Chapter 458: CH458 Tattooed Orc

CH458 Tattooed Orc

***

Azgrug’s thirst for power provided Alex with the perfect opportunity to confirm whether Rune Tattoos could be bound in Verdantis without first finding a workaround for the plane’s rejection of his Rune-Tech platform.

’The direct inscribing method I used for Zora is off the table,’ Alex thought. ’But the scroll-grafting method I used for myself and the earlier ox subjects should still work... at least in theory.’

The Rune Tattoos had already been completed within the Rune Scroll. They existed as fully formed Greater Runes, sealed and stabilised. However, Alex could not be certain whether the final grafting of the Rune into a living host would be accepted by Verdantis’ rules.

After all, the grafting process itself was still a method foreign to this plane—or at least, to the best of his knowledge.

Alex shifted his gaze to Azgrug, now standing bare to the waist before him, before turning to the table beside them.

There, Eleanor had finished combining several alchemical liquids, forming a viscous grafting concoction designed to initiate Rune adhesion.

Although Alex was using one of his earlier—more disposable—Rune Tattoo iterations, he still opted to use Eleanor’s upgraded grafting solution to maximise the chance of success.

Once she was done, Eleanor handed the concoction to him.

Azgrug possessed only one Rune Slot.

However, it was unusually large, spanning most of his back. While this meant he could never bear more than one Rune Tattoo, it also meant his body had an exceptionally high tolerance for the Rune that would be bound to him.

In essence, fortune had made Azgrug the perfect test subject.

Alex dipped a brush into the concoction and carefully smeared it across Azgrug’s back. He pushed his Truth Seeker Eyes to their limits, ensuring the liquid spread evenly across the entire Rune Slot.

Only after confirming the distribution did he relax slightly.

"So far, so good," Alex muttered.

He reached into the jewel-decorated golden chest and retrieved the Rune Tattoo scroll.

"Prepare yourself," he said calmly. "This is going to hurt... a lot."

Unfurling the scroll, Alex pressed it firmly against Azgrug’s back and began chanting the modified grafting incantation.

Thanks to the sheer size of the Rune Slot, precision placement was far less restrictive than usual.

Now, all that remained was to see whether Verdantis would allow the binding—or reject it outright.

"Argh—!"

Azgrug groaned as the process began, though he quickly forced the sound down his throat.

The Greater Rune on the scroll lit up.

At the same time, the scroll itself melted, turning into a viscous, molten substance—like glowing magma—while the Rune floated atop it, intact and luminous.

"Argh!!"

Azgrug’s muffled groan grew louder as the molten scroll sank into his skin, acting as a conduit—a port—that slotted the Greater Rune directly into his body’s natural rune slot.

Alex couldn’t help but look at the orc with a hint of respect.

He had personally endured the agony of binding a Rune this way. He knew exactly how unbearable the pain could be.

And that was after everything—the Rune, the scroll, even the grafting concoction—had been meticulously customised for his own body.

Azgrug had no such luxury.

Alex was effectively forcing a general-purpose Rune Scroll onto the orc’s body.

Worse still, the most crucial component—the beast scroll used in the grafting—was far inferior to the Crystal Stag beast scroll Alex had used for himself, one specifically chosen to reduce rejection and pain.

Azgrug was enduring the full brunt of the process.

Yet, despite that, he grit his teeth and bore it—making less noise than Alex himself had during his own grafting.

Within minutes, the process was complete.

But to Azgrug, those minutes had felt like an eternity.

Etched across his back now was a lifelike Strength Rune—one Alex estimated would increase Azgrug’s raw physical power by anywhere between fifty to a hundred percent, albeit at the cost of reduced stability.

Alex retrieved the final item from the golden chest—a mid-grade Mana Stone—and pressed it against the Rune.

The stone’s mana was instantly drained.

It shattered into fine dust, and in its place, the Rune came alive, glowing with a soft, mystic lustre.

’So this... is a Rune Tattoo,’ Eleanor muttered inwardly.

It was the first time she had witnessed Alex’s unique Rune Tattoo grafting process firsthand.

Through his Truth Seeker Eyes, Alex watched as the Rune’s internal ports unfurled, connecting seamlessly to Azgrug’s mana pathways within the Rune Slot.

The system locked into place.

The Rune was ready—capable of amplifying Azgrug’s strength whenever activated.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked calmly.

"Winded... but otherwise fine," Azgrug replied.

Then, as the memory of the pain caught up with him, his complexion paled slightly.

"I can now understand why you were so cautious," he said hoarsely. "That was... not something meant for the faint of heart."

"Try to feel out the Sigil on your back," Alex said calmly. "Connect with it until you get the sense that you can activate it at will."

He quickly added a warning, "But don’t activate it. Don’t forget—you only have three uses."

"Don’t worry. You’re a Combat Master. Even without activating it, you should be able to tell whether it’s functional or not."

Azgrug followed Alex’s instructions, withdrawing his senses inward. His perception traced along his energy pathways, flowing naturally until it reached his back—where it connected with the Rune Tattoo.

Azgrug’s eyes snapped open, filled with unmistakable surprise.

"I can feel it," he said slowly. "The power... waiting to be unleashed."

He inhaled deeply.

"With this much power, I can temporarily double my strength for at least a few minutes."

Although Alex had already told him this, feeling it for himself was something else entirely.

Azgrug looked at Alex with renewed seriousness.

"This is worth more than what you’ve taken from our vault," he said firmly. "I cannot allow you to be short-changed."

Alex opened his mouth to respond, but Azgrug cut him off.

"No. This cannot stand. Wait for our expedition to return. If we survive, I will ensure you are properly compensated for what you are due."

Alex paused, then smiled faintly.

"I’m not stopping you from compensating me if you believe you should," he said. "However, I have another proposition."

"Proposition?" Azgrug asked.

Alex nodded.

"My party and I have never entered a Berserk Beast Nest before—perks of coming from a family like mine." His gaze sharpened. "I would like us to accompany you into the nest to hunt the Berserk Beast within."

He continued, "From what you’ve told me, you’ll need all the help you can get. And it just so happens that my party can provide a great deal of it."

’Two sorcerers... a priest... and warriors of their calibre...?’

Azgrug’s eyes lit up.

"If you are offering," he said without hesitation, "then I have no reason to refuse."

He extended his hand, beaming broadly—though his ferocious features and protruding tusks did little to help portray the intended effect.

Alex didn’t mind and shook the orc’s hand firmly.

The deal was sealed.

"I will ensure you are well compensated for your services," Azgrug said.

"I would expect nothing less from a respectable orc chief such as yourself," Alex replied with a smile.

***