Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 558: Legacy Trial II

CH558 Legacy Trial II

***

Alex withdrew his Spiritual Force, half-expecting to see the stele cracked or damaged.

However, when he looked up, he realised that was not the case.

’Phew...’ He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Then what happened?" he muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

He attempted to send his Spiritual Force into the stele once more— only for it to be rejected outright.

"What the..." He froze in disbelief.

When he retracted his Spiritual Force again, he noticed that the mysterious old man had somehow appeared beside him without his awareness.

"Hmm... that’s unexpected," the old man remarked.

"Did I do something wrong?" Alex asked cautiously.

"No." The old man shook his head. "It appears you are unable to undergo the Grey trial."

He placed his palm gently against the surface of the stele.

"Oh, I see..." he murmured, then glanced at Alex with faint amusement. "The stele has determined that you would pass any trial it could present, and thus sees no need to administer one."

"Congratulations. You have passed the Grey Stele."

"Huh?" Alex blinked, taken aback. "Why?" he could not help but ask.

"The Grey Trial manifests in one of two forms. For a candidate experienced in such Mystic arts, it tests their proficiency with hexes, curses, weakening mystic arts, and similar disciplines. For those without experience, it instead tests their resistance to those very same mystic arts.

"Since you do not appear to be a practitioner of this branch, the stele must have assessed that your resistance exceeds what it can meaningfully evaluate. Thus, it chose not to proceed," the old man explained.

He added with a light chuckle, "I neither expected nor even conceived of such a possibility when I created these trials."

For an old man who had witnessed and experienced countless things, the opportunity to encounter something genuinely new was rare

Too be caught off guard in such a manner was... refreshing.

When Alex reflected upon it, he suspected the stele’s reaction stemmed from the nature of his soul.

His true strength lay in the power of his soul— his Spiritual Force. Even at the Intermediate rank, the sheer quantity of his Spiritual Force rivalled that of a Great Mage or Veteran-level practitioner.

As for quality, his soul and Spiritual Force were so pure that such refinement was typically only found in those who had ascended beyond mortality — Legends and above.

’Perks of being a transmigrator, I guess,’ he thought to himself.

"So... since I passed, does that mean I receive a reward?" Alex asked.

"Although you technically passed, you did not actually face a trial. So what do you think?" The old man regarded him with a steady gaze.

Alex shrugged lightly.

’You can’t blame a man for trying,’ he muttered inwardly.

He rose and moved to the next stele beside the Grey Stele— the Craftsmanship Stele.

Alex settled into a comfortable seated position not far from Sugud, then extended his Spiritual Force into the craftsmanship stele.

He had high expectations for this one. After all, he considered himself more of an engineer —a craftsman— than a traditional mage.

Alas...

Crack! Shatter!!

Once again, his Spiritual Force was forcefully rejected.

Alex frowned and turned towards the old man, who looked half stunned and half amused.

The old man placed his palm upon the stele. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and carefully assessed Alex from head to toe.

"The stele indicates that you possess upon your person what it considers the pinnacle of craftsmanship achievable by mortal hands— an artefact of immense strength and even greater potential," he revealed.

’OmniRune!’ The answer clicked instantly in Alex’s mind.

"Judging by your expression, you understand what the stele refers to. Very well," the old man smiled. "Shall we proceed?"

"You’re not going to ask what it is?" Alex asked, surprised.

"I am indeed curious. But what use would such knowledge be to me?" The old man shrugged. "I am nothing more than a lingering remnant of the past. I have little interest in your secrets. My sole concern now is to pass the legacy on to a worthy successor."

"Oh..." Alex muttered softly.

The old man waved his hand dismissively.

"On to the next one, then," he said.

Alex nodded and moved to the next stele —the Alchemy Stele— where he sat beside Eleanore.

’This one isn’t going to reject me as well... is it?’ Alex could not help thinking.

Fortunately, that did not come to pass. His Spiritual Force —along with his consciousness— was drawn into the stele’s testing ground.

’Hoho. So it finally begins, does it? What an intriguing lad,’ the old man chuckled, stroking his beard.

He shifted his gaze towards the Fortuna party members who were immersed in their respective trials.

His eyes flashed, as though peering beyond the physical and into the metaphysical.

"Fate and Fortune are mysterious forces. Which comes first — fortune or fate? No one can say with certainty," the old man muttered to himself, shaking his head lightly.

"Were each of you destined to be bound to your leader? Or was it merely a stroke of fortune? The cycle of fate and fortune —much like the supreme laws of Life, Death, Destiny, Time, and even Space— is vast and elusive.

"Each of you possesses considerable Fortune. Was that always the case? Or did it arise the moment you chose to follow your current leader? Whatever the truth, by making that choice, your fortune has brought you to this opportunity... and now a new fate stands before you.

"Will you seize this fate and earn even greater fortune? Or will you let it slip away and lose what you already hold? Whatever you choose... whatever you achieve... I shall bear witness.

"All submit to the will of Heaven and Earth."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"The Heaven-Earth Concordance is not truly a trial, but an opportunity. An opportunity to learn... to grow. However, it is an opportunity entirely dependent upon your fate, your fortune, your talent, and your comprehension.

"None may be lacking— or the opportunity will be lost."

It was peculiar that the old man waited until after the party had fallen into their trance-like states —their minds now dwelling within the steles— before speaking these words.

Yet, unexpectedly, the breathing of the party members gradually smoothed, as though they had heard a profound mantra that calmed their hearts and steadied their minds.

It was as if the old man’s voice had transcended space itself to reach them within the depths of the steles.

The old man nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied.

’Now then... I wonder which of them will be the first to complete their trial,’ he mused inwardly.

***