Chapter 1: The Ancient Scroll and the New Reality
Hiroshi, an archaeologist and linguist with an almost obsessive passion for ancient civilizations, leaned over a dusty table in the damp basement of the National Museum of Tokyo. The air was heavy, redolent with the smell of old paper and mildew â an aroma that, to him, was more intoxicating than any perfume. His glasses slipped down his nose as he examined a newly discovered scroll, recovered from a tomb in the Sahara Desert. The scroll was made of an unknown material, and its surface was covered in intricate symbols, runes that didnât fit any known alphabet. It was the kind of mystery that made Hiroshiâs heart beat faster.
He had spent the past weeks trying to decipher the runes, comparing them to dead languages, forgotten dialects, and even complex mathematical patterns. Nothing. The runes seemed to defy all logic, every linguistic structure he knew. But there was something in them â a subtle energy that seemed to vibrate beneath his fingers. He felt a connection, as if the runes were calling to him, whispering secrets from a forgotten time.
As he traced one of the runes with his fingertip, a soft light began to emanate from the scroll. It wasnât ordinary light; it was ethereal, almost translucent, and it pulsed with an ancient energy. Hiroshi felt dizzy, as if the floor was giving way beneath him. The smell of mildew and old paper was replaced by a sweet, earthy scent, and the distant sound of Tokyo traffic gave way to the song of strange birds. The light wrapped around him, and Hiroshiâs world dissolved in a whirl of colors and sensations.
When the dizziness passed, Hiroshi found himself lying on a bed of soft moss beneath a canopy of gigantic trees that stretched up to the sky. The air was fresh and pure, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting shadows on the forest floor. He tried to stand, but his limbs felt heavy, as if they were made of lead. He looked at his hands â they were the same, but the feeling was different. More⦠connected to the environment.
He looked around. The forest was lush, with plants he had never seen in any botany book. Flowers of vibrant hues, bioluminescent mushrooms, and trees with trunks so wide they seemed like mountains. And then he saw them. On a moss-covered stone, on a tree branch, and even on the fur of a small animal that scurried by, there were symbols. The same symbols as the scroll. The runes.
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Suddenly, a translucent interface appeared before him, floating in the air like a holographic projection. It was simple, with gold lettering on an emerald-green background. He read the information:
Name: Hiroshi
Race: Human
Class: Rune Decipherer
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 20
Wisdom: 18
Luck: 9
And below, a single ability:
Abilities:
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Runic Vision (Passive): Allows the user to see and interpret the runes that permeate the world. (Effect: Active)
âRune Decipherer?â âRunic Vision?â Hiroshi frowned. This was⦠a game system? He had been transported to a fantasy world â an isekai. And his passion for ancient languages had become an ability. He tried to focus on one of the runes on the stone, and the interface changed, displaying information about the rune:
Rune: Strength (Physical)
Effect: Temporarily increases the targetâs physical strength.
Cost: 5 MP
He tried to activate the rune, thinking âStrength.â A small amount of MP was consumed, and he felt a wave of energy flow through his body. He rose to his feet easily, feeling stronger than ever. The rune on the stone glowed for a moment and then faded. It was real. The world was governed by runes, and he could interact with them.
A snarl pulled him from his thoughts. A wild boar, with sharp tusks and bloodshot eyes, burst from the dense undergrowth. Its HP floated above its head: 150/150. Hiroshi, the archaeologist, was not a warrior. But he had runes. He attempted to activate the âStrengthâ rune again, but the boar was quick. He barely dodged a charge, feeling the wind of the tusks brush his face.
He needed something else. He scanned the runes around him, searching for something that might help. He saw a âSpeedâ rune on a flower, and a âShieldâ rune on a leaf. He activated the âSpeedâ rune on the flower, feeling his movements become more agile. He dodged another lunge from the boar, and then, with a rapid thought, activated the âShieldâ rune on the leaf, creating a translucent barrier that protected him from an attack.
The boar, frustrated, backed off for a moment. Hiroshi realized he couldnât fight directly. He needed to use his intelligence. He saw a âSleepâ rune on a mushroom. With mental effort, he activated the rune and directed it at the boar. The animal staggered, its eyes closed, and it collapsed to the ground, snoring. Hiroshi exhaled, relieved. He had survived. And he had used the runes in a way he had never imagined possible.
He looked at the sleeping boar, then at the runes around him. The world was a vast scroll, and he, Hiroshi, the Rune Decipherer, had the power to read and rewrite its words. The danger was real, but the potential was limitless. He needed to learn more about this world, about the runes, and about what had happened to ancient knowledge. Hiroshiâs journey â the Master of Runes â was only beginning.