Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 814: Limitless Harbinger and Transcendent Tribulation II

CH814 Limitless Harbinger and Transcendent Tribulation II

***

Alex watched as the distinct crimson-gold tribulation lightning coursed through the coating of his Bloodline Manifestation before flowing into the Limitless mark upon its chest, where it disappeared into the mysterious darkness within.

A realisation immediately struck him.

He had found a way to rapidly deplete the tribulation doppelgänger’s energy reserves.

Without another thought, Alex abandoned his defensive approach and launched an all-out assault.

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

[Dragon Kumite: Ripple]!

His figure vanished before instantly reappearing before the retreating doppelgänger.

The Draconic Baton came crashing down without mercy.

Knowing his opponent was little more than condensed tribulation energy, Alex made no attempt to overwhelm it with brute force.

Instead, he channelled rippling waves of mana through the baton, aiming to destabilise and disperse the condensed energy that formed its body.

As the doppelgänger focused on maintaining its cohesion… the Skywalker Sword descended, mercilessly.

[Warlord Sword Art—First Sword]!

Employing the Skywalker family’s energy-bypassing swordsmanship, Alex’s blade ignored the incarnation’s natural mana defences and carved away another portion of its condensed energy.

BOOM!

Just as Alex prepared to press his advantage, another crimson-gold bolt descended from the dark clouds above.

Its target wasn’t Alex, but the tribulation doppelgänger!

When the dust finally settled, Alex immediately understood what had happened.

The incarnation’s depleted energy reserves had been fully restored.

Even so, he did not despair.

Apart from replenishing its energy, nothing else had changed. It still didn’t possess a domain.

That meant he could still win.

It would become a battle of endurance. But at least it was now a battle he had a chance of winning.

Without hesitation, Alex charged once more.

He could not allow the fight to return to the endless game of pursuit from before.

His body simply couldn’t withstand that level of strain for much longer.

He had to confront the tribulation incarnation head-on, and end the battle as quickly as possible.

Before long, Alex lost himself completely within the rhythm of combat.

He shut out every distraction.

Especially the searing pain tearing through his body as he forced it beyond its limits while enduring the relentless punishment inflicted by the tribulation lightning.

His Bloodline…

His Truth-Seeker Eyes…

His numerous battles experiences…

Everything he possessed converged into a single purpose— To challenge the Heavenly Tribulation itself.

One thing was not lost on Alex throughout the battle.

Although he proudly claimed to be a mage, he hadn’t cast a single offensive spell.

Aside from the enhancement spells reinforcing his body, he had been forced to fight entirely like a warrior.

Even though OmniRune often behaved like an independent entity, the original Greater Rune still relied upon Alex’s mana and mental energy to cast its spells.

In a battle fought at such incomprehensible speed, even the slightest lapse in concentration could prove fatal.

As a result, OmniRune had no opportunity to cast anything beyond maintaining Alex’s existing buffs.

Meanwhile, the Limitless mark upon the chest of his Bloodline Manifestation Avatar—upon Alex himself—continued to glow ever more brightly.

The longer the battle continued… the more damage Alex inflicted upon the tribulation doppelgänger… the more tribulation lightning the Skywalker Sword harvested and his Bloodline Manifestation absorbed.

Unbeknownst to Alex, the Limitless Concept was using the Heavenly Tribulation’s own lightning to gradually expand his limits— among other things.

Rumble~!

The tribulation clouds suddenly roared.

BOOM!

A crimson-gold bolt crashed down directly between Alex and the doppelgänger.

Alex instinctively flipped backwards to evade the strike.

The tribulation incarnation, however, remained exactly where it stood, allowing the lightning to pour directly into its body.

Then, it extended its hand towards Alex.

With a sharp tugging motion, it ripped the Skywalker Sword from his grasp and hurled it into the distance.

‘Electromagnetism? That’s not fair!’

Alex complained inwardly.

Then again, nothing about this Heavenly Tribulation had been fair from the very beginning.

Had it not been for the immutable laws governing tribulations, and his plot ar—ahem, his own abilities… he would have died long ago.

All-Weapon Intent!

The powerful Will that had carried Alex this far surged outward.

Immediately, the Skywalker Sword responded, flying back towards its master.

The Heavenly Tribulation had other ideas.

BOOM!

Another bolt descended from the heavens and struck the Skywalker Sword directly.

‘Sorry… but that sword is practically indestructible.’

Alex couldn’t help grinning inwardly.

Without slowing his movements, he continued drawing the Skywalker Sword towards himself while simultaneously blocking the tribulation doppelgänger’s relentless assaults with the Draconic Baton.

Then… he realised something was wrong.

The sword wasn’t moving.

The Heavenly Tribulation was far from foolish.

After recognising that the Skywalker Sword could not be destroyed, it abandoned that approach entirely.

Instead, it imprisoned the weapon within a cage of electromagnetic force.

The Skywalker Sword—Alex’s greatest weapon against the tribulation doppelgänger—had been sealed.

The instant Alex realised what had happened, he unknowingly exposed an opening.

The tribulation doppelgänger seized it without hesitation.

Feigning a punch, it suddenly grabbed both Alex’s right arm and the Draconic Baton before executing a flawless shoulder throw.

Alex was slammed violently into the ground.

The weapon was torn from his grasp.

Fortunately, he managed to twist his body at the very last moment, landing on his back instead of his head.

The impact still inflicted considerable damage.

Had he failed to adjust his posture… it would have been far worse.

The tribulation doppelgänger immediately flooded the Draconic Baton with overwhelming tribulation lightning before driving it downwards like a spear, intending to pin Alex to the earth.

Alex rolled away at the final instant.

The baton instead pierced deep into the ground.

BOOM!

Alex was just about to counterattack and reclaim his weapon when something exploded—

The Draconic Baton!

The Tier III weapon Udara had gifted him as a wedding trinket, shattered into countless fragments, unable to withstand the immense quantity of tribulation lightning forced into it by the doppelgänger.

Several razor-sharp shards tore through the protective coating of his Bloodline Manifestation and sliced into his skin.

Those wounds meant little. The pain in his heart hurt far more.

The wedding gift Udara had entrusted to him… The keepsake he had vowed to protect as their marriage…

Had been destroyed.

The tribulation doppelgänger showed no intention of stopping.

Its body, formed entirely of lightning, ignored the explosive blast and flying fragments altogether.

Passing straight through the explosion, it reached for Alex once more.

Its hand struck his chest.

More precisely, it seized hold of the Plate of Happenstance.

An immense surge of tribulation lightning poured into the artefact.

It was obvious what it intended.

Having destroyed one of Alex’s lifelines, it was now attempting to destroy another.

“Don’t you dare!”

[Dragon Kumite: Burst]!

Alex reacted on pure instinct.

A powerful thrust kick exploded forwards, blasting the tribulation doppelgänger backwards.

The attack connected.

But so had the doppelgänger’s.

The Plate of Happenstance suddenly blazed with brilliant crimson-gold light.

The overwhelming energy swelling within it threatened to tear the artefact—and Alex along with it—apart from the inside.

Faced with imminent death, Alex instinctively reached to tear the chestplate from his body.

But then, the Limitless concept’s mark on the chest of his Bloodline Manifestation stirred.

Like a starving abyss, it rapidly devoured the tribulation lightning flooding through the Plate of Happenstance, draining it away before the artefact could detonate.

Alex slowly raised his head.

His gaze locked onto the tribulation doppelgänger.

This time, his gaze held nothing but cold hatred and wrath.

Before now, all he had wanted was to survive the Heavenly Tribulation.

Now, he wanted to destroy this lightning incarnation with his own hands—and give the Heavens themselves the middle finger.

***