[{"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-627":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},148332,246,"Chapter 626: Pre- and Post-Cognition I","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-627",627,"\u003Cp>CH626 Pre- and Post-Cognition I\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, Dalton managed to raise his greatsword in time, gripping it firmly at both ends to brace against the incoming blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade bit slightly into his palm upon contact, drawing a thin line of blood—but a faint aura coating his hand prevented the edge from cutting any deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton suddenly angled his blade, allowing Alex’s forward-leaning momentum—driven by the downward slash—to carry through, pushing him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the ground as leverage, much like a man performing a bench press, Dalton braced himself and forcefully extended his arms—launching Alex away in a display of raw strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex was sent airborne, flipping backwards before landing cleanly on his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, instead of pressing the attack, he paused momentarily to steady his breathing—giving Dalton the space to rise back to his feet as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton, too, did not advance. Instead, he observed his young opponent with a mixture of amazement and respect, even as he recovered his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re something else. I really thought I had you there,\" Alex remarked with a light chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll need more than that to take me down,\" Dalton replied with a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, his expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I owe you an apology for underestimating you. You are not an opponent beneath me... but one who stands at my level.\" He gave a slight bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, he raised his head once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Allow me to correct that mistake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted into a firm stance, gripping his greatsword with both hands, the blade pointed directly at Alex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will now come at you with my full strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex’s grin widened, his crimson eyes shimmering with a trace of madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wouldn’t have it any other way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered himself into a fighting stance, his war axe poised and ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men once more burst forward simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aura Coating! Weapon Coating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat energy surged from Dalton’s body, wrapping around both his form and his weapon with such refined control that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer density of that compressed energy caused the very air around him to tremble faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton’s speed spiked dramatically as he lunged forward, thrusting his greatsword with lethal intent—aiming to skewer Alex where he stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the golden rims around Alex’s eyes glowed faintly, almost eerily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sidestepped the incoming thrust—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—but in the same instant, Dalton adjusted mid-motion, his blade sweeping sideways in a fluid arc aimed at slicing through Alex’s midsection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as if anticipating the motion, Alex’s war axe swept upward from the side in a scything arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, like a whip, the hooked axehead caught Dalton’s greatsword—dragging it along overhead before continuing the arc to Alex’s opposite side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that movement, Alex attempted to disarm Dalton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the veteran mercenary was not so easily outplayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton leapt, following the redirected arc of his blade. Using his body weight, he twisted along the motion and wrenched the weapon free from Alex’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the brief moment where Dalton was airborne, Alex pressed the attack—slashing towards his midsection as he descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, in that instant, Dalton’s aura coating flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as though his weight suddenly multiplied, dragging him downwards faster than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his feet touched the ground, he sprang forward off his landing leg, launching into a horizontal barrel roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spin served a dual purpose—not only evading Alex’s strike, but also amplifying the power of his counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton’s blade came crashing down, driven by the momentum of the rotation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alex intercepted it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—with his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he had anticipated the counter, Alex’s blade cut cleanly into the path of Dalton’s greatsword, halting the strike before it could reach its full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Hmph—!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, blocking a spinning greatsword strike with a one-handed, reverse grip was no small feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strained groan escaped Alex as the impact forced him down into a half-kneeling position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton seized the opportunity without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shifting his descent, he channelled his falling weight directly into the clash, bringing both hands onto his weapon as he attempted to overpower Alex and drive him into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex was slammed heavily against the arena floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact was so forceful that his body rebounded slightly upon contact, momentarily loosening Dalton’s attempt to pin him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Dragon Kumite: Dragon Roar]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Dalton could re-establish control, Alex opened his mouth and released a mana-infused roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwave blasted Dalton backwards, forcing him to stagger several steps away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking advantage of the space, Alex flipped backwards and sprang to his feet, retreating dozens of steps to reset the distance between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked towards Dalton with a wry smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’As expected of a Class 4,’ he thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it might not have appeared so to the onlookers, Alex knew he had just walked a very fine line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the layered support spells from OmniRune, now that Dalton had become serious—and was actively reinforcing his body with mana—Alex found himself somewhat overwhelmed in both speed and strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reason he had managed to survive that relentless exchange was because he had moved before Dalton even struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Dalton had initiated his attack before he moved— Alex would have already lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps even his life as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, too, had realised why Alex had been able to evade his attacks—but he could not discern how the young man was accomplishing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Can he... see the future?’ Dalton wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze locked onto Alex’s crimson eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint golden rims within them shimmered intermittently, stirring a deep sense of unease within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instincts told him that there was something more to those eyes—something beyond the illusion-based ability he had already witnessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dalton did not realise it, but his suspicion was not far from the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex shook his head lightly, as though attempting to clear a lingering haze from his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced down at his body, only to realise that the duration of his buffs was rapidly approaching its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the onlookers, it appeared as though he was still recovering from the heavy slam against the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was not the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true reason lay elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phantom Sight Level 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much like Spirit Sight before it, after the restoration and advancement of his Truth-Seeker Eyes, Alex discovered that Phantom Sight had evolved into a higher tier of ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only upon unlocking this new level that he truly began to understand what Phantom Sight actually was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its core, Phantom Sight was the Truth-Seeker Eyes’ attempt to develop a form of cognitive augmentation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1110,"2026-05-29T03:49:40.912Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","10df755dd88bb7523d28afa3e0b9a78a0e5d0b8c5afd05c913d3825bf03afafc","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-628","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-626",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]