Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 90: Choice To Be A Fury

CH90 Choice To Be A Fury

***

”Indeed.” Earl Drake confirmed with a slow nod. ”Our progenitor discovered that the only way to stabilise the bloodline... was to draw upon the energy of the Infernals.”

He turned his gaze to the remnants of the massive Infernal Dragon’s corpse in the distance.

”With what little strength and life force he had left, he returned to the Infernal Realm—one last time. There, he hunted and slew a Legendary Infernal Dragon.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, absorbing every word.

”The dragon’s head and core was used to create a sanctuary,” Earl Drake continued, ”a place where those of our bloodline could awaken safely... without losing themselves. The site, and the ritual surrounding it, became the foundation of the rule our family abides by to this very day.”

The silence that followed was heavy.

Then, Earl Drake Fury looked straight at his son.

”I’m telling you all this—not just to share our family’s history—but so you can make an informed decision.”

Alex blinked. ”What do you mean, Father?”

”You have the option,” the Earl said evenly, ”to forsake the Furor Bloodline.”

Alex froze.

”You’ve awakened your maternal bloodline, haven’t you?” Earl Drake asked. ”I can sense it... and I suspect its purity is no less than your Furor bloodline.”

Alex remained silent, but his expression confirmed the truth.

”Your mother’s bloodline is a natural antithesis to ours,” the Earl explained. ”Because of that, there exists a method—rare, dangerous, but possible—to cleanse your body of the Furor Bloodline entirely.”

”To carry the Furor Bloodline is to forever walk the line between man and Infernal,” he said gravely. ”You can reject this path.”

Alex stared at him in stunned silence.

Coming from the head of the Fury household, that wasn’t just unexpected—it bordered on heresy. He was essentially advising his heir to abandon the very essence of their legacy.

This... was nothing short of treason.

But before Alex could voice his disbelief, his father continued:

”Very few people know the precise purity of your Furor bloodline. Most assume you simply failed to awaken it, given your lack of its important warrior talent. If you choose to let it go, no one would question it.”

”To be a pure-blooded Furor bearer—as pure as you are—is to live shackled to its nature. You won’t just fight your enemies... you’ll be fighting yourself.”

There was no anger in the Earl’s tone. No pressure. Just cold, measured words. And yet... beneath them, Alex sensed something else.

Concern.

A father’s worry, buried beneath noble stoicism.

”Your journey home was littered with danger,” the Earl added. ”I hear you were nearly killed by an assassin.”

Alex’s fists clenched slightly at the memory.

”This will be your life,” Earl Drake said. ”Constant threat. Endless pursuit. If you accept the Furor Bloodline, you must also accept everything that comes with it.”

Alex exhaled slowly.

”I understand, Father,” he said at last. ”But there’s nothing to consider. No choice to be made.”

”Talent. Bloodline. Family... these are things chosen by destiny at birth. Whether they are good or bad doesn’t matter. What matters is how we live with them.”

His voice gained a resolute edge.

”Even if I abandon the Furor Bloodline... even if I leave the Fury Family... I’ll still be one of you. That truth won’t change.”

”My identity is bound to this house. One way or another, my fate is entwined with it.”

He took a deep breath.

”So rather than resist what’s inevitable, I’d rather accept it—wield it. Shape it to serve my will.”

His decision had already been made long ago.

Alex had begun forging a True Name from the Furor Bloodline. Though still veiled and incomplete, it had already begun to manifest—an imprint left on his very soul.

He doubted such a name, or the bloodline that birthed it, could be so easily erased.

And more than that... he had never been the sort to run from any hand dealt to him by fate.

To him, fate and destiny were neither blessings nor curses.

They were neutral forces.

Even in the worst cases, there was always a sliver of opportunity—a crack in the wall.

One just needed to find the right angle... and pry it open.

Infernals... Daemons of arcane fantasies...

They were more than a little alike.

By that logic, the Fury bloodline—his bloodline—could be seen as akin to Demonic Humans.

From that perspective, Alex could understand why his father had offered him a way out. It was a father’s attempt at mercy... a choice not many nobles would even consider giving their heir.

Still, he didn’t think much of it.

Demonic Energy. Infernal Energy. Holy Energy. Solar Energy. Light.

He didn’t particularly like or dislike any of them.

In his mind—as someone who had once been a voracious reader of fantasy novels—no power was inherently good or evil. What mattered was the intent and character of the one wielding it.

To reject the Furor Bloodline simply because of its dark origin... that wasn’t in his nature.

”I will keep my bloodline,” he declared firmly.

Then a slow grin spread across his face.

A wolfish grin.

”And as for the dangers associated with the family... the ones scheming to kill me... well, like you said, it’s all a game of power.

”Let them come... I only hope they prove to be worthy adversaries.”

Earl Drake Fury froze. Then, he threw his head back and laughed.

A deep, satisfied laugh.

He said nothing more, recognising that his son’s mind was already made up.

”Very well,” he said finally. ”Since that is your choice... place your hand upon the Dragon’s head.”

Alex stepped forward and obeyed, pressing his palm against the massive, scaled head. The severed dragon’s skull was easily as tall as he was.

The instant his hand made contact, a primal hunger surged from within his body. Something in him latched onto the Dragon’s head—an irresistible pull that glued his hand to it.

Then, like a floodgate opening, a sinister, destructive cold drilled into his body.

Infernal energy.

It wasn’t just cold—it was cruel, malevolent, and violent. It wanted to rampage through him. But his body’s instinctive defences flared, preventing the energy from doing any real damage.

His father’s voice echoed behind him:

”Our Furor Bloodline is awakened by Infernal essence—Negative Energy. Feel it. Command it. Let it flow through your body... if you truly accept the path of a Fury.”

***