Caw! Caw!

The faint cries of crows, those foreboding harbingers of misfortune, rouse me from my slumber. The cold breeze of the wind clashes with the warmth of the sun, stirring me from what should have been an eternal rest.

As my blurred vision clears and my senses return, I struggle to rise from the ground. My legs are weak, barely supporting my weight as I stumble to my feet. A soft thud echoes as my knee cushions my fall.

Despite my feeble state, I manage to stand, albeit clumsily. Taking in my surroundings, I see crows pecking at lifeless corpses, trees stained dark crimson with blood. It's a horrible scene, anyone with common sense could tell a battle broke out here.

The skirmish was nothing more than a brawl, a chaotic clash with the infamous goblins, deemed as the weakest type of monster there is. Their small stature like that of a child were unable to exert much force. 

They lack intelligence leading to infighting without any reason, this made them solitary monster despite being weak. Their fangs were the only true threat, it's shameful for any trained warrior to fall to such lowly creatures.

As I was collecting magic stones from the fallen goblins, I ponder their significance. These stones, the core of monsters, hold immense energy and value, sought after by craftsmen and magic engineers alike.

The removal of magic stone in any monsters causes their body to turn into ashes, goblins were not exempted from this.

With my thoughts sorted, I remember my plight–wanted by the Empire for a crime I didn't commit. Forced to flee, I seek refuge in Orario, a city known for its acceptance of all, regardless of background or status.

Days pass as I evade the relentless pursuit of the Empire's soldiers. Armed with an Argian Sword, crafted by a master smith, I fend off goblins in the forest, they does not pose a threat or so I thought.

A goblin bit my left thigh and leaves me wounded, leaving me in a constant bleeding. The danger did not end with a single goblin, a horde soon revealed themselves. As I battle the horde, blood stained the forest floor. As the end of the fight was nearing, the victor was decided. I won not without a cost, excessive blood loss sap me of strength, death followed afterwards.

"What happened…?" I mutter, confusion clouding my mind as my wounds miraculously heal, leaving no trace behind.

With newfound strength, I pick up my sword, testing my abilities. But the fight has left me disoriented, lost in the forest with only a village on the horizon.

★★★

The sky is now tinted orange, I reach the village gate, greeted by wary guards. Securing a room at the inn, I purchase supplies and new clothes, my funds dwindling with each purchase.

Night falls, and strange dreams plague my sleep–visions of a distant city, unfamiliar yet vivid in detail.

"It must've been nothing,” I left the bed, trying to forget the strange dream.

While stretching, confusion grips me as I found two horns protruding from my forehead. Made from a bluish crystal-like material, it exudes faint azure fog.

Panic sets in as I search for answers, finding only more questions. Though there is a dot to connect, the strange dream might be connected to these horns. 

It will be troublesome to be labeled as a monster, hindering me in many ways. Disguising the horns with a headband solves this simple problem. I venture into the village, testing its effectiveness as I blend in with the locals.

It was quite effective, people only glance briefly before loosing interest.

With the danger that someone may recognize me, I was ready to leave the village. As I was about to leave, a voice called out, "Hey! That Mister with a cool looking sword, wait up!"

Recognizing the call was directed at me, I pivoted to identify the caller. The voice belonged to a kid, roughly twelve, judging by his height. Brown hair complemented his tanned skin, with brown eyes peering from beneath his long bangs. His appearance was rather unremarkable, the type I could easily overlook if I'm not paying attention.

"You're headed to Orario, right?" he asked, catching his breath.

"I am. What's it to you?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to tag along and learn to fight on the way," he requested earnestly.

Quite shameless, asking a stranger for such a favor.

"I decline both," I stated firmly, my irritation evident.

"Please! I won't slow you down," he persisted, proving to be quite troublesome.

"I'll be traveling on foot for a few days," I informed him, my patience waning.

"That's fine. Just let me come with you," he pleaded, bowing his head slightly.

I couldn't afford to waste more time–suspicions about my horns would arise soon. They weren't there yesterday, and this headband won't divert attention forever.

"Fine, you can accompany me, but don't expect any lessons," I relented reluctantly, sighing.

"Thank you, mister! I'm Fael Balase," he introduced himself, cheerfully flailing his arms around.

Glancing at him, I noticed he carried only a pouch and a shiny, new sword, likely a recent purchase.

"I'm leaving today. Do you have everything you need?" I inquired, urging him to hurry.

"Just this. My relatives will handle the rest," he replied, scratching his head.

"Then let's move," I said, setting off towards Orario.

As expected, Fael struggled to keep pace, despite his above-average strength. My stamina seemed boundless, a blessing or perhaps a curse.

After setting up camp with Fael's assistance, he hesitantly broached the topic of combat training.

"You're really not going to teach me?" he asked, dejected.

"It's not worth my time," I replied, considering the effort required to train him from scratch.

"Why not?" he whined childishly.

"Because you've never wielded a sword before," I pointed out, gesturing to his weapon.

He went silent knowing the truth on my words. Silence have always been my weakness, adding the look of pity on that resulted to me giving out pointers.

Fael reluctantly unsheathed his sword, his form lacking finesse. With guidance, he made slight improvements, but there was much work to be done.

"Now practice those swings. We leave at dawn," I instructed, eager for rest.

With a body seemingly immune to fatigue, I yearned for sleep, pondering Fael's decisions as I drifted off.

★★★

My eyelids weighed heavily, resisting my attempts to open them fully. The world seemed to swirl around me, though I knew it was still. Nausea gripped me, anchoring me in place.

No longer within the confines of my tent, I found myself amidst a bustling city. It felt eerily reminiscent of a previous dream.

Unlike before, I gained the ability to move freely. As I examined myself, I found my form to be translucent, impervious to interaction with anything save for the ground beneath me.

This spectral state granted me the freedom to explore. Among the practicalities scattered about, one detail troubled me: the formidable weaponry aimed solely at fellow humans.

"What kind of place is this? Surely it can't be mere illusion."

The level of detail was uncanny, mirroring a real city with unsettling accuracy. It must exist somewhere unknown to me.

"That's odd. Who are you?" A man's voice echoed around me, seeming to emanate from every direction.

I brushed it off, convinced that no one could perceive me within this dream. Yet, the voice persisted.

"This intrusion is unexpected. I thought this realm was impenetrable," the voice increased in pitch a bit with some occasional laughter.

"That's—" I spun around abruptly, causing the scenery to blur and the sky to stretch. As I glimpsed his face, the world shattered into oblivion.

★★★

The world is inhabited by several different races, the spirits that was made directly by the gods, the elves with their high magic aptitude, the dwarves and their incredible strength, the beast man race with the ability of animals, the amazon of exceptional fighting ability, the ones with the greatest eyesight pallums, and the humans.

There is nothing much special about humans, compared to others they are in a word average. Not in strength, magic aptitude, fighting ability, nor the uniqueness of beast man.

It might be ironic, but here is actually something special about humans. It was already there in plain sight, though everyone might disagree.

The hero, the savior of those in need. Every single heroic tales have something in common, the race of the so called hero is always near the same. It was not a spirit who took on the mantle of hero, neither do the the elves and dwarves. The beast man cannot take that position as they were always the hero's most reliable ally. It was a pity that the amazoness warrior is always left out. The pallums have their very own hero, it isn't their role.

The human on the other hand?

Weak, too weak to take on the mantle of hero. But as every story goes, courage, bravery, diligence, and hope was the components to make a hero. And coincidentally the humans are the most compatible with these. Specifically their numbers, numbers are a big factor on this.

Not everyone, but that one person fit for this job will eventually emerge. Humans are courageous enough to claim they are the ruler of a land, they are brave enough to wage war to anyone, they are diligent enough to sharpen their weaponry to the point it can be compared to dwarven items, but hope is hard to find. Not in a war filled land.

That very hope was brought out to everyone by the very first hero, Argonaut. He is a human, the perfect variable for children to idolize. The humans which are not special now gained something. This brought about the rise of heroes that originated from humans.

It was my very goal, to be the new hero that has been gone for hundreds of years. I Fael Balase will mark my name in history just like how the heroes do.

It might be tomorrow or years later, but I won't give up. Now that I have taken my first step I can now grow.

Like he said, I have never used a sword in my life. The basics he thought me will be my foundation for trials to come. The basics are enough for me right now.

★★★

Level 0

Siegfried ????

Strength: G-223

Endurance: G-270

Dexterity: H-116

Agility: G-251

Magic: I-0

Magic

Supporting Fragment: Create a weapon of choice at the cost of magic power. (Locked)

Skills

Core Fragment: Accumulate magic power from the surroundings in the form of two crystal horns on the forehead. The accumulated magic power can be converted to permanent increase in physical stats.

Level 0

Fael Balase

Strength: H-183

Endurance: I-93

Dexterity: H-137

Agility: H-178

Magic: I-0

Magic

()

Skill

Diligence: Break the physical and spiritual limitations, continues effort results in continues growth.