[{"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-517":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},148230,246,"Chapter 516: Ungentlemanly Operation I","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-517",517,"\u003Cp>CH516 Ungentlemanly Operation I\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an undisclosed forest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A military formation advanced cautiously beneath the canopy, armour and boots muffled by damp leaves and loam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sir!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A forward scout burst from the treeline and saluted sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We found corpses ahead. They bear the Herzog family colours. It looks like they were ambushed here, sir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? What are those Herzogs doing across the border?\" the commander snapped. \"And who killed them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lead us there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout turned around and guided the formation off the path, the soldiers failed to notice the strange smile at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived, dozens of bodies lay strewn across the forest floor. Blood still glistened wetly on the earth, seeping into roots and moss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander swept his senses through the surrounding area, but he perceived no hostile presence nor lingering aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Search the bodies,\" he ordered. \"Find out how they got here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the dead belonged to a rival house — and had likely trespassed — having them die here without explanation was an invitation to a territorial war no one needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers broke formation and approached the corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the first soldier touched a body—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pucchi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dagger punched through his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every soldier who had stepped out of formation was stabbed in the neck almost simultaneously. They fell without understanding what had happened, choking on their own blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the ones who killed them...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...were the corpses they had just touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Amb—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the commander could finish shouting, an energy arrow tore through his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The projectile was so solid, so tangible, it may as well have been a physical arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far in the distance, beyond the edge of his perception range, stood an archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A Saint...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died wondering why a Saint would bother ambushing a unit whose strongest member was only a mid-stage Veteran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With their commander down, the formation fell into brief chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the deputy commander could restore order, the blood pooled on the forest floor suddenly stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin strands of crimson twisted into bindings, wrapping around the soldiers’ legs and arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The binds were weak — the blood too diluted and spread — but the brief restraint was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ’corpses’ moved again, not hesitating for even a moment as they cut down the soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only four soldiers managed to break free of the ambush, fleeing blindly through the trees for their lives, not realising they had been intentionally left to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone needed to tell the tale after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ’corpses’ began calmly clearing the scene of anything that might betray who they really were, leaving behind only what they wanted to be discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re done here, Deputy Commander,\" one of them said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man concealed behind helm and armour lifted a hand. The blood scattered across the forest floor slithered back towards him like obedient threads, carrying away the last traces of their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then signalled toward the distant archer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, the group melted into the wilderness, leaving only the dead behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if one bothered to check the fallen soldiers’ crests, they would discover they belonged to...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>House Holt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>--\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elsewhere in the Virellian Empire, near the imperial border with the Confederacy, a long smuggler caravan slipped through an unofficial route in the Dragonmourn Highlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path cut through a narrow ravine carved by seasonal waters between towering rock faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Halt!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A squad of humanoid, dragon-like figures stepped into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draconians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They resembled lizardmen at a glance, but their draconic skulls, upright posture, and calculating eyes marked a clear difference. These were not mindless beasts, but intelligent beings\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sir! We have your tribute,\" the lead smuggler called out, a crooked-faced, middle-aged man with a practised smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two large men hauled forward heavy crates and set them down. When opened, they revealed a glittering assortment of gold objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all of it was pure gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it shone convincingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Draconian leader grinned, baring serrated teeth. With a wave of his clawed hand, his men seized the crates and hauled them toward their mountain settlement without further inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smugglers were allowed to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They disappeared through the ravine, and onwards towards the Nearmarch Confederacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, inside the crude mountain village, the Draconians gathered in excitement as the crates were opened for distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be it their bloodline or their instincts— they could never resist its allure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village chief supervised as the glittering haul was divided according to the tribe’s customs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, unnatural sound echoed from within the emptied crates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Draconians froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent explosion tore through the heart of the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rock shattered. Flames and shrapnel blasted outward. Most of the gathered villagers were killed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the strongest warriors — those at the peak of Elite rank and above — survived the devastation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know it, but the tribute had been a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gold pieces had acted as inhibitors. While packed together, they suppressed a dormant spell circuit hidden within the crate. The moment the last of the gold was removed, the circuit completed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—and the enchanted formation triggered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ROOOAAARRR!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A roar of pain and fury rolled across the Dragonmourn Highlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far along the ravine path, the smuggler caravan halted mid-stride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The colour drained from the leader’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand Draconian speech, but the emotion in that roar needed no translation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rage, agony, Wrath...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came answering roars from multiple directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragonkin of the highlands— Draconians and lesser dragons alike— had entered a frenzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those roars were getting closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quickly, the smugglers realised a terrifying truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever had happened, the dragonkin believed they were responsible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they were coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smugglers broke into a desperate run, racing for the edge of the highlands. If they could just make it out, the dragonkin would not pursue beyond their territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as always, reality was cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragonkin caught them before they had covered half the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no negotiations, no pleases nor time for lies or bribes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smugglers were torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their screams were swallowed by the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ROAR!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the slaughter did nothing to calm the enraged Draconian chief. Instead, it convinced the other dragonkin that a coordinated human betrayal had occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A purge began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragonkin spread through the highlands, hunting down every human presence they could find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within hours, all smuggling activity through the passes ground to a complete halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just outside the highlands, in a small, derelict village often used by smugglers to resupply before braving the mountain routes, a thin man wiping down tables in a shabby inn suddenly paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped into the back service area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressing a finger into his right ear, he spoke quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Objective executed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1137,"2026-05-29T03:49:35.273Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","dd70e18d0fd3e86c437619aef4e4e9b616525ba72d85edf1f0d4ce28d6e60b2a","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-518","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-516",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]