Chapter 2: I Dreamed of Being the Strongest

Currently, I was walking with sister Ellie on the way to the orphanage.

Sister Ellie and I have known each other since I was 7 years old. It was the time that she was taken into the orphanage.

It's not like we are close to each other, we just became friends after living in the orphanage together for 9 years.

Well, that's how I think it is.

Sister Ellie was a year older than me so she left the orphanage earlier.

Just like me, sister Ellie can't fight. However, she's beautiful and has good conversation skills so she was accepted as a receptionist in the Adventurer's Guild.

"By the way, Luke, you work as a mailman, right?"

"Yes."

"Um.. Do you know which place are you going to deliver mails next?"

"Hmm.. I've read my schedule earlier, it seems that I'll be going to Ash City, the day after tomorrow. Why did you ask?"

Ash City, it was a place near the Ash Lands which was said to be a dangerous place full of Devil Beasts, which was said to be monsters coming from hell, so being an adventurer is a common occupation for people who live there.

As a weakling, I don't want to encounter them.

"Can I join you on the way to Rain City? You see, I need to deliver something to my friend there."

Sylvestre County has 3 cities on under its reign, the Rain City which is the capital of Sylvestre County, Ash City that is bordering the Ash Lands and Bluestone City where we live.

"Is that so? Then why don't I just deliver it for you?"

"Eh? You don't need to do that.. You see, I also have something to talk about with my friend there... Anyway, can I go there with you? You see, I don't want to travel with unfamiliar people."

She changed the subject on her own before looking at me with puppy eyes.

Damn it! That's cheating...

'Sigh~' "Fine, you can go with me."

"Thanks!"

She smiled brightly while I look at her on the side.

What can I do? She's so beautiful that I can't refuse...

Also, she's always been stubborn, like a spoiled kid. Since she wants to go there, I won't be able to change her mind.

"Alright, if you're going with me, then you must rent a fast horse on the way there. I can't lose my job because I was late on the delivery."

"I know, don't worry."

Good... I want to say but I heard her mumbling 'reasons...' at the end.

Ugh... It seems that, me, acting tough was exposed...

I awkwardly scratched my cheeks, when I noticed that, we reached our destination.

"It seems that we're here..." I said while looking at the building where I grew up.

"Right... Hello grandpa!" Sister Ellie ran ahead of me and greeted the old man standing on the open field in front of the orphanage.

Grandpa Neil was the oldest person in the orphanage; he's a former adventurer and was a famous swordsman in his prime.

He's the one who instructed the orphans on swordsmanship.

He was also the person who established this orphanage when he was in late thirties.

It seems that grandpa Neil just finished on teaching the kids his swordsmanship.

Around him, was a group of children covered with sweat with wooden swords in their hands.

Now, he was already 83 years old and yet was still strong enough to teach the kids.

"Ohh, it's the little girl, Ellie..." Grandpa Neil smilingly said while looking at her.

"Good evening, Grandpa Neil." I greeted with a slight bow.

"Good evening little boy... Both of you come inside."

We watched the other kids going through the door before accompanying Grandpa Neil inside the orphanage.

Everything went normally... We ate our dinner with everyone and chatted for a bit before going back to bed for a goodnight sleep, that's it.

I got on my bed after wiping my up my body with a towel soaked in warm water.

After that, I changed to my sleeping wear. Well, even though I called it sleeping wear, it's just a white shirt and old shorts.

Then, I lied down on my bed before falling asleep.

"I'm a rich man once again!" I shouted in excitement as I opened my eyes in my dream world.

Alright, I know it's just a dream but can you blame me? I can relax in here for as long as possible, who wouldn't get excited?

"So, what am I gonna do now?" I said to myself

Maybe I should just travel around... After all, it took me quite some time to create this picturesque scenery; it would be a shame if I don't travel for a bit.

After making decisions on my own, I summoned a fast horse next to me.

It's quite easy after all I've been modifying this dream world for a long time. So, summoning a horse is not a big deal.

However, it's not the same as saying 'I want good scenery' and you got the result... I personally designed this whole place.

Of course, it took a lot of trial and error to make the place beautiful and not just a bunch of mountains, seas, animals, plants, trees and skies...

I made it so that it'll look beautiful no matter where I go.

As I began on my travels, I gazed upon the relaxing view in front of me.

There's nothing else to do after all, the horse will walk for me and eventually we would reach somewhere far away.

My journey lasted for several days, and I can say that I reached quite a far place.

Is there no end to a dream world? Actually, I don't know...

After all, several days of travel are not even a quarter of the entire continent in the real world, so how can I know?

Anyway, it seems that it's time for me to wake up.

Crack~

The horse was still walking ahead as the world began to be filled with cracks.

I closed my eyes as all of these happen.

When I opened my eyes, I'm already back in my...

"...horse!?" I cried out of shock

Wait? W-what happened? Aren't I supposed to wake up now?

The surroundings are different from my dream world.

I'm still dreaming? Then why did the world cracked?

It seems that I'm currently in a dirt road. There are trees a few meters away on both sides of the road.

I looked back and noticed a cracked space that was fixing itself at a fast rate.

Did I come from that crack?

"Hehe, look at this kid wearing luxurious clothes while traveling alone."

"Right, it's basically screaming 'I'm rich, kidnap me! Rob me, please!' Hahaha!"

"Hahaha..."

As I was thinking about what's happening, I heard a voice of several people ahead of me.

There are five of them walking towards me. I looked at them who were laughing, while holding sharp weapons in their arms.

'Hmm... It seems that my mind is quite messy and created something like bandits.'

Let me remove them first...

"Begone!"

I waved my arm as if sweeping across them.

However, unlike when I make things disappear in my dreams, this time they didn't disappear.

A gust of wind was created.

The strong winds slammed into their bodies like sharp blades, making them fly away for several meters.

"Ugh!"

"Ahh!"

"Ouch!"

It ripped their clothes, skins, and also broke their weapons.

"Eh!? They didn't disappear? Did I make a mistake? No... That's impossible… I've been doing this from when I was a kid, so how can I make a mistake in controlling m-"

"Hey, you! I can see that you're an ability-user. It happens that I'm also one... A strong one to be exact. How about this, just leave that horse you're riding as well as your money, then you can safely walk away with your clothes on, what do you think?"

As I was wondering why those bandits didn't disappear, I heard a voice cutting off my monologue.

Among the group of thieves, I noticed that the person speaking despite his ripped clothes, unlike the others, he didn't have any wounds in his body.

However, what attracted my attention was not his threatening words and gestures but the thing he called me.

'Ability-user'

I didn't know what it means but... I guess it's a person with ability?

Anyway, I'm getting irritated to these bandits. Just what was happening in me, why can't I make them disappear?

I looked at the bandit who said he was an ability-user before deciding to make them disappear completely.

"Just what do I need to do to make them disappear?" I sighed.

Unfortunately, the ability-user bandit heard what I said and it made him angry.

"You bastard! How dare you underestimate me?!"

He clenched his fist as ran towards me at a fast speed.

It seems that I really pissed him off...

'What a short temper... Unfortunately-'

"In my dream... I am the strongest."

"What!?"

The surroundings changed as the familiar scenery showed itself as soon as I muttered those words.

It was the dream world that I created.

As soon as my dream world showed itself, and I felt a strong surge of familiar sensation running through my veins.

I didn't notice it at first but now I realized why I can't make them disappear.

The place where I met these bandits didn't feel like my dream world.

There's no feeling that, nothing is impossible...

There's no feeling of omnipotence...

Just like what I am feeling now.

"Now, don't you dare to run away after trying to attack me." I slowly said as I moved my hands as if I was trying to grab him.

"Shit! A domain!? Run!" Sensing the amount of danger that I can bring him, the ability-user bandit stopped on his tracks before trying to run away however...

It's like his body froze the moment he tried to do so.

"W-what's happening?! Why won't my body move?" He was befuddled by what's happening.

The same thing is happening to the other bandits.

Their body stopped the moment they tried to step back.

"So, how about you explain to me what you are doing here before I turn you to dust?" My eyes squinted as I looked towards the bandit.

"J-just who are you?!" He's stuttering, it seems that he's still not on his right mind.

"Calm down..." I said slowly

He immediately calmed down as soon as said so, like something was forcing him to calm down.

"Tell me who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Bill, Iron Boar Bill. As you can see, we are bandits."

I relaxed myself as he replied to my question and the beautiful scenery of my dream world starts to fade away before the surroundings turned back, and the dirt road that we're originally in showed itself.

The feeling of omnipotence is gone however, I feel like I can make it appear if I wanted to.