Mark

START OF ARC 1 - FIRST PART- ETOBIS

"Gasp! Argh, my head!"

My head was about to explode at any moment from pain. Foreign memories were violently pouring into my head.

I crunched down as I gripped my chest. There was still some lingering pain from when that girl stabbed me with that piece of ice. No, not me, but the other "me".

I couldn't understand what had happened. What I just saw... Was that me? Or was it someone else? Maybe... I was losing control over my body. Was the one behind this attack trying to snatch my body?

As I managed to get out of the illusion created by this phenomenon, I realized that I was still in the same spot. Only a few seconds had passed since I killed that wolf.

A mark soon appeared on my hand, burning the flesh to give birth to a series of unreadable lines. After that, those unknown memories started rushing into my head.

I remember! We were still in the middle of the ambush. Although I was at the rear of the line of defense, the situation was grim. Just how many wolves were in the pack? Had those creatures already reached this point?

"Grrr!" "Grr!" "Help me!" "Get the children out first"

"Auuu!" "Don't let them get past the entrance!"

"Chief, we are being attacked from the walls!" "Those damn wolves, why now?"

"Protect the Young Master!"

There was only chaos around me. People were running around while the soldiers were fighting the monsters. Moreover, the gates to the town were just behind me. Any time soon, they could start wreaking havoc in those poor people's houses.

Poor? Since when did I start thinking like that? Sure enough, someone is trying to take over my mind!

The people around me were trembling, looking at me as if waiting for something.

Few people were even decently armed. Hald of the knights and most of the adventures had left to explore the newly discovered dungeon. We didn't have enough troops for defence!

I... I should have been the one to direct them as the second son of their liege. But I couldn't. Even though I was a noble, I didn't even know how to wield a sword. I had money, status, and knowledge. Why should I bother to learn something like that?

But now...What foolish thinking! If only... if only I had listened to Raul and studied diligently!

My hands trembled as I strengthened my grip on the sword to calm me down. I couldn't decide between staying and defending or just running away. Probably, because those memories had clouded my judgment, that was why I was unable to make a decision.

'Will I die again?'

I was starting to have trouble breathing, making the situation even worse.

While I had this internal dilemma, I could hear the noises slowly approaching us.

*Ding*

*Level up successfully*

*Lv: 1 (NEW)*

*1 skill point acquired.*

*Starter privileges enabled!*

*Recollection of the lowest rank memory: successful!*

*Report: The host is too weak to support the transfer*

*Report: Due to excessive mental pollution, the mental state of the host will be influenced!*

*Report: Debuff: Fear (medium) ->Fear (advanced).*

*Report: Debuff: Madness (low) ->Madness (medium).*

*Report: Due to excessive debuffs, mana is being lost!*

'What? Was this the status from those memories? What was it saying?'

I suddenly collapsed to my knees. My muscles started to contract violently as a transparent gas started leaking from my body.

It was interlaced with other colors, making it look like a rainbow was being born from my body.

I was stunned. Was that mana? I had never seen something that beautiful with the naked eye! How many people longed to feel it, not mentioning seeing it?!?!

"Gah!"

The sudden pain that struck me was even worse than earlier. A red hue started appearing around my eyes, and my vision blurred.

*Report: Excessive loss of mana -> Pain (Medium).*

*Report: Due to Pain (medium) being influenced by the mana loss, permanent injuries might appear later; please reduce the number and rank of the debuffs!*

Sudden anger took over me. Why? Just who is playing with the lives of people like that? Who dares to even try to take over my body? Who even dare to try to kill me again!?!?

I had enough!

A wolf pounced on me. But I was prepared.

I grabbed his neck, easily stopping it. The burnt smell of meat started waving from it, as I stabbed it.

It started to move violently, unintelligible sounds coming from its mouth.

But I didn't stop there; I stabbed it until it finally died. More. I need to kill more. Here comes another one.

*5 XP acquired*

*10 XP acquired*

...

*5 XP acquired*

*Level up successfully*

*1 skill point acquired*

*Report: due to excessive mental pollution, skill points will be automatically distributed to ensure the host's survival!*

*Report: Cool-headed (LV0) has been unlocked.*

*Cool-headed (LV0) -> Cool-headed (LV1)*

*Eliminating excess emotions. Eliminating part of the debuffs."

"Gasp!... What happened?"

I tripped as soon as I regained control of my body. A heavy smell of blood was present in the air. My eyes fell on the soft thing that was underneath me. Or things. Carcasses of animals were sprawled all over the ground. Blood was dripping from the sword in my hands.

'Was that my doing? What have I done??'

A strong taste of acid came spilling into my mouth. Blood started draining from my face. I was faintly aware that it was indeed me that caused that. But that thought made me repulsive, making my stomach churn.

There were still other people still fighting the wolves. Thick pillars of smoke and fire were rising high in the night sky. Some defensive constructions had caught on fire.

As the wind blew, I choked on the smoke coming my way.

"Why are you still here? Look after the Young Master!"

Looking towards the direction from where the voice came, I could see Raul approaching me with hurried steps. A friend and servant of mine. Although he almost looked like a gorilla.

'A gorilla? Eh? What's a gorilla? Since when did I know what a gorilla is?'

"YOUNG MASTER!!! How are you doing, Young Master?"

"Cough... Raul.." and I lost my conscience.

That was a bad move, as all the foreign memories that I was blocking in my head, in fear of something happening to "me", started playing one by one in my dream.

....

*Chatter*

'Shut up...'

*Chatter* *Chatter*

I shook my head and muttered, "Shut up..."

*Chatter* *Chatter* *Chatter* *Chatter*

As a result of the noise, my sleep was slowly vanishing.

"SHUT UP!"

I screamed and slightly opened my eyes, but the bright sunlight forced me to close them.

I tried to cover my ears, but something prevented me from moving. I could feel pain mixed with numbnesses in my hands.

*Chatter* *Chatter* *Chatter* *Chatter*

'Eh? What exactly is this? I should be in bed! Didn't I fall asleep after drinking at home last night? Why is it so nosy?'

My eyes popped wide as I felt a chill rush through my body. I couldn't help but gasp for breath. I was in the center of a vast, open arena surrounded by tens of thousands of people, sitting on a strange type of stairs. Humongous trees were giving it shade from all sides. Were we in a jungle?

What's more, most of the people were laughing while pointing their fingers at me.

'Why are they acting in this manner? Is it possible that I did something amusing? I-I have no clue! What happened after falling asleep last night? Is this some kind of a show??'

The combined pressure from those individuals was enough to shock me. That is until somebody hit me on the right cheek.

"Ghdnkwcv jdbb dcej cnn!"

A good-looking young man approached me from behind. He was around 12 years old and had blond, mane-like hair. Looking closely, I could see pointy ears. He was wearing shining armor and wielded a sword in his right hand.

'Cosplay?'

His strange clothing almost made me forget about the pain I was feeling. When I glanced at his face, I couldn't help but gulp. Despite the weird clothes, the air was heavy around him. He appeared cold and indifferent.

"W-what? Sir, where is this...?"

*Smack*

Normally, I don't judge people based on their age, so I attempted to be respectful to him. I didn't expect that he would slap me without letting me finish speaking.

"Hey! Why did you hit me?"

*LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER*

I lowered my head as soon as he raised his hand to avoid the approaching hit. I waited with my eyes closed, but nothing seemed to happen. When I tried to take a peek, my clothes came into my view. What I saw on my body was not my pajamas or even my ordinary clothing. All I could see were some garments with holes that could hardly conceal a famished, more petite body than mine.

I was tied to a robust wooden structure. I attempted to move, but it seemed pointless. Fear began to sneak up on me as tears filled my eyes.

*Smack* *Clang*

The boy slapped me again, but this time with such force that I could hear the rattling of the shackles that bound me.

"Ufiaeof aowm ajjoa! Dafei aaboe ande ao!"

Said the boy while snickering.

*Smack* *Clang*

My mind began to clear after receiving another blow. I had no idea how I had gotten here and didn't understand those people's language. But I was sure I had to get out of here as soon as possible.

"H-hey? Could you tell me where we are right now? Why am I here?"

The boy's frown suggested that he didn't understand one bit of what I was asking him.

"¿Perdon, entiende español? Que tal o Portugues? "

I continued asking because nothing seemed to have changed.

"Compendre le Français?" "Koko nande desu ka?"

Not only were my cheeks burning from the pain, but also the embarrassment. I was sure that a significant part of what I had just said made no sense. I had always wanted to study foreign languages but had given up halfway. Now, the shame of being so lazy in the past came bitting me in the back.

"Gaddafi sudha jei!!!"

The boy began to chuckle while holding his stomach with his left hand.

*LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER* *LAUGHTER*

The audience was also having a good time. And I still had no idea why.

*DING*

*Registering five new languages.*

*Creating skills.*

*English Language(LV1).*

*Spanish Language(LV1).*

…

*Japanese language(LV0).*

*DING*

*Checking, five new registered languages."

*Creating skill.*

*Learning languages(LV0).*

I tried speaking in another language. All I was hoping for was to get him to understand me. Sadly, I was interrupted when a series of text-filled boxes appeared in front of my eyes.

"Dafc dfs filth gadfk, I did hagke..."

I didn't have enough time to read all the boxes as my attention was drawn to the words that had left the boy's mouth. I seemed to grasp a few of them.

That was surprising because it all sounded nonsense to me a few seconds ago. But I wouldn't complain, desperate to get out of there.

"Filth? What exactly are you referring to?"

I tried to get more information from him, but I was interrupted again. A series of boxes floated in front of my face.

*DING*

*Registering one new language.*

*Creating skill.*

*??? Language(LV0).*

*DING*

*SubSkill Level up!*

*English Language (LV2).*

'Wha-at??'

"Acting ahdm crazy? When jef adjf stop ashk?"

I ignored them as I spoke again.

"Crazy? Are you talking about me? I'm not insane, and I have no idea what you're talking about because I don't comprehend your language! Can you at least tell me where we are?!"

*DING*

*SubSkill Level up!*

*??? Language(LV1).*

*English Language(LV3).*

*DING*

*Skill Level up!*

*Learning languages(LV1).*

I could no longer ignore the weird things in front of my face. The boxes and the name 'Skill' looked like something from a video game. Furthermore, it showed that I had acquired a 'Skill' that would assist me in learning new languages.

'Just what is this situation? What is happening here? Just get me out of here! I want to go home!'

The young man leaned up close. Looking at me with disdainful eyes, he whispered:

"When will you alheng the act, dear brother? It's not like dhja can gain ljnknj right now, right?"

With my attention split between the discussion and the game-like boxes, it took me a few seconds to understand. I was capable of understanding a new language.

While pondering the bizarre text, one word managed to capture my attention.

"Brother?"

I inquired, my voice trembling as I raised my eyes to see him breathing in my face.

"Hmm... Did I hit you too much that you can't recognize me now?"

He said with a raised brow.

'What's going on?'

'What exactly is going on? When did I ever have a brother?'

I was speechless. That piece of information was too much for me.

"Uh..I.."

"I don't buy that, so try harder, big brother!" exclaimed the child, barely holding back his laughter.

I stayed quiet after that because I was unsure what to do. What did you think you'd get from me? I've found myself in an unknown area, chained and abused by my newly-found younger brother.

Furthermore, he was the only person nearby. So, if not him, who could I turn to for answers? But he didn't seem to be paying attention to me anymore.

"Enough is enough! Today, we've gathered to watch the hero teach the evil prince a lesson. Now that he is awake, You may begin!"

Directing my gaze to a large platform, I could see the man who had just talked. He appeared dressed in regal garb and wore a crown encrusted with gleaming stones.

Many gorgeous women surrounded him. Some were fawning at him, talking among themselves, laughing, or simply staring at me.

"Who are you talking about?"

As I became more aware of what was going on, I inquired. On the arena's stage, there was no one except us two. My body stiffened when I saw the youngster's fierce expression.

"Who else are we talking about if not beloved brother?" The youngster asked, his face lit up with a smile.

"Or would you rather be burned alive? It's up to you."

When he noticed my gaping mouth, he added, with his hand concealing his smirk:

"Do you prefer being burnt alive rather than fighting in a simple duel? I had no idea that brother was so courageous as to try it!"

As soon as I heard the boy insulting me, my body began to shake. It wasn't because his statements had enraged me. I rarely had, if ever, fought with someone. All I could feel at this point was terror.

How could he speak that nonchalantly about burning someone alive? I shook my head violently, indicating that I had no intention of even trying it.

Gangsters. That meant everything I'd seen so far was a performance to appease the audience. Wealthy men enjoy torturing poor people. Even that one individual who gave the order earlier must be one of them.

I had a strong suspicion that an underground group had kidnaped me. When I was younger, I had heard about them. But I'd always assumed that was one of those lies told by adults to their children to get them to behave.

When he noticed my silence, he signaled with his hand. Two individuals dressed as ancient soldiers arrived. Then proceeded to remove the chains wrapped around my limbs. Following that, they pushed me toward the boy, or well, my brother.

My joints suffered from a lack of movement, so I stumbled a little. I heard him ridiculing me again as I tried to rub my hands to feel them better:

"Guards! My brother has neglected to bring his sword to our combat. Give him a couple of swords!"

Around ten people run toward me, hurling a few swords onto the ground in front of me.

I had prayed everything that had happened until now had been a farce. Witnessing these blades erased any doubts and hopes that I had left. It appeared like I had no choice but to go with the flow. Those individuals were not fooling around with me.

I took a look at the weapons. Some were eroded by time, while others had red stains that looked like dried blood. Some swords gleamed in the sunlight as if someone had soaked them in an oil barrel.

I glanced at the armor and sword the boy was holding. Compared with the pile of blades at my feet, it looked like no matter which one I chose, it would snap in two if they clashed. How was this even fair?

"Sigh"

I let out a sigh and redirected my attention to the sorry excuse of swords. Seeing them again made me frown. I finally found one in better shape than the others and grabbed it. It was heavier than I had thought. I thought it might be fake, but judging from the weight alone, it was a good imitation.

"Take a look! He's still looking for more blood, even in this situation!"

"It turned out that the rumors were true!" "Death to the creature!"

"Villain, why are you still alive?" "Monster, return my daughter!"

The words that people were shouting confused me. But i managed to ignore them.

Indeed, the blade I had chosen was stained with blood. It was in better condition than the others, as several were chipped or were missing a large chunk. I figured that if this weapon had cut something before, it would be enough to keep me safe. If the blood on it is genuine, that is.

"How are things doing for you, brother? Do you like the scenario I've set up for you? "

After witnessing the dead look in my eyes, he said to me.

"I get what you mean. So you're the one who's doing it."

So you're the one who came up with this crazy plot.

I had already come to terms with the fact that gangsters had kidnapped me. I should try to hold out until the authorities arrive to liberate me, but I must stay alive until then. I knew that I wouldn't have a good time later if I didn't join in the show now.

"I'm not going to deny it."

I was starting to become annoyed by his smile. I began to regret thinking that he was pitiful even for a second. He exhibited no remorse after beating or insulting me. It seemed like the organization he belonged to had really trained him.

'I suppose I'll be able to play along. You will get a show if that is what you want. He seems to be one head smaller than me. He is, after all, a child, and even if he is well-trained, he cannot defeat an adult!'

"Let's get this party started!"

His remark jolted me out of my reverie. I lifted the sword in front of me and stared him down. My strategy was simple. I would retreat and block his attacks for as long as I could.

He frowned when he noticed that I was not moving from my spot. He then vanished in the blink of an eye. A merciless blow to the guts sent me flying toward the pile of swords. I was unprepared after witnessing that strange phenomenon.

"Gah!"

I was getting a lot of cuts on my back as I landed. It seems like I have collided with the earlier pile of swords. Only after a few more rolls did my body stop moving. My insides were on fire, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

"HAIL TO THE HERO!" Roared the crowd.

The noise was so loud that I could feel little vibrations on the ground where I was lying. Everything went black as I passed out from the pain I was experiencing.