Chapter 23: Players Increasing… (2/2)

That being said, the new believers seemed to have learned a new mysterious language entirely as well. They would often gather to discussing or arguing unusually, saying things like ‘shit, how can you steal kill my target!’, ‘no beast no EXP, go do main quest’ or ‘which class is better? can’t choose, should default as warrior’.

In fact, Marni had by chance caught one of those guardsmen converts who sleep-talk saying that he hoped the goblin tribe would attack them again…

‘How is that deity a ‘God of Games’? He is entirely an evil god who corrupts the heart!’

More than that, some of the guards were asking Marni to learn his sword skills over the last two days.

***

Though Marni was a traveling merchant, but doing business with the many beasts—even magical ones—prowling the land, one should naturally have a skill or two apart from guts.

Even if Marni’s ability was not actually comparable to his guards’ captain, he did inherit a sword style from his family.

Still, even if it was an heirloom, it was nothing more than an ordinary style improved from the ways of the sword his ancestors molded from being in battle. It was not really anything secretive, and indeed, his grandfather had hoped that the improvised style could be spread, and as such Marni taught it to the captain when they sparred.

Then, it turned out that the guardsmen captain whom he had put his hopes and dreams was also brainwashed, and became another convert of that bunch on the fourth day. Nonetheless, soon after his conversion, he suddenly told the other believers of the God of Games that Marni Wilf’s sword style could help with leveling up.

And with that, the guards kept approaching him to learn his sword style…

But annoyingly, once he showed any of them his skill, they would nod and say they understood before quickly launching into a tirade of swings and stabs more proficient and deadly than his style… if Marni did not know that they had not learned it beforehand, he would have suspected that they were out to make a fool of him.

They also often attempted to preach to Marni, only to be rejected on every occasion.

“I would die or fall of that tree over there before I renounced Gaglomeia, the Goddess of Prosperity!”

Marni sighed when he remembered that. Wolfing down his ration in three bites, he rose to his feet, ready to continue the journey.

With their current location, it would be around two days before they leave the forests to reach Salt Mine City.

Then, one of the guardsmen who converted just yesterday approached him.

“You want to learn my sword style too?” Marni excitedly drew his sword, ready for a demonstration.

“Ah, it’s fine. Mister Edward just did an experiment a while ago, and it turns out that even Level 2 of your sword style would not match Divine Earth Split Sword, and it is one of the basic skills…”

A variety of expressions happened over Marni’s speechless face. “Is it hard to learn that Divine Earth Split Sword?” he asked.

“Not really. The requirement is Level 3, and I learned it yesterday,” the guard replied.

Marni was silent once again. It was after some time that he said with great difficulty, “Well, can I still convert to the God of Games now…?”