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Runesmith: Chapter 520 – Need More Money.

Elodia blinked, caught off guard by her husband's unexpected question.

"Teaching? Me?" 

She repeated, her voice laced with confusion.Roland nodded, his expression serious yet encouraging.

"Yes. You’ve already been running the orphanage so efficiently, guiding and nurturing those children. I’ve seen how they respect and look up to you. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine you teaching them - and others in a more structured way."

Before becoming Roland’s wi...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 98 – Future Plans.

“You want Rusty to fight a Demonic Duke? I thought you were mad, but this is outright idiotic.”

“He has to aim big! With those fascinating abilities he has, and the Soul Forge, it will be possible!”

“You just want him to take your revenge on the Dukes who betrayed you.” 

Alexander interjected sharply, his voice, as always, tinged with annoyance.

“Don’t think I don’t see through your ploy, Aburdon. You’re trying to convince Rusty to fight your b...

Runesmith: Chapter 519 – One More Lecture.

“Now then, please look at the table - Professor Wayland will demonstrate!”

A black cat - Professor Arion floated to the side while a large man wearing sparkling armor and a robe walked forward. His steps were slow and deliberate. 

“Look, it’s the Deputy!”

“Do you think if we become rune mages, we’ll get to wear such impressive magic armor?”

“I don’t know. It looks heavy… wouldn’t it be too uncomfortable?”

“Maybe, but I’ve heard ...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 97 – Leaving Town.

The merchant adjusted his hat, squinting against the early morning sun as he watched the last of his cargo being loaded onto the wagon. Thick rolls of fabric - prized imports from the southern provinces - lay neatly stacked, their vibrant patterns hidden under protective canvas. He ran a hand over the edge of the wagon, ensuring the ropes were securely tied, his fingers brushed against the coarse texture of the covering to check for any oddities.

“... Did that part always stick out li...

Runesmith: Chapter 518 – Necromatic.

The sun had begun to burn away the morning mist, but the camp remained cloaked in an air of stillness. Two soldiers stood outside the Lord Marshal’s tent, their breath fogging in the crisp air. Their armor clinked softly as they shifted their weight, both visibly uneasy.

“Think we’ll get some leave soon?” 

One asked, his voice barely above a murmur.

“I hope so, but knowing the Lord Marshal, he’ll have us patrolling the border again…”

He glanced war...

Christmas 🎅

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be taking a break this December for at least a week, maybe more? It’s been a busy year, and I’m looking forward to some time to recharge.

Take care and Merry Christmas.

Heavy Metal: Chapter 96 – Sneaky Escape.

Layla watched in horror as the chaos unfolded. The explosion from the high priest's ascension had left the battlefield in disarray. Debris rained from the sky, mingling with the cries of the injured and the battle orders barked by the paladins. Her bow trembled in her hands, but she forced herself to focus. The man who had shielded her was flung away and crashed into a wall. She could see parts of his body from under the rubble and he was not moving at all.

She crouched behind the rubbl...

Runesmith: Chapter 517 – The Marshal’s Dilemma.

A man wearing silvery armor stood in the muted glow of a flickering lantern inside his field tent, surrounded by maps, tactical scrolls, and half-empty water goblets. Outside, dawn was breaking, casting an ashen light across the misty, dew-soaked landscape. The faint, rhythmic clinking of armor and murmurs of the camp beginning to stir reached his ears, but the atmosphere was hushed inside his tent.

A rustle at the entrance caught his attention. He turned, eyebrows raised, as one of his...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 95 – Defeated?

“The sacrifices are running away, stop them!”

“Kill everyone, slaughter them before they escape into the city.”

Rusty sprinted up the stairs as fast as his metallic body allowed him to. He could hear shouts and screams coming from above. The clamor of cultists and the pounding of boots above echoed down the spiraling stairway as Rusty charged upward. The chaos behind him spurred him to move faster, though his metallic joints strained under the pressure. Gleam clung to his ...

Runesmith: Chapter 516 – A Magic Letter.

“Unhand me, who do you think you are touching!”

“Please, My Lady, calm down, the Lord has ordered you to remain in your chambers, please calm yourself.”

In a dimly lit corridor, Francine Arden struggled against the guards’ firm grip, her voice sharp and laced with fury.

"Release me this instant! Who do you think you are, imprisoning me like some common criminal?" 

She hissed, her noble stature undiminished even as her wrists strained against their hold.<...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 94 – Retreat.

“Intruders!”

“Kill them all!”

“For the slaughter!”

With the cultists bearing down on them and their backs literally against the wall, Rusty felt a tinge of regret. The barricade groaned under the force of the fanatical attackers pressing against it. Rusty braced himself, glancing back at the stair mechanism. He could hear the blocks shifting into place bit by bit, and he noticed some of the injured trying to move as the steps unfolded beneath them. He wasn’t su...

Runesmith: Chapter 515 – Another Day, Another Deal.

Within the top floor of the Institute’s magic tower, silence prevailed. Roland stood there, contemplating a tantalizing offer. She knew one of his deepest, darkest secrets, but for now, it seemed she wouldn’t reveal it. Surprisingly, the thought of his father discovering his true identity no longer bothered him as much as it once had, thanks largely to his growing strength and independence.

This all began with the appearance of a strange, temporary knight assigned as his shadow, one...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 93 – Wrong Plan?

“What’s going to happen to us…”

“What if those people return?”

“I want to go home…”

Rusty looked at the various people before him, beginning to wonder if helping them had been a mistake, especially given the Priest’s erratic behavior. After he had restored her health and provided her with mana potions, she went to work. But instead of healing the strongest fighters, she focused on the youngest and most frail among them. In Rusty’s battle-ready mind, thi...

Runesmith: Chapter 514 – Forced To Stay.

Roland took a deep breath, steeling himself as the teleportation gate sprung to life. The faint shimmer of mana radiated through the portal and cast a pale glow over the cold stone floor. After giving one last sigh of annoyance he moved forward to step through the gate. He felt the familiar, weightless pull as the world blurred around him. In moments, he found himself standing in the well-lit, teleportation chamber of Xandar’s Institute. 

The air was thick with mana and the faint...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 92 – Underground Cult.

“⎾⏧☊⎎⎾☊🜅 ⏧⍲☊ ℚ⍴⌾ℇ⏎⎎⍲ ℚ⏙⍴⌾ ”

Strange chants echoed from a distant corridor, their rhythm interrupted by the clank of metal footsteps. Rusty was on the move, his metallic frame tensing as he shoved a few corpses out of his path and arrived in the middle of a dead-end corridor. Before him lay a row of closed cells, each apparently requiring a key to open. Inside, he could make out battered people - some chained to the walls, others curled up o...

Runesmith: Chapter 513 – An Oath.

“It hasn’t been that long, I wonder if Lucienne arrived safely back home… but I guess it’s not home anymore.”

“It’s going to be fine, she knows about me, so not like she won’t be able to visit.”

“I suppose, that’s true…”

Robert replied to Roland while Lucille patted him on the back. Both were dressed in plain, commoner clothes - nothing too fancy to match their new personas. Durendal was posing as a knight from a foreign country whose family had fal...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 91 – Back Together.

“When do we start the ritual?”

“Patience, we will begin once the high priest arrives!”

“But…”

“Hush young one, I know that you are eager but we must not question the high priest, we must assemble as many offerings as we can before the deadline!”

“I… I understand…”

Two men spoke to each other, ignoring the moans of discomfort coming from the nearby cells. A lone creature hid behind a pile of rubble, watching them converse in words she did...

Runesmith: Chapter 512 – Love In The Air.

"Sir Durendal, huh?"

"I like it. It sounds... very knightly."

"Mine isn’t bad either. Didn’t know your brother was this well-versed in names."

"Well… we never really talked much."

"Ah, well, I’m sure you two will hit it off! He seems to live in his own world, but he’s very kind and capable."

Lucille's voice held an unexpected softness as she spoke about Roland. The respect she had developed for him through the whirlwind of events softened any lingering ...

Heavy Metal : Chapter 90 – Captured.

“( ●︿● )”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“( ●︿● ) …”

“How was I supposed to know those humans would take him with them? In the demon world, no one cares about leaving a body in an alley! They’d even insist on leaving evidence to show strength!”

“( ⇀ ‸ ↼ )”

“I know, calm down, little lady. I’ll help you get Rusty back, don’t worry. We just need to follow them. They’ll never expect an escaped monster to be t...

Runesmith: Chapter 511 – A new Start.

“The  High Commander is approaching!”

“GREETING THE HIGH KNIGHT COMMANDER!”

“...”

A large group of armored men performed the customary military salute of the kingdom, directed at a single individual wearing an intricate suit of runic armor. Though the armor was different from what they remembered, they recognized the knight commander, Commander Wayland. Forming a line on either side of him, they ensured he had an unobstructed path to the Valerian villa, wher...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 89 – No Escape.

Rusty barely had time to register Alexander’s warning before he heard footsteps echoing in the alleyway. Shadows shifted, and figures emerged at both ends, boxing him in. Rusty tightened his grip on Gleam’s cage, his mind racing. The figure at the far end of the alley stepped forward, his blue cloak flowing behind him. It was the same man who had bid against him in the auction house. Flanked by two towering, heavily armored guards, the man moved his hood out of the way to reveal his face....

Runesmith: Chapter 510 – A Bad Dream?

“...”

"Where am I... I’m sure that I was..."

Roland clutched his head, struggling to piece together his scattered thoughts. His mind was a foggy mess, memories slipping through his fingers. The last thing he remembered was drinking tea that his wife had given him. Then he’d woken up here, lying on a wooden floor, in a strange, unfamiliar place. The room felt oddly surreal, like something from the magical institute where bookshelves floated mid-air. 

As Roland to...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 88 – Back Together?

“…Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you - an extremely rare find. A Dungeon-born monster, unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years!"

The auctioneer dramatically pulled the velvet cloth off the cage, revealing Gleam. The audience gasped collectively as the small, white ant, about the size of a small dog, sat in the middle of the cage. Her ivory exoskeleton gleamed under the lights, giving off a faint, otherworldly glow. Rusty's heart - or what passed for it in his armor - tighte...

Runesmith: Chapter 509 – Goodnight.

"Thank you for the update, Professor Arion. I’ll have to speak with Headmistress Arvandus myself, won’t I?"

"That would be for the best, Professor Wayland. But tread carefully my friend, this situation is highly unusual.”

Roland sighed, glancing at the monitor where Arion’s concerned face hovered. He had just received word that the Xandar Institute leader wanted to chat with him. She hadn’t given a deadline, but it was implied that if he didn’t show up at her office, B...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 87 – Auction Starts.

"Are you going to take part?"

"Me? Nah, why would I waste my money on the entrance fee?"

"But there might be something good there."

"Hah, be my guest. Go fight it out with those rich merchants and high-level adventurers if you want. I'm saving that silver for some beer."

“Now that sounds like a good investment. Count me in!"

The two men laughed as they eyed the small line of people gathered outside the local auction house, waiting for it to open. Today was the ...

Runesmith: Chapter 508 – Back Home?

“Master, how can I assist you?”

“Contact the Institute. I need to speak with Arion.”

“Please wait, executing task...”

A small glowing orb of light floated in front of Roland’s face. It was Sebastian, the artificial spirit of his workshop, who had recently begun learning new words. Sebastian functioned much like an AI. While he carried out the task, Roland focused on trying to understand why he couldn’t locate one particular person at home. He even connected t...

Heavy Metal: Chapter 86 – Finishing The Preparations.

"Quick, I saw him run through here!"

"After him, don’t let that bastard escape!"

A thunder of footsteps echoed through the dimly lit corridor. The thick walls, marred with scratches, belonged to the local E-rank dungeon. Inside, a group of six men were chasing a hoodlum who had dared to steal from adventurers. After more than a week of this cat-and-mouse chase, they had finally cornered him, and today, they were determined to catch this menace once and for all.

"..."

Runesmith: Chapter 507 – Successful Return?

High above the forest, Roland, Robert, and Lucille continued their flight, the glider sailing smoothly through the cool night air. With the wind now at their backs, Roland began to relax slightly, though his mind never stopped calculating. He glanced over his shoulder at Robert and Lucille, who were being pulled along by the ladder attached to the glider. The two seemed to be more at ease now that they had gained distance from the estate but he couldn’t truly fathom what they were feeling 2024-10-21 07:58:35 +0000 UTC View Post

Heavy Metal: Chapter 85 – Auction Approaches.

Rusty slipped through the hidden entrance, his heavy, metallic frame surprisingly silent as he descended into the old well. The stone walls were slick with moisture, and the air was thick with the pungent scent of damp earth and sewage. Rusty didn’t mind; as living armor, he didn’t need to breathe. His body moved more naturally than before, each step emulating the way a human would walk.

Aburdon, who had memorized the entire map of the sewers, became Rusty’s guide. He led him thro...

Runesmith: Chapter 506 – Bombs Raining Down.

The knight’s shout rang out, echoing through the estate, and the tension in the air snapped as the peaceful night turned into chaos. Roland’s mind immediately raced into action, recalculating escape routes and strategies. The quiet, stealthy getaway was over, and now it was time for a mad dash.

"Robert! Hang on tightly, this might get rough.”

Roland shouted out, still managing to mask the surrounding sounds. He wasn’t quick enough to stop the man below from yelling and cas...