Ch.1: The world of Runes

 Ch.1: The world of Runes

Eastern Forest of Rune Empire, 

Border of the Vicinity, Beginners Hunting Area.

In the outskirts of border town Kingsbridge, a small hunting party consisting of nearly a dozen adventurers can be seen.

Archers shooting arrows, a few warriors and few in standby to protect the archers when needs arise.

"Be careful! It's going towards your direction!"

"I am already aiming!"

"Back off you guys now throw the explosives!"

*Boom*

*Crackle*

One of them yelled and said, "Stop shooting! I said Stop shooting!"

Soon after the area covered with smoke cleared up and now dead bodies of the magical beasts can be seen. 

All of them were more or less burned still, as their bodies were intact so the magic stones in them.

"…"

"This… what the hell do you even call this thing?"

"Hell if I know? If I had studied in the academy, do you think I would be here with you"

"Okay everyone! Regroup and resupply, the targets show up here often without any warnings.

We just made a racket just now so we will never know when it will come after us.

Be prepared these were just mobs we are gonna hunt a D-Rank magic beast this time." 

Write after finishing addressing everyone he turned to his side as if he sensed something.

"Damn! Right after I finished talking about it! Hey Alec!"

He said to a 14–15-year-old looking boy who was standing there in a hood covering his face, changing into sturdy looking leather armor and all.

"I am Ready."

"You better be after all it's the job you insisted for, that aside hurry! Judging by the sound its close!"

"I know"

"Monster attraction spray?"

"I am on it right now"

"You remember the baiting route don't make any mistakes!", said the Leader seeming adventurer.

"Don't worry I've remembered it all"

"I will be seeing you alive so be careful!", said another porter carrying the monster bodies out of the way as the adventurers were getting in position.

The boy moved at front and started to stretch as to get used to the now worn equipment's. 

He now unhooded golden blond hair were visible seem to have grown a bit, were not matching with his deep blue eyes which are like clear and deep like an ocean but together they create the scene which one feel like they have witnessed the rise of sun in the clear dawn sky. His sharp nose and youthful face make him look like a noble.

His frowning face looks somewhat sharp as well as little innocent matching his age. 

'Haah! I did this often enough, but I can't seem to get used to it.'

He lightly slapped himself on both the cheeks and said, "Alright let's focus now! I can do it!"

Right then the sound of someone's steps can be heard, and it was definitely not a human. 

It's too heavy and distinct to be a human's step. 

*Rustle*

A sound from bushes followed by a monster looking like a mixture of a Rhino, crocodile and a bull, sized of a small elephant.

'It's here!'

The boy named Alec got in position to run and dodge any unexpected attack.

The monster doesn't have any eyes and moves based on its hearing and smell.

'It smelled my scent. Now! I should start running as well.'

As soon as Alec got the indication of monster making him a target, he started to run through the route planned without worrying about if the monster is following him or not.

'I can't stop for confirming if it is following me. Its sense of smell is many times stronger than normal animals. It will catch up anyway… though I will be happy if it just doesn't get too closed.'

A few moments later.

"Haaf! Haaf!"

A teenage boy with blond hairs can be seen running through the Border forest of Kingsbridge. 

He is running away from a monster which has the claws, jaw and tail of a crocodile, the horn, face and joints like a bull without a nose and the nose horn and muscular body that of a rhino.

Trahorn-Lizard

It is what the monster is called. 

It is a D-Rank magic Beast which can be found in the border forest of the Town of Kingsbridge.

All these magic beasts possess a mana stone. 

These mana stones are of extreme value and can be sold at a sky-high cost depending on the Rank and type of these magic beasts.

The teenage boy running from it is called Alec (our Protagonist).

After the restless pursue of the monster Alec is now near the designated area.

'Haaf! Haaf! …just a little bit more and then I can go home and sleep!'

He jumped from the bushes as he keeps running from zigzag, straight, sometimes in curves to not let the monster match his pattern.

'Otherwise, it's the game over! Ah?'

His leg got caught in the tree wines and fell down. 

As he got up seeing the monster not far away and started running again.

At the momentary loss of focus the best began to catch up to him, so he jumped out of the way injuring his shoulder at the bad landing.

Making the monster crash into a tree.

*Crash*

"Really a freaking monster! It just uprooted a tree with a simple tackle!?!!"

The monster moved to his head toward Alec as he was fallen on the ground just a dozen meters away from each other.

'Damn it I can't even run away!'

As he saw the menacing beast moving toward him there was only one thought in Alec's head.

'Is this it for me?'

Right then a sound was heard from behind, "[Bow] Rune- Derived skill- [Extreme Shot]"

Shooting directly into the monster.

'Damn! You could have shot that earlier. There is no way it would die from that shot alone.'

Soon after the first attack the barrage of explosives started raining as if it was a wakeup call.

*Boom*

*Crackle*

Still after that much the monster started to get up showing the tenacious vitality of a D-Rank magic beast.

 'This damn monster! It's disgustingly tough. It's still fine after getting hit by that many explosive attacks.'

As the monster rank increases so does its resistance to non-mana bearing attacks.

And D-Rank monster Trahorn-Lizard is a tank type monster, with high defense and vitality.

*Thup* *Thup* *thup*

The noise of running steps can be heard as warriors started to appear from all sides blocking the monsters way out.

Soon an old man wearing heavy armor can be seen holding a large shield who is presumed as the leader saying, "Thank you for your hard work boy. We will take it from here."

"Yes", replied Alec as he walked towards the nearby tree.

"Hmph! What a luck that bait is still alive", said a bond man who is in his early 20's.

"I know right. This guy's luck just doesn't seem to run out", said another man who appears a bit older than that.

"Shil, Its hard to find bait like him these days. Stop bullying him and get ready", Said the leader.

At that the man got in a position to attack while carrying a broad sword above his head, and said,

"I was joking around a bit boss."

"Everyone! Get ready for battle!"

As everyone got in position the beasting hunting resumed.

"[Sheild] Rune- derived skill [Iron wall]"

The leader blocked the monster with his 'Skill' use as numerous arrows started to target the monsters' joints with a few being the skill [Extreme Shot].

"Nice! Clean Hit!"

"Everyone I have the aggro now everyone except for Shil attack the target", said the leader while restraining the monster.

"[Dagger] Rune- derived skill [Four Dagger throw]", one man in the getup of an assassin threw away four daggers at the same time targeting four of its limbs.

*Boom*

One of the dagger exploded causing more serious damage than the thrown explosives ever could.

"GYAHYAHHH"

Following the monsters scream repeated attacks made the monster rather immobile.

"Shil! Now Attack!", following the leaders orders the man name Shil replied.

"Haha! I thought I would go die of old age while waiting!"

His sword started shining while he got into position and jumped over the large monsters body from a few meters away.

"HYAA!"

"[Sword] Rune- derived skill- [Strike]"

'That… sturdy monster…'

'The monster which was not being affected by the most attacks just in one slash!!!'

'Finally we are done.'

The end of monster followed by the group of warriors congratulating themselves and porters getting ready for dismantling and other works.

It was painful for Alec who knew that their 'Thank you for your work' would never be directed to him.

After all they are Awakened Rune- holders while he is just a normal person.

"Hey! You Brat! Do you not want to get paid? How long are you going to chill around like that for?"

"Gil, let him rest a little", said the man named Shil.

"Right, being a bait for monster is not an easy thing to do", said a woman who was an archer.

"What are you talking about. He should still do the work given to him", insisted the blond man.

"Let him be. There are other workers as well", said the leader looking at the porter team doing dismantling work.

"Tch. You got lucky if it wasn't for them, I would have fired you on the spot", said the blond man as he got away.

"…"

'Haa… It's not easy to earn money these days.'

….

"Here, your payment", Said the leader as he slides the pouch containing a few hundred silver coins towards Alec. 

"You did well today, and you don't have to worry about what Gil said."

"No, no I don't mind at all, so don't worry."

"If that's the case, then great. The way Gil was talking to you was getting on my nerves. He lacks discipline."

"It's okay. I will be off"

"Yes. I will see you in a week. Take care of yourself."

"Yes, thank you for everything."

12 years ago, Disasters have hit all over the world.

Suddenly monsters started to mutate, stronger monsters started to appear all over the world. 

Even rifts started to appear all over the world and Special abilities called 'Rune' started to manifest in peoples.

Peoples who awaken with runes are called as 'Rune holders or Mana-Users'.

It gives peoples chance to get stronger than they could be as a normal human and get as strong as their talent allows them to grow.

Those abilities started to appear in all kinds of peoples irrespective of their gender, age, ethnicity, etc.

"Look look, there is a dumbass who dreams the impossible, can anyone becomes an Royal Knight these days?", said the blond man called Gil from the sidelines.

Often people like that also awaken with abilities.

"Hey at least he works fine as a bait", said another mob from the sidelines again.

Gil, age 20, he was just a typical delinquent but after awakening an year ago he is making some name for himself.

"Someone I know told me people have no right to dream unless they are privileged."

"People have no right to dream unless they are privileged? How did those words spew out of your dumbass brain?"

'It's just as they say, I dream of being a Royal Knight, a government official, I do swing sword every day, I train to keep building my body, I go to library almost everyday to study on medicines, monsters, geography and history.'

'I kept working on a few chores from the young age to gather money to attend the government school which offers general purpose early education on various topics of similar importance.'

'This time is my last chance to get in there, as special admissions with scholarship is only for kids below 15.' 

'Why you ask, being a Royal Knight is very big honor in itself not only you ought to have a fit body but also you have to be very smart to walk on this path.'

'A Royal Knight works directly under the price and princesses of the of the country and may even have the fate to be able to be a part of the Imperial Knights Order in the future and become a Noble.'

But one qualification I am severely lacking.

And that is the so-called privileged Rune you ought to have.

"Ugh! F**k Damn it!"

'I have passed the freaking exam 3 times already but can't get in because I don't have the freaking Rune! Cause I am not awakened Mana-User!'

'So here I am going to turn 15 in a month, with 90 silver coins payout per day, 4 times a month, as a random replaceable employee.'

'I am covered in bruise from running and falling just like today. If anything breaks, I would be out of work for the whole month.'

'And if I die? The End.'

'It's painful doing this work but I don't have a choice.'

Mana Overstimulation Decease 

One of the many symptoms appeared to many people around the world after the rift opened.

Falling unconscious with an unknown reason with almost zero chance of waking up.

Technically alive but zero chance of waking up.

"Sister I am here"

My sister fell victim to this disease 3 years ago. That's why I have to do this job even if my line is on the line.

I can't give up in my sister cause of money.'

'My sister will wake up some day, someday …'

'Without a doubt…'

________________________________________

To Be Continued:

I am writing this as a pass time so don't wash me up cause it won't change anything suggest some ideas if you have time.

Note: This novel will have many things but not the guaranty that you will like it but I will be happy If you liked it.

[Word Count: 2250]