《Double Edge Hero》 Prologue: A renewed body and a new world ¡°Are you ready to leave everything from this world?¡± A dark figure appeared in front of me in the usual white room. A body that was faded and unclear, maybe due to my already weak vision. I check my surroundings and there I saw my arguing parents again. A usual sight that tore at my weakened heart. ¡°A¡­ yo¡­ the dea¡­ g¡­¡­..¡± Are you the death god? Those words wouldn¡¯t come out of my mouth. How long has it been since I have tried to speak? ¡°I am a messenger¡± Yet he understood my broken words. Or maybe, he doesn¡¯t even need words¡­ As I glance again at my parents arguing I could hear traces of their discussion. ¡°Why are you covering for him so long?!¡± ¡°He is our child, how many times have you asked me the same question?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s stupid how long we have to provide for that¡­ that vegetable!¡± *SLAP I couldn¡¯t see clearly but that hit resounded in my soul¡­ Dad just slapped my mother. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that again¡± A door slammed. Heavy steps could be heard from the other side of the walls. It seems my father went after her too¡­ Now it was just me and the dark shade in this white room. I just want to disappear from this world. ¡°I have received the message clearly¡± And with what sounded like a snap of fingers, my consciousness fades away. *** I, Youma Hiromi, a 21 year old that suffered from disability was now standing in the middle of a dark room. With candles lighting the area, I could barely see my surroundings. There are pillars supporting the place and a decoration on the floor that seemed like a spell circle of some sort. Where am I? ¨C I thought, looking around the place. Watching closely, I noticed I was wearing the hospital clothes. After a while, I tripped on my feet. I¡­ I can walk?! The initial shock made me unable to notice it but I was standing on my two feet, when not long ago I was bedridden having difficulties to even breathe. What¡¯s going on?! Th- This is awesome! Ecstatic about this, I began jumping left and right, falling every now and then because of my lack of coordination. My hands and legs were now responding. Even though I still couldn¡¯t speak, I didn¡¯t mind at all as there was no joy as great as this. After another failed attempt in jumping, the door to the room slammed open and light rushed inside. ¡°W-Who¡¯s there?!¡± A man that seemed to be a guard was standing there, with an armor that was clearly not of the times. ¡°W-What are you doing there? The summoning process should be over already¡± ¡°U¡­uuughh¡­¡± I was lying on the floor. Using my hands, I tried to push myself up but failed miserably as my brain to hand coordination was still a mess. ¡°A- A ZOMBIE?!¡± (Guard) ¡°E.. uuuu?¡± The guard didn¡¯t spare a second and pointed his lance at me. I hurriedly get up with all I had and quickly retreat, trying my best to articulate words but was only able to make E and U sounds making the matters worse. ¡°So these are the rumored zombies that crawl up from dead bodies by using mana¡± (Guard) Reaching an understanding all by himself the guard slowly approaches my confused self with full intent to cut me down. Realizing that retreating was not an option I stop back stepping and¡­ ¡°What?¡± (Guard) Prostrate in front of the guard. Lifting my hands up and down to demonstrate surrender, trying my best to show him that I am an intelligent being. As if to answer, the guard lowers his lance and walks to me. Breathing a sigh of relief I proceed to be lifted¡­ And thrown into a cell EEEHHhh?! Wait a minute, why am I in a cell?! And why am I naked?! Stripped of all of my belongings including my clothes. The cell I was thrown into was a pretty desolate one, not a single cell in the vicinity was occupied, making me look rather dangerous, in a lot of different meanings. With both hands cuffed and legs restrained, I was already dying of boredom. Reliving the times when I couldn¡¯t move at all so soon was not a pleasant feeling. ¡°Hey, how long are you going to restrain me here?¡± (Youma) Several hours passed and I already learned how to articulate words. Now it was my only way of killing this boredom. I already knew this was definitely not my world from the conversations of the guards. ¡°¡­¡± Though the guard seemed to be perfectly ignoring me every time I tried to establish a conversation. ¡°GOSH! At least look at me! No, w-wait no don¡¯t look at me, don¡¯t look at me with those eyes!¡± (Youma) As time continued to pass, a person finally came. ¡°So, this is the rumored ¡°zombie¡±¡­ why is he naked?¡± ¡°Well Count Melroc, sir, he had clothes of unknown origins so we proceeded to strip him to prevent problems¡± (Guard) ¡°The other ones were wearing weird clothes too¡± The man that appeared seems to be a Count by the name Melroc. His clothes exuded a high class feeling and his eyes were so squinted, they were barely visible, if at all. It made me wonder if he actually had them closed. *Kashan With a loud noise, the door was unlocked. Melroc made his way to the chained me and stopped just a few steps away. ¡°¡­¡± Melroc was just standing there, watching me closely. Moving his head up and down, analyzing every part of my body. A chill ran down my spine. It¡¯s obvious that I find such an act uncomfortable, I am naked! Am I going to be¡­ Scary thoughts ran through my mind, but it didn¡¯t last long. *cling My chains were released and the clothes I was using not long ago were somehow lying right beside me. I couldn¡¯t help but be grateful to this mysterious person, as I lifted my head to express my gratitude¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s talk in a more private place¡± My body tensed up and my face went pale. *** ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the rudeness of our behavior, my name is Melroc Rusfolt the Count of the Kingdom of Arnesti¡± (Melroc) So this place was ruled by a king? Am I not presented to him? ¡°I-Its ok, I was obviously acting abnormally on my arrival anyways. My name is Youma Hiromi¡± (Youma) We both were sitting on our respective chairs. In a room that would be considered modest. Only a table and a few bookshelves were placed here. The tea was already served by the time we arrived, steam rising gently. Melroc, taking a sip of his cup, begins to explain the situation. It seems that I have been summoned into a world where magic and superhuman strength were common feats and the ones who were stronger were superior. In all of this mess there were multiple races. The beast, demon, dragon, spirit and human. Among all the races, the human is considered the most numerous but at the same time the weakest. With the signs of war slowly creeping its head, the humans were desperate to find a solution to their weakness. Legends of heroes passed down through countless stories told about them being the sole reason why humans were actually deemed as an upper tier race in the past. But the heroes have already disappeared and the humans were now in a dire situation as they are to fend off the flames of war that was approaching. ¡°¡­ so, you are telling me I¡¯m a tool of war?¡± (Youma) I couldn¡¯t believe what my ears heard and asked for confirmation. ¡°That¡¯s how the situation has forced us to act and we are terribly sorry to make you take on this duty¡± Melroc lowered his head, without denying the statement. Are you kidding me? From the spell circle in that room, the designs of the structures, the garments and the miraculous recovery of my body. I could deduce that I wasn¡¯t in my world anymore. As happy as I was for being able to move my body again, I couldn¡¯t handle the pressure about this sudden situation. Throwing yourself to war wasn¡¯t something the 21 year old me, was expecting when I came to this new world. Melroc was incredibly direct and honest about all of it as he knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to run away from it and it was a fact that would sooner or later be revealed. ¡°Why¡­ me?¡± Those words came out truly unconsciously, I, who was bedridden not too long ago, was now sitting here able to speak and move as freely as I did in my youth. If they had to choose there should be better candidates, why me? ¡°We didn¡¯t choose you. Our goddess, Izara, was the one who guided you to this place¡± (Melroc) A goddess was introduced now. I couldn¡¯t help but remember that dark blur that was in my hospital room. ¡°What makes me different from all of you? I will be honest here, I came from a world devoid of magic and have no experience in real life fights¡± (Youma) The last part wasn¡¯t true. Actually I have practiced a number of martial arts in the past and was pretty proficient if I had to say so, but in this unknown situation it was best to not carelessly throw away information. Melroc was unfazed by this. He probably knew already that my world didn¡¯t have magic and simply took out a card from his pocket and placed it on the table. ¡°This is an identification card. It¡¯s a magic item that registers all your data and it¡¯s used in guilds to store your information. It only needs a drop of your blood and it will record everything necessary¡± Without me noticing, a knife was already beside the card. With a gesture of his hand, Melroc gave his ¡°go ahead¡± sign. I didn¡¯t know how this linked to my question, but the face of Melroc told me that everything would be answered after this. Taking the knife, I slit my index finger, letting a small droplet of blood flow onto the card. The droplet disappears as if being sipped and it begins to shine, dazzling my eyes. When the light recedes the card that was empty is now filled with my information.
Name: Youma Hiromi Age: 21 Gender: Male Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Lvl: 1 Stamina: 100/100 Mana: 100/100 Stats: Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10 Vitality: 10 Magic: 10 Luck: 10
¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. The card in front of me was pretty crude. It seems in this world there are stats, but they were so general that it made me wonder if they actually thought about how to distribute them at all. Though I don¡¯t know about how stats work in this world, I am quite sure that mine were not high at all. Imagine a top tier knight that has a 10 in strength and boasts about it, in my world that¡¯s definitely not a number to be proud of. But what shocked me the most was¡­ ¡°Villager¡­¡± Was that supposed to be a tittle that a hero should have? Sure, as a level 1 character you usually start off as a neutral class, but a villager. I¡¯m sure no hero would be able to show his identification card at the beginning of his journey if they were all given this kind of class to start off. Melroc who was watching all this time, enjoying my reaction, was equally shocked to hear my words. ¡°No way, what did you say?¡± (Melroc) Taking the card off my hand he pressed the card close to his face, so close that if I didn¡¯t know he was checking the contents I would think he is actually smelling it. His already squinted eyes grew quite severe as he concentrated on a single part of the card. ¡°Well, I was expecting something like this¡­¡± (Melroc) Melroc heaved a heavy sigh as he released all his strength and fell onto his chair. ¡°Youma, it¡¯s my turn to be honest with you. I did tell you that heroes were already an extinct race in our world right?¡± (Melroc) I wasn¡¯t explained that part, but one could infer that possibility from the way Melroc explained it. ¡°The truth is they were all beings from other dimensions, not a single hero was born from this world. Many of them did stay in this world, but the blood of the heroes did not pass on to their descendants making it impossible to recover our former glory without resorting on the summons¡± (Melroc) What was being told shocked me heavily. Not only that the heroes were all coming from different dimensions but Melroc who was calmly telling me all this. Melroc grew silent as he stared at my face. Seeming to reach an understanding he nods his head and continues, ¡°Heroes possess an incredible amount of energy, and can easily tip the balance between races. That kind of power actually affects the environment in the world as it is. There¡¯s something called mana in this world, I won¡¯t go too deep into this but just think of it as the life of earth. The heroes possess an enormous amount of the energy stored inside their bodies and with the proper training they can increase that amount and control what¡¯s inside and outside at will¡± (Melroc) Taking the teapot, Melroc begins to pours the tea in the cup. Once the cup was filled he resumed his explanation without drinking it. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°The world is filled with mana. When we summon the heroes we bring an external source mana¡± (Melroc) Once again taking the teapot, he poured into the already filled cup and it began overflowing. ¡°The world can handle only a small amount of that energy. If more than that is provided the consequences are dire. That¡¯s why we limit the hero count so that this overflow won¡¯t happen¡± Melroc¡¯s face was ridden in a painful expression, as if being reminded of a past experience. ¡°The limit is 5 heroes. Youma, you are the ¡®6th¡¯¡± (Melroc) With a snap of his fingers, numerous soldiers poured into the room pointing their spears at my unarmed self. Not keeping up with the pace of the unfolding situation, I just watched my surroundings with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing your card didn¡¯t say hero, right?¡± With a heavy thud, my body fell to the floor. I was beginning to lose consciousness. In the last moments, I could see those small, squinted eyes clearer than ever before. His eyes looking down on me as if pitying me, laughing at me. Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. Even in this world¡­ My vision went completely black, as my now limp body was carried to an unknown destination. *** I woke up in an unknown bed in an unknown room. It was obvious that I wouldn¡¯t know as I haven¡¯t even been anywhere in this new world, but my mind right now was not working properly. As I shake my mind awake I remembered the face of the man that left me in this state. ¡®Next time I get to him¡­¡¯ Not knowing the reason I got thrown out like a rag and giving me a half-assed explanation that was most likely filled with lies. If you guys are the ones that summoned me at least explain things to me properly! It reminded me of those guys¡¯ faces in my other world. Taking advantage of the weak ones and exploiting them, sucking them dry and then stepping on them until there is nothing more to take. I shake off those feelings for now. ¡°It¡¯s more important to get a grasp of my current situation¡± Psyching myself up with those words I begin to scan my surroundings. It seems I was left in a pretty shabby inn, with a pouch that was lying on top of a shelf. When I checked it, I saw that it had my ID card and a couple of what looked like silver coins. In total there were 10 coins. It¡¯s most likely the currency in here. What are they trying to achieve by giving me money? For some reason my last name was gone from the ID card, only leaving Youma and it just showed my basic information, there were no stats in it. I don¡¯t know why but I will have to take note of that in the future. Name: Youma Age: 21 Gender: Male Lvl: 1 Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Placing the contents of the pouch inside my pocket I leave the room. *** ¡°Good morning, did you have a good sleep?¡± From behind a counter, I receive an energetic greeting from an old man with a scruffy beard and a big smile so big that his eyes closed. Giving me the vibes of The Inn Keeper. From his words it seems I have been knocked out for a day. ¡°Yes I had a great sleep, thanks. May I ask what happened when I was brought here? It¡¯s embarrassing but I have no clear memories of that day¡± (Youma) ¡°Ah, there really are those kind of days, hahahaha! I also have days when I get so wild I end up sending a man to the medics¡± The man nods in understanding and slaps my shoulders with his broad hands. His strength was incredible, it felt like he was trying to plant me on the floor. ¡°Well, 2 soldiers carried you here and asked me to let you spend a night here. How can I refuse the Blue Scale regiment? Kid are you a regiment enthusiast?¡± The old man asks me while checking me with his eyes, a strange expression appearing on his face. ¡®Maybe not?¡¯ Is what was written there. Blue Scale regiment, a word that I have never heard before. But it seemed to be of common knowledge so I should refrain from asking questions that might tell them that I don¡¯t know this world. First there is one thing I need to confirm. ¡°Haha, as you can see I¡¯m no military material. I am an outlander that doesn¡¯t know much of his surroundings. I¡¯m glad that some kind soldiers took me back. Anyways, how much would the fee be?¡± I make a motion to take out my pouch but got stopped by the inn keeper. ¡°Don¡¯t worry boy, the fee has already been paid¡± ¡°No way, I can¡¯t just cause so much trouble to the soldiers. From helping me out when I was unconscious to paying for my stay in this great place? I can¡¯t allow such a thing. Please can you tell me how much the stay costs? I would like to pay them back if I ever get the chance¡± (Youma) That big smile appears again from the inn keeper and he begins to slap my shoulders with even more force than before. ¡°Gahahaha! It¡¯s nice to see such a fine young man in this kingdom of Arnesti. Kid, this inn charges 50 copper a day, if you want food included it¡¯s 70 copper. The soldiers only paid for the stay but because I like you I will give you a free meal, how about that?¡± The laughter resounds through the inn, a number of people watch us with a smile as if it¡¯s natural for the inn keeper to do behave like this. I got forced to a table in another section of the inn and the inn keeper calls for an old woman that seems to be his wife. When the food arrived I couldn¡¯t help but see that there wasn¡¯t much difference from how this and the food in my world looked like. A plate, a fork, a knife and a glass of water. What was set in front of me had a high resemblance to chicken and rice. Really, no difference. When I tasted it, it wasn¡¯t as good as in my original world a bit dry but still edible. It¡¯s nice to know the food in this world is not bizarre. The inn keeper gave me a thumps up as he saw me take my first bite and then left. It seems I got into his good side, though that was not my original objective. It was to check for the currency in this world. It¡¯s actually a pity that the fee was paid in advance, now I¡¯m not sure how much a silver is worth in coppers. If I judge from past experiences in games, a silver is normally worth 100 copper. Going from that logic with 10 silvers I can stay 20 days without food and 14 days with. That¡¯s actually pretty good. But I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be good enough, I can¡¯t just stay idle. I have almost zero knowledge and have no idea how to get the money. I have to learn all I can in the time I have, if I don¡¯t want to be ripped off and taken advantage of. Gripping my pocket I set my objective. After speaking with the inn keeper for a while I leave the inn. *** I head in the direction that the inn keeper pointed out. On my way there I saw a lot of unusual things. The men in this world were mostly well built, and the girls were more attractive, their figures pretty defined. The buildings were out of a fantasy game, with fancy designs and floating sign boards. But who cares about floating sign boards? The important point was¡­ the hair color! Green, blue, pink¡­ There were an incredible number of unusual hair colors that were clearly natural! ¡°Damn it, I want that hair too¡± (Youma) My hair was completely black. A common color that most people I knew in my world had. As I lamented this irreversible and pointless thing. I reach my destination, the library. The outside wasn¡¯t much to praise, and aside from the board on the floor that said library, it looked like a normal 2 story house. On my way here I have already confirmed that I can read just fine. Good thing I don¡¯t have to begin from that step. There is also no barriers in language, I don¡¯t if I will understand the languages on the outside world, but it certainly does in here. I enter without minding it too much. It¡¯s another world after all. Inside it was as normal as the outside, I haven¡¯t been to many libraries in my world but this one could be considered a pretty small one. It didn¡¯t look like it, but the number of books was actually good and the atmosphere in here was ideal for concentrating. ¡®This is a good place¡¯ I thought as I glanced at the books. ¡°Can I help you?¡± A voice called out from behind startling me a bit ¡°Ah yes, my bad, I¡¯m an adventurer from outside. I heard that this place was ideal if I wanted to learn¡± Facing the person behind me I lower my head politely. ¡°¡­¡± From behind the desk, a woman was sitting there with a book in hand. Her sharp gaze behind her glasses was silently watching me. This is bad, I completely forgot about my manners. After so much time bedridden and lack of human interaction I could be considered a complete airhead. If not for my ability in speaking that I learned from dad and the debt collectors, I would surely be the antisocial type. Not like I¡¯m not. But to think I would slip here. I heard from the innkeeper that the librarian was a strict woman, and should not get on her bad side as it¡¯s the only library in town for public access. The only one! ¡°U¡­um I¡­¡± Running my head to fix the situation- ¡°Feel free¡± These words came from the librarian woman, adjusting her glasses she promptly returned to reading her book. Safe? She seems like a woman of few words so it probably is. I go ahead and take a book from the bookshelf titled ¡°The beginnings of Eledea¡± and as I open the book I sneak a few glances at the librarian. She didn¡¯t even pay attention to me anymore. Feeling relieved I begin my research. Fortunately, it seems I am able to comprehend the books just fine. *** ¡°He is running again today¡± In a room exclusive for official issues. The man called Melroc was watching Youma from the castle which was 2km away. One had to wonder how he was able to see so clearly from that distance. As if there were no obstructions in sight. It has become a habit for Melroc to look out the window and analyze the situation of the kingdom. Though his attention was now more focused on this irregular called Youma. ¡°Count Melroc, sorry for my rudeness but I still can¡¯t understand why we left such a ¡°question mark¡± to run around our village freely¡± a man in armor exclaimed in protest. Melroc just made an irritated expression in response. The man in armor cringed. This wasn¡¯t the first time an officer asked this question to him and it was already getting him on his nerves, but he was required to brief every party involved on the reason of his actions. Truly a troublesome system. ¡°Didn¡¯t I explain the situation already?¡± (Melroc) ¡°Count, I was one of the officers involved in carrying the unconscious body of the individual Youma to the inn, sir¡± the officer explained promptly, his eyes showing nervousness. ¡°I did forget to explain the situation for the 2 that were gone. Very well, once I tell you this you should explain it to the other one too. And next time, just ask the others¡± (Melroc) ¡°Yes, sir¡± (Guard) Checking out the window again, he saw Youma enter the usual library. Once he enters there he will not go out until evening. Separating himself from the window he takes out a few documents and spreads them on the desk. ¡°This are the documents from the 5 heroes¡­ and the previous heroes?¡± the officer asked checking each document. Of course, what was in those papers was the basics of the basics in information. Nothing important was written there. ¡°Yes, in all those circumstances there were always 5 heroes. There has never been a circumstance where a 6th hero is summoned, you know the reason why right?¡± (Melroc) The officer nods to Melrocs question. It was common knowledge and was written in various textbooks about the grand power they possessed and that if more than 5 are summoned, that greediness would be punished by the goddess Izara. ¡°Then why is it that a ¡°6th hero¡± appeared?¡± (Melroc) The officers face changed quickly and resolutely said, ¡°That was no hero sir! That was a spy trying to infiltrate our ranks as a hero trying to get information from us¡± Melroc just laughed internally at this firm response of this armored dumpster in front of him. ¡®This guy just repeated the same thing the other ones said¡¯ The guards in this castle were brimming with ideas of honor and stuff. Always thinking about the countries of the beast or the spirits or even demons to try something against them. In response to this foolish remark Melroc asked: ¡°So, why did they use a villager class? Why did he readily accept to imprint his information if he knew that would expose him? Why did they let a level 1 do the job of spy?¡± (Melroc) A storm of questions attacked the officer. Unable to respond to even a single one he could only let his gaze swim as if there would be an answer somewhere. With an ¡®as expected¡¯ face Melroc just sat down on his chair, glancing at the window. He said these words: ¡°He is indeed a big question mark, so we will let him answer¡± (Melroc) Chapter 1: Knowing where I stand 5 days passed. I was doing my routine exercise. ¡°Yo, Youma! Keeping up the pace today too!¡± ¡°Early as always. When will you decide to buy things from me?!¡± As I pass, a number of people call out to me. In my time here I have collected information and interacted with the various stores. I was already a usual sight in their mornings. In these pass days a lot of things became clear to me. There weren¡¯t many beast, spirit or demon race that could be seen in sight. The only ones were mostly beast and they all, without exception, were wearing rags and wore a grand collar around their necks that symbolized their slave status. I felt sick at their treatment but it was something I couldn¡¯t interfere in. This was most likely a system that was already deeply rooted and as a foreign in this matter it¡¯s better to steer clear of those. And I don¡¯t know why, but in the time I have been in the library, I haven¡¯t been able to find a single book with information regarding the past with the other races. Just an overview of them. ¡ª¡ª ¡°Phew¡± Drinking a glass of water after exercise felt great. With that random thought, I head to the usual library. It was a routine I have been doing in these 5 days. Inside the library, the librarian lowers her head as a greeting. I do the same and just as usual, take a book and begin reading it. This was the last book left in this library that I haven¡¯t checked. Well, I mostly skimmed through repeated information or irrelevant things. The moment I finished reading the book. [+1 magic] A notification appeared in front of me. Resembling a pop up from games. ¡®So I received another point¡¯ I discovered a number of things about myself. First of all, there existed a menu that I could check at all times where my stats and my non-existent skills were displayed. Actually there was a single one called [Calm Voice] but it was a passive skill that I didn¡¯t even know what it was useful for. Basically, everything my ID showed was there. Second, the stats were actually not only affected by my level, my actions also increased the number. In fact, I¡¯m still level 1 and my stats are as follows:
Name: Youma Hiromi Age: 21 Gender: Male Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Lvl: 1 Stamina: 136/136 Mana: 134/134 Stats: Strength: 14 Dexterity: 11 Vitality: 13 Magic: 17 Luck: 9
The magic stat was affected by me reading books, while the str, dex and vit; all physical attributes, were increased by my daily exercise. For some reason, the luck stat reduced by 1. I could only think of one reason why that happened and made me feel anger all over again. If that really is the reason why I lost 1 point in luck, the ones who made this system are real pricks. But this also meant that stats could decrease too if an event is triggered, I have to be careful. With my thoughts now arranged, I begin to head out of the library. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± I was surprised. The librarian barely spoke to me or even looked at me. Judging from her gaze, she must know that was my last book. ¡°Yes, you have been a great help to me. Now I will be heading out to explore the places I have learned here¡± These weren¡¯t empty words of gratitude. She really helped me in these 5 days to make my research more comfortable. Even though she didn¡¯t speak that often, she pointed out the books I should read and how to read it in a way that it wouldn¡¯t have a discrepancy in times. She knew every single book, helping me properly connect the information I had with the new ones. If I didn¡¯t have her help, I would have spent extra days just trying to arrange my thoughts. ¡°I will make sure to use the knowledge I have gained in this library to my utmost¡± With a final bow, I resume my steps outside. In the last moments of exiting the library I saw her gaze, her face showing an expression that I haven¡¯t seen in the days I stayed here. A face rich of emotion that had happiness and a tint of sadness. I learned this in the inn a few days later, but it seems that books in this world are not viewed favorably and are used just as a symbol of status. I was most likely one of the few that have come and maybe the only regular in that place. *** The information I got from the library was mostly useless. It was all about the impossible feats the heroes did (which is questionable) or nobles and their ¡°achievements¡±. Information in the library seemed to be tailored specifically to these subjects. Public access? Yeah, forced knowledge. I did find some useful information about the famous areas and the origins of this world, so it wasn¡¯t that useless. I am also able to gauge a little bit the limits of humans from the stories. Of course, I don¡¯t know about its credibility until I see it for myself. They were all pretty farfetched after all. In terms of origins, I found out that the different races were actually created by individual Gods. Eliminating all the blabber, the Gods used their forms as base to create all the other races. Each one with their unique points. Humans had intelligence, Beasts had strength, Spirits had magic, Demons had shrewdness and Dragons¡­ they had superiority. Between all of the races, the dragons were the closes to Gods. They were made out of the entirety of the God itself. They divided themselves into 4 entities that were now considered the ¡°dragon race¡±. Only 4 entered that category and they were all immortal, or so it says. They will never die of age. It¡¯s said that they watch over the world in place of the gods. Directly intervening if needs arise. Dragons do exist of course, but the original ones had humanoid form while their offspring were dragons with the lizard like form, really similar to the ones in games. These were in no way weak. They are all considered superior beings as well, with millennial knowledge and wisdom as well as a rigid body and tyrannical strength. I also got information regarding the world in itself. It seems the world is pretty advanced. Even if their clothing and fashion were pretty antique. They resolved most things with magic and lagged the basic processes we are forced to use like the crop rotation in which they only need to use water and earth magic. It may also be because of the influence of the heroes. Most processes stemmed from magic and the basics were taught for daily living. Though I got some information of what I wanted. The plants, spices, edibles, tools, crafts, materials, ingredients. Products this world had, that differed from our world. So it was a good research, mostly thanks to Librarian. *** Are you kidding with me? Carrying an iron sword with a basic design, I intently stared at one part of the sword. 2 silver. So expensive! I went to a Blacksmith shop because I finished the visit on the library early this time and I had to prepare for the planned real monster hunt tomorrow but¡­ If I have to count the armor, shield, legs, helmet, shoulders. I would be broke in a whiff, no, I wouldn¡¯t even have enough! Checking my bag I see my lifeline of 7 silver and 50 copper. Oh right, the value on the silver was indeed 100 copper, making it easier to get accustomed to. If I buy this sword¡­ ¡°Hey kid, you look quite troubled while holding that sword in your hands¡± A bald old man with a bandana and sturdy build stood behind me with a ¡®what to do¡¯ face. Don¡¯t look at me like that, I am the one who should have that face. ¡°Well you see, I was planning on beginning an adventure to the plains but I am kind of having a hard time with my pocket¡± ¡°Kid, you sure you want to use a sword? There¡¯s a magic shop pretty close where you can buy some mage equipment¡± His gaze was fixed on my body when he said this, looking like he would let a sigh escape if he wasn¡¯t careful. Is this world that stereotyped about peoples¡¯ bodies? Will I always get the body gazing treatment? ¡°No sir, I already decided to walk the path of the warrior and I would want to buy my equipment here to begin my steps in this route¡± I gave my fiercest gaze in response. I already tried to walk the path of the mage in my time at the library and it was a complete fail. Because a mage didn¡¯t need to use any external equipment to use magic, I thought it would be a good idea to use this route in the beginning to save on the money, but I got hit by a harsh reality. I am no good at magic. The old man, with a wry smile, took the sword in my hand and placed a shield on top of it. ¡°Well, you are a bit old to be saying those words but I will trust those eyes. My name is Gaund the smith, remember that name kid. This set of sword and shield are the best combo for a beginner. You have good eyes to set on this sword as your first weapon. I will offer both for 2 silver, how about it?¡± This is a great offer. I already expected the prices from this place to be high when I saw the cost of the inn but this expense is necessary if I want to begin my journey. I couldn¡¯t help but think that the people in this place were actually pretty kind hearted. It was quite a refreshing feeling from that gloom place where I was the reason everything around me rotted¡­ ¡®No good, no good¡¯ I shake my head and dispel those thoughts. I already decided to forget about the previous world. ¡°Old man Gaund, my name is Youma it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I would like to purchase that sword and shield¡± Hearing my words the man just stared blankly for a bit and then¡­ Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.¡°Bahahahaha! Youma, right? Don¡¯t be so stiff kid. If you want to buy something from me you don¡¯t need formalities¡± A thunderous laugh resounded in the open smithy shop. As the smithy didn¡¯t have any doors and was on free display from outside, everyone on the streets just watched the shop laughing. The laughs from this old man were indeed contagious. With a laugh of my own I change my request, ¡°Sell me that sword and shield, old man Gaund!¡± With a fierce glare and a firm posture. The old smithy nodded at this and gave me the sword and shield. With a strong pad on the back that almost made me fall over with the added weight of the equipment. ¡°You are still too stiff! But you do seem to have that resolve. Don¡¯t hesitate to come back when you get stronger, I will personally make you a weapon of your own¡± A real smile that was contagious, really contagious. ¡°I will be a strong warrior that will make you troubled about how to make that weapon be worth of me¡± I didn¡¯t know what it was, but the man in front reminded me of the only person in my world that was truly nice to me. He reminded me of my dad. For a second there I just reverted to my old self, my old na?ve self. Seeing this, the old man gave a big smile, one that competed with the inn keeper. ¡°Gahahahaha! Aren¡¯t we getting pretty high from that stiffy attitude! That¡¯s how it should be, but remember this kid, The Smith Gaund will always reach expectations¡± Crossing his arms and raising his chin, he puts a proud expression. His figure now really made me see him as someone that I can truly rely on. He was truly a dangerous person in a totally different way. ¡°I will be counting on you, old smith¡± Paying the 2 silvers, I return to the inn. There, I practiced with my newly purchased sword and shield. The sword flew about in a practiced manner as the day went by. *** I stuff the breakfast into my mouth and drain the contents with a glass of water. Slapping my chest to make it go down faster. ¡°Oioi kid, what¡¯s the hurry?¡± The inn keeper, that was always early in the mornings, faced me. Surprised by my barbaric way of eating. ¡°Today I am going to challenge the plains¡± With a last gulp of water I get up from my sit. The inn keeper didn¡¯t say anything. In these days, he watched my preparations and training and most likely already inferred my intentions. He begins to rummage behind the counter and takes out 2 flasks of red liquid. The classic health potion! ¡°Kid, take these pair of potions. They will help you out there¡± The potions in this world were 25 coppers each. Of course that¡¯s only the low quality ones. This potion is made from herbs collected in the forest and increased the natural regeneration of your body for a period of time. Truly an example of gaming potions. The inn keeper offered these to me most likely because he knew that I didn¡¯t stock up on any. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t know of them, but because I can¡¯t afford to buy them. ¡°Thank you inn keeper, this will be of great help¡± I bowed and took the 2 flasks of potion offered to me and put them in my bag. ¡°Oh? Kid, I thought you would be more stubborn about this¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me refuse, right?¡± I have been staying for practically a week in this inn. I know that in terms of stubbornness the inn keeper was clearly not to be underestimated. ¡°Hahaha! As payment, you have to tell me about your adventure today, got it?¡± ¡°I will be glad to¡± Preparing all my things I began my short journey to the plains. I wasn¡¯t even there yet and my legs were already trembling in anticipation of going outside in this new unknown world, with this new body that it gifted me. *** ¡°Where are you heading to?¡± Or not. I got stopped at the gates. Four armored men were lined up before the gate leading outside the kingdom. They were seizing me with their eyes. ¡°I am an aspiring adventurer. Today I was planning on going to the plains to train myself in real monster combat¡± The guards looked at each other with questioning faces. After a while, one approached me and stretched his hand. ¡°Let me see your identification card¡± The other 3 left as they saw no more importance or suspicion in me. It wasn¡¯t like I was the only one trying to leave the kingdom of Arnesti anyways. It was most likely because I messed up in the process of leaving that I got stopped like this. With a reluctant gesture I take out my ID card. ¡°¡­¡± The guard took the card just staring blankly at it. ¡°How is it even possible for you to be a level 1 at your age, Youma?¡± The remaining guard looked at me with a puzzled expression. I couldn¡¯t answer the question. In the time I was at the library I couldn¡¯t find a single clue about how this system of levels worked or the way to gain them. I was even more surprised by the fact that they were aware of levels and are using them to classify their power. The silence lasted for a while and I was already getting troubled. ¡®Should I have leveled up inside the town? No, I don¡¯t even know how to do that¡¯ I was counting on leveling game style by killing monsters. I just didn¡¯t expect they would really stop me when a lot of persons enter and exit through these gates. ¡°It seems you have your own issues. Here you go¡± The guard breaks the silence and gives me back my card. ¡°The plain isn¡¯t dangerous so you might be alright. Just don¡¯t try to venture into the forest, that place is filled with strong monsters that you surely won¡¯t be able to handle¡± Out of nowhere, the guard gives me advice about the surroundings. ¡®Is he telling me I can go?¡¯ Thanking him for the advice, I take my card back and exit the kingdom before he changes his mind. Seriously, are all people in the kingdom so nice? With the exception of Melroc. *** A guard that was eavesdropping in the conversation gets close to the guard Youma was speaking to. ¡°What happened there? Why did you let that man go?¡± The guard was seriously surprised. The one who was speaking with Youma was a lieutenant and his leader. Actually, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he just came back to rest after returning from a fight up north, he wouldn¡¯t even be here. His condition clearly still not the best one. He is famous for being extremely strict and wouldn¡¯t let anything suspicious go unchecked. The man that he let out was clearly an example of a suspicious person. A level 1 at that age? ¡®From what I saw, he was at least 20 years old¡¯ The lieutenant just stared blankly at the guard and said, ¡°He is clear, he is not suspicious at all¡± Those words were completely unlike his self and his tone was extremely soft as if he was speaking of his own son. ¡®This is not the usual lieutenant¡¯ The guard was paying attention to everything that occurred, not a single word was spoken from that man. The lieutenant just one-sidedly continued the conversation. Yet for some reason he says that he wasn¡¯t suspicious. ¡°Lieutenant, can I ask the reason for your basis? From my point of view that man should have been further inspected¡± The atmosphere around the lieutenant turned heavy all of a sudden and he just stares at the guard, not with that blank expression, but with all the pressure he was exerting. The guard felt his whole body get pressed down as if a giant boulder just fell on top of him. Every single guard and passerby around felt this pressure and stopped on their feet. ¡®Eh? What?¡¯ The guard was completely confused. Why was the lieutenant acting like this just because of that question? ¡°Your name was Lingalei, right?¡± The lieutenant asked with a cold tone unlike the one he showed a few moments ago. It was the usual lieutenant that didn¡¯t forgive any wrongdoing. The guard shivered at this and could only affirm. ¡°Lingalei, I believe the force of the Blue Scale Regiment that protects this country of Arnesti works in a hierarchy system. You being a soldier should know to step down the moment I said ¡°He is clear¡± The guard frantically nodded then knelt on the ground. ¡°Sir, please forgive me! Forgetting my own position, I questioned your decision¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s okay¡± With those short words he cuts all the pressure in the area and everyone is able to breathe properly. The guard that was on his knees gasped heavily for air as he was released. Turning his feet, the lieutenant leaves the gates into the kingdom. There wasn¡¯t anyone who stopped him or asked for a reason anymore. Normally, the lieutenant wouldn¡¯t just leave it at that. No one knew that the lieutenant left because he was beginning to question it himself, the reason why he let that suspicious man called Youma leave so easily and the reason he snapped that way. Chapter 2: Outskirts and Harsh Life ¡°This is it¡± I was crawling on the grass Metal Ge*r style. The grass was barely covering me. Just a few meters away from me, a creature that didn¡¯t exist in my world stood there moving his whiskers. A mouse with a horn on his head and white fur. If I didn¡¯t read that it was a mouse I would have mistaken it for a rabbit with a long tail. The horned mouse was eating the bait I left there. An apple I got from the food store. As the mice eats the apple I get closer, biting my lower lip to suppress my frustration. ¡®That bastard is eating my 15 coppers¡¯ The 20 cm mouse was finishing my mon- I mean apple so fast it was making me cry, but I had to endure as this was a necessary sacrifice. Not knowing my own strength, I had to engage it in the best possible scenario. The moment I was at a suitable range I sprang from my position and slash at the horned mice with my sword. *Swish The sword sliced the horned mouse but it was shallow. The horned mice noticed me at the last moment and moved, evading fatal damage. ¡®I knew this wouldn¡¯t be easy¡¯ Blood was dripping from the horned mouse. I did do damage to it, so that proved my attacks were effective. I readied myself again and with a step I close the distance, but the horned mouse was faster and jumps straight at my face slashing me with its claws. The horned mouse lands a few feet away, looking back with his front teeth showing. I don¡¯t know how but I knew that face was a mocking one. Readjusting my stance I prepare for a second strike this time going for a counter, I get bitten on my arm. I try using the shield this time, but since I¡¯m not used to defending myself with one I clumsily put my shield too early or too late letting the horned mouse easily attack me. It didn¡¯t take long for me to be full of scratches on my body. The horned mouse only had one single wound and it was the one I inflicted at the very beginning. It should have slowed its movement, but I still had difficulties dealing with it. The mice in my world were indeed very troublesome creatures, but they weren¡¯t as forward as this one here. They were mostly stealthy. ¡®Is the one here not escaping because he thinks I am weak?¡¯ Just thinking that pisses me off and I take my sword and shield again. At that moment I felt what was wrong. ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ Thinking about my movements just now I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, I got too hung up in this game-like setting that I forgot my real life experience. My 4 years of idleness must have really gotten me. Throwing the shield to the ground I correct my stance. Using both hands to wield the sword I eyed my enemy. The horned mouse seeing that I threw the shield used this opportunity to lunge at me. In all this fight it didn¡¯t use its horn because of my shield. The horned mouse was using this chance to finish me off. It was indeed the strongest attack the horned mouse had, but it was also the most predictable of them all. ¡°Sei!¡± Shouting out of habit. I swung the sword horizontally not willing at all to clash my sword on its horn. It would be troublesome if it chipped. The horned mouse received a second hit, this time a clean one. Blood sprayed in the area, falling to the ground the horned mouse no longer moved. Confirming that the horned mouse was dead I sprawl my body on the ground. ¡°Damn it! That was hard!¡± (Youma) Stretching all my limps a series of cracking sounds come out. My body was sore after that fight. I am incredibly weak. Fighting against this horned mouse made me realize how weak I am. It took my all to beat a single one. Even if I approached it with a different style, it shouldn¡¯t have been an enemy that caused me the trouble to even switch to it. I read in a bestiary that horned mice are the lowest of the lowest and beginners would be able to handle a group of 6 at the very least. Horned mice are famous for attacking in groups. I specifically went to a secluded area and waited until one got separated. Using an apple to attract a mice instead of cheese was because I didn¡¯t want to use something with so much scent. It would likely call more than I could handle. ¡°Well, no use to get down at the very beginning¡± (Youma) ¡®Only consider this as selecting hard difficulty¡¯ I get up and pat myself. The body I had had high regeneration ability at least. The cuts the horned mouse gave me were mostly closed, though my fatigue didn¡¯t recover that much. Walking up to the dead horned mouse I take out a knife out from my belt and began retrieving the ¡°loot¡±. Taking the horn and cutting the tail off, I feel a bit nauseous but it was something I had to do. The horn was a material used to craft and also a proof of me slaying a mouse. The inn keeper told me that if I get this and sell it I would be able to get proper compensation, though he didn¡¯t tell me how much saying ¡°Finding out is part of the fun¡± After ¡°looting¡± the necessary parts I stare at the dead body of the mouse. His body didn¡¯t disappear like in games, it was a living being like me. It¡¯s impossible not to feel anything as it was my first time killing something with my own hands. I decide to steel my mind. I just stopped here because I thought it necessary to do this sooner than later to prepare myself mentally. The ¡°mana beasts¡± as they call it in this world, were monsters that roamed in this world. They attack people and sometimes even destroy human settlements. It is what you call, the staple mob. Of course, aside from the mana beasts there are also animals who can coexist with humans and were docile. They say that mana beasts are a mass of mana that has gone mad and mutated the fauna in this world. That is why the guild pays money when one of them is hunted down so it stabilizes the ecosystem. Though no matter how much one hunts, the mana beasts just keep on increasing and some of them are truly fierce that even a number of experts are unable to take down. Anyways, holding the body of the dead horned mouse I open my inventory and stuff it in. The [inventory] is another perk I discovered. It¡¯s an option in the menu that opens a dimensional pouch that can store objects. I haven¡¯t really tested how much I can stuff in it yet as I tried storing my whole room and it still had space, of course, I returned them all to its place after trying it. I¡¯m broke so I don¡¯t have much to test with. The name of the ¡°item¡± appears in the menu of my inventory, it says [corpse of horned mouse] Closing the menu I proceed with my plain hunt. On the second horned mouse, I lured it with an apple again. This time it was easier as I used only the sword, the shield was placed in the inventory to decrease my weight. It didn¡¯t take that long against this one. Using my experience with the first I evade and counter more effectively. The second fell and I proceed to the third one with the mindset of not using a single apple more. *** After my 5th horned mouse. [Level Up], a notification pops up in front of me. My stats were now:
Name: Youma Hiromi Age: 21 Gender: Male Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Lvl: 2 Stamina: 54/151 Mana: 134/134 Stats: Strength: 18 Dexterity: 13 Vitality: 17 Magic: 17 Luck: 9
¡°Finally get my first level¡± With this it¡¯s confirmed that I can level up by killing monsters. It took me 5 horned mice to level up. If we go by the standards of ¡°I can handle 6 horned mice at once¡± then yeah it was a fast level, but my reality was different. The battles were pretty harsh on my body. 2 hours were spent luring the mice and fighting them, 30 minutes in recovery and 30 coppers in expenses for this level. ¡°It¡¯s my first level! That means my hunt will become easier as time goes by!¡± In this world there was an actual numerical value to your efforts, meaning it was not an invisible number. It¡¯s like someone was patting you on the back every time you increased. ¡°Yosh!¡± Psyching myself up, I decide to spend the rest of the day hunting damn mice. As the day ended I hunted a total of 31 horned mice. Reaching level 4. My hunting speed increased, hunting 8 of them at level 2, at level 3 I actively engaged them in pairs and trios getting me 19, the moment I leveled I commemorated this by slaying 4 of them at once. ¡°I must admit this is quite fun¡± Seeing my levels increase was a joy in itself. Opening the stat window I nodded with a satisfied expression.
Name: Youma Hiromi Age: 21 Gender: Male Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Lvl: 4 Stamina: 87/166 Mana: 138/138 This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Stats: Strength: 25 Dexterity: 19 Vitality: 22 Magic: 19 Luck: 11
¡°This is my first step to end game¡± (Youma) My objective in this world right now was to travel to the dangerous dungeons filled of pure mana that were scattered in this world. From what I read, there exist extremely dense places of mana and corrupted atmospheres that are impossible to traverse without fearing for your life. I want to explore those kind of places with my own two feet. Feel that scorching heat, or that numbing cold, fight those feared monsters and see the sights no one would be able to gaze upon. Though right now I haven¡¯t even moved further than these plains. Hell, I haven¡¯t encountered anything besides this horned mice. As my thoughts drifted to a distant future I returned to the inn where I trained until sleep. *** The next day I decided to change my jogging route. I was now heading to the adventurer guild with a bag full of horned mice loot. Specifically, horns, tails and a few teeth. When I arrived, I got stunned momentarily at the sight. I knew that the adventurer guild is located in all major cities and has one of the strongest foundations in the history of this Eledea (the world). Numerous adventurers would come to the various guilds to look for quests, sell their loot, collect information, or look for adventuring partners. But the structure in front of me was grand. Its design was intricate and it was practically taking the whole area. The stores at its side were small compared to this building with quite a number of strong looking people going in and out of it constantly. I take a deep breath and shift my bag. With a ¡°Humph¡± I enter the guild with rigid steps. ¡°Can I help you?¡± An assistant looking person with very neat appearance greets me at the counter. Her smile seemed fixed in place. ¡®It must be a hard job¡¯ I though as I laughed internally. ¡°I am here to sell the goods I have gained from my monster hunt¡± adjusting my bag while I say this. ¡°Ah yes, then, can you please give me that bag and your id card?¡± The smiling assistant stretches both of her hands. I take off my bag and take out my id card handing both of them to the assistant. With mechanical movements the assistant checks my id card and seems to type a few things in the air. ¡®Is she using a menu like me?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but question this action of hers. I thought only heroes had access to menus but she clearly has something invisible there. The assistant finishing with the id card lets out a small giggle while stealing a glance out of me. ¡®Hey, hey that hurts. What kind of ¡°service¡± is that?¡¯ Then heads to a room with the bag. After a while she comes out again with a paper in hand. ¡°Sir Youma, this is the estimated amount of the materials you have brought¡± Handing me the paper I check through it. It had listed the items I brought here with the values of it at the side. The moment I check those values I couldn¡¯t help but to let out my disappointment. Mice Horn ¨C Mice tail x31 4 copper * set Mice teeth x12 6 copper ea. Total 1 s. 96 c. The s. and c. must stand for silver and copper respectively. When I saw the amount I got for my day of hard work I could only sigh. With this I could live for 2 more days, but¡­ I really was expecting more out of my blood, sweat and tears. Not that this amount was surprising though, the horned mice were roaming around in great numbers at the plain and they were the easiest hunt out there. If they gave a high amount in compensation it would bring issues in the future. ¡°Is it fine with you sir?¡± The assistant urges me on as she sees my troubled expression. ¡°Yeah its fine. I would like to sell these materials¡± (Youma) ¡°Thank you for your patronage. Please continue providing your services to Eledea in making a better place¡± With a prefixed farewell, the smiling assistant gives me my bag and a pouch with the money in it. Confirming the contents I head to another section of the adventurers guild. The quests section. The moment I arrived the atmosphere instantly changed. The change was so abrupt I stood in place just to adjust to it. People around were chatting, sharing a couple of drinks. Checking the quests, eyeing each other out. If we had to compare sections then the attendants section would be the formal and this quest one would be the social one. Everyone was either mingling or checking their quests with their teammates. The place was filled with strong people that one could tell just from sight. I check out the people here. They were all wearing heavy armor, dresses with intricate designs, or even daring costumes that barely covered anything. Seeing the last one I thought ¡®that must be some high level armor¡¯ Everything this people wore seemed incredibly expensive. Just from the smithy I could infer how expensive equipment in this world costs. Placing my hand on the sheathed sword at my waist I take in the environment around me. ¡°I need to check out the quest board¡± I head over to the giant board where numerous adventurers like me were inspecting. This board was filled with papers requesting assistance in some kind of job. These jobs could span from cleaning dishes, finding lost pets or even slaying beasts and finding treasures. As I was checking through the quests I noticed that each one without exception had a thing called ¡°rank¡± in a part of it. Some were 1 others 4, anyways they had single digit numbers. ¡°Hey man, troubled looking for a job?¡± a voice called out from the side Moving to check out who it was, a teen with short spiky hair and cheap looking armor that even though I say cheap I can¡¯t afford, was standing there with a spear resting on his shoulders. The spiky haired teen leaned closer to me and whispered to my ear. ¡°You are right now on the side of the rank 5 dude. You better watch out¡± He was way too friendly for a total stranger. I grab his face with my hand and push it back. ¡°Umm¡­ yeah, I was checking out the jobs around this place so I thought it would be good to know the difference between the ranks¡± I could already infer that the ranks had something to do with the difficulty of each quest, but there were still too many incognitas. I don¡¯t know why this guy approached me but I will try to get the most information out of him as I can. ¡°Oh, so you are new in this place too. I knew it!¡± The spiky man with a face full of joy became even friendlier trying to hug me, I evade cleanly to the side. His face hits the board and a number of papers fall off. ¡°That¡¯s mean dude! I¡¯m also a newb here, aren¡¯t we brethens? Shouldn¡¯t we be friendly?¡± No, no how would I even know that you were a newbie until now? And don¡¯t call me your brethren it makes me feel pissed for some reason. The spiky man collecting the fallen requests, sticks them back in their place and gets back to me. ¡°My name is Ryan. I am a spearman in training and I¡¯m looking for a partner you see¡± The man calling himself Ryan presented himself while swinging his spear clumsily. A number of people watching laughed at that poor display of skill. I could only sigh at that. ¡°Umm, ok Ryan. Why is it you are looking for a partner?¡± ¡°Hm, good thing you asked!¡± Doing the same motion as before he gets close to my ear again and whispers. ¡°Actually, I found a great place for training and I¡¯m looking for a partner to train with me there¡± Suspicious. That was the first thing I thought of as I heard this proposition of his. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you want me as your partner for that as there are plenty of strong people around. I am here to take quests so I won¡¯t be able to accompany you¡± I try to push off this suspicious proposition of his. But the response I got from him was a surprised face and a, ¡°No way, you can take quests here?¡± his gaze assessing me once again looking in disbelief. ¡®Wait, I can¡¯t?¡¯ I thought but kept silent. ¡°That¡¯s weird I thought you were a newbie too. I myself am level 9 you know, I can¡¯t take requests from here¡± His expression was filled with a pride a mysterious pride I didn¡¯t understand. Though what got me in question marks was another thing. His level is higher than me and he can¡¯t take requests? There¡¯s a level requirement for them? Even for cleaning and pet searching, are you serious? ¡°Well, I already got my request so I will be leaving now. I wish you good luck on your partner searching¡± I cut off my investigation the moment I learned this. It was pointless to stay in this place anymore and that fishy individual would probably pester me more if I don¡¯t cut him now. I have already been victim of scams and this one reeked of it. With hasty steps I leave the guild ignoring the calls of the one behind me. Chapter 3: The Forest, a place of dangerous encounters I am in the plains again. After hunting a good amount of horned mice I was resting, staring intently at the campfire I made. ¡°Should I do it?¡± I gulped hesitantly. My hand was holding a skewered horned mouse steaming, ready to be consumed. There was now no way to avoid this route. My last hope was that the guild would provide me enough to live with a stable meal, but now that the harsh reality has hit me¡­ ¡°My current objective is to leave the Arnesti as soon as possible. If I continue at this pace I will most likely not step out of this place in months¡± I didn¡¯t want to stay in the kingdom where that Count Melroc is supervising. Not knowing what he would do next because of his unfounded suspicions. I steeled my resolve once more and stared at the now hornless mice. ¡®It¡¯s alright I gathered some spices from around the place so it should taste fine¡¯ I close my eyes and take a bite out of the horned mouse. With a fast gulp I didn¡¯t even attempt to chew. I almost threw up the moment the mouse entered my system. ¡°This tastes like clay!¡± (Not like I have tasted it) The strong taste of the horned mouse won against the spices I used to negate the flavor. I tried spitting the remains in my mouth, but then a fierce pain pierced through my stomach rapidly coursing through my whole body. ¡°Uagh! What¡­ what is going on?!¡± This is strange. I definitely read that mana beasts were consumable. I have even seen some that were considered as livestock. Was there a difference in the field ones?! I clutch my chest and bear with the pain. 1¡­ 2 minutes. It only lasted for 2 minutes but it felt a lot longer. As the pain resided I try standing up my legs felt shaky and my vision was hazy. ¡®This is bad¡¯ If I had a health point bar it would definitely be in red right now. ¡°Right¡± Mentioning the hp bar helped me remember those potion flasks the inn keeper gave me. I haven¡¯t drunk any yet as they were still considered slight luxuries for me. Though this wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking that, it would be dangerous to return to town in the state my body is in. If I get ambushed by a mana beast I would be done for. Gulping the potion flask I felt as though I was drinking cherry juice. It rinsed my mouth and recovered my body slowly. ¡®Wow, this potion is good¡¯ Thanking the inn keeper in my mind for this save I decide to burn all the corpses of horned mice I had in my inventory. Flexing my body and swinging my sword a few times I confirm that my body was now at full functionality. ¡°Let¡¯s try the next mana beast¡± Horned mice were now easy to handle and their experience was poor. It was time to change targets. Heading deeper into the plains I engaged light-feet foxes, rolling moles and a few horned mice as well. It was a pretty easier battle than in my first try. As I was now getting used to the mana beasts¡¯ movements and I was remembering the basics in combat. Learning their patterns, their habits and using accurate strikes I breeze through the second stage of the plain. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my body to move so well¡± Skinning the feet of the light-feet fox I began questioning myself. ¡°The stats are most likely the reason I am able to regain my past movements¡± I was very proficient in my world as I learned various martial arts, though my main focus was kendo I realized in the way that all of them were connected and began practicing them even if it was not that long. As I arrived to this world my body didn¡¯t move as I desired, this was even more clear in fights as I wasn¡¯t able to produce what I was picturing in my mind. I thought it was my lack of practice, but the major reason may be a matter of the body. Opening my stat window I look for a confirmation,
Name: Youma Hiromi Age: 21 Gender: Male Class: Villager Race: Human Alignment: None Guild: None Lvl: 9 Stamina: 114/199 Mana: 146/146 Stats: Strength: 39 Dexterity: 40 Vitality: 33 Magic: 23 Luck: 16
It was a speed beyond the first day of my hunt. I leveled up 5 times and my body even though not strong it was reacting properly. It didn¡¯t feel cranky at all compared to when I arrived. It¡¯s like oiling an old machinery. I was feeling ecstatic now. At this pace I might be able to take on the forest, the ones in the plain were indeed easy for me now. Also in the forest I may be able to find herbs that I can use to create my own potions. With that I head in the direction of the forest. It was getting late so I headed with fast steps. ¡®I¡¯m going to farm those herbs¡¯ As I enter the forest I immerse myself in the purity of this place. I have been to forests before for training but the ones in this world had something, it was like a mysterious aura. It was swirling gently around the place. Concentrating on this mysterious aura I discover that it was actually trailing somewhere. I decide to follow it and see where it lead to. Not too long after, I find a mana beast eating some kind of grass that stood out from the rest. This mana beast had big antlers, its thin legs were covered with some kind of rock and its eyes were beady. It was roughly 1.6m in all fours, a Granite Deer. My mouth begins to water. I don¡¯t know about the horned mouse, but a deer definitely sounds more comestible. Approaching it silently, killing my presence I prepare my sword and rush at the Granite Deer aiming to get him from behind. As I reach the range I stab at it with all the strength in my hips. The ears in the Granite Deer twitch a bit and as if there was no prior movement involved sprung his legs backward directly meeting my rush. I couldn¡¯t react properly at this attack receiving the full force of that kick. The hard granite legs of this deer packed an incredible force taking out all my breath. ¡°Gah!¡± I let out a moan and roll around the floor still feeling that intense force from my chest. The Granite Deer turns and faces me. It slowly approaches me with dignified steps, the granite making crunching noises as it moves through the grass, eyeing its fallen prey. The Granite Deer is an omnivore! Stopping in front of me he lifts his granite leg looking to finish me off. I didn¡¯t just lay there doing nothing. I rolled away from its stomp and respond with a slash to its throat, the Granite Deer just lowers its head and meets the sword with his antler stopping all the force it had and pushing it back to me. I get send flying back again but manage to stay on feet. Gasping for breath I see how deep of an error I made. The Granite Deer I am confronting was clearly stronger than me. I didn¡¯t expect the mana beasts from the forest to differ so much from the ones in the plain. It was on a total different level, from its reaction speed to the strength of his attacks. But there was an even major problem. ¡®This Granite Deer is definitely faster than me¡¯ I can¡¯t escape. This was the conclusion I could arrive to. The moment I show my back to this Granite Deer I will be stomped to the ground by its rushing force. Since retreat was not an option anyways let¡¯s just wager it. Taking out my shield from the inventory I prepare myself for round 2. The Granite Deer was surprised by this. Its beady eyes widening slightly it steps away and lowers its stance. I simulate its movement and lower my stance placing the shield to cover my front. With a gust of wind that seemed to signal us to begin we rush out at the same time. The distance wasn¡¯t large and we quickly collided. The impact pushed me a few meters back but I still stood in place the pain still transmitting from the shock. The Granite Deer stopped in place too. Shifting my body to the side I slide myself to the right of the Granite Deer. With my already prepared sword I slash my sword downwards and cut its side. The Granite Deer was not stupid to just stand there, but its body was not suited for sidestepping and its sides were a fatal weakness of them. It was clear to see just from its lack of reaction and the slow movements it made in response. ¡°Slash!¡± Cutting through the sides of the Granite Deer blood gushes out and a high pitched sound comes out from it. The Granite Deer turns and shoves me away. I get pushed a couple of feet away from it but the shove in itself didn¡¯t contain any force so I wasn¡¯t affected that much. Though the first hit I received did pose a problem. Grabbing my chest I still feel that throbbing pain and my lips tasted of iron. The Granite Deer was now reduced to the same state as me, with blood flowing from its body his reactions would surely be affected. ¡®I would have wanted to cut the legs instead¡¯ That thought came to my mind. The legs of this Granite Deer were coated in sturdy granite. Even if I tried to cut through it, most likely it would be fruitless effort. ¡®Most of all I couldn¡¯t finish it in one hit. This is bad¡¯ The Granite Deer was now furious. It knew that I was injured and was most likely going to finish its job even if it killed him. Stomping its feet to the ground, ignoring the wound it had, the Granite Deer charges with full strength. I spit the blood accumulated in my mouth. With my sword at shoulder height I concentrate all my attention on the charging Granite Deer. Its charge resembled a locomotive, heavy sounds rumbling as it approached its destination. The moment it was just 1 meter away from me I jump and meet his charge with my shield. ¡®BOOM¡¯ the sound of the impact resounded through the area, accompanied with the cracking sound of my bones. My body was still being carried over by this powerful charge. Gritting my teeth I use this chance and stab my sword downwards straight into the skull of the Granite Deer. The sword met resistance but with the constant impacts against the shield it was now damaged to a point where my strength was enough to pierce. With the sword lodged in its skull the Granite Deer lets out a loud scream and falls to the ground. My body was sent flying as the charge stopped and crashed to a tree. This hit almost knocks me out but I didn¡¯t let that happen. I quickly take out the last potion and force it down my system. The potion takes effect and refreshes my body saving me from falling unconscious. I lay down my body and gasp for breath. [Level up] I ignore the level up notice and close my eyes. This fight was incredibly dangerous. My chest received severe damage and my left arm was broken. The damage from this fight would surely not go just from drinking a single potion. After I recover enough, I quickly shove the dead Granite Deer in my inventory and hurry to leave the place. The sounds of the fight would most likely attract mana beasts from around the forest. I had to get out of this place fast before they get here. Retracing my steps I quickly shift through the forest. I would soon be out of this forest, ¡®I have to prepare myself before entering again¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t handle the mana beasts in here but the high risks lingered in the fact that the Granite Deer isn¡¯t the only mana beast roaming the forest. With that I hurried my steps even more but then¡­ ¡°KYAAAH!¡± A loud scream resounded in the forest as if pulling me. This scream was not like the one from the Granite Deer, this was a human scream! I decided to rush to the source of that sound but stop abruptly. ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ This thought rang in my mind. The Granite Deer was considered one of the weaker types in the forest. The scream was most likely from someone that came prepared to encounter mana beasts but was faced with an opponent stronger than itself. ¡®Would I be able to help anyways?¡¯ A wound in the chest and a broken left arm. My state was in fact not even worth to face a single thing in this forest. My feet began to grow heavy. My thoughts were chaining me down. ¡®He is our child!¡¯ A familiar voice rang in my mind. The voice of my dad. The argument he always used to protect me. The words he always used for the sake of not abandoning me. The chains grew weaker and I begin to chase the source of the scream. My body was in tatters, if my heart begins to rot too then I would be a disgrace to the life my father so eagerly protected. ¡°I don¡¯t need to fight, if my arms are not working just use your feet!¡± I shout as I prepare for whatever was ahead. *** ¡°It happened again¡± Tears were falling down from the girl, staring at her fallen comrades, her heart stung. Ones were split apart, others were missing an arm and some a leg. The mana beast in front of her, a giant bear with red fur and shining golden eyes, the one responsible for all this massacre was munching one of those comrades leisurely biting down on him. Its eyes were belittling her, telling her there was nothing she could do about this situation. That she would be next. Her lower body was tainted long ago. Liquid dripping down from fear she could just tearfully confirm this as her body did not respond. ¡®Why should I care anymore?¡¯ The girls name was Elinalise Freyhart. From just having a last name people knew instantly that she was a girl from a high class family. Her family was indeed very well off, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t obtain. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The Freyhart family was an important magi family that produced countless powerful magic users. The school they managed was guaranteed to make a mage out of anyone and assure them of a high position as they graduated from it. This made many nobles seek to enroll this school. Elinalise Freyhart was extremely talented in magic, surpassing their peers at her young age of 16. As she was now ready to move to the outside to practice real combat training a severe problem showed itself. The girl will almost certainly encounter some kind of misfortune on her travels. Wrapping her comrades in it with her. 3 times. That was the amount of times she had to change parties. Her nickname quickly spread between adventurers as ¡°Black Cat¡±, even though her hair was a beautiful sky blue and her face was glistening white. It was truly a name that most would think unfitting if they saw her at first sight but, it was a different story if you decide to travel with her. Elinalise could only curse at that nickname as there was no way for her to negate this. She was in every single event that occurred, how could she tell them it wasn¡¯t true? But now she was facing the worst of all. All of her comrades perished and her turn was coming. The red bear mana beast just finished with its meal slowly walking to its next one. Its eyes fixed on the girl, on Elinalise, with its mouth salivating. Walking as slowly as it could the red bear seemed to be savoring every moment of her expression as if it were an appetizer. Approaching its meal, the red bear lifts its giant claws preparing to slice her to pieces before consuming. Elinalise retreated the best she could, but her feet lacked the strength to compete even with the slow approach of this red bear. Retreating as far as she was able to she continued to push her body backwards and continued to push until- ¡®Thud¡¯ a dry sound came from her back, abruptly stopping her retreat. Glancing back Elinalise saw what she imagined it to be. A tree stood in her way as if saying ¡®end of the line¡¯ ¡°I give up¡± With a dry laugh as dry as the tree behind her she slumps her arms and dispels all the energy she had remaining. The red bear saw all this and laughed amused, completely satisfied of this spectacle, decided it was time to enjoy the meal. undefined With its already raised claws the red bear approaches Elinalise and- ¡®Sha¡¯ the rustling of leaves and a ¡®Bum¡¯ from a kick reverberated in the area. The red bear not expecting this was send a few steps back. Elinalise couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. ¡°Are you okay? We have to run now¡± The man that kicked away the red bear had black hair and torn clothing. His chest was swelling, his left arm hanging loosely and his breathing heavy. ¡°Idiot¡± Those words came out almost immediately from Elinalise. Different tears running out from her eyes. The man didn¡¯t heed those words and just grabbed her hand and began running. ¡®This man was definitely injured in another fight, yet he came rushing here to save me¡¯ Elinalise was completely puzzled by the man pulling her, who would run in those conditions to help a complete stranger in trouble? But even if she thought that Elinalise still tightened her grip on the hands that were trying rescue her. The red bear was struck dumb for a second looking at its prey get away but for some reason it didn¡¯t show any trace of fury. The face of the red bear contorted showing a grin, one that displayed all his sharp fangs, saliva still running from its mouth, the red bear produced a roar, a roar that carried a hint of happiness. The red bear loved hunts and a running prey was the most amusement it could get. Inflicting terror and despair it fed from those. Setting its new target the red bear begins running after them on its two legs. With a roar that symbolized the start of this new hunt. *** When I reached the area the situation was a perilous one. Bodies were lying all over the place, only one girl was remaining. She calls me an idiot for some reason but I ignored it and take her hand. The red bear would definitely recover from that kick. I didn¡¯t have time for idle chat. If we want to get out of here alive, every second counted. Pulling her body up I feel a sting in my chest. This girl didn¡¯t exert any strength to get up making me use more than necessary to pull her up. ¡®What is she even doing?!¡¯ Even when we were running I felt like I was pulling a cart. All the force was from me she was only letting her body follow me. It was extremely painful on my injured self. ¡°Girl, what are you doing?! If you want to live move your own fucking body!¡± I unconsciously curse on her, but seems to have a positive effect as she woke up from her trance and begins moving with her strength too. A series of roars came from where we were and sounds of heavy steps could be heard from the distance. ¡®The bear has begun its chase¡¯ That red bear that wiped all her party members was a Blood Bear. It¡¯s an extremely vicious mana beast that enjoyed slaughtering and torturing its victims making anyone that encounters this monster regret ever living. It was definitely a class of its own in this forest. I don¡¯t know what that Blood Bear was doing this close to the edge of the forest but that was some terrible luck on her, and me apparently. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡± Retracing my steps around the forest we both were now running out of breath. The Blood Bear was following close behind us running on 2 feet. The sight was amusing to behold but in the current situation it was more like pedobear chasing us and it wasn¡¯t the time to laugh at that. Even on its two feet this 2.4m Blood Bear was drawing closer and closer. The advantage time we had feels like a lie. I try to keep my calm the best I could, the Blood Bear was still fair distances away from us and it would not be possible for the Blood Bear to reach us in time. It was as though the Blood Bear read my mind. With a groan the massive 2.4m bear drops on all fours and begins running at practically twice its original speed. ¡°You have to be kidding me!¡± I shout, releasing a fair amount of my remaining breath stupidly. I begin to lose oxygen and my mind gets hazy for a second. ¡®But I am definitely not going to die here!¡¯ I open my mouth and take one big gulp of air. Exerting the remaining strength in my right arm I lift the girl and place her on my right shoulder. If I kept pulling her with my hand the Blood Bear would most likely get to her first. I definitely don¡¯t want that scenario playing out after all of this. The girl screams with a ¡°Wah!¡± resisting for a second before staying put. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I felt a strange humid sensation from my right shoulder. I didn¡¯t mind it as I kept running but for a second I saw that the girl I was carrying was blushing heavily. ¡°Groooaaaaar!¡± A heavy roar came out from the Blood Bear. The roar of this beast carried such a force I even felt it was trying to pin me down. My energy was running low as I continue running with even more gas than before due to increased weight but the Blood Bear was still closing the distance. An intense ray shone the way. With the exit now in sight soon we would arrive at the plains, a safe area where the guards would most likely spot us. Counting on this chance and that ray of hope I sprint forward to the forest exit but- ¡®Fush¡¯ A strong gust comes from the back and smashes a tree with a ¡®Crash¡¯ the tree falls to the ground its top completely covering the way to the plains. ¡°No way¡± I stop my run unable to believe what just happened. ¡°The Blood Bear just now¡­ used a magic spell, wind blade¡± The girl I was carrying said this with a voice that was clearly as surprised as me. She most likely saw the whole thing from the back, confirming my suspicions. The girl begins to move, telling me that she wanted me to let her down. I do so and she immediately stares at one place, I follow her and look at that same place. There, the Blood Bear standing on its two feet again, had one of its paws lifted with a face that carried as much emotion as any human being. One that said ¡°you are mine now¡± Mana beasts are intelligent beings, I already knew that. But I couldn¡¯t believe it until I saw it, this Blood Bear was toying with us from the very beginning. By giving us extra time before running for us, running on two before going on all fours and now using a magic spell, wind blade, to block our escape route. This mana beast was able to do all of those before, yet it gave us hope just to crush it right at the end. Just now do I realize the reason why this Blood Bear was considered a torturing machine, a vicious monster that feeds not only on flesh but fear itself. I grit my teeth and look at my side. The girl beside me had long since fallen to the ground assuming the same position she had before I rescued her. ¡°We are getting out of here¡± I say this while avoiding her gaze looking at the waiting Blood Bear. ¡°Eh? There is a way?¡± the girl asks, getting up and clinging to my side. Her trembling hands gripping my sleeve. ¡°There might be a way, but I need to confirm this. Are you a mage?¡± Saying this I shift my gaze to the girl, checking her garment. She was wearing light clothing. A robe with a blue emblem that had a cut in the middle, a short staff with a crystal on her back and a mini skirt. If she wasn¡¯t a mage I don¡¯t know what she is anymore. The girl didn¡¯t take long to ascend to my question. ¡°I see, then what kind of spells can you use?¡± I ask this, turning my sight to the Blood Bear. The Blood Bear stood still all this time, just watching as we were talking. Most likely waiting for us to struggle more. ¡°I¡­ I am able to use water and fire magic up to tier 3¡± the girl says nervously. I was surprised. The girl here looked younger than me yet she could do up to tier 3 magic. I read in books that magic had up to 8 tiers and those tiers were even more difficult to escalate than any other class. To say that right now at 15 years people should be at tier 2. Only with constant research and practice could one climb on the stairs of magic. ¡®Tier 3 is more than I expected¡¯ The magic at each tier differed in their power by a lot. The Blood Bears¡¯ ¡®Wind Blade¡¯ is a magic of tier 2 and it managed to blow off a thick tree. With a tier 3 it would take 6 trees before it disappeared. ¡°Good, then use a tier 3 water class magic to delay its movements, I will handle the rest¡± I say this and grip my sword. The girls gaze just swims about and responds with ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have the mana though¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Then why are you telling me you can use it?!¡¯ If I ask you what magic you can use it¡¯s because I want you to use it now, right?! The girl seems to notice my internal wrath, letting my sleeve go she frantically swings her hands ¡°B-But I have enough for a number of tier 2s!¡± Say that from the beginning! Were you looking for a praise?! ¡°Ok, then do that. I will take care of him. In the mean time you will run¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The girl stares at me dumbfounded. ¡°What are you saying? You will die!¡± The girl rapidly grips my sleeves again, this time with even greater force and begins shaking me. ¡°You are a dead weight. I¡¯m strong but with you by my side I can¡¯t fight properly so I¡¯m telling you to scram¡± I try to shake her off with this words¡­ but her grip only got stronger, so strong I began questioning her job as a mage. Tears began flooding her already dry eyes, her gaze completely concentrated on my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m a fool!¡± With a resolute voice I haven¡¯t heard of her she shouts at me, but her ranting still continued ¡°What can you do with that body?! What can you do with that sword?! Why did you come running for me?!¡± This storm of questions came out one after the other, each time her body dropping lower. ¡°Everything is my fault. All the bad luck comes to haunt me! Everyone involved with me will face tragedy, just leave me here! If you leave me there might be a chance the Blood Bear will ignore you while it eats me!¡± Loosening her grip, she falls to the ground. Her tears flooding down. I couldn¡¯t stand watching. I walk up to her, sheathing my sword, I pick her drooped body by the collar and force her gaze to me. ¡°Girl, it was my own choice that I came here for you. Whatever happens to me now is because of me. I don¡¯t want you telling me that blame laid somewhere else when I was the one who made the choice¡± Saying that I release her. I grip my sword and face the Blood Bear again. If the girl didn¡¯t have the will I won¡¯t be forcing her. It¡¯s impossible to get away from the Blood Bear with both of us alive. Once one of us runs the Blood Bear will resume its hunt, but now that it¡¯s come to this I will just have to fight it through. With trembling steps I walk towards the Blood Bear. The Blood Bears¡¯ expression seemed to be surprised by this but soon turns into a grin. ¡°Wait!¡± a voice calls from behind me. I stop advancing and look without turning back. The girl was standing with her staff on both hands. ¡°I will fight alongside you! That¡­ is my choice!¡± Her voice was trembling but her resolution could be felt through it. I return my sight to the Blood Bear, preparing my stance I shout back at her. ¡°I see! Then there is nothing I can do. My name is Youma, I will be counting on the support!¡± ¡°Elinalise Freyhart, at your service!¡± Without looking back, I step up and push my body forward. Facing the giant Blood Bear whose face was now full of anticipation at its oncoming meal.