[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage":3,"chapter-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-119":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},148032,246,"Chapter 118: Bloodline of Ambition and Rebellion II","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-119",119,"\u003Cp>CH118 Bloodline of Ambition and Rebellion II\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury bloodline was one steeped in ambition and rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It coursed through their veins—untamed, relentless, and hungry for power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If ever the authority of the Family Head weakened—or worse, vanished—and if ever the Family Council fractured or ceased to exist entirely... those latent traits would always awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, discontent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon after... rebellion and blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In time, the family would either return to its primal, united state—warring branches held together under a single supreme power alone—or it would collapse altogether, left in ruins by its own internal strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’There’s a reason the progenitor and the forebears chose this system of governance,’ Alex thought grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It wasn’t haphazard. It was deliberate—well-thought through. A delicate balance of power forged through centuries of hard lessons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was this grim future he saw—that unavoidable spiral into chaos—which forced Alex to escalate the situation far beyond what was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could have stopped with the failure of the Family Council’s motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Earl Drake had to dismiss their charge, Alex would have already won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would’ve been seen as the tiger cub hiding behind his parent’s imposing shadow, sure—but a tiger nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reputation would have remained intact, or even grown. While the Family Council’s credibility would have taken a blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone would have assumed he’d been clever for not overplaying his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose to challenge them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked for the duels—despite the odds clearly not being in his favour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he understood something the others didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps, refused to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I may be the only one who sees it,’ he mused, his expression unreadable as he looked out into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The cracks in our foundation. The slow unraveling of what holds the Fury family together.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’And if no one acts—if I don’t act—then we will only be a few steps away from watching this house crumble.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drastic move was necessary. A statement. A line drawn in the sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet... a thought gave him pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Perhaps... I’m not the only one who sees it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Joselin Holt. That woman is too well-versed in politics, too cunning. She plays long games with short pieces. Can I really afford to believe she’s blind to all this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No. That would be foolish. Never underestimate someone like her.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that was the case, then there were only two possible reasons for her continued push in this direction:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either she was confident she could control the Family Council once Kurt became Family Head...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or—worse still—she wanted the Fury family to implode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold shiver ran down Alex’s spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury bloodline was a wildfire. No matter how tightly the Holts—or the Machholts—tried to contain it, someone would rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once one rebelled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others would follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was their bloodline’s nature. This was who they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A fragmented Fury family is far more useful to the Machholts than a united one...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know if he was starting to spiral into conspiracy, chasing shadows where none existed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex would rather be paranoid and prepared than blind and dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in every possible future where Kurt, the Family Council, or the Holts came out on top—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in those futures... his life was forfeit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So instead of playing their endless game of courtly chess—waiting for each calculated move over time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex chose to flip the entire board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To change the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To start a new game—one played entirely on his terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s eyes slowly opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp gleam flashed within them as clarity settled over his mind. The countless threads of thought and possibility had finally woven into a single decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going into the duels, people would call him many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cocky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overconfident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foolish, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this mattered little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if—when—he succeeded, it wouldn’t matter what they thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t need anyone’s acknowledgement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t have to beg for anyone’s permission or seek approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He directly would take the title of heir to Earl Drake Fury–by extension, the Young Lord of House Fury- and no one would be able to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his own power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex would not walk the path of validation. The path where others decided if he was worthy. This was not him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His True Name had revealed his nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His path wasn’t one of mere survival. It was a path of subjugation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A path of Dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A path of Dominion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly, he slid out of bed, doing his best not to disturb Fen—whose tiny, rhythmic breathing served as a strange balm for his stormy thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once outside the bedroom, he made his way to the training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood at the centre of the room. Still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, an idea struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing upon his Eidetic Memory, Alex simulated the sparring sessions he had observed between the soldiers during his rest periods under Instructor Jared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked out one particular soldier. One with tight footwork, efficient strikes, and sharp instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing his eyes, he began to visualise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—experience—the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body moved in response to his imagined opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sparring method with no partner... only memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own shadow fighting technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier was fast. Cunning. He exploited every opening and closed in without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex recognised the rhythm—its brutality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldier’s fighting style was not a direct match to any he knew, however... it was similar enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Krav Maga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A popular fighting style from his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step for step. Strike for strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For nearly two minutes, the imagined battle raged in the chamber of his mind—and the sway of his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, finally, Alex saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow opponent threw a powerful hook—seemingly leaving himself exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex shifted to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was a feint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real strike came from the elbow, crashing inward, aimed at punishing the evasive movement and crushing into his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would have worked... If Alex hadn’t anticipated the feint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of fully committing to the dodge, Alex feinted in return—halting his movement at the last possible second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elbow whizzed past—missing him by millimetres.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that precise instant...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liver punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Direct. Brutal. Final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His imagined opponent crumpled in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex exhaled slowly, lowering his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the satisfaction didn’t come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It’s not enough,’ he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I’m using perfect recall of his movements. So, I already know what’s coming. This isn’t a spar. It’s just... repetition.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed more. Uncertainty. Improvisation. Pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a voice slid into the chamber, smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You look unsatisfied.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded a bit sultry, playful even. But strong—like a knife wrapped in velvet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex turned toward the entrance of the training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there she stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman Countess Megan had declared as his Shadow Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about I spar with you?\" she offered casually, a glint in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lady Udara...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex frowned—though not entirely because of her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth was... he’d forgotten she was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which shouldn’t have been possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her aura had never left his senses—she hadn’t been hiding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, somehow, his brain had tuned her out. Like ambient noise. A scent you stop smelling after a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d only met a few hours ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, it already felt like she had always been there...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With everything that had gone on at the meeting hall, Alex hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with Earl Drake about Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Her stealth ability makes sense if she’s a Drow,’ he thought, ’but not to the extent that I would forget her existence—even when I can actively sense her presence. Being an Amazon doesn’t explain it either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something else—her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were undertones in her tone, subtle notes that tugged at the ear and mind in ways that weren’t natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Alex was certain she wasn’t trying to be seductive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Is that... a natural component of her voice?’ he wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That’s not a trait of an Amazon... nor a Drow. That’s more like...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts drifted for a moment—half-formed conclusions hovering at the edge of recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Alex?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara’s voice pulled him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked and refocused, shaking his head gently. \"Please, just call me Alex. I’m not used to being called ’Young Master’.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Udara replied, \"Then you should also call me Udara.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said swiftly, like she’d been waiting for him to say those exact words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex frowned. \"Like I said before, it’s improper for me to—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is even more improper for a Shadow Guard to refer to her master by name,\" she interrupted calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Calling you ’Young Master’ is already the lowest I can go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at her—really stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no malice in her gaze. No arrogance. But there was conviction—a fierce, unwavering determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And something else...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost a silent plea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A desire for acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their gazes locked, and time seemed to still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension wasn’t violent, but intense nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flickers of energy sparked between them—his will against hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s body tensed as his intuition issued a sharp warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continued even a moment longer, his True Name—his concepts of Dominion and Domination—might awaken, and escalate the moment into something... unintended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly took a step back, diffusing the tension before it turned into a contest of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well,\" he said, exhaling softly. \"How about this—when we’re alone, you’ll call me Alex and I’ll call you Udara. In public, we’ll stick to formal etiquette.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A compromise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that kept the peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One that he realised too late that it essentially meant he’d just accepted her as his Shadow Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Doesn’t matter,’ Alex told himself. ’I’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, he had far more pressing matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Megan Fury—not the Countess, but the big sister he knew—had brought her over like this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it was unlikely Udara meant him harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood... Alex.\" Udara responded with the seriousness of a soldier receiving an order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex nodded once. \"Then... shall we begin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, Udara moved to the centre of the training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex followed, taking up his stance across from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ladies first,\" he said with a small smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment the words left his mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He regretted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>",1728,"2026-05-29T03:49:10.136Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","df7e89e3bb863f9ab6e78b45750a3a57096d8cb1585400605af750cc412877b9","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-120","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-118",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]