"It's over Johnny," A man dressed in olive-green military garb adorned by various insignia exclaimed, "It's over!"
The officer, Sam Trautman, glared at the soldier in front of him. The soldier returned the glare, he was wearing a tank top with an ammo belt layered over it. In his possession was a frightening M60 machine gun, a weapon which should have never been seen or used on the home front. This well-built and athletic man was John Rambo.
"Nothing is over! Nothing!" John pointed at Sam in an accusatory manner, "You can't just switch it off!" He paused, "It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you!"
Rambo began to breathe erratically, "I did what I had to do to win but someone wouldn't let us win!"
John began to clutch his fists hard enough to draw blood, "Then I come back home, and I see all those maggots in the airport. Protesting me! Spitting! Calling me a baby killer and all kinds of vile crap!" His pupils were dilated.
He pointed at himself in a volatile manner, "Who are they to protest me?! Huh?! Who are they! Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about!"
In a calm tone, Sam explained, "There's a bad time for everyone, it's all in the past"
Rambo blew up in a torrent wave of anger and anguish, "For you! Civilian life means nothing to me. There we had a code of honor. You watch my back, l watch yours. Here there's nothing!"
"You're the last of an elite troop, don't end it like this," Sam said while pointing towards the window that displayed dozens of police cars in plain view.
John remained unfazed, "There l flew helicopters, drove tanks, had equipment worth millions." Losing himself in his anger, Rambo threw his M60 at the wall, "Back here, I can't even hold a job parking cars!"
Soon, his anger was replaced with dread. John collapsed to the ground clutching himself in an attempt to find some semblance of comfort. He had finally broke… no that's not right, he broke a long time ago. Maybe it was in that damned concentration camp, or maybe when he was pelted with dog feces in the airport.
Rambo was left sobbing on the ground like a newborn child. He degraded into incoherent ramblings about his long-dead friends. "Body parts were flying everywhere. He laid there and screamed... l had all these pieces of him on me! l tried to get him off me, my friend! I'm covered with him! Blood everywhere and so... l try to hold him together, But the entrails keep coming out! And nobody would help!"
John began to clutch his head in pain, "Sometimes I wake up and don't know where I am. I don't talk to anyone. Sometimes all day long. Sometimes a week. l can't get it out of my head."
Sam, left speechless, slowly walked to his pupil and hesitantly embraced him in a hug. "I… I'm sorry son."
After a brief period of silence, John muttered, "I have a favor to ask, colonel."
"What is it, son?"
John looked his father-figure in the eyes and asked in a tone lacking any life, "Kill me."
Sam, for a second time, was left speechless as he stared at John in horror. John slowly reached for his pocket and handed his father-figure a pistol.
No words were exchanged, both men were silent as they stared into each other's eyes. It was clear that time for talking was done, John's cold and dead gaze was all that Trautman needed.
Sam let out a sigh before standing up and shooting the man he saw as a son in the stomach.
Rather than an agonizing death accompanied by screaming and sobbing, John simply smiled. Not a deranged smile of a maniac proud of an honorable death. No, it was a somber smile, he could finally rest, finally, get some peace.
Trautman grimaced and walked out of the building, battered and depressed. "I hope you find peace…son"
"O Brave Cardinal Heroes, please save our world from impending evil!" A priest dressed in white robes pleaded.
Rambo felt the cold stone surface that he found himself lying on top of. He was still wearing his signature tank top, it was relatively clean with no bullet holes. An ammo belt was still attached over his shoulder.
For some reason, he had his hands on an ornate-looking bow. It wasn't anything like the bows he used in the past on the Navajo reserve. Or the bows he used in the military, which worked in conjunction with specialized explosive-tipped arrows. No, this looked like something you'd find in an antique house.
Even stranger, he was surrounded by a group of cultists and three kids… are they Asian?
None of this makes sense. He should be dead. What in the world is this? Heaven? Hell? Purgatory?
"You must have many questions, but time is short. We have summoned you here with an ancient ritual," A cultist exclaimed.
It seems like the creep was addressing him and the Asian kids.
The brief period of silence was interrupted by a man wielding a spear, he looked like a playboy, "Don't you guys have any shame? Just dragging us here without our permission."
"Even if you send us home when everything is set and done, we'll have nothing to show for it. We're basically slaves!" exclaimed a teenage girl wielding a sword.
"Huh?" The nervous boy wielding a shield dumbly muttered.
Rambo finally decided to stop laying on the floor and stood up, easily towering over the people in the room. Due to his unique features, he quickly became the center of attention.
"Woah! You look, insane dude," the spear hero exclaimed in shock.
The two other teenagers could only nod their heads in agreement.
John didn't respond, only providing a curt nod as he remained silent. He didn't want to talk, he was in unknown territory, thus, didn't want to possibly slip up by opening his trap.
"The silent brooding type huh? Guess you're military if your getup is anything to go by."
John let out a grunt of affirmation and strapped the bow over his body. Out of reflex, he reached for the handle of his bowie knife to pull it out at a minute's notice. He was greeted with a sharp sting of electricity. The pain was negligible but it definitely surprised him.
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice and the teenagers redirected their attention to the robed men.
The cultist stammered, "P-please, have an audience with the king, he'll discuss your compensation in the throne room."
The individuals wielding the spear and the sword mumbled some annoying retort before begrudgingly following the robed men. John trailed behind the teens, still questioning his situation and his death.
The oblivious man with a shield attached to his arm walked alongside John, "so… where are you from?"
"..." The shield hero received nothing but silence from the large man, not even earning a glance.
"W-well, I'm Naofumi Iwatani and I'm from Japan. What about you? You look American."
Japan? At least these guys were from a country that the United States considered an ally. He had assumed that they were of Eastern Asian descent due to the paleness of their skin. But he remained cautious due to the possibility of them being from North Korea or parts of China. So the verification of their nationality was nice to hear.
Although he was still shaken, he had vent out most of his anguish during his emotional breakdown. Now… he just felt like a husk. Letting out an exhausted sigh, he answered the shield-bearer, "American, Navajo descent, and Green Beret."
"Navajo? Green Beret?"
The kid didn't know what the Navajo or Green Beret were? Only the hippies back home were dumb enough to not know such common knowledge. Wait no, he's Japanese, of course, he doesn't know.
"Navajo, the Native Americans found primarily in north Arizona. I grew up in one of the reserves." John explained, "As for a Green Beret, they're special forces."
Iwatani's eyes widened in amazement, "Wow, you were special forces? That's pretty badass man."
His statement irritated John, 'badass'? This kid was really oblivious to describe his service as a killing machine 'badass'. Nonetheless, Rambo understood that he spoke out of ignorance, not hate. So he simply nodded his head and remained silent for the remainder of the walk, even as Iwatani continued to badger him with small talk.
The throne room was incredibly extravagant, something you'd find in one of those Renaissance fairs. A large set of stairs led to a flamboyant throne that the king sat on top of. The man looked like a smug jackass, like most of the people in seats of power that John had met.
"So these are the heroes of legend? I am Aultcray Melcromarc XXXII," The king said from his lofty throne.
The king began to explain the reason for their summoning and the situation they found themselves in. Apparently, entire waves of monstrous creatures were appearing in large numbers leading to the death of thousands and ludicrous destruction.
By the end of the king's explanation, the four individuals had varying reactions. The girl wielding a sword and the playboy clutching his spear had already begun complaining. The absentminded shield-bearer was stunned and looked at his fellow heroes in a confused manner.
Rambo, however, was stunned. "A second chance" He whispered under his breath, quiet enough that no one heard.
John's mind was working overtime, Is this really a second chance? Maybe this is the afterlife. A shot at redemption? I can finally be the hero of the people. John frowned, No… what the hell am I thinking. Ain't any way I can redeem myself now, even in death. All I want now is some peace, not more war… but these people need me.
Rambo raised his head and stared at the king, he still looked like a smug old man with far more power than he deserved. No… I've seen bastards like him before. Just another old man sending young men to a conflict they never wanted a part in. Nothing has changed. I ain't no hero. Just another pawn to powerful and corrupt men.
"I don't want a part of it," Rambo proclaimed with a deathly serious tone.
The king as well as all of the nobles and heroes were taken aback by his curt response. "W-what do you mean Lord Bow Hero?"
"I said, I don't want a part in any of this. I've seen enough war, I just want peace, leave the pain and ugliness behind. I'm sick of being a pawn, I've deserved a little peace…"
Shocked, the king exclaimed, "Y-you can't just walk away! The lives of hundreds of thousands depend on you!"
"Yeah dude, that's pretty selfish of you y'know" The spear hero hypocritically pointed out.
Rambo readjusted the ammo belt on his body before stating, "I didn't say nothing about not helping folks in need. I'll protect them, and anyone else in danger of these 'monsters'. I just said that I don't wanna be a pawn, a soldier of war. I ain't gonna kill humans, not anymore. I refuse to follow the orders of another old man sending young men like me to their death."
John paused, "This is my peace… no more war, I'm only fighting these waves, nothing else. I'm not following your orders.
The entire court was astonished, "I see… you've seen a lot haven't you?" Aultcray stated. Aultcray had dealt with his own fair share of corrupt officers and nobles during his time as the Staff Hero. The king found a new sense of respect for the man, even if he disrespected his authority.
Rambo, sick of talking, simply nodded and remained silent as he continued to ponder his situation.
"Ahem," clearing his throat, the king exclaimed, "Now then, Heroes. Tell me your names."
"Motoyasu Kitamura, I'm 21 and a college student," the spear hero explained, losing some of his earlier enthusiasm.
"My name is Ren Awaki, I'm 16 and a high school student," the sword hero explained, she crossed her arms and attempted to look cool in front of the nobles.
The king's gaze went to Rambo, "John Rambo, 26 years old and Green Beret, special forces."
His admission of being special forces earned the attention of Motoyasu and Ren. Several nobles simply raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I guess that just leaves me. My name is Naofumi Iwatani, and I'm a 20-year-old college student." The shield-bearer explained while fidgeting ever so slightly.
For whatever reason, the king glared at Naofumi during his introduction. John knew that look, that was the glare of a man holding a grudge, but for what? The guy just showed up.
The female sword wielder scoffed, "Gross, I'm stuck with a bunch of dudes in their 20s."
That managed to get John to grin for the first time since he came here.
After the sword hero's comment, the king addressed the heroes, "So, Motoyasu, Ren, and John eh?" John was quick to notice that the king skipped over the shield hero.
"Y-your Majesty? What about me?" Naofumi muttered.
The monarch scoffed, "Oh, my sincerest apologies… Naofumi."
Wow, this guy sounds petty. John thought, all but confirming his previous evaluation of the man.
An advisor to the king spoke up, "Now, if everyone could please confirm their statuses?"
All of the heroes besides Ren voiced their confusion at the advisor's request.
"What, you haven't noticed yet?" Ren facetiously remarked. "Don't you see some kind of icon or whatever in your field of vision?"
"Woah," The three heroes unanimously voiced their surprise.
Ren scoffed, "Now you just concentrate your consciousness on it, and you're good."
[Status Menu]
Name: John Rambo
Class: Bow Hero
Level: 1
Equipment: Legendary Bow
There was more information listed in regards to his attack, defense, and etc. But Rambo didn't bother paying much attention to it since he had absolutely no idea what they meant.
What did manage to catch his eyes was something called a [Help Menu] in the far top-left of his Status Menu. He managed to click it which led to him facing a bombardment of information.
[Bow Strengthening Methods]
Rarity Power: The rarer a weapon is, the stronger it is. A weapon made from rarer materials will be stronger than a weapon of equal quality but more common materials, for example.
Ore Equip: The power of a weapon form can be raised by equipping it with certain ores. This never fails. Each weapon form has a finite number of slots that an ore can be inserted into. Each type of ore boosts a different stat.
Item Enchantment: Items that have been absorbed into the weapon can be turned into energy, and that can be used to grant an enchantment that raises the percentage of various stats, which can be given to any Weapon form. This enchantment can be upgraded once applied. Success in upgrading is based on probability, decreasing with each successive enchantment. Upon failure, the item enchantment level is reset to 0.
Job Level: You can increase specific stats by using the energy converted from absorbed monster parts or items. Upon filling the level gauge for the desired stat, the stat is increased and the level gauge is reset with a cooldown timer. Each successive level requires more energy. Raising a stat from Level 1 to 2 gives +1 to the stat. Raising a Job stat high enough can allow the user to learn a new skill.
[Inherited Skills]
Body Strengthening: Due to your previous achievements and impressive training, you're able to strengthen your body with various skills that reflect your struggles.
Current Body Strengthening Skills: [Ignore Pain Lv. 4], [Mental Fortitude Lv. 2], [Master Marksman Lv. 10 MAX], [Stealth Mastery Lv. 5], [Survivalist Lv. 5]
Accessories: Thanks to your ingenuity and previous experience in the military, you may customize and modify your arrows. Now, you can upgrade your arrows (ammunition) with monster parts, similar to your bow. Provides the opportunity for devastating combo attacks when worked in conjunction with your bow.
Current Accessories: None
Navajo Descent: The spirits are more willing to communicate with you. Affinity with animals, primarily with horses.
Medal of Honor: A hero, no other word may describe you. Due to your grand sacrifice and duty to your country, you evoke an aura that demands respect. Individuals of all sexes look at you in awe.
Forget about his mind being on overtime, it was currently overheating. What did all this gibberish even mean?
Before Rambo could question the overflow of information he heard the teenagers around him talking in a kiddish tone, "Holy crap this is just like that video game, Emerald Online!"
Ren raised an eyebrow at the Spear Hero, "Huh? You're insane, this is totally a VRMMO I played back home, Brave Star Online."
"What?! No way dude this is just like Emerald Online it even has the same introduction map," Motoyasu exclaimed.
Video games? The hell are those? John thought, Hold up, I remember a few guys in a bar mentioning something about a video game… I think its name was Pong or something? Bunch of weird and tedious pixelated games played on big bulky machines. They were still a pretty new invention before I got transported here.
Rambo stared at the girl passionately expressing her love for VRMMO's. What the hell is a VRMMO? An acronym? But what does it mean? I doubt it's a military acronym.
"Um guys, we can talk about this stuff later, we should probably start worrying about partying up," Naofumi muttered, looking at his fellow heroes.
Partying up? I wouldn't mind traveling with these guys, but they don't look like the type of guys to get dirty and crawl in the mud. Hell, just looking at Motoyasu reminds me of those hippies yelling at me when I came home. Just another college pretty boy with no real understanding of the greater world. Rambo thought.
"Wait just a moment, heroes," Aultcray exclaimed. "The four of you can't party up, rather, you must find companions and travel separately from each other."
To the surprise of every hero, a message popped up in their periphery.
[Caution]: Working together with your fellow legendary weapon holders will be detrimental to your progress. Please try to operate separately as much as possible.
"Guess that's that," Motoyasu muttered.
"I guess we need to recruit companions then…" Naofumi said, slightly bothered.
The king's advisor spoke up, "Don't worry Legendary Heroes, the crown will gather appropriate companions for all of you. You may meet them tomorrow, for now, please enjoy the accommodations we set up for you.
The heroes all expressed their thanks and followed the maids escorting them to their rooms. Upon entering the lavish room, they were greeted by a massive feast.
A large cooked pig, several rolls of bread, and more classic medieval fantasy fanfare greeted the periphery of the heroes.
The Spear Hero, ever so confident, glanced at Naofumi, "so, what game does this world remind you of Naofumi? Hopefully, you agree that it resembles Emerald Online, unlike the chick."
That statement earned the playboy a glare, "For the last time, this place resembles Brave Star Online, not whatever insignificant game you're talking about."
"What'd you say?!" Motoyasu glared, "Come on Naofumi, take my side on this."
"Huh? W-well to be honest with you, I don't think I've ever heard of those games." Iwatani explained.
"What! How about you American." Motoyasu exclaimed while pointing at John.
Rambo finally raised his head, acknowledging the Spear Hero's existence. "Don't know what you guys are talking about. Video games were only invented recently.
All three heroes wore confused expressions. "Huh?"
"Okay guys I think I know what's going on here," Ren claimed. "We're all from different worlds or timelines!"
John gave the teenager a blank stare, "...Are you serious?"
"Y-yes, are you doubting me?" Ren stuttered, finding herself subconsciously intimidated by Rambo's stare.
"How about this, I'll ask common knowledge questions, that way we'll know if we're from different worlds or timelines," Naofumi suggested.
After a series of questions, everyone naturally concluded that they had all come from different worlds.
"Wow, guess it's legit then huh? We're all from different worlds. I gotta admit though, it's pretty surprising to hear that you're from the 1970s" Motoyasu muttered.
John grunted in response, having nothing to add to the conversation.
"Jeez, would it kill ya to drop the silent brooding badass archetype for just a second?" Motoyasu exclaimed.
Rambo sighed, "Y'know, had a guy like you in my platoon."
The spear wielder laughed, "He must've been a natural-born leader."
"He was an asshole who wouldn't shut up."
Motoyasu choked on his spit while both Ren and Naofumi chuckled at John's blunt response.
After Naofumi was done laughing, he glanced at John, "So, how did you get transported here?"
Rambo froze, clutching his fists hard enough to draw blood, "got shot." Saying nothing more about the matter, John averted his gaze.
The room had suddenly become tense, neither Ren nor Naofumi looking John in the eye. Motoyasu, however, failed to read the room, "Woah you got shot? Well if it makes you feel better I got stabbed, several times in fact!"
"Really?" Naofumi asked.
Motoyasu sheepishly nodded, "Yeah, women are scary."
The Shield Hero looked at Ren, "What about you Awaki?"
Similar to Rambo, Ren froze and began to look at the ground, in hopes of avoiding any eye contact. "I… I don't wanna talk about it."
It had become fairly awkward as all the heroes contemplated their mortality, "W-well, I got transported here by a book…"
"Really? That's pretty lame." Motoyasu muttered.
Abruptly, John stood up and walked to his designated bed. He had nothing to gain from conversing anymore. However, during the small trek, John felt a chill run up his spine.
John began to look around, his eyes darting to every corner of the room. Someone is watching. The veteran quickly equipped his bow and drew an arrow, "I know someone's there, come out now. I'll be damned if I let you slit my throat while I sleep."
No answer came and his fellow heroes froze, looking around the room to find the suspect John was referring to.
Rambo's [Stealth Mastery] allowed him to not only hide in plain sight but also discern those hiding from him. It felt like an itch, something he never experienced back home. In his periphery, he saw a brief blur of movement. The stalker was too fast for Rambo to track with his eyes but he must've changed his location. John appropriately readjusted his aim to the new location he suspected the spy was. "You got three seconds before I shoot, now come out from wherever you are."
"3… 2…" Rambo hadn't even counted to 1 before his [Medal of Honor] skill activated, intimidating the stalker. Immediately, the concealed individual jumped out of the shadows and rushed for the window.
John released his arrow with perfect precision but missed the stalker entirely. The arrow embedded itself into the wall, startling the maid in the hallway who saw an arrow tip suddenly poking out of the wall.
The agility and speed of the assailant were overwhelming, he dodged every arrow Rambo managed to lose. Before the conflict could manage to continue, the individual dressed in an all-black outfit managed to reach the window and jump out of it.
"You crazy bastard!" Rambo screamed. He'll be paste from jumping out of a building this high.
Rambo as well as his fellow heroes rushed to the window and looked for their would-be stalker. He was gone… disappeared. Perhaps they would have been able to spot him if it wasn't so dark, nonetheless, it seemed that the stalker didn't turn to paste and managed to escape.
Before the heroes could even mutter a response to the evening's event, several guards rushed into the room. The interaction was unnoteworthy as Rambo explained the situation, with the heroes behind him throwing in the occasional comment. Once everything was concluded, everybody went to bed.
Sadly, Rambo was forced to endure an equally eventful slumber, as his dreams haunted him. Images of his friends… images of his father threatening him with a knife… images of ruthless torture… images of the villagers burnt beyond recognition… and images of Trautman.
Waking up in a cold sweat, Rambo found himself short of breath. Looking around the room, he could see his fellow heroes still fast asleep. Good… I didn't scream tonight and wake them up.
It was still early morning, the castle was incredibly unlively, which was to be expected. Rambo sat up, inspecting his belongings. He probably should have done so earlier, but better late than never.
Pulling out various pieces of equipment from the many pockets of his cargo pants, Rambo produced quite a stash. Three grenades, a pistol with a full magazine, a bowie knife, his dog tag, some extra compound bowstrings, and an ammo belt with numerous M60 rounds. If only he still had his M60, then again, if the slight shock he received from holding his handgun was any indication, it's doubtful if he could even make use of it.
John let out a deep sigh and contemplated. I can't use any of this, I just keep getting electrocuted whenever I touch them. Who knows how bad of a shock I'll get by pulling the trigger.
Holding one of his grenades, he received a minor shock, nothing he couldn't ignore though. There must be something I can do with these. Suddenly, John recalled the [Help Menu] and pulled it up in case it had anything to help him.
[Absorption]: Weapons can absorb loot such as items and materials to unlock new variations of the Legendary Weapon and may equip said variations if they meet its prerequisite.
Interesting… let's try it out. Bringing the grenade closer to his bow, he waited for something to happen. After a few minutes of feeling like an idiot holding a highly dangerous explosive next to a bow, he finally stopped.
…Maybe I got to concentrate on the grenade and the absorption ability simultaneously? Sorta like how Ren explained with the Status Menu.
Putting his idea into practice, Rambo once more brought the grenade close to the bow and concentrated.
[!Accessory Unlocked!]
Explosive Tipped Arrow: The tip of your arrow is replaced with a potent explosive device that explodes on impact.
Cooldown: 1 hour(s)
[Explosive Ordnance Clearance Bow] - Base Power: 56
Equip Bonus: Detect Explosive Devices and Traps (small)
Rarity: High
Currently Utilized Ore: None
Enchantment Level: 0
Now, this is interesting, Rambo thought as a small smirk found its way on his face. Can't say that the ability to detect explosive devices will be useful in this world but it's still a useful ability to have for a specialist such as myself.
Without any delay, John began absorbing more of his equipment.
[Gunpowder Bow] - Base Power: 80
Equip Bonus: Whenever Shooting an Arrow, a Small Explosion Erupts and Launches the Arrow Further (small)
Rarity: High
Currently Utilized Ore: None
Enchantment Level: 0
[Military Grade Compound Bow] - Base Power: 554
Equip Bonus: Adjustable Damage Modifier
Rarity: High
Currently Utilized Ore: None
Enchantment Level: 0
[Bullet Bow] - Base Power: 56
Equip Bonus: Bullet Production (small)
Rarity: High
Currently Utilized Ore: None
Enchantment Level: 0
John wasn't able to absorb his pistol or his bowie knife, and simply received a [Error] pop-up whenever he made the attempt. He also decided to not absorb his dog tag, he wasn't exactly sure what made him so attached to it. The dog tag was just a reminder of bad times, a constant indication of his failure. Failure to his friends… his country.
Rambo shook his head to refocus on the matter at hand. He was already haunted during his sleep, he refused to be haunted when he was awake.
On a brighter note, in his hands was the signature compound bow that he used during the war due to the absorption of his spare bowstrings. He still had little understanding of what these numbers signified but even a toddler could understand that the bigger the number, the better. Thus, he was fairly satisfied with the base power of his compound bow.
Before he could research the other aspects of his weapon, another sharp chill ran up his spine. He had absorbed his entire ammo belt and taken off his tank top when he slept. Thus, he found himself shirtless, drawing his bow in the direction of his assailant.
"You here for revenge or something?"
The perpetrator stepped out of the shadows, revealing their presence. Rambo couldn't tell if it was a male or female, it was perfectly covered. "Greetings Lord Bow Hero, I come in peace, I assure you."
"Talk," Rambo continued to have his bow drawn.
The figure nodded, "I'm a Shadow of the Queen, I was in charge of observing all the actions of the court. However, due to your sudden summoning, my job has extended to observing and guarding all of you." It pulled out a recording crystal to emphasize the fact that she was recording them since their arrival.
"I see… why are you telling me all of this and what is a 'Shadow' exactly."
"I'll answer the latter question first, a Shadow is an individual working in the shadows under the employ of a powerful individual. We have absolute loyalty to our employer," the shadow paused. "In regards to the former question, I'm telling you this under the order of Queen Mirellia Q Melromarc after I informed her that you saw me."
Rambo responded in a neutral tone, "What does your Queen want from me." John knew better than to expect that this powerful individual had no ulterior motives. He had learned his lesson from his world.
"We weren't meant to interact with you at all, simply observe and guard. However, since you've seen us, we don't want you to get the wrong idea. To make a long story short, our Queen wants to assure you that we are allies, not enemies, even if we may have violated your privacy."
Rambo glanced at the heroes still sleeping in bed, "What about them, you gonna apologize to them too?"
"No, there is no need."
John frowned, "And why is that?"
"They didn't see me. I was no more than a blur to them, thus there's no need. You, however, saw my entire form, even as I hid in the darkness.
"Bit of an exaggeration to say that I saw your entire form," John muttered.
"Nonetheless, the Queen was concerned what this interaction could mean for your future relationship and opinion of the Queen."
Rambo stared at the Shadow for a brief second, subconsciously activating his [Medal of Honor] skill. "I'm gonna say this once and only once, so make sure to relay it to the Queen." John paused, "I'm not a pawn nor am I a soldier of war, not anymore at least. I just want peace, but I ain't foolish enough to believe I'll be given the pleasure. So I'll try my best at this hero gig, but I'll never follow your orders. I fight to protect, not destroy."
The Shadow shifted slightly under its cloak, "Understood."
After a few more minutes of staring at each other in silence, the Shadow finally returned to the darkness to resume its duty.
Now I have a professional assassin watching me while I sleep, great. I'll just lose them when I get to the forest. Rambo planned.
Breaking John from his internal rambling, a brisk knocking resonated throughout the room. "Excuse me heroes, but the king requests all of you to be present during the designation of companions for your journey." A maid informed from outside the door.
While his fellow heroes got out of bed, attempting to break out of their drowsiness. John was already out of bed and putting his tank top on. He proceeded to stow away the last few pieces of his equipment into his pockets.
Once John was ready, he made his bed and proceeded to walk out of the room towards the throne room. He was accompanied by several maids and guards, as was to be expected, but he didn't pay it any mind.
Rambo was greeted with the sight of several adventurers and the petty monarch. "Good morning, Lord Bow Hero, we shall begin with the proceedings once the other heroes have come."
A curt nod was the only response the king received from John.
"... I heard that you discovered a Shadow in your room," Aultcray said. Even though his mind had become dull, he still knew that the Shadow was most likely one of his wife's. He could only imagine his wife's anger once she returned, but he was sure that he was doing the right thing.
Rambo remained silent, scratching an itch he had on his arm.
Seeing that he wasn't going to garner a response from the solitary man, the king stopped talking and waited for the remaining heroes to arrive.
Once everyone appeared in the throne room, the king began to explain how he had gathered a large group of talented individuals for the sole purpose of guiding and serving the heroes. Apparently, the companions were going to choose whichever hero they desired.
Feels like 8th-grade dodgeball all over again… John thought as the adventurers went to their designated hero.
The result was a surprise for sure.
Five adventurers had gone to Ren. Even now the girl was attempting to look cool.
Four adventurers went behind Motoyasu. All of them were women, they looked stuck up, everything considered. Impractical armor and excess makeup only stood to highlight their inexperience. Who marches off to war with the desire of looking pretty?
Three adventurers had decided to stand behind John. To claim that he was disappointed would be a gross understatement. Two of them were women with the exact same problem as the women in Motoyasu's party. They had an idiotic view of both war and the greater world to fight in such demeaning gear. The worst individual, however, had to be the snob in full plate armor. He was only a few inches shorter than Rambo, but he could tell that the man in front of him was weak. He was compensating, in the hopes of making his shoulders look broader and wider by wearing that armor. It reminded him of some of the boys back home. However, what truly made John dislike the man was the smug 'know-it-all' expression on his face, it reminded him of some of the politicians back home. For all that he knew, the man was a noble in these lands.
While John contemplated the implications of partying up with these adventurers, he noticed Naofumi in absolute distress due to his lack of party members.
"H-hey! This isn't fair!" The shield hero exclaimed
Wow, this really is just like 8th-grade dodgeball.
The king went on to talk about something regarding rumors or some other stupid crap that John didn't bother listening to. He genuinely felt bad for Naofumi, but he had to figure out a way to ditch his party members first. It didn't take a genius to realize that they were spies or at the very least, a bunch of nobles playing dress-up. Either way, they were useless to him.
Ditching them would be easy, but he didn't want any of them to join the other hero's parties. Especially the guy in full-plate, he was bad news.
[Warning]: Exp will be divided between party members. More party members mean less exp for each member.
Good, he could use this.
"I have no desire of partying up with these adventurers," John explained.
To the surprise and disappointment of both his party members and the king, Rambo desired the disbandment of his party.
"A-are you sure Lord Bow Hero?" Aultcray asked.
"Yes, I'm sure, they'll just slow me down. I'm a specialist, an expert in guerilla warfare, I plan to get myself dirty," John glanced at the posh members of his party. "I doubt they'll be interested."
Aultcray cleared his throat, "I see… if that is your decision, then fine."
"Tch, you'll regret this," Mald whispered under his breath.
John looked at his fellow heroes, "Oh I should mention that the more party members you have, the less exp you'll receive."
"Huh? What are you talking about, nothing like that existed in Brave Star Online." Ren said, before receiving a pop-up informing her of the feature.
Motoyasu shrugged, "I don't really mind if the ladies want to join my party, the more the merrier!"
Man, this guy is an idiot. I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as that snob doesn't manage to join any of the other hero's parties.
Mald found himself standing in the middle of the room, embarrassed and isolated, much like the Shield Hero. In a rage he pointed at Rambo, "I'll make you regret this punk!" Mald walked out of the throne room, fuming.
Yep, 8th-grade dodgeball.
Meanwhile, Naofumi continued badgering Ren and Motoyasu for one of their adventurers. In the end, a woman from Motoyasu's group wound up joining the shield-bearers party.
John got an even worse feeling looking at the woman who joined the Shield Hero's party. Rambo didn't have that much experience with women or any desire for women in general. He wasn't impotent, but spending such a large portion of his youth in the war had made him lose much of his lust. Even if that was the case, he knew a crazy broad when he saw one.
The King called it to a close and handed each hero funds for their journey. John received 800 silver coins since he was going solo, at least temporarily.
Once all the pleasantries and half-hearted farewells were said and done, Rambo left the castle. Even now, he knew that he was being watched, most likely by more Shadows. His first and foremost goal will be to leave this city and enter the surrounding forests. Hopefully lose these damn stalkers and get a better lay of the land.
I guess I should buy some supplies before I leave this place. I should be able to scavenge for food once I get a good enough lay of the land. John thought.
On a side note, some of the advisors had reached out in private and informed him of some Hourglass located in the Three Heroes Church. He was told to sync with the Hourglass and absorb some of the sand. I swear this world is getting weirder and weirder by the second.
Besides the innocuous naming of the entire religion, he couldn't care less. John was never a religious man, always bouncing between/combining Christianity and the Navajo's traditional beliefs. Then again, after Vietnam, he had abandoned all semblance of faith. Hard to have faith in God in a land utterly abandoned by him.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Rambo slowly walked to the church, enjoying the scenery as he did so. During his trek, he was bombarded with praises and proclamations of his heroism. This instantly ruined Rambo's incredibly brief moment of joy.
Hero… John contemplated the implications of that word. He always wanted to be called a hero, to be praised and respected when he came home. He wanted to march in the streets with his brothers-in-arms while citizens sang their praises, just like the boys from WWII and the Korean War. Instead, he got feces thrown at him by weak unwashed men with long hair calling him a baby killer.
A hero… I'm no hero. All my friends are dead, tortured, and mutilated because of that damn camp. The few that made it out died an even slower death via cancer from inhaling too much Agent Orange. They're the heroes, not me. A coward who got to live. A coward who threw that chance away.
John sighed, "Hero… I hate that fucking word."
Several of the townsfolk heard the Bow Hero and gasped. Many went as far as to cry or yell at John about just how much of a hero he really was.
The same sharp stinging pain came back and John flinched as the pain in his head was getting worse. Let's just get to the Church and leave this damn town.
Luckily, the Church was now in plain view. John only had one opinion upon viewing the extravagant building portraying various ornate religious symbols.
"Gaudy"
Once John finally decided to enter the building, he was greeted by a gaggle of nuns who praised him for simply existing. Their words went over his head and he simply muttered, "Hourglass."
"Y-yes Lord Bow Hero, of course," The head nun pointed at one of her retainers, "Quickly, grab some of the sand for the Bow Hero. I'll lead our Lord to the Hourglass so he may sync with it."
Rambo gave a curt nod and proceeded to sync with the Hourglass. One of the younger nuns held out her hands with a small bag containing the sand. Muttering thanks, Rambo absorbed the sand into his bow.
[Dragon Hourglass Sand Bow] - Base Power - 1
Equip Bonus: Portal Bow (small)
Rarity: Medium
Currently Utilized Ore: None
Enchantment Level: 0
Teleportation? That'll be useful. John thought.
Providing the nuns a thankful nod, he turned and walked out of the Church. The minute the doors behind him closed, he swore that he heard several women squeal in unison.
After a short trip to the provisions shop to purchase supplies, he made his way into the forest. He had purchased enough dried meat and bread to last half a month, which was conveniently packed in a bag hanging off the tip of a stick. It was known as a bindle bag back home, he had often used them when he was homeless.
In addition, he bought a cheap but durable shirt to wear over his tank top. He had kept his cargo pants, no need to replace what's not broken. His overall visage resembled that of a homeless man, a bum.
He didn't mind though, John was gonna be in the forest, dirty and covered in mud. Good clothes would be wasted on him.
On that note, he should probably conceal himself in the forest and lose the Shadows. Then he would begin leveling, as the bow instructed him to do.
The number of Shadows had increased, John felt all of their eyes stare holes into him. Rambo concluded that they were all from separate factions, after all, one organization wouldn't send this many personnel. Or at least he thought so, the United States would never send this many men into a covert ops mission.
He wasn't interested in killing them, it was stupid to even think that was an option. These were high-leveled individuals who could easily overpower him, he'd probably die before he could even blink.
Thus, the best course of action was to hide, conceal his presence, and lose them. John knelt next to a pile of mud and began to smear his clothes and face. Now… I need a distraction.
John stalked the cave he had been walking towards since first spotting their tracks. The footprints were small and humanoid. He hoped that whatever he was going to kill wasn't sentient, he wasn't in the mood to discover that he killed a creature with feelings and aspirations.
Breathing a small sigh of relief, he noticed that the creatures he had been tracking were unintelligent green creatures, no taller than a child.
Time to get to work. John summoned his [Military Grade Compound Bow].
Wasting no time, John drew his bow and shot one of the goblins through the neck with practiced ease. The little green gremlin standing next to him shrieked and signaled the remaining goblins in the cave to storm out.
Rambo stood by, drawing another arrow, waiting for the goblin to finish his screaming before shooting another arrow straight through his eye.
Good, his allies should come rushing out now.
First, more of the little green creatures stormed out, but larger and menacing creatures managed to show their faces. The bastards looked like overgrown versions of the goblins. He decided to call them hobgoblins for now.
John shot the largest hobgoblin so his corpse would block the majority of the entrance of the cave. Silently glad that the corpse landed exactly where he wanted to, Rambo continued to shoot the smaller goblins. Each shot hit their mark and sowed death.
Their numbers were reduced to a quarter of their original number before they finally discovered his location. The smaller ones began to pepper him with poorly made bows and stone-tipped arrows.
With his location compromised, John sprang from his position and ran towards the rabble of green creatures. He dodged the amateur attempts of shooting him and bull-rushed a small goblin. Grabbing the creature into a bear hug, he broke the goblin's back and used its corpse to swat away any nearby goblins.
Rambo ran towards the entrance of the cave, throwing the disfigured goblin corpse in the face of one of the hobgoblins. He slid between the hobgoblin's legs and vaulted over the goblin corpse blocking the entrance.
He had made it into the cave and ran until he reached the end of the entire cave. Rambo had lost the Shadows and goblins, but both were rushing toward his position.
John equipped his [Explosive-Tipped Arrow] accessory and shot a hole into the wall. The explosive was a bit more volatile than he originally assumed but it got the job done. Running through the hole, John activated [Stealth Mastery] and hid within the foliage of the forest.
It wasn't long until several Shadows, hot on his tail, rushed to his position. Their blades were covered in blood, most likely from the goblins who blocked the entrance to the cave.
Hastily, a second group of Shadows appeared, tired from sprinting and glaring at the first group of unaffiliated shadows with bloody blades.
Staring at the first group's bloody blades, the second group assumed the worst, "Bastards! You dirty pigs! You lot are probably from Siltvelt, aren't you!"
Before the first group could even mutter a response, several more groups of Shadows appeared, "His presence has completely disappeared… he is gone." One of the new shadows muttered, before clutching its weapon in anger, "His level was far too low to be able to erase his presence… one of you are responsible for this," it muttered, raising their blade in the direction of the other Shadows.
The air instantly became tense, several groups of Shadows, now out of the darkness, glared at each other. No more words were exchanged, everyone was simply waiting for the other party to make the first move.
Suddenly, all of the Shadows became a blur as they drew their blades and battled each other to the death. Rambo knew that only one group was gonna manage to survive, but he hadn't even planned for this to happen, no, not at all!
This wasn't what was meant to happen! They were meant to just leave and report to their employers that they lost my trail! Not fight to the death!
Before Rambo could continue mentally screaming at himself, the conflict had already ended. It was so cruel and efficient that even he was impressed. At the end of the skirmish, only one Shadow remained, but it was a pyrrhic victory. It was laying on the ground, bleeding rapidly and clutching its legs in pain. All of its allies were dead by the looks of it.
I just need to leave… I already accomplished my mission. There's no need to involve myself any more than I already have… John contemplated, staring at the Shadow who was clutching its broken legs in pain.
Rambo began to hear the Shadow sobbing to itself, "I-I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry." It dropped its weapon and slumped over their legs.
John grit his teeth, "... God dammit."
Walking to the unconscious form of the Shadow, he removed their mask, revealing its face to Rambo. Apparently, it was in fact a she and even stranger, she appeared to have animal ears.
"... Nothing here makes sense."
Authors Note: Okay, so basically, I binge-watched all of the Rambo movies after enjoying his cameo in Mortal Kombat 11. After watching all of the Rambo movies, I honestly fell in love with the character, even if a few of the movies were on the crappy side. I based the Rambo in this story primarily on his appearance in First Blood, Rambo 2008, and his time in Mortal Kombat 11. So basically a tired Vietnam war veteran suffering from extreme PTSD whose only desire is to gain some semblance of peace. I'm honestly really sorry if I don't give his character the proper justice it deserves, I'll give it my best shot though. Be on the lookout for a bunch of movie and MK11 quotes/one-liners. I left a bunch of them scattered throughout the story.
On a side note, the beginning of the story was actually based on the alternate ending that the director was planning for the first Rambo movie. Apparently, Rambo was gonna ask Trautman to shoot him, a request that Trautman accepts. But! And here's the kicker, he fucking shoots him in the stomach. That's like, one of the worst ways to go! Like god damn, aim for the head not the fucking stomach. I'm sorry if any of you read that and called bullshit on Rambo dying peacefully. Cause no one, literally, no one, wouldn't die screaming if they were shot in the stomach.
[Spoiler Alert for the Next Chapter] Okay, so for the next chapter I plan for the Shadow to be from Siltvelt and from one of the more radical clans (please give me a suggestion for a clan). Hopefully, this will create a more entertaining partnership since the Shadow will hate Rambo for religious reasons. I can't wait to write their interactions!