Chapter 4: Chapter 3
Nicolas was ecstatic. After so much training, he finally succeeded.
Marlon volunteered to be the test dummy. He transformed into his blue form, which darkened, almost reaching black.
Counting to three, Nicolas clumsily ran towards Marlon and struck him in the head with all his strength. When the staff made contact with Marlon's skin, the blue "aura" activated, and sparks flew as if hitting a steel plate.
It protected his body, reflecting the attack perfectly. Nicolas was sent flying, his staff also thrown away, penetrating a stone wall and cracking it.
"Nice hit," Marlon praised, a rare occurrence.
"Hm?" Nicolas struggled to get up, dusting off his clothes. The hand holding the staff trembled occasionally. "I couldn't hurt you, how can this be a success?"
"Well, you did hit me, but it was minor, and that's why you didn't notice. I felt it, even if just for a few seconds before you were sent flying. You managed to break through my barrier and injure me, hence the praise."
"Here," Marlon stopped beside Nicolas and pointed to his forehead, a faint mark barely visible.
"A staff is already this strong; imagine a sword. Honestly? I fear it could seriously harm me," Marlon tried to be dramatic and, for the first time, gave a warm smile.
"You can tell me the enchantment's name?"
"Oh yes, it's called [Sharpness I]," Nicolas revealed without hesitation, grateful to Marlon and not withholding information.
"So, there must be higher levels?" Marlon asked thoughtfully, chin in hand, gazing at the sky, attempting to appear wise.
"Probably, but I think I need to get stronger before unlocking the next levels," Nicolas and Marlon walked to the stone wall to retrieve the staff.
Nicolas was happy to use his ability to assist Marlon and now wanted to get stronger quickly to test the improvements stronger enchantments would bring. He was tired of feeling somewhat useless.
"Let's continue training," Marlon put his arm around Nicolas' shoulder, pulling him closer. "So we can get stronger together, and who knows, when you become stronger, you might even craft cool enchanted weapons for me."
"I even started imagining, me with a flaming sword, cutting a mountain and turning it into ashes with immortal flames falling from the sky? Haha, that would be fun. I'd like to see who'd have the courage to face me."
"Thank you. I promise not to disappoint you," Nicolas replied, embarrassed, unaccustomed to compliments.
Nicolas was very happy with the encouragement, something he had never experienced in his life. His determination grew as they returned to the cave to eat the fish Marlon caught.
[...]
"We have to go," one day, at the end of the training, Marlon said. Nicolas simply nodded and sat on a stone bench to rest.
The wind blew through the mountain in the small canyon, relieving the heat that persisted most of the day.
After the training, there were several glowing staves scattered on the ground. Marlon sat on a stone bench, sweaty and panting. It wasn't easy for him to defend against so many staves, and as Nicolas became familiar with his ability, he produced more and more enchanted staves.
At first, it was easy with just one or two, but as their number increased, his defense began to falter. There was even a time when using ten staves, Nicolas managed to break Marlon's defense, superficially cutting his arm. Despite being healed, the memory still haunted Marlon, as the pain, even for someone like him, was immense.
But there were gains too. Through constant battles, Marlon better controlled his ability. At the end of a training session, his aura showed slight purple spots, allowing him to fight on par with Nicolas and his vast arsenal of staves.
He also trained Nicolas in martial arts, his specialty. Now, he wasn't as clumsy as before and could even perform moves that impressed Marlon, although he would never admit it out loud.
Nicolas gathered the staves, placing them in his prepared backpack next to the stone bench.
Marlon did the same, and within minutes, they were ready to leave. They went to the stables that Nicolas had glimpsed once but was forbidden by Marlon to approach.
He could hear horses neighing, and when Marlon opened the door, he saw two brown horses with black eyes, equipped with saddles and a chest for transporting items.
Marlon and Nicolas had discussed before. Nicolas had joined the clan reluctantly and was obligated to return with Marlon to avoid causing worry.
As they spotted the plain, it was early evening. Marlon and Nicolas were tired from the long journey. They had to leave the horses by the roadside; otherwise, they wouldn't make it on time.
Approaching, a large wall came into view with men patrolling on top, holding grayish weapons in their hands, different from others as they lacked bullet chambers. Marlon, noticing Nicolas's confusion, explained:
"They are void weapons. They form through an energy generator just above the trigger. When pulled, the force is transmitted to the generator, creating an energy bullet two to three times stronger than the force used. It's so fast that even with a powerful ability, it's almost impossible to escape these bullets. However, like most advanced weapons, they are complex to operate and need constant repairs due to low-quality materials, reducing their durability and affecting bullet lethality. You could say it's an almost perfect weapon."
"Wow, so powerful? But where did you get this technology?" Nicolas was quite curious, as he understood that access to such advanced technologies was limited to the book he had received.
"I don't know, kid. I don't have a high rank within the clan. Rumors say it was from a book. Others say it was the spirit of some ancestor passing on their legacy. But my theory is they found it in some abandoned research laboratory." Marlon didn't notice Nicolas's astonishment hearing about the book; he assumed Nicolas was as shocked as he was the first time he heard about it.
"Halt!" one of the guards shouted as they approached the wall. He was probably some kind of leader among them, his weapon having a more greenish color.
"Who goes there?" all the guards approached the wall, weapons pointed at the two, fingers on the triggers ready to obliterate the enemy.
"######," Marlon spoke in a language Nicolas couldn't understand, feeling his ears slightly ache.
Marlon's hands turned blue, and he made a gesture that made the flames (aura) rise like a beam of light in the night sky. The captain guard was shocked to recognize the powers, his forehead furrowing even more. Quickly, he ordered everyone to return to their duties and pressed a button, making the gates, seemingly made of steel, creak and open.
They didn't have anyone accompanying them to announce their presence; the soldiers had to remain on guard in case something happened.
Nicolas stood there like an idiot, watching the gates open. Marlon had to carry him like a sack of potatoes inside, and when he snapped out of his stupor, he almost fainted again when he saw where he was: houses surrounding a crescent-shaped lake.
Lush mountains surrounded by plants, with no trees. All paths were polished stone, and lead posts were cast into the ground, with torches replacing lamps. Houses were simple, divided into elevations – the higher up the mountain, the more beautiful and refined.
It was as if they were floors. On the first floors, no green grass, just yellow grass similar to what Marlon cultivated. On the second floor, there were flowers and the familiar green grass, but it was pale and less healthy, Nicolas believed it was due to plant competition for soil nutrients.
Finally, on the top floor, there were mansions, three to be exact. One almost the size of a small square mountain in bright white, completely smooth, reflecting sunlight like a mirror. The other mansions, though not as large, surpassed it in beauty. They resembled modern houses from Nicolas's world, each with a tree next to it.
— The first floors are for common people. The middle ones are for famous and influential clan members. On the top floor is the clan leader's house, vice leaders, generals, and my teacher. It's only fair, he's the 18th son of the clan leader — pride resonated in Marlon's voice.
Despite being strong, Marlon was strict with rules and formalities when necessary. Nicolas was shocked hearing all of this.
— And the lake. Why can't anyone approach it? — Nicolas suddenly asked, noticing barricades and stone railings blocking access to the water.
— The lake water is impure. We've been trying to purify it, but with current technology, we can barely make void weapons properly. It might take many generations to purify the water, or it might purify itself. Look there — Marlon pointed to people in white lab coats carrying a box with transparent objects. They approached the water, one of them created a glove before dipping a test tube into the water. His expression turned strange when he looked at the transparent liquid.
He poured the liquid into a tube, then placed it on a scale, heating the liquid. In the middle of the process, he used a dropper to add purple liquid to the water. When the purple liquid touched the boiling water, it turned completely black. He wrinkled his brow, jotting down the result.
After noting everything, he stood up, transferred the water back into the test tube, stored the materials, and left. The guards supervising the barrier showed great respect, clearing a path and saluting as if in front of a general.
— His name is Ambrosio, a chemistry genius. Head of the development department, he single-handedly developed our technology so far.
— Besides being the head of construction, infrastructure, technology, and economy. It was his idea to categorize people by merit, "only merits prove loyalty, nothing else." His incredible words inspired our leader to reform the entire island; we used to live together without distinction — Marlon's eyes shone with admiration.
— That's incredible — was all Nicolas could say. Marlon's achievements in such an underdeveloped place were already astonishing, not to mention ideas that could make him a national pride in Nicolas's home world.
They walked through the lively clan streets. Food, minerals, and clothes stalls lined both sides of the street connecting the floors. Children played in small open spaces between the stalls, some sneaking and stealing food when people were distracted, others riding animals and playing.
Nicolas felt a sense of happiness in the air. Although life was tough, having someone to share it with made it easier. Some children accidentally bumped into Nicolas, who almost fell if Marlon hadn't held his waist.
— Sorry, sirs — the children apologized quickly as they disappeared into the crowd, their laughter still audible.
Nicolas's heart warmed with the genuine smiles of the boys. He thought to himself that he had come to the right place. He managed to stand up with Marlon's help, who pulled him closer while navigating through the people, heading to the penultimate floor.
The intermediate floors were quieter and more peaceful than the lower ones. No more stalls on the streets, only shops with products displayed in windows. There weren't many people walking, but those who did were well-dressed.
There were many food courts where people gathered more often. Some flower beds, benches on the sidewalks, an air of elegance and delicacy filled the place.
Moving to the top floors, the place was extremely quiet, with the sound of water and small insects. The mansions were much larger up close. Trees covered half of the area, providing a pleasant shade. Unlike the lower floors, this one had no shops or cafes, just beautifully arranged and perfectly built houses, resembling a luxury condominium from Nicolas's world. They walked until they reached a school, the only one Nicolas had seen so far.
He found it strange that they were not stopped by anyone on each floor. According to fiction books from his world, it shouldn't be like this.
Little did he know that if it weren't for Marlon by his side, he could never have ascended beyond the first floor. Marlon knew practically everyone and had a great status as one of the clan's top fighters, also being the disciple of the clan leader's 18th son.
— This is where I studied during my childhood and currently receive missions — there was a respectful tone in Marlon's voice as he addressed the building.
The school wasn't very large, about the size of 4 or 5 blocks, painted in light brown, with no decoration except for the golden "school" sign on the facade. It had two large doors that were at least twice as tall as Marlon.
The school consisted of a circular arena where students fought each other and received guidance from teachers sitting in the stands – a typical Roman arena.
As they entered the building, the putrid smell of blood hit Nicolas, who held back from vomiting. With his own eyes, he saw a boy, probably around 12 years old, on a stage in the middle of the arena, cutting another child, who looked like a twig and screamed for mercy, in half.
His eyes turned to Marlon, expecting a reaction similar to his, but was surprised to see in Marlon the same look he had when fighting the Golem.
Marlon noticed Nicolas, saw his teary eyes threatening to fall. In a silent exchange of glances, he understood that Nicolas wasn't strong enough for this kind of thing... not yet.
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