Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 876: Hero Returns I

Volume 3 – Foundation of Mythos

CH876 Hero Returns I

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According to Pangean Academia, the advent of Interplanar travel was an inescapable consequence for any intelligent or intellectual civilisation.

Even a civilisation apathetic to Interplanar travel would eventually develop the technology for Interplanar travel as it reached the extremes of its magical-technological tree.

This was because of the age-old reality of finite resources.

Be it the higher ranks on the path of power who sought the Cosmic Truth or simply Cosmic Energy to improve their cultivation, or civilisations whose societies had reached a state of stagnation wherein it was difficult to achieve further development or even the barest changes… eyes would eventually turn towards Interplanar travel.

Interplanar travel held, for powerful beings and/or civilisations, the promise of development and growth. Access to new knowledge, perspectives, and resources. The possibility of trade and of conquest.

For centuries, if not millennia, Pangea had been no different.

Its denizens had divided the world amongst the current powers, with little to no room for change or growth without a massive stimulus for flux.

Naturally, in order to maintain their stranglehold on power without necessarily stifling growth and development, the powers-that-be ushered in an era of Interplanar conquest.

This era was one which allowed for the birth of ‘heroes’ who had left their mark upon the universe without threatening the order of Pangea.

It had brought in resources new and unavailable on the plane, or previously strictly regulated on the basis of power. It had even ushered in boundless creativity and development, which was precipitated by the dangers posed to expeditions by natives of the foreign planes.

Amongst many other things.

In the current history of Pangea, the path of Interplanar travel and expedition had grown beyond just a luxury; it was now a necessity.

Such that those, especially amongst the nobility and particularly the aristocracy, who did not engage in it were seen as lower than their actual stations, while those who engaged in it and returned safely were celebrated as heroes.

In fact, what many failed to understand was that this fact wasn’t merely a reality for its denizens, but for the very plane itself.

A beam of light tore through the vast expanse of the universe. Though this beam travelled at speeds inconceivable to the human mind, it wasn’t all that special. For every moment, beams like it travelled across the void of space, some reaching the same destination, most reaching for others.

It was a humbling fact about the universe. What may be inconceivable to most species, what may be unachievable or special to them… was merely just one of the basic processes of the Universe.

The majesty of a system so grand that one could not even begin to comprehend how such a complex, self-containing and self-governing system came to be.

On this day, this extraordinary, yet seemingly ordinary, beam amongst itself darted towards a lone plane in the endless void of the universe.

The plane floated proudly in the endless void like a beautiful flower in a murky river.

Surrounding it, just at the extreme of its orbit, were luminous satellites that floated around it.

One might mistake these luminous satellites for the plane’s moons; however, only one of them had such a reality. Within the rest, if one looked closely, one would see various worlds unto themselves—subplanes to the vast and beautiful plane.

The subplanes hovering around the plane, at first look, didn’t seem like much. But as the beam got closer, one couldn’t help but sense that there was more than needed. Like something was very wrong.

The incoming beam approached the plane and found itself pulled into its orbit, where its speed slowed down significantly as it came towards the plane.

Eventually, the beam hit the surface of the plane, reforming into physical matter as the carrier beam released its travelling occupants.

Alex Fury stirred as a feeling of vertigo washed over him before he slowly came to his senses.

As far as he could perceive, he had walked into the Interplanar Formation, and now, in the next moment, light stung his eyes as he opened them to a vastly new world.

The landscape was unlike any he recognised, yet he felt a strong familiarity with it.

For some reason, the phrase that came to the youth’s mind was…

‘A child returning to its mother’s embrace,’ Alex muttered to himself.

In his mind, Orion—his second mind—tried to retether itself to the natural laws of the world. But in that moment, Alex’s mind—both minds—froze.

“-ex… -Lex… Alex!”

Alex’s mind was pulled from its reverie as Zora called out to him, pulling him back.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Alex shook his head.

“I am fine,” he said. “I am better than fine. I am great,” he added with a beaming smile.

“Are we—?” She couldn’t continue the question.

The other members of the expedition party also turned to him, hopeful.

“Judging from the massive runic network that I just restored my connection to… yes.” Alex nodded. “We are back in Pangea.”

The group around him cheered.

Even though they had gotten used to Verdantis over the years, as they say, ‘there is no place like home’. Each of them—no, rather, most of them—though they didn’t say it, wished to return to Pangea.

And now they had achieved it.

Alex took out boxes containing the group’s personal items and handed the items back to them.

Unsurprisingly, most of the Fury Knights who had families on the plane took out their phones to check and found that they had a connection once more, and they could now call their loved ones.

Fortunately, discipline won over any recklessness, and they looked to Alex before making the call they so dearly wanted to make.

Senu took to the skies while Fen rushed into the nearby forest of their valley location, both to check for predators. In the meantime, Alex got on the Beta Bracer and dialled Cromwell Haggleworth—the Palace Head of the Golden Palace.

“Hello? Young Master Alex?” Cromwell’s voice sounded from the Bracer.

“Who else?” Alex replied with a chuckle.

“You are back? That’s great. Stories of your death—” Haggleworth’s excited voice sounded from the other side.

The gnomish CEO sounded like he was about to give a rundown of the events that had happened while Alex was away, but the young noble cut him off.

“We will get to everything later. For now, contact Alpha and arrange transport to come pick us up. Reach back to me with rendezvous coordinates. We will head there to await transport,” Alex said.

“Don’t worry about that, Palace Master. Just stay where you are. I will send a transport to pick you up,” Haggleworth replied before quickly cutting the call.

Alex turned to the other members of the expedition.

“Let’s wait a while longer before contacting anyone. We’ll get updated on the recent happenings, then we will act from there,” he said.

“Understood.”

***