Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 13: Present – Ryun

ACT II Ryun

Conversations

The next morning, Ryun sat on a rock and watched his two companions eat. They were casting glances at him as he ate his own dire wolf meat, and he figured that was because he was eating it raw. He didnt really care what they thought about him, however; he only needed answers to his questions. He had given them some of his meat, but they preferred to cook it over the fire. He didnt mind, he just couldnt be bothered to wait. So, once he was finished, he stood up and left, leaving them there alone. He doubted that they would run, and even if they did, he would catch them.

He had other things to worry about. He found a secluded place on the edge of the cliff and sat down with his legs crossed, getting into a meditation pose. He tried to reach his Qi, but every time the crystal seal was there instead, unmovable. Switching gears, he attempted a breathing form to activate a technique. The moment he started to, though, a burning sensation spread all over his body and he gasped. It felt as if his body wanted to tear itself apart from the inside. He stopped and waited for the pain to subside before trying to cycle, but that too was unsuccessful. His Class might not even exist as far as the seal was concerned. Ryun cursed his own arrogance for allowing Zachs attack to land. He couldve easily evaded, but he had been so sure of his power that he hadnt bothered.

He had more things to try, however. His skills had remained untouched, and that was all thanks to his |Cut| skillit had somehow stopped the crystal from covering his skills up. So, he tried using |Cut|. He did so for a few hours with little results save for several hundred cuts into the rock of the cliff. Reaching, he tried imagining cutting at the crystal in his head, tried to use his skill inside his body. For a moment he thought like something was happening, like the cracks in the crystal seal around his skills were widening, but ultimately he felt no change. With a sigh he brought up his screens, taking a look to see if anything had changed.

Name

Ryun Nacht

Race

Human (EarthIteration Seven)

Titles

First Kill, Adventurer, Hero of Promise, Transcended, First Body of Iron,

First Quickened Mind, First Lake of Qi, Beaten but not Broken, Cannibal,

One Against Many, First Lord, First Qi Manipulator, One Against Horde,

First True Body, Hated Foe, One Man Army, Butcher of Humanity

Essence (Greater)

3190

Class (Sealed)

Harbinger (E)

Level

65 (0/160 Greater Essence)

Combat Ability

Bringer of Sorrow

Movement Ability

Inevitable Step

Support Ability

Reave

Cultivation (Sealed)

The Path of the Final End (E)

Stage

Mid Lord (1270/12,000 Greater Essence)

Base technique

Tranquil Mantle

Branch technique

Silent Breath

Fruit technique

Final End

Passive Skills

Active Skills

Combat Mastery (10/10) >> Sword Mastery (5/10)

Cut (10/10) >> Greater Cut (10/10) >> Spatial Cut (9/10)

Seismic Sense (10/10) >> Vibration Sense (9/10)

Strength

486

Dexterity

487

Vitality

571

Endurance

486

Intelligence

459

Wisdom

514

He cursed when he saw no change. He had hoped that whatever Zach had done would be temporary, but it looked like he would have to figure out a way to free his power on his own. With no other way to improve, he pulled out his sword and started shadow fighting, following the threads of his |Sword Mastery| skill. It wouldnt improve his skill, and it was actually a bit counter intuitiveone didnt improve by following the threads, but rather by ignoring them. The threads were there to teach one a skill, a learning tool, but the only way to improve such skills was by adapting what one learned from following the threads in real combat, and usually that meant not following the threads.

He spent the next hour training, while his mind wandered and thought up more questions for the woman, Anrosh.

Finally growing tired of the training he stopped, and headed back to camp. He found the two huddled around the fire. They both jumped when they noticed him. Ryun took a seat across from them without speaking.

Uh, mister, I wanted to say thank you for saving me and my mother, the little girl said.

He looked at her for a moment, but seeing her little face hurt him, so he glanced away and just nodded.

I was wondering, the little girl continued. Would you tell us your name?

He glanced back, seeing the innocence in her face. She didnt know, of course, couldnt know that he hadnt heard his own name spoken in years. He had no one who cared enough for him to call him by his name. He had been the monster, or the World Ender, for years. Having his name spoken threatened to break down his carefully built wall.

Still, he could not deny her an answer.

Ryun, he whispered.

The girl smiled as she got an answer. Thank you for saving us, Mr. Ryun. I am Kri, she said and bowed down.

Ryun watched her, unsure how to feel. She was showing him respect, was honoring him, but she didnt know, didnt understand what he was. She had no idea what kind of a monster she was sitting across from. Her mother, Anrosh, looked at him with suspicion. Ryun met her eyes and decided to ask more questions in order to change the topic.

How many territories are there? he asked.

The woman seemed almost startled that he had asked her a question. I dont know. Manythere are hundreds, if not thousands, of sects, and many control more than one territory.

Ryun nodded, filing the information away. Which is the most powerful sect?

It would probably be between Dragon Heart, a First Iteration sect, and Zenshuen, a Second Iteration sect.

They dont accept anyone from other Iterations?

They do, but only in lesser positions. The core of their sects are the descendants of their Rankers.

Ryun hummed as he thought about that. He wondered if there were any Rankers from that time still living today, but he didnt ask. He didnt want to stay on the same topic for long. He would ask that another time.

Are there any seasons here?

What? Anrosh asked, confused. Her daughter next to her looked confused as well.

Change of weather patterns, Ryun clarified.

She blinked, but answered. Not that I am aware.

Another strange thing about this world. He wanted to ask if the world was flat, but he was pretty sure that it was, and in the case he was wrong he didnt want to get laughed at. That left one more question.

When was the last time a new Iteration arrived? he asked.

Around five hundred years ago, I think. The first three Iterations arrived with a ten year gap between them, the fourth arrived five hundred years after with the next two coming with the same ten year gap. It has been five hundred years since then. There should be another arrival soon, Anrosh said.

Ryun nodded. It looked like he was right about the Iterations arriving in a staggered manner. With that question answered, he stood up and walked away, heading back into the night.

Ryun jumped into the air as soon as he had walked out of Anroshs vision. Her words had given him some answers; not all, of course, not yet, but he would learn more later. For now, he had a meeting to get to. It was a strange thing He had felt it when the wolf had come close to his fire. At first he had thought that it was thinking about attacking, but Ereclaw had again come without its pack mates. Ryun was intrigued, both by the intelligence of the monster and its actions. Another series of interesting events, and he for one wanted to see what the monster wanted.

Ereclaw didnt turn and run as Ryun approached, even though Ryun knew that it could see him as he jumped through the trees. Finally Ryun reached the wolf and looked at it from above, standing on a branch.

Ereclaw looked right back, its red eyes glowing and studying him. Then, shocking Ryun, the monster spoke.

Two-legs, you are being hunted.

It took Ryun longer than he wanted to admit to recover from the shock of hearing the monster talk, but he managed.

You can talk? Ryun asked.

Obviously, two-legs.

Butyou are a wolf.

Are all two-legs as slow as you? the wolf asked.

The jab snapped Ryun out of his shock and he shook his head. Sorry. What do you mean I am being hunted?

Two-legs have sent a lot of hunters from their pack home, and their alpha is among them.

The wolf had a strange way of speaking, but Ryun could understand what it meant. The sect had sent more people after Anrosh, and their Lord was most likely with them. Why are you warning me?

You are different from the other two-legs. Your steps do not disturb the ground, do not destroy the forest. And you are strong, even with your power being hidden from you.

As far as answers went, it wasnt the best, but Ryun wasnt sure what to expect from a wolf. How many are coming?

Many.

Can you give me a number?

Many, the wolf repeated.

As many as there are in your pack?

Less, the wolf said.

There had been at least a hundred wolves in the pack the first time he had encountered them, so he figured less than a hundred peopleprobably far less. It was nothing that he hadnt faced before, even if there were that many. Thank you for warning me. Do you want something in return?

The wolf was quiet for a long minute, but then he responded. Even with your power hidden from you, you are stronger than their alpha. But you are a lone wolf and they are a pack. If you survive, I will want to make a bargain.

With that the wolf turned around and ran away, faster than even Ryun could follow.

He frowned, thinking the warning over in his head. He could just run away; he doubted that these people could keep up with him, or that they would even care to follow. And it wasnt like he was attached to the woman or her childhe could leave them. Yet he still had questions to ask, and he had promised her freedom in return for those answers. He had never gone back on his word before.

He sighed, making his choice. It was a pain in the ass, but he was not worried. A little fight might just be what he needed. He started running over the branches, heading toward the town. A few hours later he found them at the base of the mountain, studying the corpses of their men in the faint torch light. There were more like fifty warriors there compared to the two dozen that hed imagined, but he had faced worse odds before regardless.

He didnt stay for long. Instead, he turned around and ran back up the mountain. They wouldnt reach them until tomorrow at the earliest. That many people could only move as fast as their slowest member, and he had seen them prepare to make camp.

They would reach him by tomorrow, at noon, most likely. Ryun would need to find a suitable place for the fight.

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