The price of life(1)

(Author: I think I've already said it, but in case I'll say it again. The instability of the chapters will last at least until the end of January.)

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Inside the canyon, Mark dedicated himself incessantly to training. Seven days had passed since his reincarnation, and his form had undergone a drastic improvement. During the shadowboxing sessions, his movements had become significantly more precise and ruthless. Furthermore, thanks to the nightly training in the breathing technique taught by the Guide, the ring around his core had developed by 13%, leading to a significant increase in his strength.

In comparison to the beginning, training now seemed more manageable, which was why Mark constantly sought ways to further increase his training.

During those days, he had also adapted better to the new world, continuing to acquire new knowledge through the teachings of the Guide. Despite this, his daily routine remained unchanged: wake up, breakfast, conversations with Agata, training in the canyon, personal hygiene, dinner, interaction with the children, energy absorption, and so on, repeating constantly.

splat splat

While continuing his training, he heard a sound resembling wet clothes being dropped.

Shifting his gaze in the direction of the sounds, he could see four semi-liquid masses slowly approaching him.

"Slimes, huh?"

Mark didn't feel any particular emotion in seeing them since it wasn't the first time. On his third day in the canyon, he encountered monsters for the first time, which were indeed slimes. Initially, he was both excited and curious about the new existence, but when those beings charged at him, he suppressed such feelings and attacked them.

That day turned out to be quite miserable for him because the consistency of the slimes made it challenging to kill them, requiring hitting their core. From that moment on, he often found himself facing various monsters, including goblins. Killing them always caused him great discomfort due to their humanoid appearances, but when he realized it was a matter of survival, he managed to harden his heart.

Returning to the present, Mark drew his dagger and observed the slimes calmly. Killing them hadn't been easy at first, but over time, he understood the best way to do it. He patiently waited for them to approach, and when one of them attacked—

slash!

The dagger tore through the membrane, destroying the core.

Mark had realized that when they attacked, the slimes became more solid, making it easier to kill them. He repeated the same method with the other slimes until there were none left.

Once the monsters were killed, their bodies disintegrated into a black cloud, leaving behind a stone called a magic stone, which could be sold at a good price due to its high number of uses.

As explained by the Guide, each monster carried a magic stone, and the stronger the monster, the higher the price of the stone. Usually, it had to be extracted by hand, but if the monster's body or the magic stone were damaged too much before death, the monster's body would disintegrate, leaving behind the magic stone and any potential drops.

"It's still a bit early; should I explore a bit today?" -Mark wondered.

Mark didn't overestimate his strength in a world so full of uncertainties, but he couldn't live forever by limiting himself. He needed to increase his combat experiences and broaden his adaptability because even though he couldn't be ready for every type of unforeseen event, he could greatly reduce them, so he had to seize any opportunity to become stronger.

"Let's try it; at worst, I'll turn back. Can you guide me in the direction where you sensed the fragment?"

[Certainly, it's in that direction. I advise the Host to pay particular attention to any dangers.]

"Yeah."

With time, Mark was also getting used to the peculiar presence of the Guide, and even though he found it particularly strange, it had done him more good than harm; so, he couldn't complain.

After a short lunch break, he continued along the dark rocky path. He paid attention to every detail, even from above, as one never knew what could jump down.

He continued walking among the various paths that diverged from time to time, realizing how immense the canyon was, considering that this was only one part.

'Damn!'

At the umpteenth junction, Mark quickly turned back and hid behind the wall in silence for a few seconds. After making sure no one was coming, he leaned slightly from where he was, and a little further ahead, he could see three goblins eating.

Thinking of something, he picked up a stone and threw it far enough between them, hoping to attract only one, and it worked. As soon as he saw one of the goblins turn around, he hid immediately. He closed his eyes and focused all his attention on hearing, which had improved like all his other senses, thanks to the core.

He could hear the monster approaching, and when he heard it stop, he threw a stone closer and closer until the monster was just a few steps from the junction where Mark was hiding.

Inhales

After taking a deep breath, he emerged from his hiding spot. 

The monster seemed surprised by the unexpected presence of the human, but before it could react, a dagger pierced its head, killing it.

Mark didn't waste time looking at the rough and disgusting monster, as the sound had attracted the attention of the other two goblins.

Mark suddenly found himself facing two goblins, with his dagger firmly gripped in his hand. The tension in the air was palpable as the two opponents prepared to attack.

One of the goblins, armed with a rudimentary spear, advanced with agility. Mark tried to stay calm, evading the first goblin's attack with quick and agile movements. His skill with the dagger was limited, but he showed remarkable mental alertness.

The second goblin, more cunning, tried to flank Mark to attack him from behind. Mark had to turn quickly to face both opponents. His movements were a bit stiff, but his determination remained strong.

Despite the challenge, Mark managed to land targeted blows, causing some wounds to the goblins. The battle turned into a frenetic dance of attacks and dodges, with Mark fighting to maintain the upper hand.

Fortunately, his tactical skills allowed him to exploit some openings in the goblins' movements. With concentrated effort, Mark kicked one of the opponents away and with a feint, deceived the other goblin, managing to stab it in the chest and kill it.

After killing the first one, he quickly approached the other, who hadn't gotten up due to the injuries, and finished it off.

"Haaaa... I'm still too stiff, but there's a lot of improvement."

After making sure there was no more danger, he let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he hadn't suffered any significant injuries, just a few scratches, considering himself satisfied with the results.

"Hmm?"

Noticing something strange, he approached the "thing" that the goblins were eating, only to turn around quickly and refrain from vomiting. The "thing" was nothing more than the half-eaten body of a middle-aged man, with his blood scattered everywhere.

After being able to regulate his breathing, Mark turned to look at the corpse, but this time with a calmer heart. From the clothes the man wore, he seemed to be one of the members of the city gang.

It wasn't the first time he had witnessed a corpse, as he had seen many during the ship incident and in the shantytown outside the city, but he was so preoccupied with figuring out what to do that he didn't have time to understand what he felt.

"Life is unpredictable, huh? We are aware that immortality is beyond our reach, yet the myriad commitments of life often divert our attention from this undeniable reality."

[Nothing in all universes is infinite, even the lives of the Gods in this world will eventually come to an end.]

"I think it's better this way. We can give value to the time we live because we never know when it might end.

Take me, for example. I lost everything, and the only thing I have left is this life and the chance to save Selene; so, no matter the cost or what I have to do, I'll make sure not to feel that helplessness I felt in that lifeboat again."

Mark didn't consider himself a good person, especially since he had taken Tobias's life. He could argue that it was an act of self-defense, but he wasn't inclined to make compromises. He had deprived someone of their life, and even though at that moment he seemed like a different person, Tobias had been his friend.

So, in this new life, Mark had decided to focus exclusively on his goal, setting aside everything else as mere obstacles he would eliminate if they stood in his way. The rest would be simply remnants he would leave behind if they didn't engage him too much. 

He might face difficult choices or take other lives, but Mark was determined to accept reality without inventing pathetic excuses. He would remain realistic and objective until he achieved his purpose.

"May you find more fortune in your next life."

Bending slightly, Mark slowly closed the lifeless eyes, which, even without life, showed traces of despair and fear.

'Wait, is that there a weapon?'

Looking ahead, he could see something metallic on the ground, so he approached and picked it up.

"A bastard sword?"

[In terms of style, it seems more like a claymore. Greater striking power at the expense of maneuverability, although once sufficient strength is obtained, such a limitation diminishes.]

"Hmm."

Looking at the traces and scattered magic stones around, Mark could get an idea of what had happened. The man was attacking monsters in front of him, and when he let his guard down, thinking he was done, the goblins must have attacked him from behind and beaten him to death.

"Well, I needed a new weapon anyway. The dagger is good, but it has too limited a range."

[I advise the Host not to stop training with it since it's useful; moreover, there's a technique with greatswords that makes full use of it.]

(Author: if you know, you know.)

"Okay, but this big guy is a problem."

Considering that the sword was at least 130 centimeters long, hiding it was impossible. The reason he wanted to hide it was not only because it could be confiscated, but also because walking around the city with such a weapon in such good condition would attract attention, considering that the gang had full control over the distribution of weapons and armor.

"By affiliating myself with them, I can move freely, but this would imply becoming little more than a slave, and the attention I would receive would be greater. Do you have any ideas?"

[As we walked in this direction, I noticed some particular stones, which, when crushed and mixed with water, create a pigment similar to rust. You can use that to make it look like the weapon you have is of low quality.]

"Would this damage the weapon?" -He asked hesitantly.

[The physical structure would remain almost intact; it's just that once dried, you won't be able to remove the pigment anymore.]

"If that's the case, I have nothing to complain about."

Satisfied with the information, he grabbed the sheath of the greatsword, which was positioned near the body, and placed it behind his back. He tried to draw and sheathe the weapon several times to assess the feel, considering himself more than satisfied. The sheath was designed to facilitate such movements.

He gathered the magic stones that were already on the ground and those from the goblins he had already killed. He was undecided about whether to continue exploring, but since the sun was about to set, he decided not to take unnecessary risks. Besides, he needed to find those stones mentioned by the Guide.

So, he went back, and didn't take long to find them. He followed the Guide's instructions, ending up with a kind of reddish paste that he spread on the blade. He had to admit that at first, he had doubts because the color was too vivid, but the longer the weapon remained in contact with the air, the faster it seemed to be rusting, dispelling all his concerns.

After completing each task and with the sack fuller than usual, he began to climb the rocky wall, which had become so much a part of his life that it took very little time. Once at the top, he hurried towards the city, as he wanted to sell as much as possible that day.

Mark's strategy was to sell small quantities of items in various shops in the city, making sure not to sell items for two consecutive days to the same shop. This would limit the attention he received, and his savings would grow.

Arriving near the city, Mark scattered the sap of some plants he had. The liquid had an unpleasant smell, but the advantage was that it washed off easily with water, and the odor did not linger on the inner clothes.

As he approached the city gates, he was immediately stopped. The faces of the guards twisted in disgust, and after verifying that he had the pass for the city, they looked at the weapon on his back.

"The sword, hand it over." -One of the guards said.

Mark didn't mind and handed it over.

"For the Gods, even the weapon stinks like death... and its appearance is as ugly as its smell. Hurry up and get out."

After seeing the "pitiful" state of the weapon, the guard threw it to the ground as if it were trash. Mark continued to ignore it, as from his point of view, they weren't even worth a second of his time.

'Although I have to say, I'm getting tired of this story.' -He thought annoyed.

Once inside, he blended with the crowd and took off the cloak. Taking advantage of the fact that various shops were still open, he began to sell what he had collected, and even though some merchants tried to deceive him, with the help of the Guide, he always managed to get the best price.

"I'm back."

"Mark!" (children)

As soon as he crossed the threshold of the orphanage, the children jumped on him joyfully. Seeing the scene, Mark could only tiredly laugh as he ruffled their hair. Initially, it felt strange, but over time, he had gotten used to it, and the tranquility within that place calmed him amid all the chaos outside.

"Oh my, the kids go crazy every time they see you."

Agata approached with a smile, helping to separate him from the children, and after a lively dinner where Mark received a ton of questions about what had happened during the day, it was time to go to sleep.

"Mark, are you sure about the money? It seems like a lot; I don't want to take something you've earned with your hard work."

Before Mark headed to his room, Agata called him uneasily, as the sum he had given her was much larger than usual.

"Don't worry, I found a quite fortunate area, so I can earn much more. Besides, that money is for the orphanage."

Mark tried to convince her with his words, making Agata sigh and nod.

"If you say so, I'll believe you. I'll make sure to buy some meat; I bet the kids will be happy about it."

"It sounds perfect. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear."

After bidding each other goodnight, Mark entered his room and collapsed onto the bed. As he stared at the ceiling, he began to contemplate his situation.

At the moment, his growth was steady, and his knowledge was increasing. The ability of the core he currently possessed, the one that allowed him to receive information by reading the soul, was still very limited. He could only occasionally understand what people felt when he looked at them, even if just for a brief moment.

[Host, we need to talk about something.]