[{"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-648":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},148353,246,"Chapter 647: Bolt- and Pump-action II","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-648",648,"\u003Cp>CH647 Bolt- and Pump-action II\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The riders barely had time to react. Their aura defences—thin and unprepared—were pierced through as if they were nothing more than parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the four riders were impaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead rider’s body stiffened before collapsing lifelessly from his mount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden reversal sent shockwaves through the convoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What—?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They killed the captain?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To arms! Kill them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouts erupted as the remaining mounted guards spurred their horses forward, charging towards Alex’s position in an attempt to form a defensive line and buy time for the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the convoy, the labourers and drivers scrambled into action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shields were raised. Clubs, daggers, and whatever crude weapons they could grasp were drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some clambered atop the carriages, hastily nocking arrows onto rough bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the unforgiving expanse of the Hollowcrest Wildlands, even the most ordinary labourer learned to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those who travelled under the banner of the Lost Heathens. At any moment, they could become killers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex, Mogal, and Kavakan did not move to meet the incoming cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, they held their ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the elevated ridges flanking the road, Sergeant Lopota led the Fury Knights as they opened fire with their newly issued weapons—a modified crossbow variant developed by Sugud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lopota took aim at one of the advancing riders and fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The string snapped forward, launching the bolt with lethal precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without so much as a glance at the result, Lopota pulled the foregrip back in a smooth motion—pumping the crossbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp click, the string reset under tension as an internal spring system fed a fresh bolt into the groove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pause or hesitation, he fired again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire—pump—fire—pump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury Knights unleashed a relentless barrage, each soldier maintaining a steady rhythm of nearly one bolt per second, until the magazine was spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fury knights calmly changed for another magazine, and soon smoothly continued opening fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cavalry had no time to react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were cut down mid-charge, their advance shattered before it could even begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, positioned further back atop the highest elevation, Silver and the original Fury crossbowmen took aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their weapons were of a different design—another one of Sugud’s variants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longer, heavier, and built for long-ranged precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extended bolt grooves housed reinforced, elongated bolts, while the mechanism itself allowed for mana infusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver and the five crossbowmen channelled their mana into their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy gathered along the string... then concentrated into the bolts themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once fully charged—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THWACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The release was sharper, louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bolts tore through the air with devastating speed, striking targets over a hundred metres away with unerring accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver bolted back the mechanism without looking down, her eyes locked firmly on the battlefield below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The limbs of her crossbow groaned under the strain as she drew it back, the string locking into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a firm forward motion, the chamber sealed—another bolt snapping into position, ready to fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She aimed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Channelled mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the stronger enemies fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the battlefield unravelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pump-action crossbows wielded by Lopota and the Fury Knights tore through the weaker forces, mowing them down in waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Silver and her unit methodically eliminated the higher-ranked targets with their bolt-action, mana-enhanced crossbows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within moments—without a single blade drawn, without a single spell cast—the Fortuna party seized control of the battlefield from a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly, and efficiently, they heralded the arrival of a new kind of warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex observed the entire battle—if it could even be called that—with a faint smile playing on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Taking the bolt-action and pump-action mechanisms I casually described and integrating them into a crossbow design... leave it to a dwarf-elf hybrid to turn what was essentially an abstract concept into deadly, functional prototypes,’ he mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’With this foundation, I am confident that, given time, he will be able to replicate even more advanced weapon systems. If things progress as expected, I may not need to develop an alternative cultivation path for those without the needed talent. With the right tools, even ordinary individuals could become effective military assets.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’And if I have the opportunity to further enhance these designs with Rune-Tech... I might be able to increase the effectiveness of the weapon system further for both Professionals and non-professionals alike.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time his thoughts settled, the battle was already over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the initial barrage from the crossbows, the Fortuna party descended upon the remnants, swiftly eliminating any survivors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire engagement had lasted less than ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex—and his wives—had not needed to lift a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His subordinates, beast companions, and the Fury soldiers had handled everything with ruthless efficiency. No prisoners were taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who bore the banner of the Lost Heathens had been marked for death by the party, and Alex saw no reason to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the area had been... sanitised, the group cleared the battlefield, recovering their fired bolts. Afterward, they erected a crude perimeter to shield the captured carriages from opportunistic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at a distance, Alex activated his Beta Bracer and placed a call to Raven Horn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first objective is complete,\" he said as soon as the connection stabilised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood. My people will arrive within ten minutes,\" Raven Horn replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won’t be waiting. We’ll proceed to the second objective.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. We’ll await your next update.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex ended the call, releasing a quiet breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gather up,\" he called to the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thought, he activated OmniRune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The AI mage-assistant responded instantly, executing a spell that opened a Spatial Gate before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zora raised a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had OmniRune convert the formation into a spell. It’s... more convenient this way,\" Alex explained casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zora stared at him, momentarily stunned. Eleanore and Udara were no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Zora and Eleanore began to recover, Udara spoke—only to deepen their disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master... if this is derived from the Interplanar Grand Formation, does that mean you intend to eventually convert that into a spell as well?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s actually not a bad idea,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you saying, Udara? Don’t encourage him,\" Zora cut in immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry...\" Udara replied sheepishly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, the Spatial Gate had fully stabilised, locking onto a pre-marked destination identified by the scouting team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, the Fortuna party began to step through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, they vanished into the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side... awaiting them, was the Lost Heathens’ most critical shipment base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1093,"2026-05-29T03:49:40.912Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","7869fc1a9424d4fa068e125379f4e89dd3569818d16f9a91bd12fdcea249fe76","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-649","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-647",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]