Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 10 - Solution to Bloodline Conflict

CH10 Solution to Bloodline Conflict

***

”Thereʼs something different about you,” Zora said, eyeing Alex closely.

”Indeed,” Alex admitted without hesitation.

”Is that why you didnʼt tell me you were being bullied?”

”Part of it.”

Zora didnʼt look pleased with the response.

”If I had told you, you wouldʼve intervened,” Alex added.

”And thatʼs a bad thing?”

”I know you mean well, Lady Zora. But there are some challenges I need to face on my own. You canʼt protect me from everything—and nor should you.”

Zora pursed her lips at his words.

”Besides, this time, the bullying was under my control. I allowed them to bully me... because I needed it.”

”What do you mean—?”

Zora finally took a proper look at Alex—and noticed the changes.

”You—”

”Oh, youʼve fully awakened and manifested your bloodline on your own? Thatʼs a surprise,” a deep voice interrupted.

The DragonHold Enclaveʼs Tower Master, Merlin Pendragon, stepped out of a portal.

”I didnʼt expect such a pleasant surprise after returning from collecting compensation from the Wastelanders,” he added, then noticed the tension in the air.

”What? Did I interrupt something?”

Alex resisted the urge to facepalm. ”I was just about to tell her about my bloodline awakening. You ruined the moment, Master.”

”Is that so?” Merlin shrugged and walked over. He grabbed Alexʼs wrist, and Alex instantly felt something invade his body.

”Donʼt resist. Iʼm checking your condition,” Merlin instructed.

His frown deepened as he assessed Alexʼs state, but he said nothing about it.

”So, how does it feel to finally awaken your Furor Bloodline?”

”Turbulent,” Alex sighed. ”I had to get beaten repeatedly while staying calm through the rage just to rouse it. I felt filthy... my skin crawled. But I endured it. Only when the bloodline reached its limit and threatened to erupt did I finally fight back—intentionally.

”It kept pushing for a brutal retaliation before it would settle.”

”Thatʼs why you severed his arm, even with Grand Mages present?” Zora asked.

”Yes,” Alex nodded.

”I thought it was to make a statement.”

”It was that too.”

Zora massaged her temples. ”Let me get this straight. After I warned you about the grumbling regarding your grant, you got bullied by Marcus Hertarian. During that time, your dormant bloodline began to stir. So, you devised a plan that not only awakened your bloodline, but also resolved your grant problem, humiliated your attackers, and improved your reputation?”

”Yes, that sounds about right.”

Zora stared at him, speechless. ”I guess itʼs my fault for thinking you were a normal ten-year-old. Is it your Furor Bloodline that makes you so... different? Or just you?”

Alex chuckled wryly, choosing to take the rhetorical question in stride. He quickly shifted the topic.

”Master, even after rousing my bloodline, I still had to enter the Bloodline Space to complete the awakening.”

He explained his experience in the Bloodline Space to Merlin.

”Isnʼt it strange that the Furor Bloodline was able to drag me in even before it fully awakened?”

”No, youʼve got it backward,” Merlin replied. ”Whatʼs strange is that you needed to enter the Bloodline Space to awaken it. It sounds to me like your Furor Bloodline did awaken during your familyʼs ceremony, but chose to go dormant afterward. That would explain why you couldnʼt show its traits in the latter half of the ceremony.”

”My other bloodline was similar,” Alex added. ”It was the potion I received during the talent examination that triggered it.

”Is it possible that they both went dormant to protect me?”

”Why do you think that?” Zora asked.

”It was just a feeling I got in the Bloodline Space. The two bloodlines felt... antithetical. Like positive and negative charges repelling each other. They wouldnʼt mix.”

”Youʼre not far off,” Merlin said gravely. ”Your situation is dangerous. While dual bloodlines seem advantageous, in your case, itʼs a problem. Normally, one bloodline dominates and suppresses the other, achieving balance. But in your case, both are equally powerful—and completely opposed.

”Your Furor Bloodline leans toward the warrior path, aggression, and negative energy. The other, by contrast, is gentle, aligned with the mage path and positive energy. They clash in every conceivable way.

”The fact that you inherited both and survived... itʼs a miracle.”

Zoraʼs eyes widened slightly.

”Theyʼre coexisting for now only because they know your body canʼt handle a direct clash. But that truce wonʼt last forever. Sooner or later, they will battle for dominance.”

Alexʼs gaze darkened.

ʼWas it a mistake to awaken the Furor Bloodline so soon?ʼ he wondered. ʼNo. I had to. Without it, I wouldnʼt be acknowledged as a Fury—and letʼs be honest, in stories like this, Iʼll probably need that family connection eventually... whether I want it or not.ʼ

”What should I do?”

Merlin fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.

”There are several ways to solve your situation,” he finally said. ”They fall into three categories.”

He raised three fingers.

”Cleanse, assimilate, or balance.”

”Cleansing would remove one of the bloodlines and eliminate the source of conflict.”

Alex shook his head immediately. ”No.”

It was one thing if he had never awakened either of his bloodlines—but now that he had, Alex wasnʼt willing to give up on either.

Both were incredibly useful, no matter which path he chose to walk.

”We can help one of your bloodlines assimilate the other,” Merlin said. ”This would result in a mutated bloodline that retains all the traits of the dominant one, plus some from the assimilated bloodline.”

”You can think of it as a limited fusion,” he added.

Alex found this option far more acceptable than the first.

”But thereʼs a major drawback,” Merlin warned. ”Your body must be strong enough to survive the process. The two bloodlines will battle inside you—one fighting to dominate, the other to resist assimilation. The stress could tear you apart.”

Alex frowned. ”And the last method—balance?”

”We can use a method or introduce a third-party element to forcibly stabilize the two bloodlines and keep them under your control. If weʼre lucky, this might even lead to a full fusion.”

Alexʼs eyes lit up at the possibility.

”Donʼt get too excited, kid,” Merlin said with a scoff. ”That method is ridiculously expensive. Iʼd have to raid my own private stash for the materials. Your fatherʼs payment doesnʼt even come close to covering it—and with the odds of success so low, itʼs not a good investment.”

In short, Merlin had no reason to fund the procedure.

But before Alex could despair, the old man added, ”There is a way Iʼd be willing to give you the materials. For free, even.”

”How?!” Alex practically lunged at him.

”Thereʼs no point explaining unless you meet the condition first,” Merlin said coolly. ”Show me that your Rune-Tech is truly viable. Only then will I consider it.”

Alex paused, then nodded.

Nothing had changed—if anything, he now had one more reason to succeed.

”In that case,” Merlin said, his tone turning sharp, ”letʼs make things more interesting. Youʼve already used up three months of your one-year deadline. That leaves you nine months to deliver a working proof of concept for Rune-Tech.

”If you fail, I will personally determine your future path—and how we solve your bloodline problem. Failures donʼt get a say.”

Zora frowned at Merlinʼs harsh tone, but a subtle glance from him silenced her.

”There is a safer option,” Merlin added. ”Youʼve already accessed your Bloodline Space. With your level of Spiritual Force, you have the potential to become a Warlock.

”Both your bloodlines are potent and powerful. As a Warlock, youʼll definitely achieve greatness over time. Better to walk a proven path than gamble on the unknown.”

Alex smiled inwardly. ʼWith my past lifeʼs knowledge and experience, Rune-Tech isnʼt a gamble. Itʼs the safest bet Iʼve got.ʼ

Aloud, he said, ”I have a trait—once I commit to something, I see it through. Iʼve already started on this path, and I wonʼt stop until I give it everything Iʼve got.

”Iʼd rather risk everything to invent Rune-Tech than live a life full of ʼwhat-ifs.ʼ If I fail, Iʼll accept whatever future you choose for me.”

”Very well,” Merlin said with a nod.

”If you plan to use the Moro Crystal from the Grimoire you won in the duel,” Zora suggested, ”you should have the Tower Master extract it for you.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. ”Why do you need a Moro Crystal?”

Alex gave a quick rundown of his Rune-Tech progress and explained his shift in development strategy. Zora also filled Merlin in on Alexʼs surprisingly cordial relationship with Pinchcoin.

”Winning over Pinchcoin? Smart move. Thatʼll make things much easier,” Merlin said with approval.

He accepted the Grimoire from Zora, who had retrieved it for Alex after the duel.

Grade-8 Spell: Extraction!

Alex watched in awe as Merlin instant-cast a Grade-8 spell—a feat that would drain even a Great Mageʼs mana and spiritual force, assuming they could cast it at all.

A glowing crystal orb detached from the Grimoire and levitated into the air before flying into Alexʼs hands. The rest of the Grimoire crumbled into ash.

”Did you get a good look?” Merlin asked.

Alex shook his head. ”Not really. I didnʼt fully grasp what I was seeing—but it was fascinating.”

”Thatʼs because Extraction is a high-level alchemical spell used to isolate rare materials from crafted items,” Merlin explained. ”Itʼs one of the more complex Grade-8 spells—some say it rivals Grade-9 spells in difficulty. Only a handful of mages know how to cast it.”

”If it were anyone else,” he added, ”it wouldʼve been simpler to just hand over another Moro Crystal.”

ʼIn other words, you took the opportunity to flex in front of your student,ʼ Alex thought wryly.

”The cost of extracting the crystal—is it the destruction of the item itself?” Alex asked.

”Yes. Youʼre defying the natural order, so something must be sacrificed.”

”Makes sense. That also explains why the spell is so difficult and mana-intensive,” Alex muttered thoughtfully.

The trio exchanged a few more words, mostly about Alexʼs nutritional needs to help him recover from his bloodline awakening and prepare for whatever came next.

Then, excited to test his new ”toy,” Alex left the room with a spark in his eyes.

***