Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 106: Pillars of a Warrior

CH106 Pillars of a Warrior

***

"You’ve awakened a True Name for your Furor Bloodline?"

Though phrased like a question, Alex immediately caught the underlying tone—it wasn’t really a question. It was a statement.

"How did you know?" Alex asked, genuinely curious.

"Awakening the Furor Bloodline does grant a certain fighting sense and some affinity towards a weapon. But what you’re showing... it’s beyond that. You’re displaying holistic combat instincts. That’s not something ordinary bloodline awakening provides. The only explanation is a True Name," Earl Drake said calmly.

Alex nodded in understanding.

With a thoughtful look, he asked, "Does that mean it’ll be obvious to anyone familiar with the Furor Bloodline?"

"Somewhat. As long as you put everything on display like you just did, someone’s bound to figure it out like I did."

"So, it’d be fine... as long as I don’t show them enough for them to connect the dots?"

"Hmm..." Earl Drake nodded. Then he added, "Even if someone realises you’ve manifested a True Name, it doesn’t matter much unless you actually reveal the Name itself. As long as you don’t do that, whether they know or not is of little consequence."

"But they’ll be more guarded if they know than if they don’t," Alex countered.

"What does it matter whether your prey is guarded or not?"

"It matters because I’m still weak," Alex said bluntly. "And I’m not stupid enough to ignore that. I’d rather fight an opponent with their guard down than one fully prepared."

"Suit yourself," Earl Drake said, turning his attention to something else.

"A weapon master’s talent, huh..."

He turned back to Alex, a sharp look in his eyes. "It’s not easy to train a proper Weapon Master."

"Huh? Why not? Don’t I just need to realise my potential and train with multiple weapons?" Alex asked.

Earl Drake scoffed and gave him a disdainful glare.

"Spoken like a true novice brat.

"If you go about it like that, you’ll waste your talent. You’ll become the proverbial jack of all trades, master of none.

"It takes time—a lot of time—to master even a single weapon. Never mind multiple. Even I can’t claim to have mastered the sword, and look at my age and standing. You think you’ll have the time to master them all before reaching my level?

"You’re talented, kid. But that’s all you are right now—talented. Don’t get ahead of yourself."

Jab after jab, Earl Drake made sure to crush any arrogance that might have been taking root in his son. He had no intentions of raising a cocky fool.

Only once he was sure that the lesson had sunk in, did he finally reveal something deeper.

"It takes a special kind of mindset to become a true Weapon Master. From what I’ve heard, Weapon Masters don’t master weapons... they master themselves.

"They see themselves as the platform, and weapons are merely extensions of that platform.

"With this mindset, no matter what weapon they wield, it’s all the same to them.

"So, a Weapon Master isn’t a jack of all trades, master of none...

They’re a master specialising in one thing— themselves."

Alex frowned.

He felt like his mind had caught hold of something, but whatever it was—it slipped away. Fleeting. Elusive. Just out of reach.

Earl Drake continued, his voice low and direct, "I’ll be honest with you, kid. The number of true Weapon Masters in recorded history... is very small. The number of living ones? A handful. And of those, the number I know personally, and can convince to train you?

Zero."

He let the silence hang.

"You’re on your own if you want to walk this path."

But to his surprise, Alex didn’t grimace. Didn’t sulk. The boy—no, the young man—smiled.

"It’s nothing new," Alex shrugged. "My path of magic is already something untested. Untouched. Unique. No one’s ever walked it before. Spells, bloodlines, True Names, weapons, battle techniques... even power—they’re all just tools."

His gaze became steady.

"Tools for me to forge and cultivate my own path."

"Whether this new element becomes a side path I nurture, or another brick to pave the road I’ve already chosen... it changes nothing."

"And what is that?" Earl Drake asked, eyes narrowed.

"To see how far I can walk on the path of power," Alex replied, a sombre smile on his face, "before destiny, fate... or death claims me."

Earl Drake shook his head. "That’s not something I expect to hear from someone your age."

"We’ve already established—"

"—that you’re not like others your age," Earl Drake cut him off, finishing the sentence with a knowing look. "That much is clear."

He shook his head again, but this time, a small grin tugged at his lips.

Changing the subject, he said, "Even if I can’t offer the proper tutelage to help unlock your full potential, that doesn’t mean I can’t equip you with the right tools to do it yourself."

Alex perked up, focus sharpening.

Earl Drake raised three fingers, letting them fall one by one as he spoke:

"The Warrior Path, at its core, is divided into three pillars—Attack, Defence, and Mobility."

"As a Weapon Master, your primary mode of attack will be your weapon. Like I said, I can’t teach you the intricacies of Weapon Mastery. But I can show you something close."

"There are Warrior Paths that use multiple weapons—similar to Weapon Masters, though not on the same level of mastery. One such path... is the Knight."

A small smile broke across his lips.

"Jared uses multiple weapons in battle. A lance when leading a cavalry charge. A sword when fighting not mounted on Terror. And when all else fails, he can still fight unarmed to a surprising degree."

"But..." Earl Drake paused, "his primary weapon is the sword."

"In terms of pure swordsmanship, one could even argue Jared’s better than I am."

Alex immediately picked up on what the Earl was suggesting.

"You’re thinking of asking Jared to train me in versatile weapon usage?"

"Something like that," the Earl nodded.

He continued, "As for Defence, I believe you already have that covered. It was the whole point of sending you to the DragonHold Enclave."

"Huh? What does the Enclave have to do with defence?"

Earl Drake raised a brow. "Mages from your Enclave are experts in defensive combat and self-preservation. While most mages are glass cannons—capable of unleashing devastating spells but collapsing at a single hit—your Enclave’s mages are iron cannons. They hit hard and can take hits just as well."

He smirked. "If not for that unique trait, why do you think I’d have spent such a crippling amount sending you there, when I could’ve chosen much cheaper Mage Towers?"

"I thought it was because Master Merlin was a Legendary Mage... and training under him was prestigious," Alex admitted.

"Ha!" Earl Drake laughed. "Of course not. Our Empire has more than a few dozen Mage Legends who train the younger generation. Merlin is the most expensive of the lot, which is exactly why few go to him."

He leaned forward slightly. "However, it’s well known that mages from his Enclave might as well be tanks among their peers."

"And judging from your body..." his gaze swept over Alex critically, "Merlin invested a lot into crafting you a sturdy physical form. I’d wager it’s no weaker than a Warrior’s at this stage. I’d say... that was money well spent."

Alex blinked.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen many mages from outside the Enclave fight. But even before the Dragon Blood Essence and Dragon Heart tempering, the meals and elixirs given to him had steadily improved his physical body and constitution.

Apparently, it was a secret dietary regimen of the Enclave.

Alex could now see the clear distinction between their methods and what others likely went through.

"Don’t worry," Earl Drake chuckled. "By the time you encounter mages from other factions, you’ll see for yourself just how right your old man was."

He raised a finger. "That leaves us with the final piece: Mobility."

"Mobility and footwork techniques are essential in battle," the Earl said firmly. "They can be the difference between victory and defeat... escape and capture... life and death."

"There are many techniques I could teach you..." he trailed off, his voice dipping into a moment of contemplation before he spoke again, this time more solemnly. "...but most wouldn’t do justice to your bloodline—or the advantages you currently hold."

His eyes locked onto Alex’s.

"Fortunately, there is one technique that will prove useful."

He folded his arms and took a deep breath.

"This is a technique that originated from our founder... but it stopped being passed down generations ago because no one could use it well anymore."

Alex straightened, now fully attentive.

"The technique requires a pure enough bloodline to awaken and wield the Netherspark affinity— the rare elemental affinity of the Infernals. Without it, the footwork loses its essence."

Earl Drake’s expression turned steely.

"The name of the mobility technique... is Abyssal Conqueror’s Steps."

**

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