Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH359 Happenstance

***

Alex continued reading, trying to understand why the Runesmith believed that mastering all of Pangea's runes could make a person akin to a Navi.

But no matter how many times he flipped through the next few pages, he found nothing further on the subject.

Upon closer inspection, Alex realised the book had been tampered with. Several pages had been carefully removed—so skilfully that one wouldn't notice unless they looked closely.

That discovery only deepened his curiosity about the Runesmith's writings.

However, with no immediate leads to pursue, he decided to set the matter aside for now.

Another problem with the Runesmith's works was their scarcity. Copies of the same book were extremely rare—assuming they even still existed.

'Perhaps someone or some powerful organisation deliberately destroyed them,' Alex mused.

'Or maybe they were never meant to circulate publicly in the first place.'

As he continued reading, another topic caught his attention—the Runesmith's notes on Magic Armours.

According to him, the runes used in crafting Magic Armours followed a methodology slightly different from conventional array formations, inscription scrolls, or other runic constructs.

It reminded Alex of how he'd discovered Greater Runes when developing Rune Tattoos and OmniRune—an entirely new structural tier of runic logic.

Zedicus Zoran wrote extensively about the early discovery of the Magic Armour rune method, how it had been refined through generations, and the flaws that persisted even in his era.

Most notably, he theorised a potential way to hack a Magic Armour.

Of course, it was just that—a theory. The conditions for such a feat were nearly impossible to replicate.

Even with Alex's Rune-Tech platform, attempting it mid-battle would be nothing short of suicidal.

Still, it didn't mean the method was useless.

Intrigued, Alex retrieved the pseudo–Magic Armour chestplate he had received from Jared before setting out against the Wildkin plaguing the Kellerman fief—the Plate of Happenstance—and set it carefully on the rune table inside his quarters.

He extended his Spiritual Force, delving into the armour's intricate runic foundation.

Now that the armour had accepted him as its rightful wearer, Alex could finally access its runic foundation directly—without relying on the backdoor trick he'd created back when AetherKindle was purifying the Miasmic remnant upon his first acquisition of the armour.

Following the method described in the Runesmith's notes, Alex guided his Spiritual Force to a specific section of the runic foundation. There, he began to temporarily alter several key runic lines.

The keyword was temporary.

The armour's runic foundation was immutable—its structure set in stone, which was why it was called a foundation in the first place. Altering it permanently would mean destroying the entire piece.

However, Zedicus Zoran had discovered an intriguing loophole: a small segment of the foundation could be temporarily rewritten.

By using one's Spiritual Force as ink, a expert in a rune craft could inscribe over select runes, modifying the functional logic of that sector for a brief period.

That segment acted like a quality control module in software engineering—ensuring the Magic Armour's runes continued to function as intended under any circumstance.

If that module failed, the entire armour would collapse into dysfunction.

What Alex did was simple, but a little daring. He inverted the directive logic of that section.

Now, rather than tell the rune foundation what to do to remain in line with its established function, the rune foundation now told this section what it could do.

It wasn't a perfect analogy, but the result was undeniable—and Alex couldn't help but smile.

He had uncovered the hidden ability of the chestplate. And it suited his style perfectly.

"Armour of Happenstance, huh…" He chuckled softly. "You're turning out to be a far more fitting name than I expected."

Alex withdrew his Spiritual Force and carefully stored the armour back inside his Sanctuary.

'I wonder when I'll get the chance to use the ability, or rather function, in battle,' he thought, feeling a spark of excitement.

'I bet Jared would regret giving me this armour if he ever found out.'

He paused, then smirked faintly.

'Unlikely. That damned coldfish of a knight probably wouldn't care either way.'

Shaking his head, Alex returned his attention to the Runesmith's book, eager to see what other outrageous musings this kindred spirit had left behind.

The world might never have appreciated their genius—arguably—but Alex certainly did.

---

Alex was, for the most part, living the life of a chairman in charge of a multi–billion–gold company.

While he spent his hours buried in books, others were hard at work ensuring his plans took shape.

Naturally, people like Haggleworth and Pinchcoin were busy putting his grand designs into motion. Meanwhile, Zora and Eleanor were rushing to finalise matters before Alex's interplanar expedition.

Just like Zora, who was now training someone to take over her duties as the Enclave's Majordomo, Eleanor too had to prepare a capable manager to keep her businesses running in her absence.

Although her partnership with Alex tied her shops closely to the Golden Palace, Eleanor still refused to let her business become one of its subsidiaries—a stance Alex fully understood and respected.

Unfortunately, that meant a mountain of extra work. Training a new manager to handle her operations was no easy task.

At Alex's insistence, Udara arranged a meeting with Alpha to discuss the Drow's approach to establishing the CIN's network nodes in the Imperial Capitals and major cities. It was a chance to gain insight from a different school of thought compared to Allen Holder's methods.

After all, while Allen had been a thief turned spymaster under an Earl's banner, Alpha was a true Imperial–trained spymaster—decades of experience hidden behind her deceptively youthful Drow features.

There were things Alpha could teach that Allen simply could not.

Fen, Senu, and—more recently—Dread were now officially attached to the Enclave's Beast Taming Department. There, under the guise of "researching their unique bloodlines and elemental affinities," they were receiving specialised training from the department's master tamers.

Everyone around Alex was hard at work, preparing for the expedition ahead.

The only piece missing were the elite troops promised to him by Earl Drake.

Just after sundown, Alex heard a knock at his door. He frowned. He wasn't expecting anyone.

The only people who ever came by unannounced were his three fiancées—and they all had keys by now.

Recalling Alpha's warning about a possible plot involving Alric Wastelander, Alex instinctively raised his guard as he approached the door.

When he opened it, his expression froze in shock. His gaze locked onto a pair of cold crimson eyes on a familiar imposing figure staring back at him.

"Why are you here?"

**(9/70)*