(Alistair's POV)
The sun had barely begun its descent when I sat cross-legged on the floor of my dimly lit chamber.
A thick, iron dagger rested beside me, its edge gleaming ominously.
Small vials of beast blood lay arranged in a careful pattern, each one filled with the lifeblood of monsters I had hunted days prior.
Before me, a vast circle of runes was already partially drawn onto the stone floor—its intricate, winding symbols forming a tapestry of forgotten knowledge.
This was a rune ritual.
A relic of ancient magic that had long since faded from the world, remembered only by scholars, madmen, and those who had played the game obsessively enough to memorize its hidden mechanics.
I was not fool who thinks I can kill a Assassin by myself. Assassin must have far more experience in killing than him.
So I needs a edge. An insurance.
***
Why Runes?
Most people in Eldoria never used rune magic.
It was old, cumbersome, and required absolute precision to even function.
A single misplaced line? The ritual would fail.
An incorrectly drawn symbol? The runes would shatter.
But if done correctly…
If everything aligned just right…
The runes could act as bridges between mortal souls and the divine.
And I needed that connection tonight.
The assassin who was coming for me was one of the best killers in the underworld.
I knew that from the game.
And the only way I could guarantee my survival was if I gained something beyond what I had now.
I wasn't foolish enough to believe my current abilities alone would be enough.
That's why I was here.
To reach beyond what was possible.
To grasp the power of the void itself.
And claim a blessing that would forever alter my fate.
I exhaled and pressed my fingertip against the dagger's edge.
A thin line of blood welled up, dripping onto the first rune.
The moment my blood touched the etched symbol, the air grew heavier.
The runes—once lifeless—began to glow faintly, pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat.
I traced the next series of symbols, my movements careful, deliberate.
Each stroke mattered.
Each line had to be perfect.
In the game, I had been forced to memorize rune placements for hidden puzzles, secret dungeons, and long-lost magic formations.
Why? Because Sofia had forced him. She found it fun when I spent hour sitting in front of computer to memorize them because that shitty game doesn't have copy paste option.
It had been tedious back then.
But now?
Now that knowledge was saving my life.
As I continued the ritual, a familiar chime echoed in my mind.
Ding!
[The Rune-Sage of Forgotten Words has taken interest.]
I froze.
That… wasn't part of the plan.
I had expected the Ever-Hungry Maw to be watching.
Maybe even some lesser abyssal entities.
But this?
The Rune-Sage?
That was a god of runes and lost magic.
A deity whose name had long since vanished from mortal records.
And he was watching me?
I couldn't afford to stop now.
***
As I traced more symbols, the system continued to update me.
Ding!
[The Ever-Hungry Maw is pleased.]
[The Rune-Sage of Forgotten Words is intrigued.]
[The Silent Watcher observes in amusement.]
[The Veilborn Serpent stirs.]
More than one god was paying attention now.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
But it also wasn't good.
The moment deities started taking interest in you, it meant they either wanted to grant you power… or wanted to see you break.
I had to be careful.
But, I couldn't stop.
***
The final rune—the keystone of the ritual—required something more than just blood.
It required intent.
A commitment of soul and purpose.
I gripped my dagger and, without hesitation, pressed its tip against my palm.
A deeper cut this time.
My lifeblood spilled freely onto the rune, and the entire formation flared to life.
The room darkened.
A chill unlike any earthly cold seeped into my bones.
And then—
A voice.
Not spoken.
Not heard.
But understood.
A being was answering the call.
Ding!
[The Rune-Sage of Forgotten Words is delighted. A blessing has been granted.]
Ding!
[You have acquired: Rune Magic .]
I barely had time to register the message before another one followed.
Ding!
[The Veilborn Serpent acknowledges your offering. A void blessing has been granted.]
[You have acquired: Void Step.]
I sucked in a breath.
It had worked.
I had done it.
But before I could even process my success—
Ding!
[The Ever-Hungry Maw laughs in amusement.]
[The Silent Watcher remains interested.]
[The Celestial Arbiter frowns.]
[The Lightbearer turns away in disgust.]
I let out a slow, measured breath.
Several gods were now aware of me.
Some approved.
Some did not.
It didn't matter.
What mattered was that I had secured my survival.
I flexed my fingers, feeling the newfound power coursing through me.
The runes on the ground dimmed as the ritual completed, the magic settling into my being.
Void Step.
The same ability I had used in the game to break entire encounters.
A technique that allowed me to step between shadows, bypassing time and space in an instant.
And now, it was mine.
I rose to my feet.
Tonight, when the assassin arrived…
They would find a different man than the one they had been sent to kill.
The fate this world had written for me had already been erased.
And now?
I was going to carve a new path with my own hands.
I smiled, stepping away from the completed ritual.
The gods had seen me.
And some of them had blessed me.
But the only thing that mattered now…
Was that I had taken one more step away from my destined death.
Tonight, I wouldn't be the hunted.
Tonight, I would be the executioner.
TO BE CONTINUE...