《The Runesmith 》Chapter 1: So it begins… with a truck!
Advertisement
It was getting late, the street lights flickered around while someone coughed in the distance. The wind howled while people were trying to get to their homes. Little drops of water started appearing on the glass windows, followed by gentle tapping. A certain man was sitting in a lit room, holding what looked to be a soldering iron.
His hair was slightly unkempt and you could see a reflection of some kind of schematic coming of the glasses he was wearing. He was glancing between this schematic and the circuit board that was on the table.
"I need to replace these capacitors, not sure which one is the faulty one, I'll just replace all of them."
The man gave out a sigh while slowly getting his tools ready. He was glancing onto the circuit board with the help of a microscope, the tiny metallic parts hard to spot with the naked eye.
"That bastard made me work over-time again"
This man was in his mid-twenties, he was at a small computer repair shop. He was yet again forced to stay late into the day, being the 'new kid' in this place apparently put a bullseye on your back. The older workers always found a way to push their overdue workload on him, always giving him the excuse that he needed more experience and he should work harder.
"Damn fuckers only do this shit because I can't refuse."
He was still new, he was still in his trial period so he was expendable. He made the decision of trying to get along with his co-workers and play the nice guy. This was the result, he was stuck working and would probably be home at eight.
"Well, not like I have any plans anyway..."
"At least they don't force me to clean all those dirty laptops, what do those people do with them to get them so dirty anyway..."
The sound of sizzling filled the area while the man continued with his work. The capacitors were replaced and everything was checked again, the circuit board he was fixing was in working order once more.
"Finally, just need to clean this shit and I'm done."
He wasn't alone here though, the whole repair shop was the building that his boss was actually living in. The bottom level was just the shop while the upper was the living quarters. He peeked through the door leading upstairs and shouted out.
"I'm done, I'm going home boss."
He heard some kind of grunt that was muffled by the sounds of a TV. He just shrugged and grabbed his coat to go, luckily he took his umbrella today. The moment he walked outside he was hit with a sudden gust of wind that almost snapped it in half though.
"God damn if I left normally, I wouldn't be stuck in this damn storm."
He kicked a pebble while his umbrella shook from the pouring rain and strong winds. He felt dejected with his whole situation but not like he could do anything about it. He was living alone and needed it to pay rent, he barely had enough for an internet connection and food and was living from paycheck to paycheck.
'Ugh, If I ever get out of this shit hole I'm going to open my own store, working for others sucks'
He arrived at a crosswalk, the howling wind was smashing into his face and the lack of earphones and music to listen too was making this whole ordeal even harder to last through. The only thing making him power through this was the warm bed waiting at home. While his mind was elsewhere the light at the crosswalk turned green and he took a step forward.
Advertisement
Luck wasn't on his side yet again. When he was about halfway across the street a large truck appeared out of nowhere. He looked to the shining halogen lights that blinded him momentarily. The vehicle came right at him, his mind went blank and his life flashed through his eyes.
He remembered his youth, his family, and his lack of friends. It was a life of mediocrity, a life of following the status quo. But then, suddenly he snapped out of it. His body jolted forward as he jumped for his dear life. He felt air pressure from his back accompanied by a large splash of water.
He tumbled forward onto the sidewalk, the large truck just continuing on as if nothing happened. He didn't even have time to glance at the plates. He was drenched in the rainwater, his hands scraped from the pavement.
'Fucking psycho!'
He cursed while standing up, his palms were bloody and he was all wet, but luckily he was alive. His umbrella was in the middle of that street, flattened by the truck that almost killed him. His heart was pounding and he needed some time to calm down, but the pouring rain was making things hard.
'I need to get home...'
He turned around while gritting his teeth, the fear replaced by anger as he headed home. He was drenched, his body was hurting and he still wasn't back home. There was a possibility that he could catch a cold, the only thing on his mind now was to take a warm shower.
'Sometimes I wish I could afford a bathtub... It always comes down to money...'
He moved forward, his apartment wasn't far away from where he worked. This was the only saving grace of his job, he could reach it on foot withing thirty minutes which saved him some money.
Suddenly he felt a shiver run down his spine, it wasn't the cold rain but more of a premonition. He could hear an engine revving not too far away from where he was. He slowly turned around, his eyes bulging slightly as he saw the exact same truck that almost turned him to meat paste.
"What?"
The truck was progressively getting louder, its front lights turned off. By instinct he started backing away, the halogens turned on and shone at the street that he was in. There were buildings on both sides and no space to duck to the side. When the truck that had it in for him took off so did he, running for his life like never before.
"Holy shit! Who is this fucker!"
He bolted forward, there was no one beside him in the streets no other cars in sight besides the honking truck behind him. The street was eerily empty, only one scrawny man running away from a big truck that went faster and faster.
"I need to call the police, where is everyone!"
He continued running, his gaze focused on the end of the street a small alleyway there. He didn't look back, he didn't falter as he just kept running mustering everything that his gamer body could muster. With a last-ditch effort he dived forward, a gust of wind felt behind him as the truck barreled past him while he jumped into the narrow passage.
He landed on his face, his hands getting scraped even more and blood running out of his nose. He quickly rolled up, trying to see if he was safe, the truck vanishing seemingly into thin air after clipping part of the building that connected to this alleyway.
Advertisement
"Fuck, it shouldn't be able to get me here... but what if the driver chases after me instead?"
He was sweating bullets, tired, and afraid. This wasn't over, he didn't think so. He turned around and quickly escaped into the alleyway, nothing in it besides trash and rats. He jogged forward, exhausted from the previous sprint.
"The other side... there is a police station on the other side!"
He saw the light at the end of the tunnel, not far from here there was a small police unit. He only needed to get there and report this fucker and everything. But as he was treading forward, the lights in the vicinity started to flicker continuously. Abruptly all of the light bulbs that lighted the way forward shattered into pieces and everything went dark and then he heard it again, the revving of the engine.
"N-no... stay away..."
In front he could see the damn truck, it was barely able to fit into this narrow passage scraping the walls as it slowly drove forward. He quickly turned away, to his surprise he heard the same engine noise, another truck blocking his path was there too. The area filled with the screeching noise of scraping metal as the two trucks drove at him, each second increasing in speed.
"Ha Ha Ha..."
He started laughing, his face showing a shaky smile as he lost it. He looked to the sides, walls blocking his path of escape.
"Screw you!"
He moved to the wall, his fingers digging into the hard concrete wall as he tried climbing up. His fingernails broke, blood gushing out as he scratch trying to climb up, but to no avail, as the rainwater made it far too slippery. The last things that he saw, were the bright truck lights coming from the sides, he tried looking into the driver seat. His eyes bulging, his jaw clenched as he tried to see the person responsible. To his surprise, he didn't see anything, not even a silhouette of a driver the truck seat totally empty.
*SPLAT!*
That was the last thing that he saw, his short life of a computer repairman ended right there. He felt resentment in his eyes, there were things that he wanted to achieve. Simple things, like a business of his own where he could dictate the rules and not be a slave to his wage for the rest of his life. But he was also looking at the bright side, he was now free, free from the worldly problems.
He floated in the void, his mind racing as it couldn't comprehend where it was. This state of mind didn't last for long as he felt being drawn somewhere. It was as if, something or someone was calling him there.
"R....d.....m...........nd...."
He heard a voice, it was a gentle sounding voice that belonged to a woman.
"Mas......R.land...."
"Pl.as....you...mu..wak.......p...."
He felt strange like his whole being was getting pulled somewhere. He continuously heard the voice, it was calling out to him but he didn't recall the name that the woman was saying.
'Roland?'
The voice that seemed distant started getting closer and he started feeling nauseous and tired. The only saving grace this time around, he felt something. He tried moving but his body felt sluggish, he could barely wiggle his finger.
"H-he... he moved! Master Roland moved, oh thank the gods!"
He felt sick like he was having a really bad case of the flue. His head was spinning and his body felt heavy.
"Did I survive those trucks? Is someone called Roland with me in here, is this the hospital?"
He couldn't see well, his eyes felt just as heavy as his body. He forced them open, they took a while to focus. The blurry world started taking shape and he saw an unfamiliar looking wooden ceiling.
'That looks shabby... am I in some kind of shed or something?'
He finally saw the woman that was previously shouting. She looked like an older lady, her body was somewhat wrinkled up. The thing that caught his eye the most was what she was wearing.
'I-is that a maid uniform?'
She was wearing the whole shebang. A black dress, a white apron, and a cap of some sort that was holding her hair. He felt something cool be placed on his forehead, which was a damp cloth that this lady placed. From the looks of it he was still alive but ended up in someone's house instead of a hospital.
The strange thing was that the lady looked kind of big, was she over two meters tall or something. The bed he was in also seamed to be uncharacteristically large compared to his body. The problem wasn't with the furniture or the old woman though, as he leaned down he noticed that his body looked a lot different than before, for one he was a lot shorter.
He felt really weak and couldn't move, the woman that looked like a Victorian maid tended to his sick body. Not long after some kind of old man walked into the room. He looked to be some kind of physician, but for some reason he didn't even give him an examination. He just stared at him while holding onto a monocle.
'Wait... why is that monocle glowing?'
The man harrumphed while turning to the maid that was standing in the corner, visible concern on her face.
"Why did you call me here, he is fine, his status is already recovering, don't call me for trivial things, I need to tend to the other young masters!"
The old man shouted at the maid as if she did something wrong. The old woman just bowed and took the verbal abuse, but the moment he left her face looked a lot brighter.
"Thank the gods young master, you had me worried sick."
She smiled while replacing the damp wet cloth for a new one. She didn't stay there for long though, saying that he should sleep for now and that she would be back in a couple of hours to check on him.
After the coast was clear, Roland managed to raise his upper body. He looked at his hands, they were soft and small. His body looked think and slightly malnourished but that wasn't the main problem here.
'W-what is this? Did I become a kid?'
Everything in this room wasn't big, he just was small. He had turned into a child for some reason.
'Wait... am I really this Roland? ... what is this, what's going on... who is this... where is this...my status is recovering?'
While he was desperately clamoring for answers in his head something happened, a screen popped up in front of his face. His eyes bulged wide as he started reading what was written there. This wasn't all, the moment the window popped up he felt information rushing into his brain. It was as if thousands of needles poking his head, the information that he was receiving concerned the boy named Roland Arden that he was occupying the body of.
"So that's how it is..."
Hey there, it's me the author. I've decided to give another story a try, this one being a litRPG. I'm happy if the readers could give me some input if they see any flaws in the story or in the game mechanics. This has been on my mind, but the thought of doing math for the game elements was keeping me away.
Hope I can come up with something fun for the future readers!
Advertisement
- In Serial38 Chapters
Semi-Powerful Underling
Uploads every Thursday and Sunday at 1:00 GMTSupervillain lackey Quincy Whistlewood has got two powers. One of them is his attempt at humor and charisma, and the other is to break reality itself. And yet he's still considered the weakest and wimpiest villain at Stocklord's illegal company of evil. He doesn't mind, but when his old 'friend' Sal decides to take a job at the company, he knows his life about to spiral.Join Quincy and his hopeless group of semi-powerful friends as they try not to die at the hands of the greatest (and 100% corrupt) heroes on the planet, The Ultrahuman Force, in this comedy + action + drama masterpiece of literature that you musn't miss because I say so! This is a second draft!
8 424 - In Serial70 Chapters
Capital of Greed
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] The Cosmic Realm, the Infernal Realm, and the Mortal Realm constitute the world of Avaritia, a prosperous land of might and magic. With Humans, Elves, Dragons, Hobbits, Dwarves, and even Gods inhabiting its lands, it is a world that is as rich in history as it is in strife. For thousands of years, the Three Realms were locked in relentless conflict; the Mortal Realm serving as the battlefield. The three sides secured victories both large and small, but none managed to truly prevail over the others. Unable to watch his children slaughter each other, the God King Raidriar sacrificed his own life and split the Three Realms, stopping the endless wars. However, with his death, he left a prophecy. “On the eve of the Fourth Millennium, when the tears of Ausar finally run dry, the Throne of Fortune will appear.”“And he who ascends the Throne will be named ‘King of the World’.” And now, many years have passed and the fabled time has finally come. The Three Realms have shown signs of reuniting once again and the Gods have begun to place their bets on their chosen champions. Amidst this contest of epic proportions arrives one pesky transmigrator. -------------------------------------------Main Character Introduction: Atlas Constantine, previously John Doe, is the newly transmigrated 13-year old Prince of the recently fallen Constantine Kingdom. He is a genius, narcissist, a megalomaniac, and an ex-politician with nearly sixty years of experience. He is known for his treacherous character, bottomless greed, and glib tongue. He is also petty, vain, shameless, paranoid, and manipulative. A person whose moral standards are egregiously low. To summarize him in a sentence... "If people ever ask you to define the word 'Genius', just tell them my name.":- Atlas Constantine-------------------------------------------Tags: Transmigration, High Fantasy, Male MC, Weak MC, No Cheats, Kingdom Building, Wars, Territory Management.Upload Rate / Time: 1 chapter/ day. 8:00 AM CST. Note: This novel is a High Fantasy set in a world with varied cultures and multiple races. It is important to note that the characters, events, and motives are PURELY FICTIONAL and have no relation to real events or people whatsoever.
8 183 - In Serial6 Chapters
Truck-chan VS. Reincarnation
Look both ways when you cross the street, because Truck-kun is coming to give you a treat. A dangerous death, and little offbeat reincarnation. Prepare to meet, your maker. Truck-kun is your delivery taker.
8 153 - In Serial12 Chapters
Interactive Dungeon
Dungeons. From a lowly slime dungeon to the supreme and exalted hero-slaying dungeons, they are important. May it be for simple training of rookies to the sense of adventure for the S-Class. What type of dungeon will we be? I see a tiny square of a dungeon and you, as the dungeon master, will take hold of it and expand it how you see fit. What can you bring to this dungeon? From the author of Interactive Evolutions, comes another reader-interactive that will have everything up to the readers to decide.
8 123 - In Serial7 Chapters
How To Get Reads, Votes, and Comments - A Guide
How do I get more reads, votes, and comments?If you find yourself asking that question, then I have some answers for you. What can you do to reach out to readers and potential readers? How can you encourage readers to comment and vote? What are all the different ways you can promote your stories?This #1 ranking guide is written by a Wattpad ambassador and especially geared for new Wattpad authors. Lots of tips, advice, and personal opinions await you - including everything thing I've done to promote my own Watty's finalist and winning stories - but only if you turn the page.Reader testimonial by @AyushiPandey-- 'I read your guide for Wattpad success when I first started writing my story last year in August, and now it has been an entire year when I stumbled upon it again. I just have to say, I loved reading it again, it has the best tips one can find (take it from me, I have read many, many guides here). Thank you so much for taking out your time to compile such an amazing book!' Reader testimonial by @suspishfishy-- 'I have to thank you again! As soon as I wrote a book that focused on what I wanted to write, instantly people started to read my books and give me feedback!'**THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO ADVERTISE YOUR STORY. This is where you'll find detailed instructions for the proper places to advertise and find readers. If you ask people to read your story here, your comment will be removed.**Thanks to @EnjxiiBlxck for the cover.
8 167 - In Serial26 Chapters
,,Fan"
TAEHYUNG POV.What are you doing here? - I asked. Can I come in first? - Jungkook asked as I nodded and let him inside, closing the door behind him. Kookie took off his mask and hat then looked at me.Are you okay? - He asked......As Jungkook posted photo on instagram he looked back at Taehyung.Muffin, I think that I can't to control myself anymore. - Jungkook said.Then don't control it. - Taehyung said.
8 160

