Hardcore Leveling Hero

by Pentop5

Izuku Midoriya is the unluckiest person. Born powerless in a world full of incredible powers. One day, however, his life changes for the better when finds that sometimes to succeed in life you have to take a gamble. How far will this newfound luck take him? Who really knows?

5. Chapter 5: A Whisper

Of everything that should have awoken Midoriya, it should have been the bright, shining sun in the sky. Or it should have been the dew-covered green grass underneath him that had replaced his bed. The birds chirping in the air could have also rosed the sleeping teen from his sleep. However, the thing to do the job was a few simple words.

"WAKE THE HELL UP MIDORIYA!"

The greenette shot up with lightning speed, assuming the shout from his ghostly companion to be a sign of danger. "What w-," the teen's sentence died in his throat as he noticed his surroundings. Instead of his All Might-themed room, Izuku Midoriya sat in the middle of a field. Rolling fields as far as the eye could see with only a forest in the distance as any sort of landmark. Far beyond them was a mountain range with snow-topped peaks. Sun just peaking over the horizon, indicating it was still early in the morning. No trace of the city he had lived in his whole life, only the vastness of nature stood before him. He stood up and began to look around bewildered, "W-where a-are we?"

"Hell if I know," shrugged Ethan. "The last thing I remember was going to sleep. Or whatever counts as sleep in my case. Anyway, I was curious to see what time it was and I noticed something was off," he waved his hand at the lush field before them in an effort of sarcasm. "I woke you up immediately."

"H-how? Why? When?" Midoriya looked like he was about to blow a fuse. Thousands of words and questions wanted to leave but they all clogged his throat. Causing him to stutter like he usually did.

Always with this kid, thought Ethan. "Snap out of it kid." He snapped his fingers in front of Midoriya's face. "You have got to quit it with that mutter stutter thing. We are in the middle of nowhere with no clue of how we got here. Focus on what you do know and stay calm. Having a panic attack is only going to get you and me killed."

Ethan's words were indeed harsh, but they were correct. Staying calm and not panicking was exactly what he needed to do in this kind of situation. Midoriya took a deep breath and nodded his head, "you're right. Sorry about that." The warrior just nodded as Midoriya looked around. "For one, we don't seem to be in imminent danger. This field is large enough to where we would notice any sort of danger coming towards us." Looking around at the horizon once again, the teen noticed that he was at the base of a small hill. Unable to see beyond it, he and Ethan began to climb the hill to get a better view.

From the top of the hill, the pair noticed something in the distance. A dirt road ran into the distance, disappearing into a forest that stretched along the horizon in all directions. Vaguely noticing it, Midoriya pointed with his finger, "I think there is some kind of structure in that forest, but it looks deep inside and I can barely see."

Ethan nodded, "I see it too. It looks like that might be our best bet for clues." Midoriya nodded his head and began to move down the hill when the warrior stopped him. "Hey before we get moving, you might want to see if you have anything to change into."

Looking down at himself, Midoriya noticed he was still in his sleepwear. Embarrassed and with a red face, he nodded, "O-oh right. That's a good idea." Fortunately, Midoriya made it a habit to keep stuff inside his inventory that could come in handy. Something he believed originated from his mother always making sure he was prepared. Among things like a first aid kit, his hero journals, and other useful supplies was a spare change of clothes. His workout clothes to be more specific, including his green tracksuit. While not the best thing to wear if a fight broke out, it was certainly better than his sleepwear. Thankfully he had gotten into the habit of putting his favorite red sneakers into his inventory too.

Midoriya changed into his tracksuit and laced up his shoes, rising to his feet once he was done. Opening the menu one last time, he equipped his sword and his Lucky Coin necklace. We may not be in imminent danger, but we are still in an unknown place. He turned to his warrior companion, "Ready."

Ethan nodded, "Alright, let's go."

Descending down the hill, they joined the dirt road that led into the forest in the distance. It appeared far so the pair knew they would be walking for quite some time. "How far do you think it is to the forest ahead."

"Don't know," Ethan shrugged. "If I had to guess, it's about two to three miles away."

Midoriya silently thanked his past self for having his clothes and shoes in his inventory. "Do you think a villain might have kidnapped us," the teen shook his head as he realized what he asked sounded ridiculous. "No, that doesn't make sense. If this was the work of a villain, why put us in the middle of a field?"

"No, I think this has more to do with us."

Midoriya raised his eyebrow, "what do you mean?"

"I'm totally talking out of my ass on this one, but yesterday you made your first official bet with the betting skill. Maybe you met some kind of requirement with that. The timing wouldn't surprise me." Ethan let out a sigh as he looked forward, a serious expression now on his face. "At the very least, I think we might finally start getting the answers to why I'm here. Be ready."

All the teen could do was nod his head as he disappeared into his thoughts. He does have a point. I unlocked my abilities and met Ethan after the slime villain attack. He thought about the log message that they looked at back then. "Almost a year ago," he said in a low voice to himself rather then to Ethan.

"Say something," Questioned Ethan.

Midoriya realized his words slipped from his mouth and he waved his hand. "N-Nothing," he stuttered. "I just realized its been almost a year since I met you."

Ethan continued to float along but looked sidelong at the teen, "yeah. Time does seem to fly."

I've never really thought about how Ethan feels about our situation as a whole, idlily thought the teen. He suddenly woke up in a distant era, no memory of how or why he got there. All while being bound to some quirkless kid. He looked side long at Ethan, who looked towards the approaching forest.

He must feel pretty lonely.

No matter how he got here, everyone from his time is long dead. And the world has changed SO much since then. Midoriya couldn't help but think back to his youth. To all the time he had been ostracized by his peers for his past Quirklessness. To the feeling of loneliness that often filled his heart back in those days. I may not know much about Ethan personally, but we're together no matter what. We may finally start getting some answers as to why we're connected. I… I have to do my best for Ethan's sake.

Without any warning, Midoriya quickened his speed to a light jog. As a result, Ethan was momentarily slammed against the invisible wall that resulted from the binding force. "Hey! Give me a little warning next time!"

Bowing slightly while not breaking his stride, he apologized, "Sorry, but the faster we get to what's ahead the better right?"

Ethan, now floating at a speed to keep pace with Midoriya, stared at him. What got him so fired up? After a second of silence, the warrior shook his head. Works for me. "Yeah. Lets see what kind of clues we can find."

Midoriya nodded, "Right."

Having finally entered the forest, the duo slowed down to move at a more cautious pace. Back walking Midoriya observed the surroundings. At a surface level, it appeared to be just a regular forest. Not dense to be an annoyance, but just enough to obscure what laid ahead. Birds chirped in the trees above and several flew away hearing their approach on the road. Small forest critters like squirls and mice scampered across the forest floor. The only thing that seemed strange to the teen was the occasional mushroom that sat in the most shaded parts of the forest, usually by the trunks of the trees. Not strange on its own, but the bright colors of the mushrooms had given him some doubts onto whether or not they would be safe to eat.

Ethan, who had been quiet for several minutes finally spoke up, "I was going to wait until we could confirm it, but for a while now I've had this strange sense of Deja vu. I think I might know where we are."

Midoriya perked up at this, "Really, where?! Are we still in Japan?!"

As he said those words, he noticed that ahead the forest seemed to give way to an open space. And in said open space, Midoriya could without a doubt see something ahead. Buildings, he thought in surprise. Once again, he quickened his stride and Ethan followed by his side. His heart pounded in his chest as millions of thoughts raced in his head. If there are buildings, then there has to be people. Maybe they can tell us where we are.

As they met the edge of the forest, sunlight which the trees had blocked hit their eyes. Blinking for a second, Midoriya gazed to the building he had seen. However, instead of the concrete monoliths of steal and glass he was accustomed to while living Japan. They were in fact wood and stone buildings. Medieval architecture as far as Midoriya could till. They were not divided neatly along the road either. They were close together with some having their entrances not along the main road. However, all the houses seemed to sit on a pad of stone with said pads being different in size and shape. Perhaps to give the houses support and define the roads better, Midoriya thought for a second.

However, the thing that caught his eye more than the buildings… Was the people walking around. All dressed to fit the theme of the building. That was medieval, with not even a hint of modern clothes from his time. Several people walked idly along the dirt road which bisected into different paths ahead of them. Adults walked along with small leather bags on their shoulders. One pulled a wooden cart piled with assorted vegetables inside. A small girl and boy chased each other, presumably playing a game of sort. By no means was it a large city with people packed together like sardines, but a quiet town hidden and protected in the forest. But one thing was clear to Izuku Midoriya, they were most certainly not in Japan anymore.

He turned to his left as Ethan began to laugh. Quiet at first but it slowly transformed into hysterical laughter, borderline psychotic in Midoriya's opinion. "Ummm… Ethan," he said timidly. "A-are you ok?"

Once the words of his companion sank into his ears, the warrior's laughter began to die down. His face turned more sober as he began to speak. "Yeah," he said followed by a long pause. "Remember when I said I might know where we are." Midoriya nodded and Ethan continued, "Well… I know where we are now. There is no mistaking it!" Again, he paused, whether for dramatic effect or from the overwhelming nature of the revelation, Midoriya would never know. "This… is The Beginner's Town. There's no doubt about that."

It took several seconds before Midoriya remembered where he had heard that name from. It was from one of Ethan's lessons. The realization made the teen's eyes go wide, wider than what should have been possible for any human to achieve. "W-wait… D-does that -mean…"

Ethan nodded, "it sure does."

"We're inside Lucid Adventure."

The warrior looked sidelong at his green-haired companion, who wore an expression of someone overloaded with information. To the teen's credit, Ethan couldn't blame him. From day one, our situation was far beyond strange, to put it mildly. After a year of searching for clues online, we may have finally begun to get answers. But I never could have guessed we'd be transported to Lucid Adventure.

"W-what should we do," Midoriya asked, still visibly overwhelmed.

"I think we should head down the road a bit if I remember right," Ethan answered. "If we were transported here on purpose. The best place to start would be there."

Remembering the lessons Ethan had told him, realizing what the warrior had in mind. "R-right."

The two began to walk down the road while idly observing their surroundings. "How you feeling kid," asked Ethan.

"Overwhelmed," Midoriya replied honestly, his brain overloaded with this new experience.

Ethan snorted in amusement at the teen's answer but nodded in agreement. "Can't say I disagree with you. Our situation was strange to begin with. But this is the fucking cherry on top of it all." The warrior's face turned serious, "It just tells me that whatever is going on that caused us to be like this is big. Bigger than the both of us."

That made Midoriya shiver in nervousness. Before the sludge villain incident, He was the weak Quirkless kid everyone liked to make fun of. Now, a year later, he was not only the chosen successor to All Might but is also part of some larger thing involving another world. He shook the thought from his head for a moment and turned to Ethan. "How about y-you? How are you feeling? Being back inside Lucid Adventure after so long."

At first, Ethan didn't respond. Several seconds of silence transformed into a full minute. Before the teen could say something else Ethan finally spoke up. "Strange," he said simply. "It's not bad… it just feels… strange. Almost nostalgic."

That's not quite the answer I expected, though the teen. I expected him to be excited to be here.

Before he thought of something else to say, a voice in the distance was heard and it seemed to be calling out. "Hey, you!"

The sudden call out to him made the teen jump. Turning around, a man began to approach the teen. He was tall and had the physique of a warrior, muscular but also slim. His gray armor, consisting of a breast plate, helmet, gauntlets, and leather leggings was quite the contrast to his blond hair and blue eyes. On the man's hip was a short sword sitting comfortably in its sheath.

Ethan sized the man up and said to Midoriya, "This guy is a guard. Don't say anything stupid unless you want to get arrested."

The warrior's words had the complete opposite effect and Midoriya began to sweat nervously. The guard stopped in front of Midoriya and said, "I haven't seen you here before. Are you a traveler?"

"H-hello," he said with a stutter. "I-I am. J-just p-passing through." Very few words in Midoriya's response were understandable. The fear of getting in trouble so soon after arriving in the town caused him to stutter like crazy. Ethan could only facepalm as he began to count down until the guard arrested him.

The guard's eyebrow went up for a second before realizing something, which caused him to chuckle. "I apologize," said the man with a smile. "I may have startled you by calling out to you like that for no reason so let us start over." The man removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. He reached out his free arm and said with a smile, "My name is Kelder Vonns. I'm one of the local guardsmen."

[Kelder Vonns: Lv 7]

The smile on the man's face did wash away some of the tension. Midoriya took a deep breath and returned the smile with one of his own. "Sorry. My name is Izuku Midoriya," he said shaking the man's hand. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Vonns."

Kelder laughed, "No need to be so formal Izuku. I'm not some lord. Just Kelder." Midoriya batted an eye for a second at the use of his first name but then he remembered that situation aside, he was in a foreign place. Figuring it was better to just not say anything he released the man's hand and the guardsman put his helmet back on. "So what brings to town? You a traveler?"

"Just roll with it," Ethan said. "Not like we have any sort of cover-up."

"Yeah," nodded the teen. It seems like the people here also can't see Ethan either. "How did you know?"

Kelder smiled, "We are a pretty small town so everyone pretty much knows everyone. I didn't recognize your face so I figured that must be the case. I've also never seen clothes like that before. It's rare to get travelers around here."

"I guess it would be kind of obvious," he chuckled as he looked over his bright green tracksuit.

"Well as one of the local guardsman, I just wanted to welcome you to our town," Kelder smiled. "Like I said, we aren't that big. But the people sure are friendly. Hope you enjoy your stay."

Before the teen could respond, another guard some distance away called out. "Kelder! The chief wants to talk to you!"

With a sigh, Kelder began to walk in the other man's direction. "Duty calls. Hope to see you around Izuku."

"Oh thank you Mr- I mean Kelder. I hope so too."

With that, Kelder joined the other guardsman, and they began to leave down another road. "Wow, for a minute there I thought you would be arrested."

Letting out a sigh, he said, "I was so nervous. When you said he was a guard, I freaked out."

"I didn't notice," Ethan smirked. "Well, enough wasting time. We better get moving. Sooner the better."

Nodding, the two began to move down the road while Midoriya thought of Kelder and what he was. Non-player character. In most video games, they're just AI-driven models with no thoughts or feelings whatsoever. But here in Lucid Adventure, that isn't the case. His mind went back to one of the lessons he had from Ethan. How they had talked about that the world of Lucid Adventure was just that. A world all its own. With its own history, cultures, and people occupying it all. Seeing it firsthand really made it sink in how crazy it was, but also how absurd it was to be in this situation in the first place.

As they walked along the road to their given destination, people waved to them and said hello much in the same fashion as Kelder. Smiles and waves welcomed him to their small town. "This town is a lot bigger than it used to be," commented Ethan. "I guess it has been a long time since the days when players from our world have come. Things must have changed a lot."

"Do you think the place you mentioned is still there," Questioned Midoriya.

Ethan nodded, "There's no way it isn't. That place is practically a historical landmark. I highly doubt that it's been touched." The warrior pointed with his finger, "Take a left up here. It should be just ahead."

Nodding, Midoriya did as instructed and followed the road left. It was then he saw their destination. In a clearing surrounded by trees sat a single house.

Or rather the remains of one.

In the center of the clearing sat a pile of rubble. Piles of stone which served as the foundation sat below rotting wood which presumably made up the roof of the house. The duo could see rusty bits of metal in the pile as well. Old kitchen wear and tools were left exposed to the elements causing them to rust.

Midoriya looked at the warrior with a questioning look, "This is it."

"Yeah," nodded Ethan. "This is, or I guess was, The House of Beginnings."

The House of Beginnings. The starting line for all players in Lucid Adventure according to Ethan. New players would start right in front of the house as they joined and was used as a focus to log in back before a patch. As a result, it is considered a historical landmark for the players of Lucid Adventure.

A sigh escaped Ethan's lips, "Great. The only place that could have led us in the right direction is a worthless pile of rubble."

"I'm sorry."

With an eyebrow up, Ethan asked, "For what? It's not like you broke it."

"I-I know. I-it's just. This place was important to you, right," asked Midoriya.

The warrior opened his mouth to reply with a sarcastic comment, but the look in Midoriya's eye made him bite his tongue. "Important isn't the right word," he said finally. "It's just… a place from the past. Like the first house you lived in or your old school. Just standing here looking at it… it brings back memories."

Midoriya stood in silence for several more seconds, unsure of what to say to the man. As far as I know, Ethan's whole life was about Lucid Adventure. He loved this game. So to see the place where it all started reduced to rubble must be hard. "Were they good memories?"

The question escaped the teen's lips before he had even realized it. Once he did, Midoriya began to wave his hands back and forth in front of him. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean to ask-"

Before he could even finish his apology, the sound of wagons approaching snapped the two of them to attention. From the entrance of the clearing, four guardsmen approached them with two of the guards pulling medium-sized wooden wagons. As they approached, a familiar voice called out to one of them. "Oh, Izuku!"

Having met the man a couple of minutes ago, the teen was surprised to see the man again so soon. "Kelder, what are you doing here?"

The man chuckled, "I could ask you the same thing. Come to take a look at the old building?"

The name Kelder used caught the duo's attention. "Old building?"

"A long long long time ago, this house used to be a gathering place for visitors who came from another world."

Another guardsman let out a snarky chuckle, "Please. Don't start with that crap Kelder. That's all ancient history. Practically nothing but a myth. This place is nothing more than an eyesore that has been around forever. It's about time we're cleaning it up." The man took a long look at Midoriya now that he had brushed off Kelder's words, "And who the hell are you?"

The man's rudeness and aggressive attitude made Midoriya struggle to answer for a second, but Kelder said with a smile. "This is Izuku. Remember the traveler who came to the village today I was telling you about."

"I see," nodded the man. "Well, I'm Roths. You seem to have met Kelder." Midoriya sized the man up and it was no wonder he seemed so intimidating. Roths was a tall muscular man with long red hair and a long beard. He looks a lot like that dwarf character from the pre-quirk era movie I saw forever ago, thought the teen. The one about the ring.

[Roths: Lv 12]

The man pointed with his thumb at the other two guards quietly standing beside him. "On the left is Borgus and on the right is Hefler."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," said Hefler with a smile. In quite the contrast to Roths, Hefler was far thinner. Not to the point of skinny but more toned with a visibly well-trained body. Under the man's helmet brown hair poked out only but a little, signing that the man liked his hair shorter.

[Hefler: Lv 8]

Borgus smiled with a big toothy grin. "You're a traveler! That is so cool! It's nice to meet you." There were two distinguishing features of Borgus, one was his height, who was at eye level with Midoriya. However, despite his size, the battle axe he had over his back appeared to not dampen his movements in any way. Secondly was his cyan hair which while short on the top, styled into a short mohawk, a braided ponytail hung along the nape of his neck.

[Borgus: Lv 7]

Midoriya bowed politely, "I-it's nice to meet you all."

Roths clicked his tongue and waved his hand. "Whatever kid. Just beat it. We don't have long to do this assignment, so we got to move." He pointed with his finger at Hefler and Borgus. Set the carts over there."

The two nodded their heads while Midoriya turned back to Kelder. "What exactly are you guys doing?"

"We're clearing the rubble of the house. Since this place is at the center of the town, the chief figured this would be the best place to set up a marketplace. He wants to bring in more traders."

"Y-you're getting rid of it?"

Kelder nodded as he rolled his shoulders, "Yeah. Sorry, Izuku. As much as I would love to stay and chat a bit more. We need to get this done while it is still early. Don't want to be dragging heavy stones around in the midday sun. Hope to see you again."

With those words, Kelder moved to join the other guardsmen who had already begun to load the remains of the house into the wagons. Midoriya was silent as he watched the men work while Ethan thought to himself. Well, there goes our only lead, but where else are we supposed to go if not the House of Beginnings?

Before Ethan could begin to vocalize his thoughts, Midoriya called out to the guardsman. "Can I help?"

The guardsman and Ethan looked surprised at the teen's question. Roths opened his mouth to say something but Borgus beat him to the punch. "That would be great!"

Hefler nodded as well, "I'm not opposed to an extra pair of hands."

Kelder chimed in as well, "Sure, the chief said to have this done ASAP so you're more than welcome to if you want."

Roths looked at the other guardsman and let out an exasperated sigh. "If you want. Just don't expect us to pay you or nothing."

Midoriya nodded his head, "Thank you." As the other guardsman turned around to get back to work. A quest window appeared in front of Midoriya and Ethan.

Hero's Beginning

Help the local guardsman clean up the remains of the House of Beginnings.

Midoriya didn't even read the quest, hitting accept almost as soon as the window appeared. To him, this was no different than cleaning up the beach. He would do it because it was the right thing to do, not for the reward. Ethan could only chuckle at what he assumed to be the teen's train of thought.

And so the cleaning began.

Working together with the four guardsmen, they began to pile the rubble into the carts they had brought with them. Midoriya helped in whatever way he could. Sorting the loose bits of metal among the pile. Hauling slabs of stone into the cart with Roths' help. It was honestly no different from when he was cleaning up the beach with All Might. Occasionally his eyes would drift over to Ethan, who stood off to the side with, as far as Midoriya could tell, a melancholic look on his face. I guess we never really considered that time would pass here in Lucid Adventure too. The era of players coming to this world has faded into legend, just like in the real world. No doubt this will make info gathering much harder.

While Midoriya was alone with his thoughts, the time seemed to fly. With five people working together, the group was able to have the land cleared in two hours.

Kelder wiped his hands off on a loose rag. "Alright, we should take this junk to the barracks and report to the chief that the jobs done." The man turned to Midoriya, "you should come along too Izuku. I can't promise anything fancy but maybe we could get you something for helping out."

Roths sneered, "That's not for you to decide Kelder. That would be up to the chief."

"You're a traveler, correct Izuku," questioned Borgus. "At the very least we could get you some rations for your journey."

Helfer nodded, "you'll have to meet the chief either way. So, we should get moving."

The rest of the guards nodded their heads and moved to the carts. With two to each cart, they began to pull the carts back towards the main road. As they moved away, Midoriya looked back to where the former pile of rubble was. There was only a faint trace of the foundation, serving as the only reminder that the house once stood there. With nothing but a faint trace of the past, the young hero in training could only think to himself and contemplate his situation. Were Ethan and I brought here for a reason? For a purpose? His gaze went to his ghostly companion, who opened his mouth as their gaze met.

"Remember what you asked if the memories I did have were good ones?"

Midoriya blinked for a second before nodding slightly.

"They were…"

The smile on Ethan's face was far different from than any that had been worn by the man before. A smile. Not a grin of ego and confidence. But a smile of fondness and remembering. An expression worn while looking back on a time with friends or loved ones. Recounting and reminiscing on the good old days.

Seeing that expression only made Midoriya more curious about Ethan. Before a thought could even form a question, a ringing of a bell snapped Midoriya out of his thoughts. Looking around, the pair could see a pillar of smoke coming from the distance along with the bell.

"Somethings going on," Ethan said his voice focused and ready for combat. "Let's move."

Nodding, he ran out of the clearing as fast as he could towards the direction of the smoke. Townsfolk ran the opposite way as the source of the smoke came into view. Before him was a clearing and entrance to the town, however instead of a forest, this entrance was opened up into an area of rolling hills. Near the entrance, a house was set ablaze with arrows lodged in the roof, which seemed to have set the house on fire. As the teen looked around, the culprits of the attack were seen fighting Kelder and other guardsmen.

A short green creature, loosely dressed in a leather loin cloth adorned with necklaces made from, as far as Midoriya knew, teeth and animal bone. The creature snarled from its mouth, its fangs and sharp teeth visible as it did so. In its hand was a very rusted short sword. So rusted in fact that Midoriya wondered in passing how it wasn't breaking as it swung and met the blade of Kelder.

Focusing on the green creature, Midoriya used his skill to identify the monster.

[Goblin LV. 7]

Just as the name registered in the teen's mind, Kelder lost his footing and stumbled to the ground. Now free to deliver the killing blow, the goblin raised his sword to strike down the defenseless guardsman.

Time seemed to slow down for Izuku Midoriya as he felt his heroic instincts take over his body as it began to move. Reaching up quickly, he began to unsheathe his sword and flip Lucky Coin as it came unattached from his necklace. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, the coin landed in his open hand as he sprinted over to the monster.

[Use Skill: Lucky Coin]

[Success: Movement Speed increased]

As the goblin's sword came down, Kelder closed his eyes as he was sure this would be his end, but the loud clang of metal from in front of him caused him to open his eyes. Before him, he saw the stranger he had met just a few hours ago, sword drawn and protecting him from certain death. "I-Izuku?"

With the force of his sprint still behind him, the Hobgoblin was sent back and stumbled. Ethan screamed out, "Now is your chance!"

Sword tight in hand, Midoriya stepped in and called out, "Cleave."

[Use Skill: Cleave]

Bringing his sword down diagonally, Midoriya slashed the goblin, giving it a large wound on its chest from its right shoulder down to its stomach. The monster dropped to the ground and Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he turned around and offered a hand to Kelder. "You ok, Kelder?"

"You idiot! Don't turn away it isn't dead!"

Ethan's voice barely registered in time as said goblin rose quickly to its feet and rage laced onto its face. It held the sword in an underhanded grip, resolved to drive the sword into Midoriya's neck. Distracted by his actions, he quickly began to raise his sword in an attempt to block it but it was clear he would not make it in time to save himself. Thankfully, Kelder had noticed the monster rise to its feet and did the same. Grabbing his sword from the ground, he stepped past Izuku and launched the sword into the monster's neck. It coughed up blood as it inched into its flesh. With a trained motion, Kelder slashed through the goblin's neck. Its head flew from its body and rolled across the ground.

Midoriya stopped for a second and looked at the monster's decapitated head. The blood spilling from its neck into a pool. The realization of what he had done seemed to sink in at that moment. Raising his sword to inspect it, he saw the bright red blood dripping down its blade. What… what have I done? I k-killed it…

Ethan looked at the teen in confusion, "Hey what the hell are you doing? Midoriya?! There is still a fight going on!"

The man's words fell on deaf ears. Midoriya only continued to stare into the void. Believing that he had committed a great sin by betraying the heroic ideals he learned from All Might.

However, he felt a hand fall atop his shoulder and shake him gently. Blinking to free himself from his crisis, Midoriya saw it was Kelder standing before him. "Thanks for the save Izuku," said the guardsman. "I would have met my end had it not been for you."

Those words seemed to linger on the teen's mind for a moment as he heard Roths cry out, "The beast are retreating! Push them back!"

Kelder seemed to nod with those words and turned to Midoriya, "Are you still able to fight?" Hesitantly, Midoriya nodded his head and Kelder continued. "Then let's push these monsters out of our town!"

The grin on the man's face seemed to calm Midoriya's nerves slightly and bring the color back into his face. He wasn't sure what words he was about to say, but as soon as the teen opened his mouth, an arrow sailed through the air nailing Kelder in his right thigh. Piercing the leather that made up his armor.

The guardsman collapsed to the ground instantly as blood began to leak from the wound. Midoriya could see past the clearing and the retreating goblins were running as fast as they could. But one equipped with a bow and quiver seemed to laugh in delight as it strode off into the distance.

"Kelder!" Roths ran over to the man and dropped to his knees to meet his friend. "You ok?"

The man let out a chuckle. "Aside from the arrow in my leg, just fine."

Roths could only grumble at the attempt at humor when Ethan spoke to Midoriya. "You need to use a skill called Detox." When Midoriya looked up at the man to question him he continued, "goblins like to dip their weapons in poisons. Detox should nullify the poisons."

Realizing the potential of the danger, Midoriya nodded and bent down to Kelder's side. Stretching out his hand he cast the spell, "Detox."

[Use Skill: Detox]

As he cast his skill, Roths and Kelder watched as a green light shined from the teen's hand. Cascading over the fallen man.

[Low level poison has been cured.]

Roths looked quizzically at the teen, "You can use healing magic?"

"Thanks, Izuku," Kelder smiled. "Guess that makes twice you've saved me."

Midoriya could only sheepishly smile as Hefler came over to the three of them. "The goblins have completely retreated. The scouts say they are heading back to their hideout."

Roths nodded, "then bring the injured to the barracks and start treating them. We also need to put out that fire before it spreads out of control." He turned to Midoriya, "You, Borgus, and Hefler head back to the barracks and inform the chief about what happened. Take Kelder with you. I'm going to help put out that fire."

The other two nodded and Hefler pulled out a small roll of bandages. "Let me patch up that wound first so we can move you safely."

…

It wasn't far to the barracks. Kelder's injury had been treated by Hefler and the men walked shoulder to shoulder to the barracks with Midoriya in toe. Unable to help lend his shoulder to the injured man due to their major height difference, Midoriya helped carry their weapons to lighten their loads.

"Here we are. The barracks," Hefler said.

Looking up, Midoriya noticed the structure. Stone walls with battlements and walkways atop them, much like a castle. A large steel gate could be seen as it hung open. It appeared to have a large courtyard which at the moment served as a triage center for the recent attack. Along the edge of the courtyard were various doors which Midoriya assumed to be for storage. Cellar doors could be seen off in the corner of the yard as two guards stayed beside it. The most striking thing in the courtyard was a large set of wooden doors. People could be seen going in and out at a steady rate.

As the three of them pass through the gate, Midoriya's eyes go to rows of blankets and people strung about them. Some could be seen bleeding from cuts on their faces to a few having arrows lodged in them from the archers. They were being treated by either guardsmen or by other members of the town. However, his gaze fell on two people who were not being treated at all. Blankets were draped over their faces while blood stained the lower parts of the cloth.

Midoriya knew that they were covered for a reason. Dead, he thought. The grim unsettling feeling tossed and spun in Midoriya's stomach. Ethan noticed his expression but did not get the chance to speak.

"We need to go talk to the chief," said Hefler. Midoriya's attention was snapped back to where they were walking. The large set of wooden doors at the back of the courtyard.

As they approached, the interior of the room came into focus and the teen saw it was an office. It was not a large room, about half the size of his classroom. Along one side was a bookshelf with various tomes stacked on its shelves. On the other was a smaller table with a vase filled with flowers atop it. At the very back of the room was a large wooden desk, papers spread across it being looked over by the man behind it.

Said man appeared older than even Roths. His beard had very few black hairs in it, having turned mostly grey due to age. A similar situation appears to be the case with his short grey hair, which was combed back in a neatly done fashion. However, a few stray strands dangled over his face, showing the stress the man was under. Despite his apparent age, the man was very muscular. His build being equal, at least in appearance, to All Might. In the corner of the room was a large Warhammer with its head is about the size of an oil drum and made of stone.

The man stood up from his desk as he noticed the three enter the room. Coming to a stop right before the desk, Hefler and Kelder saluted to the man. "Kelder and Helfer reporting in sir," they said in unison. Although Kelder strained himself to do so.

Midoriya felt so out of place as the man rose to his feet, "what the hell happened Kelder?"

"One of those monsters got a lucky shot in as they retreated," said the man before motioning to Midoriya. "I would have been a lot worse had Izuku not saved me. He helped fight the goblins."

The sudden attention from the large man as his gaze fell on him caused him to tense up as the teen spoke. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. N-nice to meet you sir." He bowed to the man, whose eyebrow went up at the strange introduction.

"Well… I at least owe you some thanks for saving my son," said the man. Those words snapped Midoriya's full attention to the man as he continued. "I am Klaus Vonns. Chief of the guardsman."

[Klaus Vonns Lv: 45]

Midoriya rubbed the back of his head, "It was nothing."

Hefler asked, "What is the damage report sir?"

Kalus sighed, "25 injured and 2 dead," he said grimly. "And it's going to be more. We don't have enough antidotes to deal with the poisons those monster's use."

Kelder opened his mouth, but Midoriya took a big step closer. "Let me help. I know a spell that can nullify poisons."

This caught the older man's attention, "at this point, we'll take any help we can get. Most of my men are either still helping at the scene, following those vile creatures back to their hideout, or treating the wounded. I would appreciate the help."

Midoriya nodded his head, "I'll help however I can."

A nod from the man and he continued, "Alright, Izuku go out there and start treating the injured. Hefler grab a mana potion from the storeroom for him."

"You sure?" questioned Hefler. "We're low-"

"It's fine," interrupted the man. "To help the townspeople, not better time than now." Helfer nodded and Klaus turned to Kelder. "How are you feeling?"

"Hefler treated my wound already, so I'll be fine."

"Then I want a report of what happened. You two get going."

Hefler and Midoriya nodded, and they went to work. As instructed, Midoriya went to work on treating those who had been affected by the poison of the goblins. Only about half of the injured were hit with the weapons. Most of them being guardsmen who had taken a cut or scrape from the weapon. According to Ethan, the poison used by the goblins was weak, but fast-acting. The symptoms came fast but the poison itself would take some time to kill. As a result, it was easy to identify those in the most dire need of medical assistance. With Detox, Midoriya was able to cure the infection. While healing people, Ethan informed him that he didn't have very many healing skills. Any skills he did have were so high-level it would be impossible for the teen to cast now, even with a buff from Lucky Coin. Instead, Midoriya did his best to help with first aid alongside Hefler.

…

It had taken about an hour, but the wounds of the townspeople had been taken care of. Thankfully, no more people had lost their lives, and their wounds would heal with time. Now, a couple of guardsmen were gathered in the office of Klaus to review the attack. Midoriya had wondered if it was ok for him to be here, but Klaus had insisted that he stay. "Alright, Roths," asked Klaus, "What is the situation at the town entrance?"

"Thankfully, only three houses were lost in the fire," reported the man. "Any other damage was minimal. Broken windows and such."

Klaus nodded, "Hefler, how are the injured?"

"Everyone appears to be fine for now, but we are low on medical supplies. Thanks to Izuku, the poison shouldn't claim the lives of anyone else."

"That's a relief," the large man turned to the small teen who stood next to Hefler. "Thank you for your help Izuku. Sorry your first day in town has to be laced with such turmoil."

A shaky wave of the hand was followed by, "It's nothing. I am glad I was just able to help."

"Help you did," smiled Klaus. "Unfortunately, we didn't escape this incident unscathed."

"Who were the two casualties," Borgus asked.

"Soren and Dewmer," replied the man. Midoriya could only watch as the expressions of the guardsman grew heavy with sadness. "Soren noticed the approaching attack and called the alert. He was killed by one of those archers as he fought. Dewmer protected some of the townsfolk but was outnumbered before reinforcements could arrive. May their souls rest peacefully."

A moment of silence passed through the room as some removed their helmets. While not as religious as others, Midoriya clasped his hands together and offered some peaceful words to the men who had died as heroes.

Roths spoke up, his voice seething with rage. "We need to find those monsters and exterminate them. They have been a problem for too long." A couple of guardsmen cheered at Roths' words.

"Has this happened before," Questioned Midoriya.

Klaus shook his head, "No. we've had light skirmishes with this group of goblins before. Sightings of them while hunting. Trading caravans being attacked nearby. But this, a brazen attack on our town in the middle of the day is a first and it's concerning."

Before anyone else could speak, another guardsman came into the room. "Sir, I have news from the scouts." Everyone perked up at this and Klaus motioned for the man to continue, "The group fell back to an old abandoned mine to the northeast, likely serving as their hideout."

"Alright, let's go kill these beasts once and for all," Roths said turning his back to walk out the door.

"Hold it Roths," said Klaus. "Don't be so rash."

"Why not! Those rancid monsters attacked our town we should send everyone we can to see them all exterminated."

"Roths, stop and act like the soldier you are and think for a second," Klaus said, his words stern with authority. "First if we sent everyone, who would defend the town? Second, If they're using a mine as a base, a large group would be unable to fight effectively. Third, we don't have the manpower right now for a counterattack. Everyone is either treating the wounded, is wounded, helping the townspeople, or out on double patrols. Fourth, those recent reports from other towns seem to have more merit then we first thought. For now, our priority should be making sure the town is safe and this isn't a precursor to something else."

"Then you just intend to let them live after what they've done?"

"I didn't say that!" The exchange between the two men began to heat up as Klaus rose from his desk.

"Do we know how many there are?" Helfer questioned, breaking the tension.

"No," answered the scout. "About 10 were spotted moving back into the mine. As for the entirety of their forces. It's unknown."

Klaus seemed to ponder the words of the scout as he sat back down in his chair. Uncertainty hung in the air as everyone seemed unsure of what to do. Split too thin with no clear answer on what to do. Ethan, who had been silent for a while spoke up, "We should go pay these monsters a visit."

Midoriya silently looked over to his invisible companion, his expression asking Why?

"The main reason is this is strange. Goblins are gigantic cowards. They attack at night and use hit-and-run tactics. A trash mob at best. For them to attack in the middle of the day like this, is strange considering their normal behavior. Plus, for it to happen so soon after arriving here. It can't be a coincidence."

That makes sense, though Midoriya. Would we be able to handle them though?

As if reading his thoughts, Ethans answered, "Like I said, trash mob. With you and me we'll be fine. Plus, can't turn away from some EXP."

With the guardsman being occupied with recovery efforts. This might just be the best for everyone if I do this. Although his hand shook as he raised it, he asked, "I think I can help."

Roths and Klaus turned to look at the teen, causing his figure to shrink as Klaus asked. "How so?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, "I could go and t-take care of the goblins."

The eyes of Klaus, Roths, Hefler, Borgus, Kelder, and several other guardsmen went up. "Are you sure," asked Klaus.

Midoriya nodded, "I could go confront the goblins. This way you don't have to spare any more manpower."

"You heard what I said right," questioned the scout. "At the very least, there are 10 hobgoblins in there. Plus who knows how many? Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah. I t-think I can handle it."

The other guardsmen could only look at each other, unsure of the teen's words and the lack of confidence behind them.

"Let's let him handle it." They all turned to see Kelder speak up. "I saw him take care of one of those monsters with no problem. Plus, he saved my life. Not like we have much of a choice. Right chief?"

Everyone looked to Klaus, whose word was the final on the matter. For several seconds, the man pondered silently as he weighed his options. Finally, his gaze meets Midoriya. "If you think you can handle it Izuku. Given the circumstances, I can't refuse such an offer."

"Thank you sir, I won't let you down," smiled the teen.

Borgus and Hefler gave the teen smiles of thanks. "Alright, Roths you'll coordinate the recovery efforts. Everyone else, follow his orders. I'll bring Izuku up to speed on the location of their hideout," said Klaus.

Roths still seemed to be angry but held his tongue for the moment, "Yes sir."

With those words, Roths walked out of the office and many of the other guardsmen walked out with him. Leaving Klaus, Kelder, and Midoriya in the room alone together. "Are you sure about this Izuku," Klaus asked again. "You're just a stranger to this town. You don't have to risk your life for people you don't know."

Midoriya was silent for a second as he formatted a response, "I know… but it wouldn't feel right to leave you all when you need help now more than ever." His mind went to the sludge villain incident and how Kaachan had looked when he needed help. "I don't think I could forgive myself if I turned away now."

Those words were spoken with a level of conviction that surprised both Kelder and Klaus. The teen but a moment ago seemed unsure of whether or not he would be up to the task. But now, the look in his eye was filled with resolve. "Alright. Thank you for your help. At the very least we can provide you with some assistance. Starting with the location of their hideout."

Opening a drawer in his desk, Klaus searched for a second before saying, "Here it is." Pulling out a scroll, he rolled it out across his desk and weighed it down with various objects. A map was laid out on the desk and Midoriya stepped closer to inspect it. With his finger, Klaus pointed at the center of the map. "Here is the town. According to our scouts, they have taken to using this mine here as their base." His finger moved to the top right-hand corner of the paper. Along a road that seemed to veer off toward a series of mountains. "These mines haven't been in use for a long time. We say mines but it's really just a cave that was rich in minerals a long time ago. But once the mines dried up it was abandoned. It should take you about an hour and a half to get there on foot."

Midoriya noted the location in his head. If I head down the road the goblins retreated from, it's a straight shot from there. "Alright. I think I can get there."

Klaus rolled up the map and slid it back into the desk drawer. "Good. Now come with me."

Walking out from behind the desk, the man walked through the large double doors with Midoriya in toe. Walking along the edge of the courtyard, they came to one of the doors he had noticed on his way in. Turning the doorknob revealed a room stocked with weapons. Swords, spears, and some axes were strewn about on some racks with armor too. "At the very least we could get you some armor. I doubt we have plate that will fit you, but we have some chainmail and leather that should do just fine. Got to be better than… Whatever it is you're wearing."

Midoriya looked down and saw that he was still wearing his green tracksuit. "Thank you… you don't have to."

"It's the least I can do," quickly replied the man. "If not as the chief guardsman, at least as a father." He pulled off the lid of an old wooden crate and began to sift through its contents. "You saved my son's life. Only fair that I repay that kindness in any way I can. Though, once his leg is healed, I'm gonna have to step up the training for that idiot son of mine."

The teen's mind went back to the moment in question. How his body had acted automatically when he saw Kelder's life in danger. The sound of his sword meeting the goblin's blade. The feeling of resistance the flesh had as it was cut. Blood trickled down his sword. And, of course, the monster's lifeless head rolled across the ground. Midoriya's mind locked in on that particular moment and his hands tightened instinctually as a result. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Ethan.

"Here we are."

He snapped back to reality to see Klaus pulling some stuff from the crate. "It's old, but it should offer at least more protection than what you have on right now." Klaus handed the items to Midoriya before making for the door. "Once you have changed. Meet me back in my office."

"A-alright." Klaus opened the door and began to speak to someone. His words became muffled as the door closed behind him. Leaving Midoriya and Ethan alone at last. Looking over the clothing now in his hands he noticed that it was a bit more than just some chainmail.

There was a chain mail vest that was about his size, but there was also a white long-sleeved shirt and green vest. A new pair of pants was also among the items, and he noticed that patches of leather were sewn into it, acting as light armor for his legs. Alongside the set of clothing was a small piece of leather armor that covered his left breast, likely to protect his heart. The final piece of armor was two leather braces to go over his forearms and a pair of leather gloves. He looked at his items and noticed a text box opened as he saw them.

[Adventurer's Gear]

[Gear used by beginner adventurers]

[+15 protection]

[Additional +3 against slashing weapons]

Speaking up, Ethan said, "Get changed. It's a long walk to the mine and I'd rather not have to walk back in the middle of the night."

"R-right." Nodding to his companion, Midoriya began to change into the armor. As he tightened the last strap of the leather breastplate, he was surprised at how comfortable the armor was. It fit him perfectly with even the chainmail snugly and comfortably fitting his frame. He noticed a mirror near the door and strode over to inspect it and he had to admit how strange he looked. I look straight out of a fantasy movie. But at least it is better than just my tracksuit or pajamas. With the final touch, he adjusted his sword to his hip and opened the door.

Following Klaus's instructions, he made his way back to the office where Klaus was, along with Kelder, Borgus, and Hefler. He knocked on the door and everyone turned to see the newly dressed teen.

Borgus let out a whistle, "Wow, looking sharp Izuku!"

"Indeed," Hefler nodded. "Far better than your previous attire."

He decided to take the compliment but wondered why everyone seemed to comment on his tracksuit. "Thank you."

"I'm glad everything fits you," Klaus commented. "You should be ready to move. Borgus and Hefler need to relay a message to Roths at the east entrance so they will see you off. Here, take this canteen with you. Hour walk in the midday sun, you'll need it."

"Wish I could join you, but I'd only slow you down," commented Kelder. "Be safe out there Izuku."

"I-I'll do my best," stuttered the teen.

Hefler smiled, "Alight then, let's not delay. Time is of the essence."

With a nod, they walked out of the office and began to walk back to where the goblins attacked. Midoriya noticed as they approached two more houses had burned down from the fire. Guardsman and a few townsfolk, presumably the ones who lived there, were sifting through the ashes to find anything that may have survived while also clearing the rubble out of the way.

The sight tugged on his heart but before he could formulate a thought. Footsteps could be heard approaching them.

Turning around allowed them to see it was Roths, a tinge of anger on his face as he seemed to beeline for Midoriya. Before the three of them could form words to dissuade the angry man he reached his hand out towards him and he closed his eyes and braced for the pain. But only felt a tug on his new leather breastplate.

"You have it on too high," Roths said whilst adjusting the armor. "It won't protect anything if you don't wear it right." After a moment, Roths tightened the strap back in place and let out a satisfied, "There."

Looking down Midoriya saw that the armor was better positioned than before and turned to Roths, "T-thank you."

He turned around but said, "I'm still angry. Still angry that some traveler gets to avenge Soren and Dewmer instead of one of us." Pausing, Roths took a deep breath before letting out a big sigh. "But the Chief is right, making sure the town is safe is a guardsman's first priority. We need to reassure the townsfolk that everything is going to be ok." He turned back around and met the teen's eyes, a storm of fury beneath the surface. "So you better make sure this can't happen again and avenge our fallen friends, Got it?"

The intensity of the words made the teen falter for a second. But his mind went to the two covered bodies he saw in the courtyard of the barracks. "I promise."

A moment of silence passed as Roths seemed to judge the conviction behind the teen's words. "Alright." Satisfied he turned to Borgus and Helfer. "You two we have work to do, so move it." With those final words and a spin on his heels, the large man walked away with the other two in toe while they both waved goodbye and good luck.

With nothing left to do, he set out on his quest for the goblin's lair.

…

After about an hour of walking, Midoriya put the lid back on his canteen before turning to Ethan. "So what can you tell me about goblins. Any strategies in mind?"

Ethan rolled his shoulder, "They're just regular goblins. Not very smart but they're not dumb either. They can be coordinated if they want to."

Midoriya nodded as he compartmentalized the info about goblins.

"Which reminds me," Ethan turned to face the teen. "Are you sure you're even going to be able to do this?"

"I mean I."

"Or are you gonna freeze again like you did back in town?"

The teen blinked at the man's words and looked to the dirt road. "What did you expect? I-I killed that goblin. I took its life."

"And what? Heroes aren't supposed to kill?" Ethan's tone was now filled with a mixture of annoyance and anger. "News flash you idiot, This isn't your world."

"I-I know that-"

Ethan interrupted, " No you don't! I do and let me tell you, there are things far more dangerous and deadly in this world than some trash goblins. Demons, Dragons, Monsters that would turn that town into a crater just for fun. Remember what I told you back during the exam? If you hesitate, you die. Well, here's you proof that I was right. That guy Kelder took that arrow because you froze, and he got lucky. Maybe next time that arrow will go into his neck, or maybe another goblin will come and run its sword through his gut 'cause you were too scared to move." Midoriya's mind conjured an image that he quickly shook away as the warrior continued. "This world is filled with shit that will not think twice about killing you. If you don't have the resolve to protect yourself and those around you from that kind of threat, then you should walk back to town and tell everyone you couldn't do it. Even better, once we get back to the real world, tell All Might you're not cut out to be a hero. Because. You. Aren't."

Those last words stung deep in Midoriya's heart, but before he could say anything to the warrior to rebuke his word, a quest window popped up.

[Hero's Beginning: Quest Update]

[Extermination Quest Conditions Added]

[Slay all the goblins inside the old mine.]

[Reward: Reputation with the Town of Beginning's guardsman and a special Item]

[Do you accept: Yes or No]

With the window in front of him, Midoriya hesitated as Ethan remained silent having said his peace.The title of the quest made him think about the words Aizawa-sensei had said to them during the Quirk assessment test.

Ethan only stared at the teen as the silence dragged on. If he continues with the mindset he's had up until this point. He'll end up dead. In this world, you need to have the resolve to fight. Do not hold back against your opponent. Do anything less than that then and you'll get careless and lose everything. Ethan remembered that faithful day when he had been careless and paid the ultimate price for it.

Before he could linger in that memory of his, Midoriya opened his mouth.

"You're right."

The teen's eyes met Ethan's. "This isn't my world. Aizawa-sensei told us that it's a hero's job to combat the unfairness of the world. But in this world, the unfairness of this world comes in the form of monsters who don't have any sense of morality. So I need to be ready to fight that unfairness and protect the innocent." Now internally, Midoriya thought to himself, I'm still not comfortable with the idea of killing. Even if it is monsters. But, if I leave them alone as is, more people in the town could die. And it would be my fault.

With a deep breath, he clicked the 'YES' on the menu screen and it disappeared. Ethan nodded, glad to see that the teen had found the resolve he needed. "Alright then," the warrior turned to look down the road ahead. "Still have a way to go before we get to the mine, so let's move it."

Nodding at his words, the pair continued down the road to face a new challenge ahead.

"Is that it?"

"Looks like it."

The pair had made it to the old mine being used by the goblins and were currently hiding behind a tree. The mine was located at the bottom of a large hill and like Klaus had said it looked more like a cave than a mine.

"Alright, remember what we talked about."

Midoriya nodded and took a deep breath before moving out from behind the tree. Nobody was acting as a guard outside so they could approach without being seen. Drawing his sword, the two went to the wall before peering inside the cave from the entrance. Again, nobody was visible, but the two could see the faint trickle of light flicker from inside the cave.

Cautiously, they continued onward as the sound of dripping water echoed off the cave walls. Crude torches hung from the wall in smallholders. At least I don't have to fight them completely in the dark, he thought as the faint smell of decaying wood filled the air as they approached the corner. Again, they peered around it, Ethan stepping out completely since nobody could see him. Four of them, Midoriya nodded. Four goblins were seated around a fire with their weapons on the ground. One was eating a piece of meat while two others were fighting over another piece of meat. The final one seemed to be napping.

"Alright," Ethan said before turning to Midoriya. "Let me see if you have your head on right, What's your game plan?"

The teen thought about it for a moment, looking over the monsters carefully before replying in a very low whisper. "The one eating has a quiver on its back and I don't see any other weapons on him. So take him down third since he'll have to draw his arrow. Plus, he's the furthest away. It would be best to get the two fighting since they have swords and I can get in fast since they're distracted. The one napping is across from those two so him last."

"Alright, go. Flip you're Lucky Coin then attack."

Steeling his nerves, Midoriya flipped Lucky Coin with his thumb.

[Use Skill: Lucky Coin]

[Skill Successful: Intelligence increased]

[Number of useable skills increased.]

With another deep breath, Midoriya moved out from the corner and charged at the goblins. The one in the back was first to notice and let out inaudible words to his friends who turned to look. However, it was too late as the hero in training had closed the distance between them. "Sword Thrust!"

[Use Skill: Sword Thrust]

Thanks to the increased power of the skill, Midoriya efficiently drove his sword through the necks of the two monsters fighting over the meat. They let out screams of anger that seemed to wake the final monster. Pulling his sword sideways he ripped through the remaining flesh on their necks, and they fell over lifeless. As he did, he raised his hand and placed his free hand on the pommel of his sword and used the increased strength to thrust it into the archer's heart. The goblin which had been sleeping finally awoke just as Midoriya wrenched his sword free from the chest of the archer. Before its hand could even reach its weapon. Midoriya similarly stabbed its chest.

Once again Midoriya pulled out the sword and flicked the blood off of it. "Nice work," nodded Ethan in approval.

"Thanks." The teen turned around to look at the bodies of the fallen monster. For a moment he hesitated, but their talk about resolve came to his mind. With a deep breath, he turned back around and moved deeper into the cave.

However, ahead they could hear the clanking of metal on rock. Around another corner, the flickering of a campfire was seen and when Ethan poked his head around the corner he grimaced. "Well, they know you're here."

"How many?"

"Six. two archers at the back of the room and 4 swords between them and you. They're waiting for you to come around the corner," answered Ethan. "At the very least that accounts for the ten that attacked the town."

"But there could be more deeper inside." Midoriya mentally flipped through the skills he had available to him and thought to himself. I need to create an opening to get those archers. Finally, he remembered a skill he saw in the skill list. That could work, but those archers are trained on me, before he could finish that thought an idea popped into his mind and he quickly opened his inventory to pull out his tracksuit's jacket. Ethan raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything as Midoriya tossed it in a way to unfurl it. On cue, two arrows came from the archers. One missed but another pierced the jacket and pinned it to the wall. Now!

With the chance he wanted, he moved around the corner and saw that Ethan was right. Four sword-wielding goblins around a campfire with two more near the back of the room perched on rocks quickly grabbing another arrow from their quivers. First these four. Reaching out his hand, Midoriya cast a spell, "Entangle!"

[Use Skill: Entangle]

Roots sprouted from the ground and grabbed the four monsters standing by the fire. They let out screams of anger as they tried to grab their weapons from the floor. Having immobilized the group of melee fighters, Midoriya dashed past them to the archers in the back. Rasing his hand once more he cast another spell, "Stun Bolt!"

[Use Skill: Stun Bolt]

Pointing his hand at the archer on the left, a flash of lightning shot from his hand just as the archer placed the arrow along the string. As the bolt made contact, it seemed to surge with electricity before dropping dead onto the ground. Had to use most of my mana on that spell, but now it's only the one archer. On cue, the last archer pulled back its bow string and let the arrow fly. Midoriya rolled and used a stalagmite as cover. Once the arrow missed its mark, he sprinted and drove his sword into the goblin's chest then turned to face the remaining four.

The four remaining goblins were still trapped in the vines. They snarled and growled as Midoriya made his way over to them. With a deep breath, he said as he pulled back his sword, "Sorry about this."

…

Having killed the last group of goblins in the previous room, they continued on into the cave. From here on they had no clue as to how many more goblins there were going to be. Or how deep the cave went, but they had no choice but to trek onward.

After a minute of walking, they came to a fork in the road. Two paths with one to the left and one to the right. From the left, they could hear the faint growls of goblins.

"Looks like there are more of them up a head," said Ethan.

Midoriya nodded before looking to the other path. Listening carefully, he did his best to listen for any sign of goblin activity. But there was not even a sound from said direction. "Wonder what's down this path."

"Could lead deeper into the mine," commented Ethan. "I don't hear anything from that direction. I think it would be best to take the left and have that dealt with before exploring."

"Yeah."

With their mission in mind, they headed in the direction of the sound of monsters. They had to travel a bit of distance from the fork, but they came up to another room. However, this room had no path beyond it. "A dead end," said Ethan. "So, there's a good chance these are the last of the goblins."

Midoriya nodded and peered around the corner. Unlike the last room they had not noticed their presence, so Midoriya took the time to look over the group. Six in total but the equipment of the group was different. Five sat in a semicircle and each one wearing some miss matched leather armor with two wearing metal helmets. Each had a sword except for one who carried a hatchet. Midoriya's attention went to the one at the back, to the one they all seemed to be gathered around. It wore a red robe with bits of bone decorating it. On its head it had some sort of animal skull like a hat. All the other goblins seemed to be paying close attention to the words it spoke as it waved a staff around. Said staff appeared to be also made of bone, with a black crystal sitting in a skeletal hand near the top.

"Oh, a shaman," Ethan commented. Midoriya's raised eyebrow was taken as a question and he explained, "They're like a higher tier of goblin that can use low level magic. But this one seems different for some reason."

"How so?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure."

Midoriya focused on said Shaman to gauge its level.

[Goblin Shaman Lv. 10]

"How much mana do you have left?"

"I'm really low," answered the teen after checking.

"Drink that mana potion you got earlier," commanded Ethan. "You're going to need the extra mana."

Nodding, he opened his inventory and pulled the cork out of the glass vile. Taste like cotton candy, Midoriya noticed as he felt his mana recover to full. "I'm open to suggestions."

"I think you need to take care of those five-melee fighters ASAP then focus on the Shaman. I don't know why, but something is telling me its dangerous."

He wasn't in a position to argue, but wondered what was going on. Ethan always took things as a joke. Earlier he had referred to the goblins as nothing but trash mobs. But now one seemed to be pulling his attention. Regardless, he decided to trust his partner's experience and nodded. "Ok."

Flipping through his mental list of skills he settled on a particular skill. Once again with a deep breath, he moved out from behind the rock into the room. The shaman at the back noticed and let out a cry to alert his friends.

"Cutting Gale."

[Use Skill: Cutting Gale]

A razor-sharp blade of wind came from Midoriya's palm as he cried out the name of the spell. This spell will use all of my mana, but it should get them all with one attack. As he predicted, the blade cut the goblin closest to him in half followed by the second and third. The five gathered around in a semi-circle all fell at the same time and the razor continued towards the shaman.

However, with the wave of its staff, a blue barrier appeared, and the blade of wind smashed against it. They collided for a second before the blade disappeared.

Ethan's eyes grew wide, "It knows magic barrier?!"

Before Midoriya could even think to ask, the shaman conjured another spell. A bright red light glowed from the staff and alarm bells went off in Ethan's mind and he screamed out. "MIDORIYA DODGE NOW!"

At the same time, a torrent of flame erupted from the staff of the shaman and roared towards Midoriya like a flamethrower. Before the flames could reach him and with as much speed as he could muster, the teen dodged the flame as the shaman followed him as he ran. The flames touched bodies of the dead goblins, burning the flesh beyond recognition. A group of stalagmites head of him were his best bet for cover so he sprinted to them. With a slide into cover, he made it just in time as the torrent of fire raged around his cover. He could feel the intense heat from the fire as it bellowed past his cover. "I thought you said they only use low level magic."

"Well not this one apparently," cried out the warrior. "That was Inferno. A level 45 spell. This isn't normal. Any Mana left?"

"No," replied the teen as the flames stopped. "Cutting gale used it all."

It was able to block Cutting gale too like it was nothing, noted Ethan. This is bad.

While Ethan's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan, Midoriya did the same. I gotta close the distance, but with magic like that. One hit and I'm dead. Looking around the room at what he could see, Midoriya noticed the flaming bodies of the dead goblins and he had an idea. "Ethan!"

The gold clad man turned to him. "I have an idea, but it's a gamble. Do you trust me?"

A moment passed as Ethan thought of a response. But the man smiled, "Gambles are what we live for kid."

With those words, Midoriya smiled as he opened his inventory and pulled out the first aid kit he kept in there.

On the other side of the room, the shaman stood ready to cast another Inferno the moment Midoriya emerged.

After a moment of nothing, the shaman thought the human dead before he leapt out from behind his cover. Like before he began to cast the spell, but as his body let the spell fly, an object soared through the air in its direction. Flames erupted from its staff as the object barely touched the fire. Upon closer inspection, the object was some sort of glass vile with a liquid inside and a piece of cloth hanging out of the lip. As it touched the flames, however, said cloth caught fire and continued to sail towards the shaman's position. Midoriya continued to run from the flame and watched with anticipation as the object finally hit the shaman. Once it did, the liquid inside caught fire thanks to the burning cloth. Shortly after, the shaman's robe erupted in flames from the burning liquid.

An improvised Molotov, thought Ethan as he watched the shaman burn. He used the glass bottle of the potion along with the rubbing alcohol and bandages in his first aid kit to make one. All he had to do was use the fire to light it.

As the Shaman burned, the flames from its spell stopped and Midoriya rushed towards him with all the speed he could muster. This is it! Now with the shaman in arm's length away, he pulled back his sword and as his eyes met the Shamans', slashed its head clean from its neck. The moment its head flew, the body went limp and dropped to the floor. With nothing to grasp it, the staff dropped to the floor and shattered the crystal ball sitting atop it. The sound of broken glass echoed for a second as Midoriya breathed heavily. As his eyes went to the body of the dead shaman, the window opened.

[Quest complete]

[Special item was placed into inventory]

The signal that the fighting was over was welcomed to Midoriya as he dropped to the ground and let out a big sigh. "It worked."

"Way to think on your feet kid," Ethan said while sitting too. "That Molotov was a great idea."

"I-I wasn't sure it was even going to work. If it didn't catch fire, i-"

"Don't worry about that other shit," interrupted the man. "You're a gambler. You take risks and reap the rewards. Thats how it goes."

He was about to say more, but the adrenaline high he was feeling killed the words before they surfaced. "You're right."

"Duh. I'm Hardcore Leveling Warrior."

Again, any rebuttal died in his throat. "Anyway, why was he able to use spells like that?"

Ethan shrugged, "No clue. At best they can use skills up to level 8. This is not normal."

He was silent for several seconds before hopping to his feet. "Nothing we can do about it now. Check his body, maybe there is some kind of clue.

Raising to his feet, he flicked the blood of his sword and sheathed it before walking over to the smoldering remains of the shaman. The body was now burned beyond recognition, but a metallic object caught the two's eye. Taking his canteen out, Midoriya poured some water over the object to cool it down then grabbed it.

"A key." Said object was in fact a large metal key not to dissimilar from that found in cartoon. The teen looked at Ethan. "W-what's this for? I don't see another door or something in here."

Placing his hands on his chin, Ethan answered, "I bet it's for something along that other path. We should go take a look."

With a nod, Midoriya and Ethan walked out of the room towards the path they had come across earlier.

However… Unnoticed by the two, amongst the pile of glass from the Shaman's staff was a black crystal. As the two left the room it liquefied into a sludge like substance while an eye opened to gaze at the exit. Once the humans were no longer visible, the black substance dissolved without a trace.

…

Having backtracked through the mine, they stood before a door located down the second path they had come across. A very poorly constructed door sat in front of them. The wood used to build it was so old and drafty that Midoriya wondered if the key was even necessary. Perhaps pushing it would it break down. But the teen elected to place the key inside the attached lock and with a metallic click of its tumblers, it came undone and opened the door.

The two were treated to a makeshift storeroom. Poorly crafted shelves line the walls of the while one corner had boxes stack haphazardly. "What is this stuff? Supplies?"

Ethan looked around, "The old guy did say that these goblins had made raids on passing traders. This is probably where they stored their stolen loot."

Nodding, Midoriya went over to one of the boxes in the corner and cracked it open by undoing the latches. Flipping it opened revealed two metal chest plates too big for a goblin to wear, or even him for that matter. "I think once we get back to town. We should let Klaus know about this stuff. The town could really use these supplies."

"Fine. We should get a move on then. Hour and a half walk back."

A reluctant sigh escaped his lip as Midoriya nodded his head, "you're right."

Tracking back through the mine was easy enough and when Midoriya emerged from the cave, he had to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the sun. By now, the sun had lowered signaling it was about 2-3 in the afternoon. Shaking his canteen, he took a deep breath before starting his walk back to town.

As they started walking, Ethan spoke up. "Hey, I meant what I said earlier. For your first time fighting here in Lucid Adventure, you did a pretty alright job. That bit with the Molotov was quick thinking."

Midoriya opened his mouth to counter with how reckless his plan really was but stopped when he noticed Ethann's expression. He was sincere, giving him the first complaint he could really remember. So instead, he just smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Of course, you're still long ways away from being as good as me. Had I been in there, I would have cleared that cave out in half the time."

While some may have taken Ethan's words as a barb, Izuku Midoriya could only smile as they walked back to town.

…

Now loading the last piece of rubble into the cart, Borgus wiped his hands of the smut and said, "Thats the last piece of it." Looking into the sky, he noticed the time, "it's been a while since Izuku left. Think he's ok?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Hefler assured.

Roths only let out a grunt, "If he's dead, then that just leaves us too…" The words of the large man trailed off as he looked down the road leading out of town. And on said road he noticed a green haired teen walking towards them. "Well, I'll be…"

Hefler and Borgus looked where Roths was looking and saw Izuku finally come back into town. "Izuku!"

The teen waved to them, "Hey guys."

The three walked over to him and surprisingly, it was Roths who spoke first. "Did you do it?"

There was a moment of silence as Midoriya nodded to Roths' Question. "Yeah," he said. "J-just like I said I would."

From the look in his eye, Roths could see that the teen was telling the truth. Hearing those words the large man smiled, "Thank you."

Midoriya blushed as Ethan rolled his eyes. Borgus cut in to the conversation, "So what happened? Were they super tough?"

"Oh well… I-I did have a small issue, but I think Klaus should hear this first."

"Agreed," nodded Roths. "He's going to want a full report. Let's head back to the barracks. You two, finish up here."

Midoriya could hear Borgus huff and Hefler laugh as they walked towards the barracks. The two were silent as they walked but it was a silence void of tension, a blessing in Midoriya's opinion. As the barracks came into view however, Roths spoke up, "I… would like to apologize Izuku." The teen looked at the man as he continued. "I let anger cloud my judgment and emotions in a time of crisis. I took that anger out on you. As a lieutenant, my actions were shameful. I hope you can forgive me."

"Y-you don't have t-to apologize," Midoriya stuttered out. "I think… Given the circumstances, you were well within your right to feel like you did. I-I can't fault you for that."

Again, Roths smiled, "I thank you for being so understanding." Now in front of the barracks doors, Roths shoved them open. "Now come, let us give the captain the full details on what happened."

…

After about an hour of discussion and questioning between Klaus, Kelder, and Roths, Midoriya was able to relay them the events of the mine.

"Thank you for your hard work Izuku," commented Klaus. "We'll send a group out tomorrow to recover the stolen goods from the cave." His hand moved to his chin, "However, what you speak of is concerning."

"A goblin using magic like that," Roths scoffed. "Do you think this is correlated with the monster attacks rising lately sir?"

Klaus nodded, "I believe so. Recently we've gotten reports from neighboring towns and cities far and wide about monsters acting more aggressively. In some cases, monsters showed strength and skill far beyond observed standards. I believe this may be another such case."

"Explains why that got bold enough to attack the town," Kelder added. "They must have thought they could with that Shaman of theirs."

"I'll have to put together a full report for neighboring cities. Make sure they are informed of this recent development. This incident could have led to something far worse had you not offered your assistance when you did Izuku." Klaus stood up from his chair and placed his right hand over his heart, "Truly, I must thank you for your assistance. Lives were most certainly spared thanks to your bravery today."

Those words cause Midoriya to blush like crazy, "B-bravery?! I-I don't know about that."

"He's right," Kelder agreed. "If that shaman had decided to attack with his little force. I don't think much of the town would have survived the attack. You really helped us nip this in the bud before it got worse."

His blush only grew worse, and Ethan could only laugh as the teen went full tomato. "That said," Klaus continued. "What do you plan on doing now? Don't suppose you plan on settling down in town."

As the three men turned to hear he teen response, Midoriya could only shift in his chair as he shook his head. "Ummm no. Sorry but, I really need to get back on my journey." And figure out a way to get back home.

On their way back to town, Ethan and Midoriya had discussed their next move. It had been a series of events one after another since their mysterious arrival, so they finally decided to discuss what to do. After an attempt to log out of the game was met with failure, they decided moving on to another, more populated town was their best move.

"I understand," Klaus lamented. "Do you plan on leaving soon?"

"Yes, as soon as I filled up my canteen, I'd like to leave. Sorry to leave so suddenly." Sooner the better according to Ethan.

Kelder opened his mouth to vocalize his surprise, but Klaus held his hand up. "I understand, then let me repay you the good deed you have done for the town." Grabbing a piece of paper, he scribbled some stuff on a piece of paper before handing it to Roths. "Could you retrieve these from the storeroom for me Roths?"

After a checking over the list, Roths gave a firm nod, "of course." He turned to Midoriya, "Give me your canteen. I'll go fill it up for you."

Midoriya was going to refuse the man but the look in Roths eyes seemed to echo the word 'don't fight me on this'. Unslinging his canteen from his back, he handed it over to the large guardsman who accepted it with thanks.

The teen turned his attention back to Klaus who pulled out the map from before. "Do you have any particular destination in mind?"

After a quick glance and recount of what they had talked about earlier, Midoriya said, "Do you know of a place called Yopi Land?"

According to what Ethan had told him, Yopi Land was a kingdom ruled by a player called Yopi back in Ethan's day. The city that served as the capital is one of the biggest in all of Lucid Adventure. Best place to go to look for info was there.

Klaus nodded, "Yes I have." Pointing with his finger, he went to a structure to the west. "Here you will find a town called Aldrum. It's not the place you're looking for but it's in that direction. Keep heading west and you'll get there in about 5 days."

Midoriya internally sighed at the thought of walking for 5 days but didn't get the chance to vocalize it as Roths came back in the room. When he got to his side, he dropped a leather backpack and full canteen into his lap. "A full canteen, a weeks' worth of rations, and some coin. Consider it you're reward for everything you've done for us."

"I can't accept all this," Midoriya said holding the contents.

"Please accept it," Klaus smiled. "It's the least we could do."

"Just take it kid," Roths agreed. "Soren and Dewmer can rest easy now that you've avenged them."

Midoriya was at a loss for words, he had met the people less than a half a day ago. Now they were giving him praise that, in all honesty, didn't really feel earned. His ending up here was, as far as he knew, a chance encounter. It was just luck…

His own thought snapped his mind like a whip as he thought it and he couldn't help but smile. He whipped the forming tears from his eye before stood. Slinging the pack and canteen over his should, be bow to Klaus. "Thank you very much."

Klaus let out a hardy laugh, "I'm the one thanking you. But glad to be of service. Well, it sounds like you'll be heading out. I'd like to see you off, but I need to write the report on the incident and the mines. Take care of yourself Izuku. If you're ever nearby again, come and say hello."

The chief guardsman stretched out his hand to the young teen who shook it, "Of course. Thank you again."

"Come on kid, I can at least see you off as the lieutenant," Roths beckoned with for teen to follow and he nodded.

"Hey, I'm coming too!"

Kelder grabbed the crutches that were beside him and followed after the two. Although Roths grumbled about how he should be resting, Midoriya was glad Kelder could see him off as well. As they left the barracks Borgus and Hefler spotted them and asked what they were doing. Upon hearing that he was leaving, the two insisted on seeing the teen off as well. As the group walked to the town's west entrance, they chatted idle chat. Mostly words to Midoriya about being sure to come back to town and to not be a stranger. Ethan for the most part remained silent as he floated above the group. But even he couldn't help but crack a smile at the impression his companion had made on the Town of Beginnings.

Having made it to the west gate, Midoriya adjusted the leather bag before turning to the four guardsmen. "Alright, I'm heading off. It was really nice to meet you guys."

"Likewise," Kelder smiled.

Borgus grind, "Don't be a stranger alright?"

"Indeed," Hefler nodded. "Swing by anytime you're in the area."

"Be safe out there kid," waved Roths.

With those final goodbyes, Midoriya turned to head out to the open road. Walking for some time he turned to see the Town of Beginnings shrink in size. "Well, someone is mister hero." Ethan's comment made Midoriya blush, and the man chuckled, "well whatever now we just got to make it to Yopi Land. And if what they said is true, it's a long road ahead."

"Yep," smiled Midoriya. "A very long one."

[Whisper Conditions Fulfilled]

[Returning to the real world]