Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 647: Bolt- and Pump-action II

CH647 Bolt- and Pump-action II

***

The riders barely had time to react. Their aura defences—thin and unprepared—were pierced through as if they were nothing more than parchment.

In an instant, the four riders were impaled.

The lead rider’s body stiffened before collapsing lifelessly from his mount.

The sudden reversal sent shockwaves through the convoy.

”What—?!”

”They killed the captain?!”

”To arms! Kill them!”

Shouts erupted as the remaining mounted guards spurred their horses forward, charging towards Alex’s position in an attempt to form a defensive line and buy time for the rest.

Within the convoy, the labourers and drivers scrambled into action.

Shields were raised. Clubs, daggers, and whatever crude weapons they could grasp were drawn.

Some clambered atop the carriages, hastily nocking arrows onto rough bows.

In the unforgiving expanse of the Hollowcrest Wildlands, even the most ordinary labourer learned to fight.

Especially those who travelled under the banner of the Lost Heathens. At any moment, they could become killers.

Alex, Mogal, and Kavakan did not move to meet the incoming cavalry.

Instead, they held their ground.

Thwack!

From the elevated ridges flanking the road, Sergeant Lopota led the Fury Knights as they opened fire with their newly issued weapons—a modified crossbow variant developed by Sugud.

Lopota took aim at one of the advancing riders and fired.

Thwack!

The string snapped forward, launching the bolt with lethal precision.

Without so much as a glance at the result, Lopota pulled the foregrip back in a smooth motion—pumping the crossbow.

With a sharp click, the string reset under tension as an internal spring system fed a fresh bolt into the groove.

Without pause or hesitation, he fired again.

And again.

Fire—pump—fire—pump!

The Fury Knights unleashed a relentless barrage, each soldier maintaining a steady rhythm of nearly one bolt per second, until the magazine was spent.

The Fury knights calmly changed for another magazine, and soon smoothly continued opening fire.

The cavalry had no time to react.

They were cut down mid-charge, their advance shattered before it could even begin.

Meanwhile, positioned further back atop the highest elevation, Silver and the original Fury crossbowmen took aim.

Their weapons were of a different design—another one of Sugud’s variants.

Longer, heavier, and built for long-ranged precision.

The extended bolt grooves housed reinforced, elongated bolts, while the mechanism itself allowed for mana infusion.

Silver and the five crossbowmen channelled their mana into their weapons.

Energy gathered along the string... then concentrated into the bolts themselves.

Once fully charged—

They fired.

THWACK!

The release was sharper, louder.

The bolts tore through the air with devastating speed, striking targets over a hundred metres away with unerring accuracy.

Silver bolted back the mechanism without looking down, her eyes locked firmly on the battlefield below.

The limbs of her crossbow groaned under the strain as she drew it back, the string locking into place.

With a firm forward motion, the chamber sealed—another bolt snapping into position, ready to fire.

She aimed again.

Channelled mana.

Fired.

One by one, the stronger enemies fell.

Below, the battlefield unravelled.

The pump-action crossbows wielded by Lopota and the Fury Knights tore through the weaker forces, mowing them down in waves.

At the same time, Silver and her unit methodically eliminated the higher-ranked targets with their bolt-action, mana-enhanced crossbows.

Within moments—without a single blade drawn, without a single spell cast—the Fortuna party seized control of the battlefield from a distance.

Quietly, and efficiently, they heralded the arrival of a new kind of warfare.

Alex observed the entire battle—if it could even be called that—with a faint smile playing on his lips.

’Taking the bolt-action and pump-action mechanisms I casually described and integrating them into a crossbow design... leave it to a dwarf-elf hybrid to turn what was essentially an abstract concept into deadly, functional prototypes,’ he mused.

’With this foundation, I am confident that, given time, he will be able to replicate even more advanced weapon systems. If things progress as expected, I may not need to develop an alternative cultivation path for those without the needed talent. With the right tools, even ordinary individuals could become effective military assets.’

’And if I have the opportunity to further enhance these designs with Rune-Tech... I might be able to increase the effectiveness of the weapon system further for both Professionals and non-professionals alike.’

By the time his thoughts settled, the battle was already over.

After the initial barrage from the crossbows, the Fortuna party descended upon the remnants, swiftly eliminating any survivors.

The entire engagement had lasted less than ten minutes.

Alex—and his wives—had not needed to lift a hand.

His subordinates, beast companions, and the Fury soldiers had handled everything with ruthless efficiency. No prisoners were taken.

Those who bore the banner of the Lost Heathens had been marked for death by the party, and Alex saw no reason to intervene.

Once the area had been... sanitised, the group cleared the battlefield, recovering their fired bolts. Afterward, they erected a crude perimeter to shield the captured carriages from opportunistic beasts.

Standing at a distance, Alex activated his Beta Bracer and placed a call to Raven Horn.

”The first objective is complete,” he said as soon as the connection stabilised.

”Understood. My people will arrive within ten minutes,” Raven Horn replied.

”We won’t be waiting. We’ll proceed to the second objective.”

”Very well. We’ll await your next update.”

Alex ended the call, releasing a quiet breath.

”Gather up,” he called to the group.

With a thought, he activated OmniRune.

The AI mage-assistant responded instantly, executing a spell that opened a Spatial Gate before him.

Zora raised a brow.

”I had OmniRune convert the formation into a spell. It’s... more convenient this way,” Alex explained casually.

He spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Zora stared at him, momentarily stunned. Eleanore and Udara were no different.

Just as Zora and Eleanore began to recover, Udara spoke—only to deepen their disbelief.

”Master... if this is derived from the Interplanar Grand Formation, does that mean you intend to eventually convert that into a spell as well?”

Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

”That’s actually not a bad idea,” he said.

”What are you saying, Udara? Don’t encourage him,” Zora cut in immediately.

”Sorry...” Udara replied sheepishly.

By then, the Spatial Gate had fully stabilised, locking onto a pre-marked destination identified by the scouting team.

Without hesitation, the Fortuna party began to step through.

One after another, they vanished into the gate.

On the other side... awaiting them, was the Lost Heathens’ most critical shipment base.

***