Chapter 5 A Blanks Plight

Alex continued his solitary walk through the village. The village was a bustling place, yet something about it seemed off to him. Despite the constant flow of energy around its inhabitants, none seemed to cultivate it.

"Even the energy here feels foreign" Alex wondered. From what he can sense, the resident of this village, all have energy flowing through them passively, it was all around in the body.

As he walked past a group of children playing near a well. They snickered and whispered behind his back.

"Look, it's the blank!" one of them said, loud enough for Alex to hear.

"Why's he even in village, feed him to the beasts" another one continued, though in a lower voice.

He clenched his fists, trying to ignore the mocking. It was a bitter pill to swallow—once a respected figure in his past life, now reduced to a subject of ridicule. His frustration was getting to his head.

And the riducle was well deserved, because the very ability of humans to posses a ability, was a gift from the ancestors.

From what he could remember about the origin of ability in humans was, humans in the past were technologically advanced, they dipped into the field called science, which helped them perform feats similar to what we can do, albeit without using mana or any special energy, not that it was there at that era.

But with the emergence of mana, the balance of the world fell, the other life form on earth became capable of using mana, and strengthening themselves, the weapons of that era were rendered useless against, and that was where the civilization collapsed, bringing back the era of stone age.

Humans lived in small tribes, hiding, scavenging and doing whatever they could to survive, with their strength of being a society collapsed, they were left without means to retaliate. Humans continued to survive in the shadows for decades, the only aspect remaining common being their will, will to survive, will to overcome, will to adapt, will to be in control of their fate. will to be indomitable.

It was this will of their ancestors, which was engrained in their descendants as a instinct, which acted outwards imposing on the world, forcing the world to bestow them abilities. With the emergence of abilities, slowly humans regained their standing, and once again the human civilization rose, from embers, using the past as fertilizer, the current civilization was one based on fusion of science and magic, and world ruled by empires, a monarchy, instead of the initial democracy.

Hence, it was a matter of great pride to be able to use abilities, and those who couldn't were made into objects of riducle.

"Not for long....." Alex muttered as he reached his destination.

Alex stood in front of a modest but sturdy building that served as the administrative heart of the village. Inside, he found an elder, a man of significant age and wisdom, sitting at a large wooden desk.

"Excuse me, Elder," Alex began, his voice steady despite his inner turmoil. "I wish to contribute to the village. How can I be of service?"

The elder looked up from his work, his eyes scanning Alex with a mixture of curiosity and caution. "you must be the newcomer, I heard about.

In response Alex, nodded his head.

There are many ways to contribute, young man. You could assist with the harvest, learn the ways of the healer, or perhaps help in the forge. All valuable roles."

Alex shook his head. "Thank you, but I want to join the hunters. I want to protect the village."

The elder sighed, his expression growing more serious. "Without an ability, it would be unwise. The forest is no place for someone who can't defend themselves."

"But I have knowledge about herbs," Alex insisted, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I can gather useful herbs while following the hunters.

Fortunately, Alex had knowledge about alchemy and other professions, mostly due to his passion of stripping the world of its mysterious.

The elder's interest was piqued. "Herbal knowledge is rare. Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes," Alex affirmed. "I can prove it."

The elder nodded and called out, "Arwen! Come here."

A tall, wiry man with piercing eyes entered the room. Arwen, the village's herbalist, scrutinized Alex with a skeptical look. It was Alex's second time meeting him.

"Show me what you know," Arwen demanded.

Alex approached a table laden with various herbs and began to identify and explain their properties. His detailed explanations and confident demeanor gradually erased Arwen's skepticism.

"You truly do have a gift," Arwen admitted, impressed. "Why not become my assistant?, it's a life of leisure"

"Thank you, but my goal remains the same," Alex replied politely. "to join the hunters."

"So be it..."

Arwen sighed but didn't press further. The elder, seeing Alex's resolve, finally relented.

"Very well," the elder said. "Visit the training ground. But be prepared; it won't be easy."

As Alex left, the elder and arwen grew seriously looking at each other.

"There's more to him than meets the eye," the elder said. "to have even you, a person from the city impressed."

"Indeed," Arwen agreed. "His knowledge is not something one comes by easily. We didn't ask him about his background, out of courtesy, but surely it isn't so simple."

The training ground was filled with hunters and trainees honing their skills. Alex took in the sight of various training equipment—simple wooden dummies, target boards, and a variety of weights and obstacles designed to build strength and agility.

Among the trainees, he spotted the Kent, he was the one who was responsible for the village's defense.

If his memory serves him right, he was also the one who had questioned him, about his ability, upon his arrival in the village.

"Excuse me," Alex called out, approaching him. The hunter turned, already aware of Alex's intention.

"You want to join us," the hunter stated, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "go back when you have the chance, I have no intentions of feeding the beasts in the forest."

"let me prove my worth" Alex replied firmly.

Kent observed Alex for a moment, and nodded. "Then prove it. Fight one of my disciples. And don't go out fussing about unfairness, the beasts don't care about fairness all they see is an easy prey."

Before the fight began, Kent set the rules. "One on one, no weapons. Punches, kicks... use whatever you can."

Alex faced his opponent, a young but experienced disciple. The fight commenced, and it quickly became apparent that Alex was outmatched.

He could see the attacks coming but couldn't react quickly enough. Each strike landed with painful precision, driving him to the ground repeatedly.

"Damn it," Alex thought, struggling to his feet once more. "I know what's coming, but my body just won't move fast enough."

Still Alex persisted, but upon seeing Alex's persistence, his opponent stopped holding back

And the result, was Alex slamming on the ground.

But Alex's determination couldn't be wavered, Despite the beating, he rose once again, once again he was beaten back, albeit it took longer.

Kent observed closely, noticing the disparity between Alex's intentions and his physical responses. "It's not a lack of experience," he mused. "It's his physique. He moves like someone not used to his own body."

Despite the beating, he continued to rise, each time more battered than before.

Kent saw something in Alex—a stubborn resolve that reminded him of a fallen friend, whose own stubbornness had led to a tragic end.

"There's more to this one," the hunter thought, a sense of mystery clouding his judgment.

Eventually, Alex stood once more, ready to continue the fight. The hunter raised a hand, stopping the bout.

"I don't know why you're so determined," the hunter said, "and I won't ask. But denying you would be disrespecting your resolve."

He placed a firm hand on Alex's shoulder. "Welcome to the hunters, Ethan. Your duty is to protect this village." Alex felt something enter his being.

Though Alex should have felt elated, a part of him was unsatisfied. He knew with a bit more training, he could have won.

Kent, noticing Alex's expression, grinned deviously. "We start with building bulk."

He listed a grueling regimen of exercises. Alex muttered under his breath, "Fuck me."

The hunter chuckled. "Unfortunate for you, I don't swing that way. Now get to it, or I will make you do it all again."

Thus began Alex's grueling journey. The exercises were brutal, leaving him utterly exhausted each day, with no energy for anything else, his only saving grace, being able to recover faster using mana. Combat training was postponed; for now, it was all about building his body.

Alex's days were marked by relentless physical training, designed to forge his body into a weapon capable of surviving the deadly forest. The extreme exercises left him no energy after training, and to top it off, all he did was build up his body without any touch of combat. His remorseful moments were just beginning.