Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 609: All-Weapon Intent I

CH609 All-Weapon Intent I

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[Featherflight] [Featherfall] [Body Strengthening Magic]

[Velkarasolmir: Domination & Dominion]

[Spirit Sight] [Death Perception]

[Abyssal Conqueror Step: Third Step — Wraith’s Crossing]!

Alex surged forward, completely unrestrained and unleashed.

His speed skyrocketed as he dashed down the mountain, fearless, charging straight toward the horde of berserk humans below that numbered in the hundreds.

Dragon Kumite: Burst!

Just before reaching the end of the inclined path, he leapt into the air—

His foot slammed onto the head of a nearby strength-type berserk human, using it as a springboard to propel himself forward.

Boom! Boom!

Then again and again, he bounded from head to head.

With each step, recycled mana from his previous spell burst from his feet in sharp detonations, blasting apart the skulls of the berserk humans beneath him.

The horde finally reacted.

An agility-type berserk human lunged at him mid-air, attempting to exploit his vulnerable state.

But Mana erupted beneath Alex’s feet, propelling him forward instead of halting him.

He shot directly toward the attacker.

Shing—!

The wrist blade slid out from the Beta Bracer.

Alex descended blade-first, driving it precisely into the weak point revealed by Death Perception within the berserk human’s skull.

A perfect kill.

However, the agility-type had achieved its goal.

Alex was now grounded, and surrounded.

The horde closed in from all directions.

Yet instead of panic, a grin actually spread across his face.

’Good...’

’I wouldn’t be able to vent months of frustration if it were that easy.’

He issued a command to OmniRune.

A spell circle formed beneath his feet as ambient lightning mana surged into it.

[Stun Current]!

A crackling field of lightning burst outward, forming a five-metre radius around him, stunning every Class 2 berserk human within range.

Without hesitation, Mana surged into his draconic baton.

Alex pivoted on his heel and spun.

Dragon Kumite: Release.

Sword Energy!

A circular wave of sword energy erupted outward, decapitating over a dozen berserk humans in a single sweep.

But there was no pause.

More enemies surged forward.

Alex immediately deactivated [Stun Current], switching spells mid-flow.

[Shadow Veil]!

The lightning field collapsed, replaced instantly by a shroud of darkness that swallowed the same radius.

[Second Step — Phantom’s Veil]!

Alex vanished within the shadows.

Moments later, the darkness dissipated.

And in its wake —dozens of berserk humans stood frozen— before collapsing.

All decapitated or pierced through the brain, but very much dead all the same.

Meanwhile, Alex was gone.

The berserk humans began searching frantically.

Stronger Class 3 variants rushed into the area, drawn by the disturbance, seeking the unblessed hidden among them.

But Alex hadn’t left.

He remained within their midst, cloaked in darkness through the stealth method of the Abyssal Conqueror Step.

Its Second Step, Phantom’s Veil, allowed its user to move shrouded within an element.

In Alex’s case— Darkness.

It erased his presence from the perception of the berserk humans entirely.

With that advantage, he slipped effortlessly out of the encirclement and repositioned himself elsewhere within the horde.

Yet he did not reveal himself.

Instead— He silently hunted.

Each swing of his blade efficiently claimed another life.

And with every strike, his thoughts drifted back to his conversation with the Sword Emperor during the Armament Trial.

—

"You have a natural talent and disposition for the sword. Why do you reject it?" the Sword Emperor had asked.

"Just because I have talent for something... does that mean I’m supposed to like it?" Alex had replied, swinging his blade in accordance with the phantom’s guidance.

"It’s my choice whether I like something or not. And I don’t like the sword. That’s all there is to it."

"Understandable," the Sword Emperor had nodded. "But even so... to bury a talent —especially one aligned with your disposition— is a waste."

—

That was all he had said.

Yet, those words lingered, and gnawed at Alex.

Worse still, the Sword Emperor’s teaching style had made wielding the sword feel... natural, and comfortable.

So much so that, at some point, when Alex had drawn his draconic baton, he had kept its shape like a sword coated with mana, only realising it after the fact.

"Don’t think too much. Just swing it in whatever way feels natural. If it doesn’t work, adjust until it does. That is the foundation of swordsmanship."

The words echoed once more in his mind as he cut down yet another berserk human.

Then another, and another.

The mana coating his draconic baton and wrist blade began to refine itself instinctively—becoming smoother, sharper and more precise.

Gradually. his strikes grew cleaner and effortless.

Heads fell, limbs were severed and bodies split cleanly in two.

He did all off these without even realising.

The Sword Emperor’s final words resurfaced in his mind, clearer than ever.

"The sword is no different from any other weapon. It is an extension of your body... a tool for a specific purpose."

"You don’t need to like it, just make use of it... as the tool it was meant to be."

Alex’s movements were becoming increasingly noticeable.

After all, it was difficult to ignore the growing trail of corpses left in his wake.

More and more berserk humans began converging on his position once again.

His eyes flashed.

A spell formation manifested behind him.

[Fear Pulse]

A wave of darkness erupted outward, with Alex at its centre.

The advancing horde faltered, then froze.

A deep, instinctive terror seized them from the very core of their being, halting their advance.

[Third Step — Wraith’s Crossing]!

In the next instant, Alex vanished— reappearing on another flank of the battlefield.

[First Step — Ghost’s Step]!

His footwork changed.

He flowed between the berserk humans like a phantom, resuming his slaughter without pause.

Before long, his mind emptied.

Detached from the carnage, it instead lingered on the Sword Emperor’s final words.

And then, a change happened, subtly.

The way he wielded his draconic baton —and even the wrist blade of his Beta Bracer— changed and adapted in the moment.

When he required reach, the weapon extended.

When the enemy drew near, it retracted.

In an instant, he instinctively changed his weapon’s form without giving it thought.

Sword... spear... staff...

Combined with his control over mana through Dragon Kumite, Alex flowed seamlessly between weapon styles without losing even a fraction of lethality.

His distant gaze shimmered, touched by enlightenment.

’When picking up a tool... preference or disgust doesn’t matter.’

’Only whether it is the right tool for the job.’

’OmniRune... spear... dagger... staff... hammer... shield... or even a sword... They are all tools— extensions of my body, allowing me to perform actions I otherwise could not.

’That’s all there is to it.’

’I don’t need to overthink it. A tool, regardless of form... will always be a tool.’

In that moment—

Something cleared within his mind.

His Will surged.

His Spiritual Force expanded outward.

Ring—!

Far above—

The stunned Fortuna members suddenly felt their weapons tremble.

Swords, spears, daggers, staffs, hammers, shields, axes, glaives, clubs— every weapon strained against its wielder, pointing in a single direction, as if yearning to break free.

Only Silver and Havel —both possessing Weapon Intent— remained unaffected.

Surprisingly, Udara was unaffected as well.

The others tightened their grips, struggling to restrain their weapons.

Then they realised— all of them were being pulled toward the same point... toward the same lone youth who was carving a path through the berserk human horde.

Havel stared at Alex below, his expression complex.

"All-Weapon Intent..." he muttered.

***