Caster's walk back to his workshop felt unusually long, but he finally arrived without any further incidents. He hurriedly opened the entrance, ducked inside, and closed the reinforced door behind him, locking it securely.He sighed in relief. The silence was profound; he couldn’t hear anything from outside. He was still uncertain about this illusion world and how it operated. Such a runic artifact capable of creating something like this must have been made with high-quality materials. “I trust that I might figure this thing way sooner,” Caster muttered to himself.But where there was a runic artifact that was active, the caster was likely nearby. Some items could be activated remotely or could run autonomously depending on their design. There had to be someone who activated it, unless he had stumbled into a trap that triggered it instead.Caster activated his debugging skill. The pathways converged into a single point—his forge. The forge, which was originally made of bricks, now lo

The night was dark, and the city of Winterfell was lit by lanterns that flickered in the wind. The wind had picked up speed, and soon a light drizzle began, signaling that a cold, stormy night was on the horizon. Guards patrolling the city moved slowly, trying to keep dry by sticking close to buildings and using them as shelter from the rain.In one of the wealthier areas of Winterfell stood Vanny Royale. It was late, nearly 9 pm, and the store was nearly empty. Most people had left, either going home or heading to a nearby pub. However, one room in the building still had lights shining brightly through a particular window.A man in a black robe, his face mostly hidden, moved to this very window, closing it as he looked out into the rain-soaked streets. Inside the room, a demon lay collapsed near some alchemy equipment, its breathing shallow and weak. By the entrance of the lab, a male elf lay motionless on the floor. To the untrained eye, he might have appeared to be a sun elf, but t

Caster was lying on the floor, coughing up blood and struggling to stay conscious. Chris had saved him, but the rescue left him barely hanging on. “Damn it... I don’t think I’m going to make it,” Caster whispered weakly. With the dagger now out of his shoulder, the paralysis was gone, but the poison and curse were still doing their damage. He felt his strength draining away.“I have to move... have to survive…” he muttered to himself, trying to muster the will to keep going. He began crawling down the corridor, leaving a trail of blood behind. His vision was blurry, and each breath felt like it could be his last.Behind him, two men shouted angrily, their voices full of rage. Caster could still hear the noise of whips and commotion from the hallway. “Good… they’re still holding them off,” he thought, though the pain from the stab wound was overwhelming. He knew he had little time left and needed to find an antidote soon or he would die.He fumbled in his bag for healing potions. “Le

At that time, while Caster got close to the location, he attracted the attention of one of the guards present. The area had been barricaded with an improvised wooden wall, which only heightened the tension further. Caster turned her gaze to the guard, a massive Goliath that was over two meters tall, and was about to explain her relationship to the company when someone else spoke from beside her.“It’s fine, let him through,” called a man I recognized as one of the security personnel stationed at the school.Caster glanced to the side and saw Chris was different from before. The first thing that was noted was that he did not even resemble the sun elf anymore. He now had dark caramel skin, and while his hair was once golden, it was now silver.Chris had become a moon elf. While there wasn’t a strict rule against moon elves in the city, they were generally not on good terms with the Church of Justus because they worshiped opposing deities.Chris was dressed in black leather armor, with w

Caster walked briskly toward his destination, his long coat billowing slightly in the cool breeze. Beneath the coat, several spatial bags hung from his belt, hidden from view. As he looked around the city he had called home for so many years, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.Looking at the familiar streets, he whispered to himself, “This place really has changed.” “Well, then again I have.”This was the place that had been his training ground for Magesmithing – he had learned everything by himself, no tutors, no mentors, only his will and innate ability. He had dedicated many hours walking around, learning how magic was done and how it was produced. Now, after all these years, he was finally beginning to realize what magic was all about and how different tools could be used in tandem to create new spells.But despite his growing skill, Caster knew he couldn’t stay any longer. The city had become too dangerous, and he couldn’t trust the people he once worked with to protect him. He