[{"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-618":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},148323,246,"Chapter 617: Mark of Slaughter","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-618",618,"\u003Cp>CH617 Mark of Slaughter\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that brief exchange settled, Alex moved on to the main reveal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze first fell on Kavakan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Designing something suitable for the weretiger had proven... unexpectedly tricky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Alex had considered using him as the foundation for a standard Rune Soldier configuration—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full suite of elementary Rune Tattoos, filling all seven of Kavakan’s available Rune slots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That’s too lazy,’ Alex thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, he didn’t believe Kavakan actually needed enhancements to his basic parameters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between his Call of the Wild technique and his lycanthropic transformation, his physical capabilities were already well-covered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, they were excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the decisive factor came down to something far simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It’s boring. It doesn’t make proper use of Rune-Tech’s new capabilities.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So instead, Alex shifted his focus to something Kavakan lacked not in strength—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex tapped on one of the projected Rune designs, expanding it to fill the entire display.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mark of Slaughter,\" he introduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Rune Tattoo is designed to integrate seamlessly with your body, your energy... and your Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As the name suggests, it interfaces directly with your Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Killing Intent naturally grows stronger with each kill— especially within short bursts of continuous combat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, based on my observations during our journey, a significant portion of that energy is wasted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wasted?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Alex nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I estimate that as much as ninety percent of the emotional energy generated from your surge in Killing Intent dissipates almost immediately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only about ten percent remains— used to temper your will and permanently strengthen your Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Killing Intent produces energy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course,\" Alex replied matter-of-factly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why else would your Killing Intent amplify your combat capabilities?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing comes from nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised a finger slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Belief gives rise to Will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will gives rise to Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And each of these —belief, will, intent— generates a form of invisible energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I call it... emotional energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, where do you think divine energy comes from? The energy that the Navi harvest from believers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s simply a refined form of the energy from belief —faith— directed towards them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A purified derivative of the same underlying principle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex shook his head lightly, refocusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It just so happens that, with my Rune Master class, I can now do more than manipulate conventional mana and related energies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can also —albeit to a limited extent— interact with this overlooked emotional energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured towards the projection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mark of Slaughter is built around this newfound capability.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When you generate emotional energy through your Killing Intent, the Rune Tattoo captures what would otherwise be wasted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It then stores it as a resource I call... Slaughter Energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan’s expression sharpened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Currently, I’ve programmed this Slaughter Energy to serve three primary functions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex raised a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First—it helps coalesce the energy generated by your Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This improves how effectively you can channel that energy into your attacks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Kavakan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve noticed you struggle to properly infuse your weapons with Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This will significantly improve that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his tone turned firmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But don’t misunderstand. This is not a crutch. It’s rather a supplementary aid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want to increase its effectiveness, you’ll still need to improve your own control over your Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if you succeed—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—the power the Mark provides will also increase, right?\" Kavakan interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly,\" Alex nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was by design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could have made the Rune Tattoo automatically regulate and refine Kavakan’s Killing Intent—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that would have been a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too much interference would stunt growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan needed absolute control over his Killing Intent if he wished to elevate it to a higher tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than becoming a dependency—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mark of Slaughter was meant to function as a reward system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A multiplier for mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex could already envision it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A future where Kavakan’s Killing Intent had reached such refinement that it merged with his concepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’At that point, killing with nothing more than a glance —or sheer presence— wouldn’t be impossible,’ Alex thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The second function is duration extension.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mark of Slaughter increases how long your Killing Intent empowerment lasts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He folded his arms slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Based on my observations, your current enhancement lasts for roughly five minutes after your last kill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After that, the energy dissipates.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This tattoo increases that duration by approximately up to fifty percent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan’s eyes lit up slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex continued calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It achieves this by absorbing the emotional energy your body naturally releases after the initial five-minute window.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then it reintroduces that energy—converted into Slaughter Energy—as a substitute fuel source.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan’s eyes lit up at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I initially wanted to extend the duration even further. After all, that ninety percent of dispersed emotional energy is... substantial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But then I realised something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your body releases that excess energy for a reason.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It cannot sustain it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked directly at Kavakan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe you understand that better than I do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Killing Intent is a double-edged sword. If I push it too far, I lose myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The method I came up with... what did you call it again—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"False Avatar method,\" Alex supplied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Kavakan nodded. \"...the False Avatar method, as you described, isolates the Killing Intent to a portion of my soul.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if even that portion becomes overwhelmed...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression darkened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I might lose myself completely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would explain why my instincts react the way you described.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe so as well,\" Alex affirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case, forcing a longer duration passively would be dangerous. That’s why I made the extended duration an active function.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will need to consciously will it into effect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood,\" Kavakan replied firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That brings me to the third function.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mark of Slaughter will gradually expose your body to Slaughter Energy over time, in a controlled manner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This should allow your body, energy, and Will to acclimatise to the effects of your Killing Intent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over time, it should strengthen your tolerance... and improve your control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight shrug followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At least—in theory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not sure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not,\" Alex replied plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan looked momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex waved it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take some time to think about it while I speak with Mogal. This Mark represents significant changes to you after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kavakan nodded slowly, deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex then turned his attention to the barbarian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For you,\" he said calmly, \"I designed the Chains of Unyielding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then added with a faint, knowing smile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t lie.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is probably the strangest Rune Tattoo I’ve ever created.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared straight at Mogal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its primary function... is to weaken you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1136,"2026-05-29T03:49:40.912Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","08fe816031d04bd86b67a6c09babe475e540ce1850f37660b58e49bb1de98110","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-619","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-617",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]