Chapter 2

"Thanks, Tsunade-san," Akiyama sincerely thanked the kunoichi of incredible beauty.

"You're welcome," Tsunade smiled at him, piercing him with her gaze.

"Um... Well... I'm going," Akiyama felt awkward under Tsunade's gaze.

"Where are you rushing to?" asked Irina when Akiyama was already halfway out of the tent.

"Um... Do you need something from me, Tsunade-san?" Akiyama scratched his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I just need to report everything to the commander."

"Don't worry about it, Akiyama. Your friend is already doing that, and since you're here, could you tell me what happened to you?" She continued to scrutinize him with her gaze. "Your burns... A little more, and you would have been cooked alive. Do you understand that?"

"Y-yes, Tsunade-san, I understand," driven by adrenaline, they hadn't realized how serious their injuries were, so they returned to camp almost half-dead. "I don't even know where to begin..."

"Start from the beginning," Tsunade made a welcoming gesture for him to sit at the table.

And Akiyama told her everything.

"Hmm..." Tsunade mulled over Akiyama's story for some time. "So he just left?"

"Yes... I also found it strange," Akiyama replied, recalling that person once more. "Oh yes, his name is Axel Reinhard."

"Axel Reinhard, you say..." Tsunade said the name as if tasting it. "I've never heard of him."

"Me neither."

"Are you sure you didn't see a forehead protector?" Irina clarified.

"No. Believe me, I would remember his appearance forever," Akiyama replied, thinking about that person again.

"Okay. Thanks for telling me everything. You can go, Akiyama," Irina waved her hand, as if dismissing him.

When Akiyama left, Tsunade analyzed his story once again.

"This person is very dangerous. Not only did he use techniques without hand seals, indicating excellent chakra control, but he also possesses the kekkei genkai of Wind Release. His technique, 'Scorching Concealing Mist,' could easily thin the ranks of Konoha. But he didn't wear a forehead protector, which means he doesn't belong to any of the villages. Although he could have easily removed it," Tsunade rubbed her temples. "Analyzing information is not my specialty. Let our commander, Katsu Nara, handle that. I hope Navaki doesn't encounter him... Right! His birthday is coming up soon. I even know what to give him," Tsunade touched the pendant around her neck.

*-*-*-*-*

Dmitry was sitting in a cave, throwing wood on the fire. Although he didn't feel cold at all, he built a fire anyway… To distract myself… To forget…

"I'm a murderer... damn it, I killed a whole platoon of people! I'm going to jail now!.. No… They won't put you in jail. It's a completely different world… As they say, another world — different rules, right?"

"Ha-ha" Dmitry couldn't help laughing nervously.

"Oh my God… What should I do?! I can't do anything at all! Just fill out the paperwork, and that's it! What should I do now — go to work as an official under the shogun or who do they have here… That's right, hokage. No, that is, kage… It's funny! Epta..."

"I could have died today," Dmitry shuddered at the realization that he was very close to death. - "Your mother… They just attacked a man like that! No, I understand that my mask is not very beautiful. But you don't have to throw knives right away!" - he threw his head back and took a deep breath.

"Alright, Dmitry. You're an adult. You'll figure this out, and your parents won't disappear without you..." — as he recalled his parents, tears welled up in his eyes once again. — "Don't cry, Dmitry! Don't be a pushover!" — he slapped his cheeks.

"This is a completely different world. A world ruled by power. Do I have it? Yes, I do! More than enough... So, I won't be lost!"

"I've already tested magic in action, and it works very well. But should I still call it 'magic' now?" — to distract himself from negative thoughts, he decided to contemplate how to integrate his new skills into this world, where he had to live now.

"So fire magic is Katon; water magic is Suiton, and so on. But what about ice, darkness, metal, black fire (a mix of darkness and fire), and black lightning (a mix of darkness and lightning)? It seems like black fire here is Amaterasu, the Uchiha jutsu. A fire that can't be extinguished. By the way, in the Ancient World, black fire was also challenging to put out... So, does that mean I possess Amaterasu?... I hope the Uchiha clan won't hold a grudge against me..."

In the Ancient World, aside from the basic magic schools (Fire, Lightning, Wind, Water, Earth), there were advanced magic schools. Obtaining them was very, very difficult... It was easy for those who played just for fun. Those who spent almost all their free time in the game, who constantly donated, could easily learn advanced magic. In Dmitry's case, he possessed advanced magic in Metal, Darkness, and Mind. However, he had only mastered the second level of telepathy...

As for black fire and black lightning, they were part of the Dark Magic spells. Ice was part of the Water school.

In the Dark Magic school, there was only one spell each of black lightning and black fire. But now that it was no longer a game, and Dmitry was an Archmage of the Dark Magic school, giving him full control over darkness (in the game, this was a bonus to Dark Magic damage), why not try to create something himself?

Dmitry stood up and tried to imagine a chidori in his hand. In his palm, several lightning discharges appeared, emitting a faint noise. Dmitry nodded contentedly and dispelled the magic... I mean, the technique... It's the world of Naruto!

"Wow... That's what the 'Archmage' level in the Lightning and Darkness schools can do. I'm a freaking OP!" — Dmitry thought as he dispersed the black chidori.

"So, I have Katon, Suiton, Raiton, Doton, Futon, Enton (Amaterasu's black flame control), and black lightning!" he exclaimed in excitement.

"Enough for today... I'm exhausted... I'll check my inventory tomorrow. Too bad I didn't bring a sleeping bag. Although they didn't exist in the game. But I have a ring that suppresses hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Damn donated item... How glad I am to have you!" — Unable to resist, Dmitry removed his mask and kissed one of the rings on his hand. Then he leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground.

"But I still need to sleep. I'm not physically tired at all, but..." — Axel fell asleep.

The next morning, Dmitry recalled his brief conversation with those shinobi, specifically how he called out his avatar's nickname.

"Maybe I should use that name for now? Why not?"

Now Dmitry... No, Axel needed to make plans. For example, he could join a ninja village or live a quiet, ordinary life somewhere on the outskirts of the world, or he could become a mercenary. Axel leaned more towards the latter option. No one would command him, and all the money earned would go to him alone.

However, Axel didn't want to kill. The initial shock of taking a life had already passed, but it didn't mean he enjoyed killing. It would be better to take on jobs like theft, or at the very least, security and escort missions.

Since Axel decided to become a mercenary, he needed to establish a name for himself. And he already had a plan. Since the Second Shinobi World War was currently underway, Axel could challenge Hanzo.

"He's supposed to be a strong guy. He defeated an army of shinobi, including Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. He even let the last three go, giving them the title of Sannin," — Axel shook his head, dispelling his thoughts. — "Now, the main thing is to check my inventory."

Axel raised his hand with his palm facing upwards and focused on his favorite blade. Shimmering particles appeared on his hand, taking the shape of a sword. After a moment, Axel felt the weight on his hand. It was his beloved sword, which he had crafted when he reached the Lord of Darkness class. He named the blade Esmeralda.

With a swift motion, he drew Esmeralda from its sheath, delivering a horizontal strike. The strike hit the cave wall, leaving a deep mark from the blade.

Axel nodded in satisfaction. He wasn't concerned about it breaking, as he had spent six months' worth of salary on the sword, making Esmeralda his masterpiece. Esmeralda was unbreakable, boosting all his stats by thirty percent and came with built-in abilities: "Dark Flower" and "Three-Dimensional Slash." Dark Flower canceled any spell (usable once every three days). Three-Dimensional Slash allowed him to deal damage to an opponent within 10 meters and tear through space. The created rift could absorb medium-level spells. As for the significant damage it could inflict, that could be left unsaid.

The cost of Axel's armor, of course, is not as high as Esmeralda's, but it's still impressive. The armor is called "Raven." Thanks to flexible settings, Axel managed to recreate the same attire and mask as in the Dishonored game. The protective characteristics are quite high, but it doesn't mean he can take all attacks on his armor. Even with the runic inscriptions, Axel's equipment can still be severely damaged (armor and mask, but not the sword). However, the mana (or chakra) infusion into the regeneration rune, sorry for the tautology, restores the armor.

He had already tested his magic before. Just like in the game, all he needed to do was focus on the spell to make it work. There was no need to chant the spell names, but still, everyone did it in the Ancient World.

Now he needed to assess his power level. In the Ancient World, Axel was a top player but never joined guilds for extended periods. Guildmasters occasionally hired him for attacks or defending territories. He also power-leveled other characters for money. He even took the skill "Teacher," which boosted the experience gain for other group members by 50% if their level was lower than his.

Axel's specialization was a battle mage. That's why he invested in katana mastery and magical schools. However, due to solo play, he also had to level up professions like blacksmithing, runecrafting, and alchemy. Blacksmithing and runecrafting evolved into artifact crafting later on. Alchemy was needed for brewing potions. Good equipment and potions were essential resources for solo players.

Axel's race was "Ancient." The Ancient race was only available after reaching level 300, and in the race description, it said that Ancients were immortal (they didn't age after a certain age).

His character class was "Lord of Darkness." It increased the damage from darkness and shadow by 35% and reduced the cooldown of spells and combat techniques by 25%.

"I should also find a Hyuga to check if I have a CPS (Chakra Pathway System) or not. You never know," Axel thought.