Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 560: Walkers of the Heaven and Earth II

CH560 Walkers of the Heaven and Earth II

***

Kavakan opened his eyes to find himself standing upon what he could only describe as a battlefield.

The stench of rotting corpses. The metallic tang of blood filling his nostrils. The echoes of clashing steel and the roaring cries of men locked in combat. The oppressive aura of massacre and death...

All of it felt eerily familiar— and yet, unsettlingly strange.

The battlefield unfolding before Kavakan’s eyes was steeped in utter chaos. There was no discernible order, only madness, as warriors fought in every direction. Men joined forces to bring down one opponent in a moment... only to turn upon each other the next.

’This isn’t a war,’ the weretiger realised grimly. ’This is a fiendish battle royale where fighting is the only law.’

Kavakan assessed his surroundings.

He stood upon a high wall. Below it lay the field where the unending carnage raged.

Ahead of him stretched a relatively long queue.

Strangely, each man upon the wall appeared eager —even excited— to plunge into the chaos below.

Suddenly, a voice descended into his mind, and he was drawn into a trance.

"The path of Heaven and Earth is vast and bountiful. Yet only the strong may claim its wealth and power for themselves.

"Heaven and Earth are fair. All beings are granted equal right to compete for its wealth and power.

"Compete. Triumph over others. Consume for yourself their strength and their very being.

"However, make no mistake— Heaven and Earth are fair. Those who consume... shall themselves be consumed."

When Kavakan regained awareness, he found himself at the head of the queue.

He stood at the very edge of the wall, gazing directly down at the battlefield below.

The scene had subtly changed.

The more the fighters killed, the more drenched in blood they became. The more drenched they became, the stronger they appeared.

Yet as they surrendered themselves to increasing slaughter, while their energy surged upward, their combat effectiveness paradoxically began to decline.

It was as though the more power they acquired, the more rabid they became.

And soon, those who had grown strongest became targets themselves— hunted down by the remaining, more lucid competitors.

Kavakan frowned, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.

His instincts screamed at him not to descend into that chaos— yet he was given no choice.

Just as he turned away from the edge of the wall, the man behind him launched a thrust kick at his chest. Kavakan saw the attack coming... but found himself unable to move.

All he could do was watch as the kick connected, sending him tumbling down into the battlefield below.

He landed hard but quickly regained his footing— only to see a swordsman charging straight at him.

His hands moved instinctively to the twin axes at his waist.

He sidestepped the incoming thrust, and in one smooth, practised motion, swung an axe low to cleave through the attacker’s legs, bringing the man crashing to the ground. The second axe followed without hesitation, splitting the man’s skull clean in two.

The moment the kill was made, blood surged from the fallen foe and flowed into Kavakan’s body.

He felt it immediately— a slight increase in his strength.

Before he could process what had happened, another opponent attacked.

As before, Kavakan evaded and countered, dispatching the attacker with ruthless efficiency. Again, strength surged through him.

He noticed others closing in within his vicinity.

Choosing not to wait, he acted pre-emptively, cutting them down as well.

The more he killed, the stronger he felt.

The sensation was... intoxicating.

For a brief moment, Kavakan lost himself— surrendering to the slaughter and the intoxicating surge of power.

[Lycanthropic Transformation]!

At some point, he discarded his axes altogether. His body expanded and shifted into his tiger-beast form, and he began tearing through his fellow combatants with savage claws.

It was only when the self-imposed limiter on his full beast transformation triggered —forcing him instinctively back into his human form— and the fatigue of transformation crashed down upon him, that clarity returned to his eyes.

His blood ran cold as awareness settled in.

He had lost himself to the killing!

Immediately, the warning voice echoed once more within his mind.

"However, make no mistake— the Heaven and Earth are fair. Those who consume... shall be consumed!"

He had initially assumed the warning meant that those who killed excessively would eventually be overwhelmed by other competitors.

But now he realised he had misunderstood.

It was not the other fighters who would ultimately consume him the more he killed...

It was the power he absorbed.

This trial was not merely about slaughter and gaining strength.

It was about forging a mind capable of bearing the corruption that accompanied such power.

—

Havel opened his eyes to find himself within a picturesque pavilion, surrounded by vibrant flowers in full bloom.

Reclining languidly on her side, gazing idly at the small pond beneath the pavilion, was a beautiful elven woman. Her eyelids drooped heavily as she lazily traced her fingers through the water’s surface.

She gave the impression of someone too indolent to even keep her eyes open.

Yet Havel did not dare underestimate her.

Each time her eyes fluttered open —as though fighting sleep— she unconsciously released a potent sword spirit.

He had no doubt that the woman had already awakened her Sword Intent.

Not only that, he suspected her intent had reached a remarkably advanced level— perhaps making her a Tier IV Sword Master... or even a Tier V Sword Grandmaster.

Havel quietly lowered himself to sit against the wooden frame of the pavilion. His left arm rested upon his raised knee, while his right hand held his sword firmly across his extended leg as he calmly observed his surroundings.

"How many fish swim from the stream into the pond?" he suddenly heard a feminine voice ask.

"Nine," Havel replied in a similarly languid tone.

"Check again. Yawn~" the voice came once more as the woman stretched.

When Havel looked again, the number had changed.

There were now seven fish in the pond.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Then, noticing something, he turned his gaze towards the woman’s sword. Though still sheathed, two freshly caught fish now rested neatly beside it against the pavilion’s frame.

"Seven," he answered calmly.

He did not protest. He did not question.

He merely stated the new count.

The woman nodded lazily at his response.

"Heaven and Earth are an instant and an eternity apart. Within eternity... an instant holds the greatest importance," her voice echoed once more.

***