NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2. The Unforgiven? Runes!
After being engulfed by the light, Noah drifted into a strange dream. In this dream, he was a young boy living in Ionia. He had an older brother who loved him dearly. Later, his brother left for a fencing dojo, and Noah, still a small child, followed him.
Discovering his exceptional talent for swordsmanship, the sword master began teaching him the Way of the Wind. But then, Noxus invaded Ionia, and the master was killed. Noah was falsely accused and began living as a wanderer...
"Death is like the wind—always by my side."
In his half-conscious state, Noah heard this familiar phrase—a line often spoken in the game.
[Congratulations, Summoner, you have successfully summoned a champion: Yasuo, the Unforgiven.]
At that moment, the system's voice woke Noah.
"What just happened?" Noah was a little dazed. He had just been participating in the summoning, and a light orb had hit him. Oh right, he had been summoning...
As he gathered his thoughts, Noah realized that many new memories had surfaced in his mind. They were Yasuo's memories, including his experiences and knowledge of the Way of the Wind.
"System, open my personal information panel."
[Personal Information]
[Summoner: Noah]
[Champion Template: Yasuo, the Unforgiven]
[Abilities: Wind Swordsmanship, Magic (Yasuo's swordsmanship involves the use of magic, so his body contains magical energy)]
Noah looked at his information panel. There were no stats like hit points, as his body was not digital. This was reality, not a game.
After finishing his inspection of the panel, Noah looked down at his hand. His muscles were more defined and stronger. It wasn't just his hands—he felt that his whole body had grown more powerful.
"Are these physical changes due to the champion template?" he murmured, sensing the strength of his new body.
"I'll try the Way of the Wind." Noah stopped to assess his body. He knew that by acquiring Yasuo's template, all of the swordsman's skills should have transferred to him. He wanted to see how it felt in reality.
"By the way, doesn't this template include a weapon?"
In his bedroom, Noah began searching for something that could substitute for a sword. There were no swords or knives in his house, but after some time, he found a baseball bat in a closet and decided to give it a try.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his inner magic, recalling how Yasuo had used the Way of the Wind. Soon, the baseball bat in his hand was surrounded by a swirling wind. Opening his eyes, Noah gripped the bat tightly with both hands and sharply swung it forward.
"Hah!"
At the moment of the swing, a burst of sword energy shot from the bat, tearing through the wooden door of his bedroom and leaving a dent in the living room wall.
After the first strike, Noah's magic surrounded his body in a vortex, and he broke through the door, swiftly dashing out of the bedroom and landing on the table.
He moved around the living room, his movements incredibly light thanks to the wind encircling his body. This was one of the techniques of the Way of the Wind—Sweeping Blade, although he wasn't yet using its full potential.
At one point, Noah gripped the bat tightly and delivered a powerful strike, creating a whirlwind that lifted the table into the air. He continued to move through the living room, deftly dodging and maneuvering with ease.
Noah's eyes sparkled as he decided to use Yasuo's ultimate ability—Last Breath.
"Sorye-gekton!" Noah shouted, and the whirlwind at his feet propelled him up toward the airborne table. He swung the baseball bat, and the table shattered into pieces.
As the whirlwind dissipated, the fragments of the table fell to the floor. Even though he had used a bat, the edges of the debris were perfectly smooth, as if cut by a real sword.
Noah slowly descended to the floor, the vortex beneath him vanishing as he gradually calmed down. However, seeing the destroyed furniture and scattered debris, he felt a bit embarrassed.
"Uh, I'd better stop wrecking the house. If I keep this up, I won't have a place to live," Noah muttered, realizing the consequences of his actions.
"Alright, let's try something else."
Noah focused his magic, shaping it into a whirlwind that surrounded his body. This was a shield—Way of the Wanderer, which in the game activated after a full charge of his passive ability. In reality, he could create it directly with magic.
"Amazing. Yasuo's power is truly impressive. I wonder what it will be like if I ever summon someone like Aurelion Sol?" Noah dispersed the whirlwind, calming his magical energy.
Enjoying the power he had gained from the system, he remembered that he still had one more chest left. He summoned the panel again, and the chest appeared in the summoning interface.
Noah touched the chest, and its lid slowly opened, emitting light. Soon, two glowing orbs floated out, similar to the ones from the lottery earlier.
Noah quickly touched the first orb, and out came an essence icon. To his surprise, it was a total of 4000 essence, meaning he only needed 2000 more for a new summon. Now, he was certain this system wasn't a cheap knockoff of the game.
When he touched the second orb, a powerful wave of energy surged forth, and light filled the room. Noah instinctively shielded his eyes with his hands.
After a few moments, the light faded, and the energy settled.
Noah lowered his hands, rubbed his eyes, and looked ahead. Hovering before him was a green rune, radiating waves of energy. It was an item he knew very well.
"Resolve rune!"
The rune floating in front of him was the Resolve Rune, one of the runes chosen at the start of every game. In the context of League of Legends, it was one of the core elements that shaped the world.
World Runes are the key elements of creation, containing immense power. They can create entire living planets from nothing or destroy everything around them. Scattered across the world, almost no one knows of their existence, but they constantly emit ever-growing energy, forming the basis of magical power in Runeterra.
In Ryze's story, he and his master, Tyrus, travel the world to protect the World Runes from falling into human hands. Despite their efforts, the runes were discovered, and many nations waged brutal wars to possess them.
And now, one of these World Runes was in front of Noah.