Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 39: Bladefanged Doom

CH39 Bladefanged Doom

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When a Magic Beast reached a high enough level, it always developed humanlike intelligence.

A beast that had achieved such a state could never be underestimated.

The Bladefanged SkyTiger had yet to reach full sapience—its thoughts were still feral, its instincts dominant—but it was already displaying troubling hints of developing intelligence. That alone was enough to send shivers down Alex’s spine.

Even without this burgeoning awareness, the SkyTiger was already monstrously dangerous.

Those terrifying crimson-red wings weren’t just for show. They literally gave wings to a tiger—a flying mountain of muscle, fur, and murder.

Can you imagine a tiger the size of a small mountain... with wings?

Alex had no thoughts of confrontation. Only one instinct took over:

’Run.

’Run fast...

’If I don’t run now, there won’t be another chance.’

Featherflight! Body Strengthening Magic! Haste! Fleetfoot!

He didn’t care about Mana depletion. Not when death was bearing down from the skies. One after another, Alex had the OmniRune Core cast buff spell upon buff spell.

At all times, at least three buffs were active. As soon as one expired, he reapplied another without hesitation.

His Spiritual Force surged, activating his Truth-Seeker Eyes and pushing every ocular ability he had to its absolute limit—desperately scanning for any route of escape.

Fortunately, the more he channelled his force, the more the paralysing fear subsided.

In its place rose something else.

Calm Madness!

That focused state of detached desperation. Survival was all that mattered now.

Run!

Under the stacked effects of his buff spells, Alex became a blur, a streak of speed, unbecoming of a mage, tearing through the underbrush—so fast he could’ve outrun most Class 2 warriors with ease.

And yet...

He could still feel it. The pressure. The overwhelming presence of the Bladefanged SkyTiger looming ever closer.

Crunch!

A sickening sound echoed behind him.

The SkyTiger had casually chewed and swallowed the second Bloodsilver Leopard, both of which had been at the pinnacle of Class 2.

It wasn’t even in a rush. The SkyTiger swatted up its prey with effortless movements, lazily chewing as it chased after another unfortunate beast.

Its movements were slow—almost casual—but its size meant every step covered dozens of metres. It was like being chased by a flying, hungry hill.

This time, its victim was a Nether Cheetah, another peak Class 2 Beast, whose raw speed even surpassed Alex’s buffed form by a full third.

Yet even that wasn’t enough.

Despite its supernatural speed, the SkyTiger steadily gained ground on the Cheetah.

Alex, in his desperation and focused trance, felt a strange shift within himself.

A flash of enlightenment.

Mana began flowing more smoothly through his body. His buff spells became more efficient, their effects more potent.

A surge of vitality roared within him. His speed increased. He moved with the same velocity as the Nether Cheetah.

But even as he felt this progress, there was no joy. Only dread.

Roar!

The Nether Cheetah let out a cry, soaked in despair.

A wave of blackish energy erupted around it.

’A last-ditch attack?’ Alex realised. ’It’s channelling its life force!’

The beast poured every drop of Mana and vitality into one final, desperate technique.

Nether Cut!

A blade of darkness, filled with dying fury, exploded forward with tremendous force—an attack capable of killing any Class 2 beast.

It struck the SkyTiger square in the chest.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion rang out as the Nether Blade connected.

For a moment, hope flickered in Alex’s heart.

He dared a glance back.

Only to have that hope dashed.

All that immense, desperate power had left... a shallow cut. A thin bloody line on the SkyTiger’s hide.

On something that massive, it was less than a scratch.

The Nether Cheetah collapsed—body drained, spirit broken.

For its trouble, the SkyTiger delicately picked it up. Then, in one horrifyingly fluid motion, it bit off its head.

It chewed lazily, savouring the morsel, before tossing the rest of the body into its cavernous maw.

Blood now glistened across the SkyTiger’s mouth and jaw.

Alex felt the Grim Reaper’s sickle slide against his neck.

The next prey... was him.

Thankfully, Alex had already opened up a significant gap between himself and the SkyTiger.

The beast wasn’t giving full chase—yet. Instead, it lazily meandered in his direction, occasionally pouncing on fleeing prey and snacking on them mid-chase like treats between meals.

Alex felt like cursing the creature’s ancestors all the way back nine- no, eighteen generations.

’Shouldn’t this damned thing be full by now?! You’ve eaten three peak Class 2 Beasts that I know of, for crying out loud! Just how bloody hungry are you?!

’Even if you are hungry, shouldn’t you be chasing bigger, stronger beasts? Why the hell are you after me?! I can barely fill the gap in your fangs, and my strength barely qualifies as peak Class 1!’

What Alex didn’t know... was that the SkyTiger was a gourmet.

It wasn’t just chasing him for sustenance—it was driven by curiosity. The unfamiliar species of this strange bipedal creature intrigued it.

It had never tasted something like him before.

Even as Alex internally raged at the beast, his feet didn’t stop. If anything, he ran harder. He’d sprout extra legs if he could, just to move faster.

Suddenly, the terrain shifted—he approached a narrow valley.

It wasn’t the valley that drew his attention, though.

It was what lay beyond it.

A surge of ominous energy slammed into his senses.

The lair of another Class 3 Beast!

And judging by the sheer pressure, it wasn’t just any Class 3 creature—it might even rival or surpass the SkyTiger in danger, depending on who you asked.

Alex’s crimson Truth-Seeker eyes glowed brighter as Calm Madness surged through his mind once more.

The Beast’s lair was roughly a dozen kilometres away—dangerously close.

Without hesitation, Alex veered straight toward it. He gave everything—his lungs burned, his legs blurred. At one point, he even sprinted across the surface of a river, shaving off precious seconds.

Every fibre of his being screamed. Mana flooded through his body as he pushed his speed to the brink of collapse.

Behind him, the SkyTiger seemed to sense something—and reacted.

With a low, guttural snarl, it suddenly pounced.

Despite its wings, the SkyTiger wasn’t truly a flying beast. Its immense bulk made full flight difficult. Its winged leaps were more akin to gliding bursts—deadly in short ranges, but not particularly fast over distance.

Unfortunately... it was still fast enough to close in on Alex.

The entrance to the Beast’s lair loomed closer and closer.

Ten cliqs... Eight... Six...!

Then—suddenly—

A cold, soul-piercing aura burst forth from the cave.

***