Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 96: Warlock

CH96 Warlock

***

It was only after Alex disappeared around the corner that Kurt could finally move again. freewёbnoνel-com

He stared down at his trembling hand in shock and horror.

One glance.

Just one look—and he was paralysed.

’How... how is this possible?!’ Kurt’s mind reeled in disbelief.

’I was... afraid? Of him? Of that trash? That weakling?!’

His ego screamed in denial. This couldn’t be real.

By all logical metrics, Alex was weaker than him. The mana pressure from Alex clearly indicated he was only an early-stage Intermediate Mage, while Kurt himself was a peak-stage Intermediate Warrior.

There was no way he should’ve been subdued by a mere look!

’It must be sorcery! Yes—that’s it! He cheated!’

"Seraphina! Sophia! Did you—?"

Kurt whipped around, intending to demand answers from his sisters, both of whom practised Warlock-type professions. Seraphina, the seductive Enchantress, and Sophia, the clever Hex Witch—both should know if Alex had used some kind of enchantment or hex on him.

But they were gone.

All of them.

Seraphina, Sophia, Ulfman, and even the little brat Wilbert.

"Damn you all!" Kurt roared in rage.

Unbeknownst to him, the four had slipped away the moment Alex left.

They knew Kurt too well.

They knew how he got when humiliated.

They had no intention of letting him take out his bruised pride on them, so they beat a swift and quiet retreat.

—

"Brother Alex is so cool!" Wilbert beamed, stars in his eyes.

"Shh!" Sophia quickly clamped a hand over the boy’s mouth.

She glanced around warily before sighing in relief. No one had overheard.

"He’s not wrong though. It was kind of cool," Seraphina admitted, tossing her long silver-grey hair over her shoulder.

"Don’t encourage him," Sophia snapped, glaring at her sister.

Alex’s words still echoed in their minds. The way he had carried himself... the aura... the weight of his presence...

"Alex," Ulfman murmured, brows furrowed. "He’s different."

"Yes," Seraphina agreed. "He was almost like..."

"Father," all three older siblings said in unison.

Ulfman turned to Sophia. "Looks like your warning was spot on."

"Of course it was. Never doubt a witch’s intuition," Sophia said with a smirk.

Ulfman nodded seriously. "Then we stay out of their way. Just like we planned."

"Agreed," Seraphina said, her earlier playfulness replaced by solemn understanding.

Even Wilbert nodded along, eyes serious despite his age. He was young, but not blind. He understood that the house was headed for conflict, and he knew better than to get caught in the crossfire.

Still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t quietly wave Brother Alex’s flag.

—

Elsewhere, Alex walked with a faint, thoughtful smile on his face.

Not because of what he had just done to Kurt—though satisfying—but because of what he sensed in his other siblings.

Two of the Earl’s wives had clearly chosen neutrality—or perhaps, silent support. That mattered.

He wouldn’t completely take them at face value. Not yet. But it was a pleasant development.

He didn’t want to go to war with all of the Earl’s children.

True, he didn’t feel any particular bond with them. These were not siblings he had grown up with. Not in his heart. But still...

Knowing that the majority weren’t actively gunning for him?

It meant something.

Especially for someone who’d been alone his entire past life.

’It must’ve been Sophia who convinced them,’ he mused.

Most people assumed Warlocks and Mages were the same type of magical class.

But in truth, there was a fundamental difference between them.

Mages needed to study, to learn the theory behind each spell they cast. Their magic was a construct of logic, formulae, and understanding.

Warlocks, on the other hand, instinctively knew how to wield their spells. There was no logic to speak of, and they couldn’t even begin to explain their spells.

This instinctive control came from synchronising their Spiritual Force—either with their bloodline or the world around them—to tap into knowledge buried deep within.

Bloodline Warlocks drew upon ancestral memories and genetic power. For example, a Dragon Warlock could invoke draconic spells without ever studying them, merely by awakening the knowledge imprinted in their bloodline.

World Warlocks, however, synchronised with the world itself. Their spiritual force became aligned with specific Laws of nature. If a Warlock attuned to the Law of Fire, they would instantly understand how to conjure fire spells—but only fire spells.

Warlocks weren’t a class one could choose. They were born into it. Talent alone wasn’t enough. Fate had to decree it.

---

Seraphina and Sophia were both Warlocks.

Seraphina, the seductive Enchantress, was a Bloodline Warlock. She tapped into their Furor Bloodline, drawing power from the negative energy of lust to bend her targets to her will.

Sophia, by contrast, was a World Warlock. She had synchronised with the world itself and now channelled its ambient negative energy through hexes—weaving ill-will into tangible curses.

Bloodline Warlocks were known for being sensitive and reactive, while World Warlocks were intuitive and foresighted.

Alex suspected that Sophia, with her world-bound intuition, had deduced a grim future should they choose to oppose him. It explained why she had gathered her siblings from the "Fury women camp" and quietly withdrawn them from the heir competition.

’Smart girl,’ Alex thought.

As for Kurt...

Alex didn’t think much of him, aside from being mildly relieved that he now had a clear face to assign to his opposition.

A part of him even sympathised with Kurt.

There was only a couple of months’ difference in age between them—yet those months had made Alex the eldest and, therefore, the heir apparent.

That alone would be enough to breed resentment. But then came Alex’s dismal performance during his first awakening, and Kurt’s own explosive success.

The household attention would’ve shifted dramatically. And if Kurt’s high-strung, politically savvy mother had been whispering into his ears...

Well. That would explain the arrogance.

Still, Alex’s sympathy stopped there.

During Alex’s time away, Kurt had likely basked in adoration and sycophantic praise. It had twisted him into an overconfident young lord who believed the world revolved around him.

’The archetypal third-rate villain,’ Alex mused. ’The kind that causes trouble until the MC slaps them down.’

The kind he despised.

He had already decided—he’d put Kurt down at the earliest opportunity.

---

"We’re here, Young Lord," the knight’s voice pulled Alex out of his thoughts.

Alex blinked, realising they had arrived in front of Earl Drake’s office.

He nodded.

The knight stepped forward and knocked firmly.

"My Lord, Young Master Alex has arrived."

"Enter," came Earl Drake’s unmistakable voice from the other side.

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly as the door opened before him.

It was time.

***

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