"Nordic runes? I've heard about runes, but I have no idea about the Nordic ones," Martyn explained, surprised by Odin's words.
The hunters of Neo Tyran had different ways to become stronger. Among them, acquiring new blessings or enhancing their existing ones, obtaining weapons or abilities during missions, and finally, using runes.
Few people are capable of creating high-level runes, making it quite difficult for them to come out perfectly. Most runes are found on missions, and it takes considerable effort to decipher their use.
However, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Many runes have been successfully utilized over time. Currently, the best rune maker of humanity is in the Egyptian faction; many know him as the scientific mage.
"Yes, my dear representative, you must enhance your weapons if you wish for a successful hunt. Every good hunter knows this," Odin replied with his usual smile.
"I see, so what should I do?" Martyn asked with great excitement, not expecting to be able to use runes.
"The first thing you need to do is enter; there's someone waiting for you," said Odin to calm Martyn and proceeded to enter the place.
Martyn followed, surprised by the environment.
On all the walls of the place were different weapons emanating immense energy; they must have been made by an expert.
"Clack, clack!"
Martyn's attention was caught by the sound of various metals clashing. In the middle of the place was a blue-skinned man with four arms.
The man struck with considerable force but maintained elegance and delicacy with each blow.
"Oh, you're already working, how are you, Volundr?" Odin asked. It seemed he was another god.
The man completely ignored Odin and continued his work, dipping the weapon in water, then removing it and placing it on the table.
Following this, the man bit his thumb hard, and with the blood he shed, he began to draw different shapes on the weapon.
"FUUU, Vou!"
Shouting loudly, the man struck the weapon, causing all the previous drawings to shine in a strong purple color.
"Done, I'm finished," the god held the newly crafted weapon and raised it to the sky in victory.
"Wow, that was incredible!" Martyn, who hadn't taken his eyes off the scene, was completely amazed by the spectacle.
"Oh, you were here? I hadn't noticed, sorry," said the god, leaving the weapon on the table as he approached the duo.
"You're always like this when you get to work, but I'm glad we found you in action so Martyn could see," Odin responded with a smile.
"So you're our representative, huh? It's a pleasure to meet you; I'm Volundr, the Nordic smith god," the god introduced himself to Martyn, offering one of his hands.
"The pleasure is mine, Volundr. Will you be the one to put runes on my weapons?" Martyn, excited by what he had seen, took out his two weapons from his inventory.
"Eh... No, you'll do it yourself," Volundr replied with a smile.
"What? Wait... me? But I've never worked with runes; I could damage my weapons," Martyn grumbled.
It was known that misuse of runes could damage any hunter's equipment, so it was important to know what you were doing before working with them.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine; I'll be helping you," said Volundr. Apparently, he would be the one assisting Martyn this time.
"Well, I won't complain as long as that's the case. What should I do first?" A bit more satisfied with the situation, Martyn was ready.
"Well, the first thing is for me to give you the ability. Relax your muscles," said Volundr, cracking his knuckles.
"Relax my muscles? Why do I need to...?"
BAM!
Martyn, confused, was punched in the stomach by Volundr. The pain of the blow felt worse than anything he had suffered before.
"Damn, what was that for? Are you planning to kill me?" On his knees, clutching his abdomen, Martyn complained, feeling he might pass out at any moment.
"Don't whine, Martyn. A minute of pain is nothing compared to the rewards," Odin lectured Martyn before healing him.
"What reward? I haven't seen anything yet," Martyn replied angrily as he stood up from the ground.
"Do you really think so? Check your information," with a confident smile, Odin gave Martyn instructions.
"My status? What's new?" Following Odin's orders, Martyn opened the status window. "Eh, that's new."
To his surprise, upon seeing the window, there was a new option available.
[Martyn Tryggvason]
[Level: 4]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 21]
[Rank: Beginner]
[Stat Points]
[Skills]
[Inventory]
[Classes]
[????]
"Yes, representative, this is the classes section. I'd explain how it works, but you should open it and see for yourself," Odin encouraged Martyn to explore, who didn't hesitate due to his excitement.
[Available Classes:]
[Beginner Nordic Smith]
"This is crazy; mastering a class is complicated," filled with joy, Martyn said those words.
Classes are something determined by your talents and qualities. It's very difficult for someone with low offensive power to become an assassin, or for someone with high attack to become a tank.
Therefore, the best thing a hunter can do is exploit their skills to the point of perfecting them. This allows them to stand out among the rest.
But if Martyn could change classes at will, he could become the most versatile hunter in Neo Tyran.
"Haha, I didn't expect you to get so excited about me lending you my power," Volundr was infected by Martyn's good vibes.
"Huh? Lend? What do you mean?" Doubtful of Volundr's words, Martyn asked.
"Yes, representative, lend. You'll be able to switch between different classes depending on the god lending you their power," Odin explained, while tapping Martyn's screen.
[Class: Beginner Nordic Smith] - [God: Volundr]
[The god Volundr will lend you some of his power to forge any type of weapon. The more weapons you can make, the higher your rank in the class will be.]
[Class Skills:]
[Rune Creation] - [Beginner]
[Weapon Creation] - [Beginner]
"As you can see, it's not that you'll become a smith. What's happening is that the god in question will connect with you so you can use a bit of their power."
After explaining, Odin closed the window. "You'll be able to use one class per day. This is because it would be very difficult for you to maintain the power of two gods, let alone switch between them."
The more Odin explained, the more discouraged Martyn became. Apparently, the fantasy of being the multi-form hunter was coming to an end.
"Damn, I see. But it's still useful. So, what should I do?" Without losing heart, Martyn was ready to use his class.
"Alright, now it's my turn, old man," Volundr spoke in a boastful tone while searching for something in a chest on the table.
After finding what he was looking for, he decided to hand it to Martyn. They were two basic rune designs.
"These are rune designs. They're basic; you'll do fine," for Volundr, these designs should be easy for Martyn. But no matter how much he looked at them, the boy couldn't understand them.
"Don't worry if you can't understand it. When you use my power, it'll be much easier. Well, that said, it's time to test you."
Volundr clapped with his four arms, opening a window in front of Martyn again.
[Test number six: First class]
[The god Volundr wishes to test you. Meet the requirements he asks to earn his trust.]
[Requirements:]
[Use a rune on one of your weapons: 0/1]
[Defeat an enemy with a weapon containing runes: 0/1]
[Create an elemental rune: 0/1]
[Reward: Defensive rune, 20 stat points, Sword of the Saints]
After reading all the information, Martyn understood what he had to do. It seemed Volundr wasn't going to make it easy for him.
"Alright, I understand everything. But where do I get the materials? It's not like I can use my blood like you," having understood the test, Martyn asked.
"That's easy, representative. You'll have your first mission soon. In places outside Neo Tyran or in rifts, you can find what you need," Volundr explained. It seemed he would have to complete this test outside.
"One second... But isn't it faster to do it here?" For Martyn, it would be better to be ready before going to his first test.
"As Volundr says, you must complete this in the real world. You could create runes here, but it wouldn't be the same," Odin supported Volundr and then began to cast a spell with his staff.
"Good luck, representative," without giving him time to ask anything, Martyn saw great darkness. Then, he opened his eyes and had left the beautiful place to return home.
"Damn, I haven't slept that well in a long time... first mission, here I come," stretching his body after a great night of rest, Martyn prepared to go to the hunters' headquarters.
***
"No, please, no!!"
On the outskirts of the city, a man was running scared. Apparently, he was a hunter who had been injured.
"I need to call, this is more than we thought," the man hid in a forest while taking out his phone.
{"Good morning, hunters' headquarters
, how can I help you?"}
"Yes, I'm Ron, a novice hunter. I was with a group on a mission. We were supposed to eliminate a beast, but..."
{"Yes... sir, are you alright, sir?"} The woman on the other end of the phone began to ask because the man stopped talking.
"Crack."
The next thing that could be heard was the sound of the phone breaking. The man who had been talking a few seconds ago was completely frozen, and only a creature with purple eyes and blue skin could be seen.