Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH704 Secondary Function of the SunHeart Twin Runes II

***

Spell Boost and Spell Penetration were by no means simple abilities.

Both were advanced techniques that ordinarily required years of rigorous training and painstaking practice for a Mage to properly acquire.

Typically, in order to develop Spell Boost, an Elite-ranked Mage would need to repeatedly cast and refine a spell until they gained complete understanding of how mana flowed throughout its structure. Only then could they minimise mana loss during activation and casting, thereby strengthening the final spell itself.

Spell Penetration, on the other hand, was considered a technique belonging to the Great Mage Realm—although exceptional geniuses such as Zora were perhaps capable of comprehending it even while still at the Elite stage.

Achieving such a feat demanded vastly superior control over both mana and Spiritual Force.

Ordinarily, every living being possessed a certain level of innate spell or magical resistance regardless of rank. Even ordinary commoners with no cultivation whatsoever had some measure of resistance, largely due to the mana naturally absorbed through breathing and the consumption of mana-rich food.

Although that mana would eventually dissipate from their bodies over time, its temporary presence still granted them a slight degree of resistance against foreign mana and, hence, spells—even if, in the grand scheme of things, the effect was negligible.

From commoners all the way to the most powerful existences alive, every living being emitted a passive mana field generated by the mana naturally present within their bodies.

Whenever foreign mana—particularly in the structured form of a spell—enters this field, it experiences interference that causes instability, disruption, and energy loss.

Because this phenomenon was most noticeable when interacting with spells, it eventually became known universally in Pangea as Spell Resistance.

The fundamental principle behind Spell Penetration involved strengthening a spell’s structural integrity and coherence so thoroughly that it could resist the disruptive interference generated by a target’s passive mana field and pierce through their spell resistance far more effectively.

This was one of the foundational techniques of Great Mages precisely because individuals at that level possessed relatively large quantities of mana, causing the effects of their Spell Resistance to become extremely pronounced during combat.

Eleanore lowered her gaze towards the Rune Tattoo upon the back of her hand.

’Spell Boost increases the raw output and destructive potential of a spell, while Spell Penetration stabilises the spell’s structure against interference...’ she analysed inwardly. ’Combined together, the actual effectiveness of my spells could potentially rise by one to three entire grades!’

For a healer, such an improvement was extraordinary.

It meant she could now effectively heal individuals far stronger than herself.

Part of the reason it had taken an entire month to fully treat Saul Redwald, the BattleBane Guild Master, was partly because the Saint’s Spell Resistance had severely weakened the effectiveness of her healing magic upon him.

Had she possessed this Rune Tattoo back then, the overall duration of the treatment could likely have been reduced by half—or perhaps even more.

And the truly absurd part was that she did not even need to consciously perform the techniques herself.

The Rune Tattoo handled the difficult portions automatically.

Despite merely being secondary functions of the Rune Tattoo, these were abilities countless Mages would lose their minds trying to obtain.

Even though Spell Boost and Spell Penetration were regarded respectively as core Elite Mage and Great Mage techniques, that did not mean every such mage actually possessed them.

In many ways, they were comparable to the two post-natal talents Merlin had forced Alex to acquire. These were abilities attainable only by individuals possessing both exceptional talent and relentless dedication. One without the other was insufficient.

However, unlike Alex’s talents—which permanently altered his Mana Capacity and spellcasting abilities as a whole—most Mages needed to painstakingly learn to apply Spell Boost and Spell Penetration to every individual spell they cast.

Only the truly monstrous talents among Mages eventually developed such deep familiarity with the techniques that they could instinctively apply them naturally to every spell thereafter.

That alone made the Rune Tattoo’s functions valuable enough that, if their existence became publicly known, countless Mages would willingly offer themselves into servitude beneath Alex’s banner simply to obtain them.

Of course, it also meant many others would attempt to seize such power through far more sinister methods.

Although Alex himself seemed almost completely unaware of it, Eleanore understood perfectly well that the value of the Rune Tattoo he had casually handed to her was something that could not even properly be measured using High-Grade Mana Stones.

She did not forget that the Rune Tattoo’s primary function was the connection it established with the SunHeart Bloom, allowing her to access the plant’s powers directly.

Combined with the Spell Boost and Spell Penetration effects, the SunHeart Bloom itself also amplified the potency of her healing magic. Depending on the mystical plant’s stage of growth, her healing spells could potentially be enhanced by as much as five entire grades.

That meant a simple Grade 1 [Heal] spell could potentially rival the effectiveness of a Grade 6 [Greater Restoration] without requiring any increase in mana consumption.

The moment that realisation truly settled in, Eleanore’s breathing unconsciously quickened.

More than the Rune Tattoo itself, what impressed her most was the mind of the man who had actually conceived and created it.

She lowered her head slightly and muttered something beneath her breath. Her body trembled faintly while her thighs pressed together unnaturally tightly, as though she were struggling to restrain something building inside her.

"What did you say?" Alex asked before finally noticing the change in her demeanour. "Are you alright?" he continued, momentarily worried that the Rune Tattoo might be causing some form of adverse reaction.

However, the moment he stepped closer to examine her condition, Eleanore suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into an aggressive kiss.

"Take me..." she whispered softly between heated breaths.

Alex’s body visibly jolted.

Then, without hesitation, he swept her into a princess carry before carrying her towards the nearby bed and laying her down gently upon it.

Hovering above her, Alex gazed down at the woman beneath him, who no longer made any attempt to hide the desire and longing visible within her eyes.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Are you certain you want this?" he asked quietly. "There will be no turning back afterwards."

"I am," Eleanore answered immediately. Then, with a teasing glint in her eyes, she added, "What about you? Have you finally stopped being afraid of my family’s influence?"

"Me? Afraid?" Alex smirked as crimson flickered briefly within his eyes. "Woman, I dared to take on the challenge of an entire plane’s tribulation, placing myself against a pantheon of Epic-ranked Navi, and even a Transcendent Interplanar Invader.

"Why would I fear something as trivial as court politics?"

"Then stop talking and prove it," Eleanore challenged softly.

The crimson within Alex’s eyes deepened as his smile turned distinctly wolfish.

"As you wish, milady."

Soon, the quiet sealed space was filled with heated whispers, muffled moans, and the sounds of two people completely surrendering themselves to passion.

Perhaps because they were within a completely private and isolated space, both Alex and Eleanore abandoned their restraints and allowed themselves to fully indulge in each other’s warmth and affection without reservation.

***