I did as I was instructed, focusing on my wish to access my own soul chart. Which made a prompt appear in front of me.

Aron Silva

Level: 3

Strength: 6.

Constitution: 8.

Dexterity: 5.

Agility: 4.

Deck: 0/6.

Card shards: 0.

Contrary to all common sense. The world worked like something between a card game and an RPG.

"So, the sum of my characteristic values, divided by 5 is my level?" I asked Marta, while she patched me up with glee in her eyes.

"Yes, but rounded down."

"Which level are those boys at?"

"The weakest was probably 10."

God, I was 7 levels weaker than a teenager.

"Don't worry, you will grow stronger in no time. You just have to survive long enough."

"Why do you all keep saying that?"

She tied a bandage so strong, it actually hurt. "The higher your level, the harder it is to grow stronger. The best way is to put yourself in danger. The deadly the better."

Made sense.

"And what is this deck?"

"Cards let you use magic, the deck is just your cards. Shards increase the power of a card, and it's also used to remove a card from your deck."

"How?"

"You are your own deck. It takes magic to remove magic from your own body."

Good, I had become a walking Magic The Gathering deck box. In any other circumstance, that would have felt great. Right now? Just showed how much I had to learn to fulfill my revenge.

"Sorry for your loss." She said, avoiding my gaze. "I lost my son once, eaten alive in front of me. It hurts a lot."

That made me tremble. "Will it stop?"

She smiled at me. "No."

I sighed, wondering how I have not broken inside.

"Advice, focus on something else. They may be gone, but you didn't. It is a dishonor to the dead if the living stop in time."

"Thanks," I told her, but the word was empty.

"Done, you are patched and ready for round 2."

"No thanks!" I jumped out of bed. "I won't be made a fool again."

"You better, or you don't get dinner."

I stopped midway toward the door and turned to her. "Why? This looks dumb."

"It is, but it helps if you have something to fight for."

I did have it, and it was far more important than food. What I didn't have, was time to worry about dinner or other silly stuff.

"See you later," Marta said like a premonition.

The elf woman was waiting for me in the corridor. "Hi Aron, my name is Laryel. I heard you are joining us." She offered me her hand.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I grabbed it, half expecting she would hurt me.

It was just a handshake.

"Yes, will you be my instructor?"

"Yes, but enough with that. Here you call me Sir and say and or, get it?"

"Yes."

She punched my stomach. Her attack had been so fast it felt impossible. "Yes, captain."

I showed her my middle finger.

"What is this?"

"It's a way to show respect to a superior from my town."

She repeated the gesture. "Interesting. Anyway. I'm bringing the boys to a dungeon, and Rodrigues ordered me to bring you along despite my complaints."

"Dungeon?"

"Dead Realms that are trapped in a time loop. Good to gain experience and farm shards."

As much as I wanted to ask her about the details of a dead realm trapped in a time loop, I knew it was better to make my questions sparse to avoid an unnecessary beating, which was humiliating.

And since I was about to enter one, the answer would probably come by itself. Worst case I could ask one of the boys.

The fat boy looked smart.

"Do you know how to use any weapon?"

I knew how to use a gun, but there was probably none available. "No. I probably can use a crossbow." I blinked. "Captain."

"Then, follow me."

She led me to a lower floor and into an armory, which was basically a soccer field size room with rows and rows of weapons. Those people had enough weapons to start a few wars.

She went to a weapon rack and took a short Viking ax from it. "Here, take this."

Short Throwing Ax.

Grade: Common.

Durability: 100%.

Deck: 1/1.

Pull

Lesser Utility Card.

Rank: 1

Uses: 3 times per day.

Effect: As long as the weapon is at least inside a 5-meter radius around you, you can pull it back.

Ok, carded magic weapons were also a thing.

"You don't need skills to shove an ax at someone's head. And the card will help you in case you lose the weapon trying to throw it."

She pushed me with a short sword that reminded me of a Roman sword. "My first rule: Never trust your life to a single weapon."

Gladius

Grade: Common.

Durability: 100%.

Deck: 0/1.

The lack of a card had been disappointing.

And this will help you, maybe.

This time was a round wooden plain and boring shield, also with no card. Plus a brown leather chest plate, also without a card.

It took me a moment to have everything ready. But when I was done, I felt like a proper warrior.

Who am I trying to fool? I probably looked lame as hell.

"I think this is as ready as I can get you for now," she said, looking at me like I was about to die, which was inspiring at least.

"So, captain. What now?"

"We go have some fun."

To my surprise, the Warden's fort had been built above the dungeon, which was accessed through the catacombs. A five-level maze that according to Laryel, was twice as wide as the rest of the fort.

The first two levels were basically simple burial chambers carved over the walls, reserved for the lower rank Wardens. The catacomb's illumination was the most impressive part of it, made by floating candlelights.

"What are all those runes on the walls?"

"Wards, they prevent the dungeon energy from raising the dead."

"Is this for real?"

"Yes, why not? Was there no undead in your realm?"

"No, captain."

She stopped and looked at me surprised. "Lucky bastard, your realm must be a good place to live."

I had thought it for granted, but only now I realized she may not know where I came from. "Yes, captain."

We soon reach the others at the end of the second floor.

The gate dungeon was actually a portal surrounded by an impressive stone structure I was not sure had been manmade. It made an arch like it was containing the portal in place. This said arch had very detailed carvings of goblins like the Bob I had killed. Some were fighting, others, raping a variety of other races.

It was disgusting.

And the boys were, of course, making fun of me. I haven't had the time to pay them much attention while they beat me to a pulp. They were younger than I thought, probably around 13 or 14 years old. The total group had less than 30 people, as I was not in the mood to count them all.

"Hey Grandpa, came back for a beating?" Asked me about a blond guy with a snob face that made me want to punch him.

The others laugh, which puts him at the top of my mental list as the teen male alpha of the sore bunch.

I ignored him, which had been enough to make him red with rage. "I'm talking to you, asshole."

Oddly enough, Laryel said nothing to him. Which meant she either didn't care or he had someone at a higher position backing him up.

I turned to him. "Just shut up, I don't have time for this."

All the boys gasped.

Mrs alpha walked toward me, puffing his chest up. He stood in front of me, chest against chest. "Don't forget I beat your ass."

"You were not alone."

The boys gasped.

"Let's do it, here and now."

"Ok, let's stop here. I don't have all day. Laryel finally said, separating us with her sheathed sword. "You both can kill each other later on for all I care, but not right now."

"Sorry, captain."

She divided us into 5 groups of 5 and one of 4, where I was included alongside the fat boy and two others who looked the weakest of the lot.

"Hi." The fat boy said to me, looking at his feet.

I didn't greet him. I wasn't there to make friends.

"You guys have just one mission, enter the dungeon and get shards. The group that gets more shards by the end of the day wins a prize."

"Yes, captain." They said at the same time.

"Raise your middle finger to me while talking, it is a sign of respect!"

All the boys raised their middle fingers at her. "Yes, captain."

I held a laugh.

What have I done?