Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 56: Into the Pyre I

CH56 Into the Pyre I

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Body Strengthening Magic! Fleetfoot! Featherflight! Featherfall!

One after another, Alex had the OmniRune Core cast buff spell after buff spell.

As he sprinted through the chaotic terrain, he realised something remarkable—the OmniRune Core could keep firing off these enhancement spells without pause, so long as he had the mana to sustain it.

Though he didn’t fully grasp it yet, the forming of his Rune True Name was subtly influencing the OmniRune Core’s development.

Soon, he understood a deeper truth.

As long as a spell was something Alex himself could Instant Cast, the OmniRune Core could replicate and launch it repeatedly—like an Arcane machine gun. This was something no ordinary mage could accomplish.

Even better, he wasn’t just a passive host. He could still cast spells independently while the Core fired off its barrage.

Theoretically, the only real bottleneck should have been the energy cost—since the Greater Rune still drew mana from his Mana Heart. But thanks to his newly acquired Extreme Mana Capacity, that issue was significantly mitigated.

Of course, one could never have too much mana.

And so, Alex had the OmniRune Core continuously buff his body while he focused on the only thing that mattered now: survival.

Because what he was about to do... could only be described as utter madness.

---

Alex already knew he couldn’t outrun the Ironspine Raveger wolves forever.

He could gain some distance, sure. But those persistent bitches—and their equally relentless sons of bitches—would catch up eventually.

Even with his enhanced physique, he was still a mage. His stamina and endurance couldn’t match a true warrior’s.

He had burst power. Speed. But he couldn’t sustain it for long.

What he needed wasn’t power or acceleration—it was persistence. The ability to outlast the wolves in a drawn-out battle of endurance.

Too bad he didn’t have that luxury.

So he did the next best thing.

He gave the wolves something else to worry about.

Since shit was going to hit the fan anyway, he figured he might as well splash in some mud while he was at it.

Alex carefully adjusted his speed—just enough to keep the enraged Ironspine Raveger wolves nipping at his heels. He guided them, baiting them forward toward the one place even the stupidest beast would normally avoid:

The meat grinder battlefield.

The savage howls and thunderous growls of the Ironspine Raveger wolves echoed through the wild, drawing attention from all directions.

Predators and scavengers turned to look, confused.

What kind of suicidal beast would enrage multiple packs of Ironspine Raveger wolves?

Some creatures thought it might be an Ironbeak Hawk, but then their eyes caught the true culprit.

A strange, two-legged creature.

None of them had seen such a creature before. It resembled the tree-climbers—monkeys or perhaps the warlike gorillas—but it wasn’t nearly as hairy, and its gait was entirely alien. And... uglier. After all, its body was a sickly green, covered in strange hide. Hide that seemed to pull back and forth its head and back as it ran

They blinked in disbelief when they realised the creature’s power level.

It was a mid-Class 1.

Saliva pooled in the mouths of several predators.

Fresh meat, they thought.

Exotic prey.

They wanted a bite of this unique creature before the Ironspine Raveger wolves got to him.

And so, they moved.

---

Alex felt the change instantly.

The hunger. The killing intent. The subtle shifts in the air. It all pressed down on him like a blanket soaked in blood.

But instead of fear, a cold smile curled on his lips.

His eyes shimmered—tinged with crimson madness.

His blood boiled, surging with adrenaline and thrill.

Unconsciously, the Astral energy fuelling his Body Strengthening Magic shifted. It stopped channelling like a Body Strengthening Spell—and began to flow like a warrior’s enhancement energy instead.

His muscles tightened, taut and ready to unleash bursts of unpredictable movement.

His senses sharpened.

Every rustle. Every motion. Every hostile intention near him became part of an intricate illusion forming in his mind—fed by his Spirit Sight and sharpened instincts.

A mental map updated itself with uncanny clarity, tracking the predators’ movements.

And in that battlefield, with monsters ahead and wolves behind, Alex smiled like a lunatic.

Magic beasts were not stupid.

Especially not apex predators—creatures honed by countless hunts to track down prey, regardless of speed or strength.

Not all the Ironspine Raveger wolves were chasing Alex head-on.

Two trios broke formation, veering wide as they pushed their bodies to the limit. They raced through the underbrush with deadly precision, attempting to flank him from both sides.

At the same time, a few other beasts—clever opportunists—moved to block his path from the front.

Through his internal map, Alex saw the danger unfold in real-time. He was surrounded. The noose was tightening.

Still, that wild grin remained plastered on his face.

It widened unnaturally, stretching across his cheeks. His eyes—now a deeper red than blood—shone with a manic gleam.

His lips moved.

No discernible words emerged.

ROAR!

A hyena-like creature—a Class 2 beast—couldn’t hold back its bloodlust any longer and leapt toward him.

Alex didn’t flinch.

He hopped—barely clearing the lunging beast.

Mid-air, he pivoted, stomped down with savage force onto the hyena’s skull, and released a violent burst of Astral energy through his heel.

Crack!

The beast’s spine snapped like dry twigs.

Its neck shattered, and splinters of bone pierced its jugular, killing it before it even hit the ground.

But for Alex, this was just the beginning.

The ring of predators around him surged forward—no longer predators, but scavengers scrambling for the first bite.

And Alex? He didn’t run.

Instead, he adjusted his speed to remain exactly at the centre of the beast circle.

Drawing them in.

Guiding them closer.

---

Just a kilometre away now.

The heart of the battlefield lay ahead—strewn with blood, carnage, and corpses.

Class 3 titans lay slain there: the Bladefanged SkyTiger and the Sun-Scaled Viper.

It was a graveyard soaked in power and death.

And Alex was leading a parade of monsters right into it.

By the time the beasts encircled him completely, their foul breath brushing against his neck, Alex could no longer hold back.

A cruel grin split his face.

He opened his arms.

And whispered—

”Flame Wave.”

He channeled over half his remaining mana into the spell.

Then—

Boom!

A violent explosion of deep crimson fire erupted outward, engulfing everything within a fifty-metre radius.

The forest ignited in a flash.

Wails. Howls. Screams.

Dozens of beasts were instantly set ablaze.

Alex’s flames weren’t the most destructive—but they burned with a dense elemental fire essence, making them near impossible to put out.

Worse still, the more the beasts flailed, the faster the flames spread.

This was the horror of a Grade 4 spell—forcefully cast thanks to his Elemental Affinity Enhancement, the power of Solmir’s True Name, and...

...a sliver of Madness.

The Mad Flames clung to their flesh like starving leeches, refusing to die...

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