Soon, news of Rune's birth spread.
Since Wang was a strong and kind-hearted figure in the Peach Village, he was somewhat famous.
Also, due to Rune's stunning appearance, some believed he was a prodigy blessed by the heavens.
Of course, no one thought he would be a genius in farming—no one could have imagined that Rune would become a farmer.
They thought he might become a renowned doctor or a great poet.
And there was also his strange behavior—he was silent all the time.
"Wang, why do you think Rune doesn't make any sound?" Hee asked with concern as she leaned against Wang's chest. "Could there be something wrong with him?"
"Don't worry, dear He, maybe he's just a little different," Wang reassured her, though there was worry in his eyes as well.
Rune was different. He didn't make any noise, not even when he was hungry or needed a change of clothes.
Most of the time, he only let out a few soft groans.
Time passed quickly...
By the time Rune was three months old, he began walking with difficulty. At four months, he walked almost perfectly.
By six months, he was running. At fourteen months, he stopped wetting his clothes.
By the time he was two, he began learning to read and write.
By the time he was three, he had read every book his father brought for him.
"Don't you think Rune's talent is a bit wild?" Hee asked with concern.
"And what's wrong with that? The more talented he is, the better," Wang replied.
"I'm afraid that some evil cultivators will hear about his talent and come to either kidnap him or eat him," Hee said, her eyes filled with fear. "I've heard that cultivators eat prodigies to boost their training."
"What? How could any cultivators come to our small Peach Village?" Wang responded. "And even if they did, do you think they could take my little Rune?"
"These muscles aren't just for show," Wang said proudly as he pulled Hee closer into his arms.
In fact, Wang was really strong—one of the top ten strongest people in Peach Village.
He smiled at Hee with tenderness, and she looked back at him with love. "Yes, you're right."
Days passed, and before they knew it, Rune was almost ten years old.
"Dear, I'm really worried about Rune. He doesn't interact with others properly, and he no longer meets with his teachers. All he does is read and sleep and practice those strange exercises," Hee sighed with a bit of impatience. "Where did he learn these strange exercises?"
By the time he turned seven, Rune stopped meeting with his teachers.
This was because he no longer gained anything from them. In fact, sometimes he was the one explaining things to them. Of course, the teachers didn't share these things, fearing for their reputations.
What Rune loved to do was sit under the peach tree and read books he had already read. He found it more enjoyable than arguing with those old people.
As for the exercises, Rune didn't know what they were. He just felt they suited him.
Of course, these were exercises Rune had mastered in the thousands of worlds he had visited and practiced whenever he could. They were etched into his consciousness.
"Don't worry, my dear. I think this is just how geniuses think," Wang replied, rubbing his newly grown beard. "Don't worry, on his next birthday, I'll take him with the other boys near the forest to train."
"The forest? No, the forest is way too dangerous, and he's still too young," Hee immediately responded.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yun will be with us as well," Wang reassured her.
Mr. Yun was the second strongest person in Peach Village.
As the elders of the village, they were responsible for teaching and training the younger generation.
The best place for training was, of course, the forest.
"Mr. Yun? I heard he doesn't have much time left," Hee said, somewhat surprised.
"Yes, he has recovered from his last injury and is ready to start a new hunting trip," Wang replied.
"Well, that's good," Hee said with some relief. "But please be careful." She gave Wang a stern look before adding,
"Of course, of course."
Wang smiled as he pulled He into his arms.
Time passed quickly.
"Dear, tomorrow is his birthday. We should get him a real gift this time. I can't just get him another book like usual. There aren't any more books left anyway," Wang sighed.
"Alright," Hee nodded in agreement.
Early the next morning, as usual, Rune woke up, did some exercises, took a bath, and then went out to eat breakfast.
"Happy birthday, dear," Hee said with a smile as she hugged Rune.
"Yes, of course, this is your gift," Wang said as he presented a strangely wrapped box.
"Thank you," Rune smiled. "Is it another book? I thought I had already read all of them." Rune wondered to himself as he opened the gift.
"Dad, what's this?" Rune asked as he pulled out a gleaming dagger from the box. The dagger was about 40 cm long, with some decorative tree-shaped engravings on the handle.
"It's your birthday gift, of course," Wang said happily. "You should know that tomorrow, Mr. Yun and I will be taking the other boys to the forest to train. Although there's little chance of any accidents, you should still be prepared."
"It must have cost them at least two weeks' worth of supplies," Rune thought to himself. "You didn't have to do this. I can fight with just my hands." Rune sighed.
"With your hands?? How will you fight with that scrawny body?" Wang responded, "It's your birthday gift. You'd better train with it before tomorrow."
"Alright, thank you," Rune stopped arguing and accepted the dagger.
He finished breakfast and, as usual, went to sit under the peach tree to read the books.
"Look, it's Rune." His stunning appearance immediately caught the attention of some girls.
"Why does he go to that silly tree every day?" The girls wondered.
"There must be a secret. After all, he's a genius," said one girl in a beautiful green dress with a longing look.
"Genius my ass. He can't even kill a fly. What good is he?" shouted one of the boys nearby. "And it's already been confirmed that Kasia will marry him."
As soon as Kasia's name was mentioned, the girls' faces instantly fell.
"No, of course Rune will be the one to choose," one of the girls replied, her face sad.
Kasia was the daughter of the village chief, Dovos. He was known for his lack of intelligence but immense strength. It was said that he was the only one capable of fighting against cultivators.
Kasia was considered an unmatched beauty, at least in the village. In reality, her beauty was average, with slightly pale skin, long silver hair, and gray eyes.
Rune overheard the conversation but didn't show any interest. His hearing was far superior to his peers'.
In fact, he had surpassed his peers in every field, even outclassing the older generation in some areas, such as comprehension and speed of understanding.
All it took for him was one glance to memorize a book, one thought to understand it. His reflexes and senses were far beyond anyone else's. It was a tremendous talent. No, it was a monstrous one.