[{"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-127":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},148040,246,"Chapter 126: Warning in Blood","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-127",127,"\u003Cp>CH126 Warning in Blood\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt’s eyes suddenly glowed with a familiar crimson hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm Madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A battle technique of the Fury bloodline—one that amplified combat instincts while suppressing pain and fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a roar, Kurt charged, his greatsword raised in a downwards diagonal arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try!\" he bellowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung hard, aiming to cleave through Alex with a single blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex didn’t respond with his rod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—he stepped in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rotating at the hips and pivoting on his lead foot, Alex unleashed a roundhouse kick that slammed into the hilt of Kurt’s greatsword. The timing was surgical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword was knocked off-course, halted mid-swing before it could descend fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force of the impact nearly ripped it from Kurt’s hands, and while he managed to hold on, it cost him the momentum—and his focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That split second was all Alex needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The metal rod lashed out horizontally, slamming across both of Kurt’s calves in one strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt gritted his teeth and powered through the pain, forcing his greatsword down again in a desperate attempt to land a blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex had already ducked low, letting the blade whistle just inches above his head. In the same motion, he executed a one-handed sweep in a flowing, samurai-style motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struck across both of Kurt’s legs once more—this time on his shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt groaned, staggering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s grip shifted seamlessly to a forehand, and the rod came sweeping back in a reverse arc, this time landing solidly against both thighs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another groan escaped Kurt’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still crouched, Alex moved like a blur around his opponent’s side, striking at the back of his thigh, then slipping back in front to crack him on his shin bone with a flick of the rod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt reeled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd held its breath as Alex sidestepped fluidly in a crouched stance, his strikes alternating between thigh, shin, and calf in a relentless rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt’s muscles spasmed, overwhelmed by pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If I let this continue... he’ll cripple me,’ he realised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summoning a burst of desperation, Kurt lunged with a wild thrust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, Alex barely managed to lean back and parry, but the impact disrupted his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, Kurt kicked forward, the thrust kick blasting Alex backwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he tried to press the advantage—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His legs froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accumulated damage had taken its toll. The spasms robbed him of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That moment of hesitation was all Alex needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex landed on his feet, grimacing, but steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt thrust his sword again, attempting to catch Alex off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Alex side-stepped, then stomped down on the blade as it hit the ground—its momentum and weight driving it partway into the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatsword was stuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Kurt could recover, Alex brought his rod down hard on his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt cried out as pain forced him to release his grip—a humiliation no warrior wanted, and a shame no swordsman could bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stepped in smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one final, deliberate motion, the tip of his rod traced across Kurt’s neck, just above the jugular—a clear killing strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire arena froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt, battered and defeated, dropped to his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt stared, wide-eyed, as his trembling fingers touched the side of his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin, shallow cut traced a line across his skin—faint, but undeniably there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a blunt weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This...? This wound...’ his mind raced. ’It’s shallow, but—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Alex been holding a proper sword...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Alex intended to kill him...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would be dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt’s pupils contracted. The implications of that single exchange crashed into his mind like a thunderbolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He... let me live?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from him, Alex showed no expression. No pride. No mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just cold, surgical detachment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, he nudged Kurt’s sword by the hilt with his foot, then flipped it into the air—and caught it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He threw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive Zweihander spun through the air before embedding itself deep into the dirt near the wall separating the arena floor from the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt looked up at Alex, eyes filled with equal parts disbelief and humiliation. His legs remained planted, but it was clear to everyone watching—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Alex pressed it now, the duel would be over. If Earl Drake acknowledged it, Kurt’s loss would be sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex wasn’t done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a gap in skill won’t provide enough entertainment for the crowd,\" he said, his voice emotionless. \"Nor will it help you understand the real difference between us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt’s brows furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could speak, Alex turned toward his own weapon. With a casual flick of the wrist, he hurled his metal rod like a javelin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rod struck the earth, piercing cleanly beside the embedded Zweihander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coliseum fell into stunned silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can tell,\" Alex said louder now, ensuring the entire arena could hear, \"you’re better with your fists than with a sword.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed, voice thick with contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said I’d crush you at the things you believe you’re best at.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, looking down with absolute disdain, he added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get your ass up. We’ll continue—barehanded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What...?\" Kurt whispered, almost too quietly for himself to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All around, the crowd rippled with stunned murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the VIP gallery, Count Gordon burst into wild laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! This boy—I like him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others, save Earl Drake, looked equally shocked. Countess Megan pressed a hand to her chest. Baron Aiden’s jaw twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in another VIP stand across the arena, Joselin Holt practically exploded with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get up, Kurt! Kill that lowborn! Rip him apart!\" she screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kurt didn’t hear her anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His world had shrunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise faded into static.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he could see was Alex, standing tall, hands empty, looking down on him with scorn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His humiliation ignited into something primal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kurt’s muscles tensed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His jaw locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—his eyes darkened further, blood-red fading into something deeper, something bordering on abyssal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex wasn’t fazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward, eyes still locked on Kurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you liked kneeling so much,\" he said flatly, \"you should’ve bent the knee when I gave you the chance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now it’s too late.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s presence surged, as if every word carried the weight of a judgement passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now get up,\" he continued, his voice rising like thunder, \"let me use you to educate every fool who thinks they can stand in my way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His final words fell like a hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Intellect. Weapons. Or just my fists...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will put all opposition down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1097,"2026-05-29T03:49:10.136Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","c4da321b622917a51b92c1f2c24a0e90eaec6b81e7f48049494d9b87ca7138af","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-128","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-126",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]