The Beginning of a Journey.

It was a cool, spring night. The owls were hooting, the moon was shining, and on nights like these, you should be able to just relax.

But I hadn't been able to. My mother had been gone for the past seven months on some kind of business for the kingdom. She hadn't told me what was happening, but had stressed not to worry about her and just take care of the farm. I had turned eighteen a month ago, and she wasn't there to celebrate with me.

This made me wonder why she had left.

Why she had left me.

Dad died when I was just a baby after he got killed by something in the woods. My mom never told me what it was that killed him, but she always told me that he was a great man.

I always wanted to meet him. But I don't think theres a way to bring back a man who had been dead for eighteen years. Was there even a way to bring dead people back? Well actually, I guess that there probably is, seeing as those demon bastards brought back their lord.

I should probably go back to sleep, there's no point in getting upset about things I can't control.

As I my eyes close, I can feel the darkness. The feelinglessness of it enveloping my mind, carrying me to sleep. Maybe I'll get a few more hours of sleep...

ZZZ

ZZZ

ZZZ

*BRRRINGG*

"MM?!"

My eyes shot open. My alarm clock was going off already... Can't I just sleep a few more minutes? Well I suppose I can't, seeing as I have a farm to tend to. The plants won't wait forever.

I get out of my bed begrudgingly, wiping the crusty bits from my eyes as I walk down the stairs to the bathroom. As usual, I go to the kitchen for breakfast and cook myself some eggs. They're okay, but I feel like they're missing something. It doesn't really matter though, after all, I have work to do.

The Zandrisroot that I've been growing seems to have bloomed today, guess it's time to go sell it.

I'm just so sick of this day to day routine that I have. I miss my mom. I wish I had someone to talk to.

"I guess that you're done growing then?" I say to the Zandrisroot.

The plants have always been there for me. I usually talk to them, I think it makes them grow faster

I've never been able to do any of that magic stuff though, I wouldn't even know where to start. It just seems too difficult. Maybe my mom will teach me when she gets back? She knew how to do a bit of magic. It was pretty cool seeing fire sprout from her hand.

I don't have any animals, they were killed off by a pack of wolves in the middle of the night when mom was still here. We decided that it was fine and that we were already making enough to live off with plants. Me and her put the remains into the dirt to fertilize it.

I'm sure she'll be back soon, I mean, it's not like she would abandon me, right?

I should probably just get to harvesting the crops.

And so I did, I spent the next few hours harvesting the crops. After I was done, I put them into my wheelbarrow, and began walking over to the town. I lived on the outskirts, so it took me a while to get there. The sun was getting somewhat low, so I figured it would probably be a good idea to hurry.

I was pretty strong from my time working on the farm. But in terms of level, I was only level three. My stats looked like this:

_________________________

Name: Calric Landea

Race: Human

Class: Farmer

Level: 3

Exp: 35/100

Health: 150/150

Mana: -/-

Stamina: 110/120

Strength: 25

Agility: 20

Dexterity: 20

Mind: 20

Intelligence: 30

Skills: (Farming C), (Blunt weapons F), (Endurance F).

_________________________

I was nothing of note just like all of the people in town. My mom always told me that I could become something incredible if I tried. I think she overestimated my ability. I mean, I don't even have any mana. At least, I think that's what it means. Maybe I just need to get stronger or something.

She was always strong for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure why though, I had never seen her training or anything. Maybe she was a knight or some type of soldier?

But anyways, I've arrived at town.

"Hey Cal!"

I looked over and saw Lina, a red haired girl who I knew somewhat. She had always been nice to me, and I don't know why. I wasn't special, so I'm not sure why she wanted to be my friend. Her dad was friends with my dad according to my mom. I hadn't talked to him much, but he seemed like a nice man.

Lina ran over to me.

"Can't you say hi back?" "Oh, sorry. Hi." "It's fine."

She scanned my face.

"Are you okay? You have bags under your eyes." "Do I? It's probably nothing." "You have to worry about your health more! I know you've been depressed lately. If you let it go on, it'll spiral out of control." "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for being such a mess..."

I feel pretty goddamn useless right now, just dampening the mood.

She put her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't be so self deprecating. I care about you, and it makes me sad to see you like this." "I'm sorry." "It's not an issue. Just... Come by if you feel sad." "Yeah, I'll keep it in mind." "Good. I'll see you later." "Yeah..."

I walked away feeling like a buzzkill. Why does she seem to like me so much? Is it pity? I'm just a farmer, and she's from a family of magicians. I must be amusing to look at or something.

I continued on my way to the usual store. It was a potion shop that always gave me good prices for my crops. I knew the woman who ran the shop. She was a girl around fourty, and she was always wearing a black mask. I think it was for the fumes from the potions or something like that, and because of this, I had never seen her face. She also wore a large hat and black and blue outfit. But she had always been really nice to me.

I walked over to the door, and opened it. There was a bell above it, which alerted her. She swiftly came out of a door that was behind the counter. A thick blue smoke followed her out. It smelled very nice.

"Well look who it is, my favorite farm boy." "Yeah. I have a wheelbarrow full of Zandrisroot to sell to you." "Well that's great! I was actually looking to buy some soon. I'm glad you're here." "Right. How much are you going to pay?" "Tough question... Does thirty silvers sound good to you?" "Hmm... How about thirty five?" "Thirty two and a bonus." "A bonus?" "Yes. I've been working on something nice, and I would love to have someone to test it."

"Will I explode or something?" "Maybe..." "Then hell no!" "I'm joking I'm joking! Loosen up a bit." "Ah you got me." "Hehe. So does that sound fair?" "I guess. Also, why don't you ever take off your mask?" "My mask? Well it's because I'm hideous!" "Really?" "No! You're supposed to say something like "No I bet you're beautiful!" or something like that!"

"I didn't know that." "You've got to relax and try to be a bit warmer. Maybe then I'll show you what's under my mask." "I'll take it into consideration. So should I bring in the crops?" "Oh, yes! Please do." "Alright." "Put them in here." She said while handing me a leather bag.

I walked out and grabbed the goods. I placed them in the bag, and they all fit in! I think it was a spatial pouch or something. She must make good money with this business.

I walked back in and gave her the pouch.

"Oh! This is more than I was thinking. I'll give you something else as compensation." She bent down to search for something under the counter.

No! I did not try to look at her butt!

"Here it is! I haven't read this one for a good three years. You can have it."

I took the book from her hands.

"Guide to humanoid monsters found all around."

"What is this?" "It's something to help you when you get into adventuring." "What makes you say that?" "Well it's what you're built for, plus you're already level three. Adventuring is in your blood!" "I don't think so." "Suit yourself." "I guess I will."

She made thirty two silvers appear out of thin air. It was probably that spatial ring she has on her ring finger on her right hand.

"Well heres the money. Plus, this potion."

She took a small vial of yellow liquid out of her pocket and handed it to me.

"Drink this before you go to bed." "Okay. What does it do?" "It's a surprise." "If I die, I'll beat the hell out of you in the afterlife!" "Hitting a girl?! How barbaric!" "You're strong, I doubt I could even scratch you." "It's the thought that counts!" "I guess you're right. I'll just yell profane things at you instead." "How rude." "Guess so."

I turned to leave.

"Wait." "Hmm?" "Why don't we go out to get a drink sometime? As friends of course." "That's a bit out of the blue? But I usually have time on my hands at night, so I could probably go for a few drinks." "Great. Maybe Wednesday?" "Uh, sure, yeah. I'm free then." "Well I'll look forward to it. Try to cheer up yeah?" "Yeah."

I put the coins in my pocket and held the book under my arm then walked away. The door rang as it opened it and I left. Drinks on Wednesday huh? I've never had a drink, but I'm sure it'll be fun. I lifted the book out from under my arm and examined it. It had a description on the back and an image of a girl with snake eyes and scales on her face. I figured I'd read it before I went to bed.

I've always liked books. I feel like it's odd that a farmer like me enjoys reading, but it's just always been a fun activity for me. It's been a long time since I had a new book to read, and I thought that it would be fun.

I put the book into the wheelbarrow and began making my way back to the farm. It was getting darker outside by the minute. I didn't want to be outside at night because all sorts of nasties and unsavory figures come out then.

I hauled ass and made it within twenty minutes. I was pretty exhausted from all the effort of rushing. It also didn't help that the road was rocky and had no proper paving which made it a bumpy ride to say the least.

I took the book out and left the wheelbarrow in the shed where I kept my tools. I would have to replant tomorrow morning. I walked inside and went to the bathroom. My body felt fatigued and dirty, so I decided to take a shower. The water temperature could be adjusted to be hotter or colder because of the enchantment on it.

It felt great and helped me loosen up and relieve my tense joints. The soap I used was scented with lavender. I had made it myself after reading up on it a bit, and it had worked much better than I thought it would and had lasted for a while. I was in there for somewhere around twenty minutes. I got out and dried off. The book and potion were sitting on the toilet lid where I had left them. I changed into a set of clean clothes.

I grabbed it and the potion, then walked out to the kitchen to grab some bread and cheese as a snack, which I ate quickly. After that, I went up to my room. My bed was sort of messy, but it was easy to make. As I laid in my bed, I thought about my life again. I felt like a sad self-pitying loser. The thoughts disappeared when I thought about the book. It was pretty big, so I figured I wouldn't finish It in one night.

The first page was an introduction.

"Welcome reader, to my collection. This book is an archive where I have stored all of my research on humanoids that you may find around our crazy world. Some of these are so elusive that you would have to be holding ten five leaf clovers just to get a glimpse of one. But enough of what this is. You probably want to hear all about the creatures right? Great. Enjoy."

I eagerly read the book, flipping from page to page, learning about various monsters that I had no idea existed.

This went on for something like an hour and a half. I began to feel sleepy though, so I decided that it was probably time to go to bed. The potion was on my nightstand next to my alarm clock. It was only two sips, but tasted quite nice.

It made me feel sleepy right after, and I was quickly able to fall asleep.

ZZZ

ZZ-

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"HUHM!? Who's here?"

I looked at my alarm clock. "4:46"

I hopped off my bed and walked downstairs to the door.

"Hello? Is anyone hom-"

*Click* *Swoosh*

The door was unlocked and opened by me.

"Hello. Who're you and why're you here at this time?" I said, still rubbing my eyes.

"Are you Calric?" "Yes. Why?" "I have, some extremely... Bad news."

I finished rubbing my eyes and looked the man over. He had a suit of white and yellow armor on, and his helmet didn't show his face. This made me nervous.

"Um, Alright. Do you want to come in?" "If you wish me to sir." "Uh, okay. Come in." "Very well sir."

He stepped in, the heaviness of his armor making the floorboards creak. I lead him to my living room, where there was a couch and two chairs.

"May I take a seat?" "Yeah, of course."

He took a seat.

"As you may know from my armor, I am a royal knight." "Oh really? I didn't realize." "Yes. But onto the news, I am extremely sorry to inform you of the passing of one, Sheyna Landea." He said, his voice wavering ever so slightly at her name.

My world completely stopped. No, no way he's serious.

"W-what? Like, dead? As in not alive?" "Yes, sir. She is deceased." "No! You must be playing a sick fucking joke!" "I wish it was so. But I am not lying to you." "No! Goddamnit no!"

I clutched my head in my hands. This can't be real. She isn't dead, she has to come back to celebrate my birthday with me. Well both eat cake and play a game like we used to. There's no way that she's just given all that up and died.

"I understand that you are extremely upset, and I will leave. I have some things that I will leave here for you. Please feel free open them when you are ready."

He stood up and walked over to the door. Before leaving, he took some boxes out of a pouch and left them by the door. When he left, the sound of a horse galloping away could be heard.

This is too much. Why? Why does this have to happen? Did I do something in a past life to deserve this? Can't the world just be nicer? How did this even happen?

I'm not sure if life is worth it anymore. I don't have anyone anymore. Why should I keep going?

I got up and walked up to my bedroom. I laid in my bed, reminiscing about what I had heard lately. The demons and humans had been on thin ice with each other, there was probably going to be a war, and now my mom's dead. Why should I keep living in a world that doesn't want me or care about me?

I look over at my nightstand and open the top drawer. Inside of it is my knife. It's the knife I use for self defense. The handle is made of a green, polished substance that provides grip, and the blade is extremely sharp and completely polished.

I grab it out and look at my reflection. I have big black bags under my blue eyes and they look tired. My black hair is messy and unkempt. I feel tired. The blade cuts very well, it wouldn't take much effort to kill someone with it. It wouldn't take much to kill myself.

I could just escape from this miserable life if I just do it. Then I could probably see my mom again. It would be so easy.

I ready the blade in front of my neck, right in front of my windpipe. Maybe this would be too painful, so I put it over my chest instead. If I just push forward, I'll die. It would be over in just a second.

"Fuck it!"

I plunge the knife into my chest. I can feel it scrape on my ribs as islt goes through and punctures my lung. I can't breathe, but it's fine. It'll be fine soon.

My vision starts getting dark around the edges after a few seconds. I try to breathe in, but I can't get any air. It's all going black...

...

What's that?

A light?

Is that the afterlife?

It starts getting closer to me at an alarming rate. The light seems to be a rectangle.

[Hello]

The text on the box was read off in a heavenly voice. It seemed to belong to a woman.

"Hi?"

[Are you sick of the injustice in this world and want to put it to a stop?]

"I mean, a bit?"

[Well I have something that can help.]

"How?"

[You were supposed to receive this in two years, but since you need it now, I'll grant it to you early.]

"What is it?"

[The title of hero! The ultimate honor! You would be able to stop any and all evil, and make the world a better place!]

"WHAT? You're saying that I can become a hero?"

[Of course!]

"Well, I like the idea and all, but what's the point? Who's left to share the happiness with? What am I going to do after I get rid of evil?"

The original grandeur of the situation wears off as I remember that I have nobody left.

[D-don't lose hope! You still have people!]

"Like who?"

[The red haired girl and that witch! And the plants! they still need you! And also the people who need your help! You could have so much if you become a hero!]

"Yeah, you're right! I do have people!"

But I remember how I brought down the mood when I was talking with Lina.

"Actually, I would probably just fuck things up..."

[Don't be an idiot! It wasn't pity! She genuinely likes you, and you're too depressed to see it!]

"So, she actually thinks of me as a friend?"

[Yes! You've known her for years! You just haven't made the effort to better your friendship.]

"I guess you're right. Maybe it's not worth it to kill myself."

[Exactly! Also, would your mother have wanted you to kill yourself?]

"No, probably not..."

[There you go! Now, are you ready to become a hero?]

"What if I say no?"

[Don't say no.]

"Okay. I accept."

[Amazing! Now, you may feel a slight pinch-]

The text box disappeared and I was left in complete darkness. But then I began feeling it. An intense pain in my head, my god, it hurts like hell! It just won't go away! Fuuuck!

Oh, it's subsiding. I feel a warm feeling in my chest. Are my eyes closed?

I sit up and look around. My chest is covered in blood, and the bedsheets are too. The knife is laying on top of me, next to where I stabbed myself. I don't know how long has passed, but it's light outside. My chest feels fine, and there's no wound. There is a knife shaped hole in my shirt. I wonder if my stats have changed?

_________________________

Name: Calric Landea

Race: Human

Class: Hero

Level: 3

Exp: 35/100

Health: 240/250

Mana: 900/900

Stamina: 170/170

Strength: 45

Agility: 35

Dexterity: 25

Mind: 25

Intelligence: 40

Skills: (Farming C), (Blunt weapons F), (Endurance F).

_________________________

"I'm a hero! It's actually true! This is awesome!"

I can't believe I'm a hero! I can actually do something now! And I have mana! I can do magic and stuff!

But on the other hand, what about my farm? If I do a bunch of crazy stuff, I might get roped into the king's business. I should probably lay low.

I should also probably stop being a depressed sack of crap and try to not weigh down the mood. This is a new start, and I need to put the past behind me.

I'm not sure what benefits the hero class gives me. I've seen books on heroes, but I've never actually read one. I should go to the library and research. But first order of business is to go tend to my plants. The Zandrisroot will grow back soon, so I need to make sure it grows healthy. First though, I changed my clothes and bedsheets.

So then I went outside to the plants, passing the box of stuff that I had been left by the man. I'll check what it is later.

I tended to the plants, watering them, keeping harmful insects away, adding fertilizer, the usual.

But something unusual happened.

[(Farming B) obtained]

My farming level went up? It would expect it to go up when I'm farming, but I expected it to take way longer.

It made me feel happy, something I hadn't felt in a while.

I decided to go to town to do some research. There was a library there. It had been a long time since I had gone to it, and my card might've expired.

But that's fine, I'll just renew it. I sprinted all the way to the town and made it there in record time. I walked over to the library and stepped inside. It smelled like old paper, which if you're a fan of books, you'd understand that it's a pleasant smell.

"Oh hello Calric. It has been quite a while since I saw you."

I looked over. It was the librarian. He was an old man who had worked here since I can remember.

"Hey John. How's it going?" "Well. How about you?" "I'm not doing great, but it's not all bad." "I'm sorry to hear that son. You're always welcome here though." "Yeah. Where are the books on heroes?" "Follow me."

He led me over to a bookcase towards the back. I looked around at the dusty shelves. They were nearly untouched, and obviously aged.

"Right here." He said while pointing to a collection of books.

They were titled "Guide to heroes Vol 1". There were three volumes. I grabbed the first one and decided to check it out.

"So why do you want one of these?" "Well I just wanted to do some research." "Ah, I get it. Would you like to check it out?" "Yes please. I would like that very much."

Me and him walked over to the desk. He wrote on a small piece of paper and put it in his desk.

"You're good to go." "Cool. Stay safe John." "You too. I hear that the kingdom is on the brink of war." "Me too."

I walked out of the library. I should probably go and talk to Silvia, the potion seller. She probably wants to know how the potion worked.

I made my way over to the shop, which had a few customers currently. The bell rung when I entered and I saw that Silvia was talking to a customer, so I figured I'd wait.

My eyes scanned over the shelves of potions, taking in the variety. It was crazy how many types of potions there were. Do potion makers memorize the effects of all the herbs? It must be difficult.

I waited for a few minutes until the last customer had left.

"Ah, you're back. Did you drink the potion?" "Yeah. It just made me tired." "Hmm. Is that it?" "Yep, that's it." "Well I guess it didn't work. That's too bad I guess. But anyways, where were you on Wednesday?" "What? Isn't it Tuesday?" "No, it's not. it's friday." "What?!"

"How did you not know?" "I've been... Asleep I guess?" "What?! Did the potion do that?" "No no, something happened, and it left me in bed for a while." "What could have possibly happened that could put you to sleep for three days?!" "I'd rather not talk about it." "Well you better tell me! I was looking forward to it, so I want to know why!" "Fine! I tried to kill myself!"

*Gasp*

"What?! Why?!" "I was just, done with my life. It sucked so much." "So you tried to kill yourself!? How the hell do you think I would have felt?" "I'm sorry okay! It wasn't my best moment!" "Just... If you really feel that upset, just come here. I can probably get you something to help alleviate the sadness." "I'm sorry, I found out that my mom, that she died. And I'm just, I was just so upset."

"God, Cal. I'm sorry to hear that, but you shouldn't kill yourself!" "I know that. But I've changed. I'm going to become stronger and try to change the world instead of just sitting idly." "Well that's a bold statement. If you really want to get stronger, a dungeon might be a good place to start."

"Oh yeah. Isn't there one in town?" "Yes. It's also a low difficulty one." "What can I even find there?" "I don't know. I'm just a potion seller." "A strong potion seller that is." "Maybe." "How strong even are you?" "I'm just medium strength." "Really?" "Yup."

I doubt that, so I squint my eyes at her accusingly. Suddenly, a black window with a white outline appeared in front of her face where I was looking.

"GAHH!"

It was startling okay?! it's not like I'm immune to getting spooked!

"What?! Is something on my face?" "Uh, yeah. Can you not see it?" "No? What do you see?" "Uh, nothing. It's gone now." "Okay?"

But it wasn't gone.

_________________________

Name: Silveria ???

Race: ???

Class: Witch + Assasin

Level: 900

Exp: ???

Health: ???

Mana: ???

Stamina: ???

Strength: 620

Agility: 670

Dexterity: 840

Mind: 250

Intelligence: 680

Skills: (Stealth A), (Potion making A), (Regeneration B) + ???

_________________________

"Hey Silvia, what level are you?" "Well I'm around medium strength like I said." "But what level?" "I don't think it's a good idea to give out your exact information." "How good are you at sneaking?" "... What kind of question is that? It's not like I'm some type of rogue or assasin." "Oh, yeah, no. I was just wondering."

"Well it's a weird thing to wonder. What level are you?" "Three." "What's your class?" "Farmer." "That makes sense. Well anyways,I'm going to go make some potions. Oh, and take these."

She took out some red potions and handed them to me.

"Are these health potions?" "Yep. On me. Stay safe, I'd hate to see you get hurt."

I put them in my pocket.

"...Why're you so nice to me?" "Why?" "Yeah, why?" "Well is "I'm just nice" not good enough?" "No no, that's not what I mean. It just seems like you're friendlier to me. Like when I first met you, you were friendly."

"I'm not really sure. You're just, different from other people." "How so?" "Oh, I dunno. You just feel different from the average joe." "Is that right? Well thanks I guess." "No problem. now go level yourself." "Right. Hopefully see you later." "Hopefully."

I left the shop feeling relieved and a bit terrified, because if what I just saw was actually real, I may want to steer clear of Silvia. Wait, is that even her name? It said Silveria on the box, so does she want to hide her real name? I'll have to ponder this later on.

For now, I'm headed to the dungeon. From what I remember, it's a big cave towards the west side of town. Quite a few wandering adventurers come by for the dungeon because of the unique feature of it. What happens is every week, the layout will change slightly, and the theme of the floors will change. Each floor has a different theme, and the monsters that spawn correspond to the floor.

It's pretty cool in my opinion.

Anyway, I arrive at the dungeon a few minutes later. I plan on buying one of the swords from the shop next to it. The person probably realized it was a good idea to capitalize on the need for weapons and set up next to it.

I can hear the idle chatter of adventurers near the entrance of the dungeon. They're all excited to go find loot and kill monsters. There's even one guy who's playing music on a guitar. I look away and walk over to the weapon shop.

When I walked in, I was greeted by the sight of what seemed to be an armies worth of weapons. People probably sold the shop the weapons they found when exploring.

The middle was a giant mass of swords, staffs, and other weapons. I couldn't make heads or tails of the pile, so I started grabbing at random. The first thing I grabbed was a sword. It looked like a pretty generic iron sword, which, while it would do, I still want to see if there was something that was better. The price tag on it said "10 Silvers"

I eventually did find something nice. It was an iron shortsword, but it had a sharper edge than the others. I actually tested this by rubbing it against another iron sword, and it made a notch on the other. It seemed more logical than using my own finger to test it.

The price tag said that it was ten silvers as well. After reading this, I went over to the registers to buy it.

"Hello, I would like to purchase this." "Of course. That will be ten silvers."

I took them out of my pocket and counted them out. I handed her the ten that were required then walked out of the store.

I walked over to the entrance of the dungeon. It had a gate that you needed to pay to gain entry through. It only costed five coppers though, so it was more than affordable. The line was small, which surprised me because of how many people were there, but I thought that it was probably because the people were actually trying to party up.

I, however, am not too keen on trusting someone I don't know with my life. It's just not a good idea.

The line moved forward relatively quickly. It only took like, five minutes to get to the entrance.

"Welcome. Do you have the entrance fee?" "Yes, right here." I handed them the five coppers that were required. I had made them by splitting one silver into ten coppers.

The gate opened and I was greeted by the large mouth of the cave. I began making my way into the dungeon. It was a staircase that lead down into the dungeon.

The walls were made from stone bricks and there were torches that lit the area up. I walked around the maze-like place for a few minutes before I found my first monster. It was a small gray slime that had a metal glove inside it.

I slashed it with my sword, and it split in half. I guess that it can survive that? It's kind of weird though, because now there are two slimes trying to crawl towards me. I realized that there was a small ball in each of them. I was pretty sure that this was what kept them alive, so I began trying to destroy it. Whenever I slashed at the slime, it just pushed the ball to the side.

I had one idea, and it was kind of dumb. I figured it was worth a shot though, so I said fuck it and tried it.

Instead of using my sword I tried to grab the ball instead. The slime was super gelatinous, but wasn't very sticky. I was actually able to grab the ball and crush it between my fingers. The slime melted into a pile of goop because there was nothing controlling it anymore.

I did the same with the other one, then moved on. I had cut the glove in half, so it wasn't worth taking.

To my luck though, around the corner was another slime. A FUCKING MASSIVE ONE! It was seriously like, as big as a horse! No goddamn way I was going to fight that! So I ran away. The halls slowly got darker and darker as the torches became less abundant. This was a shitty first dungeon! It's complete bullshit that I got paired against a champion right off! What kind of luck is that?!

I saw a chest on my mad dash to distance to get away from the champion, so I figured I would take a look. Yes, I do love chests! Who doesn't? I didn't see anything behind me, so I figured it was safe for the moment.

Inside the chest was a pair of metal boots that seemed pretty sturdy. Compared to my farm shoes, they were a definite upgrade. I looked around to confirm my safety before I put them on.

They fit very nicely, and were quite light. I was satisfied with this find, and was ready to call it a day. Only problem was I had no idea where I was. I had run way too far and was lost. Guess I'll have to wander my way out. Sounds great, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll escape with all my limbs.

I began aimlessly walking through the dark hallways, occasionally stomping on small slimes that I wandered by. But eventually, I got to a door. It was made of wood, and I wasn'tsure if it was a good idea. But I mean, it's not like I know the way back. I don't have much of an option here, so I guess that I don't have much of a choice. Maybe it'll be the boss and I'll get lucky with a weak one.

*Creeak*

The door seemed old and was pretty heavy. It was completely dark inside the room, and it smelled musty and old.

"Welcome... Intruder..." Came a voice that sounded ghoulish.

"I'm here to kill you monster!" "Kill... Me...? But you... Seem to be... Only level three..." "How do you know that?!" "I have... My methods." "What does that mean!?" "Enough... I cannot talk any more... We must fight now..." "So be it! Show yourself!"

The room lit up from large chandeliers on the roof. A throne was illuminated, and a large suit of armor was seen sitting on a wooden chair in the middle of the room. There was a large spear clutched in it's left hand, and there was a T shaped hole in it's helmet so that one could see through it. Two glowing red eyes shone through it, seemingly staring into my soul.

"Ready your... Weapon..."

I did as I was told. I'm pretty boned at this point, seeing as this guy is fucking huge. He stands at around eight feet and his spear is around six feet long.

He made the first move. It involved launching himself towards me and smashing downward at my head with the spear. I only barely dodged it, but he followed up with a sideward slash. It cut my side, which began bleeding profusely. It was my time to attack, and I did this by stabbing through it's helmet.

He cried out in main and was momentarily dazed which I took full advantage of. I ran behind him and kicked the back of his knee. This made him fall down. ai took advantage of this by putting my foot above his helmet and stomping.

*Krrk*

It made a crumpling noise as it got dented in a bit. I kept stomping on it until it was a crumpled pile of metal.

"Is that it? Is he dead?"

I said to myself while looking around. Was that really it? It seems kind of underwhelming. But I guess I shouldn't look a gift-

*BOMP"

FUCK! Something just hit me in the back of the head!

When I turned around, I saw that the creature was still alive. I grabbed one of the health potions out of my pocket. It was small, but when I drank it I could feel the effects clearly. My side was mending and the back of my head seemed to be healing from an injury I didn't even know about. I guess it makes sense, as I was just sucker punched in the back of the head.

"It's not over... Yet...!" "I can tell! Why aren't you dead yet!?" "You give me... No credit for my... Strength..."

Suddenly, I felt an extreme pressure on my body. The boss's armor began to glow red, and it's eyes began to glow brighter. The helmet seems to have been repaired. I dropped my sword as well.

"I was going... Easy on you... But prepare for the... Real fight...!" "Shit!"

Before I could even collect myself, he dashed at me, spear overhead again. This isn't even fair! My first fucking boss battle is a berserker?! What the hell am I supposed to do?! Die?! Because I can do that pretty easily right now!

Right before the spear hit me, I rolled out of the way, getting my arm badly cut in the process. I grabbed the other health potion I had and drank it. It started healing my side as well, since the other potion hadn't completely healed it.

I got to my feet to get a better chance to dodge, and I glad I did. He had dashed at where I was laying and stabbed downward, only barely missing my foot.

[(Dodging F) acquired!]

Great! Now I can run like a bitch better!

I ducked and dodged the sideward slash that the boss had used. I'm lucky that he only goes for heavy attacks, it makes it easier to predict.

I've got to get over to my sword or hope he gets tired. Maybe I can look at his stats?

_________________________

Name: ???

Race: Undead

Class: Berserker

Level: 15

Exp:???

Health: 500/550

Mana: 100/100

Stamina: 140/250

Strength: 70

Agility: 30

Dexterity: 20

Mind: 15

Intelligence: 35

Skills: (Rage D), (Spear proficiency D), (Endurance D) +???

_________________________

I think that I might be able to wear him out if I keep this up, but what about me? Can I keep this up? Guess I'll see.

<An unknown location>

"Sir, we have news that the demon king is back." "I knew this day would come. Do we have enough power to defeat him?" "No. We would need to band together with other kingdoms if we want a chance to beat him." "That's not a viable option." "Yes, I know sir. Do you approve of the decision to search for the hero?" "You haven't already done that?!" "N-no sir. We needed your approval to begin." "Of course you have my approval! If I hear that you've done something as stupid as this again, I'll have you beheaded!" "I-I'm sorry sir! It won't happen again!" "Good. Now go and search!" "Yes sir!"

<Back in the dungeon>

I'm not doing too well right now. I have a bunch of cuts on my arms from the berserker. I wish I had saved one of those potions because this hurts like hell. I think he's just as bad off though, because he's getting sluggish and clumsy. Let me check.

_________________________

Name: ???

Race: Undead

Class: Berserker

Level: 15

Exp:???

Health: 400/550

Mana: 100/100

Stamina: 35/250

Strength: 70

Agility: 30

Dexterity: 20

Mind: 15

Intelligence: 35

Skills: (Rage D), (Spear proficiency D), (Endurance D) +???

_________________________

Holy crap he's that exhausted and he's still standing? What the hell kind of shit is this?! I'm about to fucking pass out and yet he's still going pretty strong? Guess I'll just fucking die then!

Oh? Did he just fall to his knees?

*Cough Cough*

"You win, intruder. It's hard to believe that I was beat by a level *Cough* Three. It's been so long since I had a challenger, and I even got to warm up my decrepit old body." "Are you not the boss?" "No, of course not. To be a lowly mindless beast, I would rather die."

He collapsed onto the ground in a coughing fit.

"So why are you still here? Hasn't anyone found this room before?" "No. I cannot remember the last time someone found this place." "But I found it by accident!" "Lucky you... But as your reward for beating me, you can have anything you want from the treasure room."

I walked over to him.

"But you're a relatively low level, I didn't really earn anything great for what I've done." "I used to be an amazing warrior. I've long since become a dried up husk of myself..."

"So why were you here?" "Hahaha... It was my own stupidity that did this. I was a fiery young man at one point and that got me put here. I'll just say that I talked badly to the wrong person." "Who?" "I can't tell you, but you'll find out *COUGH* if you get down further. But now, just leave a dying man, to rest..."

He began to turn to dust from the feet up, until all that was left was his armor and spear. *Cough* I think I inhaled some of his dust or something, gross.

I wanted to take the armor because it ws pretty strong, but it was too heavy to carry. But I remembered how fragile the helmet was and figured the rest was probably like that.

The spear however, was way too big. It was as big as my body, and was not a viable option as a weapon.

I looked around and saw another door that I hadn't seen due to the man being in the way. It was made from iron and had a keyhole. Was I supposed to have a key? Did he have the key? I want to check.

I looked inside his armor, and sure enough, there was a key inside of it. I grabbed it and brought it over to the door. It fit into the keyhole like I expected, and the door opened inward after I turned the key.

There were four chests that were all along the back two walls as well as a pedestal in the middle of the room. It was seemingly lit up with moonlight, even though there was no window on the ceiling. Upon closer inspection of the pedestal, I saw that there was a bottle of some sort on top. It was shifting color constantly.

I decided to check the chests first in case the pedestal was trapped. The first one I opened was the one on the far left. Inside of it was a set of five potions. They were all red and medium sized. I'm pretty sure that they're health potions, and high grade ones at that. Next up was the second chest. Inside was a set of armor consisting of a shiny metal chest plate and leggings.

They seemed to be the right size for me, so I tried to put them on. It took a minute for me to figure out how to put it on, but I got it pretty quickly. It fit well and was quite light, allowing me to move unhindered with it on.

I moved on to the third chest. Inside of it were five more potions that looked nearly identical to the others, except the fact that they were blue. I think that they're mana potions, which from what I've heard, are extremely helpful for mages. I could probably sell these for a high price.

And then, I got to the final chest. Inside of it was a bracelet with a green gem and a ring with a purple gem. The green gem bracelet didn't seem to do anything when I put it on, so I'm guessing it does something passively. I had a suspicion about the purple gen ring, so I decided to put it to the test. I took one of the mana potions from the chest next to me and held it to the ring. And to my amazement, it was put into the ring! I really friggin happy I found this! It'll help immensely, especially with carrying these potions.

So I walked over and put all ten potions into my new storage ring.

But lastly, the potion. I feel like it might do something weird, so I'll consult Silvia before I drink it or anything. I put it into my ring.

Now, how was I supposed to get out? I hadn't seen an exit portal or anything. Wait, there's one in the middle of the room now?

And clear as day, there was one right in the middle of the room. I think it appeared after I went into the treasure room. That's pretty convenient. I don't think it spawned a portal to the next level. Not that I would have used it. I started to walk over to it, but suddenly felt a bit odd.

My body feels a bit light right now for some reason, and my vision is kind of blurry... There's also a lot of blood on my hands right now...

The adrenaline from the near death experience began to wear off, and I realized that I was suffering from extreme blood loss.

There's no way I'd die from something as lame as blood loss right? I'd kill myself if that happened. Guess I already did try to kill myself though huh?

I started to hobble over to the portal, my vision getting hazier by the second. The blue outline of the portal and the black circle that was the middle was basically beckoning me to it. As I neared it, I felt the slight presence of the energy that was exuding off the portal. I'm glad that the book about dungeons I read a while back was accurate.

It felt like complete nothingness inside the portal when I stepped in, and it was completely black. It felt like only a few seconds before I was spit out next to the dungeon.

"Hey, where did that guy come from?" "Is he okay?" "That's a lot of blood..."

I think they're talking to me. I should probably get to a doctor. My arms are still bleeding, and I feel worse...

"Is anyone here a healer? I need... A healer..."

I collapsed to the ground, my vision darkening rapidly. My hearing was also beginning to deafen. I really hope I don't die like this, it'd be pretty embarrassing...

I was suddenly in total darkness. I couldn't feel do anything but stay still. Am I dead? I really hope I didn't die from blood loss! I'd rather die from a cool monster or something! Ugh, I don't think it gets worse than dying from blood loss. Well, I guess there are worse things like dying from food poisoning or falling into a hole. Dying a bloody death seems cooler than the alternative.

I feel pretty tired now though... I guess taking a nap while waiting for the reaper or whatever wouldn't be a terrible plan. Guess I'll sleep...

ZZZ

ZZZ

ZZZ

<Some time later>

I opened my eyes and was greeted by a wood ceiling. There was a light next to me. I turned my head, and was surprised when it hurt to do so.

Actually, my whole body hurts. Where even am I?

I looked around the room and saw that Silvia was in a chair next to the door of the room I was In with a book in hand. I'm not sure if she's awake or not because of her mask, but she hasn't noticed that I'm awake yet.

I sat up in my bed, which hurt, a lot. I actually let out a little grunt of pain, which is kind of embarrassing. Silvia looked up, which was a bit menacing given her black mask.

"Oh! You're finally up!" She put her book down and came over.

"Yeah. Where am I?" "The hospital. You were on the brink of death!" "I know. I was there when it happened." "Stop with the smart-assery! You actually could have died! Do you know what that means?" "That I'd be dead?" "Exactly! If you die, you're dead! Do you know how hard it is to find someone who can resurrect people?! Really damn hard! You'd need to pay a lot of money or be in good with the church! Not to mention the possible side effects!"

"I'm sorry okay!? I didn't expect to run into a raid boss right off the bat!" "What?" "Yeah! I ran into a ridiculously strong boss right off." "What was it?" "An undead berserker. Apparently he was some type of great warrior a long time ago." "An UNDEAD BERSERKER? In an E tier dungeon?" "Uh huh. That's what I said." "There's no way that's real. How do you know that he was a great warrior?"

"Well he told me." "He TOLD you? He could TALK?" "Yes. I had a whole conversation with him before he died." "This Is absurd. I have never heard of something like that happening. Especially not in a weak dungeon like that." "Me neither."

"So, now to address the elephant in the room..." "What is it?" "What'd you get?! Something cool?!" She said with her hands balled into fists like an excited child.

Well I didn't expect her to ask that.

"I did get cool stuff actually." "Show me!" "Okay okay calm down!"

I took out one of each of the potions from my ring.

"Pretty cool huh?" "Right... And you got these from the first level?" "Yep. Are they good?" "Yes. Actually, these are extremely good. What kind of luck nets you these..." "My luck I'd assume." "I guess so. Oh, also, did you get a spatial ring?" "Yes, I did. I also got this bracelet."

I showed her the bracelet that was on my arm.

"What does it do?" "I don't know." "Huh. Did you also get this armor?" She said while pointing to my armor which was on the floor next to the bed. I hadn't even realized that I had been stripped of my armor.

"Yeah, I did." "Well that's a pretty successful haul. At least you didn't risk your life for nothing." "There's also another thing." "Really?" "Yeah."

I took the rainbow potion out and set it down for her to observe.

"What is this?" She asked me.

"I figured you might know." "In my many years of being a potion maker, I have never seen anything like this." "How long have you been a potion maker?" "A million years." "Really?" "No! Do I look that old to you?!" "No." "Exactly."

"So is the potion safe to drink?" "Uh, probably?" "Probably yes or no?" "50/50 to be honest. I can't detect any toxins or poison in it, but it seems pretty advanced, so drink it at your own risk." "Huh. Well nobody ever got far without risks right?" "That's true."

It's probably fine right? I mean, they wouldn't put some super powerful poison there as a reward right? I think it'll be fine.

I grabbed the bottle and took the cork out. It was a swirling rainbow liquid inside of the bottle, and it had no smell.

"Are you really going to drink it right now?" "Yeah. Should I not?" "Well I think it would be better to drink it in a more controlled environment." "Like where?" I dunno. Maybe your house?" "I mean, I'm in a-" *Cough*

That hurt, with my sore body and all. Did I catch a cold or something? I feel like the healers would have gotten rid of that when they healed me.

"Are you okay?" "I think so." "Well I don't. Prina was the one who healed you, and I know for a fact that she can heal sicknesses. So I don't think that you're alright." "Huh... Well I don't know." "Me neither. I could take a look at you if you want?" "What? But you're not a doctor?" "I have medical expertise. I just can't use Holy magic."

"Uh, okay."

This feels off, but I wouldn't be surprised if she knew some medical stuff, considering her level and all. So I lifted my shirt, which was surprisingly clean. My muscles had gotten much better to my surprise. I didn't think that leveling up a bit could do this much for me. Actually, how much had I leveled up? I forgot to check...

_________________________

Name: Calric Landea

Race: Human

Class: Hero

Level: 7

Exp: 40/350

Health: 310/350

Mana: 1400/1400

Stamina: 160/230

Strength: 65

Agility: 45

Dexterity: 35

Mind: 25

Intelligence: 40

Skills: (Farming C), (Blunt weapons F), (Endurance E), (Dodging F), (Pain tolerance E), (Unarmed combat F), (Aversion to light).

_________________________

"Hey Silveria, how much mana do you have?" "What did you just call me?" She said in a suddenly serious tone. I felt the air change a bit

"What?" "What did you just refer to me as?" "Silvia?" "Oh, I thought you called me something else." "Like what?" "I thought you said something rude." "Okay."

It suddenly dawned on me that I had said Silveria instead of Silvia. I'm glad I didn't realize until now, otherwise I might have been in trouble.

"I have around one thousand mana. How about you?" "I have one thousand four hundred mana." "Come again?" "One thou-" "How do you have that much?! A level fourty person would have thousand, but one thousand four hundred? That's absurd! What level are you?" "Level seven." "WHAT!?"

Someone opened the door and came in.

"Miss Silvia! You can not be so loud in our hospital, it is disturbing our other patients."

It was a girl with blond hair and green eyes who had come in. Her expression changed when she saw me.

"Oh, you're awake? I'll go inform miss Prina."

She swiftly exited my room, apparently to search for Prina.

"What the hell did you do to get 1400 mana?!" "I guess I'm just gifted." "That's a bit more than gifted, it's along the lines of a super prodigy!" "Yeah, I guess so." "You need to learn magic, like, as soon as possible." "I'll take it under consideration." *Cough* *Ahem*

"I'm worried about you. That cough is serious." "So are you going to check it?" "Oh, right."

She began prodding at my abdomen. It was fine until she hit a particularly tender spot.

"Ow!" "Does it hurt there?" "Yeah. It's probably just sore from my fight." "No. If it was that, it would be right here-" She jabbed at a spot on my side, which hurt a ton.

"OW fuck!" "See? That's from your fight. It's the same on the other side. But where it hurt before? That's right on your lung. It wouldn't usually hurt there. I think you've got something serious." "Well that sucks. Oh! I also have a new skill called (Aversion to light)." "(Aversion to light)? That sounds familiar... I'll read up on it."

*Swish*

"Well hi there! Look who's finally awake."

A woman with brown hair that had a white streak had come in. She was wearing white and yellow robes and had a small golden staff on a belt.

"Oh, hello. Are you the one who healed me?" "Yes, I am. How in God's name did you get so beat up? Let alone beat up, you were basically mauled! How did you survive with that much blood gone?" "I encountered a really strong secret boss." "Hmm. Alright, that's plausible. Now for another question. Why couldn't I read your information?"

"What?" "Your information, like your stats and skills. All of it was question marks. I don't understand how I can't read you." "Me neither. I don't have any skills to keep you from reading it." "Well I guess I won't get an answer. I don't know how you'd do that by accident, let alone while unconcious, but I don't have any way to check if you're lying or not. So, the mystery remains unsolved."

"Sorry. I didn't try to do that. I still wouldn't like to get exposed like that though." "I get it. But anyways, do you feel good enough to go?" "Well I'm pretty sore and I have a mild cough, but I think that I'm more or less fine." "A cough?"

Silvia piped up.

"Yeah, that's what I was saying! A cough after getting healed isn't normal!" "Exactly. Are there any other problems?" "Well it hurts me when I get poked in a certain area." "Around his lungs." "Ah. I think that this may be a serious problem. Have you smoked any mysterious substances or inhaled anything odd?"

"No... Well, I actually think I did." "What was it?" "When the undead berserker died, he turned into dust. I accidentally breathed in some." "Uhhhh, that's, that's actually pretty damn bad. You say that he was undead?" "Yeah, I'm pretty sure." "You could be turning into an undead! That's extremely bad! Like, life threateningly bad!" "Well I know that!"

"Let me check this!" She said while hurrying over to me.

She poked around my abdomen, but it didn't hurt this time. In fact, it didn't hurt at all. Not even where it had hurt before. I was actually worried this time, because I didn't feel any pain.

"I don't feel anything." "What? Didn't you say that you were sore?" "Yeah, that's the point. I can't feel anything at all pain-wise." "That's actually more worrying than the lung pain and coughing."

Suddenly, the pain kicked back in and I was jolted backwards.

"Goddamn it! Were you pressing on the sore spot on purpose?!" "Yes, I was. Can you feel it now?" "Yeah! And it hurts like hell!" "Well that's pretty reassuring. Maybe it's getting better or something. I'll write you a prescription for some medicine and send you on your way."

"Oh, sounds good. I'll just wait here then." "Great. I'll be back in a moment."

Then Prina left. I was lightly massaging the spot where she had pressed. This was going quite well. I'm also glad that I don't have to pay anything. I'm registered as a member of the church because of my mom. She had always been a bit religous, but not extremely so. I've always been a bit religious, but only in the sense that I believe there are gods. I'd never prayed or anything though.

I've heard that people who worship certain gods, mainly the five that the church worship, can actually get holy powers bestowed upon them. I wonder if it was a god that gave me the job of hero, and if so, which one?

These are questions for another day though. I'm not going to start praying any time soon though. I don't feel the need for holy magic. But on the topic of magic, should I learn magic? It would probably be strong. I could ask Lina for help probably, I think she knows fire magic.

"I'm back. Sorry it took a bit, It can be a bit difficult to file prescriptions and get the paperwork done. But I have the medication right here."

She pulled a small bottle of pills out and handed them to me. I put them in my ring.

"Take three of these a day for a week. If the problem persists, come back here." "Oh, okay. I'll do that then." "Great. I think you're good to go now."

Silvia piped up. "Thanks Prina, I can always count on you to solve medical problems." "Of course. It makes me happy to help people in need, because that is what my god wishes." "Of course. I wish you luck in further healings." "Thank you Silvia. Have a pleasant day."

I got up and wobbled a bit before taking my first few steps. My armor was next to me, so I grabbed it and put it into my ring. I was surprised by how something as big as my armor could fit into the ring. I gathered the rest of my things and put them in my ring.

"That ring was a great find!" "Amen. I was pumped to find it." "I'd bet. Do you need help getting home or no?" "Hmm. I think that I'll be fine." "Well that's good. I'll head over to my shop. Come by if you have any trouble." "Thanks. I guess I'll see you later." "Right."

After this, I began walking toward the door. It lead into a hallway in the church that lead to the main interior. I walked through the door of the church and to the outside. It was dark outside and somewhat hard to see. But I knew my way around town, so I can get around.

It took me around fourty minutes to get back home, and my body was aching by the time I got back. I watered the plants a bit before I went inside, because they need water regardless of what happens to me. Inside of my house, the box was still waiting.

I figure that now is as good a time as any to open it. So I opened the box up. Inside of it was... A sword? how'd this fit in here? There's also a set of armor...

It's a shiny set of metal armor. This must be my mom's armor. Did she tell them to give it to me? What is it even made of? Probably something strong. But I feel like wearing it would be a bit... Odd? It doesn't feel like mine.

I feel like the sword is the same. Maybe I'll get an armor stand to display it. I should probably take those pills now.

I took the pills out of my ring and took three of them. It's probably fine right? I don't think that it matters when I take them. I also still have the potion. I think now is as good a time as any to take it.

I took it out of my ring and uncorked it once more. It looked the exact same as before. I put it up to my mouth, and prepared myself mentally. This probably won't kill me, I hope it won't anyway.

I put it to my mouth and began drinking it. The bottle was pretty big, so it took a few seconds to finish it. After I finished it, my stomach felt a bit warm, but that was about it. I wasn't hungry, surprisingly enough, so I decided to just call it a night and go to bed.

As I climbed into bed, I wondered what qualified me to be the hero. I mean, was I just a cut above the rest? I don't think I've ever been much different than others.

Guess it's time to sleep...

<An unknown location>

"Sir, I have done as you've asked and been searching for the hero." "That's great. Have you cone up with anything yet?" "Well, it's actually a bit complicated sir. We have found more than one hero." "What?! What do you mean you've found more than one?!" "W-well we've been using a seer and they have located more than one."

"This doesn't bode well... Are you positive that they are heroes?" "Yes, one hundred percent." "Well if so, then begin gathering them. We will obviously need all of them. There is no reason that this world would give us more than we need." "Yes sir. I will begin gathering them now." "Very good. Bring them here." "Yes sir."

<The morning, My home>

*BRIIIING*

Mmm. Is it already morning? I'm still tired. I just wanna sleep.

...

Oh great, now the suns in my eye. I feel a bit energized though, so I guess I can get up now.

I get out of bed feeling strangely energized. I was really thirsty though, so I went downstairs to grab a drink. I ended up drinking three cups of water. That's a bit unusual, but so be it.

I got dressed into my Farming clothes and went outside to take care of the crops. I wonder if they're happy or not. Well, as happy as a plant can be. I finished up with the plants half an hour later. I was super thirsty after, so I drank more water. Why am I so thirsty? Maybe it's those pills. I grabbed a bottle and filled it with some water and then put it into my ring.

I decided to take a small trip to town. It was a nice sunny day and a walk would be great. I began making my way to town. I'm not sure why, but I was in a great mood today. Maybe I'll go to the dungeon today.

As I walked to town, I listened to the soft rustle of the undergrowth, the singing of birds, the whispering of the wind... Wait, whispering?

I listened closely, and sure enough, it sounded like whispering.

"Hello?! Is someone there?!"

The whispering continued. It seemed to be coming from a certain direction, so I decided to chase it.

It got slightly lower until I started hearing something else.

"HELLLP! HELP ME!"

Was that a girl crying for help? I've got to investigate this...

I ran over to where the cry for help came from.

There was a girl with black hair trapped in a pitfall trap with wooden spikes at the bottom. She had been stabbed in the legs and one of her arms when she fell. I could tell from the blood leaking from inside of her black robes.

"Don't worry, I'm coming down!" "Huh?"

She looked up at me with a teary face. But what surprised me, was how her face became fearful instead of relieved. Was I scary or something? Either way, I needed to get her out of there.

I took my armored boots out of my ring and put them on. When I jumped in, they kept the spikes from stabbing me. I slowly approached her as to not scare her.

"N-no! Stay back!" "What? But I'm trying to help you!" "J-just go away! I can get out by myself!" "No you can't. It's pretty obvious that you can't move your legs well." "I'll just get out!" "Stop being difficult and just let me help you!" "No!"

She was trying to back up, but ended up hitting the back of the pit. As I approached her, I felt an odd feeling envelope my body. It was like my very being was getting told to leave, albeit only weakly.

The girl was looking at me fiercely, as if trying to drill through me with just her eyes. I shook off the feeling and kept advancing. Maybe she can use magic or something?

I was eventually standing right in front of her. She had curled into the fetal position and was shivering. I'm not sure why she's so scared of me.

"I'm going to bring you to the hospital, you are badly injured and I think you're in shock." "NO! Don't, don't bring me there!" "Why not?" "They'll kill me! Are you going to kill me?" "What?! I'm not a psychopath! Who would murder an innocent girl?"

"Please, just leave me!" *Sigh* "You know what, fine."

I grabbed her and jumped out of the hole.

"Please no..." "Quit being so dramatic! I'm not a murderer! Take this!" I had taken out one of my health potions and offered it to her.

Why the hell was she so scared of the church? Did she have a phobia of priests? Either way, it was annoying as hell. I figure this is the best way to help her.

"What? You're giving this to me?" "Yes! Since you have sone type of phobia of doctors, this is the best I can do." "You're not going to kill me?" "Are you deaf? Maybe mentally impaired? I said that FIVE SECONDS AGO. I don't like it being insinuated that I'm a woman murdering bastard. So could you just drink that until you're healed? It would be much appreciated."

"A-Alright..."

She began sipping the potion. It was so powerful that the bleeding stopped immediately. I assumed that her injuries were healing rapidly under her robes.

"Thank you." She said to me in a small voice.

"No problem. Can you explain why you are so terrified of the church?" "It's complicated. But I can make this up to you." "With what?"

She began digging through her robes, until she apparently found what she was looking for. She pulled out a badge of some sort. It had red and black squares in the background and an orange flame in the middle.

"This is my family crest. If you show it at the right place, you can get into certain places. Don't show it just anywhere though, you could get in trouble." "Oh, thanks. Are you a noble?" "That's... Not something I can tell you." "Alright. Are you good to go now?" "Yes, thank you." "Of course."

She got to her feet and hurried away. Well this is a nice change of pace. I feel like an actual hero now.

Now, onto more important things. What was this pitfall doing here? I hope that there aren't any goblins here... Well, it seems pretty old, so I think it's fine.

I don't hear the whispering anymore though. I'll just get back to my walk.

I walk back to the road and begin walking towards the town once more. I walked for about fifteen minutes before getting to town. I decided to stop by Silvia's shop first. It took me two minutes to get there.

*Ring*

"Hey Silvia. Guess who's back?" "Hmm?"

She walked out of the room behind the counter.

"You're awfully jolly today. Did something happen?" "I just woke up feeling this way. I was super energetic this morning." "Do you need me to take a look?" "There's nothing wrong with me! I'm just happy." "Well that's good. I'm glad that you're finally getting out of your depression." "Me too. Want to go on a walk?" "A walk?" "Yeah." "Sure. Let me just go grab something."

She walked back into the back room. I waited for around thirty seconds before she reemerged.

In her hand was a blue potion, which she drank while walking over to me.

"What was that?" "It's secret." "Fine then, keep your secrets." "Okay, I will." "Well that's fine, I didn't even want to know."

I began walking toward the door. She followed me outside.

I didn't have a clear idea of where I was going, so I just walked in a random direction.

"So where are we going?" "I dunno." " So we're just wandering aimlessly?" "Yep." "Sounds fun." "What made you come here?" "What?" "Like, why did you move to this town?" "Well that's a good question. I think just needed a small, quiet town to go to and get away from my life." "What was your life like?"

"Well, it was, y'know, life." "That's not really an answer." "It's not that interesting." "Why do you always answer my questions like this? I'm not trying to be mean, but you usually answer my questions in a way that gives me no actual information, but still acts as an answer."

"I guess that I'm just a vague person." "I dunno. Are you secretly an underworld assasin here to kill me?" "Yep. guess you gotta die now."

She punched me lightly.

"You dare to oppose me? I am the hero, the ultimate warrior!" "Oh no, my only weakness, cheesy catchphrases!"

We both had a bit of a chuckle at that.

"I was thinking, you own a farm right?" "Well I think it's under my moms name, but yes." "You could practice magic with me there. You have an open space right?" "Uh, yeah, actually. I do have a ton of land that I don't use. I could probably practice magic there."

"Want to go do it now?" "Like, right now?" "Yeah. It's not like we have anywhere else to be." "That's fair. I wouldn't mind trying to learn magic." "Great! Let's head over now." "Oh, alright."

So I guess that that's what were doing now. It sounds like a pretty good idea to be honest.

So we changed directions and started walking toward my home. We made some idle talk along the way.

About three quarters there, I had a question for her form.

"What magic do you know?" "Quite a bit." "Why?" "Because I studied it a while back." "Another vague answer?" "Guess so." "That's fine I guess."

Suddenly, I heard what seemed to be a stampede of animals approaching from behind us. I quickly ran off the road, and Silvia followed.

"We see you, Calric Landea."

Fuck, this is bad.They know my name and have seen me? There seem to be a lot of them, but I haven't looked.

"Fear not. we are from the kingdom, and we are here to retrieve you for official business." "How do I know that you people aren't just bandits in disguise?" "I was in the same troop as your mother, Calric. They chose me to come retrieve you for that sole reason."

Really? I want to believe him, but this all seems a bit suspicious. I came out from behind the tree that I was behind.

It was a convoy of around twenty people, all armoured to the teeth. the man who was in the front, who I presume to be the leader, had no helmet. His hair was blue and up in a bun.

"So why are you here for me?" "Well it's quite obvious, and I'm sure that you know. But if you would like, I can tell this woman why."

"Is it because I'm a hero?" "Yes, that is exactly why. I am ever so glad that you are willing to come clean yourself."

Silvia's face became completely shocked.

"What the hell do you mean you're a hero?!" She whispered to me.

"Sorry for not telling you. It's kind of a big deal." "No shit!"

"Ahem. I am here to retrieve you for the king, and would like to do so in a timely manner." "What If I don't want to?" "Well, I can't leave here empty handed. So if it is required, I will take you by force. I do not want to resort to that though, so please come willingly."

I need to see if Silvia can beat this guy. I'll inspect his info...

_________________________

Name: ???

Race: Human

Class: Veteran Knight

Level: ???

Exp: ???

Health: ???

Mana: ???

Stamina: ???

Strength: ???

Agility: ???

Dexterity: ???

Mind: ???

Intelligence: ???

Skills: ???

_________________________

"Well fuck." "What's wrong? Did he do something?" Asked Silvia, who had walked over to ma and was standing by my side.

"He's way stronger than you." "What makes you say that?" "Well I kniw you're really strong, but I can basically feel the strength emanating from this guy."

That's a lie. I don't want to tell her that I can see her information. It's not like I can get away, but hell if I'm just going to lay down and submit to the kingdom that let my mom die. I might as well make his day a bit worse right?

"Well I'm not going without a fight." "Are you sure? I can assure you that I will win." "I don't give a damn. If I'm going to be taken from my home, I'm going to put up a fight." "So be it."

He got down from his horse and began approaching me. I know I'm going to lose, but I don't care. The kingdom can suck my balls.

"Prepare yourself Calric. I will show you the difference between us." "Whatever."

I took a step forward and raised my fist before letting it loose toward his face. Unsurprisingly, he caught my hand. The next second, I felt a blow to my abdomen. It made my vision go blurry and I couldn't breathe.

"Rest well, Hero."