Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 171: Battling a Menace

CH171 Battling a Menace

***

The next morning, Alex’s team of three cleaned up their camp and resumed their journey toward the boundary corridor, where their route would veer north.

They had barely arrived in the region when Fen suddenly picked up a familiar scent. However, it wasn’t the scent of a goblin like Alex had expected... or hoped.

No—what they found was something far worse.

A creature that was the chaotic offspring of an armadillo and a porcupine, with the bad attitude of a honey badger: the Needleback Badger.

This one-metre-tall, two-metre-long, half-ton walking bag of pure menace was on their trail again.

And according to Fen, it was the exact same Needleback they had evaded days earlier.

Which could only mean one thing—it had locked onto them.

Alex narrowed his eyes. That damned thing wasn’t just tracking them—it was hunting them.

Still, he had no intention of fighting a Needleback Badger. Even the local apex beasts gave it a wide berth. There was absolutely nothing about it worth risking his family jewels for.

”Let’s move quickly,” Alex said, urgency creeping into his voice.

He mounted Fen, preparing to cast [Featherflight]—but then, his Spirit Sight caught a flicker.

A golden energy signature shimmered briefly across his vision.

Alex froze.

Whine~

Fen called out, concerned.

Alex bit his lip.

’Dammit... not now.’

He was caught in a metaphysical quagmire.

The golden energy was none other than Daddy Golden Energy.

And right now, it was pointing him straight at the Needleback Badger.

’Do you mean I should fight it?! This is my little dragon we’re talking about here. I plan to make vigorous use of it in the nearest future—and for a very long time! Why would I fight that... family-wrecker?!’

Despite the mental protest, Alex found himself actually considering it. Daddy Golden Energy’s ’suggestion’ might be a pain, but the energy signature had never led him astray.

Which was why he didn’t order a retreat, even after Fen called out to him multiple times.

Soon enough, the Needleback lumbered into view.

Just as Fen had said—it was the very same beast the platoon had avoided before. The ragged scar over its right eye was unmistakable.

One look at that scar was all anyone needed to know—this Needleback was a veteran of many battles. A menace among menaces.

Alex clenched his jaw.

’Shit. It’s really come to this.’

He took a deep breath. ’Don’t think about it, Alex. Just... Carpe Diem.’

Then he glanced at the golden aura lingering around the beast and muttered, ”This better be worth it, Daddy Golden Energy.”

”Let’s get ready to fight,” he finally said to Fen and Udara.

Fen gave him a questioning look.

”I don’t want to fight him either, buddy,” Alex admitted. ”But look at its eyes. It’s not going to stop chasing us. Looks like we don’t have a choice.”

Fen let out a low growl and shifted into a combat-ready stance, eyes blazing.

Alex turned to Udara.

”We’ll leave the frontline to you,” he said shamelessly. ”Fen and I will back you up from the rear—with spells.”

Udara gazed at Alex deeply, a flicker of understanding passing between them. She clearly knew why he had no intention of squaring off with the Needleback Badger head-on.

She glanced down at the twin shortswords sheathed on either side of her waist. Slowly, she half-unsheathed them, examining the blades with a frown. A moment later, she shook her head and slid them back into their scabbards.

The weapons weren’t suited for this kind of battle. She might as well punch the beast with her bare hands than risk damaging her blades on its armoured hide.

The moment the Needleback locked eyes on them, it didn’t waste time posturing or sizing them up.

It attacked—immediately.

[Needle Volley]!

With a sudden arch of its back, the Badger fired off a barrage of sharp black spikes—almost a dozen—straight at the group.

Alex was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected it to open with such a dangerous move. Still, he didn’t panic.

His hand shot out, instinctively patting Fen’s side.

Without needing a command, Fen surged forward and placed himself in front of Udara.

BOOM!

The Beta Bracer’s shield flared to life, forming a translucent blue barrier that absorbed the incoming spikes.

But Fen wasn’t finished.

The instant the shield dropped, the direwolf opened his jaws and returned a massive bolt of Ice—its own frozen jagged spike.

The Needleback reacted instantly, curling into a defensive ball of spikes and rolling away like a monstrous cannonball. It shredded through the thickets, flattening anything in its path.

[Featherflight]!

Alex cast the mobility spell, targeting both Fen and Udara.

Boom!

Empowered by Internal Energy and magic, Udara surged forward, flashing across the terrain as her footfalls cracked the earth.

Bang!

Her fist struck the rolling spike-ball dead-on—right between the protruding needles—slamming into the scale-plated armour with explosive force.

The cannonball halted mid-roll, jolted into the dirt.

Udara didn’t relent. The moment the beast stopped, she dashed in, determined to press the advantage. But—

[Needle Spike]!

Another spike shot out from the Badger, aimed straight at her torso.

Udara twisted mid-stride, narrowly evading the projectile. Still, she didn’t slow. Even before the spike hit the ground behind her, she was already lunging again.

But the slight delay was enough.

The Badger burrowed into the earth beneath it with a violent jerk.

[Earth Burrow]!

The damn thing fled underground to escape the only person bold—or mad—enough to punch it without breaking their arms. Now free, it began circling back toward its true target.

Alex.

But Alex was ready.

He already knew the badger’s nasty habit of ambushing foes from beneath, usually aiming for the groin. He’d prepared for it.

Jumping down from Fen’s back, he slammed his palm into the ground.

[Static Field]!

A pulse of mana spread outward from his hand, forming an electrified sphere with Alex at its centre.

The earth sparked—and the Badger screeched as it burst from the ground, its underbelly fur frizzled and limbs twitching.

[Shadow Dash]!

Udara moved.

She vanished into her shadow—then emerged from the Badger’s own shadow, her fist arcing upward for a clean uppercut beneath its exposed chin.

But the old gangster wasn’t so easy to bait.

It reflexively began to curl, not fully, but enough to shield its underchin. Her punch slammed into its armoured head plate instead of the vulnerable spot she aimed for.

Instead of launching the beast skyward, the blow sent it skidding backwards across the clearing.

The distance it gained wasn’t wasted.

The Badger launched its next attack almost instantly.

[Vapour Burst]!

**