Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 72: Alex the Mad Scientist II

CH72 Alex the Mad Scientist II

***

When one thinks about insectoid races—especially the terrifying, swarm-like species from fantasy and sci-fi like the Zerg—two traits immediately come to mind: hyper-reproduction and rapid evolution.

According to the data parsed by the OmniRune Core AI from the Nest Queen’s living rune structure, she possessed both traits in abundance.

Multiple rune circuits within her incredibly complex living array pointed to one startling ability: the Nest Queen could extract and filter bloodlines from any organic matter she consumed—dead or alive.

Even more astonishing, she could digest these bloodlines to obtain a creature’s unique genetic data. And, theoretically, with some measure of intellect and deliberate genetic manipulation, she could isolate the specific genetic code for special abilities tied to those bloodlines.

For instance, if the Nest Queen were to consume a Stealth Hound, she could obtain its bloodline data and potentially extract the genetic blueprint for its unique ability—Shadow Pounce.

Once she had the Shadow Pounce blueprint, she could either integrate the ability into herself or embed it as a template in her drones, granting them the power as well.

All this—without needing to replicate the full bloodline.

Alex’s first reaction?

’I’ll be damned. It really is a Zerg!’

His second reaction was more measured, as he took a moment to properly digest the implications.

’Its entire DNA is now built on the Viral Compiler—born from the fusion of the mite’s original Ancestral Marking and my Detector Rune. That means whatever abilities it possesses now must stem from the synergy between those two components.’

’Come to think of it... I never really figured out why the accident happened in the first place.’

’Why did the fusion virus attack the mite’s genome? And why is the resulting mutant developing genome-level manipulation abilities?’

’If I go by the theory that these abilities originated from the Viral Compiler and its initial components, then one of three things must be true: either my Detector Rune, the Ancestral Marking, or the fusion of both had some kind of interaction with the mite genome.’

’Well... I can rule out the Detector Rune. It wasn’t designed to interact with the mite’s carapace, let alone its DNA. And for the virus to act the way it did, there had to be a pre-existing link with the genome—so the Compiler didn’t just spontaneously develop that ability either. That leaves... the Ancestral Markings.’

Alex began to unravel the mystery bit by bit, carefully separating the known from the unknown. What remained, he believed, had to hold the answer to the Nest Queen’s mutation.

’Alright... what do I know about Ancestral Markings?’ he asked himself.

’First, according to Master’s notes, the Markings are specific to a particular species. Every member of that species carries the potential to awaken them. The awakening is completely random—there’s no definitive factor that increases or decreases the likelihood. It’s kind of like Bloodlines in that they’re passed down through generations, but unlike Bloodlines, the chances of awakening Markings aren’t influenced by heredity—like, say, having parents with strong or pure Markings.’

’Second, individuals who awaken their Ancestral Markings almost always instinctively know how to use them. It’s second nature—except in cases involving extremely powerful Markings, where some learning is still required. In that way, they’re similar to True Names: innate, power-granting, and deeply connected to one’s identity. But because Ancestral Markings are species-wide rather than individual-specific, they don’t have the same overwhelming pros and cons as True Names.’

Alex paused, taking a moment to reorient his thoughts.

’Both points suggest a correlation between Ancestral Markings and an individual’s nature. And scientifically speaking, nature is just another term for genetics—DNA. That supports my earlier theory: Ancestral Markings must be linked to the genome.’

He furrowed his brows, feeling the weight of the mental leap.

He’d be the first to admit the argument was thin and speculative—a little too convenient, even. But for now, it was the best working theory he had.

”Genetics, huh...” He tapped his fingers lightly on the Rune table. ’My grasp of the subject is rudimentary at best.’

His actual knowledge of genetics amounted to one introductory college course and a handful of scattered facts picked up over the years. Hardly cutting-edge expertise. Still, that never stopped him before.

’An organism’s genome refers to its complete DNA sequence. Billions of base pairs link together to form the iconic double helix structure. Genes are specific segments of DNA that encode proteins—the building blocks of life.’

’Most organisms on Earth share a significant percentage of their genes. What makes each one unique is the regulatory DNA—the part that controls how genes are expressed. Like a configuration file for a program, it determines when, where, and how the code is executed...’

His thoughts slowed. A vague realisation flickered in his mind.

’What if the reason Ancestral Markings differ from species to species isn’t because they’re written in a unique script for each species... but rather because they’re encrypted? Just like how the Nest Queen’s genome was encoded?’

His eyes lit up with sharp intensity.

Running his fingers through his beard, he mentally traced the thread further.

’The encryption in the Nest Queen’s genome was obvious. Her base pairs had been converted into common Rune script, transforming the entire DNA sequence into a mystical, living rune structure—then encrypted with the fused logic of the Viral Compiler.’

’But Ancestral Markings... they should be Runes encrypted not by logic, but by traditional genetic markers—biological switches that regulate gene expression. These markers would act as the encryption layer, guiding the DNA to express itself in a configuration that manifests the Ancestral Markings.’

His pulse quickened.

’If that’s true—if Ancestral Markings are indeed encrypted Runes—then the key to that encryption must lie in the regulatory DNA responsible for gene expression!’

A quiet thrill surged through him. This felt like a true breakthrough.

But the feeling quickly dimmed.

Before his reincarnation, Earth’s geneticists hadn’t even reached a consensus on how much of the human genome counted as regulatory DNA—let alone which parts. The most commonly cited figure hovered around 20%, but for a genome made up of billions of base pairs, that still meant millions of possible sequences or combinations. Pinpointing which pair or set did what was practically impossible.

’So... does that mean my entire theory’s a bust?’ he wondered, disappointed.

Then his gaze shifted—drawn to the motionless creature resting in the containment pen.

’Wait... specific abilities are tied to specific gene expressions. The Nest Queen can isolate the gene sequences responsible for particular traits—then replicate them.’

’In that case... wouldn’t it also be possible for her to isolate the gene sequences responsible for encrypting the Runes that make up Ancestral Markings?’

Alex thought back to his original Detector Rune plan.

The Nest Queen, in many ways, had capabilities similar to the Detector—perhaps even superior. While the Rune could only passively gather data, the Nest Queen could take an active approach.

’I just need to figure out how to search for the specific genes responsible for encryption. Once I do, I can teach the Nest Queen what to look for in an organism’s genome. After she masters the process, I’ll just need to feed her samples from different creatures bearing Ancestral Markings. With enough data, I should be able to devise a non-invasive, or at least less intrusive, method to isolate those genes in Zora.’

’And if I can do that... I might finally crack the veil over the Markings—and begin manipulating them!’

His gaze toward the Nest Queen shifted.

Before, he’d simply viewed her as a breeding engine for genetically enhanced soldier drones. But now... her status had evolved.

She had become a cornerstone in his Rune-Tech ambitions.

---

Speaking of the Nest Queen’s drones—OmniRune’s latest analysis had revealed something unexpected. These clone-like ’offspring’—while organic in construction—bore uncanny similarities to the robotic drones Alex had worked with back on Earth.

They didn’t have brains in the traditional sense. Instead, they possessed a unique organ designed to receive and hold instructions in the form of Rune structures.

For Alex, this opened an exciting new possibility.

He could write and upload a Control Software, allowing him to command and operate the drones exactly like Earth-based robots.

Better yet, with time and effort, he could develop a subordinate OmniRune AI module equipped with a real-time operating system, control firmware, navigational logic, and various other core systems. This would allow the drones to function as semi-sentient organic robots, bound entirely to his will.

An organic robot army—powerful, adaptable, and loyal.

The possibilities were endless.

This ”accident”—the unplanned acquisition of the Nest Queen—had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. One of critical strategic value.

’Before I start daydreaming about an organic robot armada, I should talk to Master. He needs to hear my latest theories on Ancestral Markings.’

He sighed.

’My plate’s already overflowing with Rune theory, Forgesmithing, and material alchemy. I can’t afford to add Bio-alchemy on top of all that. Better to throw this particular headache at someone who’s built for it.’

Decision made, Alex exited the pocket dimension.

For the time being, he placed strict restrictions on the Nest Queen’s activities. She was allowed to feed, but no new drones were to be produced—not until he had a concrete plan for utilising her full potential.

---

Time, as always, passed in a blur.

Alex immersed himself in his studies, projects, and cultivation, losing track of the days. Three months flew by in what felt like an instant.

And just like that... his long-awaited fifteenth birthday arrived.

With it came a tide of changes—foremost among them, a letter from Earl Drake Fury.

The summons was clear.

It was time for Alex to return home—for his official Coming of Age ceremony.

It was time to stake his claim as heir to the Fury family.