[{"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-172":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},147835,246,"Chapter 171: Battling a Menace","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-172",172,"\u003Cp>CH171 Battling a Menace\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Alex’s team of three cleaned up their camp and resumed their journey toward the boundary corridor, where their route would veer north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had barely arrived in the region when Fen suddenly picked up a familiar scent. However, it wasn’t the scent of a goblin like Alex had expected... or hoped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—what they found was something far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A creature that was the chaotic offspring of an armadillo and a porcupine, with the bad attitude of a honey badger: the Needleback Badger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one-metre-tall, two-metre-long, half-ton walking bag of pure menace was on their trail again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And according to Fen, it was the exact same Needleback they had evaded days earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which could only mean one thing—it had locked onto them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex narrowed his eyes. That damned thing wasn’t just tracking them—it was hunting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he had no intention of fighting a Needleback Badger. Even the local apex beasts gave it a wide berth. There was absolutely nothing about it worth risking his family jewels for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s move quickly,\" Alex said, urgency creeping into his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mounted Fen, preparing to cast [Featherflight]—but then, his Spirit Sight caught a flicker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden energy signature shimmered briefly across his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whine~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fen called out, concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex bit his lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Dammit... not now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was caught in a metaphysical quagmire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden energy was none other than Daddy Golden Energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right now, it was pointing him straight at the Needleback Badger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Do you mean I should fight it?! This is my little dragon we’re talking about here. I plan to make vigorous use of it in the nearest future—and for a very long time! Why would I fight that... family-wrecker?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the mental protest, Alex found himself actually considering it. Daddy Golden Energy’s ’suggestion’ might be a pain, but the energy signature had never led him astray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was why he didn’t order a retreat, even after Fen called out to him multiple times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon enough, the Needleback lumbered into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Fen had said—it was the very same beast the platoon had avoided before. The ragged scar over its right eye was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One look at that scar was all anyone needed to know—this Needleback was a veteran of many battles. A menace among menaces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex clenched his jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Shit. It’s really come to this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath. ’Don’t think about it, Alex. Just... Carpe Diem.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he glanced at the golden aura lingering around the beast and muttered, \"This better be worth it, Daddy Golden Energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s get ready to fight,\" he finally said to Fen and Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fen gave him a questioning look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t want to fight him either, buddy,\" Alex admitted. \"But look at its eyes. It’s not going to stop chasing us. Looks like we don’t have a choice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fen let out a low growl and shifted into a combat-ready stance, eyes blazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex turned to Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll leave the frontline to you,\" he said shamelessly. \"Fen and I will back you up from the rear—with spells.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara gazed at Alex deeply, a flicker of understanding passing between them. She clearly knew why he had no intention of squaring off with the Needleback Badger head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced down at the twin shortswords sheathed on either side of her waist. Slowly, she half-unsheathed them, examining the blades with a frown. A moment later, she shook her head and slid them back into their scabbards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weapons weren’t suited for this kind of battle. She might as well punch the beast with her bare hands than risk damaging her blades on its armoured hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Needleback locked eyes on them, it didn’t waste time posturing or sizing them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It attacked—immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Needle Volley]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sudden arch of its back, the Badger fired off a barrage of sharp black spikes—almost a dozen—straight at the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected it to open with such a dangerous move. Still, he didn’t panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand shot out, instinctively patting Fen’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without needing a command, Fen surged forward and placed himself in front of Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Beta Bracer’s shield flared to life, forming a translucent blue barrier that absorbed the incoming spikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fen wasn’t finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the shield dropped, the direwolf opened his jaws and returned a massive bolt of Ice—its own frozen jagged spike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Needleback reacted instantly, curling into a defensive ball of spikes and rolling away like a monstrous cannonball. It shredded through the thickets, flattening anything in its path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Featherflight]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex cast the mobility spell, targeting both Fen and Udara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empowered by Internal Energy and magic, Udara surged forward, flashing across the terrain as her footfalls cracked the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fist struck the rolling spike-ball dead-on—right between the protruding needles—slamming into the scale-plated armour with explosive force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannonball halted mid-roll, jolted into the dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara didn’t relent. The moment the beast stopped, she dashed in, determined to press the advantage. But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Needle Spike]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another spike shot out from the Badger, aimed straight at her torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara twisted mid-stride, narrowly evading the projectile. Still, she didn’t slow. Even before the spike hit the ground behind her, she was already lunging again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the slight delay was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Badger burrowed into the earth beneath it with a violent jerk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Earth Burrow]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The damn thing fled underground to escape the only person bold—or mad—enough to punch it without breaking their arms. Now free, it began circling back toward its true target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already knew the badger’s nasty habit of ambushing foes from beneath, usually aiming for the groin. He’d prepared for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jumping down from Fen’s back, he slammed his palm into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Static Field]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pulse of mana spread outward from his hand, forming an electrified sphere with Alex at its centre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth sparked—and the Badger screeched as it burst from the ground, its underbelly fur frizzled and limbs twitching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shadow Dash]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Udara moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She vanished into her shadow—then emerged from the Badger’s own shadow, her fist arcing upward for a clean uppercut beneath its exposed chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the old gangster wasn’t so easy to bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It reflexively began to curl, not fully, but enough to shield its underchin. Her punch slammed into its armoured head plate instead of the vulnerable spot she aimed for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of launching the beast skyward, the blow sent it skidding backwards across the clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance it gained wasn’t wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Badger launched its next attack almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Vapour Burst]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**\u003C\u002Fp>",1103,"2026-05-29T03:49:10.136Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","f7cac46d3a1f12084b8fcaa4ef08ffe6dab284d678228691f0a17329fe88be3e","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-173","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-171",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]