1 Anywhere Without Monsters

The hero is always applauded for his good deeds.

Whether it is slaying goblins who wish to destroy women's purity or dragons that run havoc and try to rule the world with their greed, the hero will always pop out to the rescue. Just in time, never too early, never too late.

"Your next mission is to destroy the SSS-class boss, an invisible dragon that destroys and absorbs worlds' energy spirits. The prophecy states it is heading to our place soon. As the Emperor, I can't let my world vanish easily like that! Hiroki, you are a great hero who has defeated countless dragons before. You can do it again! Defeat the dragon and I will grant you a bountiful reward!"

Those were the exact words Hiroki received from the Emperor. It was the five thousandth Emperor who had come to ask for help from him. But because he was born from the Fountain Of The Gods, he didn't have other choices.

Fountain Of The Gods. Anyone who came from the said spirit fountain had nothing but one purpose in their life: to be a hero. Every one thousand years, a single drop will form and become a hero. A single drop that bubbled out and formed into a human - each with the goal of erasing evil and making the world a better place to live in. From the second their hearts began to beat until the day they stopped, their purpose would stay the same.

Hiroki should have been replaced by another person thousands of years ago, but for some reason, he remained to be undefeated. Whether it was a curse or a blessing, he didn't know.

What he only had in mind were the words: slay the monster so I can leave the world.

This thought had been in his mind for thousands and thousands of years. And like he had always done, Hiroki went on to his position, doing as what the Emperor ordered as he faced the mighty dragon and biggest threat to their world.

The sky turned dark as acidic rain made out of ice, fog, and poison began to pour. In an instant, everyone's sight became blurry.

"Stay down." - Was Hiroki's warning to the townspeople before he jumped up to a higher surface.

Using his mana and sword, Hiroki plunged forward. The dragon remained invisible but Hiroki's knowledge and power weren't something to be made fun of either. With enough mana powering his attacks, he quickly appeared and disappeared around the dragon while assessing its weakness and defenses. After dancing with this monster for an hour, he finally detected a part of it.

Squinting, Hiroki jumped, gathering all his power in a single attack and thrusting it to the dragon without hesitation.

Soon, a guttural sound of a crying beast reverberated through the entire kingdom.

With a loud crashing sound, the dragon fell down.

"Hero! Thank the heavens for giving us a brave and powerful hero!"

"We are saved!!"

"Praise the hero! Praise the emperor!"

The townspeople cried in joy and excitement.

Hiroki watched them, his face emotionless as he turned around and left.

Soon, the Emperor invited him to the palace. Overjoyed, the Emperor even gave Hiroki a hug. His wide and massive build made Hiroki feel like he was being hugged by a bear.

"Ha ha ha, I've always known you will win against that dragon. Come and claim your rewards, Hero!" The Emperor exclaimed with great delight while presenting a room full of gold treasures and weapons. There were also suits and gears that Hiroki had never even seen and worn before.

"What do you say, Hero? Are these enough for you? Or is there anything else you wish to have? Do tell me and I shall arrange it for you!" The Emperor proudly offered. He was extremely pleased and astounded with Hiroki's performance.

Hiroki remained silent. He glanced over the window, seeing the lively atmosphere of the kingdom that celebrated their win. Turning to the emperor again, he said, "I do have a wish."

"Sure, sure. Anything for you, Hero!" The Emperor responded.

"I wish to speak to God."

The Emperor blinked, "Huh?"

In every world he traveled to, only the Emperors - the kings and highest leaders of the world - were allowed to speak to God, the Creator. Even as a hero, Hiroki had never once spoken to God.

So when the Emperor finally granted his wish with a confused laugh, Hiroki prepared himself.

In a space where light and darkness intertwined, a deep yet seemingly fleeting voice came to Hiroki.

"It is nice to meet you, hero. I have heard of your achievements. You make me, the creator of the entire galaxy and the Fountain Of The Gods, proud."

"... are you God, the one and only supreme being who can grant wishes?"

"Yes."

"Then, can you grant my wish?"

"You have defeated an SSS-class monster, protected and saved another world out of all the five thousand worlds you have saved. Of course, I can grant you a wish. Speak, my child."

Hiroki stood still, face unfazed and serious as he said, "All my life, I have been slaying monsters and letting blood spill everywhere. God, for once, I want to stop slaying monsters. For once, I want to live as an ordinary being."

God was stunned. Then he let out a chuckle and said, "Very well. I shall send you to a world with less physical violence and more internal conflicts."

Hiroki blinked. He couldn't understand what God meant by his response at all. The words 'less physical violence' did sound appealing, however, enough to make him gave a slight nod. "...Okay. Anywhere without monsters."

In a far distance unseen by ordinary and mortal eyes, a smile could be seen.

Soon, butterflies began to appear and surround Hiroki. Waves of fresh and cold water came through from nowhere and in a split second, Hiroki found himself inside what seemed to be a clear yet extremely deep pool. Bubbles came out of his lips like tiny pebbles as the butterflies continued to dance around him like a whirlpool of wind. Slowly, bit by bit, he fell down deeper, his eyes starting to close.

A small light appeared in his chest, spreading throughout his body momentarily as his eyes closed. In a quick spiral made by the cold and clear bubbles, the light disappeared, the butterflies swimming away as they followed and dispersed to the water.

"Why isn't he waking up yet? Mama! Mama! Big brother, is he dead?"

Hiroki heard a tiny, high-pitched voice speak.

"Quiet, Shizuku! Your big brother is still recuperating. Stop bothering him and go and play with your big sister."

This voice... Hiroki began to think, it was more gentle and soothing than the other one.

His head began to throb and he wondered where he was.

"But I want to play with him! I will show him my games, Mama!"

"Shizuku!"

The two voices of women quarreling, the aroma of bread and soup by the distance, the air that neither felt too hot nor too cold to the skin...

All of it was unfamiliar. All of it was strange and alarming.

Yet, Hiroki remained still, not doing anything, not saying anything.

Just then, he felt a hand touch his head, a soft voice entering his ear. "Sleep well, Hiroki. Once you feel better, you can play and go to school. Don't worry too much about exams and just get better."

Hiroki froze.

Exams? What is that? Is it some type of weapon or food?

Thinking he had just accidentally opened an unknown realm, Hiroki sighed inside, ignoring the soft voices as he fell back to sleep.