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Life's looking good for O'Malley, or was it Wren now? Wren branwen... it does have a nice ring into it.

The concept of teleportation in point A to B wasn't new to him. He had a first-hand experience after all, but being teleported in a different universe is entirely different matter.

Normally he'll place a Teleporting device in an uncharted lands before exploring but that's not a case here, instead. He died died when the 'Magic orb' malfunctioned, vaporizing him entirely.

For months, he have succumbed in eternal darkness and silence, an occasional sound here and there. But they're more akin to that of an ocean, memories of splashing memories and vivid images of his Beach episode back in the modern world resurfaced made him smile in sadness.

The blissful nostalgia is hard to come by nowadays, and as his head went mush, so numb. So silent, so... peaceful.

So... enticing.

He drift away in sleep, glad that his cycle was put in halt, even for if it's temporary or permanent. 

------

He reincarnated.

Him, reborn, of all things.

He briefly entertain the possibility of getting back in his homeland, or something similar. But even if he somehow does manage. Then what?

What motivation that could possibly alleviate his heart back in that dystopian world?

Whilst not deadly, it's just as exhausting as his previous one. But in a different perspective.

Shaking his head in amusement and sadness.

Being thrown alone in a world of carbon copy video game that is more realistic than it originally were, made him nihilistic or a cynical realist. The game didn't give enough depictions of its chaotic nature of mish-mash of genre, that would make everyone wet in frightening revelations.

Horror, High-low fantasy, science fiction and many more. Creatures myths and legends to creatures of Pre-Cambrian to Cenozoic era. If not for his Resurrection, Then he'd be long dead inside the stomach of Megalomaniac and carnivorous goblins.

With all the untold events he endured.

It's no wonder he loves his present life of simplicity, it's just so... so free and full of life. It's so unlike the inhabitants of BS that is so... autonomous.

It may not the same as he had back in the modern world, but at least it's not as chaotic as the last one.

He had enough in the World of Block Story, and while he's grateful that he somehow retains his meagre 'Inventory' that's filled with personal belongings. Whatever history he had in the BS is best left unsaid.

Right now he's not Mally the Dragon rider. But Wren Branwen the Bandit. A child of the current chieftain of a nomadic tribe in a desolate wasteland, they also live on hunting and raiding like some barbaric of bandits.

Though he didn't care of his affiliation nor acknowledge their heinous crimes for that matter, he himself bloodied his hands and judging others for their deeds seemed hypocritical. And he abhors liars and hypocrisy as he had a first-hand experience.

To be fair, they weren't originally a tribe of bandits.

The tribe were originally composed with brutal Warriors in the past that carried pride in what and who they were and that was one long history that he didn’t feel like ever repeating. He knew not to try and push his judgment or beliefs onto the people that we're an entirely different Race -(parallel humans)- and see their culture in a negative light only because they were different.

After all, aren't primitive people barbaric in the past? Modern people aren't an exception in any way or form. Discrimination, Criminality, terrorism, etc all because of different upbringing, values and views. And that doesn't count him, of all people.

That’s how racism started.

That’s how discrimination still held ground.

He wasn’t going to go around and suddenly went a killing spree due to an episode, nor he approves -( He doubt Spawners here exist to replicate clones)-.

-but hunting and pillaging for necessity and providing for their people was pretty normal even on IRL and BS. In the times before the Industrialization, it was the way to live, people hunted down animals for a living and skinned them for clothes and everyone lived like that. Wren wasn’t going to throw rocks at metaphorical glass houses nor was he going to berate them for it, he had neither the right nor the actual place to do so. But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to do anything about it, in other words-- he can tolerate them, but he didn't have the energy to participate lest he wants his Freedom and Carefree life disrupt.

.

.

.

Kinda pointless since I'm also a bandit by default but I digress, this life is way better than dying out of facing Aliens and monstrous creatures of myths and legends in a daily basis.

He wasn’t starved for attention or actual socialization but being alone in a hectic world left an impact, although he doesn't socialize as he used to in the past, that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the bustling crowd of the tribe.

Living in a world that is filled with savages and autonomous clones felt so wrong and having someone to talk to was a refreshing change. Even if it was a group of savage bandits from an Otaku's wet dreams, he wondered if everyone's looks and mannerisms is a genetic trait and simple culture that all of them were somehow both beautiful and curvy… Well-conditioned and unblemished of all things...

They act... hmm, hard to say... unique?

Yeah, that's the word. In their way, he supposes.

Wren let out a groan of frustration as he pushes his dark-hair away from his eyes, he wondered if he needs a haircut but that notion soon dismissed as he saw his mother walk towards him.

Letting a smile blossom his lips, he stood up from his seat and walks towards her with his right-hand rested against the handle of his double edge practice sword that's strapped within his hips.

"I see you're excited." She says with one brow rose. While she wasn't the best mother of the year, she can't help but approve of his son's eagerness.

Wren didn't answer her query as he simply stretches his child-like body.

Learning a martial art from a genuine sword master naturally excites his heart, and while he considered as a good fighter, he can't help but admit his inferiority against his newfound mother of this world and genuinely wish for more.

Don't get him wrong.

While the form he hones is in no way inferior in the arts of killing, against a woman like her, he simply couldn't pin her down with raw might and instincts alone.

The biggest problem here was that he didn’t have a proper fighting style, what Wren utilized over the years was his actual refined reflexes and instincts that were akin to an actual style, but not really. He knew stances, knew how to use dozens of weaponry and how to utilise a proper attack and defence against opponents of different styles but all of that was merely experience and nothing else. Refined, exploited, developed but ultimately created solely for himself against the mindless monstrosity of myths and legends all by himself, it wasn’t something that someone could pass onto someone else without literally beating it into them.

And it's called battle experience, but he never fought an entity that has a mind or fluid mastery.

Not like, he could use brute force anyway, he didn't have his level-90 body nor could he reveal his magical armoury. 

Atleast until he find an excuse. 

That’s why he couldn't defeat her, as he couldn't fully use his might and not all of his enemies follow a mindless pattern of beasts. That’s why fighting her is almost 'alien' and awkward at best, one that he constantly eat the dust. (unintentional pun)

He simply couldn't win due to the fact of his present form, he couldn't use any of his kamikaze techniques and tactics at his disposal simply because he doesn't have the necessary mass, height, strength and endurance etc to pull it off, possibly even resurrection.

It is a very crude and dangerous method but the basics were all like that, we were all just starting from the very bottom and moving up as it was the only way.

They always spar at the end of the week.

And with each spar where he was showed that even the smallest improvement, the more beating he get.

But otherwise he trained traditionally whenever he's free.

-----

I increased the speed surpassing my limit by a fraction, as I try my best to decapitate her head or cut off her joints. But with each strike, they miss, with each strike she dodged and with strikes, they were parried.

I did my best but she's not allowing me to reach any actual success in our fights, no matter how hard I tried.

Although I've suspected that she wasn’t constantly holding back against me, I held no definite proof so all that was left for me was to grit my teeth and bear with it as she simply allows herself to grin in smugness, which infuriates me to no end. Well, at least the results were slowly but surely showing as I could now at least keep up with her portable slashes in awkward angles, it was becoming much harder and trickier the more time we spent as she holds back against me, but with each passing week.

I was improving, and so does she.

And she wasn't shy at escalating whenever we fought.

With that said, he spat a mouthful blood within the ground, but as he lick the copper aftertaste inside his cheek.

His chest is throbbing heavily from that last kick, and his half lidded eyes widened in alarm, his instincts screamed and barely dodged another upright spatial kick from the ground, his mother dashed in front of him as she let out an onslaught of barrage.

Hone instincts took control of his body as he weaves around in advance, barely dodging the onslaught of kicks and punches.

But the dance last in seconds as an elbow slipped by between his (broken) fingers and hit him right in the nose, which left him stun and at the sharp pang of pain and shock run through his body.

The rest was history as his mother unashamedly capitalizes the opportunity to take him down.

...Good thing that Aura could heal a damaged lungs, that. And the kidnapped doctor.

-----

He was really glad that he started to wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants that went down to his ankles, Raven said that hiding his build was important as a keen eye can see the obvious muscles and ascertain his style and proficiency that Wren developed over the few years. It's scary to think about it, but he take it into account just in case.

He's lean, slim and without obvious signs of a trained warrior in the naked eye but if someone would try and touch him, then his foes would notice the tight muscle fibres under his deceptively unblemished skin.

Totally not because of insecurities and embarrassment and did it just to save whatever dignity he have left.

After all, as her mother always says.

Better to be underestimated against than overestimated, but it's going to be hard if the knuckleheads are trying to be dominant as they relish their frustrations against his mother to him, they knew they can't voice their actions due to their fear. But that doesn't mean they can't touch him.

The tribe followed the motto : The weak dies and the strong thrive.

And he's no exception just because he's a son of alpha, they strictly follow this hierarchy and they capitalize this.

but instead of them releasing pent up frustration and being the dominant party, Wren beat them and used their barely living bodies as baits to exterminate the nearby Grim settlement.

Speaking death, Aura is a truly miraculous power. And this made frown as he ponders about their miraculous deeds along the inhabitants of this world.

'The human here is probably somewhat tougher than what normal biology would suggest with the help of Aura that empowers their them instead of Magic, they are able to withstand the weight of something you couldn't normally lift.'

He walks toward his destination, undaunted. As he heads towards his mother while the people around him make way, and while he walks, he ponders of the mysterious phenomenon and the wonders of Aura.

He can't help but frown at the concept and consequences of such enhancements.

'The biggest problem with superstrength is that people tends to forget that you need to be also tough enough to survive lifting something that weighs several tons. Broken bones, torn muscles, damage to internal organs, I’m not saying that it’s impossible. As it obviously is, but it takes a lot more than simply making someone physically stronger.'

In other words, Tensile strength.

But Aura is a 'Fuck you Physics' type of bullshit. It can seemingly heal wounds, gave you an impenetrable kinetic barrier, and many more benefits.

Wait, why high regeneration is bullshit even by his standards?

Well just because it can restore fractures, punctures, muscles, relocates bones and dislocation, it doesn't mean it's always a good thing. A wrong healing would've require to be broken again in order to fix it, yet somehow the Aura could automatically fix that problem. Now that he think about it.

While his previous regeneration factor is superficial at best and requires his constant supervision to fix and stitch them, as 'health' potions could only cure ailments such as diseases, poisons, etc.

Basically they are primitive-magical antidotes that are magically enhanced to kick instantly with no side effects. Anyway.

Not counting the other bullshits it could pull off, It could give an untrained bystander a chance to survive and possibly fight back against the onslaught of Ashkores, plural. They'll undoubtedly die yes, but not without lasting a few seconds at best. A noteworthy achievement considering he could only tank 20 solid blows or so in his prime before turning into a baked or mash potato against them.

He shuddered uneasily.

'Does that mean Grims are more of a threat than I originally thought?'

He have heard stories, feats of the hinters and how deadly they were, dodging bullets and impacts leaving large craters. If they were true (His mother is one such example)  that meant a single hunter could compete or even surpass his previous self.

Scary, It's like outer realm all over again.

(AN: Seriously, Space mobs are op please nerf devs. ( T .T) )

Given the capabilities of the inhabitants, it's a wonder how the humanity were being confined against their very walls.

But the real question is.

Can he survive?

He held no delusion that BS is inherently deadlier, his mother is a living proof of that, but if there are more people like her out ther with a far more malicious intent against him, then he needs to change his pace.

After all.

He didn't have to pull his 'World breaker' nor any of his 'Magic' for that matter, thus revealing his nature just because of interlopers now does he?

Reluctant he may be, he had no intention of going back 'Home' once he died, and he'd like to avoid an early death before he could truly enjoy them. 

Although he has no way of conforming his haphazard speculations, nor was he willing to test his resurrection, It didn't mean It's a risk he's willing to take, and there's no such thing as too much paranoia if there's something out there to get you.

Never again shall he endure the excruciating pain, loneliness and eternal struggle of life and death, that'll just destroy his sanity.

[N E V E R A G A I N]