Marlon had been walking for three days now, and he thought about the information Selia had given him before he left.

"You have to walk for about fifteen days towards the north. The first week will be a walk in the park, but watch out when you get to a big lake. The people are not as friendly as they are here, and they will all try to swindle you without exception."

He was still far from it, but he was already preparing himself mentally for what was to come. The Huntress had been right on the first point. For three days, nothing had been happening! He hadn't even come across any dangerous creatures. Only a few herbivores were roaming around in the meadow he was crossing. They looked like what Marlon thought were sheep, but with a duck's beak. The whole thing looked unnatural, but as long as they could provide him with food, he didn't care.

 Because even if he had stocked up on dried meat in the village before his departure, there was nothing like good fresh meat! Moreover, this had allowed him to fill a few vials of blood to continue training with the runes.

There had once been people here. The ruins of small stone houses that littered the ground here and there were evidence of this. But considering the state of these ruins, it must have been at least a few hundred years ago. The vegetation had completely covered them and birds had even made their nests on the piles of stone that were still standing. The pieces of walls still standing were eroded by the passage of time and covered with a plant resembling ivy.

The river flowed not far away and thus provided him with a continuous source of drinking water, seeming to follow exactly the direction he was going. He had seen fish coming upstream but he didn't know how to fish, nor did he have the necessary equipment to try...

Why was everything in ruins? A disease, a war, creatures? Marlon could not understand why people would leave this earthly paradise.

Every morning he took an hour of his time and practiced with his sword, tirelessly repeating the moves he had learned in the village until his arms were throbbing and he had no strength left. He was determined to keep up this routine to get stronger and stronger every day, and he took advantage of the tranquility of the trip to do so.

He also didn't lose a bit of the sublime landscape that was unfolding before his eyes. The path he was following was very wide, made of compact earth, and seemed to be maintained relatively often. It would have allowed two carioles to pass at the same time, but during the first few days, he did not come across any living soul, players, or inhabitants of Gaia. No recent tracks were visible on the trail either.

Practicing every night to draw more and more perfect runes, he discovered something very interesting on the third night. As he tried a different intention for the Run, a revelation came to him. He no longer thought of himself or the element he was writing about, but of something larger. He imagined the wind helping him move forward, laughing inwardly at his attempt. After all, he was not...

Ding

Your intention is not powerful enough. The Catalyst is not powerful enough. You need to increase the rank of these two components to have a chance to influence the elements.

Although his attempt was unsuccessful, he opened his eyes wide at the implication of the message.

If he had been more serious about his intent and used better materials, he could have succeeded! Even a Rune that he thought was as simple as Race could influence the elements. The possibilities before him had just been multiplied by a hundred! He just needed to be patient to collect more powerful catalysts en masse and to focus more on the intention he was giving off when he drew his rune.

With his head full of crazy theories, he took out his sleeping bag and slept under the stars after lighting a nice fire. He used of course Etincelle to accomplish this, with almost no difficulty now. Indeed, he drew directly on the wood he wanted to light, concentrating on the intention of the wood, burning under a spray of sparks.

All Marlon wanted now was to cross paths with other players to get more Runes and train harder!

His wish was granted, but not as quickly as he would have liked.

For indeed, the loneliness was bringing up his demons, and every night he would wake up screaming, reliving over and over again the death of his mother and the most painful moments of his former life. His hands were shaking and he felt a heightened desire for violence as he realized that these were just nightmares. If it weren't for the chimera he possessed, he probably would have gone mad. But stroking this ball of fur calmed him down and allowed him to forget his anxieties somewhat. Unfortunately, she didn't speak. He had named her Luna.

At the dawn of the eighth day, the landscape changed, and let him see change, finally!

On the horizon, Marlon could now see a gigantic lake looming, guessing boats sailing on this stretch of water that continued to the horizon. Never in his life had he seen anything like it. Dozens of boats were moving on the watery expanse, some of them not moving, probably fishing and hauling nets.

On Earth, all streams, lakes, and rivers were either dried up or polluted to the point of giving off a radioactive glow. None of them were alive anymore, and even less a trace of human activity.

Along the shore, he could clearly see hamlets almost as large as Akranio from which slight plumes of grayish smoke were rising. These places looked full of life and he felt an excited eagerness to discover more. He could even smell a few odors coming from this place. Metallic scents would occasionally caress his nose when the wind blew in the right direction.

These hamlets were surrounded by palisades, and one could see that the forest had been cut down to make way for much larger fields of crops than in Akranio. Only a few patches of trees remained near the houses. Three or four villages were sharing the shores of the lake, all within a few kilometers of each other. He could not make out the details because it was still too far away.

Closer to him, a few miles away, what looked like large orchards stood on the western side of the prairie. He could even see people busy in those same orchards, and he thought that maybe he could buy some fruits and vegetables to change from the carnivorous diet that was beginning to tire him. But he wasn't up to their standards yet.

To the east, it was still the Forest of a Thousand Miles that stretched as far as the eye could see. The foliage was opaque, looking almost impassable with its tens of thousands of trees packed tightly together. The young man could see gigantic fir trees, other spotted trees whose names he did not know overtaking them. He could have ventured inside to hunt creatures a little stronger than herbivores, but he didn't feel confident enough to do that yet.  Under the gust of wind that blew, it was as if the treetops began a synchronized and hypnotizing ballet, rhythmic and harmonious all at once.

Despite all this, he was getting tired of his routine...no one to cross swords with and no creature to vent all the dark thoughts he had. A little violence would surely calm him down. He was looking forward to reaching that lake if it would allow him to release some of the tension he was building up.

He had opened his interface and found that his map now revealed the surroundings of where he was, as well as the path he had traveled since Akranio and this reassured him as to the effectiveness of this Interface.

That morning, after he finished his sword training and went back on his way, he finally met someone! It seemed to be an old man, using a cane to walk, his back stooped. The closer he got, the more the young man tensed up in anticipation of the worst. The clothes that the old man was wearing were patched, revealing here and there wrinkled skin under the faded gray of the clothes.

Only, when he saw him raise his head towards him and greet him politely from afar, his tension disappeared somewhat. Without appearing too friendly, he approached him and it was the old man who began the discussion, Marlon carefully keeping Selia's words in mind.

"Hello, young man. Could you help a man in need?"

"If it's within my means, there's nothing to stop me," the young man replied.

"I've been walking for days and my old carcass doesn't allow me to hunt as efficiently as it used to. Would you have some spare food to share with me? I can give you some information about the area in exchange...and what's your name, anyway?"

"...Revenge, sir."

Something about this old man, the look or the posture, made Marlon cautious. He remembered this impression, in Akranio, and listening to his instinct had allowed him to gain a lot. So he took off his pack and gave some pieces of dried meat to the person who was facing him. This last one inclined the head in thanks and sat nonchalantly on a flat rock at the edge of the road before nibbling quietly the pieces of meat.

"Would you also have some water, adventurer?" asked the old man without any hesitation.

Marlon handed him his gourd politely but said nothing, waiting for him to finish eating. After a few minutes, having finished his meal, he pushed a sound burp whose odor reached the nostrils of the young man, who could not prevent himself from frowning.

"Ha, my goodness! It feels so good! Thank you for your help, young man. You are the only one who was willing to help me!"

"Why? Have you run into many other adventurers?" asked Marlon innocently.

"A few, indeed. There are even some who are camped an hour or two from here, towards the lake, on the forest side. I think they hunt Arbols, but they were very rude to me, even wanting to strip me, so I had to defend myself and teach them a lesson they won't soon forget."

The young man thought about the implication of what the old man had just said. Without waiting, he gave him a few more pieces of dried meat and continued.

"Help them? How did you want to help them? I hope they didn't hurt you..."

Quickly taking the meat with a gleam in his eye, the old man burst out laughing at Marlon's sentence.

"Hurt me? Haha, they're the ones who got more bruises than they should have. I don't look it, but I was a master swordsman in my youth, you know? By the way, I see that you also follow the way of the sword?" he asked, pointing to the blade hanging on Marlon's belt.

"That's a big word, but indeed I fight with this sword."

His interlocutor clapped his hands like a happy child and sat up promptly after gulping down the remaining meat.

"Since you're much nicer than those rascals, do you want me to teach you some sword moves? It won't cost you anything, don't worry."

Marlon thought for a few seconds and told himself that he didn't have much to lose.

"It would be a pleasure and an honor to be taught by you."

The young man could not help but wonder if Loki had not yet made his own. It was strange to come across a master swordsman on this road. That said, if the other players had given him food and water, they would have benefited from his teachings. He put these thoughts aside and decided to take advantage of his luck.

"Haha, I doubt you'll get much pleasure out of it! But pain makes men grow!"

He had just straightened up and was now the size of the young man. Any trace of old age or frailty in his movements had completely disappeared and even his eyes seemed sharper. His muscles had tightened to reveal an impressive stature that no one could have doubted a few moments before. He looked like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly on steroids.

Damn it! This guy just changed in seconds...

He had grabbed his staff like a sword and struck an attack pose. Without further ado, Marlon also drew his sword and prepared for battle, saluting the one facing him.

Ten seconds later, he was lying on the floor, holding his stomach and trying not to vomit what he had ingested in the morning.

"Haaaa, now that's someone who can take it! You even managed to keep the contents of your stomach! Come on, let's keep going."

Rage took possession of the adventurer and he straightened up ignoring the pain, charging at the old swordsman wanting to kill him. He was going to...

...end up on the ground again. He had not even seen the movement of the stick that had mowed his feet.

"When you fight, don't just focus on me. You have to take into account the movements of my legs and arms, but also my eyes, as well as your environment. The movement of my weapon must also be watched. You have to do it instinctively, but that will only happen with a lot of practice."

The same scene played out over and over again, all day long. Marlon would get up with the intention of killing and end up with all four irons in the air, unable to retaliate or counter his teacher's blows. A new pain was added each time, but it remained bearable. The old man struck without any real intention to hurt, otherwise, he would have died fifteen times already. And each time, he pointed out the mistakes of the young man by giving him advice which, although hard to apply, sounded right.

The young man finally begged for mercy as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Even the two weeks of training at Akranio were useless against him!  But contrary to the beginning of the day, he managed to parry one or two blows before taking a blow which laid him gracefully on the ground.

"Haha, you're starting to get it. Here is a talented student! Come on, let's get some rest, and if you still feel like it, tomorrow we'll continue! But before that, would you have any more of this delicious food?"

The old man had become much more familiar with Marlon over the course of the day, and Marlon had just enough strength to nod before building a fire and preparing the camp for the night. He made sure he didn't see him using the runes to light the fire, and he took the opportunity to ask his torturer a few questions as the meat grilled on the hearth.

"Tell me, what happened here? I saw a lot of ruined buildings, but I don't understand how anyone could leave this place...there's everything you need to live comfortably."

The old man seemed surprised by her question but answered it without reluctance.

"It dates back to the year 8000, about two thousand years ago. It was the war that drove people out of this area. And it left deep marks in those who survived. I can't tell you why this war started, but like all wars, it produced its share of horrors and cataclysms. Take living beings, give them weapons and magic and a reason to fight and you usually have a perfect recipe for the disaster of the century."

Marlon could only agree with his instructor. On Earth, magic had been replaced by technology, and wars just went on and on. He also learned that the calendar of this continent was based on its colonization by Magnus, the Archmage, ten thousand years ago.

The old man told him more stories about the monstrous magical creatures that had been created at the time by unscrupulous mages, as well as the history of the Forest of a Thousand Miles. This forest had grown from the bones of the tens of thousands of creatures slaughtered in the final conflict of the fifty-year war. The War of the Mages, that's what it was called. And this massacre had given birth to this mystical forest, almost impassable, and above all very dangerous for humans.

When they had finished eating, the young man went to bed and greeted the old man and fell asleep very quickly, thinking that this world had a very rich history. He would have to learn more from Delia. His dreams were again filled with blood and death that night, as they had been for the past few days.

He was awakened at dawn by a blow from a stick in the ribs.

"Come on up, rookie! You've got another tough day ahead of you!"

He still felt like a piece of meat being tenderized and the day seemed infinitely long. He strongly regretted having accepted the old man's famous "help" while he was taking the two hundred and thirty-eighth blow of the morning, but he was going to continue until the end, now that he had started.

While the sun was at its zenith, it had announced a break and it was a sweaty and drained Marlon who sat around the extinguished fireplace. But unlike yesterday, he wasn't the only one sweating.

"That's good, you're learning fast! I won't turn you into a Master, but you'll be able to do much better than before we met, haha! Did you remember the important points?"

"A few, I think. Always have a strong intention about his next move. Focus on your target as a whole to anticipate and prevent their movements. Manage your environment and use it against your opponent if possible. Finally, keep a strong balance at all times."

The old man's eyes widened slightly and he nodded with a satisfied look.

"You've retained more than I thought. Never forget to train hard! Mastering a new technique takes time, forgetting it takes much less!"

He left it to the young man to go hunt for the meal, lying down on the grass and closing his eyes while waiting for Marlon to give him something to eat and drink. When he smelled the smell of roasted meat, he sat up, salivating, and came to sit next to the young man.

"We'll practice a little more during the afternoon, then I'll continue on my way. I think you have retained the basis of my teaching correctly."

"I can barely parry one of your blows!" exclaimed the young man.

"Hahaha, that's already way more than most people, trust me! As long as you practice, you won't have a problem. Where are you going?"

"I'm heading to Delia..."

"Good! When you get there, go see the Arena Master, Jacob. Tell him that Rastan sent you. He will complete my training."

They ate until their bellies were full, then after digesting they went back to training. Or rather to tenderizing. For although Marlon now understood the system of support and balance, it was difficult to put them to use against a master like Rastan. But parrying two or three blows in a row wasn't that complicated anymore...if he was nice.

As the sun gently dropped in the sky, they stopped and Marlon felt drained of all his strength.

"Well done, young man. I hope we'll see each other again soon! Train hard so you don't disappoint me the day it happens! Happy trails to you, and may the Gods be with you!"

He bowed with great respect to the man who had martyred him for two days, for he had learned a great deal in that short time, and he would put his teaching to good use every day.

As the old man's figure slowly disappeared from Marlon's field of vision, he thought it was time to take a look at his evolution and stats, if only to see the difference compared to the beginning. He was also surprised to see that many of his stats had increased.

 

 

 

Revenge Drelor : Level

Runner of the Ancient Times: Level 1 (Beginner Mastery)

Strength: 20

Agility :15

Intelligence :8

Reflexes :8

Constitution :5

HP : 300

Mana : 50

Charisma :5

Influence : 30

Chance: 10

Familiar : Feline Chimera (level 1), possible evolution, ????

Sword mastery : Beginner

 

His strength had increased by 15 points, his agility by 10! His reflexes had increased by 6, his charisma by 4. The same for his constitution and his life points!

At the same time, given the constant effort he put into training, it was only natural that it had increased. But he didn't understand why his intelligence had increased so much...in the classic games, it was a stat related to magic. Could it be that his rune training was having that effect?

So he had to keep training harder every day. He didn't really see Neo-Life as a video game anymore. It was much more like an alternative reality where effort and diligence paid off, allowing motivated people with a minimum of gumption to rise above the rest.

As for the familiar, the question marks suggested that the cat had abilities he had not yet unlocked. Should he get closer to it, make it fight? Marlon had no idea and shrugged, telling himself he would try several methods and see what the results were.

He also passed on his sword mastery, curious to see how many levels of mastery the skills were divided into. And he was surprised to see their relatively high number.

Sword mastery : Beginner

Mastery has several levels: Beginner, Apprentice, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, Grandmaster, Divine. Each higher level will be more difficult to reach than the previous one and will require rigorous training and teaching by masters.

Marlon took a few minutes to assimilate all the information he had just gathered and nodded to himself when he had fully understood all the implications of what he had just seen.

Evolving in this world would require a lot of effort, but if he was diligent not much could limit him. He had already found a master so he wasn't too worried about finding another one, especially since the young man already had a recommendation.

Night had fallen on the prairie, and a nearly full moon shone almost as brightly as the sun, allowing the young man to see his surroundings clearly. He could even see a few small rodents crossing the meadow to take refuge in burrows near the trees.

 Looking to the edge of the forest, where Rastan had told him he saw the other players, he saw what looked like a campfire. The nocturnal animals had taken over and he could hear hooting coming from the trees.

Anyone who saw the icy smile on his face would have instantly turned and run, probably even screaming. His eyes grew cold, and his heart grew firmer as he began to walk toward them.

He still took the time to pack up his camp properly beforehand, figuring that the time lost was a chance that his targets were asleep and represented a much easier target.

After an hour, he had crept about twenty meters from the camp. He had put his pack down near the path, behind a relatively large rock. No one would go and steal it from him, so he would not be encumbered. Luna followed him silently, her golden eyes shining in the lighted night.

He could hear voices coming from a little further away, and he hesitated for a few moments to wait until they fell asleep. But finally, he preferred to go, thinking that the surprise effect would be enough.

He put his sword to the light and held it firmly as he moved forward. A hiss from Luna made him stop and he saw that his familiar was staring at an area in front of his feet. After bending down, he broke out in a cold sweat. A wolf trap, armed and camouflaged by torn-up grass, was right in front of him, patiently waiting for its next prey. If he had continued, not only would he have been seriously injured, but he would have alerted the other players. These guys must have wanted to protect themselves from the wild beasts, but where had they gotten a trap? By the lake?

Shaking his head to chase away these futile questions for the moment, he progressed even more slowly on the few meters he still had to go. It seemed to him to distinguish three different voices, heavy and ponderous. He quickly understood why.

"Hehe, this liquor is really good, huh guys? We really didn't get fooled by this merchant!"

"Yeah well, you fere...buuuuurp......don't kid yourself, we can't afford it all the time. 20 pieces a bottle is a bit expensive anyway..."

"It's good, don't tire us, the cheapskate. After the beating we got from the other bum, we needed to get our minds off it. And killing Arbono...Arbols, it's boring after a while."

"Shhhhhhh, don't talk so loud, you'll wake the monsters! This may be a game, but we only have three lives, guys!"

Marlon had a frightening grin on his face when he heard them talking amongst themselves. They were the ones Rastan had beaten, and they were drunk. They had survived this far, so they must have understood the basics of the game, but they still considered the inhabitants as mere video game NPCs...they were missing the point.

It was an open invitation to slaughter. He didn't need to strengthen his will, he couldn't wait to take care of it himself. As if his heart had been patiently waiting for that moment when he would take their lives.

Without further ado, and after conscientiously checking that there were no other traps, he jumped near the campfire.

There were three of them by the campfire, as he had seemed to hear. Their conversation stopped instantly as surprise froze them for a quarter of a second at the sight of Marlon. His icy, death-filled smile made them realize instantly that they were in mortal danger.

They didn't have time to recover when Marlon had already sent a horizontal blow with all the strength he possessed. His blade barely slowed as it sliced through the head of the first of them. A geyser of blood spurted out of his victim's neck and the blood that sprayed him made him laugh. A demented laugh, coming from a monster that at that moment had nothing human.

Using the strength of his first move, he spun around to give his sword even more momentum and it went into the ribs of the second thief. His arms vibrated under the impact and his weapon sank almost halfway through his body. Life immediately left the eyes of his second victim.

With a grunt, he disengaged his weapon from the corpse's flesh. He could go no further with his surprise effect. By the time he had retrieved his sword, the third player had straightened up and also pulled out his weapon, a sword similar to Marlon's.

Fear gleamed in his eyes and he swore profusely as he saw his two comrades dead on the spot, having sobered up in a quarter of a second.

"Holy shit! Who the fuck are you, you motherfucker?!?"

He threw a blow at Marlon, who surprisingly had no trouble parrying it. A second, a third...the young man had no trouble countering them with his blade. Maybe it was because Rastan had infinitely faster and more powerful movements, but he could do it. Moreover, he didn't feel the enormous pressure that had come over him during his training with the old man. This guy didn't have a chance and therefore didn't have the teaching he had endured.

But he had good stamina and he was fast. He was throwing punches and not really leaving a window to counterattack. As Marlon began to run out of steam, it was Luna who allowed him to finish this fight quickly.

She jumped in the face of the last player and scratched his eyes. Although she didn't hurt him much, the surprise made him back off and stop his attacks. That's all the young man needed. He ran forward to close the distance between them and skewered his opponent as he had skewered the field rat. Blood gushed from the player's mouth and life instantly left his eyes as the sword passed through his heart.

A deep sense of accomplishment came over him as he withdrew his blade and wiped it thoroughly on the clothing of one of the bodies. He felt good, light. Like after killing the Mantis or executing the player at Akranio. The violence and the strengthening filled the void he felt inside him since his mother had died.

As the smile grew softer on his face, as of one who felt fulfilled and blessed, three distinct inscriptions rose from the pool of blood on the floor. He sat down next to the still crackling fire and looked closely at the phenomenon.

 

Ding

You have learned the Rune Vision

You have learned the Rune Breath

You have learned the Rune Protection

He was certain of one thing. Tonight, he would not have nightmares and could finally rest fully. He sang, covered in blood and a cruel smile on his face, Luna following closely behind him, before seeing the tents of his victims reaching out to him.