Palnia tried to pull her head back to avoid contact with the interrogator, her scream of rage and pain echoing in the room where only a table and two chairs were present, a magic torch hanging on one of the walls and giving off a faint yellow glow.

Marcus ignored the assassin's attempts to evade his grip and clamped his hand over Palnia's face, casting his spell as the purple light began to emerge from his wrist and dive into the bound woman's mind.

His eyes became cloudy and he froze, surely reading the woman's memories, when in a sudden movement she managed to break free of his grip and bite the palm of his hand.

Marcus unconsciously withdrew it, not batting an eyelid even as a substantial piece of flesh was missing from his palm and bleeding profusely. Palnia, her eyes glowing with unquenchable rage, spat out the piece of flesh in her mouth, her bloody face giving off a disturbing impression of the scene.

Then she glanced at Marlon, Jacob and Marcus before she began to convulse and choke on what appeared to be her own blood.

"She cut her tongue out! Keep her from dying!"

An anguish was read on the face of the Order's Interrogator and Marlon took advantage of this moment, not thinking so much about the consequences of his actions.

"Kid, you know what..."

He ignored Loki's voice and thrust his sword into Palnia's torso, pinning her to the ground like an insect and driving the blade through her heart, which stopped instantly, her eyes rolling back into her sockets as her body shook in a final convulsion before all her muscles relaxed and a final, blood-tinged rattle escaped from her mouth.

The interrogator did not have time to express anything except his face going from dejection, then to surprise and finally to express a strong rage.

Bent on Palnia, he straightened up of a furious jump and caught Marlon in the nape of the neck before tackling him against the wall, his features twisted in a furious grimace.

"WHO AUTHORIZED YOU TO DO THIS?"

Marlon didn't panic, and just stared at Marcus with a cold, disdainful look, his eyes darting over Palnia's corpse from which a bloody Rune was floating above her body.

Marcus followed the runist's gaze and amazement reappeared on his features. He loosened his grip and put Marlon down, his inner conflict clearly visible on his face.

Marlon rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the pain and spat on the ground, more a gesture of contempt than anything else, and without saying anything he reached for the Rune, which disintegrated to melt into his body as the usual interface notification appeared before his eyes, which did not let anything show.

Ding

You have learned the Shadow Rune

He was quite happy to see what he had acquired, especially if he could get as much discretion out of it as the assassin who had tried to kill him, but first things first.

"So you are one of the Descendants..."

Marcus' tone had calmed down, but he still didn't seem to have forgiven Marlon for everything.

"You're still going to have to explain to me why you reacted like that. Downhill or not, killing a suspect while I'm interrogating him is not something I can easily ignore."

"Do you have any healing spells, Marcus?"

"What...I...no, why?"

Marlon's smile had turned cold, distant and calculating, his eyes reflecting the dark mood he was in at the moment.

"In that case, you couldn't have stopped her from dying, could you? Her tongue was cut out and she was going to bleed to death..."

"But you could have done it! I know you can heal, I've seen it in your fights!"

The young man shook his head, laughing at the request of the Knight of the Order.

"You took me for a benefactor, perhaps? Do you really think I'm going to help you cure someone who just tried to kill me? I thought you were less naive than that, especially for someone of your order. I was kind enough to hand her over to you alive and not to finish her off directly after cutting off both her arms, so don't push your luck, Interrogator!

Marlon's tone had become almost aggressive at the end of his sentence, and although he knew he was no match for Marcus, he suspected that Jacob wouldn't let him do whatever he wanted either. And there was no way he was going to let himself be trampled by a nobody who relied on others to get the job done.

Marcus was stunned by the answer of his interlocutor and Jacob, sensing the right moment, added a layer.

"Interrogator, it is true that without him you would not even have been able to interrogate this woman. Besides, there is nothing in our country that forbids you to defend yourself against someone who has attempted to your life. Did you not see what happened while you were using your spell?

The anger in Marcus' eyes faded somewhat and he sighed loudly as he shot Marlon a disgruntled look.

"I saw that she had assaulted you and that she had been sent by someone. Only, she struggled just as I was about to identify that person, and I could not trace the second murder back to her..."

Marlon pushed his luck and continued on the paved path that Jacob had just offered him.

" Honestly, do you have any doubts yet, Marcus? I understand you're just doing your job, but how often do you encounter assassins targeting fighters in this city?"

He turned his gaze to Jacob who looked down, feeling guilty for having doubted his protégé a few days before.

The Order's interrogator shook his head and sighed again, as if contrite.

"No...you're right. Excuse my reaction, Revenge."

He ran his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes as if he were trying to clear them of evil thoughts, and sighed again. When he removed his hand, his features had relaxed and he seemed to have aged several years, as if a huge weight had fallen on his being.

"Understand that threats to the Emperor's interests are never taken lightly, and this assassin could have been far more complex to deal with, had you not countered him. I thank you for this, and I do not wish to anger a Descendant with such vast potential, nor do I wish to impede your progress. Now that this unfortunate incident has been resolved, I will return to the Order and report back. Good luck in your future battles, Revenge."

The man left the room and Jacob waited until the sound of his footsteps had disappeared into the corridors of the Arena before turning to Marlon and slapping him on the top of the head, without much force and with a disillusioned smile on his face.

"You're really suicidal! And you've got a hell of a pair of balls too!"

He rubbed his forehead with a sigh and slumped along the wall, letting out a liberating laugh.

"What's so funny, Jacob? All I did was tell him the truth!"

"You've never dealt with the Order, have you?"

Seeing that Marlon was shaking his head for any answer, he laughed more and more.

"Haha...ha...if you had fallen on the wrong guy, a little less honest or more proud, unlike Marcus who has always been a paragon of righteousness, by now you would have been hung at the gates of the city, disemboweled and your guts used as pittance for the crows...ho damn it, it's been a long time since I was so scared in my life!"

The trickle of cold sweat that began to run down Marlon's back calmed all the ardor he had shown so far.

"Can these guys do that? Really?"

"And much worse. On a mere suspicion they can exterminate entire families. They are the Emperor's armed wing and you were lucky to have helped catch the assassin without killing him. At least he saw part of the truth, even if it was fragmentary. Without that, you would have been the one to undergo that extensive interrogation."

"I wouldn't have let it happen, you certainly know that, Jacob..."

"Oh yeah, and you'd get shredded. These guys are all at least Gold rank in two combat disciplines, and they possess magic that no one can counter, inherited from Magnus' acolytes themselves."

Marlon's eyebrows rose high on his face, and Jacob rubbed his eyes in turn as he saw the dumbfounded look on his student's face.

"You didn't know, did you? And to think you had the nerve to talk to her like that. If you were married, I'd tell you to check that you're not a cuckold, so insolent is your luck."

"Wha...what kind of magic are they using?"

"A cancellation magic. When they decide to, their target can no longer channel mana, no matter how skilled or powerful they are. On the front lines, I've seen deserters, near-platinum rank mages, attempt to channel their spells with no effectiveness and be executed like helpless newborns by Order knights."

He looked seriously at the young man who felt at that very moment very stupid, and really, really lucky.

"It's a good thing you didn't kill that woman immediately, isn't it?"

Loki's voice echoed wryly in his head, and he had to restrain himself to avoid uttering an acidic retort in front of Jacob, who looked at him with an almost comical expression on his face.

"Don't ever do that again kid, I want to die in the Arena or in the arms of a woman, not at the hands of the Order!"

"So in fact, this order is really similar to the Inquisitors that Earth once had..."

"There is one thing that puzzles me, Jacob. Marcus recognized that I was a Descendant, how often do you meet one, and why the deference? I can understand that Magnus was a great mage, but Classes are gifts that everyone has, and I suppose each has its strengths and weaknesses..."

Jacob opened his eyes wide and shook his head again at his student's questions.

"You really want us dead, actually...how can you be so ignorant? Anyway, I'll explain to you so you don't repeat this kind of situation..."

His eyes became vague, focused on something Marlon could neither perceive nor understand.

"The principle of being a Descendant is simple: he has superior genes and almost unlimited potential. Trials and combat make him stronger, whereas most humans on Gaia have a well-defined potential at the time of their birth. They can progress to a certain level, but very rarely above it. If time and effort were enough to grow in power, we would all be Mithril rank, all Grand Masters! Even I, who has been fighting continuously for over thirty years, always trying to progress, have only reached platinum rank in my fighting arts. And to answer your question, there are not that many Descendants. They are not necessarily from Magnus. He was powerful, but other legendary characters existed before and after him and passed on superior genes to their descendants. They all end up in positions of power and nobody can do anything against them, in general... "

Marlon felt a new curiosity come over him and he interrupted his mentor to ask:

"Who are they? They must be known, right?"

"Some of them, yes. The head of the Order is one of them, our Emperor too. Rastan, the one who taught you the basics, is also one. Generals of the imperial army, too, as well as some Adventurers who wander around Gaia for decades without ever returning home, attracted by progress and knowledge. Or driven away by the Emperor, who fears their power. Know that the Order will always have an eye on you, from now on. They fear those they cannot control.

"Unbelievable...there are still quite a few...and if this condition promises great things, why aren't all of them known?"

"Because of the Empire...there have been huge hunts in the past to capture or kill Descendants who did not adhere to the Empire and wanted its destruction. I wouldn't recommend talking about this to people you don't know well, it's a very sensitive subject and the Empire devotees won't look kindly on you bringing this up."

"And what happened to these people?"

"Killed, imprisoned, stripped of their power through barbaric methods, or sent to the Southern Plains to be slaughtered by the Necros. There are dozens of stories like these, and the truth is rarely known. But a word of advice: never light a fire in a wolf's den if you don't want to get eaten. It's just common sense...and don't ever think you're invulnerable, nobody is. Not even the Descendants..."

The runist nodded and thought about what Jacob had just told him. So there were people with unlimited potential like the transmigrants from Earth, and there were still a few of them. He cursed himself for a few seconds for revealing this characteristic to Marcus, but then thought again that the alternative would have been to let him question Palnia and find out the truth not only about the Neo-Life project but also about the fact that there was a second assassin in the Arena.

And that would have been a very bad idea.

Marlon walked to the front door shaking his head and waved his hand toward Jacob.

"I'll try to get some rest, Jacob. If my name is drawn today, I may be exhausted. Thanks for your help with Marcus..."

The Runist was not tired at all, far from it. The excitement he had felt when he stuck his blade into Palnia's body was still very much present and he was eager to try out rune combinations with his new acquisition. Blending into the shadows was something that could save his life in the future, and allow him to surprise his prey.

« Don't worry, and don't forget what I told you... »

Marlon went immediately to his room, ignoring the few fighters and soldiers present in the corridors of the arena, all of them looking at him with curious eyes. But seeing the gloomy look on the young man's face, none of them went so far as to question him directly about what had happened.

He opened his room and was surprised to smell a floral scent in the room. Luna was still lying at the foot of her bed and opened her eyes before closing them again when she saw that it was her master coming.

No trace of the fight that had taken place in the room was visible, Palnia's severed limbs were gone, and even the blood spatters that had splattered the floor and walls had been cleaned up. The room was in an incredible state of cleanliness, and the young man was amazed that in such a short time such an intense cleaning could be done.

He sat down next to Luna and stroked her for a long time, grateful that she had saved his life.

"Without you, I wouldn't have made it through the night. Thanks for everything Luna! You definitely earned the right to a gigantic piece of fish. I'll get that for you later today, haha!"

He felt better now that he was in the quiet of the room, and he took the opportunity to use one more [Mind Care] to calm his tumultuous thoughts before they caused another uncontrollable fit of madness.

Then he lay down in his bed and opened the status window.

Revenge Drelor: Level 17

Ancient Runist: Level 10 [Mastery Apprentice] [? /100]

Strength : 71

Agility : 48

Intelligence: 28

Reflexes : 31

Constitution :30

HP : 900

Mana : 175

Charisma : 15

Influence : 30

Chance: 15

 

Familiar :

 

Feline Chimera (level 10), possible evolution, Guardian, ????

Loki (level 5), possible evolution, God, Transcendent

 

Sword Mastery : Apprentice (Bronze) [62/100]

Bow Mastery: Apprentice (Bronze) [0/100]

Fishing : Beginner [15/50]

Herbalism: Apprentice [5/100]

Cooking: Beginner [35/50]

Hunting: Apprentice [0/100]

Survival: Beginner [48/50]

Alchemy : Beginner [28/50]

0 gold 20 silver 0 copper

Possessed Runes: Spark, Race, Breath, Protection, Vision, Life, Absorption, Spirit, Wall, Earth, Projectile, Shadow

 

Several things jumped out at the runist. First, he focused on the new information about Luna that had just appeared, [Guardian]. He asked Loki what it meant, knowing that the AI could interpret the information much better than he could.

"Focus on the data you are interested in and you will see the information you want. That's the beauty of improving the interface!"

He did as the AI told him and indeed, information popped up from an interface window before his eyes, almost surprising him.

[GUARDIAN]: Increases attributes by 50% in combat to protect allies. Damage dealt is also increased by 25%.

It was an incredible skill! And he didn't have to do anything! With glistening eyes, he rubbed Luna's back even harder as she purred loudly and wriggled to direct her master to the best areas to scratch.

This brought a smile to his face and he refocused on the other improvements. His rune mastery had reached a milestone, finally passing the Apprentice stage instead of the Beginner stage. His attributes had almost all gone up a few points, which was not surprising with the fights he had been in.

If he continued like this, within a few months he would have progressed enough to be able to counter all the problems that would come his way. He also saw that his two fighting skills had gained in detail, with the Bronze rank now being shown on the interface. He wondered if by going silver, he would also go to Intermediate...what was the connection between these two different ranks? He would soon find out...

Assassins like Palnia would no longer be a concern if he continued to improve in this way, and the road to the Emperor's head would slowly but surely begin to light up.

Only, he had just learned that the Emperor was a Descendant as well, which meant that his strength was not negligible, and he would surely be surrounded by more than competent guards.

"Even if it takes you years, don't worry. One thing is essential, and that is that you keep getting better and better. You did well tonight, but that's largely due to luck. You can't rest on your laurels. And let's not forget your 'slight' concern that is your insanity..."

"I know...and don't worry, last night's attack reminded me of how far away I am from being able to dominate anyone here...those few fights in the arena weren't that easy, and they're only bronze or silver ranks...if Marcus had really wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't have been able to even defend myself, at least not effectively. I need to get better, and fast."

"Finish this tournament. Then do some quests, and level up. You have everything you need here in Delia. If all goes well..."

"Why wouldn't it be okay, haha? The assassin is dead, and I don't have that much fighting left."

"I have my suspicions. Maybe it was Niclos who sent this woman, or another Earth colt. And if that's the case, they're not going to leave it at that, believe me. You're too much of a potential threat, especially with this tournament giving them a glimpse of your abilities. The prize is attractive, but it has made you far too visible..."

Marlon could only agree with this, and he pulled out a few scrolls along with his rune tracing kit, wanting to get some practice with his new acquisition.

Time passed and soon the sun rose over the arena, heralding a new day filled with fighting and bloodshed.