Absolute power comes at a price, Midas' touch is a fine example of it. After becoming an existence more feared than the demon king and his army of millions, Ethan returns home. However, while he lost all of his powers, one of them didn't leave him... the power to take the mana and memories of those he touches. He thought that his journey had ended, but it had just started, with the goal of learning how to control his power, he will have to travel Earth and other worlds again in search for what he wants. -- A few decades after the start of the new millennium, people all over the world began to disappear from Earth, only to reappear after days, weeks, and sometimes even years after. At first, those people stayed silent as to where they had been, but after a while, weird information began to spread. These people had gone to other worlds… No one took that information seriously. However, when one of those who disappeared returned, bringing a horde of monsters with them, some people began to think that perhaps not everything was nonsense. The information, after a while, began to receive more credit when a small country in South America got decimated by the horde of monsters. The same thing happened in Europe and Asia. After a while, it was learned that that happened because these people failed to save the other worlds, and even Earth had to pay a price for it. To avoid future disasters, many countries decided to do what they could to identify and train those people. So, in order to train the future heroes of other worlds, many countries created their own summoned heroes' schools. Unfortunately, they also decided to put in check those who managed to return and use them as assets in exchange for many rewards, but who knows what their true intentions are...
Dragon's Wrath: The Cursed Returnee #Chapter 1 The Cursed One - Read Dragon's Wrath: The Cursed Returnee Chapter 1 The Cursed One Online - All Page - FREEWN
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A single young man was crossing a massive and dark hallway. He felt as if he was crossing the last area of a castle, and a few meters ahead, he would see a tall, pale vampire sitting on a red throne drinking a glass of a human's blood. The numerous claps of thunder howling outside the castle and the candles near the walls at least made him feel that way. However, he wasn't going to face the lord of the vampires. He was going to face something far worse.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ When he found the massive door that blocked his path to his last enemy, the young man didn't hesitate and kicked it. Although the door was completely made of an unknown but incredibly sturdy type of metal, it flew away from its position and only stopped when hit the walls one hundred meters away.
Close to those walls, the young man saw an unknown creature that he couldn't quite describe. If he had to choose one word, he would use the word monster. However, the young man would never truly call that creature a monster. He was the monster of that world; he was the anomaly.
The creature had white eyes and no pupils. That was the only part of its body that wasn't covered by red armor that looked like living flesh. In fact, that armor was emitting a strong scent that covered that whole room that was like one hundred meters long and wide. The creature got up and was revealed to be three meters tall, but even its size couldn't be compared to the red sword that was resting on the left side of the throne. The creature grabbed the five meters long sword and prepared to fight.
"Cursed hero… Ethan. You shall pay for everything you had done to me and my subordinates." The creature said in an ominous and demonic tone.
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The creature disappeared for one moment, but not from Ethan's eyesight. When the creature slashed its huge sword to split in half, something appeared on his right hand, and he successfully blocked the attack. The demon lord had heard a lot of reports about the summoned hero who appeared to exterminate him and his kind, but now that he could see him up close, the demon lord couldn't feel anything aside from disappointment and sheer fury. A single man defeated his army of millions alone in less than one year. That man wasn't even old enough to drink, and everything about him screamed averageness, his light brown hair, his physique, his height. Even his stance while holding a sword was full of openings!
Only two things on that puny human made the demon lord keep his guard open. The dark sword on his hands and Ethan's eyes. Ethan's light brown eyes didn't show him a single thing. There wasn't fear, rage, excitement, or happiness… there was nothing. If anything, the demon lord only saw sadness in his eyes. It was a small glint of sadness, but it was there. However, such a thing didn't stay on the demon lord's mind for long.
"How dare you raise that sword against? HOW DARE YOU!"
The demon lord howled, and for some reason, the weight behind his attack increased by manifold and send Ethan flying backward. His back hit several layers of walls and only stopped when it reached the middle of the castle. That alone should have destroyed his body many times. However, while the demon king was approaching, he saw Ethan getting up as if nothing had happened. The boy wasn't wearing a single piece of armor, and his attack didn't cause any damage. Ethan got up and hit his right hand on his left shoulder to get rid of the dust. That alone worked to enrage the demon king even more.
When the demon king slashed his sword again, Ethan only raised the black sword to block the attack. However, the same thing happened, and as if the rage was strengthening the demon king, Ethan was sent flying all the way to the outside of the castle. After rolling on the ground several times, Ethan got up again and saw himself on a battlefield where he could see hundreds of piles of corpses. Monsters and demons of all shapes and sizes, they were the last line of defense of the demon king. They had died by Ethan's hands a few minutes ago without even scratching him.
The demon king wanted to attack Ethan again and, this time, crush him for good, but he was forced to stop when he saw a single body cut into several pieces above the bridge that were the entrance of the castle. Head, torso, and limbs had been separated from each other. It was the body of his right-hand man, and it was also the body of his sole son. A man who had a potential even greater than the demon king. The legendary dark knight who decimated all the kingdoms of that planet with the exception of a single one. The Hedo Kingdom… the same who had summoned Ethan.
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"I'm disappointed," Ethan said without expressing a single emotion and while once again cleaning the dust from his shoulders. "He put up a fight better than you. He really deserved this sword… you should feel honored that you will be cut down by this."historical
"SHUT UP!" The demon king roared and then raised his hands toward the red sky.
In an instant, a massive wave of mana created a massive magic circle in the sky. Ethan sighed when he saw that. To think that he had to kill someone who reached that level of power… how much time and effort did the demon king have to spend to reach that level? He truly was a monster, even worse than the demon king.
"You are wide open," Ethan said and then appeared behind the demon king.
The next moment, all the mana began to dissipate, and the magic circle disappeared. An attack that the demon king hadn't even seen stole all his strength and made him fall to the ground. A single slash penetrated his red armor and cut him diagonally. Ethan turned around and watched the demon king lose all his blood and only stopped facing the look of surprise in his eyes when the light disappeared from them. He had the duty to do at least that much."
Congratulations! You completed the quest: Slay the demon king Drag'drath!
The summoning circle was reactivated. You can return to Earth!
You received 1.000.000 coins!
Ethan looked at the red sky and then took a long breath. After eleven months, he will finally return home. After eleven months in that world where he did nothing but steal the most precious things from others, he was finally going home. He was happy, and yet…
"I'm sorry," Ethan muttered to no one.
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The hero saved the world from the clutches of the demon king. In any other situation, Ethan would be greeted by smiles everywhere. Still, while he crossed half of the world to finally return home, he saw himself being watched by only stern eyes. He didn't stop in any place, but despite having the speed of a bullet, he couldn't just follow a route where he wouldn't find a single living person. Although he single-handedly defeated the demon-king, many soldiers still were camped in the wastelands that had been created thanks to the conflicts.
Half of the world had been destroyed in that war, but the more Ethan approached the Hedo kingdom, the more people he saw. He recognized some, but no one recognized him. Even though he fought alongside them for quite a while. The hero of the calamity… he was called that by the humans of that world because those who got close to him would disappear and only reappear after a while with amnesia and powerless. Meanwhile, Ethan only grew in strength. Thanks to that, not even the humans of that world could see him as an ally.
Thanks to the power of magic, everyone learned that the hero of calamity was fast approaching. However, those in the royal palace already knew that. The summoning magic circle could only be activated when the hero was summoned and when he defeated the demon king. Those events were beyond anyone's control. So, the king and its retainers alerted the citizens to stay at their homes for three days and three nights. Everything is for the sake of protecting the citizens and not to increase the heroes' power. The hero never tried to get close to anyone, but nobody could imagine what he was thinking. Many assumed that he only fought the demons alone because that way, he could obtain their power, after all.
The capital was completely silent. The place looked like a medieval city like London during the industrial revolution without the smoke. Ethan crossed the streets without finding a single living soul. Even the castle was empty… Thanks to Ethan's effort, the royal family of the Hedo kingdom was never put in danger, and yet, no one was there to greet him or even offer him a thanks for fighting for his life and dirtying his hands with blood for an entire year.
"What a big welcome party for the hero who saved the world," Ethan said while showing a self-mocking smile. "Well, not that I would waste any time at a party at this point in time, and I will party as much as I want once I return home."
The moment Ethan had been waiting for in the last months finally arrived. When he opened the door of the throne room, he saw the magic circle shining. He was finally going home and would free himself from his accursed power. The more he approached the magic circle, the more Ethan felt the mana living in his body. It was only natural that something like that would happen. He was returning to Earth, and Earth didn't have mana.
Unfortunately, after a while, Ethan felt that the core of his mana wasn't disappearing. He felt shivers imagining the possibility that his power might not even leave him once he returns to Earth. If that were to happen, then there would be no mistake, the demon king used the right words, and Ethan would deserve the title of the cursed hero.
Ethan gulped when he stepped on the magic circle. The space around him whitened just like before he arrived in that world. All the mana in his body began to leave at an astonishing speed. Ethan felt his body getting heavier, and he also felt all the things he had obtained over the past year disappear from his control. However, the only thing he truly needed to lose didn't leave him. In the next moment, Ethan saw himself back in his classroom. He was sitting on the same chair that he used on the first day of high school. The chair that he used only a single day…
historical
The classroom was empty for some reason. Ethan got up and approached the windows only to confirm his fears. The school was empty… eleven months had passed while he was in another world, and so eleven months had passed on Earth as well. As if that wasn't enough, Ethan still could feel some mana in his body.
"Status Screen," Ethan said.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 01 (0/100)
Health: 50/50
Mana: 50/50
Stamina: 50/50
STR: 05
MAG: 05
PHY: 05
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
ραпdα nᴏνa сom DEX: 05
EVA: 05
ACC: 05
Coins: 00
Status Points: 00
Skill Points: 00
Ethan, fifteen years old… an ordinary high-school student and savior of Eheia, finally returned to Earth. Still, he didn't have many reasons to feel happy.
Things didn't change even a little bit in his neighborhood. Summer was about to end, but since it was only seven in the morning, Ethan couldn't see many people walking on the streets after jumping over the gates of his high school. His residential area was pretty close to his school, and most people had already gone to work while the students were still lazing around and enjoying their summers.
Despite everything, Ethan felt a sense of comfort just by walking in his civilized world. Although the few people he met along the way frowned while looking at him, he paid them no mind.
"Although I'm thankful that these clothes didn't disappear, I still wonder why I have them," Ethan frowned while looking at his clothes, which made him look like a hunter of the Middle Ages. "This is made of mana, so it should have disappeared… perhaps…"
Ethan's power as a hero was equipped with many features. Not only could he access a status screen, but he also could access a skill screen, a quest list, an inventory, and a shop. Since the power he received by being summoned was the power to steal magic and memories from others, he didn't get all that much experience while fighting. Although it was called experience, it was just mana absorbed by the monsters that it was used to strengthen him, so he could use that mana to create and buy all kinds of things. All of those options would be upgraded the more he leveled up and did other things like analyzing the gear of his opponents.
All in all, it was like Ethan's had become a game character, but he also had access to game master powers. So, even if his current clothes had been crafted with the mana he received in another world, those wouldn't disappear until he unequipped them.
The more Ethan approached his home, the faster his heart began to beat. He couldn't help but start to sweat, thanks to the tension when he finally saw his home. Even his house didn't change a single bit in the last year. The garden which his mother liked to look after in her free time. Even his dog, Milo, was sleeping there as if it was waiting for him. Even though he always liked to do that at that time of the year.
Ethan approached him, and Milo opened his right eye but quickly closed it again. Ethan couldn't help but laugh a little. Milo had never been particularly close to him, so he did that many times.
"Thanks for not forgetting about me, boy," Ethan said and then scratched Milo's head.
Ethan headed to the door of his home. He didn't know which of the week that was, but most likely, his parents and older sister wouldn't be at home. However, if that was Sunday… Ethan took a deep breath and then opened the door. He had been waiting for that moment for months. There was no need for hesitation. Still, after doing that, Ethan couldn't help but frown. Even from the entrance door, he could see his family having breakfast, his father, mother, and older sister in their seats. However, his seat wasn't empty. A strangely dressed figure was there.
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The first one to react was Ethan's father. He was a tall and well-built man who, like Ethan, had light brown hair and eyes. However, Ethan didn't inherit from him his amazing physique. Maybe because his father was a slacker when Ethan was born… Regardless, he wasn't anymore. After being a professional gym coach for fifteen years, he now had a body that would make most forty years old men jealous.historical
"Hey, who said that you can…" Ethan's father said and then stopped when he recognized his son. "Ethan?"
When Michael muttered that name, the others also looked toward the door. Evelyn, Ethan's mother, also soon recognized her son. Despite being the mother of two, she still looked as if she was in her prime, but her beautiful face soon broke into tears. The surprise had been so big that she began to cry right at the table. Hannah, Ethan's elder sister, just crossed her arms and showed a serious expression. Just like Ethan resembled his father a lot, with the exception of height, Hannah looked like a mirror image of her mother. Both of them were blond and had blue eyes. The sole difference was that his mother liked her hair short, and Hannah liked hers long.
Amidst that confusion, the stranger, who was dressed like a noble in some sort of play that was set in the Middle Ages, waves his hand toward Ethan. However, that didn't make his frown to disappear. He was really good-looking in Ethan's eyes, even though he had never seen a man with such red hair and ember eyes.
"Ethan!" Michael howled. "Where have you been? You bloody fool!"
As if he was a bull, Michael charged toward Ethan and then prepared his right hand to drop a chop on his son's head. However, Ethan moved faster and evaded the blow by jumping backward in a summersault. Somehow, Ethan managed to do that. Even though he had the same body he had one year ago. However, his legs were left trembling, and his current body was too weak for that.
"Oh?" Michael showed a grim that only made Ethan feel at home. "You dare to dodge the punishment from your old man? Even though you made us worry sick?"
"Sorry about that, Dad," Ethan forced a smile. "There is a reason for that, so… let's stop messing around."
"Don't give me excuses!" Michael shouted again. "Accept this light punishment like a man. Otherwise, I won't let you touch your games for the rest of the summer vacation."
That was something his father said many times to Ethan in the past. That also made him feel as if he truly was back to home, but it was lacking as a threat. Michal tried to hit Ethan's hand with a shop many times, but he failed in doing so. Since he was a man with great physical strength, he followed Ethan across the garden for several minutes. Everyone watched those three for quite a while, but after ten or so minutes, they couldn't help but frown.
Even Michael couldn't help but show a worried expression while watching Ethan running away, pale like a ghost and sweating like a waterfall. He was exhausted, but he refused to let his father hit him, and Michael had never hit him with real strength before, so there was no reason for him to act like that.
Despite the weirdness of the situation and the fact that they had a visit, Ethan recalled that his dad was really someone strange... after watching Bl3ach with him years ago, he concluded that Issh1n Kur0saki was the coolest dad in the world and began to copy him. A man in his forties impersonating an anime character...
"Dear, let's stop this," Evelyn said, showing a weak smile since her cry took a lot of energy from her. "Ethan is finally back, so let's enjoy this moment and think about such a thing later."
"Yes, you are right," Michael said while watching Ethan, who was covered in sweat. "It looks like I'm a bit late to say this, but… Welcome back, Ethan."
"I'm home, Dad," Ethan said, showing an exhausted smile.
Ethan was completely fine physically. After that conversation, he went to his room to take a shower and change his clothes. While he was doing so, Michael, Evelyn, and Hannah watched him through the breach of the bathroom door. It was beyond weird for them to peek at a fifteen years old boy taking a shower, but they had to confirm some things. First of all, there were no weird marks on his body. Not even scars were left. Even though he gained some while he was in the other world. Ethan noticed that, but he decided to act naturally.
While Ethan was taking a shower, the others reunited in the living room to talk about what they had just seen. The Ethan they knew was a pretty carefree boy who liked to spend most of his time playing games or sleeping. However, the Ethan they saw a few minutes ago was someone who had the willpower to dodge the 'attacks' of his father for several minutes straight despite being physically weaker.
"What do you think, Hannah?" Michael asked with his crossed arms.
"I can sense some mana in him," Hannah crossed her arms and then closed her eyes while she was analyzing Ethan's presence. "But it is extremely weak, not enough to strengthen his body and make him able to escape from dad's stupid antics."
"It wasn't stupid, and I was being serious," Michael frowned.
"So, his instincts were forcing him to move his body like that?" Evelyn asked. "It is one of those side effects? A trauma, perhaps?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Hannah shrugged. "We will know once Ethan does some tests. I'm not a doctor, and I'm just someone who also went to another world. That being said…"
That was something Ethan would learn later; his older sister also had become a hero of another world as well. However, she returned after just one week because time passed faster in the world she had been in. Not only that, thanks to her power, she managed to save the world much faster than Ethan.
"So, he will have to go to that place, huh," Evelyn sighed. "They must be on their way to his place."
"Yeah, the chances of them ignoring him are too low," Hannah sighed as well. "Given his current mental state, it is only natural."
Ethan couldn't hear anything since he had lost his powers and was taking a shower on the second floor, but he could imagine what they were talking about. Well, almost. Ethan had no idea how much the world had changed in a single year. However, he knew things wouldn't be the same way as before, thanks to his power and thanks to the fact that he also could sense an incredible amount of mana in his sister's body.
After a few minutes, Ethan showed himself in the living room wearing the sweatpants that he used every single day of his life before being summoned. He looked pretty relaxed, thanks to the bath and clothes. Enough to make his family relax around him as well, despite the conversation they are going to have. Although that wasn't the case, it looked like Ethan was going to be interrogated since he was sitting on one side of a table and his family was on the other. Meanwhile, the redhead was sitting on the couch, but then he suddenly got up.
"It looks like all of you will have a long conversation," The redhead said. "I will take my leave."
"You don't have to," Ethan said. "It looks like I will be your future brother-in-law, so you are not a stranger to them."
ραпdα nᴏνa сom He only noticed when the man got up, but he was wearing a wedding ring. The same one his sister was wearing. Things began to make sense now… why the man felt so out of place and why his sister had so much mana.
"Well, if you are fine with it…" The redhead politely lowered his head and then put his right hand across his chest. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nuvian Gredithas."
"Ethan Hairron…" Ethan said while he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, you are the prince of some kingdom, or you already became the king?"
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Although he was a bit surprised, Nuvian didn't drop the smile on his face. Somehow, even though Ethan was going to be the center of the conversation, he changed the flow of it and became the first one to ask a question.
"Come on, I know how things work in other worlds," Ethan said while shrugging his shoulders. "More importantly, I know how things work in my sister's head. Guys with sweet smiles like you are her weakness. Besides, it is a common occurrence to gain favor with heroes by throwing members of the opposite sex on their parties. Mainly, the good-looking ones."
"Ethan…" Hannah said while her eyes and voice were cold as ice. "What are you exactly implying here?"
"Nothing, really," Ethan shrugged again with a smile on his face. "I'm just saying that this is a common occurrence. Although you are a bit of an airhead, you are not an idiot. So, he should be fine. I don't know what kind of mistake you made to get her, but… good luck."
"Hah?" Hannah crossed her arms and then showed a smug face. "I bet you are jealous that I hit the jackpot."
"Not really," Ethan said, and his smile grew. "I never looked for a redhead male to become my partner."historical
Evelyn and Nuvian laughed a little while Hannah still was a bit annoyed. As for Michael, he just stayed quiet and studied his son. Ethan was somewhat of a joker in the past, so perhaps his past year didn't change him completely. However, Michael could tell that Ethan wasn't acting one hundred percent naturally. The glint in his eyes had changed, so Michael could tell.
"So, are you going to tell us what happened to you over this year or what?" Hannah asked.
"You must have had a hard time with her," Ethan said while looking at Nuvian. "I can count with the fingers of a single hand the people I know that can be as blunt as her."
"Don't change the subject!" Hannah said impatiently.
"… I spent eleven months working for the Hedo kingdom," Ethan replied. "The only kingdom of a certain world that wasn't wiped out by the demon king's army. Just a few hours ago, I defeated him and obtained the right to go back home. The end."
Evelyn and Nuvian forced a smile while Hannah sighed. It was perfectly natural for returnees to hide the experiences they had in other worlds. Only those who had an easy time would openly talk about their adventures and boast about every single thing.
"Demon king, huh," Hannah nodded to herself while staring at the ceiling. "I guess I had an easy time compared to that… I only had to defeat a monster that was giving birth to thousands of monsters every day."
"If a demon king never appeared in your world, maybe you shouldn't relax so much," Ethan said while facing Nuvian. "A monster like that also appeared a few times in the history of the world I went. Such anomaly can cause unexpected changes, and the demon race from that place was one of them."
"I'm fully aware of it," Nuvian said, showing a serious look on his face. "Thanks to Hannah's power, I can travel to this world whenever I feel like it, and I learned things like that. Right now, we are preparing the due countermeasures to every single problem that might emerge."
"I see…" Ethan said and nodded. "It looks like things changed quite a bit in a few months. I should have known since, in this family, we have two summoned heroes. Can I hear about how much the world changed?"
Although Evelyn and Michael knew a lot more than Ethan could imagine, Hannah was the one who started the explanations. In just a single year, thousands of humans had been summoned to other worlds. Although such a thing happened in the past, it was at a pace where the governments could still keep things hidden, but not anymore. Not after some heroes failed to save the world and ended up bringing monsters from other lands to Earth.
"When a hero fails in save the world and still manages to return to Earth, they create a link between them," Hannah explained. "The link is weak at first, but it grows stronger naturally. Until it becomes strong enough to create a portal between words. That is how a dungeon is created."
ραпdα nᴏνa сom "… Since your explanation is easy to follow, it looks like some already appeared on Earth," Ethan furrowed his eyebrows.
"That is right," Hannah nodded. "That kind of event had to happen three times before we could understand what was going on. A country in South America was completely destroyed when a dungeon appeared, and thousands of monsters appeared. Right now, the situation there is under control, thanks to the UN. Two other countries in Europe and Asia almost suffered the same fate. Still, fortunately, some summoned heroes lived nearby and avoided the worst-case scenario."
"I see," Ethan said and then lowered his head. "So, some of us still keep our powers after returning, and I guess that is a blessing in disguise."
"From a certain point of view, you are right," Hannah said. "But that is something that is only happening lately. In the past years, most summoned heroes lost their powers once they returned. The reason behind it no one can understand, and I'm sure you can understand how dangerous it is for humans with god-like powers to live in our society."
The arrival of monsters not only brought some worries to all the governments of the world. Monsters also had all kinds of weird characteristics in their bodies, and most of them had a core that could transmit mana. The energy was so pure and powerful that it could be compared to a small nuclear reactor. Although humanity had to deal with a few superhumans, now they have the chance to obtain a source of energy that doesn't affect the environment.
"Almost eighty percent of the summoned hero are teenagers," Hannah explained. "For some reason, they adapt more quickly than adults. Maybe it is due to that most of them don't take things seriously. Regardless, those who are old enough end up joining the army by receiving a high-ranked position. Those who aren't ended up going to school… the summoned heroes' school."
"You mean they are forced to join the army or the school," Ethan shrugged and then laughed. "To keep all the returnees in a single place and to be monitored."
"I guess that is a way to look at the things," Hannah looked away with a troubled expression on her face. "Besides, people like us won't be able to live normal lives with the mana in our bodies. Nor would normal people accept to live close to us. By accepting this, you show that you don't want to become a threat. Besides, even school kids like you receive a compensation. So, it isn't a bad deal."
It wasn't like Ethan had much choice in the matter. With his power, an everyday life was out of the question. Besides, considering that Hannah was at home on a Sunday, the treatment they received was pretty good as long as they didn't do something problematic. Hannah tried to be subtle about it, but it was clear that she wanted Ethan to enter the school. It would be better if people like them interacted with each other frequently since they more or less knew what they had to do to survive until now. The logic was sound, but if anything, that only put Ethan in a bad spot. Those most affected by his powers weren't ordinary humans. They were those who had powers.
"There is another reason why returnees ended up joining the army or the school," Hannah added.
"Is that so…" Ethan said and then made a long pause since he felt that something was off.
"Sometimes, returnees ended up summoned to the world they saved and sometimes to others," Hannah explained. "That is why the governments help them to keep them in shape and even improve their skills. However, the main reason is that new heroes can bring alongside them to other worlds some allies."
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Now that was shocking. Ethan thought that only returnees could join the army and the summoned heroes' school. Still, it looked like, somehow, it was discovered a method to find heroes before they were summoned and even awakened their powers.
"Does that mean that we have powers before even getting summoned?" Ethan asked while frowning.
"That is right," Hannah nodded. "It is precisely because of those powers that we ended up summoned, and they are just asleep within us until the time comes for them to be used."
Ethan didn't want to believe that he had such a power since the beginning, and he had thought that some unknown god or goddess had given him that cursed power. However, it made sense, actually. Ethan never found any church back in that world, so the people there didn't worship any god. Still, that couldn't explain why he had a leveling-up system and why the summoning portal could be activated automatically.
"The very moment you returned, some mana of the world you had been was leaked into ours," Hannah said. "Thanks to that, those who monitor us realized that you have returned, and right now, they are coming to greet you. You should make up your mind, Ethan. You can accept their terms or ignore them. However, you won't be as free as you think. Even those who didn't accept the deal are monitored 24/7."
"… I want to live a normal life as much as possible," Ethan sighed. "I doubt that any other school will accept me, so it is not like I have any other choice. Well, considering that they let you marry an alien, then perhaps this isn't so bad."
"Alien?" Nuvian frowned.
"Don't use such terms, Ethan," Michael said. "There are many people in other worlds with who we have an amicable relationship. They are our allies, nothing more and nothing less."
"I will keep that in mind," Ethan said. "Besides, it isn't like this is a real insult."
Although Ethan wanted to learn more about the new world, he felt a presence approaching the door of his home. Someone who had a considerable amount of mana had come. Not even one hour had passed since he had returned to Earth, and he was already being visited by some agents of the government.
Even if it was for the sake of the country, it still was a pain in the ass. Before whoever was on the other side of the door could even knock, Hannah got up and opened it. That had been quite harsh of her, but what happened next surprised Ethan even more.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "Natalia!" Hannah said, and then she opened her arms before hugging a black-haired woman that appeared.historical
"Hannah!" Natalia said and then returned the hug. "Long time no see! It has been such a long time!"
The black-haired woman, Natalia, was wearing a female suit while also carrying a suitcase. Despite the nature of her job, her clothes, and even the round glasses that she was wearing, she didn't look all that serious. Then again, Ethan had enough experience to know that not everything that shines is gold. She looked like a teacher most kids of his age would feel really attracted to, but he only looked at her as if she was a walking problem.
"Wow, I'm surprised," Natalia said. "When I received a call on my day off, I couldn't help but sigh. But when I heard the address of where I should go, I couldn't help but feel happy. Your brother, who went missing last year, finally returned, huh. You must be in the clouds!"
"Well, a little bit," Hannah said, a little bit embarrassed.
"Look at you, acting so bashful," Natalia grinned. "You must be Ethan; I heard a lot of you from your big sister. It is nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Ethan said.
Natalia offered a handshake, but Ethan just stayed on the couch and waved his right hand a single time to her. Natalia couldn't help but frown. At first glance, Ethan seemed pretty normal, a bit too introverted perhaps, but not enough to ignore a handshake. Regardless, she quickly realized that something was off. When Hannah returned, Evelyn threw a party and called all the neighbors, but it looked like she didn't plan to do the same again for some reason.
"Please take a seat, Natalia," Evelyn got up and said. "Do you want to drink something?"
"I'm fine, thanks," Natalia smiled. "I don't want to take too much of your family time. This is a special occasion, after all."
After taking her seat, Natalia didn't do anything and just faced Ethan in silence. By the look of things, she had that job because she was good at measuring people with her eyes. Or maybe she just had some kind of power that could analyze every single person.
"How unusual," Natalia said. "Although some heroes still lose all of their powers, I didn't hear of someone who kept just a little bit of theirs. Maybe yours will return over time."
"Is that so?" Ethan said, uninterested.
"What do you know about the things returnees do after returning to Earth, Ethan?" Natalia asked. "I imagine your parents and Hannah already explained to you a few things."
"Just the basics," Ethan answered. "I heard that those who are old enough join the military and younger ones go to some school. Also…"
After saying what he knew, Natalia gave Ethan more details. As it turns out, those who go to school don't have to stay there 24/7. Thanks to the monsters and mana, human technology improved quite a bit. So, the students received a wristwatch that granted them the power to teleport to school and their homes at a moment's notice.
"How convenient," Ethan said.
"Right?" Natalia smiled proudly as if she had created the watchers.
"It is a pretty interesting way to know our location every single moment," Ethan said. "To receive this, I imagine I have to sign a contract, and the contract says that I can't take out the wristwatch. Am I right?"
Hannah facepalmed while Michael and Evelyn showed a forced smile. Ethan was completely right, but they didn't expect that he would make such sharp remarks right in front of government agent.
"… You are right," Natalia showed an awkward smile. "But it is a low price considering how convenient it is, right? After all, the summoned heroes' school is pretty far away, and it is in Washington D. C."
Now Ethan couldn't help but feel impressed. Teleportation spells were quite difficult to control, and since he lived in Lawrence, Kansas, a lot of mana would be used. The government had created those dispositive and gave them to know how many other kids. They adapted fast, perhaps too fast.
"Tell me other interesting things about the school," Ethan said.
"You know that returnees that go to school receive a salary, right?" Natalia asked.
"Yeah, some sort of bribe to keep the teenagers happy," Ethan replied.
"… Actually, if you stand out in your class, you can increase your rank in the school and increase your salary even further!" Natalia said, forcing herself to keep smiling.
"I see," Ethan nodded. "Not only does the government divide kids by their power level, but it even tries to stimulate them by offering larger bribes. I'm glad to see that our society didn't change all that much."
"Ethan…" Michael said with a somewhat rough voice.
"Sorry, I will stay quiet from now on," Ethan said with a smile on his face.
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Sapient species act pretty much the same in all words. Although Ethan only went to one, the people from there weren't much different from humans from Earth. Just like the government tried to lure kids to their school by offering rewards in money, the Hedo's king even tried to engage his three daughters to Ethan. He wanted to give away his daughters for an unknown boy just to stay on his good side… After a while, when some rumors began to spread around Ethan, he stopped doing that, but it wasn't because he valued his daughters.
Regardless, aside from what Ethan heard, the summoned heroes' school wasn't that different from other schools. Still, Ethan couldn't help but feel that something was off. Keeping kids with superpowers in check was obviously necessary, but certain points weren't matching.
"That is all for the basics," Natalia said, looking a bit tired. "If you want to enter the school, you just have to sign this. The summoned heroes' school is open all year, so you can even go there tomorrow. The only thing we ask is for you to go there three times a week."
"Is that it?" Ethan frowned. "Aren't you going to ask about the things I experience in the other world?"
"We don't force students like you to share those experiences," Natalia answered. "It is not uncommon for returnees to suffer some traumas, so we understand that it is completely normal to stay quiet about it. That being said, if you want someone to talk to, you can always talk with the psychologist of the school."
Now more than ever, Ethan felt that something was off. Despite that, he signed the contract. He couldn't return and then cause more problems to his family, more than he had already caused by being missing for an entire year.
"That settles everything," Natalia said after conferring the documents. "I hope that you have fun attending the school, Ethan. I'm sure you will make many friends."
"What are you? An elementary school teacher?" Ethan thought while frowninghistorical
Ethan wanted to sigh, but doing that would be rude. Even though he had already done plenty of rude things in the last few minutes, he couldn't do anymore. So, he only returned with a nod.
"Well then," Natalia said. "Have a nice day, everyone. I hope to see all of you soon."
After Natalia left and Evelyn closed the door, Hannah left a chop fall on Ethan's head, but she only hit the empty air. Before everyone could notice, he had already moved away from the living room and was already climbing the stairs.
"I'm a bit tired, so I will be sleeping for the rest of the day," Ethan said. "If something happens, please call me."
Ethan wanted to interact more with his family. He fought for almost a year with that single goal in mind. After all, he had a loving family. However, the current situation wouldn't allow him to do that. Due to his power, he couldn't touch anyone. So, in order to avoid those awkward moments, it was better to keep some distance for a while.
"I should have known that just doing my job in that world wouldn't be enough," Ethan sighed and then let his back fall on his bed. "I considered that for a while, but I should have solved this problem myself. Too bad I didn't have much time there. Nor did I find anything within the system that could have helped me. Maybe I can learn a few things about it in the school..."
Ethan's room didn't change a single bit. Although Evelyn cleaned everything whenever she could, she didn't change anything. The posters of games, the game covers, the position of the bed… everything was where he remembered. Ethan felt really comfortable there, enough to make him sleep, but soon he got up and decided to work. Ethan couldn't think of a way to get rid of his power without using his power to learn more things. So, before getting rid of every single trace of mana in his body, he had to increase it in order to control it better.
"This is quite insane…" Ethan frowned. "It is like I'm in deep in the ocean, and to find air, I have to go even deeper. Well, let's see what I can do without leveling up."
As a hero, Ethan could learn all physical and magical abilities, and as he could take from his targets and from those who touched him their powers and all the memories related to those powers. Those question marks weren't there before... so his body probably suffered some changes after returning.
Regardless Ethan could very well, instead of learning how to cast a single Fireball, he could learn how to cast ten at the same time. His target just has to know it. That being said, that power is weak at the beginning. So, perhaps his fear of stealing his friend's memories was an exaggeration.
"No, I can't risk it," Ethan shook his head. "I bet there are plenty of assholes out there who don't deserve their powers, but I can exactly confront them as I am now."
Ethan sat cross-legged on his bed and then closed his eyes before relaxing his body completed. Although he lost all his skills, he still could remember how to activate and learn the simple ones. Since he had mana in his body, he could activate them.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Meditation!
Effects: Passively increases your Mana by ten percent per level.
Restores your mana by one point per minute while the skill is active.
Lv 01 – 0/100
"It looks I was right… I can even increase my mana like this," Ethan nodded to himself in satisfaction. "I wasn't good in that world at using magic, but right now, I don't have any other choice but master it."
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
"Mmm?" Ethan frowned. "That was something I didn't expect, and I thought the only way to gain coins was by defeating monsters and completing quests. I guess that only shows that I relied on that power too much despite everything…"
It was true. In the beginning, Ethan defeated monsters and learned skills from others before defeating them. It was a cheat power, but it was very useful. At that time, he never considered it a curse, but after a while…
"Let's focus on the issues at hand and mop later," Ethan slapped both of his cheeks. "Even though I still remember some swordplay moves. I'm not strong enough to perform them correctly. Besides, I'm pretty sure I need a weapon to use certain skills and learn others. What can I do with my own body right now in order to obtain some skills? I guess I can use Dash… but not in my room. I can also try Leap once I have more stamina. So, my only real option is Martial Arts."
Congratulations! You learned the skill Martial Arts!
Effects: Passively increases the power of your punches and kicks when fighting unarmed.
Increases your END by one point per level when fighting barehanded.
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
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Congratulations! The skill Meditation has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up a skill you learned by yourself, you obtained one hundred coins.
Although Ethan learned those skills relatively fast, only Meditation could level up at an acceptable pace. Still, considering his standards, spending one hour to level up a single skill was a bit too much.
"If I remember correctly, the same day I learned Meditation, I reached level twenty with it," Ethan said while scratching his chin. "I guess it can't be helped. The path here will be even harder than it was in that world since I don't intend to steal the power of others… for now. Maybe Hannah can teach me a few spells. No… come to think of it, I really need to recover my vigor. Getting that tired after running around the garden for ten minutes was really pathetic."
It was time to train his body. Although Ethan was pretty sure that he would have the chance to recover some of his powers at school, he didn't want to wait for it. So, he grabbed his old sneakers and left his room after putting them on.
"I'm going for a walk," Ethan said while he grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator. "I will return before lunch."
"Oh no... the slacker Ethan was brainwashed in the other world and became hard-working," Hannah said while putting both hands on her cheeks and faking some surprise. "What are we going to do?"
"Shut it," Ethan said, and then he recalled something. "Otherwise, I will tell your husband the magazines you had during your puberty."
"You wouldn't dare..." Hannah said and then corrected herself. "I mean, I never had such a thing."
His parents, sister, and Nuvian still were in the living room, showing complicated expressions when Ethan appeared and then left despite acting like usual. They couldn't help but be left astonished when Ethan said and then declared that. In the past, Ethan hated exercising with passion, and now two hours after his return, he decided to jog around the neighborhood.historical
"It looks like this is more serious than we thought," Hannah crossed her hands and put them in front of her mouth. "Ethan became a maniac for exercises even without father's help… it looked like he tasted hell in the other world."
"Don't joke about such a thing, Hannah," Evelyn said, a bit angry.
"Sorry," Hannah forced a smile. "What are you going to do, dad? This isn't exactly what you always wanted from us? You should join him."
"… Exercising is a good way to clear one's mind," Michael closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Ethan needs some time alone to return to being the person he once was. Just like you, he needs to deactivate his 'soldier's mode'."
"For some reason, I feel that he will have a hard time with that," Hannah sighed after approaching the window, looking to the sides and not finding Ethan.
Congratulations! You learned the skill, Dash!
Effects: Passively increases the speed while running or jogging by five percent per level.
Cost: 0.2 stamina per second.
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Ethan already was pretty away from his home when he received that notification. He had to put quite a lot of effort into receiving that notification. To think that he, who defeated the whole demon army relying on his physical strength alone, could have such a weak body was… disheartening, to say the least.
To make things worse, after a few minutes of running at such low speed, his stamina was empty, and Dash only improved up a bit. He will have to empty his stamina more than four times to make it level up. Fortunately, soon after he stopped to rest, his stamina was recovered by one point.
"Good, my power as a hero is weak, but it is working," Ethan nodded to himself in satisfaction. "Health and mana should also recover one per minute in the beginning. That being said, I can't imagine them being used anytime soon. Unless…"
Hannah's image appeared inside Ethan's head again. Ethan's father also knew a few martial arts, so his attacks would definitely hurt him and further increase the speed of the training. However, Ethan wanted to do that in a place where no one could see them. Back in that world, many people tried to manipulate him by obtaining information about him. Now on Earth, Ethan had to be even more careful. Although he didn't know many other heroes, he was pretty sure that his power as a hero was an anomaly among them.
"Now that I think about it, it might be a good idea to use this power on the people who managed to implement the use of mana in our daily lives," Ethan rubbed his chin. "Still, I wonder if I will find someone who deserves that kind of punishment. That kind of knowledge will be useful to me, but still…"
Maybe with the knowledge humans obtained recently, Ethan would be able to get rid of at least control his power as a hero. Either way, as long that curse doesn't affect the people he loves and innocents, he would feel satisfied.
"Ah, now that I think about it, there is another skill I can learn," Ethan said and then smiled. "How could I have forgotten about that."
Congratulations! You learned the skill Rest!
Effects: Passively increases the speed of your recovery when you lay still by five percent per level.
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
The effects weren't powerful yet, but it was the perfect skill for lazy people. The problem was Ethan could only activate the skill while his health, mana, or stamina wasn't completely full. So, it wasn't like the skill would level up non-stop while he slept. Rest also had another perk; it could be used alongside Meditation.
ραпdα nᴏνa сom "Not that I used mana that much until now," Ethan shrugged. "In any case, my class is rewarding me for putting effort into learning new skills without cheating, so perhaps I should try a little more seriously how to learn magic. I guess it will feel pretty natural if I ask Hannah to just do some demonstrations… that woman didn't say we were forbidden from using our powers, after all. Not that I would obey such a rule."
After resting for a few minutes, Ethan was back to normal. Another perk of his hero class, once his health, mana, and stamina are full, he feels completely fine. Regardless, since Rest worked during the whole time he waited, the skill was already at the halfway point to leveling up. It certainly was an essential skill that wouldn't be very useful during a combat, but it was very useful.
That morning, Ethan did nothing but train his skills. However, after returning home to have lunch, he also spent the whole afternoon. Trying to recover his powers as much as possible in the nearest park. Meanwhile, a certain black-haired woman watched him during the whole time.
"Aren't you a hard worker despite being so arrogant?" Natalia said while watching Ethan from the shadows and smiling. "The time is fast approaching, so you have to hurry up."
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Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 01 (0/100)
Health: 50/50
Mana: 65/65
Stamina: 50
STR: 05
MAG: 05
PHY: 05
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05
ACC: 05
Coins: 5900
Status Points: 00
Skill Points: 00
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 02,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04,
"I guess this isn't half bad for a day of training," Ethan said while checking his status after dinner. "Thank… god? I'm a hero, though. Otherwise, after working out this much, I would have ended up at a hospital if I had a normal body."
Congratulations! You learned the skill Bash!
Effects: Increases the power of your next physical attack by ten percent per level.
Cost: 01 stamina
Lv 02 – 155/200
While he was training Dash, Ethan recalled about Bash. It was a simple skill that consumed his stamina to increase the power of his attacks, being they armed or unarmed. Since it would also help him train Martial Arts, he ended up using Bash with his fists on a tree. That had been quite painful since Bash only worked when he used all his strength, but thanks to it, things have progressed well.
"I guess it is time to confirm if the shop still works," Ethan muttered.
Ethan focused his vision on his coin's icon, and then, in the next moment, a new window appeared. However, Ethan couldn't help but frown while looking at it.
Short Sword – 50 coins
Wooden Shield - 50 coins
Old Ring – 50 coins
Long Sword – 100 coins
Hood – 50 coins
Old Amulet – 50 coins
Spear – 50 coins
Leather Armor – 100 coins
Old Gloves – 100 coins.
"I don't remember the shop being this small," Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, the first time I accessed this, the number of items impressed me, but at the time, I was at the level five… maybe that is the problem. Since I can obtain coins without fighting, the shop has restrictions. It would be weird if, at level one, I could buy a powerful weapon."
Although his body was fine, Ethan was mentally tired. It was better to rest now since he was planning to check the school everyone mentioned to him. He had to confirm if that would be useful to his purposes, after all. Despite that, he still ended up buying the short sword. The weapon suddenly appeared above him and then fell on his hands. It wasn't that heavy. Still, Ethan couldn't feel the familiarity he felt once while holding swords in the past. Obviously, it was because he lost his Swordsmanship skill and all the others related to it.historical
Suddenly, Ethan felt some rapid footsteps approaching, and without wasting any time, he stored the short sword in his inventory. As if that was the most normal thing to do, Hannah kicked the door and barged into Ethan's room. Showing a serious but, at the same time, curious expression.
"I felt the effects of some high-ranked magic coming from here," Hannah said while looking around. "I thought you were the physical type, but can you use high-ranked magic too?"
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "You never change, do you?" Ethan sighed. "How many times do I have to say, Hannah? You can't enter a room of a teenage boy like this. Even I don't have dirty stuff like you once had."
"It is fine, Nuvian returned to his home, so you don't have to use my name," Hannah said and then approached, trying to hug Ethan from behind, but then she stopped. "You can call me big sis again."
"Ah, right… I forgot about this," Ethan sighed. "You don't like to be called that in front of others, but I didn't expect that you would feel that way even in front of that guy."
The truth is, Hannah liked the others to see her as a serious and dependable older sister. However, when only his parents and Ethan were at home, she would go back to her normal behavior and become a silly girl who liked to spend most of her time messing with and strengthening the bond between her and Ethan.
"Got a problem with that?" Hannah asked.
"Not really," Ethan replied while shrugging his shoulders.
"Stop wasting time and explain the magic that I felt," Hannah said and sat on the side of the bed.
Instead of explaining, Ethan just showed it to her. Taking the sword from the inventory and also buying a spear from the shop. Ethan felt pretty impressed the first time he saw that, but Hannah didn't. If anything, she only frowned.
"It wasn't your mana that caused this," Hannah nodded to herself. "So, you have a support system… those are rare."
"Is that so?" Ethan said. "When I was in the other world, I heard that heroes of the past also had this."
"It is probably because you inherited the system from them," Hannah explained. "Most liked, the god of that world created the system and gave it to you and the other heroes. Only someone like that would be able to create such a system and pass it a will to others. Even among heroes, the power to manipulate space and time is rare. Not to mention the power to use energy and create things with it. Transforming energy into matter…"
Ethan was aware of it, but he never thought much about it since it was magic. He was a guy from a modern world that couldn't explain such a phenomenon with logic alone. That was supposed to be the truth one year ago, but now humanity was creating crazy devices with the use of mana.
"I suppose your power is different," Ethan said, looking at her curious expression.
"That is right, I can't see things and notice my progress by watching numbers, but I can feel it," Hannah explained. "That is probably why you are not good at controlling magic because you didn't improve your senses."
"So, you can tell, huh," Ethan said.
"Obviously," Hannah stuffed her chest and then said it as if it was a matter of fact. "In any case, even though I don't need to tell you that since you spent all day training your body, I will tell you anyway. If you can, recover your powers as fast as possible. Make use of the school whenever possible. I can't express in words what I'm feeling right now, but I think hard times are approaching. Too many people are being transported to other worlds, and it is only a matter of time before something unexpected happens."
"… I see, so you think that as well," Ethan nodded. "Well, if the school can be used like that, I'm going to use to it my heart's content."
"Ah… knowing you, you will love the things that you will find there," Hannah showed a weird smile.
Ethan wanted to hear more about it, but Hannah decided to keep quiet in order not to spoil the surprise. The summoned heroes' school wasn't like a place to keep those kids together and train them, and it was much more than that.
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Before going to bed, Ethan asked his sister to teach him a few spells. Unfortunately, it looked like Hannah's magic was pretty special, and it wasn't something that could be easily learned. However, Hannah wanted to teach him that, but…
"You don't have enough mana," Hannah said. "Maybe you will have enough in one week to learn the most basic spells I can use."
That was weird. Even though Ethan never mastered any big spells, he learned some simple ones, and those could be used with his current mana. However, now that Ethan thought about it, creating a link between worlds wasn't something one could do with half-assed powers. So, Hannah's magic was much more powerful than any ordinary magic he had used in the past.
That night, Ethan slept like a rock. Even the beds of the royal palace of the Hedo kingdom couldn't compare to the comfort of his home. That being said, Ethan still woke up before the first light and left his home to exercise his body. Before closing the door, Ethan heard his sister's snore.
"She does really never change," Ethan laughed. "Nuvian won't be able to have some good nights of sleep... and not for a good reason."
After reaching the park and confirming that he was alone, Ethan picked up his weapons from his inventory. He decided to train with them for a bit. The sooner he recovers that feeling while using weapons, the better.
"Come to think of it," Ethan suddenly muttered to himself. "I don't really know what this wristwatch is capable of, so being cautious of what I do may be a waste of time. Big sis said that this power is rare, but she didn't look surprised. So, I guess I'm fine with using it whenever I feel like it. Being cautious all the time will only dull my senses in the long run, after all."
Congratulations! You learned the skill Swordsmanship!
Effects: Increases the power of your when using swords by three points per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Weirdly enough, the very moment Ethan held the sword and assumed an attack stance, he received that notification. That was odd… maybe the trigger to learn skills was more different than he thought. However, the same thing happened when he held the spear.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Spearmanship!
Effects: Increases the power of your when using spears by three points per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Although Ethan learned those skills pretty fast, when he tried to mimic some sword skills, he didn't obtain a single notification. It was probably because those skills needed to consume some energy, and Ethan didn't know how to control his mana and stamina properly.
"What an amazing summoned hero I am," Ethan shrugged. "I defeated the demon lord and his army by myself, but I can't power up my attacks. Hero really is a cheat class."
In any case, as much as Ethan wanted to find a quick way to control that power, he wouldn't sacrifice everything for it. So, after training for ninety minutes, he returned home to have breakfast with his family. After cleaning himself, Ethan saw a sleepy Hannah sitting on the table and then put some cereal and milk in a bowl.
"You never change, do you?" Ethan said.
"Shut up," Hannah said with her eyes closed.historical
"Knowing you, I thought you wouldn't live here after getting married," Ethan said.
"I have to," Hannah answered. "Is too much of a pain to transport myself and Nuvian every night and then return every morning. I don't have that much mana, and I don't like the taste of mana potions."
"I see, so you have a home in another world," Ethan frowned. "Those words sound really stupid…"
"The castle is my home," Hannah said. "I'm a queen, so try not to die of jealously."
"A queen with a bed hair," Ethan smirked.
Michael and Evenly couldn't help but laugh a little. The family was finally complete after one year. In fact, it got a bit bigger. However, given Nuvian's position as a king, he couldn't visit or stay for long periods of time. Some things changed, but the current situation of the family wasn't half bad. During their breakfasts, Ethan showed himself many times in that current situation where Hannah was. He was also a long time ago a sleepy head, but not anymore.
"It looks like you really plan to attend that school seriously," Michael said. "Be careful, son. It has been a while since I saw or heard anything happening there, but it is a good idea to keep your guard up. That being said, you probably don't need to hear that from me. You are the hero of another world."
"No, I welcome all types of warnings and advice since I'm unfamiliar with the situation on Earth," Ethan said. "What did exactly happen in the school that I need to know? Also, considering that this school is directly monitored by the government, isn't there some kind of uniform?"
"Kids like you don't like rigid rules like that," Hannah said. "So, in order to stay on their good side, they pay you and even let you wear the clothes that you want. Not to mention the things about going to the school only three times a week."
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "As for the incidents that happened there…" Michael said and then sighed. "A group of kids attacked a new student, and almost… that kind of thing happened a few times after that, but the teachers managed to control things before it could get serious. Fighting without the supervision of a teacher is forbidden, so the troublemakers are in a special prison."
"Well, that didn't surprise me," Ethan said. "We are talking about teenagers here, and there are always the guys who become too prideful due to their strength and those who let the blood rush to their heads."
Michael and Evelyn couldn't help but show worry after hearing that. Ethan was talking as if such incidents were beyond him or simply trivial matters. They heard many stories about what the summoned heroes had to do to survive and save other worlds. Still, they didn't want to believe that Ethan had experienced all that.
"You two worry too much," Hannah sighed. "We can't pretend that Ethan didn't change, but at the core, he still is the same person. He won't have time to get involved or cause problems at school. Did you forget that one of those things is at the school?"
"One of those, huh…" Michael frowned and then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Somehow, I can imagine Ethan forgetting all about us and deciding to live at the school because of that."
"Ethan, make sure not to skip your meals," Evelyn said, a bit worried. "Brush your teeth after them and sleep at least seven hours per day. You are still growing, after all."
"What are you talking about?" Ethan sighed. "Speak in proper terms… what am I going to find at school?"
"That is for us to know and for you to find out," Hannah smirked.
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Ethan sighed while he was changing his clothes. His family refused to tell him about what they were talking about. He didn't like surprises, after all. To make things worse, since there was no uniform and the summoned heroes' school wasn't like the others, Ethan wanted to go using his most comfy sweatshirt, pants, and sneakers. In fact, that set could be considered his pajamas, but in the end, Hannah forced him to wear some clothes that he had never seen before. However, weirdly, they fit in him completely fine.
"I don't remember having those," Ethan said.
"I bought them for this occasion," Hannah explained proudly. "When you disappeared, we didn't know what happened, but soon after that, I was summoned as a hero too. So, once I returned, I bought this set for the occasion since I knew you were fighting in another world."
"Well, thanks for believing that I would return," Ethan said. "Still, I feel weird wearing these… I will stand out too much. That being said, I think Dad would look really cool in this."
In the past, Ethan knew that he wouldn't become a handsome man, but at the very least, he wanted to become as cool as his father. However, now that he was wearing a set of clothes that would make his father even cooler, he couldn't help but feel weird. The black sneakers were fine. Ethan liked them blue and black, after all. However, the jeans, the white shirt, and the brown jacket were just too… old fashioned. It looked like something the protagonist of the movie of the last century would wear.
"The first impression is the key," Hannah smiled. "So, you should appear at the school with a bang. You are at that age, so it is time to find yourself a girlfriend."
"It looks like you still are at that age, despite being married…" Ethan sighed. "Let's hope those won't cause me too many problems."
Ethan also didn't need a backpack, books, pens, or anything the like. He just needed to go to school like that. It felt like he was going to a shopping instead of school. It was a bit too late for that, but Ethan only now noticed that he wasn't going to study anything there.
Suddenly, his wristwatch began to shine. It was weird since nothing had been shown on the screen since yesterday, but now that Ethan could see a message.
You have been registered in the Summoned Heroes School. Welcome, Ethan Harrison. You have been accepted in the F class, and your seat is the number 49. Do you wish to go to school now? Y/N
"It looks like there are more heroes in this country than I thought," Ethan frowned. "I imagined that F is also my rank. Am I right?"
"Yep, as you know, Natalia came to appraise your powers," Hannah said. "But since you don't have much mana residing in your body, you will have to start from the very bottom. If you don't reach the A rank in one year, we will have one very long talk."historical
"As usual, you are so competitive, even when you are not directly involved," Ethan sighed.
"You can use the wristwatch as a credit card everywhere," Hannah said. "You can find pretty much everything in the school, but don't try to spend your salary on useless things."
"Now, I don't know if you have faith in me or not," Ethan shrugged. "Well, then. I'm off."
Ethan was engulfed by a pillar of light, and in the next moment, he saw himself in a completely different place. In front of him, he saw the biggest building that he had ever seen. It was like two kilometers tall and five hundred meters wide. Not to mention, it was completely white, as if it had been made by an unknown material. The tower had several floors, obviously, but their sizes varied quite a bit. Some were bigger than the others. At least, that was what Ethan imagined while seeing from that distance.
"I guess knowledge isn't the only thing humans are obtaining from other worlds," Ethan nodded to himself. "I'm pretty sure that isn't a material one can make with magic alone."
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ Ethan looked around and saw himself in the middle of the plaza. Some kids around his age were suddenly appearing just like him while others were sitting on some benches talking with their friends, while others were walking toward the tower. There were many trees around all directions, but aside from the plaza and the tower, Ethan saw some other buildings that looked like stadiums. There were three of them. Each building was located in a certain direction, but all of them were connected through the plaza. The tower was in the north. Suddenly, Ethan's wristwatch began to shine again.
"What know…" Ethan sighed.
Please, head to the lobby of the Instruction tower to meet with your main instructor.
"Instruction tower? Really?" Ethan laughed. "Well, I guess it would be a hassle to find the directions of everything on my own. In any case, if this were a manga, some asshole would bump in me by behind and then start a fight."
Ethan turned around, and only kids around his age ignored him. That was good. That being said, those kids sure looked fashionable. Maybe Ethan's standards changed a little since he spent eleven months in a fantasy world. Putting such useless thoughts aside, Ethan could feel a lot of mana in them.
Not only that, some of them were even carrying artifacts with them. Rings, amulets. Ethan could even see some weapons here and there. Their sizes had been adapted with magic, though.
"I might cause some problems if someone accidentally touches me," Ethan muttered. "I have to be careful since revealing too much about my powers won't do me any good, even by accident."
Ethan had to walk for a little while to reach the tower. Even though the school was located in Washington, D.C, he didn't see the city from his position. Maybe they were in a space isolated by magic, or they weren't that close to the city itself.
"I thought that the school was built here because it is close to the white house, but I guess I was wrong," Ethan muttered. "Maybe there is some other reason, and I'm just being too paranoid. One year in a warzone can mess with your head, after all."
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If the exterior of that it was already weird, the interior of the tower was even weirder. Ethan felt as if he had been transported to a world a few decades ahead of Earth, technologically speaking. The lobby was immense, but in every single part of it, he could see screens showing different things.
Some were showing famous TV channels, while others were streaming movies. Weird enough, the kids were the ones controlling everything, and they just had to touch it and then choose whatever the hell they wanted to see.
After looking for a few seconds, Ethan found a screen that was showing the building plant. Every floor had a name and something written below the name. However, before Ethan could approach to see things in more detail, he heard a voice coming from behind him.
"Hello, you must be Ethan Harrison," A woman's voice coming from behind echoed.
At the same time, Ethan heard the voice, and he felt a shiver. He jumped forward, and at the same time, he turned his body. When he landed, he was facing a woman who was wearing clothes that maker looks like a PE teacher. She also had a wristwatch with her. She looked to be fairly young. Perhaps she, indeed, was a teacher in her late twenties. Her hair, just like her eyes, was brown and reached her shoulders.
"… My name is Lyla," she said while frowning. "I'm your main instructor. It is nice to meet you."historical
"Hello," Ethan said and then sighed. "I'm Ethan Harrison..."
Surprisingly, Lyla recovered quite fast from the surprise, as if she had experience in dealing with people like Ethan. Traumatized people, those who spent too much time in warzones and weirdoes.
"You must be a dedicated young man, just like your sister," Lyla smiled. "I heard that you returned yesterday and already came to the school. I'm sure someday you will become as incredible as her."
As if it wasn't annoying enough to be tracked all the time, it looks like the instructors would know exactly when and where he would appear at school. Although Ethan wanted to say that he wasn't that interested in school and only wanted to confirm if that place would be useful to him in some way, he decided to stay quiet. Besides, there was no point in talking about his family with the people he didn't know.
"Usually, I was supposed to show you all the areas you have access to, but right now, I need to attend a meeting with the other instructors," Lyla forced a smile. "So, if you don't mind, I will ask one of your classmates to guide you through the instruction tower."
"I don't mind," Ethan said.
Truth to be told, Ethan wanted to be left alone since he could guide himself using the plant of the building. Still, he couldn't exactly be so blunt to an authority of the tower. It was better to check everyone without being an ass at first. Besides, Ethan could feel some mana coming from Lyla, so it was a good idea to stay alert.
Lyla smiled in satisfaction when a girl around Ethan's age crossed the entrance of the building. Soon after, she waved her hands to grab her attention. Even from far away, Ethan saw the girl sigh. She clearly knew that something bothersome was about to happen, and she clearly didn't want to part in it. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to ignore Lyla.
"Really, now. Adults are so quick to notice minor details when it is convenient for them… why this woman can't see that this girl doesn't want to help?"
The girl was fairly cute, the type who Hannah would say: go catch her. She was red-haired, and her hair was pretty long and straight. Those suited her very well alongside her emerald green eyes. She could be considered one of the most beautiful girls around Ethan's age that he had seen if she weren't showing a fed-up expression, her skin wasn't so pale, and she didn't look so tired. She kind of resembled Ethan a little bit before he got summoned. It looked like she was the type to stay awake until late and lived most of her life indoors. Quite a weird lifestyle for a summoned hero.
"Ethan, this is Emily, your class representant. Emily, this is Ethan, your new classmate," Lyla said while smiling. "Emily, could I ask you to guide Ethan for a while? I need to attend a meeting with the other teachers. Since he isn't assigned to any class, I'm sure that he doesn't need to know every single part of the tower yet."
"… Yes, ma'am," Emily said while looking away.
Ethan wanted to ask why the hell they would need representatives in each class. Still, before he could decide of doing or not, Lyla hurried to the elevator in the center of the lobby. After that, Emily let out the long sigh she had been holding since she saw Lyla and Ethan.
"You can go now," Ethan said. "I'm sure I can find my own around these parts."
Ethan didn't survive in another world for one year, only to need a guide once he returned to his new school. Besides, even if he gets lost, what is the worst thing that could happen?
"As much as I want to do that, I can't," Emily's face softened a bit. "If I leave you alone now and you end up getting in trouble, I will be punished. I don't want to waste more time than I already have to."
"You talk as if that is bound to happen," Ethan frowned.
"Guys like you can become pretty arrogant, so it is only natural," Emily shrugged her shoulders. "Although all floors can be accessed by all students, to avoid problems, we don't access all of them. Do you see that? That is the map of this tower. This place has twenty-eight floors divided into seven areas. The first four floors can be accessed by everyone since we have the lobby here, and the instructors' floor is on the second floor. On the third, you can find the students' council, and on the fourth floor, you will find the VR simulator. After that we…"
ραпdα nᴏνa сom "Wait, wait," Ethan said a bit with his eyes wide open. "Did you say VR?"
"Boys…" Emily sighed. "Yeah, I said VR. Anyway, moving on…"
"Instead of moving on, talk a bit more about this VR simulator."
"I don't have time for this," Emily said. "Anyway, the building is divided into six parts after the fourth floor, from F to A. As you can imagine, the F zone represents us, the students who have the weakest powers among all the students here. So, the more you climb, the more you will find powerful students, but you should avoid them since most of them are pretty prideful. In any case, every zone has for floors. One for classes, one for the cafeteria, one for recreation, and another one for practical classes. That being said, none of us have any reason to…"
Emily closed her eyes and decided to speed up her explanation in order to free herself from that burden. Still, when she opened them again, Ethan was nowhere to be seen.
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As expected, Ethan left Emily behind and headed to the fourth floor. Also, just like the lobby, the fourth floor was pretty high-tech. That being said, he didn't find a single VR simulator there. In fact, he found several. The simulators weren't a single computer or glasses. They were entire rooms, and weirdly enough, Ethan could sense mana coming from them.
"I see now…" Ethan smirked. "No wonder they managed to develop their technology so fast."
Ethan would be lying if he said that he wasn't excited. Although he had to survive hell on another planet to obtain the chance to return home, he couldn't say that he hated everything. In fact, in the beginning, he pretty much enjoyed every single step. After all, he was just an ordinary teenager, and not even his power as a hero could change that. So, the VR simulator was like a big toy for him.
Even though it was Monday and it was pretty early, most of the simulators were being used. So, Ethan hurried to enter one of the free ones. Emily seemed the type of girl who would nag at him for a while for leaving her behind in the middle of her explanation, so that was another reason to hurry up.
"Let's see… defense training, attack training, accuracy training…" Ethan said while he was reading some options on the screen on one of the doors. "Those must be used to train the kids around here, and I don't want to play VR under some strict rules."
Fortunately, the last option was the FREE MODE. Ethan didn't find any explanation as to what he would face there, but he bet that was what he was looking for. He clicked on that option, and then the door opened. The interior of the room was completely dark, but for some reason, Ethan could sense it as if someone was watching him.
"Cameras…" Ethan muttered. "I should have known the builders of this place wouldn't put such a fun toy here without receiving anything in exchange."
Most likely, every single run of the students would be registered and later would be sent to all the big shots of the tower. That was a bit troublesome, but Ethan knew what he had to do, and he just had to play without showing much of his skills.
Suddenly, the door behind Ethan closed, and he felt mana increasing in the room. In the blink of an eye, the darkness disappeared, and Ethan saw himself in the middle of a massive grassland. Instead of a virtual reality, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.
"Hehe, things are getting interesting," Ethan smirked. "This should have been what big sis was talking about."
"Stage one will start in ten seconds. Defeat 50 slimes. 10, 9, 8…"
You received a new quest!
Complete the first stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 100 coins.
"What the…" Ethan opened his eyes widely in surprise. "My system is reacting to the simulator? If that is the case, then…"
historical
Before Ethan could finish his sentence, suddenly, fifty slimes spawned around him. Somehow, he expected to face them one at a time, but given that it was a simulator for real-life combat, it wouldn't be that convenient. The slimes looked like a monster from a game Ethan played a long time ago since they had several colors. However, despite being cute, when several of them opened their mouths, Ethan felt a shiver.
"Seriously?" Ethan muttered in surprise. "My instincts are warning me?"
In the blink of an eye, Ethan felt mana being concentrated in front of the monster's mouth. Fireballs, Water Balls, Earth Balls, Wind Balls… all kinds of magic projectiles suddenly appeared and then were shot toward Ethan. However, a single backflip had been enough to dodge all of them since the monsters only tried to hit him without trying to imagine his escape routes.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Evasion Mastery!
Effects: Passively increases your Evasion by one point per level permanently.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
"My system is really reacting to it…" Ethan said, a bit shocked. "As I had expected, this is no ordinary virtual reality. It looks like I can train many skills here, but without a weapon, I will be stuck here forever."
In the end, Ethan decided to summon his short sword from his inventory without thinking too much about it. Since everything was being recorded, he couldn't appear insecure or anxious about revealing what he could do. That would only end up things worse, after all. The best weapons against slimes were weapons that had an elemental attribute. Still, Ethan would have to make things work with that simple weapon.
As soon as his weapon appeared, Ethan charged toward the nearest slime. Against a large number of enemies, it wasn't a good idea to leave the momentum on their hands. So, before the next wave of attacks could be prepared, Ethan slashed his sword continuously and cut a brown slime many times.
You received ten experience points.
You received two coins.
"I knew it," Ethan smirked. "I can obtain experience here."
Against opponents that can heal themselves like slimes, the second-best way to deal with them was to cut them into several pieces. The first surprise attack worked, but Ethan still had a long way to go.
As if the monsters had learned from their mistakes, some of them fired their magic projectiles aiming toward several directions. Some even fired at a certain distance to make the attacks fly in a long arc. Dodging all of them wasn't an option, so Ethan had to change his plans a little. After concentrating for a mere moment, he found the best escape route.
Ethan charged forward, and this time, he swung his sword splitting all the Water Balls in his way. When one Earth Ball approached, he lowered his head and dodged the attack. When the last projectile blocked his path, a Fireball appeared, and he hit it with the side of the sword, making the fire dissipated.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Block Mastery!
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Effects: Decreases the power of enemy attacks by one point per level
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
You received ten experience points.
You received two coins.
In the blink of an eye, Ethan cut down another slime, but instead of satisfaction, he showed a frown on his face.
"Wait a minute…" Ethan said. "Shouldn't I have let them hit me in order to obtain some elemental resistances?"
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As much as he wanted to obtain new skills, Ethan decided to obtain those resistance skills later. Right now, he needed to recover the feeling he had while holding his weapons. The hero class not only granted the power and knowledge of his enemies, but it also granted him their combat experience. Right now, Ethan needed that again, but he would have to regain that on the hard way.
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ "Let's focus on clearing this stage without getting hit," Ethan said to himself. "This should be a surprisingly nice training, after all."
Ethan didn't drop his guard for a moment. After all, the slimes he knew could fire several other types of spells and use other abilities that could strengthen their bodies and even some area of effect spells. However, those which he was facing only shot simple magic projectiles.
"I wonder if I can activate my power by touching them," Ethan muttered to himself. "They are definitely made of mana, so it is possible, but… it might be dangerous to do that here."
If that run was being recorded, it would be unthinkable for Ethan to show that power. Regardless, he found something unexpected at the summoned heroes' school. In this place, he could level up, so there was no real reason to rush ahead without thinking. Ethan decided to just be happy in training Block and Evasion Mastery while he slowly leveled up.
Congratulations! You leveled up!
Your health, mana, and stamina have been completely recovered!
You received five status points.
You received two skill points.
In the end, even though the magic projectiles were relatively weak, Ethan managed to level up his Evasion and Block Mastery up to level three before himself reached the level two. Although it wasn't the best time to ponder about that since Ethan was surrounded by forty slimes and he still was at level one, he was forced to think about what he should do with his status points.
While he was fighting for the Hedo kingdom, he put all his points into strength, speed, and a bit in endurance. Thanks to that, he was able to singlehandedly defeat the whole demon army. However, that didn't help in controlling his power as hero.
"I don't think the magic path suits me," Ethan said and then jumped backward, avoiding several Fireballs and blocking several Water Balls. "Still, I can't ignore it either. It is not like by becoming even physically stronger than before, I will be able to control that power. Still, I don't think I have to worry about allocating all my points to several status. Eventually, I will find a way to control this damn power, and thus I will be able to obtain skills almost freely. That being said, just this once… I will stick with what already worked."
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 02 (0/150)
Health: 75/75
Mana: 65/65
Stamina: 50/50
STR: 10
MAG: 05
PHY: 05
END: 05 03
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 03
ACC: 05
Coins: 9900
Status Points: 00
Skill Points: 02
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 02,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 01, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 03, Block Mastery Lv 03,
Ethan allocated all his points into strength. In the next moment, five slimes exploded. Most people would have missed what Ethan did, but he didn't do anything special, really. His attack doubled, and with the use of Bash, he could decimate slimes in the blink of an eye. That being said, he couldn't use that forever since he had to worry about stamina.
In any case, each point in STR and END would increase his health by five points. The first would increase his basic attack power, and the latter would decrease the damage he received from physical attacks by one point.
MAG would increase his magic power and mana by five points, and RES would increase his magic resistance by one point and mana by five. SPE and DEX would increase his movement and attack speed and his ability to notice and react to attacks. As well as increase his stamina by five points.
PHY, EVA and ACC were a bit special parameters since they didn't increase Ethan's health, mana, or stamina. Still, the first could improve the condition of his body, making him less susceptible for sickness or exhaustion. The second would make him make fine movements with more ease. The latter worked to improve his aim.
"Well, this shouldn't be a problem," Ethan shrugged. "I just have to level up again, and then my stamina will be full again."
Thanks to his increased strength, Ethan felt the sword on his right hand getting much lighter than before. So, he had the chance to stay on the offensive even more. Until now, he totally avoided the Earth Balls since they could damage his sword, but now he could block them completely fine with his sword's pommel.
After a single level-up, things got pretty easy. Two slashes were enough to make Ethan kill the slimes, and now that he could block all of them, he didn't have to tire himself out by moving so much. Although he lost his powers and all the knowledge obtained, his senses were still as sharp as ever. So, he could even dodge and block the projectiles with his eyes closed.
Ethan didn't know if that was good or bad. Still, considering that he managed to keep his sword from getting destroyed, he was satisfied with clearing that stage in just five minutes. Besides, he had progressed quite a bit in terms of skills and levels. Bash, Swordsmanship, and evasion Mastery and Block Mastery had leveled up. He also reached level four, so things were looking good.
Congratulations! You completed the first stage of the VR simulator!
You received 100 coins!historical
Calculating your score…
Flawless Victory 1000 points.
Time 500 points
Solo fight 1000 points…
Congratulations! You scored 2500 points.
Do you wish to proceed to the next stage? Y/N
Before Ethan could choose to proceed, a new screen appeared, and it was a ranking, and his score on the first stage was the third. Apparently, he had to choose a name to put on the rank, he tried to ignore it and proceed to the next stage, but that didn't happen.
"People around here sure wants us to compete with each…" Ethan sighed. "These scores are meaningless, and I can't see their point. If at least we could gain something by trying really hard…"
It was a pain, but Ethan decided to just joke around anyway. Instead of putting his name, he wrote: I will be back. Laughing at his own silly jokes, Ethan checked the scores that were above him.
Super Awesome Hero – 2880 points
Beautiful Princess – 2879 points.
"Teenagers… I guess I'm no better than them," Ethan sighed. "Still, they will look at those names in a few years and almost die of cringeness."
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Before Ethan could proceed to the next stage, the scenario around him changed and became black again. The door behind him suddenly opened, revealing the figure of a very angry Emily.
"You did this?" Ethan asked. "Why?"
"You dare ask why?" Emily raised her voice. "You left me talking by myself, and you ask why? At least have the decency of warning someone before ignoring them completely."
"Tsk," Ethan clicked his tongue. "Alright, I will ignore you. Now close the door and activated the simulator again."
"Don't give me orders," Emily said. "You are the newcomer here, so how about showing some respect to your veterans? I already lost the first class of the day thanks to you, and I won't lose any other."
Ethan was pretty sure that he would have to start the free mode from the stage one, so it would be a waste of time to keep ignoring Emily. She would just keep repeating the same thing over and over again. As much as he wanted to enjoy the simulator as soon as possible, Ethan would have to leave that for later.
"Fine…" Ethan sighed. "Guide me through the rooms of this place and tell me everything I need to know."
"… Did someone already tell you that you have a bad attitude?" Emily said with her face red with anger.
"Probably. I can't say that I remember the face and name of all of them," Ethan shrugged. "So, don't waste my time and hurry up."
Maybe it was his imagination, but Ethan could see a dark aura forming around Emily. Given that Ethan could feel a lot of mana concentrating around Emily, it probably wasn't his imagination. Regardless, a girl's anger wasn't something new for Ethan since he had an older sister, so he wasn't fazed by it. It would be weird if it could faze him. After all, he had the blood of millions of demons on his hands.
Emily repeated every single thing to Ethan again, and this time he paid attention to it since his evaluation of the summoned heroes' school skyrocketed thanks to the VR simulator. Still, aside from the VR, the only interesting things he could find in that area were the classes. He could apply to a number of them, such as magic, swordsmanship, and summoning techniques. The variety was great since the number of heroes increased a lot in the last few years.historical
The stadiums outside were like the VR simulators. Still, instead of putting the students to fight against monsters, they would be able to fight each other and even students from other countries. In fact, using the stadiums was pretty common since it was good to evaluate the level of heroes of other countries and even motivated people all over the world to train more.
"It looks like an online fighting game tournament," Ethan muttered. "I wonder how that became a thing. It doesn't matter if you saved a world or two. Pain is annoying and can be traumatizing."
"We can't really get wounded in those simulators," Emily explained. "Everything that we may experience there is just something generated by a high-level illusion spell that reacts to our thoughts. You may suffer some mental damage, but I didn't hear anyone of even fainting while using those."
"Is that so…" Ethan said. "It makes me wonder until when those mock battles go, and I assume they stop after the fighters receive just some scratches."
"The fight is over when one of the sides receives enough damage to knock them out in the real world," Emily said. "That being said, in the simulator, the pain felt is like receiving a slightly powerful liver blow."
"What if both parties wanted to fight more?" Ethan asked.
"Then both parties can kill each other somewhere else, not in the simulator," Emily said, a bit annoyed since she didn't expect that many questions. "Since you returned recently, you don't know this, but we are valuable resources of our countries. Even a weakling like you can have some use, so we can't afford to kill each other just for the thrill of a real fight."
Resources… Ethan didn't like the sound of that, but in the end, he stayed quiet about it. He was pretty sure his sister wasn't knitting for the military, and sometimes she would do dangerous things. Although it was for the sake of the world and their country, it didn't change the fact that Ethan felt that they were being used instead of being treated like real allies.
They had power and sometimes could become even more powerful, which was Ethan's case, so he could understand the feeling of the other side a little. Before being summoned, he was just a boy who liked to play games and pretty often felt jealousy and sometimes hated for those who could do things he couldn't. It was basically the same thing.
"What?" Emily asked. "You look like you didn't like what you heard, so why don't you say something?"
"Is the food around here cheap?" Ethan asked.
"Don't change the subject…" Emily sighed. "Anyway, you can find pretty much anything you want to buy in the recreation room and the cafeteria. However, sometimes, you will need to wait for a bit, and it should be just a few minutes before what you buy is teleported to you."
As weird as it sounded, those who had the wristwatches could open those screens in the walls freely and thus buy things from there. The cafeteria was just a place where the students could eat and watch the food being prepared. In any case, those things had many uses aside from monitoring the returnees.
"Most classes are divided by levels, and of course, your rank determines the classes you have access to," Emily explained while they were crossing the floor where most students were having their classes in the F zone. "You can join a course at any moment, but you can only graduate from it after passing a test, and those tests are the quickest ways to increase your rank."
Ethan wasn't even a bit interested in that. He knew more or less the path he had to walk and the things he had to do in order to recover his powers, so taking those courses seriously seemed a waste of time for him. Still, he had to consider that they might help him control his powers, mainly the magical classes.
Regardless, Ethan ended up messing the with the menus on the walls while Emily was explaining everything to him. To test what she said about buying things, he ended up buying a strawberry sundae. After receiving a certain message on his wristwatch, the sundae appeared, and it floated in front of him. Of course, that made a vein begin to pulse on Emily's forehead.
Thank you for using our services.
Your remaining balance is: $ 99.990.00
"Mmm…" Ethan said, a bit surprised. "Someone is being really generous."
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ "How can you eat that so early in the morning?" Emily asked. "If by seeing that you can't understand how our lives are valuable to the country, then nothing will make you understand that."
"Do you want some?" Ethan asked. "I can order one for you as a reward for showing me everything about this tower."
"No…" Emily sighed and then left. "Just don't cause problems, and that will be enough."
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While Ethan was watching Emily entering one of the classes, he wondered if his life would be like that… filled with temperamental teenagers. He knew very well how easily young people tend to go easily swayed by the idea of power. Although the school wasn't as chaotic as he had thought, he wasn't expecting much from it, considering that the representant of the F class was Emily. She was cute but, again, too temperamental.
"I guess I should go to another run on the simulator," Ethan muttered. "But before that, I should allocate the status points I obtained and upgrade my gear. I doubt that in the second stage, I will need any armor, so one good weapon should be enough. The short sword is about to break despite me trying to fight as careful as possible."
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 04 (100/350)
Health: 100/100
Mana: 65/65
Stamina: 70/70
STR: 15
MAG: 05
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 04
ACC: 05
Coins: 395
Status Points: 00
Skill Points: 06
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 02, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 04, Block Mastery Lv 04,
"I guess this should do for the time being," Ethan nodded in satisfaction.
He allocated five points to strength and other five to physic, and thanks to that, he increased his condition and health. Ethan was the type who fought alone for long periods of time, so those were absolutely necessary to the fighting style he developed.
"It looks like even after the reset, my status still works in the same manner," Ethan said.
That was kind of a relief. He thought that things would change a bit because of the second unknown class.
"Let's see… an iron sword should be enough to crush those slimes," Ethan said and then opened his shop after confirming that no one was nearby. "Hahaha, I remember this one was quite difficult to master."
Iron Sword (Common) (0)
Attack: 5 – 10
Durability: 25/25
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Effects: None
The iron sword was quite large and a bit heavy. Despite that, it felt right on Ethan's hands. Probably because it was one of the weapons he used most in the other world. Regardless, Ethan put it in his inventory and then headed toward the elevator. However, when the door finally opened, Ethan saw Lyla. Another interruption appeared, and Ethan knew that she would make him waste a lot of time.historical
"Ethan?" Lyla asked. "Where is Emily? Did she show you most of the building already?"
"Yes, she just entered that class over there," Ethan said while entering the elevator. "Now, if you excuse me, I have an urgent meeting that I need to attend to."
"By a meeting, you are talking about the VR simulator, right?" Lyla smiled. "I know that is something that greatly interests boys of your age, but before using one of them, you should get acquainted with your classmates. Although you won't see them every day, you at least should meet all of them as soon as possible."
"I think I will pass," Ethan showed a forced smile. "I can meet them another time. I'm pretty sure that the simulator rooms can't be used whenever I want, so I need to hurry before all of them get occupied."
"You are wrong about that. Only a handful of students use the simulators every day since they quickly get bored of it due to the difficulty," Lyla said. "New students like you are a good example of them. Instead of using it every time and then quickly getting bored of it, you should use it only now and then. My class is about to start, and I'm sure that you are going to have fun just by watching."
Ethan couldn't help but sigh. He really was weak against pushy people like Lyla, who doesn't take a no for an answer. Although he was quick to say some sharp remarks toward Natalia, he did it because he felt her actions were a bit forced, unlike Lyla, who seemed genuinely worried about making Ethan acquainted with other students.
"Come on, now," Lyla said, still with a smile on her face. "Don't sigh… I'm sure that you had a hard time in another world, and you didn't have many chances to interact with boys around your age, and it is time to make up for that lost time."
Ethan sighed once again while Lyla was dragging him to the room where she was supposed to give some lessons about whatever she teaches. He wanted to say to her that he met plenty of boys around his age in the other world, but that would only make things incredibly awkward since most of them died. Not everyone in a world of magic can use magic. Besides, those who aren't from noble families always start as soldiers on the frontlines… it isn't hard to imagine that the few friends that Ethan made in the other world met their ends in such situations. Regardless, it was better to deal with Lyla now instead of keeping ignoring the inevitable would only make things even more complicated later.
"Although I don't look like it, I'm a pretty good swordswoman," Lyla said. "Thanks to the technology we obtained in the last year, I was able to study and master a technique called Sword Dance. It was all thanks to the fact that time on the other world passed way faster than here."
"Sword dance?" Ethan frowned. "Isn't that dumb technique where you keep moving around trying to fool your enemy with unexpected moves but always end up showing you are exposed back?"
Lyla suddenly stopped walking, and her smile froze. It looked like Ethan had stepped on a landmine. That being said, he had no reason, nor did he want to apologize because he also saw and faced some sword dancers… most of them died while showing their backs to the enemies. Those who tried to fool Ethan ended up overwhelmed by his brute strength.
"Dumb technique?" Lyla asked, still smiling, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
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"Listen here, Ethan," Lyla said with a serious tone. "Sword dance is a technique that was developed by those who wanted to fight but didn't have strong bodies. I don't know about the sword dance that you know, but in the world where I studied that, it had a history of thousands of years… there is no other fighting style more famous than that one."
"Still… it is a technique used to surprise your opponents, right?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, but…" Lyla said.
"Even if they are born in different worlds, a technique with such a name is bound to have some similarities," Ethan said. "The origin of the sword dance I know is quite similar, and that is why I called it dumb. In a real combat, when one person fights against many, brute strength can destroy even the fanciest of techniques. Those who move around too much only spend their energy. That being said, I know of fighting styles that work better in the hands of those who don't have much physical strength, but sword dance isn't one of them."
"… I cannot let you make fun of such a beautiful and elegant technique," Lyla said, determined. "I will show you how my sword dance is also powerful. After a single demonstration, you will beg to enroll in my course."
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Somehow, it looks like Ethan's words only ended up with even more problems for him. Ethan could also imagine how come Lyla would demonstrate that: it would be a match. She probably wouldn't fight against a rank F student, but she would choose of her best students to show that she was right. If Ethan losses, then Lyla would look as smug as she could be, but if he wins, then she would find a way to forcefully enroll him. She looked to be exactly like that type of woman.
Ethan wasn't the type to make excuses. Even if his power had disappeared and still had a long way before he could recover any real strength, he wouldn't use that as a bargain. Instead, he decided to solve the situation once and for all.
"I don't mind," Ethan said. "However, if you don't manage to convince me today of it, then you won't bother me anymore. Accept those terms, and I will participate just today in your lesson."
"Deal," Lyla smiled in satisfaction. "Usually, I end up excluding boys from the classes quite frequently, but I'm sure that you will show real passion after today."
"… Why do you exclude boys?" Ethan frowned.
"Because most of them are only interested in watching the female students and have no interest in the martial art," Lyla explained. "That being said, I can tell that you are different from most boys of your age."
Ethan didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult. Either way, as expected, sword dance was something that only female students would take seriously. Although there were some males in the other world who used the technique, the majority were women… because the technique was appealing in terms of visual. Women looked quite sexy while performing those movements, and men only looked weird. That was probably another semblance the same technique had in many worlds.
It was weird for a martial art like that to have theoretical lessons. Still, soon Ethan wouldn't understand that things worked differently there. When Lyla opened the room where she would reunite with her students, Ethan couldn't help but frown. Although the tower and the floors were pretty large, there was a limit to how many rooms he could find. However, the space inside that room was much larger than it was supposed to be.
"Space magic, huh."
Ethan didn't know how many students he could find in F rank, but apparently, Lyla was pretty popular. All rooms looked like the rooms of a college, and that room was almost full. It had more or less forty students, and the vast majority of them were girls. All of them clearly showed their displeasure while watching Lyla entering with a boy. However, the males looked even more, angrier than them.
"Good morning, everyone," Lyla smiled. "We had a meeting marked today to talk about each other's skills, right? But before doing that, let's do something different. This is Ethan Harrison, a hero who came from another world just yesterday. Since he doesn't know yet how classes are here, I would like to show him a bit of our sword dance style."
At least Lyla didn't tell them about the conversation they had had before, and she correctly hid the anger she probably still was feeling. That was one responsible adult for you. Since she wanted to make Ethan join the course, she didn't want to make things awkward for him.
"Going to one of the training rooms will take too much of a time, and since this is just a quick demonstration, I'm sure we can do this here," Lyla said. "Ian, can you please help me here?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Ian said enthusiastically and quickly approached them.
Ian was a bit too enthusiastic about that. Meanwhile, the other male students groaned in annoyance for not having been chosen by Lyla. Regardless, Ian seemed to be around Ethan's age. He had black hair and blue eyes, and despite showing a stupidly happy expression, he was pretty tall and had a good physique. So, it looked like a sword dancer. At least it was a good exercise.
"This should do," Lyla said while messing with her wristwatch and then making appear two wooden swords. "Ian, show what you are made of. Ethan, try to block his attacks."
That was too much excitement for a proper adult. In any case, blocking the attack was out of the question since Ian was taller, physically stronger, and had more mana in his body. So, Ethan decided to improvise. After assuming their positions, Ian and Ethan assumed their instances. A few seconds after that, Lyla gave them the sign.
"Begin!" Lyla shouted.
Ian charged toward Ethan while moving his sword downward diagonally. His target was Ethan's left leg. His moments were so fluid that it made it look as if he was really dancing… however, Ian wasn't looking at Ethan's leg. He was looking into his eyes, trying to imagine what he would do to block the attack.
"So, it is like that, huh."
The first attack was a feint to study the opponent and then prepare an actual second attack. Usually, Ethan would just overpower his opponents when they used such a strategy. However, he wasn't strong enough for that anymore. So, he jumped backward to escape from Ian's range and then threw his sword.
Ian knew that he was stronger than Ethan, yet despite that, he didn't react in time to block the projectile. For some reason, the wooden sword moved way faster than it was supposed to… in the end, the hilt of the sword hit his forehead. It was all thanks to Bash.
"Ouch!" Ian said and then dropped his sword to caress his throbbing forehead.
Ethan couldn't help but frown at that. For a summoned hero, he dropped his weapon really quick. Regardless, the atmosphere in the room changed, and Ethan could feel, alongside the surprise in Lyla's eyes, the piercing glare of all her students. The male students looked even more, angrier than before.
"Can I go now?" Ethan asked before the atmosphere could become even more unpleasant.historical
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Before Lyla could answer, rather, since she took her sweet time to answer Ethan's question, it was already too late when she recovered from the shock. She only saw Ethan crossing the classroom door and leaving without looking back. As a teacher and someone who studied that fighting style for years in another world, she knew that sword dancers were particularly bad at dealing with throwing projectiles.
The sword dance style was made to fool their opponents, to mess with the opponent's rhythm, and to make them react in a way that is easy to follow. Once one trains for enough time, they soon learn the weakness of the basics and thus try to overcome their shortcomings. In fact, Lyla would teach in the future how to deal with projectiles, but the damage had already been done.
She didn't expect that the boy, who possibly was the weakest student in the school, could use one of the weakest of the style so soon. In the end, Lyla spent the rest of the day in a daze, not because one of his students lost, but because she felt that she should have talked with them about such problems early on.
Meanwhile, Ethan was heading wondering if he would be bullied later on by Lyla's students. He put quite of the scene back there, and right now, Ethan was barely stronger than an ordinary human, so he couldn't properly protect himself.
"I guess that is another reason to train on the simulator," Ethan shrugged.
Truth to be told, Ethan was quite surprised when he saw Ian moving. His movements were so sharp that he looked like an assassin instead of a dancer. Considering that it was a course for the students of the F rank, he shouldn't have many hours of experience using it. Besides, while he was preparing the feint, his eyes looked unwavering, as if he was used to studying her opponents during a battle in such a cold manner.
"The air around him changed after the start and the end of the battle," Ethan muttered. "He is no ordinary guy… Well, it would be weird if all the people here were happy-go-lucky teenagers."
Such thoughts disappeared from Ethan's mind when he returned to the simulator's floor. However, before activating one of the free rooms, he decided to check the ranking again. As expected, when he clicked on his position, on the right side appeared the icon of a camera. It looked like everyone could see whatever he did there.
"Oh, well…" Ethan shrugged. "I guess it can't be helped, given how much I benefit from this. Maybe this time, I should not only focus on learning the elemental resistances but also watch the slimes attack from up close. I feel like if I do this and add the experience of the sensations, I will be able to learn magic on my own."
Using his system, Ethan could even buy potions, but it would be suspicious to use them on the simulator. Still, thanks to that, he had an idea. He touched the wall and opened a screen of the cafeteria menu… it was there. The cafeteria was even selling potions.
Health potion – low quality
Effect: restores 50 points of health.
Price: $ 200
Mana potion – low qualityhistorical
Effect: restores 50 points of mana.
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ Price: $ 200
Stamina potion – low quality
Effect: restores 50 points of stamina.
Price: $ 200
"Those are surprisingly cheap," Ethan frowned. "Are they being produced here, or are the humans buying from other worlds? I can't even imagine what type of currency a fantasy world would accept."
Ethan had quite a leeway with money, but he wasn't quite sure if he should spend everything today on potions. Still, given that he was in a hurry to recover his powers, he decided to buy fifty health potions. In the blink of an eye, he spent ten thousand dollars.
"Who could have thought I would be so loose with money," Ethan laughed while the potions were appearing before him. "In any case, let's buy some souvenirs for my family… I wonder if I can sell the things I can buy in my store here."
The rate exchange seemed quite nice, Ethan could buy those potions in his shop for fifty coins, so perhaps his power as a hero gave him a good source of income. Regardless, Ethan took out his shirt and jacket before entering the simulator. It would be a pity to damage the gift that his big sister gave him while he trains, after all.
Ethan will have to move around while evading the projectiles on his head and lower half, but since the monsters always aimed at his vitals, he only had to worry about his head. So, he didn't have to worry about damaging his pants. Even though the simulator was basically emulating an illusion, it was better to be safe than sorry.
You received a new quest!
Complete the first stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 100 coins.
"Again, huh," Ethan said.
After choosing the free mode, Ethan received that notification. When the scenario changed, the slimes appeared and didn't waste any time and fired several magic projectiles.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Fire Resistance!
Effects: Decreases the power of fire attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Cold Resistance!
Effects: Decrease the power of water and ice attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Wind Resistance!
Effects: Decrease the power of fire attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Earth Resistance!
Effects: Decreases the power of Earth attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Ethan let only a single projectile of each element hit him, and thanks to that, he received those notifications. That being said, even though the projectiles only scratched him, he still lost five points of health when each of them hit him.
"I guess their MAG is ten, and since my RES is five, I received that much damage," Ethan concluded. "Still, this isn't as painful as it was supposed to be."
While Ethan was drinking the bitter potions, since their quality was low, the slimes continued to attack him. Thanks to the skills he received, their attacks caused even less damage than before. As weird as it sounded, Ethan could see that at the end of the day, those monsters wouldn't be able to make him even feel ticklish.
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Ethan had planned to clear a few levels of the simulator while he studied how to create some magic projectiles, but at the end of the day, he didn't even reach the second stage. Understanding the logic behind the slimes' magic was more difficult than he thought, and since there was no sense in reaching the next stage without learning such a simple magic, he didn't it. As if that wasn't enough, the more his resistances leveled up, the slower, the harder it became to make them level up. The process was already made to be like that, but since he was receiving less and less damage, Ethan didn't progress as much as he thought he would.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 09 (230/1200)
Health: 100/100
Mana: 65/65
Stamina: 50/50
STR: 15
MAG: 05
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ EVA: 05 03historical
ACC: 05
Coins: 1995
Status Points: 25
Skill Points: 16
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 02, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 04, Block Mastery Lv 04, Fire Resistance Lv 04, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04,
"Not bad for a single day of progress, I guess," Ethan shrugged. "Still, I should have known that I wouldn't progress so fast playing with slimes."
When Ethan left the simulator, it was 05:00 PM. Only a few classes still were active, so that floor had quite a bit of students. That much was expected, but Ethan didn't expect that so many of them would be watching his runs on the simulator and also in front of the room he used. Some of them were frowning, while others were having a hard time controlling their laughs. Emily and Ian were among them. Emily was frowning while Ian was holding his laugh.
"I guess playing with slimes isn't something many students do."
Ethan wanted to take his time and then select some souvenirs for his family, but since he didn't like to be stared at, he decided to return and buy things from home. The very moment he touched his wristwatch, he heard someone calling his name.
"Wait, wait!" Ian said.
Nothing good would come out from involving himself with Lyla's students since he left them with a bad impression. So, Ethan ignored him and returned home. Although he appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the living room, Michael and Evelyn didn't even flinch. They were probably used to seeing Hannah coming and going just like that.
"Welcome back, Ethan," Evelyn smiled. "You returned much sooner than we thought."
"Yeah, we thought you would return only after two or three days due to that simulator thingy," Michael said while grinning. "It looks like you are that addicted to games anymore."
"Come on…" Ethan sighed. "I would never do something like that. Besides, it isn't like I spent so much time gaming in the past."
That was one weak excuse, and they made his parents laugh even more. Ethan liked to game so much that his parents called him the ghost of the second floor in the past. Since he barely saw the sunlight during the weekends.
"It looks like big sis isn't at home," Ethan said while looking at the ceiling. "Is she working? What does she do for the government?"
"I really don't know," Michael replied. "I'm not good with tech or magic stuff."
"Putting in simple terms, Hannah is one of the few mages out there who can open portal between worlds and make them usable," Evelyn said. "I'm not too knowledgeable about this either, but apparently, a portal needs to be stable to be used, or those who use it might end up getting seriously hurt or being transported to unknown worlds."
It looked like Hannah was more amazing than she looked. Although Ethan only made use of stable portals created by unknown beings, he could imagine how dangerous it would be to use an unstable portal. For someone like him who was having a hard learning how to create a Fireball, creating a portal between worlds seemed more impressive than defeating a demon king.
"Thanks to her powers, she is also responsible for the diplomacy between Earth and many planets," Evelyn added.
"I wonder if that job really suits her," Ethan frowned. "Big sis is the type who can't stay serious for long and that ends up making jokes at inappropriate moments."
"Ethan…" Michael said.
"I'm joking," Ethan laughed. "She does have many contacts with the government, right? I was wondering if she could give me a hand with something. I need to talk to her, but I don't have a phone, and I probably shouldn't call her while she is away."
"I'm pretty sure I saw your sister using that wristwatch as a phone a few times," Michael frowned. "Can't you do the same?"
Ethan didn't hear anything about that, but he decided to try anyway. There were no numbers on the screen, and even though he looked for a while, he didn't find a telephone list or anything similar that could start a call. So, Ethan decided to use his voice.
"Call the residence number of Michael Harrison," Ethan said.
Weirdly enough, at that moment, the phone of their house began to ring. That was a rarity nowadays, but Ethan was more interested in how come a simple wristwatch could do so many things. Since Ethan stayed for too long in the simulator nonstop, he was pretty hungry. So, he waited for dinner patiently before stuffing himself with his mother's home cooking. His body was fine, but his mind was tired after training for so long. Despite the fact that it hadn't been that intense, Ethan headed to his room after dinner to rest and meditate.
"I don't know when big sis will return, so I need to solve this problem myself," Ethan muttered while lying on his bed and facing the ceiling. "How can I control my mana?"
While meditating, Ethan recalled hundreds of times the presence of slimes he faced that day. The things he felt when they cast the spells and when the spells hit him. Still, he couldn't quite replicate their actions. Although he could replicate the physical skills he learned due to his second class, the same thing couldn't apply to magic. Ethan didn't have much mana, but the small amount he had, didn't respond to his will in any way.
"Maybe if I increase my mana pool…" Ethan muttered. "If I remember correctly, I already had quite a bit of mana when I used my first spell. I wonder if that is the problem… I don't have much, so even though I can feel it, I can't control it. It must be a matter of experience and skill."
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Ethan could buy a lot of things in his shop, but skill books or anything that could teach him skills in an instant wasn't available. That never surprised him, even though he could buy all kinds of materials, weapons, armor, and accessories. Still, despite such problems, things inside Ethan began to change when he increased his MAG.
When his MAG reached ten, he could feel his mana like the air around his body. When it reached fifteen, he could make it move inside his body, and when his MAG finally reached twenty, Ethan felt the energy leaving his body when he wished for it.
"I can control mana now, but I didn't receive a single notification or skill," Ethan said while he rubbed his chin. "I guess I need to accomplish something with my mana."
Maybe now was a good time to put into use the things he felt while facing the slimes. The air around them changed moments before they cast the spells, so the trick was there. It shouldn't be difficult to learn simple spells. Ethan didn't know if he deserved that title, but he was a hero, and he could learn some abilities pretty fast.
It took a while, but Ethan eventually managed to create a small sphere of mana that could be seen by him. That being said, the sphere that was smaller than a finger consumed all his mana.
"No notification again, huh," Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Ah, that is right. Spells need to follow certain procedures to work properly. I can't just make the magic projectile and hope that it will fly toward the enemy."
Ethan never learned magic that way, but he recalled a mage talking about how one should activate certain spells once. First, one had to give mana a nature, an elemental nature.
"Wait a minute," Ethan said. "This only explains how elemental spells work. What about the others? Well, let's start with the basics."
After giving mana a nature, the caster had to give it a shape while thinking about firing the magic projectile. Ethan thought that giving the shape would come first. Still, given how small projectile his mana created, it looked like once they obtained some elemental properties, the spells might become bigger. He didn't know any other way of giving mana a nature aside from wishing for it. So, Ethan did that… surprisingly enough, his mana turned into a small sphere of water the very moment he wanted for it. What surprised me, even more was the fact that the sphere of water fell on his bed and wet everything.
"It looks like I can't control the mana once it becomes an element," Ethan nodded to himself. "To do that, I will need a more advanced skill."
Although Ethan was tired, the success didn't make him drop his guard and relax. He was determined to only sleep after learning at least one spell. In the end, he succeeded after just half an hour. Probably because he increased his MAG quite a bit, it wasn't that hard to follow these procedures.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Water Ball!
Damage: MAG (x 20%) - Res
Cost: 05 mana
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
ραпdα nᴏνa сom "Hehe," Ethan laughed in satisfaction. "Well, let's stop here before I get too excited and decide to learn Fireball and end up burning my room."
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 09 (230/1200)
Health: 100/100
Mana: 235/235
Stamina: 50/50
STR: 15
MAG: 30
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05historical
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 03
ACC: 05
Coins: 2005
Status Points: 05
Skill Points: 16
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03, Water Ball Lv 01,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 02, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 04, Block Mastery Lv 04, Fire Resistance Lv 04, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04,
Ethan progressed quite a bit that day, so he fell asleep while seeing his status screen with a smile on his face. Thanks to all that, he thought he would have one good night of sleep… he couldn't have been more wrong.
Suddenly, Ethan saw himself back in that world. Somehow, he immediately understood that he was in a dream… or perhaps a nightmare was more accurate. Who could have thought Ethan would be forced to revive those memories so soon? Regardless, Ethan tried to control his dream, but he failed. Maybe it was one of the effects of using the simulator. Still, Ethan felt as if he was under a powerful illusion spell. He couldn't do anything, and yet, the dream seemed as real as it could be.
It was raining that day. Although the foot was bad and slippery, the commander didn't give the order to his men to stop and rest. Ethan watched the rain make him feel himself and everyone depressed with every single moment. That being said, he was nice and warm inside a carriage since he was the summoned hero.
"Finally, the day has arrived."
Those words echoed in his head, and Ethan soon recalled what that day was… it was the day of his first campaign against the demon army. That world had demons and monsters, but they weren't the same thing, even though both species prey on humans. Monsters were just like wild animals that sometimes could use magic. However, demons were different. Although some of them couldn't speak, all of them had intellect. They were smart, and that was make them terrifying.
Ethan felt something dark deep down in his heart since he already knew what would happen. To gain experience, he was forced to join that campaign against one of the many commanders of the demon king's army. The enemy leader was a lich who had a massive army of gremlins. When Ethan heard what they could, he couldn't help but show a pale expression.
His first real fight couldn't have been against a worse enemy. Unfortunately, he couldn't back down since the demon army was going to attack the north side of the Hedo kingdom, one of the regions where they most produced food. Failing wasn't an option because even if he managed to survive despite that, many would die of hunger, and Ethan would be the cause of it.
Ethan knew what was going to happen, and yet, he forced himself to wake up, but as if he wasn't controlling his body anymore, the dream continued.
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In the deepest parts of his heart, Ethan wished that things could have played out in a different manner, but he knew that was just his wishful thinking. When the army he was accompanying finally reached one of the many farms it had been attacked by the demons, he saw for the first time those creatures.
The creatures were red monsters that were even smaller than five-year-old kids. However, they could fly, and they also had point years and a tail with a tip in a triangular shape. With a single look, only one world could describe them: demons.
Even the army didn't have time to prepare themselves. The nearest farm was already on fire because the little devils could breathe fire just like they could breathe air. Still, their endurance was solely lacking. They could cause a lot of chaos and destruction, but due to the numbers, they died like insects.
Ethan was sweating bullets while watching the sea of fire caused by the monsters. However, the commander of the army still smiled at him and almost tapped on his shoulders to encourage him. The commander knew that Ethan was just a boy, he was to become a real hero in the future, but at that moment, he was just a boy.
"Don't worry, you can do this. You are strong enough to deal with them."
After saying that, the army commander charged toward the horde of gremlins. The soldiers also followed him while shouting as if that would be enough to make them survive. Ethan only woke up from his daze when he saw some kids even smaller than him equipped with some cheap armor and weapons pass by him. They weren't summoned heroes; they didn't have amazing powers that defied logic that was granted by an unknown entity. Yet, they weren't afraid of dying. In fact, they looked as if they would gladly die as long their deaths could protect their country.
The army's morale also filled Ethan with energy, and he charged toward the horde of demons as well. Some gremlins were stupid enough to try to attack him barehanded, but Ethan didn't hesitate in cutting them one by one in the blink of an eye. His iron sword seemed weirdly sharp that day.
However, things changed when the gremlins saw their allies being cut down left and right by the humans. As if they had been controlled by someone, they stopped doing whatever they were doing and formed several lines facing the army.
Ethan didn't like that, nor did the commander, but neither of them gave the order to retreat. Make the soldiers stop now would only end their momentum and put them into a vulnerable position, causing even more deaths… in the end, the commander was the first to charge, followed by Ethan. Seeing the commander and the summoned hero charging toward the monsters, it only made the soldier's blood boil even more.
Unfortunately, even though some soldiers developed a resistance against magic, none of them had skills as convenient as Ethan or sturdy defensive gear like the army commander. So, due to that, many soldiers got burned to a crisp.
At that point in time, even Ethan was in a frenzy after killing so many gremlins. Seeing them being cut in two and then agonizing to death awakened something in him. A fury that he had never felt before. Ethan and the army commander, who was an experienced knight, decimated the army of gremlins in a few hours. Surprised by that development, the lich decided to retreat and regroup with his few soldiers that were still alive.
The human side won; Ethan won. However, after seeing the pandemonium around here, he didn't feel like a winner. If anything, he felt like vomiting while seeing so many corpses, be they demons or humans, the result of a battle like that made Ethan feel a pitch-black hole inside him. He had never seen anything similar, the faces of those who died amidst the battles, full of hatred, fear, and agony. That single battle would make Ethan unable to sleep for several weeks.
Suddenly, Ethan woke up. The dream finally ended, but Ethan didn't feel alleviated by it. He was sweating like crazy, and his breathing was haggard. As if that wasn't enough, several light blue screens appeared in front of him.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Heat Resistance!historical
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ Effects: Decreases the power of area of effect fire attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Frenzy!
Effects: Increases the power of your physical attacks the more wounded you get. For one percent of health lost, you will receive one percent of strength bonus per level.
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
Congratulations! The skill Fire Resistance has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
Congratulations! The skill Fire Resistance has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
…
"No, no, no…" Ethan muttered in shock. "This can't be happening."
Ethan could feel it. It was the hero class that gave him those skills. He could clearly remember that he obtained those skills on that day, so there was no doubt in his mind that something was off. Ethan lost almost all his powers, so it didn't make any sense for them to return like that. Unless the dream had been the trigger to make him recover those memories and thus grant him those skills. Only a really real dream would have such effects, but everything was suspicious.
"Is it because I learned magic today?" Ethan questioned himself while biting his nails furiously. "That would make sense… I heard that certain events can trigger some realistic dreams. So, perhaps… learning magic or trying to recover my powers isn't a good idea."
That was a really big problem. If Ethan's hypotheses were correct, he would obtain more skills in those dreams, and the more he trains, the more often they will happen, forcing his powers to grow. However, if he doesn't train, he won't find a way to control it. Thus, Ethan would be forced to live a life without human contact.
Not even in his wildest dreams would Ethan have thought that such a productive day would make him feel so worried at night. Ethan had slept only a couple of hours. Still, after having such a dream and worrying about the possibility of having others, he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep again.
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Not even the light of a new dawn made Ethan forget about his worries. He also tried to exercise a little bit to change his mood, but it didn't work. At the breakfast table, Ethan tried to act as normal as possible. Unfortunately, he wasn't a good actor. Besides, the bag under Ethan's eyes was as clear as day.
"You look tired, son," Michael said. "Didn't you sleep well?"
"Just a little bit," Ethan forced a smile. "Maybe it is due to the heat of summer."historical
"Why didn't you turn on the AC, then?" Evelyn asked.
"Nah, sweating a little bit at this time of the year isn't half bad," Ethan replied. "Anyway, I'm off to school, and I will try to return as soon as possible."
Ethan had barely eaten his breakfast when he said that. He also didn't wait to hear his parents reply, but it was better that way. Nothing good would come out of making those around him worry about his problems. Ethan just had to focus on solving his problems because he was the only one who could do it, anyway.
"I have to confirm if what happened was a coincidence or not. Today I will train as hard as possible. If I had some other dream like that, then tomorrow I won't come to the school, and if nothing happens, then… I will be in deep waters."
As if that kind of occurrence was atypical, some students were still whispering while Ethan passed by them. He couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about, but the atmosphere today seemed a bit more serious than of the day before. However, Ethan ignored all that and went straight to the fourth floor. Still, before entering one of the rooms, he decided to do some research about the topic that he couldn't shake from his head.
"Mmm… Apparently, it is quite common for returnees to have intense dreams about the things they experienced in other worlds. However, those who lost their powers never recovered them while having those dreams… or at least they didn't mention it to anyone."
It wasn't that surprising. Even among the heroes, that class and ???? were by far an anomaly. Probably the biggest one that can exist. After all, it can grant powers to its use without a cost and even decrease the strength of those who he may touch. In the hands of the wrong person, that power could even cause the destruction of the universe. It wasn't surprising since Ethan managed to defeat millions of demons in less than one year.
"That certainly is an interesting topic," Ethan suddenly heard a voice coming from behind. "Are you having a hard time falling asleep?"
When Ethan turned around, he saw Ian reading the screen he had opened. However, Ethan ignored that. Instead, he raised his guard against that guy. He managed to hide his presence from Ethan completely while he approached. He could have killed him if he wanted, and Ethan wouldn't have noticed. That was something that only the best assassins could pull off.
"… For a summoned hero, you certainly have impressive stealth skills," Ethan glared at Ian. "What do you want?"
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ "Don't look at me like that," Ian forced a smile. "Moving like this is second nature for me. If anything, it is your fault for reading a text like that with too much focus. I tripped a few times while I approached, and you didn't even notice."
"Yeah, right…" Ethan frowned. "Now answer my question."
"Calm down, dude," Ian shrugged. "I just came to talk. It is about yesterday, and even though you managed to surprise me, you looked a bit impressed by my movements. It is all thanks to Miss Lyla, so I wanted to invite you to join our course."
"I'm not interested," Ethan said.
"Come on, man," Ian tried to put his hands around Ethan's shoulders, but Ethan jumped back and glared at him. "Oops… my bad. It looks like you don't like human contact. Well, it can't be helped since you just returned. In any case, joining our course will help you with that. We have a lot of pretty girls on that course, after all."
Ethan sighed. Ian was a pain in the ass, much worse than he thought. He was the type who couldn't accept a no as an answer. So, Ethan decided to ignore him. After selecting the free mode, Ethan entered one of the simulator rooms. He prepared himself, but he couldn't help but frown when he turned around and saw Ian still inside.
"You are starting to piss me off," Ethan glared at Ian again, this time without hiding his killing intent. "I didn't have a good night of sleep, so don't blame me if I snap at any moment."
"Calm down, bruh," Ian smiled. "I'm just here to talk, you can do whatever you want here, and I won't interfere. Just relax. Truth be told, yesterday's mock battle left Miss Lyla a bit depressed, so I thought if you joined our course, she would feel better."
"If you weren't so dumb, you wouldn't have got taken by surprise by my attack, and she wouldn't feel depressed anyway," Ethan said. "So, I can say that she is more depressed than me, thanks to you. So, don't involve me with your bullshit."
"Well, you aren't completely off the mark," Ian scratched the back of his head. "However, even if that is true, it doesn't change the fact that I need your help to raise her spirits."
The slimes finally appeared, and Ethan had a real reason to ignore Ian. Since he was quite stressed, he used the poor slimes to relieve his stress. So, in the blink of an eye, forty of them died. Only ten or so red slimes were still alive. Those were the ones that could use Fireball. He had left them alive for a reason: to train his Water Balls.
Ethan thought he would be able to play with them for a while, but the slimes didn't last long. Since his MAG increased, his Water Balls could decimate them with ease. There was also the matter of elemental compatibility, but Ethan didn't count on that.
Congratulations! You completed the first stage of the VR simulator!
You received 100 coins!
Congratulations! The skill Water Ball has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
Do you wish to proceed to the next stage? Y/N
"It looks like you got a bit stronger since yesterday," Ian said. "You don't look like an ordinary magic type, but your accuracy is more than decent."
Ethan knew that sooner or later, he would find someone as annoying as Ian, but he had prayed a lot that it wouldn't be so sooner. Regardless, his intentions were obvious. Even though he didn't look like it, Ian was a hero who had the skills of an assassin. He probably had the patience of one, so he would pester Ethan until he gave up. He was exactly the type of person who Ethan hated the most… aside from criminals.
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You received a new quest!
Complete the second stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 500 coins.
There was no point in wasting any more time on the first stage, be it with the physical strength or magic. Ethan could decimate the slimes with ease, so he decided to proceed to the next one.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 09 (730/1200)
Health: 100/100
Mana: 235/235
Stamina: 28
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ STR: 15
MAG: 30
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 03
ACC: 05
Coins: 21.255
Status Points: 05
Skill Points: 16
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03, Water Ball Lv 01,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 02, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 04, Block Mastery Lv 04, Fire Resistance Lv 10, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04, Heat Resistance Lv 01, Frenzy Lv 01,
"I still have some status points, and I didn't use any skill points. So, I have some leeway to face more powerful monsters."
The quest system was quite accurate, so it looked like the second stage would be five times more difficult than the first one. Still, Ethan couldn't help but frown while suddenly, several goblins began to appear around him. Those were a bit different from the goblins he knew and defeated many times. The ones in front of him had yellow skin, their bodies were basically skin and bones, but they were armed with daggers, lances, and bows. The tallest of them wasn't even 1.5 meters tall. Ethan couldn't sense much mana in them either, so they weren't that strong. Suddenly and in a very unorganized manner, the monsters ran toward him.
"I shouldn't have expected less from goblins. Or perhaps they have been programmed to act foolish like this."
Ian had seen Ethan fighting a few times on the simulator on the previous day, he and many others. So, Ethan didn't feel the need to hide the fact that he could use a magic-like inventory. As expected, Ian didn't even flinch when a long iron sword appeared in Ethan's hands out of nowhere. In fact, he was sitting on the grass while holding his knees, and at the same time, he was smiling as if he was watching something interesting.
"Annoying idiot… Well, I just have to endure this for today."
Ethan already knew the perfect deal with Ian, so eventually, he wouldn't be a nuisance anymore. With a single swing of his sword, Ethan split in two, five goblins that got too close. However, that was the limit of his current strength, and he still had to worry about the other five coming from behind.
You received twenty-five experience points.
You received 5 coins.
You received twenty-five experience points.
You received 5 coins.
You received twenty-five experience points.
You received 5 coins.
…
The monsters which tried to stab him in the back ended up only hitting the grass on the ground. Before they could even notice, Ethan had rolled on the ground and escaped them. Unfortunately, when that happened, the goblin archers finally joined the fray. Twenty or so arrows flew toward Ethan. Although he could avoid most of them, he couldn't avoid them all, and since he was training to recover his senses, he decided to go all out.
Ethan held his sword as firmly as possible and then clenched his teeth. Tensing his muscles to the limits, he prepared a big attack. When the arrows were a few meters away from him, Ethan let all his energy and his strength explode. Swinging his sword, Ethan hit nothing. However, that big movement created a powerful wind barrier that repelled all the arrows.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Brutal Swing!
Damage: STR (x 30%) - END
Cost: 10 stamina
Lv 01 – 0/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
"Ouch… I guess this is one way of using skills."
Ethan learned this skill in the past, and although he tried to replicate it, he didn't expect he would succeed in learning the skill. Controlling and using stamina was something he had planned to do in the near future, but that worked as well. That being said, the pain in his muscles made him think that he should train more instead of learning those types of skills on the fly.
"If only I need less preparation. This kind of attack would be awesome to devastate all the melee goblins all at once."
"Did you just learn that?" Ian asked. "Your body doesn't look like you used this until now."
Ian wasn't just an annoying guy who was good at stealth, he also had good eyes, and Ethan knew that was one quality of good assassins since they couldn't choose the wrong target. In any case, Ethan ignored him.
"Come on, man," Ian said. "Don't ignore me. I know what you are planning, so don't do this. I'm terrible at waiting, and I have the patience of a little kid. Just help me out, and I will do my best to spread your good points to all the girls in the class."
"Don't lump me with you," Ethan said. "I'm not that desperate."historical
"Really? You don't look like a guy who had a harem in another world," Ian furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed his chin. "Maybe you will become a cool adult, but that is the type only a few women are looking for. Girls around our age only like the handsome and the strong ones."
Ethan wondered if he should tell him that the king of the Hedo kingdom offered the hand of his three daughters to him, but in the end, Ethan decided to keep quiet about it. Nothing good would come out of bragging to a guy like him. Besides, the king didn't offer their hands because he was handsome or stronger. It was because he was a hero. Something that he didn't work hard to become.
In any case, Ethan felt like sighing. As if he didn't have enough problems as it is, now a guy who was interested in his teacher was bothering him. Although that wasn't the case, Ethan felt that he was too old to deal with such dilemmas. Ethan learned much sooner than he expected that the problems of his teenage years are pretty small compared to most things.
Regardless, Ethan resumed his focus and faced the goblins. However, only the archers caused some problems for him at the beginning. The others tasted of his iron sword and didn't live to tell if it was good or not.
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Congratulations! You completed the second stage of the VR simulator!
You received 500 coins!
Calculating your score…
Flawless Victory 1000 points.
Time 450 points
Solo fight 1000 points…
Congratulations! You scored 2450 points.
Do you wish to proceed to the next stage? Y/N
That surprised Ethan a little bit. Even though Ian was there, the simulator didn't accept his presence as someone who was there to help him. Regardless, he took the third position again, and the second and the first were the same as the previous stage.
"Wow, amazing!" Ian said while clapping his hands and with a smile on his face. "You did it again without receiving a single point of damage. Still, with your level of power, I wonder if you will be able to do the same in the next stage."
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Ethan also had a feeling that things would become a little more complicated in the third stage. However, it wasn't like he had to fight seriously. Besides, he had skill points and if, and if he used them, Ethan was sure that Bash would become strong enough to crush even monsters bigger than himself. However, Ethan didn't feel like solving his problems like that. He wanted to regain his strength by working hard and using those status points in a serious situation. Not in a simulator where his life wasn't in danger.
Regardless, Ethan still had to name his position on the rank, so this time he used: This party is getting crazy, let's rock. Weirdly enough, despite his problems, Ethan saw himself smiling while messing around like that. It was an excellent way to remember the good old days, where his only worry was about what he should eat during the late hours of the night on the weekends.
"You have some weird sense of humor," Ian said while frowning. "Well, I guess it is better than embarrassing himself and using lame nicknames."
For an instant, Ian got curious about the position in the rank of Ian. However, he soon got rid of the idea. Ian doesn't look like the type who would take the simulator seriously. If he really was an assassin in another world, then he had no reason to show his skills.
Besides, Ethan also didn't get closer to such a person. Ethan was a warrior who faced his enemies fair and square, his hands were probably dirtier than Ian's, but he did everything without sneaking around and ending the life of his enemies while they were aware of him. Warriors and assassins don't get along well for obvious reasons.
Ethan had enough coins to buy a much better sword than his current one, and despite that, he decided not to do it. It was all for the sake of training. Besides, to sharpen his instincts, Ethan had to face some difficulties.
You received a new quest!
Complete the third stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 1500 coins.
Weirdly enough, Ethan frowned when the new monsters appeared. It was those yellow goblins again. However, they were a bit different from the previous ones. First of all, those new goblins looked pretty fit, unlike the other goblins, who looked like they were about to die of starvation. Not only that, the second group had goblins fully armed and armored. Those who had lances also had shields big enough to protect them.
Some of them were armed with dual swords, and the archers had crossbows… rapid fire crossbows. As if that wasn't impressive enough, all the goblins appeared while showing a formation. Those who had shields were at the front and didn't intend to let Ethan pass by them. The dual wielders were right behind them, but it looked like they would attack only if the lancers were defeated. They were there to protect the archers on the back.
"Well, this is quite surprising."
It looked like Ethan would have to face a proper army in that situation. Although the enemies were just fifty goblins, the difficulty raised quite a bit. However, Ethan had tons of experience in facing armies. After all, he defeated the demon army alone in another world. Things would have become a bit more difficult if the front line had attacked first. However, the ones who made the first move had been the archers. They made bolts rain down over Ethan, but he successfully protected his body just by raising his sword and turning it to the side.
Some bolts hit his sword, while others passed by Ethan and hit the ground behind him. However, some began to lose height pretty soon and ended up flying direct to his chest. Still, Ethan just had to take a few steps forward in order to avoid them. The goblin archers insisted on that strategy, but before they could run out of projectiles, they stopped.historical
"Well, it looks like their AI isn't half bad."
The lancers and their shields charged toward Ethan as if they were a wave. Now that was a problem. Ethan wasn't strong enough to stop them. Nor did he have a sword large enough to hit a big number of them. The only real option was to retreat and destroy the enemy formation. However, Ethan had never retreated before, and he wouldn't start now in a simulator. Besides, the dual wielders and the archer followed their frontline, and all in order to keep their formation.
"I will have to make it do with what I have here."
Although they were big goblins with shields, their shields weren't made of iron, nor were they much thick. They could be destroyed. Before doing anything, Ethan allocated the free status points that he had into strength and then readied himself. He didn't have much stamina, given that he blocked the arrows a few times in the previous stage, but he had more than enough to use Brutal Swing a single time… and so he did it.
When the monsters were close enough to hit Ethan, he disappeared from their sight with a single movement. He wasn't fast enough for that, Ethan just let the strength of his body explode in a second, and that was what caused that illusion. The next moment, five goblins and their shields were thrown away in the air. The monsters didn't die, but their shields broke. More important than that, their formation had been destroyed. Without worrying about getting surrounded, Ethan dashed toward the dual-wielders. Before they could react to the human who suddenly appeared before then, the head of the two rolled on the ground.
You received forty-two experience points.
You received eight coins.
You received twenty-four experience points.
You received eight coins.
Ethan couldn't help but suffer a few scratches here and there in that position. However, before the monsters could land any real blow, he would split them in two.
"I guess that is one way to deal with many enemies alone," Ian said while studying Ethan's fighting style. "Still… how come he can pull this off without being barely stronger than a single of the goblins?"
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It took him a few minutes, but Ethan cleared the third stage in the end. By using the corpses of the fallen goblins, he protected himself from the bolts of the archers. By kicking the fallen swords of the dead dual-wielders, Ethan also killed them before they could notice. Once half of the archers died, the fight became incredibly easy. Since their corpses and weapons didn't disappear until the stage ended, Ethan used their weapons and bodies to make things easier for him.
Congratulations! You completed the third stage of the VR simulator!
You received 150 coins!
Calculating your score…
Time 450 points
Solo fight 1000 points…
Congratulations! You scored 1450 points.
Do you wish to proceed to the next stage? Y/N
"Your fighting style is quite messy," Ian said. "No… perhaps savage is more adequate. One couldn't imagine someone like you could fight like that. Kicking the bodies and the weapons of the dead foes left and right and without a hint of hesitation. You must be really used to the battlefield."
"… You certainly have a lot of free time," Ethan said. "Lyla didn't teach anything to F-rank students today?"
"Hey, it is miss Lyla for you…" Ian said, unexpectedly angry. "She only teaches us on mornings of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays."
"Thank you for the intel," Ethan said. "Now, I know the days I can come without being bothered by you."
"Come on, man!" Ian said and then protested himself in front of Ethan. "I beg you… I can't bear to look at miss Lyla being so depressed. She will stay like that for an entire week when this kind of thing happens! Please help me out, and I will make sure to help with Emily."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Ethan frowned. "I only saw her two times and I certainly don't have any special feelings toward her. Although she is a bit cute, her personality is a big minus… Why the hell am I following your pace?"
Ethan facepalmed after that. As expected, Ian is a bad influence. If he gets involved with him, he will get sidetracked many times and end up in some stupid situations. Regardless, Ethan decided to stop the simulator because he went too far using his iron sword recklessly.
Although the things that happened inside the simulator were basically an illusion, the mana inside of it could affect physical bodies. That was why Ethan could gain experience and coins. His iron sword was about to break, so it was time to make use of the coins he had just obtained. The problem was Ian. Would he notice a new weapon being created from nothing? In the end, Ethan decides to go home just to obtain a new weapon and leave Ian alone.
"What? Are you already going home?" Ian asked, surprised.
"I need a new weapon…" Ethan sighed and then facepalmed. "Again… why am I answering your questions? Look, I don't have time to help you. I have my own share of problems, so look for others to help you."
"If it were possible, I wouldn't have bothered you so much," Ian said. "Do you think I enjoy being ignored or staying too close to a guy so early in the morning? I have my own share of problems, you know."
Ian was indeed a weird fellow. Although he had the skills of a top-class assassin, he still could act like an average teenager. At the same time, while Ethan was wary of him, he couldn't feel any malicious intent coming from him.
That being said, Ethan didn't have any reason to help someone like him. As weird as that sound, the nature of warriors agreed with Ethan. So, even without any real reason to dislike him, Ethan wanted to stay away from the guy.
"Well, it is a pity," Ian shrugged. "I saw you using some potions yesterday, and those taste like bitter medicine, right? So, I was thinking about introducing you to a great alchemist that I know. With my help, you could even obtain some discounts."
Ian was insistent… since Ethan didn't want help in his love life, he intended to help him in other areas. In any case, that sounded like total bullshit. Why a rank F student would know a famous alchemist?
Even if Ian was another world's hero, he probably couldn't return to that world frequently, even more considering his skills. So, most likely, it was someone from Earth. That being said, Hannah was more amazing than him, so she probably had better contacts.
"I'm not interested," Ethan said.
"Are you sure?" Ian smirked. "She is the best alchemist in the school, people around the world come in droves to buy the potions she can make. Thanks to that, she is filthy rich."
Ethan didn't study things like an alchemist in the other world. Although he learned some skill or other that could help him in the production of such a thing, he never went far with it. On the battlefield, he didn't have time to use potions. So, he focused solely on getting physically strong.
In any case, thanks to that, he wasn't expecting much from someone who couldn't be much older than him. Even if the alchemist was a hero, there are things that can't be solved, even if you have cheat powers. Arts like alchemy needed to be properly studied.
"You know, the best potions you can buy with your wristwatch are the crappiest potions she can make," Ian said. "The real high-quality stuff can only be bought for tens of thousands of dollars."
"Good for you," Ethan said.
"Damn it, Ethan!" Ian shouted. "Do you like to see me beg that much?"
"Not really," Ethan said. "I just don't want to get involved with you."
"Do you want to see me lick your shoes?" Ian asked.historical
"Holy Freya… You are so insistent," Ethan sighed. "Are you that desperate? If you don't know, women get depressed all the time. In fact, they got over such situations much better than men. So, just wait a few days and stop wasting my time."
"I don't want to just see her back to normal," Ian said. "I want to see her smile of joy after getting a real new student! You leave me no choice… I can only do two things left to convince you. Please, Ethan, don't make me use my trump card."
Ethan had no idea what Ian was talking about, but for the first time, he really looked desperate. He was about to take some drastic measures, but for the time being, Ian only made a call with his wristwatch.
"Hey, I need that right now," Ian said. "Please teleport it to me."
It took a few seconds, but then a single bottle that had some blue liquid appeared and then fell right on Ian's hand. It was a potion, and Ethan could feel an incredible amount of mana inside of it. Despite the small size, it could be compared to an elixir.
"I'm giving this to you," Ian said.
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Ethan didn't accept the bottle, but even though he didn't have the skill to appraise the potion, his wristwatch reacted to it and then showed the information of the potion.
Mystical potion (Heroic)
Created by using the parts of several rare beasts.
Effects: restores ten points of your health, mana, and stamina per second for six hundred seconds.
Special effect: increases permanently your health, mana, and stamina by ten points.
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Ethan couldn't help but open his eyes widely in shock. Even when he was in the other world, he didn't see anything like it. The Hedo kingdom's royal family was the most influential and richest family in the world as a whole. Yet, all the potions they collected all over the world couldn't be compared to that.
"How much?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not selling," Ian replied. "I'm giving it to you. This isn't being sold to anyone since creating this is way too troublesome. The alchemist is pretty lazy if you ask me, and I can only get one of those per week."
That was already more impressive than Ethan had imagined. Still, that raised even more questions. Why was he still on the F rank if Ian could drink one potion every week? Certainly, Lyla was giving classes to students of upper ranks, so he had no real reason not to go up.
In any case, that was an opportunity Ethan couldn't let it pass. Ian was a troublesome and annoying guy, but he wasn't someone ordinary. He had too many secrets… that being said, Ethan probably had even more. Even if Ethan couldn't get these types of potions on his hands frequently, even one per month would be worth the hassle of getting involved with Ian… probably. There was a small chance of it. Hopefully... Ethan never felt so unsure about anything in his life before.
"Very well," Ethan said. "I accept your offer."
"Really?" Ian asked with his eyes shining. "Thanks, man. Now I won't have to use some underhanded tactics to force you to join our course."
"… What would you do if I refused this offer?" Ethan crossed his arms and then asked.
"Do you really want to know?" Ian approached and then whispered. "I would edit the video of your last session on the simulator. To be more precise, I would cut the part where you called Emily cute and divulge to everyone in the school. That would cause all sorts of problems, but in the end, she would end up falling in love with you."
Ethan facepalmed when he heard that. It was utterly stupid… so stupid that now he was questioning if Ian was really a top-class assassin. As if someone who was called the cursed hero and was feared by all the inhabitants of the whole world would care about such a thing. Besides, that was the kind of development that would happen in comics, not in real life.
"I assume the alchemist attends this school. Is she around right now?" Ethan asked.
"Nope," Ian shrugged his shoulders. "She is an exception, and since the potions she makes are awesome, she doesn't have to come to school. You see, when some people forced her to come, she stopped making potions, and that was a huge problem. So, in order to stay on her good side, the higher-ups decided to give her free reins."
In the end, that wasn't unexpected. Although Ethan also felt that coming to the school was a waste of time, it was because he didn't think he wouldn't find any use in such a place. It looked like the alchemist didn't lose her powers and knowledge, so she really could do that kind of thing and force others to stay out of her way.
"I can let you meet her if you want, but since you live in the central part of the country, it can't be today," Ian explained while checking his wristwatch. "I live in New York, and so does the alchemist. I can offer you a ride to my place tomorrow after class."
Ian was no fool. It was obvious that he wanted to make Ethan fill his part of the bargain first. It was a pain, but it couldn't be helped. However, instead of that, Ethan began to think about something else.
"Your place?" Ethan asked. "Also, I don't remember telling you where I live."
"Knowledge is power… you never heard of that?" Ian asked. "You are a summoned hero. So many more people know about you than you think. Besides, your big sis is also pretty famous. Didn't I mention it? The alchemist is my little sister."
Ethan sighed after hearing that… what were the odds of finding another pair of siblings that were summoned to other worlds? A pair of warrior and mage siblings wasn't that odd, but an assassin and an alchemist? That was way too weird.
"Can't we use those wristwatches to go to your home right now?" Ethan asked.
"Nope, those can only be used to move between registered points, and you can't increase the number of places you can go. I'm sure you can understand why," Ian explained. "In any case, don't be in a hurry. Tomorrow you will meet her and will be able to return to home on the same day."
After saying that, Ian left while humming. Ethan forgot to ask about how he would give him a ride… then again, Ian was probably from a rich family, given that his little sister could produce those crazy potions. Most likely, he will bring a chopper to school tomorrow.historical
"What a show-off…" Ethan sighed.
In any case, to think that he would find so many odd heroes so quickly… he felt a bit mentally tired since he left himself to fall at Ian's pace. That being said, he received something impressive in exchange, the chance to meet an amazing alchemist. Getting his hands on a mystical potion often was probably impossible. Still, if Ethan could obtain one that could make him recover his mana at that same pace, his magic training would increase by leaps and bounds. With that, Ethan will be able to find the method to control his hero's power even faster.
ραпdα nᴏνa сom "Well, there is no point in thinking about that," Ethan shrugged. "Let's buy a new weapon and then go to another run on the simulator."
Before Ethan could open his menu, he heard some footsteps approaching. Since he heard them, Ethan assumed it wasn't Ian's. When he turned around, Ethan couldn't help but sigh… his luck was no good.
"You have some nerve to sigh in front of someone who has been looking for you," Emily said. "Miss Lyla is looking for you."
"Why?" Ethan asked.
"I don't know, and I don't care," Emily said. "You made me waste time two days in a row… what did I do to deserve this? Anyway, follow me."
Ethan wanted to say no, but given that his main instructor was looking for him, perhaps it was better just to obey for the time being. He doubted that Lyla would bother him to join her course again, and given the mood she was in before, she probably wanted to talk about something serious.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ????
Level: 10 (930/1800)
Health: 150/150
Mana: 235/235
Stamina: 60/60
STR: 25
MAG: 30
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 05
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 05
ACC: 05
Coins: 5130
Status Points: 05
Skill Points: 20
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03, Brutal Swing Lv 02,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03, Water Ball Lv 01,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 04, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 05, Block Mastery Lv 05, Fire Resistance Lv 10, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04, Heat Resistance Lv 01, Frenzy Lv 03,
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Ethan and Emily went in total silence to the second floor. The floor was pretty quiet despite being very similar to the others. The reason for that was that the students rarely would go there without reason. So, it was probably the calmest place in all the towers since it was free of teenagers.
Both of them found Lyla with a tired expression eating some bread like a hamster. She tried to smile when she saw them, but her smile didn't lighten the mood. Ethan began to wonder if he should start to feel guilty about that.
"Thank you as always, Emily," Lyla said, showing a weak smile. "Good morning, Ethan. It looks like you have been enjoying yourself quite a lot on the fourth floor."
"More or less," Ethan said. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"As your main instructor, I need to know the courses you are going to apply to," Lyla said. "Even though you won't join mine."
"I see…" Ethan said. "How many courses do I have to apply for?"
"There are no limits. You can apply to as many as you want," Lyla replied. "However, you need to apply to at least one that is related to martial arts, one related to magic, and one theoretical."
It was a lot less than Ethan imagined. That being said, the last option was a bit problematic. Ethan was by no means someone smart and even though he once was a sedentary gamer in the past, one year in another world transformed him into someone who could stand still doing nothing. Besides, he couldn't imagine in what way he would benefit from attending theoretical classes about something. Still, maybe he could learn a few useful things.
pαndαnoνɐ1--сoМ "Do you have a list of the courses I can apply to or something?" Ethan asked.
"I do, but I think you should watch the classes before deciding that," Lyla said.
"Nah, it is fine," Ethan said and shrugged his shoulders. "I will choose right now. I can always change my mind later, right?"
Lyla nodded at that. Many boys around Ethan's age wouldn't think seriously about the courses they would take. Only those who lost their powers upon returning would do that. Those who still had the power to defeat massive monsters couldn't imagine why they should take things seriously. They saved other worlds, after all. It was time to sit back and relax while enjoying that glory.
In Lyla's eyes, Ethan was in the group that wasn't interested in any of that. After losing most of his powers, it looked like he had no prospect of recovering them. Even if he could, Ethan had no interest. At least, that was what it looked like.
Regardless, the number of courses was massive, and since most students were between the ranks of D and F, the number of options was pretty high. Sword dance was just one of many types of swordsmanship one could learn. There were even courses one could take to learn how to fight barehanded in many styles or while using several different weapons.
Ethan already knew his fighting style very well, and he didn't want to change it, so he focused on reading the options of the magic courses. Elemental magic, summoning magic, support magic, and even enchanting magic. The options were really good, considering that he was a low-ranked student.
"I'm already learning elemental magic on my own, so I don't need it. Still, I think it would help me a lot to learn support magic. It will take a while to recover a decent amount of strength, so that kind of magic will come in handy."
Ethan thought of picking a theoretical class randomly, he would mostly spend his time there sleeping anyway, so it wouldn't make any difference. However, he changed his mind when he found a certain course.
"The origin of the heroes?" Ethan asked while frowning. "What is this about?"
"This is about some hypothesis people all over the world and of other planets thought about the summoned heroes and their powers," Lyla explained while looking at her bread. "I heard that in this course, the students discuss about those hypotheses. It might be interesting if you don't know the origin of your powers."historical
At the very least, it was less boring than the other options. In the end, Ethan picked that one alongside the courses of support magic and sword dance. Lyla couldn't help but frown when she saw that, but her complexion changed for the better.
"Are you going to join my course?" Lyla asked while frowning. "Why?"
"I don't think I will change my fighting style," Ethan said. "However, Ian showed me that I can learn a thing or two from your sword dance."
Ethan thought of trying to act like a wingman for a second, but he changed his mind. Ian didn't ask for that, and Ethan didn't want to become the wingman of someone so annoying. Meanwhile, Emily looked at him with dubious eyes. Ethan had seen far worse than that, so he didn't feel anything while being stared at.
"Really? As expected of my most enthusiastic student!" Lyla said while showing a smile full of life. "You taught me something good, Ethan. I will make sure to repay the favor."
Ethan didn't know how to feel about that. An enthusiastic teacher was good sometimes, but Ethan only felt troubled by it. In any case, his free time decreased by a lot thanks to the rules of the school. Each course had three classes per week, and each class would last one hour. It wasn't so bad to get his agenda filled, but Ethan only felt like sighing. Regardless, Lyla also left humming, and Ethan was left alone with Emily. Her gaze was finally starting to make him feel uncomfortable.
"What?" Ethan asked.
"You are a terrible liar," Emily said, furrowing her eyebrows.
"I didn't lie, though," Ethan shrugged.
Ian really made Ethan think that he could learn a thing or two from Lyla's sword dance. However, even if that was the case, Ethan would rather train alone instead of learning a new fighting style or even gaining some tips.
"Whatever," Emily said. "Just make sure not to get late for classes since that will cause problems for me. You are probably free for the rest of the day, but from tomorrow onwards, you will have to attend the classes. Make sure to memorize the time each class will start and where they will be."
After saying that, Emily left. Thanks to her and Ian, Ethan lost a lot of time; it was already time for lunch. So, in the end, Ethan headed home to have lunch with his parents. His new sword and the simulator could wait.
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Before returning to school, Ethan decided to check his options for a new weapon. Of course, his primary option would always be a sword. Still, given that he would have to face some small fries before reaching the fourth stage, Ethan decided to buy and use something else as well.
Claymore (Common) (0)
Attack: 15 – 25
ραпdα nᴏνa сom Durability: 45/45
Effects: None
Requirements: 20 STR
Ax (Common) (0)
Attack: 7 – 10
Durability: 40/40
Effects: None
Requirements: 10 STR
"I guess this one here will help me train my physical strength and my balance," Ethan said while checking the weight of his new weapons.
The ax was fairly simple since it had only one cutting side, but it was heavier than Ethan's iron sword. As for the claymore, it was a massive sword that was a bit thin. However, it was the best Ethan could afford with his current level. To obtain both of them, he spent twenty-five hundred coins.
"Is that your power, Ethan?" Michael asked while he was preparing to return to work. "You can summon weapons?"
"More or less," Ethan replied while checking their edge. "Don't worry, dad. I only use them on the simulator."
"I will trust your judgment," Michael said while nodding. "Are you liking the school? Did you make friends?"
Ethan couldn't help but force a smile after hearing that. He was thankful that his parents didn't change, but being treated like a child was a bit… uncomfortable, to say the least. Still, it was better than being feared or being asked about his experiences of the last year.
"Friends… well, it depends on what you consider a friend," Ethan replied while frowning. "I got acquainted with some weirdoes."
"Well, birds of a feather…" Michael smirked.
"Ha-ha, very funny," Ethan said, forcing a smile. "Anyway, use this in case something happens, dad. Give some to mom, too."
Ethan brought some health potions from his shop and gave them to Michael. Obviously, his father frowned, but he could imagine what Ethan was thinking. It was better to be safe than sorry. Still, that worry was unnecessary since Hannah gave them some potions thinking along those lines as well.
Soon after, Ethan returned to school, and then, without wasting more time, he headed to the fourth floor. As expected, the first stage ended in the blink of an eye, but Ethan didn't break his record because he wasn't that skilled while using axes to fight. Still, the slimes turned into dust…
Congratulations! You learned the skill Axemanship!
Effects: Increases the power of your when using axes by five percent per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Ethan also managed to clear the second stage without any issues. However, overpowering the enemies on the third stage with a one-handed axe alone would be a bit difficult, so he switched to his claymore. Ethan felt the difference in the first strike. His new sword could cut not only the goblins' shields but also their wielders. Ethan managed to slay them in the blink of an eye. The same thing happened to the archers. Unfortunately, Ethan had a hard time with the duelists because he had become slower. Overpowering his enemies wasn't enough anymore.
"I guess it is finally time to increase my speed. Still, that just adds a few points. Otherwise, I will become way too fast, and this won't be a training session any longer."
You received a new quest!
Complete the fourth stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 3000 coins.
Ethan knew that things would start to get hot… but he didn't imagine it would be scorching. Suddenly, fifty goblins armed with sticks and wearing robs appeared. They seemed rather weak, but Ethan wasn't worried about their endurance, but with the magic power he could feel inside them.
The goblins weren't using any formation, but despite that, they pointed their wands toward Ethan at the same time, and also, at the same time, they fired several waves of flames toward him. Ethan could try to block the attack with a sword if the attack came from a single direction, but since that wasn't the case, he jumped with all his might to escape the area of effect attack.
In the blink of an eye, Ethan was five meters above the ground, but he still could feel the heat of the flames under him. Without any proper defensive gear, Ethan wouldn't last on those flames, not even for a second.
Congratulations! The skill Heat Resistance has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
"Is it finally time to buy some proper gear? Maybe I was getting ahead of myself thinking that I could fight like before so soon…"historical
Half a second before Ethan landed, the flames disappeared. However, the goblins were preparing for another wave of attack. Ethan had an idea and quickly put it into practice. He fired several Water Balls and hit the face of five goblins. Not only he stopped their cast, but he also opened an escape route. When the beasts recovered from the surprise, it was too late. Ethan made their heads roll on the ground.
You received fifty experience points.
You received ten coins.
You received fifty experience points.
You received ten coins.
You received fifty experience points.
You received ten coins.
…
"Come to think of it… I fought like this in the past, didn't I?"
While Ethan was trying to avoid the damage that would end the session, he recalled that he used simple magic to help him in some difficult situations. It has been so long that he forgot about it… it was all because of his hero class. By using that, he obtained a strength that granted him the chance to overpower armies and even face the demon king in his normal clothes.
Congratulations! The skill Heat Resistance has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
Ethan decided to focus on the task ahead because it would be troublesome to start from the beginning. His health was reaching dangerous levels, even though he was only sweating a little due to the flames. Ethan couldn't help but laugh a little since he was facing some problems against goblins.
"Well, let's see how far I can go without relying on status points, skill points, and potions."
Now that Ethan thought about it, he had no reason to worry. That was a simulation, only that. He wanted to test his limits without relying on his class, but at the same time, he was there to recover his strength. Even if he losses, he wouldn't lose the progress of his skills. In the end, Ethan didn't do much aside from jumping around and cutting the goblin's necks when he got the chance. He barely succeeded, but Ethan completed the fourth stage in the end.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/????
Level: 12 (500/3300)
Health: 1/150
Mana: 0/235
Stamina: 0/60
STR: 25
MAG: 30
PHY: 10
END: 05
RES: 05
SPE: 10
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 03
ACC: 05
Coins: 7800
Status Points: 10
Skill Points: 24
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03, Brutal Swing Lv 02,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03, Water Ball Lv 01,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 05, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 05, Block Mastery Lv 05, Fire Resistance Lv 10, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04, Heat Resistance Lv 04, Frenzy Lv 04, Axemanship Lv 02,
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"I made a lot of progress considering that I almost failed," Ethan muttered. "In any case, I'm bound to fail in the next stage with so little energy, but I guess this will work as a training."
Ethan fought in many battles, and in most of them, he won. However, he also lost sometimes, and he learned more by losing than by winning. So, there was no point in choosing only the fights he could win. With that in mind, he proceeded to the next stage.
You received a new quest!
Complete the fifth stage of the VR simulator!
Reward: 5000 coins.
Ethan couldn't help but frown a little when the next wave of enemies appeared. Finally, the goblins stopped coming. Instead of them, some lizardmen appeared, and Ethan immediately recognized that he would have a hard time against them. He faced them many times while he was in the other world. Although they weren't much stronger than goblins, they had a secret weapon… the ability to spit Acid.
"I guess I should stop here," Ethan sighed. "It will be a pain if they damage my sword before I get some skills to repair it."
He felt quite a bit annoyed by it, but Ethan left himself being hit by the Acid they shot at him. Since he didn't have the skill to resist Acid, Ethan was supposed to scream quite a bit. At the same time, a huge chunk of his flesh would be destroyed, but instead of that, he felt as if his arm was being bitten by a few dozen mosquitoes.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Acid Resistance!
Effects: Decreases the power of Acid attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
For the rest of the day, Ethan focused on improving his scores on the simulator, not because he wanted to increase his rank, but because he wanted to reach the fifth stage in a better condition. Things could proceed faster if he increased some of his skills and speed, but that would make the battles much easier. So, he avoided that. He managed to reach the fifth stage two more times before going home. On the first run, he reached with his health at fifty percent, and on the last one, his health was full. His improvement was clear.
"I guess tomorrow I will buy something to protect my sword from the acid and fight the lizardmen for real," Ethan muttered. "I obtained plenty of coins, after all."
Ethan didn't know if he would have another night of bad dreams, so he decided to enjoy a good evening with his family. However, the moment he arrived at home, he noticed a heavy atmosphere. Michael was sitting on the couch with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Meanwhile, Evelyn a constantly looking at her cell phone.
"Did something happen?" Ethan asked, visibly worried.
Michael and Evelyn looked at each other, trying to find a proper answer to that question. Still, even after several seconds of silence, they couldn't come up with one that wouldn't make Ethan feel more worried.
"It is about Hannah," Michael said and then sighed. "We didn't hear anything from her since she left to work yesterday morning."
"…Is that unusual?" Ethan asked, after thinking for a short while. "Her job is related to opening portals to different worlds, right? Maybe she is in one in which time flows slower than Earth."
"We can't deny that hypothesis," Evelyn nodded. "However, until now, no new planet like that has been found. Even if the government found one and sent Hannah to there, she would have warned us."
Ethan wanted to think that his parents were just overthinking things. He was fully aware that in magic worlds, things tend to go quite difficult for heroes since the hopes of a world as a whole were put on their shoulders. If anyone else were in her position, Ethan would think that. Still, since Hannah was family, she was his big sis, even Ethan began to worry.
"Is there someone we can talk with to receive some news?" Ethan asked.
"No," Michael said bluntly.
"No?" Ethan frowned. "Why? Doesn't the government give a damn about the families of the people working for them?"historical
Michael raised his eyebrow since Ethan was already raising his voice. That was one side of his son that he never saw before. Still, he could see where Ethan was coming from because he felt like that many times.
"Every single detail about her missions is classified," Michael said. "Hannah can't even talk to us about it if something goes wrong or even if everything is solved perfectly."
After thinking for a while, that started to make sense. Ethan knew that when it was used, mana always leaves some trails behind. A skilled magician could not only feel the trail left behind and identify the spell used, but they could even reactivate the spell. Considering that the spell in question was capable of opening a temporary link between worlds, it was only obvious why the government had to be so secretive about every little thing.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ That being said, knowing that didn't make things easy for Ethan. The leak of information could cause problems in another world, and thus the diplomatic work built over the past year might collapse. Even so, Ethan couldn't care less about it. Family always comes first. Still, he had just returned a few days ago, and he didn't know a single person related to Hannah's job.
"Can't we talk with Natalia about this?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not sure her work is in any way involved with the diplomacy between worlds," Michael shook his head. "If you ask me, her job is about recruiting summoned heroes and keeping an eye on them while they are on Earth. Still, if by some chance she knows anything, I highly doubt that she will tell us."
That was also the image Ethan had of her. Although she acted friendly, Ethan felt that she did everything just to make everyone in the house feel comfortable. Her job was important, and so was she. Even if someone isn't that prideful, any ordinary person would feel insulted at the words Ethan spouted that day. Still, she didn't, and that made her look very suspicious. In any case, perhaps that was for the good. Ethan didn't want to get involved with manipulative persons or those who didn't act naturally.
Ethan only had a single option left: Ian. Still, he wasn't quite sure the guy would have the intel he needed. It would also be troublesome to owe some favors to him, but that was a small problem, and Ethan would do anything to get rid of his worries. Hannah was even stronger than the most experienced sorcerers he saw in the other world. Still, power alone wasn't enough to keep a magician protected.
"Call Ian… Ian…" Ethan said while facing his wristwatch. "I don't know his surname…"
Unfortunately, there is no Ian Ian registered.
Ethan sighed after reading that. In any case, he did a quick search through the net only to confirm his suspicions. Ian Thompson… the eldest son of a man who became wildly famous as a seller of magic potions in the last six months. That was all that he found about him, there wasn't even a mention of his little sister, but there was a lot of info about their father.
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historical
Ethan didn't know if hiding those pieces of information was intentional, but he didn't have time to worry about that. Without wasting any more time, Ethan started the call, and surprisingly enough, Ian accepted pretty soon. Even though there was no telling, who was calling him.
"Oh, hey, Ethan," Ian said. "You took your time to call me."
"… How did you know that I was the one who was calling?" Ethan asked.
"You didn't receive any calls yet?" Ian asked. "Man, you need to increase your circle of friends. I saw your name here; it would be troublesome if the wristwatch doesn't show us some details while making and receiving calls."
"… Anyway, I called for a reason," Ethan said after he furrowed his eyebrows. "From a very different reason, you are thinking about it."
"No, I know why you are talking to me," Ian shrugged. "I just received some interesting intel, and knowing that you just came back a few days ago, it makes sense that you would ask for my help. I also have some friends working in the government, people who owe me some favors. They just told me that your big sis is taking too long to finish her last job, and the higher-ups are starting to worry if something went wrong on the other side."
As expected, Ian was no ordinary guy. One would have to have a lot of nerve to reveal with he revealed without worrying about what it might happen. In a sense, that was the perfect source of information Ethan needed. Still, in another one, it was close to impossible to imagine what Ian might do while having so little concern, given the involved parties.
"Try to call someone called John, that works in the interdimensional embassy located in Washington," Ian said. "You don't need to know his surname to call him if you know this much about him. Anyway, he is your sister's boss, and he probably knows what is going on more than anyone else. I would like to offer you more help, but since we have classes tomorrow morning, I can't go, and I can't show my face in front of miss Lyla without my proper eight hours of sleep."
"That will be enough," Ethan said. "I owe one."
"No worries," Ian smirked. "Consider this a payment for the future. After all, you are going to make me look cool in front of miss Lyla. See ya."
The call ended, and Ethan couldn't help but imagine how he would be able to do that. Still, considering that Ian was a teenager despite being far from a normal one, his modus operandi to make an impression on a lady was probably simple. He would just show off in front of Lyla while trashing Ethan during some spars. Ethan sighed, imagining that as if he would let that happen. Regardless, Ethan started the next call and tried to talk with that John person. Unfortunately, the call wasn't accepted.
"Why this… isn't picking up the phone?" Ethan asked, annoyed.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "I don't know who Hannah's boss is," Michael said. "But I saw a man on the TV alongside her many times. He acts as if he is just a bodyguard, but he is the only one called John among the diplomatic group. Since he looked like a bodyguard, I will bet he isn't one very diplomatic given his position."
"Can I find an easy picture of him on the internet?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, I think so?" Michael frowned, not imagining the point of that.
Ethan quickly found a photo of John. He indeed looked like a bodyguard. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and very muscular. He showed the face of someone who didn't have many friends, and the expression he was always showing was one that would discourage conversation. He seemed a pretty strong man, physically and mentally. Still, Ethan discovered his wound rather fast and decided to apply salt to it.
"Can I send voice messages through the wristwatch?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, you can," Michael replied.
At some point, Ethan began to smile. A smile that made even his worried mother approach him to see what he was planning from up close. Neither his father nor mother approved of bullying, and they probably would lecture him later, but drastic times require drastic measures.
"Hey, baldy. Unless you want to enjoy a trashing that will make your future reincarnations go bald as well, I suggest that you accept my call right now."
"Ethan!" Evelyn raised her voice as soon as Ethan sent the message. "That wasn't a nice thing to say!"
"He was the one who started," Ethan shrugged his shoulders. "Not accepting a call is bad manners."
"Maybe he is busy," Evelyn said. "Either way, you shouldn't have done that."
Ethan also expected some complaints from Michael, but given that he was also very frustrated due to the lack of information, it looked like he thought of calling John many things. Baldy was one of them. Regardless, before even Ethan could make another call, he received one. Surprisingly, it was from John.
"You little brat… who do you think you are?" John said without hiding his anger. "I'm one of the most important men in this country! The president values my opinion more than anyone else! I am-"
"You are a baldy," Ethan said. "My promise still stands. Tell me about the current situation of my sister or that trashing is coming for you. Turn off this call, and I will turn your life into a living nightmare."
Evelyn planned to pinch Ethan's ears slightly, but then she didn't have the chance because Ethan jumped backward. She didn't approve of her son's behavior, but she only did so slightly because it was the only real thing they could do to learn what was going on. Regardless, despite being threatened by a teenager. John took his time to analyze the voice on the other side of the call.
He wasn't very diplomatic himself, but since he was Hannah's boss, he was there for a reason. John had an excellent mind for judging someone's voice and actions. While Hannah worked in plain sight to create amicable relationships, John worked in the shadows studying possible threats. Even though the leaders of other worlds have agreed to work with Earth, there is always someone out there who isn't satisfied with the state of things. John's job was to find them and keep them in check. That was why he could tell that Ethan wasn't spouting empty threats.
Although Hannah seemed really delighted about her little brother's return, she also seemed a bit worried due to his behavior. Not only John heard some things directly from Hannah, but he also read Natalia's report about her opinion of the latest hero who returned to Earth. According to her, Ethan was a young man who had no qualms in telling what he thought and saw through Natalia's acting. Although he lost his powers, he didn't lose his edge, and he might be useful.
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"We can't talk about this using these dispositive," John said after he calmed down. "I'm going to teleport you here."
Ethan waited for a while to hear an answer, but he didn't expect to hear such a positive one. It seemed way too convenient… was John planning to teleport and then kill him? Ethan enraged him quite a bit, so that wouldn't be surprising. However, Ethan concluded that wasn't the case considering the tone of his voice.
"I'm going out for a bit," Ethan said while checking his inventory. "I will return once I confirm that big sis is all right."
"Be careful out there," Michael said while massaging his forehead.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Ethan," Evelyn said, visibly worried. "You just returned. Don't go disappearing on me again."
Ethan smiled after hearing that. As expected, there was no place like home, and there was no way he would let himself get stuck in another world like before and spend one year away. If something happens, he will do everything in his power to return home to the point where his last title, the cursed hero, would look like a cute nickname.
Suddenly, Ethan was engulfed by light, and in the next moment, he appeared in a dark room filled with monitors. Right in front of him, he saw a huge white, bald man. It was John. Since his arms were crossed, he looked, even more, imposing up close. In any case, Ethan paid him no mind.
After he looked around, he saw many people keeping their eyes on the monitors. It looked more like a room that would belong to the military than to a diplomatic group. The vast majority of the people there were watching him.
"Where is my sister?" Ethan asked.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "Is that the first thing you have to say?" John asked while furrowing his eyebrows.
"You had it coming from ignoring my call," Ethan shrugged. "Well, sorry for calling you… you know. I assume these monitors are being used to monitor some possible threats… all over the universe?"
Ethan frowned when he saw a group of mermen on those screens. Obviously, they were underwater, so it had to be another world. Somehow, the government managed to develop spells that granted them the power to monitor some people in real time. Still, after looking around, Ethan didn't find Hannah in those screams. Still, he saw some humans being monitored, humans that were talking with people in other worlds. However, he found a certain monitor that was turned off.
"She is here," John said, pointing to that monitor. "A Planet called Meizibio. The details of the mission are classified, but I can tell that something happened. The whole world began to tremble, and after a while, all spells that we were using to keep track of her stopped working."
"Assuming what you said is true, it is likely that the tremor was caused by a large amount of mana," Ethan said. "That would explain why your spells stopped working. If the whole world trembled, all active spells must have been disrupted. When that happened?"
"Yesterday, at noon," John replied.
"More than thirty hours had passed, and you didn't plan a mission to rescue her?" Ethan frowned.
"Currently, your sister is the only person in our country who can open portals to distant worlds," John replied. "Stable portals, that is it. We can't ask other nations for help since that would put us in a bad position. Hannah is pretty famous, after all."
Ethan sighed. Politics… he should have known that he would have to deal with that sooner or later. Still, by the look of things, John had a plan B, but since it was risky, he probably didn't obtain authorization to pull it off.
"I forgot to mention that time there passes ten times faster," John said as if it was a matter of fact. "So, Hannah has experienced two weeks there."
Ethan didn't like where that conversation was heading. Even though it was convenient to him, John was being way too open about things. He didn't like the idea of playing right into someone else's hand, but right at that moment, Ethan didn't have any other choice.
"Send me to that world," Ethan said. "I will help her and bring my sister back."
Truth be told, Ethan was a bit hesitant about going to another world so soon. Not even a single week had passed since he returned, and he was already facing the problems caused by the connection between worlds. Still, he couldn't just sit back and relax, and even though he could somehow feel that his sister was alive and well.
"That was what I was thinking," John rubbed his chin. "However, you don't have permission to leave this world. Although you are a summoned hero, and some of them participate in missions like this from time to time, this isn't something that can be decided by you and me alone."
"I wasn't asking, though," Ethan said. "I was telling you to do it. Now, stop wasting my time because I'm going anyway, even if I have to use brute force."
"You think you can force me to do this?" John smirked.
historical
"From this close, I can tell that you are strong, and you have a few tricks up your sleeve," Ethan said. "But only that much won't be enough. Anyway, just treat this as if I forced you. Neither you nor I have time for bureaucracy. I'm sure that you know the consequences of losing someone like my sister. Other countries will keep improving their technology by using the knowledge of other worlds while our nation will be stagnated. Do you really want that?"
For some reason, John's grim turned into a normal smile, and after that, he laughed a little. It looked like he heard some amusing jokes. Regardless, after laughing for a few minutes, he didn't look on the edge anymore. If anything, he looked pretty refreshed.
"Well, given how much you say all that so nonchalantly, I'm sure you will be able to endure the consequences of 'forcing me to do what you want,'" John said. "Come with me, and I will guide you to the place where she made the portal."
Ethan didn't know where he actually was, but eventually, he learned that he was in some secret facility since he and John took an elevator downward, and he didn't find a single window. Most likely, that was one underground facility. That being said, despite that, it had several floors.
"Let me guess," Ethan said, looking around. "Each floor has portals connecting them to several worlds. Or, at the very least, some trails that connect them."
"That information is classified, so I can't confirm it," John said without flinching his gaze. "All that I can say is that your sister's power isn't absolute like dungeons."
That goes without saying. It would be weird if a human could create a portal that could maintain itself for long periods of time. Even the power of heroes has limits… even though Ethan never reached the limits of his own power. Regardless, Ethan and John found themselves in an almost complete white room after reaching the lower floor. There were some gravures around the walls, floor, and ceiling. All of them had been drawn in a light blue tone. After looking around for a while, Ethan finally recognized that the entire room was a magic circle.
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"I didn't think my sister would need to draw those," Ethan said while analyzing the magic circles.
"She doesn't," John shook his head. "This was drawn after we lost contact with her, and we used the remaining traces of her mana to create it. That being said, it isn't enough to create the same stable portal that she used."
Now Ethan was starting to feel bad for criticizing the government. They weren't doing things slowly. It was because they had to follow certain rules, and it was all thanks to the wonderful bureaucracy. Those who were part of the system had no choice but to endure it. Only fools or those who had confidence in themselves would try to ignore certain steps.
"The ritual is complete. To activate the magic circle, you just need to pour some of your mana into it," John said. "As you know, the portal isn't stable, so you will have to guide yourself toward Meizibio. However, I think that will be easy for you. You just have to follow the traces of Hannah's mana. Arriving in the world won't be a hard task, and it will be to find her since you may end up on different sides of the world."
"I will keep that in mind," Ethan said and then touched one of the gravures. "Thanks for your cooperation."
Without a hint of hesitation, Ethan poured his mana into the magic circle. In the next moment, he saw himself flying across that familiar white and empty world. Ethan called it: the root. Since he couldn't see anything aside from some emptiness and some traces of mana, that made him think of the roots of a tree. However, unlike the previous times, he had some control over his body. So, Ethan tried to concentrate on finding the root, which was the traces of Hannah's mana. Maybe it was because they were siblings or because Hannah's mana was top class among all the others he found before, but Ethan found her traces pretty fast.
After that, things proceeded incredibly fast. Once Ethan put himself to follow the root, his speed increased, and in the next moment, he saw himself in another world… while falling from the sky.
"This might be a bit bad…" Ethan furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't obtain Impact Resistance and Pain Resistance, after all… I guess I will have to learn it forcefully."
Ethan was in a free fall, he could see a massive grassland below him, but he doubted that would be enough to help him survive the fall. He looked for some items in his shop that could help him in that situation, but even though the variety increased a lot, none of them could help him.
"It can't be helped," Ethan said and then opened his status screen.
Name: Ethan
Class: Omni Hero/ ???
historical
Level: 15 (1500/6000)
Health: 250/250
Mana: 235/235
Stamina: 50/50
STR: 25
MAG: 30
PHY: 10
END: 25
RES: 05
SPE: 10
DEX: 05
EVA: 05 03
ACC: 05
Coins: 29.658
Status Points: 00
Skill Points: 28
Skill List
Physical: Dash Lv 03, Bash Lv 03, Brutal Swing Lv 02,
Magic: Meditation Lv 03, Water Ball Lv 01,
Passive: Martial Arts Lv 02, Rest Lv 04, Swordsmanship Lv 05, Spearmanship Lv 01, Evasion Mastery Lv 05, Block Mastery Lv 05, Fire Resistance Lv 10, Cold Resistance Lv 04, Wind Resistance Lv 04, Earth Resistance Lv 04, Heat Resistance Lv 04, Frenzy Lv 04, Axemanship Lv 02, Acid Resistance Lv 03,
Ethan allocated his free status points to endurance, which would help him to suffer less once the inevitable happens, while it also increases his health. That being said, just surviving the fall wouldn't be enough since he would be on an unknown planet. Who knows what might happen next, so he had to protect his limbs at least since he would need them to fight?
Gathering all his might and focusing his senses to use at the last moment, Ethan held his claymore firmly. When he was fifty meters away from the ground, he used Brutal Swing. The effect had been minimal since he was falling, and he couldn't use the power of his lower half, but Ethan slowed down his fall.
Letting his body fall just like that wouldn't be wise since every part of his body would suffer the impact. He moved his body a little and then landed on his feet. The next moment, Ethan felt and heard the bones of his legs cracking. At the same time, he lost the air in his lungs… the pain almost made him faint.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Pain Resistance!
Effects: Decreases the mental and physical strain caused by the pain.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ Congratulations! You learned the skill Impact Resistance!
Effects: Decrease the power blunt attacks by one point per level.
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
It wouldn't solve everything instantly, but Ethan recovered fast enough to buy one potion. The pain was insane, but it was slowly decreasing. When it became bearable, Ethan looked around to confirm the safety of that zone.
"Things look pretty normal around here," Ethan muttered. "Something big happened, but it looks like it only affected the whole planet in a single moment."
Apparently, two weeks had passed since the incident in that world, so it made sense that Ethan wouldn't find any traces of what happened so soon. Still, for a fantasy world, it sure was quiet. Ethan couldn't hear anything aside from the sound of the wind, and he couldn't even feel the presence of animals or monsters nearby. It looked like he was in an area that didn't have much people, but while there was grass and trees everywhere, they weren't overgrown.
Ethan closed his eyes and tried to enhance his feelings, searching for any traces of Hannah's presence. Ethan has been just like that for quite a while. Yet, he didn't find anything, nor was he attacked by anything while he did it.
Congratulations! You learned the skill Mana Tracking!
Effects: It grants you the chance to find beings that possess mana. The range of the skill is the level of the skill multiplied by ten.
Cost: 05 mana/s
Lv 01 – 00/100
Congratulations! For learning a new ability without help, you received one thousand coins.
"Not good…" Ethan got up and then checked the condition of his legs. "I'm not skilled enough to feel her presence, even though she has a lot of mana. I don't think leveling up this new skill will help find her either."
Ethan still could feel some pain coming from his bones, but it was bearable. In a few minutes, it would disappear. Rather than waiting for that, Ethan decided to look for signs of the humans of that world. After finding them, things would proceed smoothly since Hannah was probably in the biggest city talking with the most important world leaders. Still, Ethan had no idea which direction to go. While he was falling, he took a good look around, but he didn't find anything aside from a few forests and hills in the distance.
"Well, if anything, this is a good moment to train Dash," Ethan shrugged. "Let's just hope that I won't choose the wrong direction and end up in some even more desolate place."
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Congratulations! The skill Dash has leveled up
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
Congratulations! The skill Rest has leveled up!
Congratulations! For leveling up the skill you learned by yourself, you obtained ten coins.
Several hours had passed since Ethan started that new journey, yet, he didn't find any sign of civilization, animals, or monsters. Ethan even brought several stamina potions to increase his pace, and those helped him. If he could just obtain five thousand more coins, Ethan would be able to buy a certain pair of boots that would increase his running speed by fifty percent and decrease the consumption of Dash by half.historical
However, obtaining that in the middle of nowhere alone was impossible. Ethan was already considering using the potion Ian gave him or even using his power on the first creature he found. He didn't know how Hannah was, so he would do everything just to confirm her well-being, even if a single second faster.
"Screw it," Ethan muttered. "If in another hour, If I don't find anything or anyone, I will use my skill points. By using them, I can probably triplicate my movement speed and my recovery capacity. Those skills are only useful in situations like this, but I don't really care at this point in time."
Fortunately, after half an hour, Ethan found a village in the distance. It seemed pretty simple, but it would do for the job. Even if the people there lived in isolation or were poor, they would know the location of the most important city in the world and which direction one should go to follow. Ethan hurried to the place when he heard his legs cracking due to exhaustion. Even if potions could recover his stamina, they couldn't make the tiredness of the muscles disappear. Not regular potions, anyway. Regardless, as if that was some kind of joke, the village was empty.
After walking around for a while trying to find a map or any vestiges of what had happened, Ethan learned a few things. The people there left in a hurry, and they had left more than a few days ago. The dust in the houses was starting to pile up, and Ethan found some signs of unfinished meals.
"No maps, but I should find a road around here," Ethan muttered.
Ethan quickly found the road or at least some signs of human activity. Although the village didn't belong to a group of wealthy people, some merchants would eventually come and go, and the 'road' was the mark of their travels.
"East, huh," Ethan muttered. "Why they left in a hurry, and why I can't see any signs of monsters? In words like there, only the movements of monsters would make people abandon their homes. Sometimes not even that is enough. Some people don't care as long as they die in their homeland, and they won't abandon their homes."
Ethan will have a lot of time to think about those things, so he begins to run again. It didn't take long for Ethan to find other villages, and their conditions of them were the same as the first he found. They had been completely abandoned in a hurry, and the villagers headed to the East.
"Something is off," Ethan said while looking around. "Even if something big happened, usually, a complete and perfect evacuation would be impossible. Even ordinary folk in fantasy worlds have mana, but they can't sense the monster's approach from so far away to the point where they would be able to pull that off. Unless…"
Ethan experienced a similar situation in the other world. The more he approached the territory of the demons, the fewer villages he found along the way. It was dangerous to live close to the frontlines, after all. However, sometimes people don't have a choice. If the same thing happened in Meizibio, then it was safe to assume that some soldiers on the frontlines alerted the villages of that region. Still, that wouldn't explain why Ethan didn't find signs of the monsters yet.
Maybe Ethan was being too narrow-minded. Monsters weren't the only thing the people in fantasy worlds had to worry about, but it was one of the few things he could think of, given his mindset.
After running for what had seemed to be ten or so hours, the sun was finally starting to set. Although Ethan was hungry and exhausted, he didn't stop. Fighting under those conditions became the norm for him a long time ago and since he wasn't fighting, just running, he could keep that for an even longer time. There was a possibility of him getting lost while moving during the night. Still, fortunately, Ethan found a huge fortress in the distance. He also saw a lot of smoke coming from it, alongside some dark things moving around.
"I'm too late, huh," Ethan muttered and then hurried to approach the fortress while looking for a decent spot to hide."
While he was approaching, Ethan found a decent hill that would give a great view of the fortress and the situation around it. As long as he stays low, Ethan probably wouldn't be found. Even if there is a decent mage among that swarm of monsters, they probably won't see him since they were expecting to be attacked from behind. Besides, Ethan didn't have that much mana.
pαndα,noνɐ1,сoМ "The walls seem fine, but there are too many smoke spots inside the fortress," Ethan muttered. "I guess this was a warehouse of some sort, made to store the supplies of the frontlines. The guards here didn't put much of a fight, and if the villagers came here, then…"
No, it was a bit too soon to assume that. Ethan didn't find a single sign of the monster's movements until now, so most likely, they had been teleported here from the frontlines. Still, things were weird, considering that all this started with the tremor two weeks ago.
"Since I can see monsters outside, they didn't completely dominate the fortress," Ethan said. "Before everyone there dies, I have to give them a hand… I'm not the hero of this world, but the people there still can give me some information."
It seemed like a bad idea to join that fight since it was clear whose side had the advantage. That being said, Ethan participates in battles that have even worse odds, so he dashes toward the monster's armies without a hint of hesitation.
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