Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 547: Two Sides— Entering the Formation II

CH547 Two Sides— Entering the Formation II

***

Alex and his party stepped onto the mountain-foot region surrounding the formation-eye mountain.

As expected, that step did not merely carry them forward. It shifted them into an entirely new space.

The group found themselves within an arid desert, not too different from the terrain at the mountain’s base. The similarity was almost unsettling.

Even more telling, five berserk humans surrounded them.

"Three Strength types, one Agility type, and two Vitality types," Alex muttered.

He didn’t need to issue orders.

His party members moved on their own.

[Call of the Wild]!

[Lycanthropic Transformation]!

Fur erupted across Kavakan’s body as his face twisted into that of a tiger. In the next instant, he shot forward at one of the larger Strength-type berserk humans, grabbing it and hurling it into the other two.

"I’ll take these ones," he said to Mogal with a grin. "Don’t say I left you nothing."

Mogal shook his head.

He would have preferred to test himself against the Strength types, but Kavakan had already claimed them.

So he shifted his focus to the fewer but bulkier Vitality types.

An idea struck him.

He stepped toward them.

[Beast Totem — Dune Croc]!

A new totem manifested behind Mogal. Not the familiar bear— but a spectral beast eerily similar to the creature he had slain to advance to Elite rank.

Phantom scales formed across his body, reinforcing his defence and resilience.

Mogal tapped the scales, gauging their strength, then nodded, satisfied.

Like Kavakan, he charged.

His fist drew back.

Then—

Boom!

The Vitality-type berserk human didn’t dodge— more accurately, it couldn’t.

Mogal’s punch slammed into its stomach, launching it several metres backward into the second Vitality type. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

That left the Agility type alone.

It dropped onto all fours. Its body twisted and stretched at unnatural angles before darting sideways, movements eerily spider-like despite its human frame.

But as strange and unsettling as its movements were, it was still unexpectedly fast.

The Agility-type berserk human moved with silent intent.

Its target— Kavakan.

The weretiger was locked in a frenzied clash against three berserk humans at once, his repaired twin double-moon axes carving brutal arcs through the air.

"My babies crave blood!" Kavakan laughed in his transformed state.

One savage swing tore an arm clean off the berserk human he had thrown earlier — completely unaware of the strike closing in behind him.

The Agility-type’s expression remained vacant as its sickle-like arm descended toward Kavakan’s back.

Click.

"No, you don’t."

A soft metallic sound —followed by a calm, almost languid voice— reached the creature’s ears just before its attack landed.

Suddenly, the world tilted, then flipped.

The Agility-type found itself staring at its own body, arms cut off, from an impossible angle.

Confusion flickered across its lifeless eyes before darkness swallowed its vision.

[Flash Step]!

[Quick Draw — Flash Strike]!

In its final moment, the berserk human never even saw its killer.

Havel slid his blade smoothly back into its sheath after decapitating the Intermediate-rank berserk human, his stance unchanged— as if he had never moved.

Kavakan didn’t register the attack that had nearly pierced his back.

He simply continued.

Another swing followed the moment he tore off an arm from one of his opponents.

[Whirlwind]!

He pivoted on his toes, spinning with both axes. A razor vortex formed— and the berserk human’s head separated from its body.

Using the momentum, Kavakan brought his left axe down diagonally onto another.

The creature raised an arm to block.

But it mattered not.

The axe cleaved through limb and torso alike, splitting the berserk human in two.

The last one hesitated.

Then —to Kavakan’s surprise— it turned and fled.

He blinked.

’Aren’t they supposed to be dumb?’

The moment passed.

He spun again, hurling one of his axes, with force, at the fleeing figure.

Boom!

The weapon struck its back, sending the berserk human crashing to the ground.

Kavakan moved instantly.

His foot slammed into the sand, leaving a shallow crater as he launched himself forward.

Swoosh—

The berserk human struggled to rise, still attempting to retreat, with the embedded axe jutting from its back.

Boom!

Kavakan landed.

His remaining axe carved through the air in the same motion, slicing cleanly through the creature’s neck.

Another decapitation.

Another kill.

-

Roar!!

Moments earlier, the Vitality-type berserk human Mogal had punched into the ground pushed itself up from atop the other creature it had dragged down, releasing a guttural roar at the Dravo tribe barbarian.

Within seconds, the hole Mogal had blasted through its torso filled and sealed, flesh knitting together in grotesque efficiency.

Recovered, the berserk human charged at him, acidic saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth.

It had chosen Mogal as prey.

Unperturbed, Mogal channelled more energy into his arm and struck forward, unleashing a torrent of internal energy like a cannon.

[One Heart Punch]!

The fist energy —carrying Mogal’s killing intent— tore through the air and slammed into the charging berserk human’s chest.

The impact was devastating.

The attack punched straight through fat, bone and warped flesh— and continued onward with enough force to tear the head off the second Vitality-type, which had been half-kneeling as it struggled to rise.

The second creature collapsed instantly, corrupted purple berserk blood spilling from its severed neck.

Yet, astonishingly, the first berserk human kept coming.

It only flinched at the moment Mogal’s attack pierced its body.

Slower now, but relentless.

The gaping hole in its chest closed once more.

The creature lunged.

Mogal leapt, avoiding the strike. He stomped onto the creature’s back mid-motion, using it as a platform to push himself away and create distance.

’Its stench is horrible,’ Mogal thought with a grimace.

His brows furrowed when he realised his strongest strike hadn’t finished the fight.

"It will just heal from whatever damage you inflict. You need to decapitate it like the other one to kill it." Alex’s voice sounded through Comms.

In truth, Mogal didn’t need the reminder. The proof lay not far from his feet— the other Vitality-type he had already decapitated.

The reason for his frown was different.

Since rising from the missed lunge, the berserk human had begun moving its head erratically as it advanced— as if instinctively guarding its weakness.

The head was already a difficult target. Now, Mogal had to close the distance if he reasonably wanted to attack the berserk human’s head.

However, closing distance against a pus-oozing Vitality-type was risky at best.

Still, Mogal’s conviction didn’t waver.

***