The Runesmith

“The geothermal generators seem to be running fine, the power storage is almost full. Glad I told them to create that power plant earlier. My workshop won’t be able to handle all this magical energy, at least not until I finish this project…”

There was a geothermal power plant being created and assembled by both the Dwarven Union and the Builders' Guild. The dungeon was filled with free heated energy that they could easily harness. This level of power generation was far beyond what the small energy facilities in Roland's workshop could handle, as they had been designed with wind turbines in mind.

“Now then, I guess it's time to test this one, I sure hope this works…”

Roland stared at the cracked orb that previously sat on his workbench. Now, it was encased in a metallic sphere and connected to numerous heavy-duty cables. Right next to it was another similar structure, many times larger. This was to become the supercomputer of his pseudo-mage tower. First, he needed to copy over all the data from the monster core into this new vessel and then work out the kinks to get it running.

It had already taken him a whole week just to assemble this runic contraption, and he hadn’t even started the main task. The sphere that would become the pseudo-mage tower core looked like a complex network of interconnected runes and metallic filaments, arranged in a honeycomb structure. This tower core was quite different from his previous, bulkier creations. Its interior was filled with a lot of empty space, and the filaments were rather thin and fashioned mainly from etherium.

There was a main reason for this design choice: the thinner metal lining allowed for significantly faster functionality. The delicate filaments and the open structure were crucial for optimizing the speed and efficiency of magical energy transfer and data processing. This design would enable the supercomputer to perform at unprecedented speeds that were essential for the complex calculations and magical operations Roland had planned.

It somewhat went against his old knowledge where it was unfeasible to make something that his runes wouldn’t burn and deteriorate. However, this was only true for artifacts that were meant for battle. Something like this runic core was not meant for combat or to be moved around. Thanks to its stationary use, it was possible to create a sort of resonance between the runic components and traces. This resonance would keep them from burning through the metal and allow it to reach a certain magical wavelength. As long as it remained inside of the core, it could in theory work indefinitely even for tens or hundreds of years without corroding the etherium alloy.

“At least that’s the theory… It doesn’t always work out…”

Roland glanced to the side of the room where a few melted-through honeycomb shapes could be seen. He had spent a few days trying to assemble theory into practice, resulting in several failures. Yet, each failure brought him closer to the optimal design. Roland sighed and wiped his brow. The room was stifling hot, partially from the nearby power unit that was assembled to directly power the workshop core.

Roland took a deep breath, calming his mind. This was the most crucial part of the process. If the transfer failed, he would lose a valuable source of data and be set back by weeks, something he couldn’t allow. He carefully connected the main conduit between the cracked orb and the new core, ensuring the alignment was perfect. The runes along the conduit started to glow and magical vibrations could almost be felt in the air.

“Here goes nothing…”

With a final check of all the parameters, Roland activated the transfer sequence. The magical energy flow began as a slow trickle and the cracked orb emitted a faint light. Gradually, the light intensified, and the filaments of the new core started to shimmer. The data transfer was happening at a molecular level, with the magical essence being carefully copied and imprinted onto the new vessel, which in a sense would become something similar to artificial intelligence.

The process was painstakingly slow, but Roland didn’t dare to rush it. He monitored every fluctuation, and every pulse of energy, making minute adjustments to keep the transfer stable. A large monitor had been assembled on the side which presented him with a lot of raw data. To most people, it would look like gibberish but to someone who had mastered runes, it was similar to programming language. Then suddenly, the symbols on the screen became chaotic and it started flashing red.

“Shit…”

Something had gone wrong and Roland quickly used his mana senses to examine the problems. His multiple minds went into overdrive as he tried to pinpoint the bug that had arisen. If he failed now, all his efforts would be in vain, and both the monster core and the central tower piece would be destroyed.

“Come on, come on, the math should have been right, it has to work…”

Roland muttered to himself while spreading his arms out forward. His control over the runes was immaculate, but even he could make mistakes. He spread out his control and tried analyzing the problem before a meltdown of the core could start. There was a lot of magical energy gathered here, and if it reached a critical point, the whole workshop could collapse in the ensuing explosion - something he could not allow to happen.

He focused intently, his mind racing through potential solutions. The runes glowed with an intense, pulsating light as he carefully monitored the energy flow. He adjusted a few of the metallic filaments, hoping to stabilize the core but it continued. Then he focused on the monster core which seemed to actually be the problem, it was crumbling on itself.

“The core can’t handle the magical energies and is crumbling…”

His eyes focused on the monster component of the experiment. He had assumed that this piece would last a bit longer, but that seemed to be a mistake. It was a component he was the least familiar with, but luckily, he had spotted the problem quickly. All the runes were working fine, so he needed to focus on supporting the monster core and not let it crumble before the process was over.

“I’ve had enough of everything exploding, just be a good core and stay stable…”

Slowly but surely, the energy levels began to balance. The once erratic pulses of light in the runes started to synchronize, forming a steady rhythm. Roland let out a sigh of relief, but he knew he couldn't afford to relax just yet. He continued to nourish the core with his own magical energies which were in tune with it. If he had attempted this process with any other monster component it would have certainly failed. However, the Lich core that had been saturated with his mana pattern reacted quite favorably.

Once the immediate threat of a meltdown was averted, Roland took a step back to reassess the situation. The transfer of data had finally finished and the core that was once the Lich finally crumbled into dust. It seemed a bit strange to see it vanish while its essence was transferred into the new mage core, in a sense it was quite poetic or at least that was what Roland was feeling.

“You better not try to kill me though…”

This process remained nerve-wracking. The monster, known as the Purgatory Lich, had once tried to kill him, making his current endeavor of copying its core into the mage tower system quite reckless. It would have been safer to create the tower spirit from scratch, but that would entail fully programming it himself, a task he wasn't entirely familiar with. Perhaps with Arion’s help, the project was feasible, but it would likely take him several months to achieve the same effect.

Fortunately, he wasn't restoring the monster to its former self. All the data was merely a copy, and the core that made up the monster would remain unused. Many parts of the monster’s core were left untouched, deemed potentially dangerous. What he sought were not the Lich’s personality traits, but its capacity to reason and follow commands. This new magical AI would eventually become a distinct entity. Yet, for now, numerous barriers were in place, restricting access to much of its potential. He couldn't risk this new creation becoming truly sentient and viewing him as an adversary, as it had done in the past.

“That gave me a scare.”

With the data transfer completed and the core stabilized, Roland could finally move on to the next phase of the project. After sighting yet again he began integrating the copied monster essence into the supercomputer and the creation of the main operating system was now underway.

Roland leaned more towards engineering than software development, and he wished Arion was around to handle this task. However, entrusting the creation of a magical tower to others was a risky move. There were always possibilities of errors or other magicians inserting backdoors for later use. While such concerns might not arise with Arion, Roland still needed to understand precisely how this new artifact functioned. If he did not, then he could not really call himself a proper Runesmith anymore.

The buzz of machinery filled the expansive chamber, signaling the stabilization of the process. Finally, the most fundamental part of the mage tower was in place. Though the artificial spirit serving as the core of his pseudo-mage tower remained dormant, Roland intended to activate it within another week's time. This would afford him approximately one more week to assemble the teleportation gate, and perhaps he wouldn't have to tackle everything alone.

“Bernir’s prosthesis is working fine, perhaps he might be able to help me out from this point forward.”

Congratulations you have gained a level.

“Oh?”

The world system had taken notice of his success, rewarding him with enough experience to level up again. However, considering the extensive preparation and week-long dedication to the project, the single level gain felt like a minor reward when he counted the hours invested. Moreover, he didn't receive any new titles, as his creation was nothing groundbreaking; many before him had already achieved the feat of creating mage tower cores.

Another possibility dawned on him: his existing title of Rune Savant might already surpass any benefits he could gain from creating a mage tower. Typically, titles had to be earned in order like his Runic Scholar one, but occasionally superior titles could overwrite lesser ones that offered similar rewards. This achievement brought him one step closer to mastering his craft. However, true success would only come once the tower spirit was fully completed and activated.

With the successful completion of the initial phase of his mage tower project, it was possible to move along with his schedule. For the time being, he decided to run a few tests and programs to see if everything was stable. However, just as he was ready to give the operating system a go, a little tremor shook the place.

“What was that?”

It was quite minor but the sensors he had placed everywhere were made to pick up any types of movement. From the readings he was getting, it seemed that something had exploded outside of the workshop and in an area where a certain individual had their laboratory.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have hired that guy… this is already the third time since he got here…”

The large screen that he intended to use to monitor the tower core also had access to every camera in the compound. Through it, he could bring up the live feed of what was happening outside. There he saw a slightly burnt gnome running around with his head on fire. Luckily others were outside to help him.

“If this continues, the repairs to his laboratory will cost me more than the potions he produces…”

It wasn't the repairs of the building that cost the most, but rather the replacement of the various crafting materials he used. With each explosion, valuable herbs would go up in flames, and all the vials and utensils would need replacing. It was a costly endeavor, perhaps the main reason he had been expelled from the Alchemical Guild. Likely, after a series of failures, they found themselves rapidly depleting their resources and decided to sever ties with him.

“Why does he look so happy though, there is something in his hand…”

After squinting, he accessed a golemic camera that provided a different angle of the item. It appeared to be a large flash with some type of adhesive liquid. Surprisingly, Rastix seemed rather pleased with it, which left him wondering why.

“Could he have been successful already?”

Roland had tasked Rastix the Alchemist with a singular order: prioritize the creation of something to aid in prosthetic development. The current harness holding the prosthesis together was of poor quality, a major obstacle in its functionality. Excessive movement often caused misalignment and it was too fragile for use during blacksmithing or combat. To address this issue, Roland hoped to devise a solution that would securely adhere to the arm stump without the need for drilling holes.

The concept of implanting titanium screws and bolts into people was widespread in Roland's past world. While titanium also existed in his current realm, its compatibility with the body varied and sometimes was rejected by it. Despite superior alloys available, Roland hesitated to perform surgery on his friend, mostly due to his lack of medical expertise. Though he possessed magic for healing wounds, mastering the intricacies of surgical procedures wasn't something achievable in a matter of weeks. Medical knowledge in this world was scarce, with magic and potions serving as the primary means of treating wounds and diseases. Learning such skills from scratch seemed farfetched, if not impossible.

“Maybe I should see what he made…”

His golems were already on the scene, utilizing water magic to douse the flames. With his work on the tower core complete and power flowing smoothly, everything seemed stable. Before further modifications, he needed to let it run for a while. Stress-testing such new devices was crucial, and it would be safer if he wasn't present in case of any unexpected explosions.

“I’ll let it run for one day, if nothing changes then I’ll move on to phase two…”

With his decision made, Roland brought out several runic devices he had previously crafted. They resembled rectangles filled with intricate runes, which he strategically placed around the core structure. Once activated, these devices generated multiple layers of shock-absorbing shields. Even if the core were to explode, his workshop would remain unscathed.

The filaments hummed with mana, and Roland could perceive the ethereal pathways forming runes between the components, manifesting as streams of mana. This intricate technique allowed the machinery to endure the excessive energy. All the runes were stored within these ethereal pathways, in the form of proper ethereal runes. It was a new skill he picked up in the Institute which allowed this whole thing to function correctly.

With the area secured, Roland made his way over to the elevator, his mind buzzing with ideas for the new mage tower project. Although his immediate focus was on creating the teleportation gate system, he knew it wouldn't end there. Once the tower spirit was in place, it would manage all the computing within his workshop. The golems he produced lacked intelligence and required some continuous guidance, a task the spirit should adeptly handle.

Thanks to this persistent AI he was trying to grow, a lot of possibilities were opening for his products. In theory, it would be possible to make copies of it or connect to it from a distance. It could eventually encompass the entire city of Albrook and help run its infrastructure. A true city of innovations and runes was becoming feasible but only if he had enough time to finish everything.

Once outside, he was greeted by smoke and the smell of burnt herbs. His mechanical helpers were already on the scene, having managed to douse the flames with their water cannons. To deal with the alchemist's experiments, he had customized a few spider drones specifically for firefighting, a feature that would likely prove useful once his golems were deployed in the city.

"Rastix… What happened this time? I’ll have to start docking your pay if this continues..."

Roland called out, approaching the gnome who was frantically waving a flask filled with a glowing substance.

"Success, my friend! I've done it!"

Rastix beamed, holding up the flask as if it were a precious gem which caused Roland to raise an eyebrow.

"Success in what? Causing another explosion?"

"No, no, not that! This adhesive! It's exactly what you asked for. Strong enough to bond metal to flesh without causing any irritation or rejection. It even withstands high temperatures and pressure, it’s truly perfection!”

“Is it…”

Roland glanced at the flask with the liquid, if it was what Rastix was claiming it to be, then it would truly complete this prosthesis project of his…