The Runic Alchemist-Chapter 426: Back To Home & The Luminous Ember Sanctum

Sunspear was quick to arrive, Damian was accompanied only by Evrin and Einar. The others were too busy with their families and stuff to join him. Reize and Lumi had nagged Lucian to show them around the place where he lived, so she took them with her.

Evrin was tired of talking to Dawnstar nobles and their young sons, who just wouldn’t stop sucking up to her—even though their king had been butting heads with Vidalia for years. Einar, meanwhile, was like a shadow, following her everywhere.

"Do you ever think there might be a reason for what they did to you?" Einar asked. Evrin perked up her ears.

"They’re not like your parents," Damian replied. "At age five, my basic stats had 2 INT. That’s why the baron made the offer… and they accepted it."

"You!?" Evrin said in disbelief. "Low Intelligence?"

"You’re by far the greatest spellcaster I’ve ever seen," Einar said, "and that includes even transcendants. Hell, you have a personal waygate spell that can change the course of a war in minutes. I was taught that establishing waygates was the most fundamental aspect of any war…"

Damian just shrugged.

He landed once again near the Sunblade villa, scaring the poor civilians of the town to death again. The sheer size of the metal ship was terrifying enough, but the added noise of propellers and wind spells made it seem like a true monster. He had written Dreamlight in giant letters on the side to show people it was man-made, but that hardly helped.

Inside, he could sense Elias. None of them got off, but Einar opened the entrance door with the stairs so Elias could come up. The guy sure was taking his time.

When even after two minutes, no one appeared, the two girls eyed Damian.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

"Let’s go," he said, standing up.

He wanted to avoid this very situation. What in the hell was El even doing? The whole town had heard them land.

Inside, he could sense two second-rankers and one first-ranker. The palace, though larger than the baron’s villa, was far from grand. The stone walls were weathered, and the faint scent of mildew hung in the air, hinting at years of neglect. It was a building that had once been regal but now seemed a mere shadow of its former self, desperately in need of repair.

The outer gate was barred, and two barely fit mundane men stood as guards—One was stocky, his muscles bulky and exaggerated, yet his posture betrayed a lack of real training. The other was thin, almost skeletal, his frame wiry and weak, with no real presence to speak of. Neither of them bore proper armor or weapons—just crude wooden sticks clutched awkwardly in their hands, their makeshift weapons looking more like walking canes than tools of defense.

Before they could stop him, Evrin, and Einar, the giant wooden gate of the palace opened from within.

A man with a lean physique and dark red hair stood beside a woman clad in a simple dress. Elias was in the middle. Behind them was a young looking boy, around nineteen or twenty years old.

Neither side moved. Evrin and Einar, feeling too awkward to act, stood still, while everyone except Elias—on the opposite side—stared in shock, their eyes wide.

"An elf…?" the young man behind the three suddenly blurted out, breaking the silence.

The head of House Sunblade and one of his wives finally looked away from Damian and turned their attention to the two beside him, just as surprised as their son.

"Maximus… I’m sorry. I was just coming outside," Elias spoke up.

Damian simply nodded and turned back. The two beside him awkwardly followed.

"Maximus…" Elias called out suddenly. "There’s something I wanted to show you. I thought maybe you could do something about it… My parents just won’t let me. I was trying to convince them—that’s why I didn’t come outside on time."

"Elias, no!" the woman called out.

"Just stop… Let it go, boy," the man added.

"You don’t understand! He’s amazing! He’s a powerful and talented runesmith! If anyone can understand, it’s him! Why won’t you at least let me try? It could solve all our problems!" Elias protested, his voice even breaking like a child overwhelmed with emotion.

"With the Empire coming… it’s meaningless, brother," the young boy finally said, managing with great difficulty to tear his gaze away from Evrin and Einar.

"My lady…" his father said with the utmost respect toward Evrin. "We don’t have much to offer, but it would be an honor to have one of the divine in our house."

Saying this, he even bent his knee before Evrin as if submitting to her completely. Not just Damian, Evrin, and Einar, but even his own family looked confused at his sudden shift in behavior. Damian remembered the man as tall and muscular—the day he had left this place, he had towered over most. Hearing such subservient words from him was hard to believe.

"Uh… thank you. We can’t stay long," Evrin said awkwardly.

His father stood and led Evrin inside with great care. The other lords were surprised and giddy at seeing Evrin, but no one had shown her such reverence before.

Evrin and Einar entered, his father leading them. The others followed, stepping back inside—except for Damian and Elias.

Realizing Damian wasn’t moving, Evrin and Einar also stopped. His father, mother, and older brother turned back to look at him.

"Come inside…" his mother said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Damian looked away and exhaled. His heart was racing, even though his emotions remained perfectly calm. Beside him, Elias was smiling.

Finally, Damian stepped inside.

They were seated on simple wooden chairs surrounding a large table in an almost empty hall. He had memories of this place—it used to be filled with far more luxury. Now, it barely had the essentials.

"Why are you here… on a flying ship?" the woman asked, trying to sound polite.

Damian said nothing. The question seemed more directed at Einar and Evrin.

When no one else answered, Einar spoke. "To take the lords of Dawnstar to Ashenvale. We hope they can convince your king to return and defend the land from the Empire."

The eyes of everyone present widened in shock. His father and the young man beside him looked the most surprised.

"You are trying to end the fight?" the boy spoke up.

"Is that really possible?" his father asked after thinking for a while, his voice polite as he glanced at Evrin and Einar.

"Not us. We just have a way to help them get there and back in a couple of days. Lord Marcus is leading the charge, Lady Souldealer is with him too… and Duke Ashborne," Evrin replied.

"The baron is back from the war…?" his father muttered.

"The spell? The same waygate spell we used, right?" Elias asked excitedly.

"A waygate spell that can cross kingdoms in seconds?" his father murmured, his calculating eyes reaching some kind of conclusion. "If that’s the case… this is a real possibility."

"But it all depends on His Highness, right? Will he really leave the conquered land in Ashenvale so easily?" his mother said, quickly grasping the crux of the matter.

"It’s up to the lords to convince him. There are still many Dawnstar soldiers and nobles enslaved by the empire. That’s why they are trying so hard to get them back," Einar explained.

"How did the baron and the others survive? Did they flee from the border?" the young man asked, voicing a valid question.

They were total outcasts. Even though the lords were gathering right near their border, they knew nothing about it. The Sunblades were truly hated—and not just for being poor. Why they were still considered a marquess family remained a mystery to Damian.

Evrin pointed at Damian and simply said, "He saved them. The baron’s daughter is our friend at the academy."

They could have asked many questions—how, why, and so on—but they didn’t. They just looked at him for a while and nodded.

"Maximus, will you help us? I will serve as your squire forever if you can just grant me this one favor," Elias pleaded, dropping to one knee despite the resistance from his parents and older brother. His eyes were filled with desperation.

"Please ignore him… he is just a child," his father said for the first time, directing his words toward Damian.

"He doesn’t understand what he’s saying," his mother added, taking her youngest son by the hand and trying to pull him up.

"What is this favor?" Evrin asked curiously.

Damian and Einar both glanced at her, but she skillfully ignored them.

"Our dungeon… it’s sealed. Can you at least take a look?" Elias asked.

Damian turned to his father, who finally relented. "If you want to take a look… the seal is ancient. Even the Runefather himself examined it and said it couldn’t be released."

"Lead the way," Damian said.

More than the favor, he was interested in seeing a sealing spell so powerful that even third-rankers couldn’t force it open.

Damian, along with his two friends, his father, Elias, and his older sibling, descended into the dimly lit basement of the palace. As they made their way down, a strange mana signature caught Damian’s attention—a familiar energy that pulsed with an unmistakable aura. It was the telltale sign of a dungeon entrance, one he had encountered countless times before. The dungeon’s presence was strong, powerful, but its rank was lower than that of the Highsword dungeon and far greater than the one in Beast Valley.

His father approached the large, imposing iron-and-wood gate at the end of the corridor, his hands steady as he unlocked it. The gate creaked open with a heavy groan, revealing the abyssal blackness of the dungeon’s entrance. The air seemed to thrum with ancient energy, thick with anticipation.

Damian asked for privacy to examine it. Even Evrin and Einar furrowed their brows but silently stepped aside. Only then did Damian approach the dark void, knowing that the dungeon’s information window would appear—extra details that, for some reason, only he had access to.

He was already odd enough without this. He didn’t want to give his friends and others more reasons to ostracize him for his strange status panel.

=========

Dungeon: The Luminous Ember Sanctum

Location: Sunspear

Limit: 25

Description: Nestled amidst the gentle ruins of Sunspear lies the Luminous Ember Sanctum—a haven of radiant flame and gentle warmth. Here, fire dances in harmonious flickers that illuminate ancient corridors and vaulted halls, casting playful shadows and soft light over walls inscribed with forgotten runes.

Unlike the scorched remnants of its past, the Sanctum offers a comforting glow rather than oppressive heat. Pools of amber light and small, controlled bursts of fire provide both guidance and a sense of calm, hinting at the magical artistry of the Lightmakers who once thrived here. Luminescent flame sprites flit through the air, their delicate forms leaving trails of sparkling embers in their wake, while guardians wrought of tempered fire and light stand watch—ever vigilant but serene.

Adventurers who traverse the Sanctum’s winding passageways may uncover relics of ancient craftsmanship and learn secrets of a time when fire was revered not for its fury, but for its transformative brilliance. A peaceful yet potent energy lingers, inviting all who enter to harness the purifying power of light and flame without fear of burning in its embrace.

User ID: Damian Sunblade

Nearby: 0

Restriction: Sealed by The Land Breaker. Can never be accessed by the followers of Sun God, Sea God, God of commerce, Chaos God and Goddess of nature.

Form a team | Join a team | Enter

========= Read the latest on novelbuddy

Hurriedly reading it all, Damian stepped back from the dungeon entrance, the pop-up window disappearing.

Why the hell would The Land Breaker seal it? The description made it sound like a treasure trove for followers of the Sun God.

Seeing him return, Elias looked at him expectantly. There was no visible runic circle near the entrance, no enchantment, no lingering mana besides the usual dungeon anomaly. The seal was there, but how it worked—or what kind of spell it was—remained a mystery.

"It’s sealed. Basically, if you’re a follower of any god, you can’t access it," Damian revealed.

"Gods?" Elias murmured.

"That’s the restriction?" his father asked, surprised.

Damian nodded. Seeing his little brother so dejected, he hesitatingly added, "There’s a chance I can make it accessible without breaking the seal… My spell isn’t that advanced yet, though. I need time to study it."