Chapter 19 Runes
Heilong
We didn't get much information from the president. The government knew almost nothing about the jungle except for its danger; a preliminary estimate was that 90 percent of all citizens trapped inside the dome had died. The internet was surprisingly the most useful place for information during this time. Cell phone videos taken when the dome first went up have started to flood the internet. The government could no longer suppress information. Footage of superhumans coming out of the jungle and toppling local governments around the world. Videos of monsters and weird-looking humanoid creatures pouring out of the hole in the sky. Fortunately, most superhumans and mysterious monsters like staying inside the blue jungle. This is way beyond some natural disaster. Monster-worshiping cults have rapidly popped up all around the globe. And the worst thing is that message in the sky. Humans hungry for power have started to hunt players in secret.
The world itself has also changed. The mysterious blue jungle has spread rapidly after the dome went down. Scientists came on TV and advised people not to drink or eat anything contaminated with the blue particles inside the dome. Unfortunately, after a few days, those blue particles have spread and assimilated into the air outside. Players from the jungle started to broadcast their knowledge about these “mana” particles on the internet. It is an energy source that changes anything it comes in contact with.
My aging body is filled with power. The wrinkles on my face have mostly disappeared. Every morning, all shadows must meditate to focus our minds. We listen to the sounds of our bodies and feel the conditions. I could feel my heart beating faster than before. My back used to ache as it endured the assault of time, now it feels tense but tight. I could feel that weird particle in the air entering my body, nourishing it. My morning meditation routine has become something more.
—--------------------
“Lord shadow, perhaps 10 shadows at once is too much……..” My dutiful aide, Meili, never stops worrying.
“Don't nag, you won't be able to find a husband. Come.” I teased the young one and beckoned for the ten shadows in front of me to attack. Meili sulked while moving back. These ten are Meili’s team. Some of the most well-trained shadows we have, and their movements show that. Nine people immediately spread out and surrounded me while the last one rushed to engage me in close combat. The perfect way to keep your enemy from moving while your team gets in position. If they can surround me, even I can't get out of that situation. The best course of action is to make a hole.
The shadow in front of me rushed in with a sweep. A smart move, forcing the enemy to either block or jump. Both choices would be difficult for an old man. Even I could not escape the ravages of time. These days I must use the enemy’s momentum against them rather than rely on my strength, but now, I don't need to do that. I blocked his sweep with my leg, the shadow’s shocked face was a bit satisfying to see. I knocked him out with a quick fist to the chin while he was distracted. The encirclement immediately crumbled. I went on to toss them around a bit.
—------------------
“Lord shadow……….Meili had noticed that you have changed, but this is too drastic. Did the R&D department develop a new drug?” Meili gingerly looked up at me. The little girl must have been surprised. Ten well-trained shadows crumble about on the ground. Even in my prime, this would not have been an easy feat. This mana energy is extremely dangerous.
I felt someone entering the gym. Completely silent, even the shadows and Meili did not notice. I charged towards the person but didn't see anyone there. Did my senses get broken while my body rejuvenated? Suddenly, shadows under my feet started to move and bind my body from toe to head.
“Lord Shadow!” Meili and her team did not know what to do. Attack my shadow? There is nothing there.
“......Forgive my rudeness, Lord Shadow.” A voice from the shadow. “This is the type of power we must face from now on.”
A young man slowly emerges from the shadow. My grandson.
“Jason!” Meili was shocked
“Grandson, we are glad you are safe. That power……….Is the prince with you?” I was slowly released from the mysterious shadow. Jason got down on one knee.
“Lord Shadow, I come with orders from the prince.”
Miyong
We are still waiting for Jason to contact us. Meanwhile, we have been living a lovey-dovey, peaceful life. Yue insists that we must still get stronger because we don't know what could happen in the future. If the audience or GM gets bored of humanity, they may destroy us all. We don't know their goals aside from entertainment, but Yue said that no one will do all of this just for fun. He thinks they have other objectives for raising humanity to be stronger.
Every morning I come out to hunt for food while Yue meditates. I don't know why he is doing that but he seems to become stronger after every session. Maybe I should do that too. I also need to be stronger. Yue has been telling me to use Infusion on my own body to strengthen it.
[Kim Miyong]
Title: Beloved, Berserker
Lv.1
Mana:35
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Strength: 7+5 (12)
Agility: 17+2 (19)
Endurance: 12+6 (18)
Control: 10-8 (2)
Skill: Infusion
Berserker (Unique)
Trait : Elemental Physique (Manite)
My other stats have gone up a lot, but the side effects of Berserker lower my control stat.
[Berserker]
Goddess of War resides in you
Goddess of War, she is the one that takes control of my body when the skill activates. Fortunately, it's not a skill that makes me go crazy and attack indiscriminately. This is more similar to a shaman power from my mother’s country that summons a spirit to reside in the shaman's body. Yue said he also has a unique skill. So cool, we are like the main characters in video games. But that could be annoying in the future, main characters can never live a peaceful life.
The monsters inside the jungle have changed. The Red Rabbits are bigger now, they used to be the size of a normal rabbit, but now they are the size of a dog. We only need to hunt one to feed us for a few days. The trees in the jungle started to sprout flowers and fruits, but we don't know which is edible so we have not touched any of them yet. We still know very little about this new world. Yue has been condensing mana in the air into mana water and that has taken care of our water problem. Our lives are simple but happy in this jungle.
“...!” My senses are telling me that there is a group of living creatures heading toward the school building. I could smell blood. I jump between the tree branches silently, moving towards the group.
“What?” I couldn't stop my voice from leaking out. Old men with round faces and long beards, but short and stocky. They are dressed in shiny blue armor. The engraving on their weapons lit up the jungle. Humans have heard about them in songs and fairy tales for generations. A dozen Dwarves are carrying an injured Jackie on their backs.
“Hey, beautiful girl. Do you know this one?” One of the dwarves said, smiling.
—---------------------
“Thank you for saving our friend. It's an honor to meet dwarves in person. I hope you understand that for us, your race is only a fairy tale until now.” Yue offered them mana water after healing Jackie. I stuck to Yue’s back, ready to pull him away if any danger arose. We are sitting in a classroom on the fifth floor. The reason we let them in? They do not have mana in their bodies. An army of them is not a threat to us.
“Oh, what is this? Mana water? Condensed it yourself? You are good for a human." The dwarfs are drinking the water happily. “We don't care much for other races, but we couldn't leave a child to die. No need for thanks. We found that child at the edge of the forest bleeding to death. His last word before he passes out is to keep moving in this direction.”
“Where do you come from?” I couldn't stop my curiosity.
“We came through the portal, pretty lady.” One of the young dwarfs answered. He didn't have a beard, maybe a child. I noticed he was holding a giant egg in his embrace. “When a new world gets annexed, other races are allowed to cross over. We come to do business.”
“Annexed?!” I couldn't see Yue's face from this position but I imagine he's not happy to hear that.
“Enough pleasantries. Let's talk business.” The dwarfs are smiling with shiny teeth, kind of scary.
“What can we do for you?” Yue asked them while holding my hands.
“We want HC, in return, we can offer you dwarven products.” The dwarves put a clear marble on the table. Various machines, weapons and armor flashes by on the marble surface.
“I am sorry for my ignorance, but what is the difference between these products and the ones we can buy on the market?” Yue asked them.
“Ah, you humans are too green.” The dwarves laughed. The one that seemed to be the leader put his axe on the table. He traced the inscription along the blade with his stubby fingers and said. “Runes.”
Runes along the axe lit up in blue, mana in the air were sucked into the runes then the weapon appeared to have three silhouette stacks on top of each other.
“This is Triple Attack, a rune that allows your weapon to attack three times with one swing.” The dwarf leader proudly looks at his weapon.
“..........” Yue was quiet for a while. His eyes locked on the axe, then he finally turned to the dwarves. “Do you all have a place to stay?”
“We are no amateur, boy. Do you want to monopolize our products? In this crappy place with only the two of you?” The dwarves are smugly waving their hands at the school building. “We will go into the world and make a deal with some powerful empire.”
“It looks like you are not very familiar with human nature. If you go out into the world, you are more likely to get captured by people in power, and even if you fight them off, you would be branded a criminal.” Yue smirking. “If you stay hidden with us and release your products in small quantities, creating an artificial scarcity, you might be able to raise the price of your products many times over.”
The dwarves huddled together in one corner of the building and started talking. We could overhear them with our enhanced hearing.
“Are humans so vicious?”
“They sound like elves…….bastards”
“No, they are like orcs. They seem to like taking things by force.”
“These two are humans too! We should be careful.”
“No, these two are players. They are no longer humans.”
“What do we do Lord Smith?” They all turned to the oldest-looking dwarf who had not spoken at all until now. He is the only dwarf who is wearing a blue robe and not armor.
“I like mana water. Quite a rare drink. We will stay a while.” He said to his people.
“Whoa!” The whole room’s attention went to the young dwarfs who suddenly yelled. The giant egg in his hand started cracking.
“It's hatching! NO!” The elder dwarf panicked. “Everyone run! We will be burned to death!”
Crimson flames started leaking out of the cracks on the egg. No, I could instinctively feel it. Elemental flames.
“Yue! We have to run!” I pick up Yue like a princess and rush to the window, preparing to jump outside.
“Wait!” Yue stopped me and floated away towards the egg. The building has already started to melt. Yue created a mana barrier around the egg with a small hole at the top. He turned the top towards the open window. The heat and flames are being funneled outside with this method. Yue stretches out his arms to control the funnel and the flames. Exposing him to the heat at a closer range.
“That boy……….the way he uses mana. I have seen that before.” The dwarf leader and his people snuck up next to me and said. “Who are you people?”
The fire became more and more intense. Yue had to reinforce the barrier by a dozen layers to maintain the funnel. His nose was bleeding. Finally, the flames dim and dissipate from the egg. Yue’s arms are burnt black. I don't know how much HC I spent but I bought the most expensive healing potion on the market and poured it on his arms. Color slowly returned to his flesh. I couldn't help but breathe a sign of relief.
“If you do that again, I will kill you myself” I punched him in the face.
“Domestic violence is wrong!” Yue protested. Annoying!
Chirp chirp
We both turned to the small voice. A small pink dragon without scales or wings crawling towards us.
“This is a problem.” The elder dwarf said.
—---------------------
Millions of people around the world have been following the movement of the gigantic dragon and her horde. Live streams of the horde flying past countries are being watched by millions of people.
“The dragon horde is turning around!” one of the streamers yells out. The gigantic red dragon suddenly turned around in the air. It let out a scream that blew away several buildings below. Fortunately, the city was evacuated when the government learned of the horde's path. Only a few dozen streamers are risking their lives to get the footage of the horde.
The gigantic red dragon was suddenly bathed in a red mist, and then that massive body was gone.
“Did you all see that chat? It's gone! Where did it go?”
Far away to the west, a woman appeared near the spot where Miyong met the dwarves.
“My child! I found you!” The woman had red hair, crimson eyes, and a beautiful, shiny scale dress that flowed down from her shoulder. A single crimson tear falls down her face.