The Runic Alchemist

Damian wanted to make several changes to his lab immediately, but for now, he left it as it was. He had something else to do this evening. While others clamored to attend extra classes or head to their community rooms, he walked past them with Toph perched on his head and made his way directly to the massive academy gates.

Students were free to leave and return as often as they liked, but they had to strictly adhere to the schedule from morning until sunset. They also needed to carry the Highsword badge, which was enchanted with mana recognition, at all times. The badge functioned as a key to gain entry. Anyone attempting to enter without it would face the academy's defensive system—at least, that's how Einar had described it enthusiastically. Damian, however, hadn't noticed any active runic defense mechanisms. Perhaps they were concealed by enchantments. There were second-rankers stationed on the academy walls, serving as high-profile guards, which seemed to bolster security.

Once outside the academy, Damian walked a kilometer at a normal pace until he was out of the second-rankers' line of sight. Then, veering off the main path, he stepped aside into the wilderness. He removed his academy uniform, changing into casual pants while leaving his upper body bare. From his spatial storage, he retrieved ten high-quality wormhole scrolls he had crafted by fusing five standard parchments each. Each scroll could transport him 50 to 70 meters forward in an instant.

Activating all ten scrolls simultaneously, Damian managed them with ten mana threads, the strain barely visible on his face. Over the past four years, although he hadn't advanced to higher levels, his mana control had surpassed what even third-rankers deemed possible. Ten mana threads weren't even his limit. He had grown so accustomed to maintaining mana threads outside his body that he could keep three spells active at all times without much thought. It did drain his mana, after the recovery of mana each minute the balance was somewhat at 20% of original mana lost each minute. Which was why he only kept two active, when he felt relatively okay about his environment. And also had to let his body replenish the mana at the end of the day, The Lifesprout potion and Mana Pulse potion helped, so he wasn't out of mana for long.

Even without the mana deficit, he made a habit to drink one of each potion everyday. As it kind of showed improvement over his natural mana recovery, it was not much, but Damian believed it could trigger some new job which could solve his biggest problem - the available mana. After years of doint it, he could say it improved his natural mana recovery rate by over 22%.

Before doing this, Damian used the vines spell to tie Toph on his front on his toned abdomen, facing forward so he can enjoy it in full view. He trumpeted gleefully as if they were going for a picnic.

"Well, let's see how much you enjoy this.."

"Wheee!"

With ten wormhole runic circles active around him, Damian pulled two mana potions from his spatial storage. Then, with precise hand movements, he drew an eleventh wormhole spell and set its destination—straight up. He leaped into the wormhole with a burst of power, canceling the spell once on the other side and activating another. This one he aimed diagonally upward at a 45-degree angle, heading toward the back of the island.

He continued this pattern, using one wormhole after another, each time ascending higher in an arc. By the time the last wormhole carried him to its peak, Damian had reached an altitude of 700 to 800 meters. It was so damn cold. Maybe a warmth spell would have been a nice addition. The second of stillness was both

"PPRRREEEHHHHRREEEEE!!" Toph screamed at the top of his lungs, terrified, seeing the green land beneath them.

"Enjoying it huh..?"

Before falling headfirst Damian broke the lid of the two potions and drank both at once. They were; Featherlight Potion (Reduces body weight for enhanced mobility and slower falls) And, Skybound Fall Potion (Grants temporary wing-like appendages for gliding or limited flight).

Moments later, wing-like extensions—more like webbing—sprouted from his underarms and sides. The spell recorded in his arcane synthesis for it, was the large scale mana dust one, so the duration of the wings and quality were more than enough. His body felt noticeably lighter, allowing him to ride the island winds as he glided toward the back of the island, where the 'The Path Taken' ruins lay.

Landing was the trickiest part. But Damian had a thing for that too, in the mid-flight he retrieved a potion of Voidstep (Allows brief teleportation over short distances.) and drank it before opening his wings again, slowly circling above the small landing side-behind the pitch black stony island. The ruins were so tiny, Damian felt like he was landing on a branch of a tree.

Voidstep just gives him one wormhole-like spell that opens directly beneath his feet and spits him out at another place of his choosing in a 10 meter radius. There was no runic circle, it all happened somehow inside his body. Well, it was hard to describe the feeling.

'Ah, maybe I should have kept one of the wormholes for emergencies. This was a really rushed plan..'

After three loops, his speed had slowed enough for an attempt. Adjusting his posture to fall feet-first, Damian activated Voidstep about 25 meters above the ruins. The spell absorbed him into a black void and spit him out a short distance away. However, he still retained much of his momentum and was flung upward another 30 meters before gravity took hold.

Fortunately, with his wings and reduced speed, Damian managed to land without injury. He exhaled in relief. Toph was already out cold, poor guy.

Damn this spur of the moment plans! This kind of impulsive thinking will get him kiilled one day.

The journey, which would have taken hours on foot, had taken less than 20 minutes. Everything at the ruins was exactly as they had left it. Even the bench Damian had built for resting remained untouched. Few people ventured here—only scholars, bookworms like himself, and the occasional curious mages like Grace.