[{"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-404":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},147767,246,"Chapter 403: Navi Temple","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-404",404,"\u003Cp>CH403 Navi Temple\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next few minutes were almost an exact repeat of what the party had done at the militia camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splitting into four teams, they spread out along the fortress wall, moving like drifting shadows as they quietly eliminated every guard stationed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They made certain no lookout remained alive—no stray pair of eyes to alert the fortress, no lingering obstacle to complicate matters once they descended to deal with the ground forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Alex considered leaving the crossbowmen atop the wall to snipe priority targets as the battle escalated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a brief contemplation, he shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crossbows’ effective range was still limited, and the wielders lacked the proficiency required for consistent accuracy and precision at long distances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He regretted—for the first time—not pushing harder to produce more units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But time had been against him, and without a proper assembly line or specialised workforce, mass-producing such a proprietary weapon on short notice had been unrealistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled softly, shaking off the creeping frustration, and refocused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through their comms, he directed the crossbowmen to move freely below the walls and prioritise shooting down any tough-looking hostile once the fighting began in earnest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As with the militia camp, stealth wouldn’t last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advantage of surprise would eventually evaporate, and the operation would devolve into open battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When that happened, the crossbowmen would be essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their earlier difficulties at the militia camp, Mogal and Kavakan—despite preferring their bare hands or broad axes respectively—picked up daggers for the stealth kills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daggers were faster. Not to mention cleaner and quieter. Definitely far easier than snapping necks or trying to quietly hack someone down with an axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Backstabs... Group ambushes...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the targets were sleeping, patrolling, or standing around chatting, the expedition party used quick assassinations and tight close-quarters tactics to silently thin the fortress guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They cleared the lower troop encampment and were cutting across the main courtyard toward the fortress’s facilities when Alex suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong?\" Zora whispered over comms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s voice was sharp, almost a hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Navi Temple. We need to take it out immediately—before a Priest or Paladin gets their Navi involved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex wanted to cuss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout team hadn’t reported a Temple inside the fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t blame them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither the Pangean scouts nor Kron Belloc had known that such a thing was even something to look for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Navi Temple wasn’t just a simple religious structure—it was a local conduit of faith, a node where a deity’s influence pooled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its clergy—priests and paladins—served as the watchmen of that conduit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the number of active followers within the fortress suddenly dropped below a certain threshold, the watcher of that Temple would notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if a Priest was present and had enough time to call down a ’miracle’, the situation would spiral instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s feat back at the Northern Dankrot Fort—where he used a faux Grand Array to heal, rejuvenate and buff the Fury soldiers—would seem like child’s play in comparison to a real Navi miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was in a fortress where they were already outnumbered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Temple’s existence also confirmed Alex’s earlier suspicion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fortress was not something a supposedly insignificant baron like Leland Helton could have built alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Navi Temples weren’t constructed on a whim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were erected only in places of strategic importance to a deity or its cult—locations with a strong worship base, or strategic areas where the cult wanted one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barnsil was neither.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a small town built around a border fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant the Temple’s purpose here had little to do with worship, and more to do with security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble with enough wealth and ambition could request one—if they were powerful or influential enough to be granted that privilege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A minor barony couldn’t request one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a Duchy could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Temple’s presence was a major snag in Alex’s assault plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, change of plans. We’re going loud.\" Alex said over comms, voice sharp. \"We need to destroy that Temple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kavakan, Mogal—on me. The rest of you hold back the fortress troops!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex immediately began chanting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It started like a standard [Fireball] incantation, but soon shifted—his personal modifications layered into the spell structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t focused on traditional spellcasting thanks to Rune-Tech, but that didn’t mean Alex hadn’t studied spells at all back at the Enclave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all his spell studies, this one stood above the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Fireball]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quintessential spell that every commoner assumed all mages mastered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s mastery wasn’t enough to insta-cast it, but it was more than enough for more layered casting techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Mogal charged the Temple’s large gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Beast Totem]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His right arm ballooned with condensed strength as the barbarian’s energy flooded into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shockingly, the reinforced Temple gate resisted the blow—though a massive dent warped its centre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan arrived a heartbeat later, twin axes raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Call of the Wild]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Violent reddish mana wrapped his arms and weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His axes crashed into the exact centre of Mogal’s dent, ripping the thick double doors apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the breach opened, both men dove aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Delayed Spells: Triple Cast—Fireball]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three fireballs formed above Alex’s head in a fiery triangular array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the doorway cleared, they launched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous explosion tore through the Temple—shaking the entire fortress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Mogal and Kavakan’s assault hadn’t alerted the stronghold, Alex’s strike certainly did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rush in!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t bother catching his breath. Pushing through the heat and residual shockwaves, Alex sprinted into the burning Temple with his two hulking followers at his heels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humm!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pulse of divine energy vibrated through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk.\" Alex clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he feared, the Temple wasn’t fully destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constant faith energy had seeped into its structure for years, refining and strengthening it beyond mundane materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gold-white wave rippled outward from the innermost chamber—extinguishing the flames almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blaze died, revealing several silhouettes still standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s frown deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had expected one survivor—the Priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But along with the Priest, three Paladins had survived as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, the Priest and Paladins all radiated energy equal to Gold Rank by Verdantis standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Senu’s vantage in the sky, Alex sensed the fortress troops mobilising as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Forty Bronze, fifteen Silver, and four more Gold ranks...’ He recalled the scout team’s earlier report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If those troops converged with the Priest and Paladins—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This might get annoying.’ Alex thought grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>",1073,"2026-05-29T03:49:10.137Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","634f40415caab66894fa3eb1610276f8b436af753b47d110966961e5a1ead711","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-405","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-403",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]