《Flintwood Valley》 All things considered Beep¡­. Beep¡­ Beep¡­. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­ Where am I¡­ Why is everything so bright?¡± Beep¡­Beep¡­Beep¡­ Why can I not move, what is everyone saying, Where am I¡­? Beep¡­Beep¡­ What is this warm feeling on my hand? It feels¡­.nice¡­. Bee¡­¡­ Like many before him, Alex found himself floating in the Dark Abyss. Stars, Galaxies and Nebulas in a variety of shapes and colors some he had never seen before surrounded him all around. It would have been a truly majestic experience, if it wasn''t interrupted by a very heavy sigh. Finally identifying where the sound originated he found what looked to be the most beautiful person he had ever met. What appeared to be a goddess, at least to Alex¡¯s guess, was draped in a long elegant white dress that shimmered like Starlight, adorned with golden accents and jewelry, what you would expect a goddess to wear while her long Silver Hair radiated in a kaleidoscope of prismatic colors. It would have been a breathtaking experience, if she didn¡¯t appear like she was as burnt out as a Barista after the morning rush. The young goddess looked so tired that the smallest amount of comfort would put her to sleep. He finally settled on her deep sapphire eyes, staring at him indifferently. "Greetings Chosen Hero... you have been selected to bring... *Peace and Prosperity* to the world of.." the goddess started quoting robotically periodically to stop and look at her notes. ¡°Your long life of trouble and Tribulation has come to and end, and you have been deemed WORTHY of starting anew and¡­¡± she completely changed her tone reading more of the notes in front of her. "Whatever, it doesn''t matter anyway.... its a CL 6 World anyway so you probably won''t even make it anyway..." She mused tiredly. "Ummm... Quick question?" He started to ask before she simply shushed him. "No, I can''t tell you how you died. Yes you are actually dead. No this is not a dream. No, you can not wish to take a Goddess as a perk. Believe me many have tried from your world. No you cannot be allowed to be an ¡®All Mighty Hero¡¯ for a world. Too many have asked this as well, and it goes against the balance of mortality. It also makes things more difficult later. Finally NO you can not do anything Lewd, and I will cast you QUICKLY into the Void if you even breath about asking anything in this nature" "Actually I was going to ask... Are you ok? Alex asked calmly ¡°I get that I died, everything considered. I mean I''m not happy about it, don¡¯t get me wrong, but there is nothing I can do about it. This concept is something I have read about before, so its a little easier to understand. I figured we have a few minutes, and we can go over the smaller things in a few. You just seem like you need someone to vent to for a few. I mean im probably going to forget about most of this anyway so might as well let you have a chance to breathe" *a few hours later* "..but yeah they just keep piling the crazy ones to me, and Honestly if i have to deal with one more Pervert, trying to look up my dress again I''m going to Scream" the Goddess continued on. Apparently, Lauranna, as Alex learned, was a low ranking Light Goddess. Who has been the brunt of the workload for "Soul Transitioning" as they call it for most of her career. Afraid to ask more details about the Heavenly Realm or about the Demonic, or Torment Realms she mentioned, as he was sure that the young goddess wasn''t supposed to mention some of these things. It was easy to see now why she was so tired, and after their discussion she seemed much more relaxed. "Thank you mor¡­ sorry. What was your name?" She quickly looked through her files. "Here it is, Alex... Thank you. Seriously, thank you for letting me air my grievances, and complain for a change. I really cannot give you ultimate power, it¡¯s against the rules. I can, however, help you have a decent chance of surviving. The world they are making me send you, is not an easy one." She continued on, "Reading this summary, this world has already used a Hero Summoning Ritual some years back, and the four of them were supposed to save their world. Something went wrong during their quest, causing the scales that balance the system in their world to cause more issues" "That does not sound like a good time at all.¡± Alex lamented letting out a long breath. ¡°Am I going to be reborn, transmigrated or what?" he asked her, curious how he was going to enter this difficult world. Noticing the look of confusion she was giving, he felt he needed to explain. "As I already mentioned, my world has a few stories about this concept, and I might have read a little about this in my previous life. Ok, maybe a lot. Which may be why I was sent to you. I may be labeled as one of those weirdos you mentioned "Alex mused slightly embarrassed at being an isekai otaku in his former life. "Oh¡­¡± She breathed, ¡°That does explain a lot. However, you were still polite to me, you didn¡¯t ask for anything that would have sent you to the Void, and this makes things so much easier to explain." She admits, as a ball of light in her hand turns into a... Tablet? (I guess they have things similar to modern technology in the afterlife... neat) Alex mused in his mind. "I would like you to have a good chance of surviving, so you actually get a choice in that matter. Considering each choice comes with its own advantages and detriments." She explains handing me the tablet. "Please, come with me for a moment. I would like to sit and discuss this somewhere more comfortable." Lauranna waved her arm, and a bright light enveloped both of them. Alex soon found himself falling into an armchair inside a very cozy... Cafe? Looking around and it just simply appeared to be a small out of the way Cafe he would have found in his old world. The Patrons however, were a different story. Wings, Tails, Rabbit Ears, Scales, and Vibrant Colors you wouldn''t normally see dazzled and mesmerized him. He stared at Lauranna, slightly confused. The goddess once adorned in Gold silver and Starlight, was now wearing an attire of blue jeans, a soft white blouse and gray knitted cardigan. Her prismatic hair now a vibrant blonde, held back in a low ponytail. While she didn¡¯t have the radiance of her former appearance she was still, quite beautiful, and a lot more relaxed than she was moments prior. "The owner of this little Cafe was a former Transmigrated Hero from a world Similar to yours, he opened this shop as a safe haven for various races in the world you are going to be visiting.¡± She explained, a small laugh escaping, as she noticed alex looking around confused. ¡°I''m bending a few rules showing you this place right now, but i figured we would be able to discuss everything a little more comfortably." She gently mused. A fox-eared gentleman in a gray and black outfit quickly approached. His attire looked like a cross between a butler or detective with his black pants, white button up shirt, dark grey Vest and black holster belt. The young goddess smiled. "Kaze, hello! Can I get my usual and a something for my friend as well?" She asked the Fox-kin. Smiling he nodded he looked towards Alex and in a soft voice asked, ¡°Absolutely, and for you Sir?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Um, Black Tea, with lemon please?¡± Alex asked a Little confused Kaze smiled and walked towards the bar talking to a woman with vibrantly long green hair. "Since you are showing me this place, I''m guessing you brought me here to suggest that I go with ¡®Transmigration¡¯ over rebirth?" She Sat there quietly for a long moment, and finally answered, "If this was a normal world I would have suggested you choose rebirth, but this world is..." She paused once more, a small tear falling. "Please just trust me when I say you would only face more hardships having to hide your status as an Other Worlder while growing up as a child." she finally lamented, "I couldn''t tell you earlier because certain rules prevent me from discussing mortal discrepancies in the far realm. Please listen closely to what im going to explain. Kaze arrived with drinks in hand, placing them on the table in front of the two with a somber look on his face. "The nobility and theocracy in this Kingdom follow a strict Doctrine that persecutes ¡®Other Worlders¡¯ unless specifically summoned by the Kings Order personally.¡± Kaze explained, ¡°Sorry I didn''t mean to interrupt. Seeing you with Lady Lauranna, I had a guess about the situation you are in. She must really like you, for her to do this. When you finish your ordeal and you are traveling. I recommend staying clear of the main cities, if possible. Also, please take this book. You won''t be able to read it till later. If you are smart though, you''ll understand what this is." After passing Alex the small notebook, he smiled at the goddess. ¡°It was lovely seeing you again.¡± Kaze then bowed his head and walked away. Lauranna holding her cup, gestured towards the tablet screen. ¡°Go ahead and take a look. Taking a sip of his tea, Alex couldn¡¯t help but notice the subtle aroma it was giving off, the sour lemon dancing wonderfully with the bitter leaf. ¡°This tea is really good.¡± he mused a small smile on his face. He wondered how long it had been since he had a chance to relax and enjoy something as nice as the tea he was drinking. in the company of someone as kind as Lauranna was simply in front of him. Realizing that it had been a long time since he truly relaxed, he started reading the prompts on the tablet. The screen then started typing out all the options in a coding like format. [Welcome To HeroResurection.exe, please select which program you wish to utilize] [Options for Hero Migration] Transmigration: Hero retains appearance and knowledge from previous life allowing immediate influence on current events. Advantage: Can Immediately act on given task for world, Can have direct control of Chosen abilities according to point system, can understand Language of land automatically. Disadvantage: No connections with Populace, Hero will not have access to early Leveling, Will be required to start at level 1 Reading the Descriptions, Alex found that Rebirth or "Reincarnation" as it was described was the systematic inverse for Transmigration, Giving him an opportunity to grow and learn in a more protected atmosphere, with the caveat being that it would take several years to accomplish anything. Heeding Kaze and Lauranna''s warning, He chose the former option, Allowing Alex to maintain his current faculties, and challenges. A new prompt opened. [Skill Store Open. Remaining Balance 300pts] [...WORLD DIFFICULTY ASSESSED/ CL6 WORLD IDENTIFIED (POINTS GENERATED)] [GRAND HERO SUMMONING ALREADY ESTABLISHED *REMOVING PRESET CLASSES* (POINTS GENERATED FOR REMOVED CLASSES)] [GODDESS APPOINTED SAINT CLASS ALREADY UTILIZED *REMOVING SAINT CLASS SERIES*(POINTS GENERATED)] [DEMON LORD CLASS INACTIVE STATUS *REMOVING CHOSEN HERO SERIES* (POINTS GENERATED)] [WARNING] [HERO SUMMONING RITUAL OVERUSE DETECTED *REMOVING: WARRIOR, MAGE, DRUID, ROGUE, PALADIN, NECROMANCER, ALCHEMIST, BARBARIAN CLASS SERIES* (POINTS GENERATED0)] [NOW CALCULATING...] [WARNING] [CLASS.EXE IS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO INVALID VALUE] [SCRIPT ERROR ADDRESSED: CLASS.EXE REMOVED (POINTS GENERATED)] [POINTS REMAINING: N/A] [**WARNING**] [SUMMONING.EXE IS FACING ERRORS] [UNABLE TO GENERATE POINT SYSTEM/PLEASE RESET....] [WARNING WARNING WARNING] Alex sat there confused as to what was happening. Before he had a moment to address the issue, the tablet gave out a loud *CRACK* and fell apart, the pieces quickly dissolved on the table. Even sooner than he could ask the goddess about what happened, he felt an immensely sharp pain flood his mind. White hot agony blinding his mind and vision. He reached grabbing his hair trying to focus on anything to help alleviate the pain. Unable to comprehend what was happening a blue screen prompt appeared in front of him, like he remembered seeing from an old Video Games he played in his old life. Slowly the pain finally let go, relief washing over him. He was able to read the two words on the screen. [Installation Complete] Taking another drink from his tea, the warmth helped soothe his nerves. He focused on the screen once more. The screen now projected the words "Now Loading" with a little circle spinning. A Feeling of confusion and worry as he observed his surroundings from where he was sitting. Everyone was staring at him, he then looked into Lauranna¡¯s eyes. Lauranna, just witnessing everything that happened, simply stared back at Alex, ¡°What Happened? Why did the system tablet just¡­ Fall apart?¡± She asked, barely able to keep her worry for him. As best as he could describe Alex explained everything he could. "Is this supposed to be happening?" Alex tried to ask afterward. Staring deeply into her cup, she finally looked up at him. Worry clearly written in her expression, as she finally realized what is happening. Nearly knocking over her drink as she started standing up from her seat. "Why is the _______ showing up?!?" She Exclaims rushing over to me. (Wait what did she say? Why couldn¡¯t I hear that word?) Alex thought, as the pain from earlier returned with even more fervor. [Load Complete: Now Booting WORLDBUILDER.EXE] [a:\ command.exe override confirmed: now loading prerequisite elements] [a:\ elements loaded... generating preset class: complete] [a:\ now loading status.exe ] [s:\ command confirmed... assigning_user: complete] [s:\ name generated: *Keeper of Story and Song*] [now loading...] As the prompt for loading restarted the screen disappeared and pain like no other continued pulsing through his entire body. It seemed as if his skin burned, even though his blood felt like ice, what could only be described as an eternity passed before he was able to finally focus and sit up properly. Confusion once again falling upon him. Wasn''t already sitting, why was he laying down. The cold floor felt different from the comfortable chair he thought he was on just moments before. Sweat pouring from his face he looked up to see Lauranna and the Woman with Green Hair from earlier, staring at him. Holding a glass of water, the young lady gave him a soft smile. ¡°Don''t worry, you''re safe. Here please drink this.¡± she said to Alex softly. Taking the water, he drank deeply. The Cold water soothed his nerves allowing him to look around and regain his berings. Wondering how he ended up on the floor in a different room. He quickly found shelves all around with fragrant sacks, and various other containers. The smell of coffee roasting and sound of the back kitchen had a nostalgic soothing effect on his soul. "Easy now, drink slowly... there we go." Her voice was smooth, calm, and very comforting. ¡°Don''t worry, you''re safe here. We¡¯re just in the Kitchen. He took a moment to really look at her. Aside from her vibrant green hair, her almond eyes shined like jewels and pierced straight through him. She was wearing what looked like a high cut black sweater, and faded jeans which seemed quite strange in a fantasy world setting. Behind her, Lauranna¡¯s blonde hair seemed disheveled, her low ponytail no longer holding, her sapphire eyes eyes full of tears and worry. "Alex, What happened, are you alright," Lauranna asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "Why ______________?" [System Fully Loaded: Program Start] Another world and even more questions Alex felt a new sensation creep throughout his body a feeling of numbness started from his hands and crawled through his skin, causing Alex to panic. Unable to comprehend what was going on he began looking around to inspect what was happening. A soft golden glow quickly enveloped all around as the pain in his mind started climbing once more. Unable to hide the panic that was setting in any longer, he tried to reach out towards Lauranna. However found he was unable to as he simply burst into a cascade of golden light in the back room of the Cafe. Within the golden glow of Alex¡¯s awareness and pain, the screen continued working on whatever line of messages it was trying to convey. Unable to concentrate on anything more due to the torrent of everything happening, he simply just closed his eyes and waited for everything to stop. It was the sounds of wind gently moving along blades of grass that finally caught his attention. Opening his eyes to a vibrant blue sky above him, he slowly tried sitting up once more. The pain was finally gone, as was the golden light. All he could feel was the soft grass below him, the gentle breeze around him. He could feel the soft warmth of the sun above, and a thrumming sensation in the back of his mind. He ignored that for now. After he took a moment to finally stand up and stretch, he surveyed the world around him. The rolling hills of emerald green and a few trees dotted the horizon. At the bottom of the hill he was on was a small dirt path, possibly a road to a village. The thrumming sensation was getting a little more persistent. ¡°Alright, alright I give up. I give up. Stop it already!¡± Unable to ignore whatever was trying to get his attention. Alex focused on the insistent sensation. WORLD_BUILDER.EXE NOW LOADED, NEW NOTIFICATIONS, was now showing in bold font. ¡°Ok, what are my notifications?¡± [New Notifications] ¡°Yes! What are my notifications?¡± He was starting to get a little more annoyed at this blue screen. [New Notifications] ¡°I get it, what are they? Was the screen trying to mock him, what was the system trying to prove here, he just wanted to get past this. [New notifications] ¡°WHAT DO YOU WANT?!? I''m already in the middle of nowhere. You have been racking my entire body with more pain than I have felt, even in my old life. Now you keep telling me ¡®New notification.¡¯ How? How am I supposed to check notifications?¡¯ Alex yelled, barely able to contain his frustration. [...] [Please press for notifications] ¡°What, Seriously that was it? Oh¡­ Well now I feel dumb.¡± As a deep feeling of self-consciousness flooded him, he reached out and touched the screen. Shortly after several more screens popped into view, various messages scrolling within them. Finally a new screen appeared in front of all the others. [Notifications] [New Profile Generated assigning username] [New Username Collected] [Welcome: Keeper of Story and Song] [Loading Main Screen] The screen started loading all the information you would see in a video game, name, class, stats. Strangely, the Class section was empty. Confused about what was earlier read, Alex recalled a username prompted as "Keeper of something or other." he ignored that for now, looking on the bottom there was a new highlighted section for "Quest Info," he hesitantly pressed it and a new screen popped up. [Quest: Road to Beginnings - Search for signs of the first heroes] [Journey on the Road of Beginnings as the Original Heroes once did. Search for a small trace of them, and learn more of their Quest of Salvation. Reward: The Staff of Beginnings, Access to Class System, Access to Command System] "Well then, I guess I don''t have much choice with that matter. If I don''t have a class, I wont have access to skills or magic, if this is anything like the stories I loved reading." Alex mused, pressing the prompt to close the screens. Pulling himself together, he tried to find anything helpful along the small dirt road, aside from that and the grass, flowers, a slime, and... Wait a slime...? Plop, plop plop... A small green can be seen just hopping along, devouring some flowers and insects. Alex gave a small laugh as it was his first time seeing one in real life. The jelly-like creature shined brightly in the midday sun, its jewel-like core glistening inside as the flower petals dissolved inside. Since he was maybe a few feet from it, it suddenly stopped, started shaking and hurriedly bounced away. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "I''m guessing they are not aggressive?" Alex could only wonder, curiously watching the little guy flee. He noticed his hand. ¡°Wait,something is off.¡± Taking a better look at his body and attire, Alex was now in dark gray tunic, a pair of beige slacks and firm leather boots. His hands though is what really drew his attention, they seemed smoother, younger. He couldn¡¯t quite place it, and put it to the side for now. For now he found a place to sit near the trail, as Alex remembered the book given to him by Kaze. ¡®A Travelers Guide to the Havenshard Continent¡¯ was written on the cover of the notebook. Opening to the first page, he found that he could understand the text written within. -Welcome to the New World. You are currently on the main continent, in the Grandia Kingdom. The Language spoken is Known as Common Tongue. Know that it is not the same as English, and that any mention of that language will alert the populace of your origins. Due to "Kingdom Doctrine," the citizens of Grandia are hesitant towards Other Worlders, and will quickly report you to the authorities. Your location is in... The Road of Beginnings? Why are you there? That place is way too close to the Main Capital. ¡°Wait... was this being written in real time?¡± Closing the book and looking around and opening it again. Alex decided to skim a few pages and found that they are written in a language he couldn¡¯t understand. Defeatedly returning to the original page he was on, Alex found an ellipses pulsing over and over. ¡°Is it waiting on me?¡± he asked himself quietly, amused by the situation. He took a deep breath and returned his focus to the small notebook. -Are you done? Good... Let''s start over. Welcome, I am Libra, your Guide to the main continent of this world. -I am here to help you get adjusted to your new life, and help you get safely to the Earlsvine Kingdom. -However, first we need to get some basic knowledge assessed. What Hero Class did you choose? Fighter, Mage... Maybe Healer? I know that one has grown in popularity recently. Unsure how to answer the book Alex decided honesty was the best approach. "Yeah... so, I wasn¡¯t able to choose a class. The system seems like it''s making me do a Class Quest." Alex continued to explain to the book everything that happened, with the tablet, to the system screen, to waking up the field they were currently sitting on. The whole time it just pulsed its ellipses as if thinking and waiting. - This is very concerning. Not having a class right now means you won''t be able to protect yourself or have access to the Skills Tree. However, this could make things easier to move around in since the Kingdom won''t have any notice of you being summoned. You also mentioned that it gave you a username? "Yes, it did," Alex answered. - Interesting. I will have to think about that information for a little while. -For now try to complete the "Quest" you were given. -Also you need to come up with a backstory for any travelers you may come across. My recommendation is that you are from a small Village in the Franview Dutchy, they are at least allied with the kingdom you are in. "Thanks Libra, I appreciate it. I will think of something if I run into any travelers. Before I forget, is there anything you can tell me about the Original Heroes that might help?" Alex figured he would try to get a bit more information from his new friend. -There should be an old statue north of where you are... but it''s been so long that it may be gone now. In the meantime, I must rest and think about the information you have given me. You should be able to call upon me in a few days. Farewell for now, Adventurer. With that the pages in Libra''s book had become blank. He tucked the small notebook into the pocket of his slacks, and now noticed a small sack lay tied to his belt. He opened the sack to find a few gold coins, several silver pieces, a small crystal and a small metal card. closer at it a small prompt screen popped up. He held the card closer inspecting the cold steel. A new screen popped up. [Identification Registered] Name: Alex Age: 23 Class: _____ {Error data not found} Lv: _____ {Error data not found} Rank: Copper It looked like a form of ID which would make some things easier for Alex, but the blank spots for class and level seemed troubling. Unable to do anything about the situation, he returned everything back to the small sack. This was something Alex could worry about at a later time. He had other issues that needed to be addressed, like this dumb quest. So he allowed himself to stand back up, take a guess as to what direction was north, dust himself off and start walking down the road in that direction. New friends are not always a good thing It was about a day''s walk when Alex came up to the wood line of a small forest. Not sure of what dangers may be inside waiting for him. The now younger lad approached cautiously. Something he finally realized while walking was that everything felt easier. He didn''t feel as tired from walking all day. Even his new ID showed he was now years younger than he was before. So everything seemed at least a little better than it was, at least until he smelled the distinctive fragrance of food being cooked over a campfire. Unfortunately this caused Alex¡¯s stomach to get the better of him, driving him to seek this new sensation unbidden. He soon after ended up finding a small group of adventurers further ahead. There were three of them that he could see sitting, eating and laughing together. He tried to watch carefully, so he wouldn''t gain their attention. Now that he found people he really needed to figure out what to say. He couldn''t just go out and say, ¡®hi, sorry your food smelled wonderful, and hunger got the better of me. HYUK HYUK!¡¯ It seemed like an ok plan, until the cold edge of a knife¡¯s blade was discovered at his throat, the warmth of someone¡¯s breath at his ear was also new. "If you want to live, answer me quickly. Who are you, and why are you sneaking up to us?" was what was whispered, the knife pressing more at his neck. "My name is Alex, I smelled the food and hunger got the better of me. I mean you no harm, I was only cautious of strangers after being attacked and losing my pack." Trying to think of a story as quickly as possible Alex basically just blurted out the story he was previously thinking. At least he left out the Hyuk, the embarrassment alone would have ended him. Thin hands grasped his arm, leading him forward to the group, tossing him to the ground in front of them. Whoever it was, they were very strong. "What do we have here, a little kitten in search of a home?" a tanned burly man, with a thick beard, even thicker black hair and heavy armor laughed in a deep joyful voice laced with a deep accent. "Where did you find this one, Evelen?" He continued, ¡°He looks like he¡¯s about to die of fright sitting there in front of us.¡± The owner of the knife walked past Alex. Finally able to see his captor he now saw as the tall woman within an oversized cloak sat down with the rest of the group, her dark bronze skin glistening in the firelight. He was drawn to her short jet-black hair and her light traveling clothes seemed good for long journeys. What really drew his gaze was her cold emerald eyes as she stared right at him. "I found him sneaking around our Camp. He says he was traveling and his stomach got the better of him." She mused, her actual voice soft, yet still as sharp as the knife she held. "Also said he ''lost his pack'' after he was attacked, kind of pathetic really. "Now Evelen. That''s not very friendly now is it?" The big man laughed, looking at me. "My name is Rodrick, please don¡¯t mind Evelen. She may not be the friendliest of people, but she''s very good at what she does. Please have a seat, join us." He points to a log around the fire. Accepting the invitation Alex quickly moved to the spot offered. This new person seemed to be the leader of this group. "Now then, how about we have a nice chat over some roasted Stone Boar. I''m sure your story alone will be worth at least a few bites." The Jovial man mused towards Alex. Rodrick then introduced the rest of his party, a lean figured human who sported dark clothes and a bow named Lucas, and a petite young lady in brightly colored robes Sarah. Both of them were wearing smiles as Rodrick told some stories of their adventures. Evelen kept her eye on me, but soon enough was smiling with the group, after mentioning how Sarah was nearly chased halfway down a dungeon by an oversized chicken. Sitting around the fire was a nice change of pace, Rodrick was a big guy but his jovial nature and kind demeanor is what shined through his grizzled looks. "So, my new friend. Why are you in these woods? Normally, travelers tend to stay clear and find safer locations to travel.¡± Rodrick asked, a concerned tone in his voice. "especially at night by yourself. You do know how dangerous these woods can be, don''t you?" "I''m sorry, I actually didn''t know." Alex answered back. "I''m simply a traveling scholar, looking to find more information on the history of the First Heroes. I think I remember reading that there was a statue in the woods nearby." Hearing this the group showed concerned looks. "Why? Is everything ok?" he finally asked? "Where did you say you were from?" it was Evelen now who asked. Worry now showing on her face. "Not many people venture to discover anything about the first heroes, especially after the church forbade its history in Grandia." Alex now felt as if he might have stepped into a hornets nest. Trying to get his story straight he could only go with what Libra had discussed with him to say. "I am from a small village in Franview, just big enough for me and my family. My dad used to tell me stories of the heroes that he heard from his father." He lied, trying to find something to get things from getting out of hand. "I ventured from my village because I wanted to see the world like they did. I didn''t know the church didn''t like it." He continued his tale, Trying desperately not to give anything away. Rodrick let out a big laugh at this. "Oh, I wish I had the naivet¨¦ that you have in this world. Don''t worry about it. Someone from that far in the sticks probably wouldn''t know much about it. Though it''s strange you call yourself a scholar if you''re from such a small village." He threw a bone into the fire. "Simple, I can show you the statue in the morning. Tonight however, you stay with us, eat and relax. The fire is the safest place to be in this forest at night." He stated a sense of finality with it. Rodrick then got up, offered Alex a piece of meat, grabbed one for himself and sat back down on the log. Trying the meat that was given, was not what was first pictured. Alex had tried fire roasted meat before in his old life, usually the smoke adding a layer of complexity to the experience. Unfortunately, this was... Bland and gamey, the smoke from the fire was barely making it edible. The Texture was dry, yet gristly at the same time. Trying not to show his distaste for the meal since this was the first thing he had eaten since before meeting Lauranna that day. Allowing his hunger to drive him to simply eat the meal. Alex hoped that the young goddess was ok, though he guessed she was back to dealing with more work than she could handle. The people from that Cafe were really nice as well. If it wasn''t for them, and the book Kaze had given him, He would have been in a lot of trouble from the start. Though one question really stuck in his mind: Why did the church not like the First Heroes. Maybe asking Rodrick may give some answers. Although something was telling him to keep that to under wraps for now and continued eating his bland meal.After they had all eaten their fill, Rodrick assigned his party members for the night watch and left to get some sleep. First one to go on duty was Lucas, He grabbed his bow and left the circle to find somewhere to keep an eye out. Sarah pointed out a place near the fire and suggested he get some rest as well since tomorrow should be an interesting day. Finding a dry spot nearby that she suggested Alex found a nice flat rock to use as a makeshift pillow and passed out fairly quickly from everything that happened. He woke a few times hearing voices of the party talking to each other from time to time. Hard to think that a rock would be comfortable at least until he felt a sharp kick to the stomach, waking instantly. "Get up, Kid. your taking your watch with me."Evelen stated with no sign of emotion on her face, she walked past the fire. "Let''s go!" Trying to get up, the pain from getting checked in the stomach, also finding all his joints and muscles feeling stiff from sleeping on the ground. Alex quickly headed back to the log trying to keep pace with Evelen. After a few minutes, minutes trying to keep up with her, he looked up at the tall woman holding what looked like an apple, tossing it gently to Alex. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alex responded quietly, catching his breath. Taking a bite It was actually really good, especially compared to the Boar eaten earlier. The mild flavor of the apple, along with crisp freshness help refresh his body. ¡°It''s really good.¡± "It should help with the stiffness," She told me, a small smile on her face. "So where are you really from?" Alex stopped cold and looked up to her staring dead at him now. Her green eyes nearly cut right through him. "What do you mean?" "I''ve traveled through every part of Franview and I''ve never seen or heard of any small village like yours. Also don''t have any of the Dialect or Mannerisms from that region, let alone any of the local kingdoms. However you seem easy to trust. You haven''t shown any aggression. Also the fact you don''t look like you adventured for a day, let alone the time it would take for you to reach this location from Franview. Finally the ¡®Doctrine¡¯ of the Church''s view on the First Heroes should be near common knowledge in this region. Simply walking through one city alone, the ¡®Heralds of Truth¡¯ preach heavily against them in public daily. So you may have Rodrick fooled, but not me. So I¡¯ll ask you once again. Who are you?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The look in her eyes that she gave alone right then, Alex felt would still haunt him for years to come. Unsure of what to do, he relented against what Libra said and told her the truth. He Started from meeting Lauranna, the cafe, how he ended up in the field, the system screen and how was traveling down the path to the forest trying to find a clue to finish the quest given. She was skeptical about the story at first until he pulled the status menu. Her expression suddenly changed from contempt to concern. "You need to get out of here quickly, before morning." she warned quietly, now showing fear for him more than anything else. "Why, what''s wrong?" he asked, now confused by the sudden demeanor. "The moment Rodrick notices that you are well..." she trailed off, a tear in eye. "He already plans to end your life after confirming any suspicions at the statue. He is The Templar Captain of the North Hero Church. About a week ago he was sent out here to investigate a disturbance mentioned by the clergy. We''ve been here since then looking for anything, and now you have arrived. With a half drawn story, and nothing to cement your reasoning" "Why are you telling me all this?" was all he could ask. Now worried about everything going on. His blood started feeling like ice. Evelen placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Because I''m old enough to remember a time before the North Hero Church came into power, and I owe the Cafe you mentioned a debt for saving me." she admits. Using a stick to draw a small map of the area she points to a small circle "This is where we are now. If you follow this trail here and take the left fork you''ll reach the statue by morning, but you will need to run as fast as you can once you leave the boundaries of our camp. Lucas is an exceptional tracker and it won''t take much to realize where you are going." Bidding Evelyn farewell, Alex thanked her. She gave a reassuring hug, causing him to notice her pointed ears and left quietly in the direction of the camp. Walking in the direction she directed, he waited until he was a good distance away before running like a madman. Along the path he could hear the sounds of something in the distance moving in tandem, something big. Too scared to do anything else except move down the path, he simply kept running. Strangely whatever was out there never approached. Finally making it past the left fork and moving, the sounds of birds started warning of a new dawn approaching. When dawn finally rose above the hidden horizon, a clearing up ahead was finally coming into view. Nearly out of breath Alex nearly collapsed when he made it past the woodline. He managed to catch himself when he finally noticed it. In the center of the clearing, covered in vines and flowers, and moss was a statue of four adventurers. Moving closer the air resonating around smelled... clean, like the area was welcoming anyone and everyone. Pulling on the vines and tearing them off, he found that these "Heroes" were just some kids no older than 17 at best. On the bottom of the statue was an engraving written in a beautiful script. TO THE HEROES WHO SAVED OUR WORLD WE THANK YOU! VERMILLION MAGE SCARLETT CERULEAN SPEAR JADE PLATINUM LANCE WIESS O Y S AF N The Bottom name seemed to be scratched out. Looking closer it seemed like someone used a knife or sword to erase it from history, running fingers along the words Alex felt the familiar thrumming of the status screen again. The status screen opened, sending a new message [Check Point Reached] [Now Loading] Shortly after his legs felt very weak, barely able to keep from falling over on the statue. He looked back up to the screen as it now displayed in bold letters. [LOADING COMPLETE... NOW REPLAYING MEMORY] [Begin Transmission] The Screen Lit up as 3 people walking down what looked like the field yesterday. Among them was a young boy wearing a knight''s suit of armor carrying a shield on his back, his dark blond hair maybe shoulder length. He was also able to see 2 younger women, one a shorter girl with bright blonde hair with bright orange highlights, wearing an even brighter orange robes, and the other young lady with soft black hair wearing a lighter set of deep blue armor. These kids couldn''t be older than their mid-teens. -Boy: Can you believe it, we get to be heroes and save the world!!! -Girl 1: I know, I can finally prove to everyone I actually mean something! I cant wait to prove my parents wrong for once. -Girl 2: I don''t know, guys. I''m not quite sure we can completely trust what they told us. I mean Defeat the "Demon Lord?" Doesn''t this seem like a bit more than we can handle. -Boy1: Relax, Talia. After all, we are the "Four Heroes of Destiny" according to the princess. There''s nothing that can stop us! -Talia: Relax, that''s all you can say. They barely told us anything. "Welcome Chosen Heroes, destined to slay the evil Demon Lord!" I mean who leads with that? Someone trying to push their problems on someone else, that''s who. I''m only agreeing to do this because if I said anything different who knows what might have happened. -Cedric: I''m sure we would have been fine, besides the Princess promised that we would be the ones who save the world. Save the world, Talia! Who wouldn''t want to do that? Look at Veronica, she''s more excited about it than I am. So, relax and just go with it. -Veronica: Hey, it''s going to be ok. I mean, look at [__________] he hasn''t really said anything since we left. He doesn''t seem concerned. It''s going to be fine, we have these two strong guys with us. You have your spear, and I get to be a MAGICAL GIRL!!! How could we not succeed? -Talia: ...Okay... The girl Talia looked at the screen and smiled, then turning once more continued her journey with the rest of the party. The memory closes on the screen as the group walks away. [Quest Complete: Find a trace of the First Heroes] [Distributing Rewards: Class System, Staff of Beginnings, _________] Reading the prompt on the screen, pain shot through his body once more. Similar to when it happened the first time in the cafe. However this time, he was able to stay conscious long enough for it to pass quickly. Now resting in his hand resided a long wooden staff, with ornate designs and jewels, followed by a new prompt on the screen. [New Class Unlocked: _________ ] Data Not Found [New Skills: Where ever will I wander, Return once more, A Mile in their Stead, Growth from Experience] [Staff of Beginnings: First form Unlocked (Storytellers Rest)] [Staff of Beginnings: Second form Unlocked (The Gentleman''s Clutch)] [Staff of Beginnings: Third Form Unlocked (Will of Gaia) [Please Assign Command for Designated Forms] Standing there leaning against the statue, staring at the screen and wondering what half of these meant. two things were now becoming clear. Alex finally had a class assigned, even though he couldn''t see what it was. and he needed to get out of there. First things first though needed to figure out though was this new prompt for the staff. He thought long and hard about what he would do for these new forms listed. "Shift First Form, Second Form, and Third Form!" He exclaimed, watching as the screen went blank. [...] [...] [...ok] [Command Accepted for Staff of Beginnings Transformation: Utilization of Command (Shift) and Names (First form) and (Second Form) Registered, Please register a better name for Form 3] "Did the Screen just judge me?" Alex asked in irritation, ¡°Never mind that for now.¡± A new message popped up in front of him. [New Quest: The Meadow of Forgotten Dreams] [Head towards Flintwood Valley] Great now alex knew where he needed to go and was now certain that he had no idea how I was supposed to get there. Especially since he had no Map, nor anyone to guide him. Though considering everything that happened concerning the heroes and the Class change and the staff he felt something was completely forgotten about... "Well now, look what we found. Guess we get to go home today after all." A large Bearded Man in Armor explained as he walked out from the wood line into the clearing, his jovial nature no longer anywhere in his demeanor. He stood there a giant Double Bladed Axe in one hand resting on his shoulder, in his other hand what appeared to be a woman with short black hair and... it finally registered. Evelen, it was Evelen, or at least it was. With a big smile on his face, Rodrick threw Evelen with little effort to where Alex was standing. Barely Landing a few feet away, Alex ran to her to see if she was ok. She was severely beaten and bruised, but it looked like she was still breathing. He sighed in relief, unsure of how he would have felt, knowing he caused someone to lose their life. In desperation he tried to think of something that can be done. If it meant them getting away, he would try anything. ¡°I need to get out here, and I was going to at least find a way to save Evelen as well. There had to be something I could do.¡± He breathed, wishing hard for anything to happen. Suddenly Everything shone a brilliant shade of White [Utilizing Skill: A Mile in Their Stead a Story in their Heart] [Retrieving Essence File: Evelen Goldleaf] [Prerequisite Essence File: ________ Loaded] [Summoning Aide __________] [Now Loading] The smell of cinnamon [Recovery complete] [New Notification] Hearing the dulcet tones of birds talking to each other, the gentle warmth of sunlight peered through the window, as the sweet smell of cinnamon and honey filled the air, Alex became fully aware he was NOT in the woods. ¡°Wait a minute, where am I? Wasn''t I just in the forest? I need to find Evelyn.¡± His mind started racing as he tried recalling the events from earlier. Trying to figure out how he ended up in a¡­ Bed. Bed? Looking around Alex soon realized he was in a small bedroom, wooden furniture all around him, He found his staff leaning against a desk. As well as a Giant Turtle in overalls and a white apron standing at the doorway¡­. ¡°WOAH!!! Giant Turtle¡­¡± Alex let out before he realized it. Taking a deep breath, he righted himself up in the bed. ¡°Sorry, you caught me by surprise there. The turtle simply smiled as he walked calmly towards the bed, pulling up a chair from the desk next to them and taking a seat. His stature was very large, but he held a very friendly demeanor. His Overalls added to the whole weathered farmstead appeal he had going for him. Where Rodrick radiated a false feeling of kindness, this gentleman before him, just held a relaxing air about him, like you would expect from a kind grandparent. Just a sense of ease and enjoyment were seen in his kind eyes. ¡°No worries my little friend, you gave us quite the scare yourself the other day.¡± The Turtle voice was soft with a slight twang to his words. ¡°Reckon you''ve been out cold for nearly a week or so now. Found you on the ground outside of the Village carrying your friend, covered in bruises, mud and barely alive. All you said was ¡®please save her,¡¯ before finally collapsing.¡± At that he started shifting uncomfortably. ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± Alex could only ask. The Turtle then turned towards the desk retrieving a small bundle, passing it to Alex. Inside was Evelen¡¯s Knife and a small book. Unable to stop himself, Alex let out a soft sob holding the bundle tightly. ¡°I''m sorry, friend. Tried everything I could, but she was too far gone. Found a nice place in the village cemetery looking past the hill. I can take you there later to see her.¡± He offered ¡°Thank you,¡± He said to the turtle, wiping the tears from his eyes. ¡°Sorry, you''ve been needing to take care of me this whole time.¡± ¡°Aww, Think nothin¡¯¡¯ of it. Figured it was the best thing to do. Name is Nedry Ridgeback, please just call me Ned. I''m kinda the mayor of this village. Sorta. I mean there''s not much Village left really.¡± Ned continued rambling a little bit. Alex couldn''t help but smile a little. Granted Ned couldn''t have known the sheer railroading experience he''s been through since starting. Not only was he coming to terms with the fact that he already died once, been transported to a new world, and nearly died again, albeit at the hands of a psychopathic ax wielding templar. Not only does he have no idea about the people at the cafe, he indirectly caused the death of someone who tried to help him. On top of all that he now has a giant turtle in overalls trying to comfort him. ¡°Look, Ned, thank you for looking out for me. After everything that has happened recently I appreciate it.¡± Alex lamented, wiping the tears from eyes. "I''m sorry I''m not really able to explain what is happening right now, but please, call me Alex.¡± Ned placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°No need to worry there Alex. You weren''t the only visitor recently. Another young man, stopped by shortly after we found you and explained some of what''s going on. You bein an other worlder for one, but before you freak out ¡®n all. Know your in a safe place here. We are not in the in Grandia Kingdom. Far from it, actually. We are in Earlsvine, near the northern border, a long way away from it.¡± Alex could only stare in stunned silence as Ned explained how some of the neighboring kingdoms bordered each other. Apparently Earlsvine lay on the far north with the Continent with the Grandia Kingdom closer to the southern reaches. An immense desert called the ¡®Armudian Expanse¡¯ separates the countries, not to mention several other smaller nations lie between them. ¡°Ok, I reckon you must be hungry. Why don''t you follow me to the kitchen, I have some cinnamon rolls and coffee waiting on us. Afterward I can take you to visit your friend.¡± Ned offered as he stood up, replaced the chair and headed out ot the room. Pulling the covers off the bed he realized he was now wearing different clothes, he found himself in a pair of gray slacks and a white shirt. Finding his other clothes neatly folded on the dresser in front of him, he proceeded to change back into his former attire. Although he nearly jumped when he saw the figure before him in the Mirror. Standing before Alex, was someone not who he was used to seeing. At least not for many years. He was a near twin when he was in his early twenties, save for being a little skinnier, and a little more defined in his legs and shoulders. His hair was now a lot fuller sporting short ashy brown waves, compared to his old style. He still had his hazel eyes, which made him happy. It was one of the few things in his old life he wasn''t self conscious about. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all.¡± Alex mused, before getting dressed and joining Ned at the table. Upon entering the dining room the smell of cinnamon and coffee overwhelmed his senses. The sensation was intoxicating to Alex who, since arriving in the new world, has not had a lot of decent experiences when it pertained to food. Ned, gesturing to take a seat, offered one of the pastries. Alex took a bite, immediately making a small noise of enjoyment. He didn''t mean to, but the soft tender roll, combined with Sugar, honey, and spices, danced in his mouth. There was something about it though, something different. What was this extra note, dancing with the melody? ¡°Is that clove spice? You added a bit of Clove to this didn¡¯t you? Alex asked, curious to the added depth of flavor. ¡°Spot on, my young friend. Bit of a family secret, really. I love it! Ned Gave a hearty laugh at that. ¡°You must be some kind of chef to pick that out though.¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Alex smiled back, now trying the coffee. He found the blend quite pleasant, hiding the normal bitterness you would find in the brew; he was able to enjoy its rich earthiness and citrus notes. The old turtle must have salted the water, allowing the more subtle flavors a chance to shine. ¡°This is really good, thank you. I mean it¡± Alex offered to his new friend. ¡°You sir, are more than welcome. I''m glad you enjoyed it.¡± Ned answered, another laugh escaping, ¡°Heck, I''m happy to have some decent conversation for once. On account that this place has been abandoned for more years than I appreciate, but that''s how Flintwood has been. Not much to do about it.¡± That last statement caught Alex off guard. ¡°Say what now?¡± About an hour or so after eating, Ned led Alex up the hill towards the Cemetery. Apparently Alex managed to find his way to Flintwood Village and he had no idea in the slightest how he reached it in the first place. Taking a look around he found the village to be half maintained, half reclaimed by the grass and vines. It was spooky to be sure, but the air still felt calm. Even though the village was abandoned, it was malevolent, as if it was simply waiting to be welcomed once more. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. It took a good ten minutes to reach the hill, Ned pointed towards the resting place of Evelyn, and walked away, stating he will be back in the house if he needed him. Alex walked up to the gravestone, finding it to be blank save for a symbol of a rose on the stone face. He knelt down to it, placing a somber hand on the rough surface. ¡°Hey, I''m sorry that I couldn''t do anything to save you. I don''t even remember how we got here in the first place. You risked your life to save me, and there wasn''t any¡­ No, I don''t know what happened, but I do know there may have been nothing I could do. We made our choices. Thank You, Evelyn. For giving me a chance at living, and for showing me kindness in a situation that would have been fatal for me. I hope that I can live to repay the sacrifice you have given me, and I wish this insistent buzzing would knock it off while I''m trying to say my goodbyes.¡± Unable to ignore the thrumming that had been progressing actively since waking up he gestured to the screen that has been actively trying to gain his attention. [New Notifications] ¡°Really! Who would have guessed.¡± Alex mused more annoyed than anything. [Warning: OVERUSE OF MANA DETECTED - PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DEPLETING ALL MANA] [WARNING: ALL MANA HAS BEEN DEPLETED - UTILIZING LIFE FORCE CONVERGENCE] [WARNING: LIFE FORCE LEVELS ARE LOW] [WARNING: LIFE FORCE LEVELS CRITICAL SYSTEM OVERRIDE ENABLED] [System Override Engaged: Forced Recovery Enabled] [Threshold Achieved: Class Shift Ability Unlocked] [Threshold achieved: Ability to summon aid sprite unlocked] [Threshold achieved: Staff Familiarity now at level 3] [Warning: Overuse of first and second forms have been damaged beyond normal means - Forms are currently locked until fully recovered] [Main Quest Completed: Locate Flintwood Village] [New Questline Assigned: Restore the forgotten village] [New Objectives Assigned: Please Check new screen for details] [Recovery Complete] Alex stood there, overwhelmed. What in the world happened. Seriously, what happened at the time, he was in the forest till now. Unsure he would figure out what happened. He put that thought to the side. He continued reading all the other notifications, deciding to check the other objectives later. The warnings he would have to talk to Libra about¡­ ¡°Wait, I forgot about LIBRA!¡± Alex exclaimed quickly pulling out the small notebook. He opened it to the first page hoping everything was ok. Alex, unable to really answer the other questions, simply stated. ¡°Yeah, I''m ok. I''m not sure what happened. I just found myself here just earlier today.¡± He then went to explain the events he could recall including Ned, Evelyn, Rodick, the Statue and the notifications. The whole time the book pulsing with the Ellipses that had come to understand meant it was listening. After everything was finally explained. Libra started responding once more. With that the book went blank once more. Libra mentioned reaching out to Evelyn, did they know her. More questions that Alex now had, and he was tired of feeling Railroaded by everything. He needed a break, something to help him slow down. He wasn''t a hero, or an adventurer, And he was tired of being treated as one. He was simply Alex. Annoyed, he finally pushed on the New Objectives icon on the screen for restoring Flintwood. Maybe this would help his situation, or at least help his new friend, Ned. [New Objective: Restore Flintwood] ¡°That''s a lot of objectives,¡± Alex laughed, trying to keep from freaking out. This was definitely a large order to get things settled for the village. He would discuss this with Ned soon enough, as Alex had one last thing to check. [Summon aide sprite] Finding the prompt he pressed the option seeing what information it might have, instead it just led to another message. [Use Memoire: Lone Edge of a Forgotten Princess?] [Y/N] Well that was different. Alex was pretty sure that this was the first time the system asked him a simple yes or no question. Although this led to another question. When did he get a Memoir? For that matter, where was the memoir? Only one way to find out, he guessed. He reluctantly reached out and pressed, YES. [Memoire Utilized: Essence file registered] [Now Summoning¡­] A bright column of light blasted skyward, a near deafening boom emanating from the column, along with a scream, from Ned¡¯s Home¡­ ¡°Oh No, the book from earlier¡± Alex breathed, now running as fast as he could to his new friends house. Quickly opening the door, he found Ned at the doorway to the room he was in just that morning, making his way up to the turtle, he could see what the old man was staring at. Floating in the middle of the was a brightly glowing orb of light slowly taking shape and lowering to the ground. Its light finally taking form, revealing a small figure with dark bronze skin, short jet-black hair and¡­ Alex Gasped. ¡°Evelyn¡­?¡±