Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 34: The Brotherhood’s Alex Fury!

CH34 The Brotherhood’s Alex Fury!

***

Three days later, Alex woke up early and made his final preparations before meeting up with Merlin to depart for the subspace.

He was brimming with excitement.

This would be his first true adventure in this new world.

If events unfolded like the cliché fantasy novels he’d read in his previous life, it would be a dangerous experience—due to his inexperience—but also a rewarding one.

He looked forward to testing the fruits of his training, uncovering hidden treasures, and seeing how much stronger he would be upon his return.

He didn’t bother considering the possibility that he might not return from this expedition.

After all, what was the point of worrying about death when you wouldn’t be around to deal with the consequences?

Besides, he didn’t intend to die.

He had both a purpose to pursue and a responsibility to uphold.

Purpose and responsibility—those were the two forces that drove men to achieve greatness.

And Alex didn’t doubt for a second that he would.

For this expedition into the unknown, Alex had chosen an outfit inspired by his favourite assassin-themed game franchise—AC.

He wore a fitted dark tunic with an integrated charcoal hood, its edges trimmed in muted silver to avoid catching light. The fabric clung closely to his frame for ease of movement. A forest-green sash and deep brown trousers added natural camouflage—ideal for overgrown terrain expected in the subspace.

A reinforced satchel hung at his hip, carrying the Nullcore orb.

Fingerless gloves protected his hands, and a custom overhand wristblade lay snug along his forearm—silent, swift, and hidden.

The overall look walked a razor’s edge between rogue and noble, crafted for slipping unseen through leaf and shadow.

Although Alex wanted to cosplay as a member of the Brotherhood, he was still practical enough to realise that the white robes of the Assassins wouldn’t serve him well in a forest or grassland. Hence, he’d adapted the colours for stealth and survival.

He also sensibly switched the wristblade from the iconic underhand position to an overhand mount—less stylish, but far safer for someone not trained in underhand strikes.

When Zora saw his outfit, she blinked in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words.

From a functional standpoint, his attire wasn’t a problem.

But still...

”Why are you—a mage, and a noble—dressed like a rogue or an assassin?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

”What does it matter if I dress like a mage or not?” Alex shrugged. ”I’m heading into a place filled with beasts. They won’t care whether I’m a mage or an assassin. At least in this, my movements won’t be impaired.”

He paused and gestured at his outfit dramatically.

”Also, what do you mean rogue? Look at the design—it’s clearly made with noble flair in mind!”

Zora narrowed her eyes, unconvinced.

Despite Alex’s logical-sounding response, she sensed there was more to his choice than he let on—but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Merlin, on his part, gave Alex a brief glance but said nothing.

In his long life, the old man had seen more than his fair share of quirky individuals who dressed contrary to expectations.

Done well, such misdirection could catch even seasoned opponents off guard.

And in Alex’s case, his attire prioritised stealth, flexibility, and survivability—things most mage robes offered poorly, if at all.

Merlin saw no reason to object.

As for something like the pride of a mage?

That was meaningless to a man who, in truth, was a Dragon.

Turning around, Merlin began to chant in a deep, guttural language—Dragon Tongue.

His voice rumbled low, ancient and commanding.

Half a minute later, an enormous spell formation manifested within the lair.

Rising from the ground with Merlin at its centre, the glowing formation rotated upright like a wheel of magic and power.

At its heart, a fissure split open, slowly stabilising into a shimmering portal gate.

Merlin extended a hand.

Bluish light surged from the construct to his palm, condensing into a floating energy sundial.

With a flick of his wrist, the sundial flew across the room, affixing itself to the back of Alex’s left hand.

”It’ll warn you when your time is almost up and guide you back to the gate,” Merlin said solemnly. ”Remember—you must return through the portal within thirty days. If you don’t, you’ll be trapped in the subspace for another fifteen years. That’s the next time I can open the gate.”

”Understood, Master.”

Alex nodded seriously.

”Alright, off you go.” Merlin waved him forward.

Alex stepped up to the gate.

Just before crossing the threshold, he turned to give Merlin and Zora a confident grin.

”I’ll be back.”

Then, he stepped into the portal.

The entrance behind him closed the moment he vanished, but the larger spatial construct remained intact—humming with restrained power.

Zora stood still for a long moment, then turned to Merlin with a frown.

”You didn’t seriously send him in there with the real risk of being trapped, did you?”

Merlin gave no answer.

Instead, he calmly sat before the spatial gate and closed his eyes, entering meditation to maintain the portal.

Zora huffed, stamping her feet in frustration.

She conjured her own portal and returned to the Tower Master’s office.

Once she was gone, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Merlin’s mouth.

’Silly girl.’

An archaic voice echoed through the lair.

---

On the other side of the spatial gate, Alex emerged onto a high hill overlooking a vast expanse of wilderness.

The air was crisp and pure.

More importantly, it was saturated with ambient Mana.

Through Spirit Sight, the world shimmered in a spectrum of colours—raw, unfiltered magic everywhere.

It took a few moments for Alex’s body to acclimatise to the denser energy and altered pressure. But once adjusted, he instantly recognised the value of this place.

A haven for mages.

The Mana density alone would accelerate cultivation.

Of course... that also meant any magical beasts here would be much stronger than normal.

From his elevated position, he took in the view.

The land ahead was divided in two:

To the left stretched a lush grassland prairie, teeming with life. Herds of animals roamed freely, like something out of the African savannah during migration season.

To the right lay a dense, verdant forest, its tree canopy thick and mysterious.

’There are too many creatures on the prairie,’ Alex mused. ’And too little cover.’

His gaze turned to the forest.

’Better. Still rich in Mana, but plenty of places to hide. And going by typical themes, forests always hide more opportunities—rare herbs and unique beasts...’

He smiled to himself.

His decision was made.

Now, there was only one thing left to do.

Leap of Fate!

Alex sprinted to the edge of the twenty-metre-high hill and jumped—arms wide, like a bird taking flight.

”Featherfall!”

”Body Strengthening Magic!”

Two spells activated in succession. The first slowed his descent, the second hardened his body against impact.

As he fell, Alex flipped into a controlled backward dive, just like the Assassins he admired.

Then—

”Wind Cyclone!”

A gentle spiral of wind rose from the ground and cushioned his fall.

He landed smoothly, rolling up to his feet and dusting himself off with a grin.

”Brotherhood’s Leap of Fate—Mage-style, complete!” he chuckled to himself.

But the grin faded.

Fun and games were over.

His eyes sharpened as he turned toward the forest—the wild, dangerous domain where he would spend the next twenty days.

***