Have you ever seen someone who is so powerful that they even won over blessings of the gods? Have you ever seen someone who is more powerful than the monster lords? Someone who might actually be one of the monster legends? Someone who wields a weapon than the ten cataclysmic weapon? I might have met someone who is exactly that. 

My name is Michael De Mon. I’m a D rank adventurer. My class is “Charger”. My magic attribution is smoke. I live in a large kingdom near the capital called Endro kingdom. One of the biggest city in all of the human land.

I work at a clan called the scythe clan. I have a party of five. 

This is my story of how I encounter that person.

“Hey, are you gonna pay for that?”

“Oh, sorry. I spaced out. Here.” hands money*

“Hmmm, here, your change.”

“Thank you”

I’m now at a small town called Nublick village. I recently just bought a new chestplate. It cost me a hundred and fifty silver coins. 

The reason I am here is because I have a mission next month and I have to upgrade my equipment cause it’s all rusted and damaged. There has been a report that a monster of E class is loose and has been eating people for the past few weeks.

I was called over by the guild master, Goliath the S rank, to exterminate the monster. It said that the monster has a long tail, a mane, three different heads and wings. Sounds to me like it’s a chimera. 

For some reason, the monster around that town had been roaming around for quite a while now. It was originally an F rank monster until it has been reported that it has taken down strong E ranks. Good thing that the monster is not a war class monster.

Note: the monsters are rank based on their strength and intelligence. 

There was also a report of some monster in that town in the shadows. It has been killing adventurers and humans. No one knows the identity of that monster but it’s rank has been raised too from F class to E class.

Anyway, I just got in touch with one of my party members and he said he was going to meet me with his other friend later. Better stay at an inn.

I headed to the nearest inn I could find called: rubber ducky inn, kinda cute name. I headed inside and it was huge. I thought it was going to be expensive but when I looked at the prices, I can afford the best room in here. But I’m not going to spend all my money. I will only get the cheapest room here.

“Welcome, what can I help you with?”

Woah! Even the lady in the counter is hot. She looks like she is my age, twenty.

“Ummm, can I get the cheapest room here?”

“Of course. That’ll be ten copper coins.”

Hands over money*

“Thank you very much! Here is the key!”

“Thanks.”

Gosh, is she hot. Anyway, I went up to see my room and it wasn’t I expected. It was very clean and tidy. It’s like I paid for a full silver coin. This inn really does not care of money I think.

The bed is so soft! Hmph* sniff* it smells nice too. This really is like luxury. Wait, I have to go to the guild to meet up with my friend.

I change clothes and then put on my armour, after that, I took my sword and off I go to the guild. This nublick village is pretty big for a village.

I should run, if I ever been late, then maybe they’ll get mad at me. 

I got distracted by the stalls in the village. The foods there are so delicious and you can get skewers for three copper coins.

At my way to the guild, I saw some thugs trying to rob a merchant. There are five of them. They look pretty strong but I can take all of them. The merchant was wearing a black robe and was hiding his face.

I tried to watch until helping the merchant to see what they’ll do to him but, they drag him to a nearby forest. There are alot of trees so no one can see what they’re doing.

I tried to run after them. I found them at the back of a really big tree not far away, and they were cornering the merchant. The merchant seems to be resisting them until the five bandits pull out their sword. I came closer and heard voices.

“Do you know that we protect this village?”

“We need everyone to pay us money to continue our protection in this village, you know?”

So they were adventurers, huh. Some adventurers does abuse their status. I just hate them. They think that they are the most powerful and pretends to be the hero.

“So your adventurers, huh?” said the merchant.

“Yes, and we are the protectors of this village.”

“What rank are you?”

“We’re D ranks, hahahaha” they all laughed.

D ranks? I can’t take those guys. I will just get killed. Besides, I think I’m late. I’m supposed to be meeting up with my friends but here I am, trying to help a merchant in danger. Atleast they won’t get that mad if I tell them it’s to save someone.

“You’re D ranks ,huh? Well then.....”

What is that merchant doing? Is gonna fight them all at once? That’s insane. You can get killed, man.

The merchant opened a dimensional storage and pulled out a very black sword. 

“How did you do that?!?” the bandits are shocked.

How did he do that? What kind of magic is that. That’s the first time I’ve seen someone do that kind of magic.

“Now, what are you going to do to me again?”

“Don’t toy with us, you bastard!!”

The bandits pulled out their swords and points it towards the merchant. Their swords was suddenly cut to pieces. The bandits are shocked so is Michael. The bandits all backed out in fear.

“How did you do that?!?”

What?! How did he do that? He didn’t even move. How did he.... Is he just really fast? He didn’t even flinched.

“Who are you?”

“Me? I’m the......” the merchant said.

The bandits head suddenly flew from their heads. Their heads are cut clean. The merchant collected their heads and then disappeared.

Where did he go? I don’t know how the hell is he that fast. I didn’t heard his name, the sounds of them screaming was too loud. Is he.... Wait, I gonna go to the guild. I’m late.

I run towards the guild in the middle of the town and quickly head inside. I found my friend in the table on the side of the walls. There were alot of adventurers here, maybe I can find that mysterious merchant in here. He was wearing all black after all.

I headed to the table where my friends are.

“Yo.”

“Hey! Denmark! And this is your friend, francis.”

Denmark is my party member and friend. He is a D rank adventurer like me and has wind magic. His class is archer.

“Yes, I’m Francis, Denmark’s friend.”

Francis, a C rank adventurer. Has magic attribution of Fire and is excellent in close combat.

“Are you ready for next month's mission?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that they are chimera.”

“Really? Hmmm, based on the description, a chimera is most likely to fit.”

“How many are we? I’ve heard that we are going to be ten?”

“Yeah, ten. They are eight D ranks and two C ranks going to exterminate the chimera. If we’re lucky, we might even meet Lion-san.”

“Yo, kiddos. You talking about me?”

“Lion-san! You’re coming with us to exterminate the monster chimera too?”

“Of course.”

Lion-san is one of the most powerful C rank adventurer in the human race ever. He is the reason why me and Denmark are adventurers. He inspired us.

“Oh yeah, have you heard of a weird dude who has a black clothes and always hide his face from the public? They say that they’ve been reports of someone seeing him around this town.”

“I have. I actually saw him while I was on my way here.”

“Really? Can you tell me all about it? I want to know more about him.”

“Wait, Michael, you’ve met him?”

“Yeah. I saw him being mugged by some bandit adventurers and tried to help him. While I was watching and waiting to strike, he took care of them on his own. It was shocking.”

“Really? So that’s why you’re late?”

“Yes. Sorry about that.”

Everyone seems to know about this mysterious man thing. Good thing I got a good glimpse of him so I can find it easier to find him. Sir. Lion sure likes to meet strong people.

“Sorry guys, I need to the use the bathroom.”

I get up from the table, I headed towards the bathroom that’s inside the guild. I quickly use the vacant toilet and I started peeing. Once I’m done, I get out and headed to the wash area. While I was washing my hands, there was another man using the bathroom. He just got out and headed to the wash area too. It was the mysterious man with the black clothes. He washed his hands and headed outside.

“Hey, you!”

He noticed me and continued to walk outside of the restroom. I quickly followed him and once we got out of the restroom, I can’t find him. It was like he disappeared. I know he’s fast but that is crazy.

I headed to table again.

I told them about what happened in the bathroom. They didn’t believed me at first but, when they saw my face being serious, they believed me afterwards.

“Did you really saw him?” said Lion-san.

“Maybe we can still catch him. He maybe a criminal.”

“I doubt it. If he’s a criminal, then he would have killed me in the bathroom. Besides, we still got something more important that him, right?”

“You’re right.”

We headed back to the inn “rubber ducky” and went to our rooms. Turns out that they also rented a room in the same place as I did. What a coincidence.

In the night, when I was about to sleep, I heard some noices outside. I ignored it at first but it was something that if left unchecked, it might get worse.

I went outside my room and knocked at Denmark’s room. He was asleep already. I knocked harder but turns out, his sound asleep. I can’t go to him.

I went next to Lion-san's room. He was gone when I opened the door. I heard Lion-san’s voice outside and quickly ran outside. I went to find his voice hoping to find him that way. I followed it at an alleyway and I saw him talking to some stranger.

I sneak and tried to eavesdrop and I heard:

“Hey, you’re the mysterious black man who has been wondering around here, right?”

“I think you got the wrong person.”

“No I don’t think I have. Your wearing all black and hiding your face. You also got glowing red eyes.”

“hmh, guess I can’t fool you. Yes, I’m the mysterious black man. So, what are you going to do if you figured out who I am?”

“Umm, I only want to know who you really are.”

“Is that so?”

It really is the mysterious black guy. I tried to come closer but I accidentally tripped on a banana peel. They noticed me.

“Wait, Michael? What are you doing here?”

“Sorry, I followed your voice and I thought that you’re in danger. Anyway, why are you talking to that mysterious man over there?”

“Umm, I actually want to know how he got that powerful.”

“Hey, I got a name, you know.” Said the mysterious black man.

“What is your name?”

“It’s, umm..... Riku. Riku Akuma.”

“Hmmm, I think I saw your face before. Mind showing it to us?”

“No.”

I got a good look at him this time. I don’t know why but I get this feeling of trembling. It’s like I was fearing something. His look, it’s like striking someone. He has a very pale skin, dark crimson hair, glowing red eyes and, he’s kinda Handsome.

“Why are you guys following me.”

“I want to know who you really are.”

“I already told you. I’m a nobody.”

“Don’t lie to me. I saw your fighting skills. And I appraised your status. I saw that your using appraisal disguise. Can you show your true status to us?”

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Hey, if you’re going to leave, then fight us first. Then maybe I can get an idea of how powerful you are!”

After hearing Lion-san’s voice, he quickly stared at us with a murderous look on his face. It was scary. I can feel that his presence alone makes being cower in fear.

“If you don’t want to get hunted, then mind your own business.”

He was engulfed by a dark sphere and suddenly vanished. It seems to me that he has dark magic. No humans has ever gotten dark magic. Who the hell is he, and how did he acquire dark magic like that? I didn’t like the look at his face. He looks like he was going to torture us and enjoy it.

“Lion-san? Let’s go back.”

“He... He needs to be stopped.”

“What? Why?”

“I can tell by just looking at him. He is no ordinary human, or is he even human. I can tell that he has killed and tortured other people and monsters too. He needs to be stopped.”

“HELP ME!!!”

“What’s that?”

“It looks like someone is asking for help.”

“I know that, I mean wha—”

“Let’s go.”

We ran after that voice to know what’s happening. We saw some people are gathering around something. We cut through the crowd and saw a headless corpse. We we’re speechless. We asked around what happened and all of them said they don’t know what happened.

There was a note on the back of the corpse. Lion-san picked it up and was shocked to read what’s written on the note. I asked what’s on the note and Lion-san said: “Don’t get in my way. This is a warning to you two.”

It was written in blood. How the hell did he do all that? The dead body looks like an adventurer and is a strong one. He decapitated a strong adventurer and writes a note in the middle of the road where many people was still walking around, there was still some light so it’s not hard to spot him. He did all that without being caught? How?

We headed back to the inn. Lion-san looks like he had seen a ghost. He asked me: “Are we really strong?” I don’t know what to tell him. I just told him, yes. We just need to get stronger. 

He smiled and said: “You’re right. We just need to become stronger. We need to be stronger than him to stop him. And our mission next months in a step forward to becoming stronger.”

We laugh. After that:

“Lion-san?”

“What?”

“Please, train me. Please, “make me stronger.”