[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-return-of-the-legendary-runesmith":3,"chapter-return-of-the-legendary-runesmith-return-of-the-legendary-runesmith-chapter-357":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Return of the Legendary Runesmith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1562757,2026,"Chapter 357 - 356- Backup","return-of-the-legendary-runesmith-chapter-357",357,"\u003Cp>Ruby stayed inside the house. As planned, a single bullet was fired at Damien every ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The box still held more than three hundred bullets, and her task was simple yet vital: keep each one tuned so William could use them to keep Damien alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the plan, and Ruby intended to follow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Damien’s condition was far from improving. His internal organs were badly damaged, and only the bullets kept him from collapsing completely. It was like a tug of war, with death and life pulling at him with equal strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian had promised to bring Damien to a healer within six hours. Yet Ruby knew the supply she had could only hold Damien together for five. That missing hour gnawed at her—her one true concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she didn’t let it weigh on her for long. She trusted Adrian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**KIRRIIIK**\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of a sudden slash tore through the air. In an instant, a maid standing nearby was cleaved apart, the very house itself split by the terrifying force of the strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aahhh!\" someone screamed, but Ruby’s hands remained steady. She did not flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did he lose?\" Tessa whispered nervously as she peeked outside. Her fear was confirmed—Adrian stood against the last Acolyte, his left arm name injured but his stance unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is bad...\" Arbit muttered, already debating in his mind whether retreat was still possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Reid was tense now. This enemy was stronger than any they had faced before. With a single motion, his attack had torn the house apart in a fraction of a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian had carried them through the worst until now—but this Acolyte was on a whole different level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question rose silently among them before someone voiced it: \"Should we try to break out of this cage?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like the logical choice. If they breached the barrier, they might call for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But William’s voice cut through their fragile hope. \"Don’t act rashly. The barrier’s power comes from beyond its walls. That means a stronger force waits outside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words hit them harder than any attack, dousing the sudden surge of courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tessa’s teeth ground together. \"Then what do you expect us to do? Just sit here and wait until we’re slaughtered?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blond Vermillion sighed before answering softly, \"Why not take a lesson from your niece? Place your trust in the man who’s fighting out there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s gaze turned to Ruby. She sat calmly, her focus unbroken as she tuned the bullets. Not once had she faltered. Her eyes showed unwavering faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faith in Adrian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew the situation was quite bad given the extra hour they needed to manage to keep Damien alive and also, the forces waiting for them beyond the barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, even against impossible odds, she showed no fear. No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not since the moment Adrian appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the shattered house, Adrian pressed a bullet into his arm, the wound sealing as the magic surged through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that left him with only twelve bullets. Twelve chances. No more—for he couldn’t ask Forgelet for help; entry into the Time Chamber was forbidden to him for another six hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant every move had to count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t see the spark in your eyes anymore,\" the Acolyte sneered. \"Have you finally realized the gulf between us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian’s gaze was calm, his voice steady. \"There’s an offer I’d like to extend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Acolyte frowned, thrown off by the unexpected words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll let you live,\" Adrian continued, \"if you tell me where your knowledge of witchcraft comes from.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence that followed was sharp, unsettling. For a moment even the battlefield seemed to pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a burst of laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phahaha! You—pfft—you truly believe you can defeat me?!\" the Acolyte roared, his mocking tone edged with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian didn’t reply. His face gave nothing away—not anger, not boastfulness. Only intent. Because he wasn’t jesting. He truly wanted to know who was teaching them forbidden witchcraft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Acolyte’s lips curled into a cold smirk. \"Then allow me to enlighten you, Professor. While you waste your strength on me, my people—those demons—are tearing into the Vermillion family on the other side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bring down one of the strongest clans in the world, the Skulth had accounted for every outcome. Every possibility had been weighed, including the failure of their first wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why the second assault had been prepared—an onslaught designed to ensure that no bearer of Vermillion blood would live to see the morning sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, more than ten Acolytes and two demons must have already stormed the manor from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But contrary to the commander’s expectations, Adrian didn’t rush to intercept. He remained exactly where he was, composed, almost unnervingly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Acolyte narrowed his eyes, doubt stirring at the back of his mind. Something is—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"AAAHHHH!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thought was ripped apart by the thunderous impact. The roof split open as a figure was hurled high into the sky—an Acolyte, ragged and flailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then came another figure, rising with ruthless grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander’s eyes widened as he recognized the woman swinging down her enormous mace, smashing into the airborne Acolyte and hurling him back to the earth with a quake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-Warden... Ariana?!\" His voice broke. Shock froze his face. When had she arrived?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian sighed, \"You really believed I would come here alone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, when Adrian told Ariana about the feature of the ring, she didn’t allow him to go there alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She came with him but has been hiding until now. Her role was to keep an eye on things from afar and only intervene when Adrian becomes helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for Adrian to counter those backup Acolytes was nearly impossible when he was facing such a foe like this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commander clenched his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes grew cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips moved but no word came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian narrowed his eyes as he saw mana surging around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian raised his revolver, intending to shoot another dismantling bullet but then he stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instance, four magic circles appeared around the Acolyte, all of them charged up to completely destroy Adrian and the people behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my challenge to you, Adrian Lockwood. Protect the Vermillion family and I will answer your questions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian heaved a long breath and pulled his second favorite weapon from the Time Chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long black staff appeared in his hand as he faced the monster before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This battle was heading towards its conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>°°°°°°°°°\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A\u002FN:- Thanks for reading. I hope the pace is fine. If you have been enjoying the story so far, you know what you need to do.\u003C\u002Fp>",1111,"2026-06-06T07:53:02.437Z",1,"novelbin.me","f8487b096fbe203fb10172648b0718899e95cab8837b3ae7d483d87d17ce5eca","return-of-the-legendary-runesmith-chapter-226","return-of-the-legendary-runesmith-chapter-225",595,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freturn-of-the-legendary-runesmith-cover.jpg"]