An open palm can be as strong as a closed fist

Both Nikolas and Stuart panted heavily as they rested their backs on the ground.

"This guy was way too dangerous!" Stuart's body trembled as he thought about the boar's strength.

"What do you mean?" Nikolas tried to look at him but he could barely move his head after spending so much energy in a single fight!

"What do I mean? Don't tell me that you become dumb after that thing hit you?! Have you ever seen such strong Boar around the village before!? This bastard must have come from the furthest lands!"

Nikolas' eyes trailed towards the Flameboar. Indeed, based on his memory, it was his first time fighting against such a powerful beast!

"Sigh... it's not like we can discover anything by speculating on the matter anyway, let's bring this big boy back to the village and tell the chief about what happened... But first, let us rest a little more..."

"What is wrong with you today, Nikolas? You were fighting so recklessly, and to make matters worse, you used so much energy on a sacred sword art. Are you trying to commit suicide!? If that's the case, then don't do it when I'm around! I don't want to be accused of murder!"

"What rubbish are you talking about now, Stuart?"

Stuart shook his head and stood up. "I'm talking about how you used your spiritual energy as if it was your first time using it! Otherwise, why would you be so exhausted? You clearly overused your reserves! Now get up and help me carry this thing, I already had to carry your sword before, I won't keep doing things for you!"

"Fine!"

He stood up with difficulty and went to help Stuart, it took them quite some time to lift the one-meter tall boar, that thing probably weighed a ton! Nikolas couldn't believe that he would ever have to carry such a heavy thing in his life!

They then headed towards the south, passing through the forest and the river, until they finally arrived at the entrance of the little village!

Nikolas couldn't believe his eyes, he was too excited to explore this world! The houses made out of woods and bricks, with their own unique style that resembled a little the contemporary architecture of his world made him smile.

He wondered how much it would take until he could afford to buy a vehicle, when that happened it would be easier to travel everywhere.

But still... He gulped as he looked at the village, there was no entry sign with the name of the place as the game, he wasn't sure where he was since the overall shape of the village that probably had no more than a hundred people was different from the ones he knew on the game.

"Hey, Stuart, now that I think about it, I don't know the name of our village, can you tell me its name?"

Hearing this Stuart turned to look at him, he thought for a moment, then he became angry and answered. "I don't know man, do I look like someone who studies for you? You will have to ask Athela!"

When he heard the name, his body suddenly shivered as if a ghost had passed through him, after all, the memories weren't exactly his, so he only took notice whenever something new was talked about...

Athela was the daughter of the mayor, such a hot-headed girl... truly scary.

"Why are you talking about me!?" A girl with light brown hair, wrapped in a single braid and wearing a few pieces of iron armor jumped from the roof of a house, stopping just a few meters away from them.

"Tsk, speaking of the devil look who appears out of the shadows!" Nikolas muttered.

"What did you just said, you moron?!" She appeared in front of him and did a martial arts movement that reminded Nikolas of capoeira, where she grabbed his hand turned away, and used the strength of her whole body to throw him away.

"WAAAH!" Before Nikolas could even understand what was happening he had already flown almost five meters and ended up landing right on the stream that circulated through the village.

Seeing him being soaked by water, she snorted and turned to look at Stuart. "Oh, Stuart, I didn't see you there, I hope you do not learn from Nikolas. He is a bad man who doesn't know how to treat a lady, unlike you..." She held his hand and smiled.

Stuart's back shivered as he laughed slightly and looked to the side, avoiding her gaze.

"Fucking hell... are you trying to kill me!? Be careful with those actions of yours!" Nikolas who was already back on his feet shouted at her, but the girl snorted and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Don't piss me off, Nikolas! Can't you see that Stuart and I are busy with matters of the heart?"

"What, are you going to sacrifice him to do some dark magic? Hahaha! Good luck Stuart, don't worry, I'll make sure to take care of your belongings when you go to the next world!"

"You!" Athela looked at him with an angry expression on her face and was about to chase the bastard that ran away while laughing, but Stuart held her.

"Don't worry about him, I'm sure he was just joking." Stuart smiled at her, but she frowned and pouted at him.

"Fine, I won't kick his ass, but only because you asked, honey!" She blushed as she held his hand.

Stuart could only laugh slightly at his own situation, it was during those times that he wished he followed his own advice... The words he spoke sooner this day for Nikolas even echoed in his mind, all he wished was to never have confessed to her in front of her father, such a stupid decision... sigh...

...

Nikolas cursed the girl as he walked, that devil in human shape was always like that, she was truly the most annoying person in this village, she was lucky that he was a gentleman, otherwise, he would get his revenge on her.

"Damn it..." He shook his body trying to get the excess of water out of his clothes, fortunately, there wasn't much water.

Nikolas walked through the gravel roads of the village as he watched every person that appeared in his field of view, he couldn't help but smile seeing how the people lived their life, the kids on the streets, the men and women taking care of their job, the stores and the main road where travelers walked through to get to the next village.

Everything was surreal in a way or another, especially so considering his new life! He didn't know how most would feel in his situation, but he had nothing holding him back, his parents were no longer alive when it happened, and he didn't have a girlfriend or anything that could make him want to go back.

It was a new life, one filled with opportunity, in a world where he always managed to live for real, and he planned to cherish this life to the best of his abilities.

He would walk down the trails in the sky, seek fame and glory, and show the whole world how powerful he can be. Who knows... perhaps now that this wasn't a game anymore, many new secrets would be awaiting him.

Shaking his head, he focused on the present and continued walking down the path that led to his new home.

Soon he arrived at a beautiful white and yellow house, it wasn't the best one in the village, but still a very good one.

His father, a man in his forties, was cutting firewood in their courtyard. He was dressed in cheap cotton clothes, his shirt was white and his pants were brown leather, the same color as his boots.

"Nikolas, you finally came back, I thought you had forgotten your old father." Ainsley Graham smiled at his son.

"Eh? How could you accuse me of forgetting you! I would never do anything like that!" Nikolas whistled as embarrassing memories came back to his mind...

"You brat, come and help me with the firewood, get them inside."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." Nikolas threw the rusty iron sword he was carrying in a wooden barrel next to the back entrance and went to help.

He took the firewood his father had already chopped and took them inside his home, leaving them all next to the fireplace.

It took them half an hour to finish.

"Ahhhh! Finally, we finished!" Nikolas fell on the comfortable green ground, his eyes directed towards the orange sky partially covered by clouds.

"Huh? Why are you complaining about so little work? You're becoming a lazier brat." His father lifted him using his clothes and dragged him inside the house.

After his father threw him on the sofa, he took some of the firewood and went to cook something in the kitchen. It was the usual routine, it was always like that whenever his mother and sister weren't there.

Nikolas rested a little before standing up again and going to the kitchen, he wanted to confirm some information first, he wouldn't be able to use his previous knowledge to his advantage without some info.

His father was almost finishing cooking the soup, he noticed his son and turned to him.

"Do you need anything?"

"Father, can you tell me the name of our village, I recently noticed that I've never asked this."

His father raised an eyebrow after hearing his question but didn't think much of it. "We live in Berbole, but why the sudden interest in this?"

"No particular reason, just curious," Nikolas answered but his face betrayed his thoughts.

"If there is no reason, why are you frowning?" His father smiled at him, making him gulp and laugh restlessly.

"This? Eh... Oh, I forgot to get the payment for the Flameboar Stuart and I hunted near the thermal fountains."

"Hm... that's indeed something to frown upon, you better seek your friend tomorrow to get your money, no one works for free." His father nodded at himself and turned his attention back to the soup.

"Tell me, Nikolas, have you decided what are you going to do in the future? You know that your coming of age ceremony is just in a few days, right? I hope you won't be like the fool of your uncle and decide to become part of the military."

Hearing this, Nikolas's ears perked up and he turned to his father with a curious glint in his eyes. Based on his memories, he always called his uncle a fool but never gave any explanation as to why.

Seeing the look his son was giving him he sighed. "Well, I guess it's finally time I tell you about him..." He frowned as he put the soup on a plate for him and his son. "Everything started when we were young. At that time, we lived with our mother in Causted County, in the capital city of our kingdom, Pensey.

"It wasn't an easy life, your grandma worked as a maidservant in the biggest inn at the time, it was called the Lucky Mold inn. Our father had already died at the time, he fell victim to the curse of a damn witcher in the borders during the war.

"The thing is, our mather was really beautiful, even if she was 37 years old at the time, many powerful men flirted with her, trying to get her to become their wife. Needless to say, it didn't really work."

He took a sip of the juice on the table. "But one of the men interested in her was General Cenric, and his names suggest, he was a bold bastard. His approaches were aggressive and he wanted her more than anything.

"He tried to approach us, make us help him, and offered many things... I refused, but your uncle accepted, he was greedy and wanted the easy path... in the end, he got what he wanted, and our mother... she died that year... after that, I left the city while your uncle created his career in the military."

Seeing the somber look on his father's eyes, Nikolas sighed and lowered his head, he didn't know that there was such a tragic story in his family, truly there are always one or two rotten fruits in every family.

"You know Nikolas, there is saying in our family, our strength comes from the heart, but our power must never be used for the wrong reasons... The founder of our family always said an open palm can be as strong as a closed fist, never lose yourself in your search for power, the consequences can be irreparable." His father patted his shoulder and smiled at his son. "Don't think too much on those things, what is in the past, will forever remain like that, there is no reason to mourn over the problems of the faraway past."

Nikolas nodded at his father and started eating. However, he didn't know if he could be like his father, this uncle of his... if he ever got the chance, he would teach him a lesson.