Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 585: Pyramid of Elements III

CH585 Pyramid of Elements III

***

Alex roused the Furor component of his bloodline, driving its essence through his body.

The result was immediate.

For reasons he could not fully explain, the Darkness and Lightning elemental mana from the next zone —which should have been difficult to reach due to the pyramid’s gravity pressing upon his Spiritual Force— suddenly drifted closer.

Close enough that his elemental affinity talent instinctively drew them toward him and into the shield surrounding his body.

However, simply piling on basic elemental mana was no longer enough.

The cracks within the shield merely healed without truly strengthening it.

Realising this, Alex quickly converted the incoming Darkness and Lightning mana into Netherspark mana, raising the quality of the energy.

Only then did the shield properly strengthen.

He took a small pause to recover a bit from the effects of the pressure that struck him previously.

After recovering for a few short moments, he continued.

Fifty-five...

Fifty-six...

Fifty-seven...

With this method, Alex was able to continue his climb.

But now he had a plan.

By the time he reached the sixty-third step, Alex swiftly roused the Auramir component of his bloodline.

This immediately caused Light and Fire elemental mana to gather around him in greater quantities.

After fusing them into Solar elemental mana, he was once again able to continue climbing.

Sixty-four...

Sixty-six...

Seventy...

The next major roadblock appeared at the seventy-second step, just before the seventy-third.

Without hesitation, Alex activated the final component of his fused bloodline.

Dragon Presence.

In many fantasy stories from his previous life, dragons were often portrayed as the favoured children of the elements — the protagonists of the Heaven and the Earth themselves.

And it seemed that some fragment of that ideal had carried over into the worlds of his new life.

Alex was now betting on that innate affinity between dragons and the elements to further amplify his already powerful elemental affinity.

”Sigh...”

Alex released a breath of relief when his gamble paid off.

Sensing the Dragon Presence emanating from his fused bloodline, more elemental mana began drifting closer toward him.

This allowed him to draw in additional mana to reinforce the shield protecting him.

Alex quickly converted the needed elemental mana to Solar and Netherspark mana within the shield.

Seventy-three...

Seventy-five...

Seventy-nine...

Soon enough, the next roadblock appeared at the eighty-first step, just before the eighty-second.

”Velkar.”

Alex immediately invoked half of his True Name.

”[Subjugation].”

”[Domination].”

The conceptual power of his True Name surged into the air.

Responding to the call, vast quantities of Lightning and Darkness elemental mana gathered from far greater distances, instinctively drawn to fuel the activation of the True Name’s concepts.

However, before that could fully occur, the moment the mana pooled close enough, Alex’s Spiritual Force immediately pulled into and converted them to Netherspark mana in his shield, allowing him to progress further.

Eighty-two...

Eighty-five...

Eighty-nine...

”Solmir.”

Rinse and repeat.

At the next roadblock on the ninetieth step, Alex activated the other half of his True Name.

”[Regality].”

”[Dominion].”

Light and Fire elemental mana gathered rapidly, as though paying homage to the arrival of a king... an emperor... a ruler born to command.

Alex barely needed to guide them.

The newly arrived elemental mana naturally aligned within the shield, like well-trained soldiers forming ranks.

They even merged of their own accord into their combined Solar mana form.

A wide smile spread across Alex’s lips as he confidently continued toward the summit of the pyramid.

Ninety-one...

Ninety-three...

Ninety-seven...

Ninety-eight...

With that same confident smile, Alex lifted his leg to step onto the ninety-ninth step.

Bam!

The shield surrounding him suddenly burst like a fragile bubble beneath the immense gravity of the final step.

Alex’s face slammed violently into the ground of the ninety-eighth step as the pressure suddenly multiplied.

”Groan—!”

A pained groan escaped his lips as he struggled to push himself up.

But it was impossible.

The crushing gravity pressed his body flat against the stone, as though trying to grind him into the pavement itself.

Worse still, the ambient mana surrounding the pyramid had been completely pushed away by the sudden spike in gravitational pressure.

Even if he somehow managed to extend his Spiritual Force —which he currently could not— there would be no mana left to draw upon to rebuild his shield.

”Calm Madness!”

Amid the sudden crisis threatening to end his trial in failure, Alex activated the unique trait of the Furor origin, buying himself a few precious moments of clarity.

He quickly realised there was nothing left to calculate.

Nothing left to plan.

So he simply threw everything he had at the gravity.

Fire.

Light.

Darkness.

Lightning.

Solar.

Netherspark.

He summoned every ounce of mana within his body.

Furor.

Auramir.

Dragon.

He channelled the combined essence of his fused bloodline.

”Velkarasolmir!”

He invoked his True Name in its entirety.

At the same time, Alex activated the mana circulation method from the Astral Training Manual, forcing mana to surge through every channel of his body.

For a single brief instant...

The crushing gravity weakened.

That moment was all Alex needed.

Using that fleeting reprieve, he dragged himself forward and hauled his body onto the ninety-ninth step— the summit of the pyramid.

The crushing pressure pressing down on him vanished as if it had never existed— like a mirage fading away.

’Yes! I did it!’ Alex celebrated inwardly.

He lay on his back, staring up at the clear skies above. His breathing was laboured, but the wide grin on his face refused to fade.

Alex remained sprawled across the top of the pyramid platform. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate, attempting to recover some of the energy he had expended in that final desperate resistance against the pyramid’s gravity.

However, as his energy slowly returned, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

’Wait... shouldn’t I be back at the stele mountain by now...?’

Realisation dawned on him.

Alex opened his eyes— and discovered he was still inside the trial space.

’Damn...’ he muttered subconsciously.

The clear skies he had been admiring moments earlier were gone.

In their place, the heavens were now choked with dark, ominous clouds.

Alex tried to sit up.

To his dismay, he discovered that he was pinned to the ground, unable to move even an inch.

Lightning flashed menacingly within the swirling storm clouds.

’Don’t tell me...’

A grim realisation surfaced in his mind.

This wasn’t a raised platform meant to reward those who reached the summit.

It was a lightning tribulation platform— a stage designed to make it easier for the Heavens to rain down its heaven tribulation in form of lightning upon whoever they wished.

And he had fought tooth and nail against the pyramid’s gravity just to place himself neatly upon it.

Right at the centre.

Right where the lightning would strike.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the lightning gathering above him took its sweet time forming.

Pinned to the ninety-ninth step —the very peak of the pyramid— Alex had a perfect front-row seat to watch the entire process unfold.

In real time... and with an unobstructed view.

’Oh, thanks a lot,’ he thought bitterly. ’A front-row seat to watch you gather strength before smiting me. You’re too kind.’

Needless to say, it was not a view he particularly wanted.

Alex tried everything he could to break free from his restraints.

Nothing worked.

Every single power he possessed —every single ability he had used to climb the pyramid— had been completely sealed by some mysterious force.

At that moment, he was no different from a powerless commoner awaiting judgement from the heavens.

Finally, the lightning finished gathering.

A terrifying bolt tore down from the clouds.

”ARRGGGHHHH!”

Alex screamed in agony.

***