"Good job, John! You managed to find my silver flask. Did you get the thieves?" Colette asked as he saw John walk out of the cellars, her silver flask in his hand.

"Yea, though...." John hesitated as he handed the silver flask and frying pan back to Colette.

"What is it?"

"The thief was a rat-like monster walking on two feet and even wearing clothes. It was very strange. Do you know what it was?"

"Rat-like creatures?! Oh no...."

"So you do know. Tell me."

"John...that creature you saw must be a variation of beastmen. These creatures are descendants of demons...monsters. Now that you know the existence of these nonhuman monsters, what will you do now?"

"M-Me?"

"John, I know...I know that you do not feel at home here...that you want to find your destiny out there."

"How do you know?"

"You think I didn't know about the money you so bitterly saved? That's enough for you to buy the basic equipment needed for venturing outside of the village."

"T-That's true."

"John, I know you feel that your journey lies elsewhere. I won't object to your decision. I guess it's finally time for you to hang up your frying pan."

"Miss Colette...what about your inn?"

"Don't worry. We still have the head chef. He'll manage...if not, we can always find another helper."

"But...."

"Go! Life has limited opportunities. Don't miss out on this chance."

"T-Thank you so much."

"Here, take these silver coins. It's what you earned this week. You should head over to the Training Hall to speak with head trainer Daedalus. He'll know what to do once he sees you."

"Mr. Daedalus? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you see, since the day you were accepted into this village, Daedalus believed that you possessed the innate skills necessary to defend our village from evil...to one day become a hero."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"A-A hero?"

"Yes. Now that the time has come, you should go to the Training Hall and choose your path. Daedalus will be able to help you from there. Got it?"

"Yes." John agreed as he prepared to head out.

"Wait, what are you doing? You know the Training Hall isn't open at this hour." Colette reached out and grabbed John.

"Ahaha, I forgot...hehe."

"Come, let me bandage your wounds. Then, you can go get some sleep and visit Daedalus early in the morning tomorrow."

"Okay."

After John had his wound cleaned and bandaged, he headed home. He laid in his small bed as he waited for sleep to take over. He thought about the occurrence and the information about the beastmen. He always thought that there was more to the world than what they had here in the village. Now that the path appeared in front of him, he was more than willing to walk down it. Pretty soon, his eyes grew heavy and his breathing stabilized.

..........

John's eyes flashed open as he heard the first cries of the rooster and the first rays of sunlight peeked through the window. John quickly got dressed and grabbed a few necessities for the journey. Once John walked downstairs, he was greeted by Colette who handed him a bag of food.

"Good luck, John, and do remember to stop by once in a while." Colette waved as John walked out the door.

"Don't worry, I will." John waved back.

The young man left the inn and headed to the Training Hall situated to the southeast. After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at the entrance of the building. Beside the Training Hall was a straw scarecrow with a wooden sword attached to one arm and a target tied to the other arm. John opened the door and walked in. The inside of the Training Hall...was empty and a bit dusty as well. It was as if no one had used this building for a long time.

"Hello? Is anyone here? My name is John...Miss Colette sent me."

"Miss Colette sent you, eh?" Someone asked from behind John.

John turned around abruptly and saw an old man with long faded brown hair and a stern face. He had accentuated eyebrows and a full beard and mustache. The old man did not show any signs of age as he displayed a powerful and energetic aura. He was wearing the leather armor that the patrol guards generally wore.

"Are you Mr. Daedalus?"

"Yes, I am. You said you're name was John? I remember you. So, you come to become a warrior?"  

"Yes. Miss Colette told me to come and choose a path."

"Good! Here's a list of paths you can choose from. Read through them and decide which one would be a best fit for you. Once you are finished, come and speak with me. I'll be outside repairing the right wall."

Daedalus left once he handed the list of paths to the young man. John looked over the list of paths and read each description. There were six different paths - the strong Justicar, the swift Shadow Walker, the wise War Mage, the fierce Frost Knight, the mighty Flame Warden, and the deadly Inquisitor. The Justicar was a prestigious order of warriors from Roheim with a strong devotion towards the god of light. Members of this order were imbued with spiritual energy that allowed them to be the most suitable in combating the forces of darkness. The Shadow Walkers were fleet-footed rogues that specialized in swift strikes and evading enemy attacks. Their vast array of infiltration tools allowed them to easily slow, stun, and confuse enemies. The War Mages of Elstrid were devoted to using powers of the elements to bring order from chaos. These powerful people used both ice and fire to lay waste to their foes as fast as possible.

In ancient times, the Frost Knights of the Vale served a mighty dragon. Because of their servitude, the dragon gave them the powers they have now. With their mastery of ice and cold, they now guard the lands of Glenfort from the forces of evil. The Flame Wardens were a secret order of warrior rangers that patrol the borders of Dragonmoor. These warriors were not only well adapted to combat, but also well versed in the ways of pyromancy. Finally, the Inquisitors of Nithus were among the most powerful mages of the lands. Being masters of the natural world, the Inquisitors can use deadly poisons and spiritual powers to destroy their foes.

After reading through the descriptions, John pondered for a while before making his decision. Ever since he was little, he was always a bit dumb. Though he can read and write, anything more complicated than that was well...too complicated. Thus, learning magic or any form of spiritual power was out of the question which meant the paths Justicar, War Mage, Frost Knight, Flame Warden, and Inquisitor were not suitable paths he should take. All that's left was the path of the Shadow Walkers. And that was what John had decided to take.

Once he made his decision, John left the list on the counter and walked out of the Training Hall. He circled around the building and saw Daedalus just making some finishing touches to a newly repaired wall. When the head trainer saw John, his face lit up with a smile as he asked the young man what path he had decided to take. When John told him that he had decided to follow the path of the Shadow Walker, the old warrior frowned. However, he quickly smiled once more and told John to follow him back to the Training Hall to begin some basic training.

Weeks later....

From sunrise to sunset, Daedalus taught John many things about the Shadow Walkers and their ancient ways. The old warrior tried his utmost to prepare the young hero for his journeys throughout the realm. Yet, before the training could be completed, rumors began to sweep across the lands. More of the rat-like creatures had appeared and were attacking farmers outside of the village, burning crops and laying waste wherever they went. It seemed that John's newly learned skills would be put to the test sooner than Daedalus had anticipated.