The Runic Alchemist

A month had gone by since Damian had arrived in London.

After the mana contract was in place, Damian got to work immediately. First, he taught ironmasters how to bake coal in airtight ovens (the coking process) and fully converted all iron furnaces in London to use coke instead of charcoal. Iron production should, at most, increase tenfold due to sustained, hotter burns.

As this was implemented, Damian compiled a list of all capable scientists and metalwork experts in England at the time and summoned them to London. He could not go around teaching every individual himself—he would teach them, and they would, in turn, teach entire classes of their own, spreading the knowledge throughout London and across England's major iron- and steel-producing regions. The British government officially assigned these people to the task, providing salaries and resources.

Damian also requested Benjamin Franklin to attend a few lessons—not to train other British citizens, but to return home and share what he had learned with his countrymen, showing them what they could achieve if they worked together.

Damian planned to leave immediately after concluding these lessons and travel to other iron-rich regions worldwide, either negotiating or taking control by force. Franklin's presence would at least make things easier when dealing with America.

With prominent figures such as John Pringle, Henry Cavendish, Joseph Black, Benjamin Franklin, William Watson, James Short, John Canton, Alexander Monro, John Harrison, John Bevis, Thomas Simpson, Stephen Hales, and William Brownrigg, Damian began his classes from the very basics. He also kept Lumi and Elias by his side to assist in teaching and learn from the knowledge he was about to reveal.

First, he explained the Puddling Furnace & Rolling Mills, which allowed for the large-scale production of high-quality wrought iron without charcoal, reducing impurities. This was essential for creating stronger, more flexible steel and enabling scalable metalworking. Then, he introduced improved Newcomen or Watt steam engines to pump water from deep mines.

He proposed expanding as many mines as possible and using better pumps (early steam engines) to dig deeper. He also suggested establishing dedicated steel foundries near major iron mines to reduce transportation costs, industrializing mining operations, and introducing steam-powered drills and conveyor systems. Along with his waygates at key locations and the advanced runic tools he could create, extracting iron ore would become significantly easier, leading to massive steel production.

This was just the foundation, though. The real breakthrough he aimed to introduce was the Bessemer Process for mass steel production, suitable for modest companies, and the superior Open Hearth Furnace method for those resourceful enough to implement it.

Instead of the slow crucible steel method, Bessemer furnaces could mass-produce high-quality steel cheaply. By blasting air through molten iron, impurities such as carbon, silicon, and manganese were removed. However, he also proposed an open-hearth furnace system, which, unlike the direct-blast Bessemer process, allowed for better control of impurities. This would enable steelmakers to produce high-quality, uniform steel for weapons, machines, and structures.

According to his calculations, implementing the Bessemer Process (a century ahead of its time) could increase steel production to a million tons per year. With Open Hearth Furnaces, it could surpass 100 million tons per year—far beyond what he had promised the British government.

Yet, even that wasn't enough.

Having done everything he could in Britain, it was time to expand the scale of this revolution. The world's major iron-producing regions—Russia, China, Sweden, France, and the Ottoman Empire—all needed to be approached with the same offer. However, Damian would not waste time waiting for negotiations this time. He had the workers—now he just needed the mines. People could either work for him or face months without any iron at all for their kingdoms. He would need help for doing it, from his friends, guess it was time to call a meeting.

Just as he was preparing to leave, an unexpected message arrived from the residence, summoning him to a meeting.

Rather than him calling for a gathering, he was called to one—in the wooden building where their group was staying for a past month. In the final days of the month, through an officer, his friends, and the Highswords sent word, requesting his immediate presence for something important.

Damian, Lumi, and Elias halted their inspection of the recent new changes and used a waygate to return.

Turns out the Prince had an idea—one that might lead to a way back home.

Ever since Damian had given him the ability to communicate, he had introduced Prince as a different kind of golem, one he had personally crafted using his "unique" skills. Many had their doubts about him though, and Prince's odd sense of humor didn't help. But over time, he became somewhat tolerable—especially since people saw that he couldn't do much without Damian's mana.

Prince had kept his promise not to reveal anything crucial about Damian, but his eagerness to talk often led to slip-ups. Some of their friends enjoyed his chatty personality, while others preferred to keep their distance.

Apparently, discussions about returning home had been ongoing, and at last, a viable idea had surfaced. The fact that it was Prince who suggested it made things even more intriguing.

Once everyone gathered, Prince began with his floating screen:

'So, me and my buddy Sariel were talking about dungeons and stuff when this idea hit me. Listen—everything we saw in the dungeon was from that pigmen world, right?'

Damian nodded, along with many others.

Prince continued, 'So, the final levels of the Highsword Dungeon are supposed to have the Sun God bound there, right? According to the dungeon relic descriptions?'

The room remained silent as people absorbed his words.

'I think he's the one responsible for throwing us out of the dungeon and blocking our way back to our world. I think that by entering the dungeon—his home planet—we somehow gave him control over us. So, if we're ever going to return..'

"The Sun God is the only one who can send us back," Damian finished for him.

A hush fell over the room.

Many of the Highswords and Damian's friends had already heard the theory, while others, hearing it for the first time, fell into deep contemplation.

It made sense—especially to Damian, who had met the Sun God himself and knew for a fact that he was the one who had thrown them all out, along with the Demon Lord.

"We have to go back.." Worldscribe said.

Sesha and Runefather nodded. Others did not. Many of Damian's friends agreed, but only Alex, Maelor, Karl, and Evante truly understood what going back really meant.

Prince added, 'The Demon Lord gets more powerful the longer he lives.. The more lives he takes, the more rewards he gets from his God of Chaos.'

Damian had already heard this from him before—that was why he was in such a hurry.

"And we're just supposed to hope we find the Sun God lying around somewhere in that miserable place? The Demon Lord will be upon us long before we even get close," Silverspell refuted.

"We have to try, even if the chances are low!" Evrin argued, backed by Einar, Sam, and Sariel.

"You have no idea what that monster can do! We are like ants before it!" Karl shot back, supported by Evante and the second-ranker Highsword knight, Every.

"Not everyone has to.." Damian's voice rang clear in the heated room.

"No.." Reize whispered, but no one paid her any mind except Lucian, who looked at her before turning his gaze to Damian. Her meaning was clear—If you're going, I'm coming.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lifewarden said, his expression pained. "You've already done too much for us. It shames me to ask such a thing from someone so young, with so much potential."

Runefather reluctantly nodded. "You could transcend in a few decades—I know you can. The first-ever Rune Shaper Transcendent in the world.. I can't even imagine what that would be like. After that, you might be able to create something that can send you and your friends home. I truly believe that."

Lumi furrowed her eyebrows. "Aren't you a Runesmith?"

Runefather smiled, though pain and regret lingered in his eyes. "I was, before I transcended. My job is related to runes, but I'm still a Spellsword."

Damian hadn't known that. It was quite a surprise.

Runefather continued, "It's simply not possible to level a crafting job to transcendence.. Well, maybe it is, but it would take an immense amount of time and effort. I opted for an easier path in my younger years. And then, there's the fact that Rune Shapers just don't receive enlightenment to transcend—no matter what they do. Among the twenty-seven Transcendents and countless others across the Five Kingdoms, not a single one has ever held a Rune Shaper class."

Damian appreciated their concern, but this wasn't some grand sacrifice—this was simply his fate. His responsibility. And to be completely honest.. he welcomed the challenge.

Meeting everyone's eyes, he simply replied, "I will finish what I started. It may take months before I return, fully prepared—but return, I will. I am building something.. something that will hopefully be enough. I was about to ask for all your help in gathering the resources I need from the people of this world."

"You.." Einar whispered, her eyes blazing as she glared at him. "From the very first day we arrived here, you were already planning to go back, weren't you?"

Everyone stared at him, their eyes filled with a mix of emotions—anger, fear, admiration.. even despair.

Damian took a deep breath before answering, his voice calm, even as his eyes burned with a fire darker and more terrifying than the Demon Lord's own.

"The only way to break a god's hold over us.. is to become strong enough to stand against him. The Demon Lord will die. And so will the Sun God."