Legendary Shadow Blacksmith

“I’ve never seen a Newbie with this much money, Newbie!” Marcus exclaimed, tossing a large pouch of coins in the air and catching it with a grin.

“...Can I have that back?” Julian watched from where he sat, leaning back against the wall, his expression slightly worried that Marcus might not return his coins. He hadn’t expected to make so much just from sharpening a few swords, but the crowd’s reaction surprised him, extremely so. After all, back in the real world…

…his swords were treated like trash. No one even bothered to try or look at them because of all the plasma swords and guns.

Across from them, the Priest raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “What are you two doing here?” he asked, his voice tinged with a somewhat awkward amusement—after all, they were in his cot again.

“You do know this house is for healing people, right? Wait… don’t tell me…” The Priest gave Julian a once-over, as if expecting to find him bruised or broken. “You’re… fine, huh. Well, I guess it’s good to see you not an inch away from death, for once.”

Julian offered a half-smile. “Yes… Thank you.”

Marcus smirked, shaking the pouch once more… still not returning it to Julian. “We’re waiting for the scientists from Humanity Engineering. They’re getting the carriage ready.”

“Yes, but why are you waiting here?” The Priest sighed.

“I told them to meet us here.”

“Yes… but why here?”

“Oh, well… you know.”

“Know what!?”

Julian watched as the two continued their… conversation. He said nothing, just letting the conversation drift past him.

But soon, the Priest finally introduced himself. “By the way, I’m Bran,” he said, leaning against the wall near the door. “And, just so you know…

…I’m not a Player like Marcus over there. I’m a hyum.”

“What…?” Julian muttered a slight gasp, glancing at Marcus for confirmation.

Marcus just shrugged. “There are hyums who get along with Players.”

“Because most Players tend to be rich,” Bran immediately followed, “Except for Marcus here—he’s been here for 5 years and still can’t get out of this place.”

“I’m rich in our world,” Marcus scoffed as he finally returned the pouch to Julian, "And I'm here by choice."

“Your world…” Bran’s tone shifted slightly, turning more serious. “...I still can’t wrap my head around the whole soul transference magic you told me about, Marcus. I know some magic-related classes are capable of transferring their soul to dolls—but to actual living beings? Just how great are your mages there?”

“That’s because it’s not magic,” Marcus let out a small laugh, “Ah, seriously—you hyums and your tribal thinking.”

“Tribal…?” Bran glared, “You’re the only one in this cot who looks like you just left your cave.”

“Oh yeah? Your momma’s so old, her tits can probably be used to hang herself!”

“...What does my mother have to do with any of this?”

“That’s…"

The conversation trailed off, with Bran and Marcus exchanging banter. Julian, meanwhile, focused on the pile of coins he had earned, trying to make sense of the value. Marcus told him that a copper could buy him bread and a silver could buy him a cheap dagger—he should ask MEGAN about this once he returns to his original body.

Just as the room fell back into silence, the door finally creaked open, and two identical figures stepped inside.

Highly identical.

“What took you guys so long!?” Marcus quickly sat up.

The twins who entered, most probably the scientists, completely ignored Marcus and just focused on Julian.

“Edward and Jacob,” they introduced themselves in unison, their voices flat and emotionless. They both looked exhausted, like they’d been running on fumes for weeks.

“The carriage is—” Edward started.

“The carriage is ready,” Jacob cut him off, casting an annoyed glance at his brother.

“You messed up the timing again,” Edward muttered under his breath. “We rehearsed this.”

Jacob shot back, “They’ll never believe we’re not twins if we keep saying the same thing at the same time.”

“Because we are twins, Jacob.”

“I was born 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 2 seconds earlier than you.”

The two continued bickering, completely ignoring the others in the room as they went back and forth, their argument more robotic than heated. Julian watched, slightly bewildered, unsure of whether they were being serious or not.

After what felt like minutes of bickering, the twins finally turned their attention back to Julian… at the same time.

“Let’s go,” they said in perfect unison before turning and heading out of the cot.

“You know…” Marcus groaned as he stood up, rubbing his temples.

“...It’s probably best if I come with you.”

“I… think so too.”

***

The carriage ride was eerily quiet. Julian sat by the small window, staring out at the passing scenery, while Marcus was slowly dozing off beside him. Edward and Jacob sat across from them, their expressions unreadable, their eyes fixed on some invisible point in the distance.

After a long stretch of quiet, someone finally broke the silence—Edward.

“Not everyone has mana, you know,” he said, his voice flat, as though he was reading from a script.

Jacob nodded in agreement. “Only about 25% of hyums have it. And Players, with our bodies mixed with Hyum DNA, would mean that statistic applies to us.”

Julian turned his attention away from the window, catching the twins’ eyes for the first time.

“That means that out of the almost 7,000 Players in the world of Artemia. There are probably less than 2,000 Players who have mana. It is a matter of luck.”

“What level are you?” Jacob asked suddenly.

“...Level?” Julian blinked, unsure of how to answer.

“You haven’t checked your level yet?” Jacob raised an eyebrow, sounding almost incredulous.

“I saw it… earlier,” Julian muttered, rubbing his forehead.

The twins exchanged a glance, their expressions eerily synchronized. “You’re strange,” Edward commented, his voice monotone. “Most newbies are obsessed with their status boxes and that they are now living in a world that offers game-like experiences.”

Julian shrugged. “Ah…If I remember, I’m level…3?”

“You do not need to remember, just call the Guidance of—Level 3?”

“Level 3?” The twins looked at each other again, the faintest hint of surprise flickering across their otherwise emotionless faces. “A newbie who hasn’t even had their mana evaluated is already level 3?”

Even Marcus, who was truly close to dozing off, blinked awake at that. “Level 3 already? What did you even do? Have you spent your points yet?”

Julian shook his head. “Points…? I haven’t gotten around to it.”

“You should!” Marcus gaped at him, “Wait, do you even know how to level up or increase your stats!?”

“...No?” Julian very slightly winced.

“You—you’re not a gamer, aren’t you? Listen up,” Marcus sighed as loud as he could, “You level up by killing monsters, through quests, and sometimes even by crafting special items for the first time. The Guidance of Artemia doesn’t say how much exp you have, so you’ll basically just have to figure that out yourself.”

“Hm,” Julian nodded.

“Once you level up, you gain 3 Free Points, which you are free to distribute to any of your stats,” Marcus continued to explain, “But… that doesn’t mean that is the only way to increase your stats—this isn’t a game, after all. You also grow stronger by training and all that stuff—are you even listening to me?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you for the info.”

“Right. If you have any questions, just ask me. That’s why I’m here, Newbie—wait, I don’t think I actually know your name yet.”

“Oh… Julian. Julian Winters.”

“...That’s your real name, isn’t it?” Marcus’s eyes turned blank.

“Yes…?”

“You should change your name when you’re here!” Marcus covered his forehead in frustration, “And now people are going to search for you back on Earth because you have your live stream on.”

“...Marcus isn’t your real name?” Julian asked, slightly confused since Marcus… sounds like someone’s real name.

“No. My name’s Mark.”

“...”

And soon, silence returned in the carriage.

Julian turned his attention back to the window, his mind wandering. Outside, the scenery blurred past, and for the first time since arriving in Artemia, Julian let himself just enjoy the sceneries the world has to offer.

The carriage moved smoothly along the road, so smoothly that it barely felt like they were moving at all. Julian glanced down at the floor, listening for the rhythmic galloping of the horses’ hooves, but heard nothing. It was almost too smooth, too quiet.

Was there some kind of magic at work? The thought crossed his mind but quickly faded as he leaned back in his seat.

Ethaca. Just what sort of things would he see there?

“Ho, there!”

An hour later, the carriage came to an unexpected stop. The sudden jolt caused Marcus to stir in his sleep, but he didn’t fully wake up. The driver’s small window slid open, and a gruff voice called back. “There’s… a checkpoint ahead.”

The twins shared a glance, their brows furrowing in confusion. “Checkpoint?” Edward repeated, his voice tinged with suspicion. “There shouldn’t be a checkpoint here.”

The carriage door creaked open, and the twins leaned out to see for themselves

The people at the checkpoint were dressed in pristine white uniforms, adorned with gold lace and bright red shirts. They looked far too sophisticated for a world stuck in what was supposed to be a medieval era.

“Uh oh,” Jacob muttered monotonously.

“They’re soldiers from the Order of Artemis,” Edward whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Order of Artemis?” Julian repeated.

Jacob turned to him, his expression more serious than before. “They’re a church with a single goal: hunting Players like us. They are the ones who deemed us as ‘Evil Spirits’. This is bad, this is real bad.”

“Act like a native,” Edward said sharply. “Whatever you do, don’t let them figure out who you are. They’ll kill you without hesitation.”

Julian nodded, trying to steady his breathing as the men from the Order approached the carriage. His heart raced, but he forced his face to remain neutral, calm. If they could sense his anxiety, it would be over.

“By the Order of Artemis, step out of the carriage!” one of the men barked, his voice cold and commanding.

Julian climbed out first, his face a mask of indifference, just as the twins had instructed. But still, the men from the Order eyed him warily, their sharp gazes lingering on his face for what felt like an eternity.

The twins followed, their faces as unreadable as ever, moving with the same robotic precision as before. But Julian could feel the tension radiating off them—every slight movement, every glance they shared spoke of danger.

One of the soldiers, standing a little apart from the others, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes narrowed, and his attention snapped to the carriage.

“Why hasn’t that one stepped out?” he asked, pointing toward Marcus, who was still slumped in his seat, fast asleep.

Julian’s heart skipped a beat. His pulse thundered in his ears, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow.

“He’s just… tired,” Julian said smoothly, his voice steady despite the cold sweat prickling his skin. “He’s been asleep for most of the ride.”

The man’s eyes narrowed further, suspicion flickering across his features. “Wake him up.”

Julian’s stomach dropped. Wake him up?

That would be impossible…

…because Marcus wasn’t even here anymore. He was back on Earth.