The workshop was warmer inside than out. Many people in matching uniforms were busy at their stations, while others had gathered to discuss the feasibility of a Rune Array. Their faces were grave, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Drawings of Runes covered the walls. Some were finished designs ready for practical use; others were still being worked out. They seemed sound in theory, but their actual performance remained to be seen.
Shen Congzhi was bent over the largest workbench in the center. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, and his bloodshot eyes suggested he had not rested in a long time.
Pinned beneath him was an enormous drawing nearly two meters long, showing the intricate structure of a Rune Golem.
The diagram was neatly drawn and packed with annotations.
What drew the eye most, though, were the types of Runes on the golem diagram, circled again and again in bright red ink.
"If this Rune Golem is made entirely with Dominion-School Runes, its destructive power will become highly unstable. Dominion Runes may give a golem its soul, but too many of them defeat the purpose."
Shen Congzhi straightened up from the workbench, admiration and helplessness mingling in his eyes.
Several young Rune Masters stood behind him.
The oldest looked about twenty-four or twenty-five; the youngest was only seventeen or eighteen.
In Longwind City, becoming a Rune Master demanded exceptional talent.
Anyone who wanted to take that path first had to meet two conditions.
First, their mental strength had to be high enough. They could have a mental ability or simply possess extraordinary mental talent.
Second, they needed strong logical reasoning and comprehension. Without those, the rune circuits were so complex they would not even know where to begin.
Even with Longwind City's population nearing half a million, barely a