Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 606: Finally... Elite Rank Mage

***

Alex stepped out of the Sanctuary, venturing back into the outer realm—the Heaven-Earth Concordance space.

He materialized again in front of the elder, One Heaven.

"Did it succeed?" One Heaven inquired.

"It did," Alex affirmed. "I’m preparing to cast the spell right now. It could draw in a massive quantity of surrounding mana. Will that cause issues?"

He worried that such a abrupt depletion might disrupt the stability of the space—particularly because almost all elements inside depended on the thick ambient mana to maintain themselves, let alone operate.

One Heaven rubbed his lengthy beard in contemplation.

"Better to avoid risks. Follow me," he instructed.

He guided Alex down the mountain, halting midway at a cavern carved into its flank.

The cavern expanded into a huge chamber overflowing with concentrated mana.

"What a mana-rich cavern!" Alex blurted out on reflex.

This was undoubtedly the biggest mana cave he’d ever encountered—eclipsing even the mana stone deposit in the Pangea plane’s Sanctuary Subspace, site of his initial stroke of fortune.

Not just immense in size, the mana concentration here dwarfed anything else.

"This serves as the core hub of the mana vein fueling the formation," One Heaven clarified, pride coloring his voice. "It resulted from merging ten superior-grade mana veins. You’d struggle to locate another so expansive—or so potent."

Alex had no counterargument.

’Merging ten top-tier mana veins—each able to support an empire for ages without resupply...’

’That’s beyond lavish; it’s staggeringly abundant.’

"Are you employing a talismanic array to stop the mana from crystallizing into mana stones?" Alex questioned.

"Correct," One Heaven confirmed with a nod. "Solid mana proves wasteful for driving the formation. Gaseous form would be ideal—but we opted for liquid."

He motioned to the surrounding chamber.

"It strikes the perfect equilibrium of energy concentration, flow efficiency, and practicality."

Alex nodded, grasping the point.

Guided by One Heaven, he waded into the basin of pristine liquid mana—free of any wild tendencies.

He swam to an isolated pedestal hovering on the surface and clambered atop it.

From there, he started his incantation.

The chant stretched long, delivered fully in the tongue of his former life, English.

As the words flowed on, a vortex swirled into being ahead of him—starting sluggishly, then accelerating as it sucked in ever-greater mana volumes with time.

Moment by moment, the suction grew fiercer.

Until—

By the fifth minute, a colossal spell array materialized overhead.

It unfurled across the full breadth of Heaven-Earth Concordance Mountain—measuring kilometers wide.

["Rune Sage."]

Alex uttered the concluding phrase, triggering the spell.

Instantly—

A ethereal ray plunged from the skies.

It slammed into his brow, burrowing into his Mindspace straight to OmniRune.

At once, floods of wisdom poured into him.

Flows of data streamed into both his mind and OmniRune’s repositories.

For maybe the initial occasion in this realm, Alex sensed a genuine high-velocity wireless transfer—

Data beamed straight from the Heavens.

Then—

After one minute—

It ceased.

Alex’s forehead creased.

’...That’s all?’

His eyebrows drew together sharply.

’Surely not.’

He rapidly scanned the influx of knowledge.

His face grew grim.

’This barely hits upper Tier III... maybe low Tier IV,’ he assessed.

’What’s happening?’

’This ritual should unlock every secret of sigils and their essence... why limit it here?’

Right as the notion arose—

A sensation hit him.

A presence.

Faint yet undeniable.

It seemed like something was... mocking him with laughter.

And inexplicably, he knew.

The mirth originated from the Universe.

A phantom of quiet, derisive reply instinctively shaped and resounded in his thoughts.

’Did you really think you could fool the Universe?’

’A force ruling Ninth Class beings... ancients whose mere naps outlast your whole existence... depths where their tiniest mistakes eclipse your finest revelations...’

’You—a novice barely out of swaddling clothes, who’s seen but a speck of reality—dared to trick such a power?’

From that spectral chuckle, Alex envisioned endless taunts hurled by the Universe.

He let out a dry, self-mocking laugh.

Ultimately, he embraced the gift bestowed.

In reality... it sufficed.

It matched precisely his requirements.

"Begin," he commanded.

OmniRune sprang into action without delay.

Leveraging the fresh insights, it patched holes in its Rune–Sigil linkage database, honing current records and weaving in myriad subtle adaptations.

Thus, OmniRune finalized its Translator.

And through that, the Emulator-Translation feature reached perfection.

No flashy show unfolded.

No burst of might erupted.

No outward sign appeared.

Still, Alex perceived it.

The unseen burden crushing his Rune-Tech route... vanished.

His Emulator now tricked Verdantis’ own laws, integrating Rune-Tech into the planet’s glyph magic framework.

A subtle gleam ignited in Alex’s gaze as he lifted his lids.

’At last... the road lies clear.’

A faint grin curved his mouth.

He surveyed the mana pool.

Its level had clearly dropped.

’Not just denied the complete lore, but the ritual guzzles an outrageous mana quantity.’

His features turned pensive.

’No standard setting could handle this. Few spots boast sufficient ambient mana. ’

He gave a slight shake of his head.

Just as he prepared to rise—

An idea flashed.

’...Unlikely to discover superior conditions soon.’

’While here, why not cultivate—and shatter that final barrier.’

Alex regulated his breath.

Effortlessly, he entered meditative trance.

Per the Astral Training Manual, his awareness plunged into the customary dark emptiness of his inner realm.

Within, myriad light specks drifted amid the gloom.

Each hue signified a distinct elemental mana variety.

Now, their profusion was staggering—undeniable proof of the mana-saturated surroundings enveloping his flesh.

Yet Alex bypassed them.

They weren’t his goal.

He plunged deeper.

Into the abyss. Until finally locating his quarry.

Strands of profound purple Astral Energy.

His Spiritual Force swiftly built a conduit—connecting the inner realm to his corporeal form.

Via it, he pulled in Astral Energy.

Strand upon strand.

Flow after flow.

Unlike prior sessions, the Astral Energy arrived far more plentifully—undoubtedly boosted by the mana-dense aura around him.

Before, during cultivation, beyond restoring his emptied Mana Heart, the drawn Astral Energy yielded zilch.

No matter his efforts...

A blockade always stood firm.

Eventually, the Astral Energy in the inner space even shunned him—bypassing the spirit link save to recharge his Mana Heart.

But this time, all changed.

Astral Energy roared into his Mana Heart like a raging flood.

However mighty that flood, it faced a formidable sentinel,

AetherKindle.

Guarding the Mana Heart’s gateway, it purified every bit of energy prior to entry.

Intake.

Purification.

Loop.

Repeatedly... endlessly...

Alex lost track of time amid the rhythm.

Until—

Crack~

Shatter!

The rank barrier crumbled beneath the ceaseless Astral Energy onslaught.

Alex advanced...

Elite Mage rank!

Breakthrough achieved at last.

But he pressed on.

He sensed potential for more.

All his pent-up reserves unleashed fully.

His cultivation rocketed ahead anew.

Early-stage...

Mid-stage...

And ultimately—

Late-stage.

Alex sensed it vividly.

Further progress beckoned.

Elite rank’s pinnacle loomed close.

Yet he halted.

Rather than chase another leap, he channeled surplus energy to solidify and bolster his base.

Some while passed before Alex exited the mana vein chamber.

Surprise dawned on One Heaven’s visage, swiftly turning to sincere admiration.

Alex had entered at Intermediate Mage (Class 2) peak...

...emerging at Elite Mage (Class 3) late-stage.

Yet that scarcely captured the feat.

His emanating aura... rivaled a Great Mage (Class 4).

To claim mere rapid progress...

Fell far short.

***