Chapter 3: Making Plans

Noel lay sprawled on his bed, his endless thoughts rotating within his mind. The soft glow of the afternoon sun shining through the window illuminating his colorful room.

Knowing the world of “World Of The End” and the continent of Edres he was currently living in. Noel knew he had no choice but to adapt and fight for survival, as this world was constantly in battle against the strange energy only known as ‘Ominous’.

Despite the dangers, he couldn't risk leaving the fate of this world in the hands of the story's main characters. The main reason is that the end of the game “World Of The End” didn't actually cover the entire story. Instead, a second game was planned to be released only a few months after Noels' death.

Throughout the history of this world, humanity has already engaged in 2 massive wars against the ‘Ominous’. These wars were eventually titled the Extinction wars due to the uncountable amount of lives lost during them.

The last Extinction war ended a little over 200 years ago and most people were currently enjoying a relatively safe life, without much threat to their survival. Of course, there were still many small skirmishes and battles against the Ominous energy occurring daily.

Sadly, only Noel knew this so called peace wouldn't last much longer, as a third Extinction war would start only 5 years in the future.

As Noel's mind raced, the memories of this world melded with those from his previous life, It was an unsettling experience, but one that provided him with crucial knowledge. Knowledge that could mean the difference between life and death.

"Okay, let's start with choosing a fighting style" Noel thought, searching through his memories. He discovered that in this life, he had been training in using a spear, but he had no plans on continuing this way.

he needed to find a fighting style that would truly suit him, hopefully one that could make use of his years of boxing experience. Luckily, after beating this game so many times in his previous life, Noel knew the locations of a few powerful inheritances.

He remembered the adrenaline rush from his past life when he used to box, every punch thrown with precision and power. Could there be something similar in this world? Something that would merge his love for boxing with the unique skills and magic present in this world

Noel's fingers drummed against the soft sheets of his bed, his mind racing through all the possible fighting styles he could choose from. Finally, half an hour later a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

The Desolate Fist Style!

"Desolate Fist" he muttered under his breath, envisioning the powerful 8-star fighter from the first extinction war that had once wielded this technique. Noel felt a surge of excitement at the thought of inheriting this ancient art before the start of the sanctuary trials.

In this world, people were ranked between 0-10 stars depending on their combat power, with 0 being normal humans with no powers or abilities. Of course on the opposite of this scale was 10-stars, a legendary rank being most comprised of powerful world leaders and army commanders.

According to the world's common knowledge, there should be less than 10 current 10-star fighters alive. But Noel knew this wasn't the case, the truth is that a lot of the older powerful generation simply didn't care to get involved in modern issues. They would only show up in times of peril such as the third Extinction war.

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The Desolate Fist Style was created by a famous 8-star adventurer named Kaspian Orion during the first Extinction war, over 600 years ago. From what he could recall from the game, Kaspian was known for his explosive and aggressive fighting style, often being called reckless as he charged directly into enemy forces.

"Alright, I've made up my mind" he declared, sitting up on his bed. He took a quick glimpse at the clock ticking on his wall, before deciding to rest until his parents returned from work. Due to the merging of memories earlier this morning, he needed to give his mind some time to rest.

7 hours later the creaking of the front door signaled his parent's return. As Noel strolled down the hallway, memories of his new family flooded his mind. His parents ran a small adventurer's clinic in town, helping to heal the injured returning from their battles outside.

"Mom, Dad" Noel called out as he entered the living room. "Can we talk?"

"Sure" his father replied, his eyes filled with interest. They all took their seats on the worn couches, Noel facing his parents, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Listen, I've been thinking about what I need to do before the sanctuary trials" Noel began, meeting their worried gazes.

“And?” his mother replied, her eyes meeting his own and causing droplets of sweat to form on his forehead.

“I want to go out and experience the world alone” Noel finally stated, letting his courage take over and carry him forward.

"Absolutely not" his mother replied, her worry evident in her flickering eyes. "It's too dangerous for you to venture out alone, Noel. You should wait until you receive proper training inside Sanctuary"

"Mom, I’m not a little kid anymore! I’ve improved a lot with my spear " Noel countered, struggling to keep his frustration in check. He clenched his fists as he continued "I promise I won’t go anywhere dangerous and I'll stay within the cities at all times"

That last part was actually a lie, but at this point, Noel needed to do anything in order to get his mother to accept his departure.

A tense silence filled the room, punctuated only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. Noel held his breath, waiting for his mother's response.

His father watched the exchange, his face unreadable. As Noel's mother opened her mouth to protest again, his father raised his hand. "Let him go, dear" he stated. "He has always been resourceful, and I believe he will stay safe"

“Nol…” his mother started, ready to reprimand her husband, but as her eyes met her sons focused gaze she could only let out a defeated sigh.

"Promise me you'll be careful" she finally whispered, her voice trembling.

"I promise, Mom" Noel replied, relief flooding through him.

With the conversation drawing to a close, Noel retreated to his room. He spent the rest of the evening packing his backpack in preparation for his travels.

—

The next morning, a cool breeze played with Noel's messy silver hair as he stood in front of a train, its engine humming loudly. His parents stood behind him, their expressions a mixture of pride and anxiety.

"Take care, Noel" his father said, clapping a hand on Noel's shoulder. "Remember, if you end up in a rough situation just run home!"

Noel let out a chuckle at the thought of running home at the first sign of trouble. His mother rolled her eyes at their antics before stepping forward to give her son a hug.

"Don't forget to eat properly!" She scolded. “Also make sure to stay away from the city of Syrik, I hear a lot of people have started going missing around there lately!”

“Yes, Mom” Noel smiled, hugging his mom back.”I won't go anywhere dangerous, I promise”

As the train's final departure whistle rang out, Noel gave his parents one last wave before boarding the train. Leaving behind the safety of his home and family, he watched the landscape around him blur past the window, as he steeled himself for the trials to come.

His first destination, the town of Heliko.