Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 481 - 479- Stats

"Tomorrow is possibly your assessment. Not the best time for you to be awake."

Adrian muttered as he approached Elana, his arms crossed.

Around them lay several training dolls—shattered, their frames warped by blunt force. It was obvious she hadn’t used armament; she had trained with her bare limbs instead. That much was understandable. Tomorrow was a combat test.

Elana smiled sheepishly. "You know how it is," she said softly. "When I can’t keep my mind focused, I train."

No one but Adrian knew that habit. There were things even her parents and her closest friend didn’t know—things she never shared. But Adrian did.

She trusted him enough to believe he would never judge her.

"Why can’t you focus?" he asked, brows lifting slightly. "Nervous about tomorrow?"

His gaze dropped to her left hand. The knuckles were split, blood still fresh. With a quiet sigh, he retrieved a healing balm from his Inventory and motioned toward the stands.

"Come. Sit."

She followed a few steps behind him, her voice answering his earlier question as they walked. "I don’t know... it’s been like this for a few days now." Her head lowered, brows drawing together. "It started three days ago. My heart suddenly began racing, and I almost collapsed."

Adrian froze for half a heartbeat.

"Three days ago..." he repeated under his breath.

He couldn’t forget what had happened then. Not after fighting a God. Not after learning truths about himself that had turned his world inside out.

He gestured for her to sit, then joined her, taking her injured hand in his. "Tell me exactly what happened," he said after a pause. "Think carefully. Don’t miss anything."

Her warmth seeped into his cold fingers.

One felt relief.

The other felt exhilaration.

"It was sudden," Elana said, steady despite the memory. "Like something struck the back of my head. My vision darkened, and I nearly fell down the stairs."

"Were you hurt?" Adrian asked immediately.

She caught the worry in his eyes and felt a surge of quiet joy—one she quickly buried. Though part of her longed for sympathy, maybe even a hug, she chose honesty instead.

"No," she said. "It passed after a few hours. I rested, and that was it."

He applied the cooling gel to her knuckles with practiced care. "And now?" he asked. "You said you feel disoriented."

She shook her head slowly. "Not disoriented... just empty." She hesitated, searching for words. "Like I lost something. As if I failed a crucial match, or left a part of myself behind during something important." Her lips curved apologetically. "I’m sorry, Professor. I can’t explain it properly."

Then, more quickly, she added, "But please don’t worry. I just need a few hours of sleep. I’ll be fine."

Adrian said nothing.

His fingers slid gently down her hand as his eyes traced the rest of her injuries. There weren’t many—only a few shallow scratches. Not wounds from an opponent, but from excess. From pushing herself too far.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking.

"Elana... I’m about to tell you something," Adrian said quietly, "that you must keep to yourself."

The silver-haired girl straightened at once, her expression turning solemn. She gave a firm nod. "I understand, Professor."

Adrian met her gaze. "Nytharos is dead."

Elana’s eyes widened, shock and disbelief crashing through her composure.

She was someone who rarely reacted to news unless it concerned Adrian directly. Calm, restrained—almost eerily so. Yet this pierced straight through her. And it was understandable. The name he had spoken belonged to a Fallen God. A being with countless lifetimes of experience. A true master sorcerer. Someone who had once knocked out the strongest Warden in the blink of an eye.

That existence... had been killed?

Adrian continued evenly, "You remember the attack on Ariana in my room a few days ago?"

Elana’s brows snapped together. "That bastard." She had known something had happened—someone had slipped into Adrian’s room and targeted an injured person. But she had never imagined it was a former God. The thought alone made her stomach churn.

"That was Nytharos," Adrian said. "After that, he invited me to a battle. And I accepted."

Two emotions struck her at once—anxiety sharp enough to tighten her chest, and awe so heavy it left her breathless.

"You..." Her lips parted but failed to close again. "You faced a Fallen God and killed it?"

Adrian let out a small chuckle. "Not exactly. But yes—I played a major role in destroying one of Nytharos’s fragments."

"Fragments?" Elana echoed, her voice low. "You mean...?"

She trailed off, already sensing the answer.

"He split himself long ago," Adrian said. "Several fragments scattered across the world. Killing him completely isn’t possible."

Frustration welled up inside her, hot and helpless. Yet a rational voice followed immediately after. Of course he would do that. A Fallen God—once a being of Heaven—would never exist without contingencies. It was only natural that someone like Nytharos would prepare for the day a great warrior like her Professor appeared... and tried to erase him from existence.

Taking Elana’s hand in his, Adrian let out a slow breath.

"Do you know why I’m telling you all this?" he asked.

Elana didn’t answer immediately. She lowered her gaze, piecing the fragments together, then spoke with quiet certainty.

"Because you believe the sensation I felt that day was caused by you killing Nytharos."

A faint smile tugged at Adrian’s lips. "You’re as sharp as ever." He gently rested his hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her silver hair. "That’s right. The moment you felt that shock aligns perfectly with the instant I saw Nytharos’s head roll across the ground."

His tone grew heavier. "And that... strengthens my suspicion. That you are somehow connected to him. To the Fallen One."

Silence settled between them.

Adrian hadn’t heard anything about this from Annabelle. But then again, she had been trapped inside the Time Chamber at the time—frustrated, anxious, her senses dulled by isolation. There was a strong chance she hadn’t noticed a sudden surge the way Elana had.

Elana remained silent, her head bowed, silver strands falling forward like a curtain.

Adrian didn’t rush her. He stayed beside her, giving her the space to steady her thoughts.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low—almost fragile.

"Professor... if one day people find out that I’m connected to Nytharos..." She hesitated, then lifted her head. Her gaze trembled despite her effort to remain composed. "And they turn against me... will you stand by my side?"

She didn’t care about the world’s judgment.

She was fully aware of the danger her existence could bring—how easily fear could turn into hatred. She had already accepted that possibility long ago.

What mattered to her was something far simpler.

What mattered was Adrian.

The brown-haired man tilted his head slightly, surprise flickering across his face before melting into warmth. His answer came without hesitation, his tone gentle yet absolute.

"Do you even have to ask?" he said softly. "Of course I will. I will never abandon my favorite."

He smiled, unguarded and sincere.

"Ever."

.....

[Next Day]

Adrian woke up early, as usual.

However, instead of going for his morning run or spending time inside the Time Chamber, he decided to join Rylie in the gymnasium to oversee the preparations.

Lately, he had been spending less time inside the Time Chamber, and that was fine. The fifth thread had experienced a sudden leap in development, one far beyond his expectations.

He was curious, deeply so, but he didn’t want to keep his mind constantly occupied. Fatigue, mental or otherwise, would only dull his focus, and he couldn’t afford that, not when Ariana needed his full attention.

Recently, he had also noticed a change within the Time Chamber itself.

The books that once focused on the anatomy of creatures he regularly encountered, creatures that no longer existed in his surroundings, had begun disappearing. In their place were texts centered on ancient scriptures, demons, forgotten eras, and deep-rooted lore. Knowledge he couldn’t possibly access through the books available outside the Chamber.

It felt deliberate.

It would still take time before he was free of his responsibilities. After all, once this assessment ended, he would need to escort Elana back home. Then there were the first- and second-year students to oversee as well.

Only after that would he be able to return to Valor for further training.

And Querella.

He needed to visit Querella too. She deserved to know the truth... the truth he had only recently uncovered about himself.

So much to do... haah.

Shaking his head lightly, Adrian continued walking down the gallery.

Ariana was still asleep, and since her presence wasn’t mandatory in the examination hall, he chose not to wake her.

As he walked, a thought surfaced.

Is it just me, or is my mana not depleting at all?

He had noticed it for a while now. Despite how frequently he cast spells, he never felt even remotely exhausted.

[The system suggests the host to check his stats.]

Adrian hummed in acknowledgment.

That reminded him, he hadn’t checked his stats in quite some time.

With a simple mental command, he summoned them.

And the reason became clear immediately.

---

[Name: Adrian]

[Age: 23]

[Race: Human]

[Strength: 98]

[Speed: 108]

[Endurance: 92]

[MP: 522,391 / 522,391] (Average: 100)

[HP: 500 / 500]

---

Adrian stared at the numbers for a long moment.

"...Damn," he muttered internally.

"Those are... impressive number"

[Indeed, Host. You have grown strong in a very short period of time. One of the primary factors behind this sudden growth is the Vow of Humanity you broke recently.]

Right.

When he died, his dormant bloodline had awakened.

He had awakened Darkness.

Humming thoughtfully, Adrian asked,

Where do I rank among the people on this server?

[Currently, you are stronger than two individuals on the server, and on par with one.]

Adrian let out a wry smile.

Why do I get the feeling that the one I’m equal to is someone very close to me?

[Indeed, Host. You are currently as strong as the strongest Warden of this world.]

"...."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.