Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 17 - OmniRune Core AI

CH17 OmniRune Core AI

***

Alexʼs ambition for the OmniRune Core was simple in its phrasing, yet grand in its execution—he wanted to create a platform capable of interacting with the very laws of any dimension he might find himself in.

A system that could learn, adapt, and eventually influence—perhaps even enforce—his will upon the laws that governed a world.

A platform that would support him in becoming the strongest, no matter the dimension, world, realm, or plane he ventured into in the future.

And what better candidate for such a foundation than Artificial Intelligence?

But building a true AI from scratch was anything but easy.

In his previous life, even tech giants—like the multinational corporation he once worked for—had to poured years, countless millions of dollars, and teams of elite engineers into developing a functioning AI from the ground up.

AI had only become somewhat ubiquitous in his old world before his reincarnation because companies eventually released open-source models. These could be modified to suit a clientʼs needs without having to reinvent the wheel from the ground.

Technological infrastructure such as cloud services and GPU-renting computation farms had made it all affordable. Anyone with an internet connection and a bit of coding skill could now train a decent model.

There were also extensive open libraries—curated by global AI-enthusiast communities—designed specifically to accelerate AI learning.

In short, Alex had none of that here.

He wasnʼt deluded. He knew very well that building a complete AI in this world—where even the concept of computation was nascent—would be a titanic task.

But he wasnʼt just anyone.

He had been one of the lead engineers on his companyʼs AI division before his death. He knew what he was doing—and, more importantly, he knew the timeline.

He wasnʼt expecting to build a fully functioning AI in a single seclusion session, or even within a few months. It was a long-term endeavour.

So why start now?

Simple. Magic was a long-term process too.

The OmniRune Core AI would serve as the very foundation of his magic. And just like AI development, magical advancement in this world was a slow, layered path that spanned a lifetime.

Compared to investing decades mastering someone elseʼs system, Alex would rather dedicate his life to something familiar—something that was his.

Call it stubbornness, if you will. But it was his path. He would walk it on his own terms.

—

In the earlier phases of his project, Alex had collected and curated a personal library of Runes. Each Rune had been tested, analysed, and categorised like lines of executable code.

Once he succeeded in storing and replicating the effects of those Runes reliably, he reached an exhilarating conclusion:

The Rune System of this world was a programming language—one he didnʼt need to invent from scratch.

To validate this theory, he had already created and executed a rudimentary ʼprogramʼ—his Compression Tool array—and it had functioned exactly as planned.

Even better, the fact that this virtual tool existed solely within magical crystals such as the Moro Crystal and the Tear of Zan proved something critical: these materials were analogous to computation hardware.

That meant he now had a working, Rune-compatible system—complete with both ʼhardwareʼ and ʼsoftwareʼ.

The next step? Introducing machine learning.

The OmniRune Core was a blank slate. For it to function as a learning, adaptive AI, Alex needed to instil it with instinctual behaviours—primitive subroutines that would shape its development.

Using foundational Machine Learning principles, he planned to create Runic Array Formations that encoded baseline behaviours.

These ʼinstinctsʼ would form the base of the OmniRune Coreʼs intelligence. They wouldnʼt just allow it to learn and self-modify—theyʼd guide how it learned and evolved.

Pattern recognition.

Error correction.

Time-based memory encoding.

Anomaly detection.

Confidence rating.

Reward-based reinforcement.

Contextual adaptation.

Ethical governance...

Each of these core behaviours would be introduced into the system as individual—but interconnected and looping—Runic Arrays.

It was a massive project. Insane, even.

But Alex had both the theoretical grounding and real-world experience to see it through.

He wasnʼt groping in the dark.

Not this time.

-

Tower Masterʼs Office, DragonHold Mage Tower, DragonHold Enclave.

Zora was enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity.

With her schedule unusually light, she took the opportunity to refine her tea ceremony—an art she had quietly adopted from her father, Merlin.

A soothing cup of tea while gazing out at the picturesque Enclave below... it was a rare kind of serenity she had come to treasure deeply.

She was not one who craved excitement. Peace and stillness were more than enough for her.

In fact, her primary motivation for shouldering much of Merlinʼs workload had always been to protect this very calm—to safeguard the peaceful haven that had allowed her to bloom.

Yet, in recent times, that haven had been stirred by an unexpected element... an overachieving ten-year-old boy.

Zora had always been praised as a genius. But her accomplishments, however brilliant, still fell within the bounds of reason.

Alex Fury, however, had broken those bounds entirely.

A child discarded by his own family—deemed worthless—had gone on to inscribe his theories and inventions directly into the very fabric of the natural order.

At heart, the boy was surprisingly similar to her. He too cherished quiet moments and meaningful solitude. But the creations that emerged from his hands were anything but peaceful.

Zora let out a quiet chuckle.

It had been four months since Alex entered seclusion for the next stage of his project. Since then, life at the Mage Tower had returned to its calm, serene rhythm.

And yet... the more peaceful things became, the more certain she was that this calm was merely the prelude to a storm.

She had no doubt that Alex—this curious boy sheʼd come to view like a younger brother—would soon emerge with something groundbreaking.

The only question was how absurd it would be this time.

ʼHe should be out soon. Itʼs already been over eleven months since he began training under Father. Only two weeks left till the deadline,ʼ she mused.

Then the realisation hit her.

”Two weeks? Doesnʼt that mean his birthday is this week?” she muttered aloud.

She mentally counted the days.

”Wait—his birthday is today?”

She blinked in mild shock, then sighed.

”Too bad heʼs still in seclusion.”

From what sheʼd learned, Alex had rarely celebrated his birthday back in the Fury household. In fact, birthdays didnʼt seem to matter in that family at all.

She had hoped to mark his first birthday in the Mage Tower—something small, a gesture to reward his hard work. But clearly, that would have to wait.

Knock~

”Come in,” she said.

The door opened, revealing a familiar presence—but with an unfamiliar visage.

”How have you been, Lady Zora?” the person said with a calm smile.

Zora stared. ”Alex?”

”What? Itʼs only been a few months and you donʼt recognise me anymore? Iʼm hurt,” Alex joked as he strolled in and took a seat.

Zora looked him over, blinking in disbelief.

The Alex before her was vastly different from the boy who had entered seclusion.

Now standing nearly as tall as her—around 160cm to her 177cm—he carried a broader frame and a more grounded presence. His hair had grown out, sweeping into bangs that lightly obscured his eyes, while the back reached his shoulders in soft waves.

If one didnʼt know better, theyʼd never guess he was only ten—no, eleven—years old.

”How can I not be surprised? Look at you—youʼve practically caught up to me in height!”

Alex gave her a thin smile.

Heʼd be lying if he said he wasnʼt pleased with how quickly his body was maturing. The sooner he could shed his awkward, adolescent form, the better. He was an adult in spirit—and he was eager for his body to reflect that.

He suspected the meals Merlin had been preparing were behind the rapid growth. Something about the food felt... transformative. He couldnʼt explain it, not precisely—but the results spoke for themselves.

Of course, part of him worried about the side effects of such accelerated development. But if there was one person he trusted with such decisions, it was his master—the Legendary Mage himself.

”So?” Zora asked, leaning forward.

”So...?” Alex replied, feigning ignorance.

”Youʼre out of seclusion. Were you successful or not?”

Alex grinned.

”Iʼve achieved my goal,” he said confidently. ”Iʼve laid the foundation for Rune-Tech.”

Zora couldnʼt help but smile.

”I want to show Master the results of my work. Can you help me reach him?”

”Okay,” Zora nodded.

She was about to reach for a device on her table when Merlinʼs voice cut through the room.

”Donʼt worry. I am here.” Merlin stepped out of a shimmering portal, as usual.

”I was alerted when you came out of seclusion. I thought youʼd take some time to catch up on what you missed, but you didnʼt—you came straight here. I donʼt know whether to praise your determination and work ethic, or worry about your development.”

Alex shrugged. ”Submitting the proof of concept for my Rune-Tech project has a deadline. Admiring changes during seclusion doesnʼt.”

Merlin shook his head, clearly feeling his point had flown over the boyʼs head.

So, instead, he said, ”Are you sure your Rune-Tech has reached a level where it can provide a suitable proof of concept? Youʼll only get one chance.”

”I am sure,” Alex said confidently.

”Alright.” Merlin waved his hand and opened a portal to another location.

It looked like a practice room—but it was huge, even larger than the Arena used for Dragon Duels.

”This is my private practice room. The construction materials and Arrays here can withstand Grade 12 spells just fine. Youʼre free to let loose.”

Alexʼs eyes widened.

Grade 10 spells were considered the pinnacle, cast only by Legends—those who commanded the very laws of the world.

But now Merlin was saying this room could withstand Grade 12 spells?

ʼDoes that mean you can cast Grade 12 spells?ʼ Alex wondered, looking at his master in awe. ʼHow strong is this Legendary Mage teacher of mine?ʼ

Merlin caught the boyʼs thoughts and stroked his long grey beard with a small amused smile.

Zora rolled her eyes at her adoptive fatherʼs humble bragging antics.

ʼYouʼre so old, yet so childish,ʼ she admonished inwardly.

”So, what do you have to show?” Merlin gestured to Alex.

The boy shook off his surprise, and his confident smile returned.

He stepped forward into the practice area.

”Grade 2 Spell: Fireball!”

”Grade 2 Spell: Windball!”

To Merlin and Zoraʼs surprise, Alex instant-cast two Beginner Mage-level spells—simultaneously.

What Merlin especially noted was that Alex didnʼt force the spells; he had complete control as the two balls floated a few metres overhead.

But Alex wasnʼt finished.

”Special Fusion Spell: Inferno!”

***