Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 169: Splintered Platoon

CH169 Splintered Platoon

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[A.N: This Chapter is sponsored by Supreme_slothful, Panda2332, SpecialEagle105 and Calyddon.

[Thanks for the support!!!]

The platoon camped in the meadow for the night after clearing the scene.

By morning, following a night of meditation, Alex pushed the events of the goblin cave behind him as best he could.

Both Lieutenant Cross and Udara—still hidden in shadow—heaved quiet sighs of relief. They were genuinely impressed by the youth’s mental resilience. Neither had expected him to recover so quickly.

The troops, too, were fully refreshed.

The healer had tended to the wounded, and after a proper night’s rest, the platoon had returned to peak condition.

Alex called a meeting.

"We’ve confirmed that the upheaval in the Forest was caused by the presence of the Armoured Troll and the goblin village. I believe the goblins have now splintered into scattered cells throughout the forest.

"That means our job is far from done.

"Our mission is to move along the western corridor northwards and neutralise any disturbances. That’s exactly what we’ll continue to do."

He looked across the group.

"Now that we know what we’re facing, we no longer need to operate as a single force. From here on, we’ll split into four units."

Alex turned to Laura. "Your advance team—the six archers—will form a mobile scouting group. Sweep past minor goblin clusters. Mark the larger ones for the rest of us to deal with.

"Mobility is your weapon. Avoid drawn-out engagements unless necessary."

"By your will, Commander," Laura said, saluting crisply.

The archer scouts of her Advanced team gathered around her at once.

"Who among you subunit captains will lead your group?" Alex asked.

The Spear Captain silently stepped beside Lieutenant Cross, declining the role, opting instead to travel with Lieutenant Cross.

Eventually, the Bow Captain stepped forward and was chosen to lead the fourth group.

Alex nodded. "Take seven Shieldbearers, seven Spearmen, and the remaining archers."

This left seven Shieldbearers and five archers unassigned.

He turned to Lieutenant Cross. "Lieutenant, I trust you can make do with the rest."

"Commander, you’re not taking any troops?" Cross asked, concerned.

"I’ll be taking Fen. We’ll move ahead to draw out any strong beasts hidden in the forest. That’ll make it easier for your unit to bypass or engage as needed."

"But young lord—"

"I understand your misgivings, Lieutenant," Alex said, cutting him off. "But no one values my life more than I do, and no one has a better estimation of my own capabilities. I never take on what I’m not confident in handling."

He clapped the man on the shoulder.

"Even so, Commander, it’s not proper for the heir of a noble house to roam without an escort."

"Don’t be so stiff, Lieutenant. Out here, I’m not a young lord—I’m just another human. The forest doesn’t care who I am. Our most important duty isn’t protecting me—it’s eliminating threats to Fury lands.

"And that’s what we’ll do," Alex said, tone firm.

He patted Cross’s shoulder again with a faint smile.

The older man responded with a wry one of his own.

Despite his concerns, he recognised that Alex’s distribution was as balanced as possible.

In truth, Alex and Fen might have the easiest time of it. Alex had the firepower to bring down most threats. Fen had the speed and instincts to evade anything they couldn’t handle head-on.

If there was something out there capable of holding both Alex and Fen down, dragging more troops along wouldn’t change the outcome. In fact, they might only get in the way.

Accepting this, Lieutenant Cross gave no further protest.

The first to move out were Alex and Fen.

Alex had them chart a path toward the eastern edge of their corridor of responsibility. This placed the duo closest to the border of the inner region of Dankrot Forest—by far the most dangerous area.

Naturally, Alex chose it. He and Fen’s role as vanguard scouts was to proactively expose any hidden threats before they endangered the rest of the platoon.

The other three groups advanced north, pressing through the centre toward of the forest’s western corridor, with Laura’s Advance team pushing ahead of the others.

Surprisingly, the day passed quietly for Alex. Aside from a few close calls with native beasts—situations he wisely avoided—the hours were largely uneventful.

Fen hunted down a Class 1 deer-like beast for dinner while Alex busied himself setting up camp using his magic.

As the meat roasted, Fen monitored the process with laser focus while Alex called out mentally.

"There’s no one else. You come out and join me," he said through their link.

"I can’t. My job is to protect your danger, Master," Udara replied.

"I need someone to talk to—just to get my head out of things."

That made Udara pause. She remembered the previous night and hesitated.

"Please... you’ll be helping to protect my mental health," Alex pushed.

"...Fine," she finally relented.

Her lithe, wild, and seductively feminine form appeared near the fire.

Alex patted the empty space on the dried log where he sat. Udara gave a small nod and seated herself beside him.

Fen acknowledged her with a brief glance and a nod, then returned to watching over the meat.

Alex studied her profile long enough to make her visibly uncomfortable.

"What...?" she asked, slightly recoiling.

Alex gave a small smile. "I was just wondering what your story is. Take your aura, for example. It’s an amalgam of traits I never imagined could exist in one person."

He met her gaze. "Are you an Amazon... or are you Drow?"

Woof!

Fen barked suddenly, interrupting the moment.

He gave Alex an urgent look.

"Yes, yes... I got it. I’m lowering the fire," Alex muttered.

He toned down the magic flames, prompting Fen to exhale a carefully controlled stream of cold air over the meat, gradually regulating its temperature.

Fire would’ve been ideal for this stage, but Fen had yet to awaken the dormant fire affinity buried in his bloodline. Until then, this roundabout method would have to suffice.

Woof~

A few minutes later, Fen barked again—dinner was ready.

Alex carved up the roasted meat and distributed portions to each of them.

While all this unfolded, Udara remained silent, lost in thought.

She accepted her share absentmindedly, then bit into it. Her eyes widened.

"It’s delicious, right?" Alex grinned. He rubbed Fen’s head. "Our boy here is on the verge of becoming the world’s first canine culinary master."

Fen raised his snout with pride, soaking in the praise.

Udara blinked in disbelief, but eventually gave up trying to rationalise the absurdity. She tossed aside the bone and reached for another piece.

"I have both Drow and Amazonian blood," she said casually after finishing the first chunk of meat.

"What? That’s even possible?" Alex looked stunned.

Udara nonchalantly picked up another piece from the leaf-plated pile.

"I also have Dryad and Succubus blood," she added before sinking her teeth into it again.

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