The Runic Alchemist

With a loud boom, the mountain finally caved in, revealing a massive tunnel above the fast-flowing river. Emerging from the darkness was a monstrosity that Damian had misjudged in size. Now that he was closer, he could fully grasp the scale of the Emperor-ranked beast—it was enormous. Bright, dark purple-pink energy coursed through its huge body, crisscrossing outwardly in a fierce display.

Raising its trunk, the creature roared, the sheer intensity of the sound deafening. Small animals and birds throughout the valley scattered, fleeing to safety. Damian had to admit they were the smarter ones.

Behind the beast, a group of humans appeared. Although the river filled most of the tunnel, there were narrow edges where one could walk in shallow water. Damian gestured to Kazak, pointing toward the five second-rankers approaching behind the roaring giant. Kazak nodded and quietly gave orders to his companions nearby.

Damian had hoped his five spells would be enough to distract the beast when it was time to make their escape, but now that hope was dwindling by the second looking at its giant tough body, Royce and Mira besides him were also frozen in horror looking at it.

Outside the river, Ashenvale soldiers gathered, their captive elephant humming with energy as it looked around. Unlike the wild monsters in the battle, this creature was not fully under their control; its eyes still held some intelligence, though it obeyed commands without fail.

Damian observed the second-rank captains ordering their soldiers to scout ahead in the valley, cautiously trudging forward. After about ten minutes, they seemed to relax. Some of them eyed the wooden structures set up for his spells but, fortunately, did not dismantle them. Instead, they just kept their distance.

They built an earth shelter against the rain, though only high-ranking soldiers stayed within the structure, while others took cover under nearby trees. Waiting for their scouts to report back, they appeared confident there was no one else around. It seemed they were certain in their comrades that they'd outnumbered and defeated any enemies, yet the absence of any of them left them more uneasy than a potential ambush would have.

Kazak nodded at Damian—the plan was a go. Damian immediately cast a wormhole spell, linking their hiding spot to an opening behind the earth structure, hidden from view. The soldiers were focused on the front and had completely dismissed the possibility of anyone approaching from behind. Kazak, the beastmen, Damian, and two others crossed through the wormhole, emerging on the other side.

Kazak's initial plan was a surprise attack using a spacetime spell, but they now had another opportunity with this structure. Royce understood the situation, and as Damian used the last of his red mana dust, Royce shielded the spell from rain, also chanting an earth wall spell to reinforce the structure when Damian released his attack inside.

Damian quickly inscribed a large simple fire rune, using all the red mana dust he had left. It was three times the size of his usual runes on parchment and packed enough power to incinerate everything within the structure. As Damian nodded, Kazak created a small gap in the wall for him to aim, though he didn't really need it; he just needed a clear line of sight to send his runic circle inside. Being ethereal, it would pass right through.

Inside, the second-rankers had their backs turned, perfect for the attack. Damian suspected one of them might sense something, but they had no mages, and the spellswords were evidently not perceptive enough. At Damian's signal, Royce cast his earth wall spell in rapid succession to block their only exit. Damian activated his continuous fire rune at full power, raising its intensity to maximum.

The soldiers outside sensed something was wrong before the captains inside even had a chance to scream. Damian couldn't clearly see how they tried to shield themselves from the fire, but the mana signatures were already fading. Only four second-rankers remained, and the first-rankers were mostly eliminated. The attack had been more effective than expected. Kazak and his beastmen fended off the soldiers who charged at them as they continued their assault.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed, and the second-rankers inside broke through the weak earth wall, creating some distance between their attackers and them. Some were still aflame, though water spells and the rain helped douse the flames. Their armor, clothes, and even skin were charred black.

Instead of confronting them, the group retreated as fast as they could, keeping the soldiers busy. Damian had a bad feeling that intensified when he heard a humming energy sound growing stronger, accompanied by a brightening light around them. Turning, he saw the giant elephant's belly glowing with a bright purple and dark pink energy.

"Damn it!" Mira cursed beside him.

Damian didn't waste a second. He quickly drew another wormhole spell, hoping it would be enough to get them out of range. Just as the elephant raised its trunk to unleash the energy beam, Damian activated the spell, jumping to the other side, followed closely by his companions. Kazak was last, holding off the soldiers as long as possible. They made it through just in time for the energy beam to release, scorching the earth and incinerating the Ashenvale soldiers behind them.

There was no time to relish their escape. The elephant redirected its beam, and they all ran as fast as they could to get out of range. Chaos erupted among the Ashenvale soldiers, with some caught in the crossfire and turned to ashes instantly, while others barely survived. The second-rankers seemed to have lost their minds after being cooked, determined to kill Damian and his group at any cost, oblivious to the casualties among their own ranks.

It was the hardest Damian had ever pushed his little legs to run. At the very front of the group, he was with the others, though they ran at varying speeds suited to their stats. Kazak and a few beastmen lagged just behind him, while Mira could keep pace with Damian and others, she occasionally assisted Royce lagging just a bit behind others.