities?"

Athex nodded. "Exactly. But things have gotten worse. They've grown stronger and just recently, they wiped out two of the forty-six plantations."

Now, Adrian understood why the system had allowed him to come here.

This world was in serious danger.

"So, where do I need—"

KHRUUUUUK!

A deafening screech tore through the sky.

Adrian spun around, eyes widening as he spotted the monstrous being charging toward them.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Grotesque and unnatural, the creature had skeletal wings that flapped violently. Several twisted heads jutted out from its deformed body, and a thick, dark miasma swirled around it like a shield.

Adrian instinctively stepped back, horrified. Nothing in any world should look that vile.

"I'll handle this," Athex said calmly, stepping forward with his battered axe in hand.

Mana surged around him, and the faded runes on his weapon lit up, pulsing with life.

Before Adrian could say anything, Athex launched himself into the air, his long-handled axe drawn back, ready to strike.

The dragon-like beast opened one of its mouths, gathering a purple orb of energy at its core.

"Ahhhhhh!" Athex roared—faster.

With a powerful swing, he brought his axe down in a vertical arc.

A blazing wave of magma shot out, surging toward the creature. The sheer intensity of the strike caught it off guard.

The molten energy tore through one of its heads, then spread through its twisted form like wildfire—splitting the beast clean in half midair.

Adrian stood there, lips slightly parted, watching as the monster's two halves slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

"Sorry about that," Athex said casually, appearing beside him once more.

Adrian blinked and turned to him. "...Tell me you're the strongest being on this planet."

That spell—he recognized it. Back on his homeworld, something of that scale could only be used by someone in the top ten rankings, and only if they wielded a third-grade armament.

But Athex had just used it with a first-grade weapon—one that looked like it was falling apart.

If this man was only one of the knights, then the power scaling of this world was completely unbalanced.

Athex gave a faint smile. "Well, you can call me that."

Adrian let out a breath. "Good. At least that makes sense."

"So," Adrian continued, "where should I be working?"

"Let me guide you," Athex said.

Adrian nodded and followed behind him.

The landscape around them looked like a battlefield—scorched earth, scattered debris, and craters as far as the eye could see.

The air carried the sharp scent of blood, burnt flesh, and smoke from explosions.

One thing that struck Adrian was the gravity.

He could feel an unusual pressure on his body—an invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders.

This planet's gravity was clearly denser than his own.

Off in the distance, a city came into view.

Adrian sighed. He couldn't imagine calling this place home.

He had always believed his world was dangerous… but now, that danger felt tame in comparison.

Here, every night must be spent with the fear that tomorrow might never come.

At any moment, people could be forced to flee for their lives.

Soon, they reached the outskirts of the town.

Adrian noticed how the guards stationed at the entrance straightened up and bowed respectfully as Athex passed. The man clearly held authority here.

Inside the plantation, Adrian was met with the very scene he had feared.

People were living in huts made from straw and mud.

Their condition was heartbreaking—sunken cheeks, frail bodies, eyes empty with dread.

Even the children were silent. Not a single shout or laugh echoed through the streets.

Before Adrian could even ask, Athex answered.

"The monsters sensitive to sound," he said softly. "That's why noise is kept to a minimum inside the plantations."

Adrian exhaled a deep breath.

This was beyond tragic.

He turned to Athex. "Have you never tried uniting the remaining forces and pushing those aliens back? Driving them off your planet?"

Athex gave a dry chuckle. "They lost their homeworld a long time ago. Now they're desperate to claim this one as their own."

He paused, sighing. "As for unity… we simply don't have enough soldiers left to form a strong, coordinated force."

Adrian frowned. "How many of the enemy forces are there?"

"At first, they numbered close to a million," Athex said grimly. "Now… we've brought that number down to half."

Adrian was taken aback by those numbers.

Considering how few soldiers he could see in the city, he could fairly calculate human forces.

Thus, it explains why humanity is being defensive. They have no other choice.

They walked through the city and reached the far end of the plantation where a single concrete building could be seen.

"Let's go inside. Your subjects are in there."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.