Peaceful Life Part-3

The sky turned dark, casting a shadow over the village. Asher decided to leave the two sisters in their home.

On his way back, he heard a shout that pierced the silence of the night.

"Hey, Asher!!"

Asher turned to see who had called his name. It was none other than his elder brother, Liam. Despite the familiarity, Asher chose to ignore him and continued walking, hoping to avoid another confrontation.

"Bastard!" Liam's voice was filled with rage as he hurriedly caught up to Asher and slammed him against a nearby tree.

The street was deserted, no one came for his aid.

With a calm, deadpan expression, Asher asked, "What do you want?"

Seeing Asher's indifferent look, veins bulged on Liam's forehead. His anger was palpable. "Bastard, how dare you ignore me again?"

Asher sighed, he heard those words numerous times "How many times are you going to repeat this? It's starting to get boring," he said, his tone laced with weary resignation.

"Grrrr," Liam growled, gritting his teeth. He shoved Asher away in frustration. Beating his little brother, who never fought back, had lost its satisfaction, "Father asked you to come today," he spat out, disdain dripping from his words.

At the mention of their father, Asher flinched, his stoic facade cracking for a moment. He nodded, knowing he had no choice but to comply.

Soon, Liam brought Asher to a sturdy, concrete house that stood imposing against the night sky. It was a testament to their father's former nobility, grander than any other house in the village.

As they entered the house, Asher's eyes fell upon a drunk middle-aged man, their father, Talon, who was clinging to two young women, his wives.

"Father, I brought him!" Liam announced, his face lighting up with a twisted sense of pride as if expecting praise for his deed.

"G-Good," Talon slurred, nodding. The two young women pulled away from him, their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at Asher.

One of the women promptly handed Talon a whip. Asher knew what was coming next. With a resigned sigh, he removed his shirt, revealing a lean body marred by numerous whip marks, each a testament to past punishments.

"You damn bastard!" Talon roared, his voice echoing with bitterness as he brought the whip down on Asher's back.

Ssssnap!

"Because of you, I lost my wife!"

Ssssnap!

"If I hadn't given birth to a useless bastard like you, she would still be alive!"

Ssssnap!

...

...

Each lash stung, but Asher stood still, his face devoid of emotion. He had become numb to the pain, having endured it ever since his mother died.

Eventually, Talon collapsed from exhaustion, his rage spent. His wives immediately rushed to his side, supporting him as they led him to his room. Before leaving, one of them sneered, "Liam, throw that useless brat outside."

"Yes, Mom!" Liam responded eagerly, roughly dragging Asher to the door and throwing him out into the cold night.

Without a trace of emotion, Asher stood up, brushing the dirt off his body. He put on his old shirt, which now felt rough against his fresh wounds.

Liam watched him with a smirk, trying to provoke a reaction, "Oi! Did you hear? Our sisters are engaged to a noble man."

Asher's ears twitched at the news, and he blinked for a moment before nodding with a faint smile, "Good, then. I'm happy for them," he said, his voice soft and sincere.

"Tsk, what the hell, man!" Liam clicked his tongue in frustration. He had hoped to see Asher break since Asher and their sisters were too close, but instead, he was met with calm acceptance. Disappointed, Liam turned and went back inside, slamming the door behind him.

Asher sighed deeply, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. He mumbled to himself, "Engaged... ah... I see. I hope at least they are happy." His voice was tinged with a mix of sadness and hope as he walked toward his humble home.

His home was a small wooden house, barely enough for two people, much like Marie and Ava's house. It was modest but filled with memories of his mother, offering a sense of solace.

Asher washed his battered body in the pond, the cool water soothing his wounds. He dressed in clean clothes before moving a little farther from his home.

He arrived at a special spot where a huge weeping willow tree stood, its branches swaying gently in the night breeze.

Asher sat under the tree and looked at it with a tender smile. "Mom, today I almost lost it..." he began, speaking softly to the tree.... or rather, to the grave beneath it.

This was where his mother's grave was.

This had been Asher's routine ever since his mother died. He was abused by his father, who whipped him whenever he drank. Though Asher wanted to retaliate, he knew he was responsible for his mother's death, so he accepted the punishment without complaint.

Asher was just a farmer, following in his mother's footsteps. Even the little home he lived in had belonged to her. Though he had every right to live in Talon's grand house, he chose to stay here, feeling closer to his mother's spirit.

As he finished recounting the day's events, he whispered, "See you later, Mom. I love you." With a heavy heart, he returned to his small, empty abode.

He had a simple dinner and decided to rest early, knowing that tomorrow was Marie's Awakening ceremony.

Once a child turns thirteen, they undergo an Awakening ceremony to awaken their Soul Crystal.

Soul Crytal?

It is a small white marble attached to everyone's heart like a leech... To use magic, everyone needs to awaken their Soul Crystal.

Why did they have these?

It was a blessing from the Heroes or later revered Gods, to humanity, enabling them to withstand the strange energy that came from the dead monsters and portals later called Mana and use it without turning into ugly monsters.

"I hope everything goes fine," Asher mumbled, his voice filled with a mix of hope and apprehension.

___________________

Next Morning,

Alexander stood inside the temple, his heart pounding with anticipation. He was waiting for Marie to arrive and was determined to make her fall for him.

"Child, who are you?" one of the temple members asked curiously when they saw a golden-haired boy, which was rare and exceptional.

"I am sorry, sir. I am waiting for my friend. Today is her awakening," Alexander said, his voice tinged with nervousness.

"I see..." the person nodded before walking away.

Alexander sighed in relief, grateful that his true identity remained hidden. Revealing it now would disrupt his character growth in the future. For now, he was just a nobody, but he knew that in a few months, he would turn thirteen and become a chosen Hero.

A chosen Hero?

Wasn't it a slice-of-life game? Then why a hero?

Even though the game was boring, they needed to add an exciting element: Heroes.

After the Heroes, or revered Gods, left the world, those with the divine bloodline, almost similar to the gods, were considered chosen heroes..... This added an interesting dynamic, allowing players to start with an advantage and didn't need to work their ass off to become a hero.

Anyhow, 

Alexander, inhabiting the boy's body, held a divine bloodline that had yet to awaken. He knew he was destined for greatness, but for now, he was just an ordinary boy.

"Here she comes," Alexander's eyes sparkled when he saw Marie approaching. However, his excitement faded when he noticed Asher walking beside her.

"Tsk, that annoying NPC," Alexander grumbled, gritting his teeth and quickly hiding to avoid being seen.