Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 653: Flameshooter Peacock

Working in tandem with the wolves commanded by Fen—and fully utilizing the protective screen they provided—the Fury soldiers cleaved through the enemy ranks, annihilating all who dared to stand in their path.

Given the sheer destruction wrought upon the front lines and a significant portion of the middle formations, the distinction between a brutal slaughter and a merciful end had become alarmingly indistinguishable.

A great number of the Lost Heathens being mowed down would have met their demise regardless, even without immediate medical attention.

And considering their distance from any substantial aid—let alone specialized interventions—one might contend that the Fury soldiers were, in fact, offering a service by expediting their suffering.

High above, Senu maintained a similarly relentless pace.

"[Spatial Rend]!"

She subjected the Lost Heathens to the harsh reality of aerial supremacy, unleashing devastating spatial assaults, nearly impossible to counter, that carved through flesh, armor, and any other obstructions with frightening ease.

Each impact ripped open another segment of the enemy's defensive perimeter.

By the time Alex arrived at the core building's entrance, the enemy's capacity to resist had been utterly dismantled.

Leveraging the chaos and confusion that Silver had previously instigated, he swiftly dealt with the remaining sentries posted at the doorway.

No sooner had Alex made his appearance than Fen’s wolves stormed into the vicinity, engaging the guards stationed around the building’s exterior and ensuring his unimpeded entry.

Udara moved ahead of him, gliding through the structure like a specter, meticulously eliminating all hostiles within the warehouse and storage sections of the edifice without a sound.

Alex bypassed the opportunity for plunder at this juncture, his attention firmly fixed on tracing the distinct energy signature of the Lost Heathens’ sorcerer.

To his astonishment, the individual had already vacated the premises. His energy reading indicated rapid movement—a retreat through the building's rearward sections.

'How is he managing to evade the wolves?' Alex mused internally.

[Third Step — Wraith’s Crossing]!

His form dissolved once more as he initiated pursuit.

The sorcerer, accompanied by his small contingent, had successfully bypassed Fen’s containment grid utilizing a cloaking spell.

Following this maneuver, they activated a haste-enhancing enchantment and navigated a pre-established network of concealed escape routes and subterranean tunnels beneath the base to make their complete egress from the settlement.

Once clear of the perimeter, they promptly mounted horses that had been positioned in readiness and galloped swiftly into the enveloping darkness.

Casting a furtive glance backward at the base, which continued to diminish into the distance, the sorcerer’s eyes burned with a mixture of fury and profound humiliation—yet beneath these potent emotions lay an even deeper current.

Undiluted fear.

He had never encountered any account of an individual capable of intercepting and pilfering another’s mystic arts, only to subsequently re-deploy them with amplified potency.

It wasn't that such a feat was inherently impossible; rather, the profound level of mastery required to execute it far surpassed the aspirations of any conventional mage.

'I must apprise the Leader. He has provoked an entity he should never have crossed,' the sorcerer reflected with grim determination, urging his steed onward with greater urgency.

[Chain Bolt]!

Abruptly, a searing bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, impacting the ground directly ahead of their path.

The unleashed electricity propagated instantaneously, surging from the earth into the mounts and inducing violent paralysis, causing them to collapse precipitously and nearly unseating their riders.

The men reacted with remarkable alacrity, leaping clear just moments before their steeds met the ground.

"You possess a surprising level of agility for a spellcaster."

A composed voice suddenly resonated through the nocturnal expanse.

Alex stood a short distance from the group of four, his expression entirely inscrutable.

"Stall him," the sorcerer commanded with sharp urgency.

His three Gold-ranked bodyguards promptly advanced to engage.

Just as Alex prepared to enter the fray, he perceived a familiar resonance.

[First Step — Ghost Step]!

'I shall entrust this to you, then,' he thought, disengaging himself.

He retreated instantaneously as a figure gradually materialized from within his own shadow.

Udara intercepted the outstretched sword arm of one of the guards mid-swing, fluidly executing a judo-inspired throw that sent him crashing over her shoulder.

Without missing a beat, she planted her hands firmly on the ground, utilizing the resultant momentum to unleash a potent donkey kick, propelling the other two guards backward before they could close the distance.

The first guard scrambled to mount a desperate counterattack, but Udara's form abruptly vanished from his perception.

She reappeared behind him just as he struggled to regain his footing, driving her short sword cleanly through his back and exiting his chest.

Even before his lifeless form struck the ground, she slipped back into his shadow, disappearing once more and re-emerging adjacent to another of the guards.

Her blade lunged forward for another lethal strike, but this time the guard reacted swiftly, parrying the blow and immediately establishing separation.

Udara was poised to resume her offensive when she detected an object hurtling toward her. She halted her advance instantaneously, raising her guard defensively.

[Amazonian Might]!

Clang!

A massive spear hurtled through the air with alarming velocity. Udara managed to deflect it, yet the immense force behind the projectile propelled her backward, her boots gouging deep trails in the earth as she was forced to retreat. She rotated her wrist a few times, easing the strain. Even possessing the inherent might of her Amazonian lineage, that thrown spear had presented a significant challenge. The two remaining guards, both of whom were Gold-ranked, cast a fleeting glance at their downed companion before refocusing their attention on the seemingly fragile woman. Neither dared to underestimate her prowess. They exchanged a serious look, silently reaching a consensus—they would face her together. Alex observed the unfolding events with detached interest, making no move to intervene. His gaze returned to the sorcerer. The man had already concluded the intricate hand seals for his subsequent spell, or rather, mystic art, his palms pressed firmly together. Flameshooter Peacock! A blazing orb of fire materialized between his hands. It then descended to the ground before him, swiftly morphing into a spectacular, fiery peacock. For a fleeting instant, Alex was almost captivated by the artistic elegance of the mystic art. Then, the peacock unfurled its dazzling tail feathers. Alex immediately sensed grave peril. First Step — Ghost Step! Boom! He narrowly evaded a concentrated fireball that launched from one of the 'eyes' visible within the peacock's elaborate tail feathers. 'Wow... that's actually an interesting con—' Before he could fully process the construct's clever design, the remainder of the peacock's tail exploded with energy. One after another, flames the size of tennis balls shot out in quick succession from each feathered 'eye,' transforming the entire mystic art into a relentless barrage platform. Ghost Step! Boom! Ghost Step! Boom! Ghost Step! Boom! Alex found himself compelled to remain in constant motion, his form blurring across the battlefield as he narrowly dodged the incessant, rapid-fire onslaught. The more Alex evaded the attacks, the more pronounced the sorcerer's frown became. With each successful dodge, he grew increasingly convinced that Alex was no ordinary spellcaster. 'Even the Empires might not possess a young sorcerer of this caliber... To nurture someone like this... only "that" place could produce such a monster...' A heavy sense of foreboding settled in his heart. By this stage, Alex had already avoided nearly a hundred of the fiery projectiles. 'Fortunately, each individual fire ball isn't particularly potent. It only becomes truly dangerous if someone is struck by dozens of them in rapid succession... which, I suppose, is precisely the intention behind this mystic art,' Alex mused as he slipped past another volley of attacks. ***