A burning pain penetrated his entire body. I didn't understand what was happening. Ethan realized he was awake.
He tried to get up with his left arm, faltering in the movement. His body fell back to the floor. Looking around, he noticed that he was bathed in blood.
His arm had clotted blood trapped. The huge gash on his forearm was bigger than before.
The boy looked at the wound and instantly received a shock of pain, as if all accumulated pain was released, upon realizing his current state, his vision lost focus as he saw the scene. The pain, now concentrated in the wound, became incessant, which caused the wound to dilate. More blood began to flow from the open wound.
Unable to move his arm, he struggled to his feet, his right arm supporting the sink so he could stand.
He placed his arm on the sink slowly, and determinedly turned on the faucet. The running water hit the wound, the intention was to wash the wound, the pain was so great that he couldn't contain his screams.
With the wound clean, he grabbed some clean cloths to use as a bandage. The bleeding seemed to have stopped. The pain was still too much. He used his strength to lean against the toilet.
"What did I do? My whole plan would work. My impulses were stronger. I've never felt so good, I don't know what happened to me."
Even in that precarious situation, he felt better than before. As if an ancient fire had been reignited.
"I need to stay alive and fix this. Soon those men will return with more people."
He knew the bluff of being a runic wouldn't last long. Even if I didn't know what one was.
The fear of the unknown only lasted awhile. After becoming known, he didn't fear the same.
Sitting up, he tried not to focus on the pain. He forced his thoughts to focus on something else, then opened his status window.
STATUS
STRENGTH 1.7
AGILITY 1.4
STAMINA 1.3
MIND 2
(New!) REGENERATION 0.1
Ethan kept his focus trying to understand what he was being told.
"A new attribute has been acquired, using the orange rune. I thought there were only four runes. One for each attribute. It completely changes things."
The addition of a new attribute implied several changes to the concept of runes.
What intrigued Ethan the most was the number being 0.1. Since this attribute was not basic to humans.
All previous attributes already had at least 1 point, but Regeneration seemed to be something superhuman. It interfered with a being's ability to regenerate. So even Ethan didn't understand.
"I must not have died yet because of this attribute, but I can't stand for long. I feel exhausted, but I realize that any ordinary person in my shoes wouldn't even have the energy to stand."
Ethan began to feel the effect of the stamina rune on his body. It made him have more energy to continue his actions. Even beyond the limits of his body, he managed to stay upright.
He got up with difficulty. She used the walls as support to move to the rug, which she called her bed.
When he lay down, he could only see through the window the darkness of the night.
He had been unconscious for a long time. He should already be dead with his wound open.
His backpack was next to the bed. He reached out with his right arm, pulled her close.
Inside was a slice of bread he'd saved from school. They always had breakfast and lunch.
He ate the food slowly, while looking at the ceiling. Gradually, his vision began to become more relaxed, falling into a deep sleep.
…
Among the small alleys of the city, Jeku lurked to enter a nightclub known as Aspis. The entrance to the nightclub was packed. Dozens of people were lining up to get in.
Even though it was a nightclub with a good reputation, it was still known only to the local underworld. Ordinary people might have access, but they wouldn't be seen well.
Traffic was common in that part of town. A dark place where mafias and gangs lived. Everyone knew of its existence, but only those who sought illegal things attended.
Common names in that milieu were seen on the spot. In search of closing deals, smuggling something, or just having fun without the limits of ethics.
Everyone knew that whoever ran the place was a well-established mafia. Known for its neutrality in any negotiation. That's why Aspis was so famous. A gray zone in the world of crime.
Jeku was still angry about the incident that had taken place that afternoon. A dog, son of a bitch, had hit him. It wasn't his fault, how would he know that dead dog would be a rune?
The biggest anger was with the fucking world, who had put a runic for him to charge. His luck was shit, like an underfed bitch.
He passed through the crowd, cutting through the line. He just signaled to the security guard that he would pass.
The strong man just opened the door. Some people in the background were screaming and cursing him. He didn't give a damn for those people.
Entered that nightclub. The smell brought back familiar memories. This place had a mixture of fragrances, alcohol and drugs were intertwined with the lust and filth of the place.
Sin. That was the memory that came to his mind. This nightclub symbolized sin, every wish could be fulfilled inside.
Even with his bad nose, sweat and drinks had a special odor.
He passed through some corridors that looked like a large maze. Inside the establishment, which appeared to be a large nest of some creature, someone would easily get lost there, and that was the point.
The site was installed in an old sewer site. Which was cleaned up and used as a nightclub. The walls were made of stones, it was possible to see holes where water should have passed.
There were small rooms on the way that had tattered curtains for privacy. There were also more specific rooms, with large metal doors that were once a machine room, which isolated noise from outside.
The local light was dim in a reddish hue. They were on the wall, they were supposed to be backup lights.
In every corner of the place, it was possible to see drug users or explicit sex, which took place in the corridors.
Waiters did their best to stop by and offer drinks or narcotics to people in the rooms. Payment was received on time, which caused no problems.
For those who didn't know the place, it was impossible to find their way inside. Jeku worked for the owner of Aspis for over 10 years. He knew all the ways of the old sewer.
At the end of the entire path, there was a red door. After her, there was a staircase that descended deeper.
In the basement, the loud sound of the nightclub could not be heard. The atmosphere there was much calmer.
The sound of Jeku's footsteps echoed down the stairs. Just like the voices in the boss room at the bottom of the stairs could be heard.
"... We can acquire the rest of them through slaughterhouses, or even hunting," said a thick, husky voice. Who proved to be one of the boss's trusted brothers.
"Shut up Ydro, do you think the government hasn't thought about this already? They must already be removing the runes from all the dead animals - said a second brother who appeared to be a little shorter, but with a better physique.
He wore clothes similar to those of a tourist. He always wore floral shirts with a cigarette in his mouth. His features were the most similar to the chief's.
— The idea of the hunt doesn't seem to be a bad one, the number of runes in our possession seems to be increasing little by little, still not many. We need a way to acquire a fixed amount of runes, otherwise we will lose our power," said the chief, a man with black hair mixed with white. His eyes were snake-like, fitted with a thin, triangular-shaped feature.
His cunning, along with his cold blood, made his name recognizable among the suburbs. Viper, the current boss of his mafia. Feared by everyone, even his enemies. Just his look caused fear in anyone who knew his name. Many prayed not to taste its poison.
Jeku entered the room with a little fear. Even though he'd worked for the Viper for years, he still got chills talking to his boss and his family.
The eldest was called Ydro. He was known to fight when he was younger. Currently, at 50, he only took care of the games. He was also a supervisor at Aspis.
Anili was in the middle. The most similar to Viper in physical matter. Younger than both. It was the one who took care of trafficking, both in arms and drugs.
Finally, the youngest, who was called Pythor. He had light eyes and a very thin build. He always walked with a crooked posture. Her hair was over her eyes. No one knew for sure what his role was. It was very quiet. From the way he carried himself, it was very strange.
"We'll talk about that later. Jeku, come in! How was the tax collection? said Viper, with a cold smile at Jeku.
Upon receiving the smile, a great chill fell over her body. The feeling of being just prey emanated through his being.
— There was a snag. One of our debtors refused to pay. Jeku swallowed hard.
The man was like a fourth member of the mafia. He took care of collecting debts from the first job the mafia started to do, even before it was a mafia.
Now loans were just extra income, much less relevant than other businesses. Just like Jeku.
"I hope you got the money, and that person is in worse shape than you are," Viper said, still smiling. But all the air around him seemed thicker. As if a predator was about to pounce.
— From the wounds, the person didn't know how to fight well. If it was a punch from me done that hard, I'd break your jaw and you wouldn't even be talking right now," Ydro said, giving a big laugh as he rubbed his big belly.
- Very sorry. I couldn't fight him, the boy is a runic. That damn dog demonstrated in front of me, crushing runes of different colors - Jeku said as he knelt down, leaning his forehead on the ground.
All the brothers looked at each other. They realized that things were really changing.
Viper's smile faded for a few seconds.
"How dare anyone smear my name, think that because he's a runic he can beat up my henchmen and escape my prey?"
A feeling of weakness crept up her spine, discomfort was caused at the back of her neck. The return of that old sensation made him irate.
"What was the boy's name?" said Viper, with a cold look in his eyes. The urge to devour its prey had arisen.
"It's the Seith dog, that little brat who lives in the abandoned house. We thought it was harmless, but when he used the runes, he decided to attack," Jeku said, cold sweat beading his body. The fear of guilt being taken to him was enormous. He already feared what his penance would be.
"How many runes did the dog use?" I doubt I've gotten many, it's so hard to find some," said Ydro, heading towards Viper.
"I don't know for sure, but at least 10 of them he used at the same time. Some had different colors. I remember seeing red and green. Jeku continued to look at the floor, tears welling up in his eyes.
— Yeah… he has at least strength and agility runes, nothing that 10 runes will change the situation much. Must be weak compared to Ydro," Anili said with a sly laugh.
Viper was silent for a while to think about the situation. A runic came to oppose him. Someone he's never heard of. To him, this dog was like nothing. However, by interfering with his name, he gained an enemy.
From the drawer under his desk, Viper pulled out a jewelry box, the size of eight inches. Polished of refined wood, with beautiful finishes.
Slowly, he opened it. On display could be seen by everyone in the room collection of various runes. All were purchased that week. They counted almost 35 runes. Unlike Ethan's, there were only two colors, 28 red runes and 7 green runes.
"Stand up Jeku, please sit in the chair," Viper said, as Ydro pulled back the chair. The other brothers stood side by side at the table, watching the scene.
Jeku got up. His whole body shook with fear, but he sat up. The breath of those snakes around him scared him so much that he almost vomited.
— My dear Jeku, runes are used to increase one's attributes, but not everyone can use them. Those who can are called runes. Please break a rune. Viper held a red rune in his hand and slowly handed it to Jeku.
The request made could not be refused.
Jeku held the rune in his hand, as if holding a rare gem. The treasure almost slipped through his fingers.
Everyone was staring at him. He closed his eyes as he gripped the rune tightly. But the stone seemed indestructible.
The man tried several times. He began to despair until the rune was broken. Not a single crack appeared in the stone.
Jeku looked scared, he had realized what was about to happen. He gave himself completely to despair.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow… by the looks of it, you're not a runic. Damn what a pity! said Anili, with a sadistic smile.
"Please, I'll make it. I need time, don't hurt me! I'll make it… - Jeku said, trembling with fear, in the greatest state of dread that had ever passed.
— Calm down, Ydro will help you. Viper nodded to his older brother.
Ydro, with a serious look, covered Jeku's right hand with his huge hand. It began to close as tightly as possible.
The henchman started screaming in pain as he felt his bones break. Ydro's immense strength on his hand, as the rune began to cut through his entire palm, remained intact. His hand was completely destroyed. He tried to get up to run away, but Anili pushed him back into the chair.
— I'm useful, please Vibo... AHHHH! — In the midst of despair and pain, he tried to ask for forgiveness with cries and screams.
His hand was useless. When he watched her, she was a tangle of broken bones and flesh. Blood was running all over the table.
"The world is changing, and there's no need for weak cowards. A single rune can equal 100 minions if it has many runes. - Viper came close to Jeku's ear, while whispering. "To me, you are useless.
Amid the screams of despair and pain. Jeku couldn't take the psychological and physical torture. His mind had gone blank.
Ydro dropped what had been a hand. He pulled out the stone that was in the middle of that meatloaf, and handed it into the hands of Viper
"Ydro, you will be in charge of the case. I will divide the remains of the runes between the three of you. Now is not the time to retreat, we will do everything to remain in power - said Viper as he handed the runes to his brothers.
"The dog can't even be that strong, Ydro, 10 runes don't make that much difference, it'll be sweet if you finish him off," Anili said, with her mocking smile.
"Of course, I must already have 3x the strength of an ordinary human, that shouldn't be a big deal," said Ydro, climbing up with Jeku's body.
Viper watched from afar as he continued his plans to acquire more runes by hunting.