In the village of Nauneya,

buzzing with the harmony of nature and its people, life flowed peacefully.

Well, long ago, it was not the case—hundreds of years before.

The empire, as well as the village, was on the verge of destruction because of a disaster that ran amok with its legion of ghouls.

At the center of this disaster was a man infamously known for wielding black arts. He sacrificed his own people to gain greater power. He was later known as the Dark Lord, or Lord of the Black Legion.

The Dark Lord wore a mask that seemed torn from the face of a demon’s skull, covering only his facial features. His dull white hair, tied with a blood-red ribbon, flowed beyond his hips. He donned a pitch-black robe stained with blood, and in his hand, he held the Sword of the Void, a weapon as dark and ominous as his soul.

People feared him for his immense growth with every battle. Each victory became a stepping stone to his greater power.

Until The Great Hero, Erun Tharos, rose to challenge him.

Erun Tharos, also known as The Brave, was chosen by the Goddess of Nauneya.

It is said that Erun ate a fruit from the Divine Tree, left by the goddess herself—a fruit meant for the brave who would rise to defeat the Dark Lord. The fruit granted him divine powers, comparable to the gods of the land.

Erun, later found by the empire, was trained and tasked with cleansing the darkness.

The hero and his party set out, cutting through the ghouls and the legion.

As time passed, they reached the place where the darkness prevailed.

"The Hero Tharos took his blade and swung, defeating the evil of the Lord of Darkness, restoring peace and prosperity to these lands…"

Cough cough.

"Grandma, are you okay? Should I bring some water?"

"Haha, I’m fine. How many times have I read you this book? You never get tired, do you, Kyle?"

"It’s the best! Every time I hear the story of the Brave, I feel immense power. He fought evil with his own strength! Whenever I hear this, it makes me want to defend myself and fight against those bullies in the village!"

Kyle, a young boy not older than thirteen, lived with his grandmother, who was sick and unwell due to old age. She didn’t have much time left, but Kyle was the only reason she found the strength to keep going.

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Kyle’s parents—her son and daughter-in-law—had gone missing years ago. The talk of the town was that they were likely dead, and most people believed it.

Despite his weak and fragile body, Kyle always fought back when bullied by his peers. Unlike others who stood by or accepted the bullying, he couldn’t bring himself to give in, even if he always failed.

At times like these, his only solace was hearing stories from the book Divine’s Journey to the Place Where the Darkness Lies.

The book told tales of Hero Erun Tharos, recorded as a series of events with simple illustrations. It described how he ate the fruit that granted him godlike powers, how the empire found him and trained him, and how he formed a party to defeat the Dark Lord.

It also detailed how the empire and nearby lands awaited the hero’s return. The royal capital had been decorated in anticipation of the Brave’s victory, the streets buzzing with hope and joy.

The hero’s party brought victory, restoring peace and prosperity.

It was not mentioned in the book, but…

The Brave Hero Erun Tharos…

Never…,

Came…,

Back…

"..."

Kyle stepped out of the house, his eyes glimmering with light, a smile resembling a crescent moon on his face. He brimmed with energy, likely because of his daily dose of the hero’s story.

He was heading toward the village chief’s house—his toilet’s water supply had been cut off, and he wanted to complain.

Kyle walked along the stone-carved streets. The village was small but full of life, with basic amenities scattered around. At the far end of the road stood the chief’s house.

Standing at the door, Kyle knocked.

"Hello, Mr. Chief, it’s me, Kyle! Grandma sent me here!" he called out loudly.

The door opened, revealing a girl about his age. She had brown hair and brown pupils, contrasting with Kyle’s black hair and brown eyes.

He smiled and greeted her. "Hello, Elly."

The girl blushed, nodded, and replied, "Hello, Kyle. How have you been? Are you here to meet Father or…"

"Yes, I’m here to meet Mr. Chief," he interrupted, airily cutting her off.

Elly pouted, her cheeks puffing up in disappointment. "Okay, I’ll tell Father! I mean… Mr. Ch-i-e-f," she said as she walked away. "Dummy… you big, big dumb dummy."

Kyle, as he watched her walk away, thought, "Huh? Did she say something?"

He felt chills, as if someone was talking about him.

She soon returned. "Kyle, come inside. Father is calling you in."

"Huh? Inside? For what?" He was confused. Normally, they’d just send someone to fix the problem. It was unusual for the chief to summon him inside for such a small matter.

"I don’t know," Elly said, blushing and avoiding his gaze. "Maybe he has something to say. You should go quickly, or he’ll be angry."

"Ah, okay, okay," he replied hurriedly, walking to the office door.

As he knocked on the door to the chief's office, "It’s Kyle."

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

Kyle entered the room, where the village chief, Fern, sat. Unlike most people in the village, Kyle felt the chief treated him and his grandmother with special care.

"G-Good afternoon, Kyle. How have you been? I heard you needed some help," the chief said.

"Good afternoon to you too, Village Chief," Kyle replied, blushing. "Y-Yes, uh, the water supply to the bathroom isn’t working, so Grandma sent me here to ask for help."

"You don’t need to call me that," Fern chuckled. "You can just call me Uncle Fern. Don’t worry; I’ll send someone to help as soon as possible."

Kyle flustered. "Ah, um, I can’t call you that! It wouldn’t be respectful, and the villagers might question you for allowing it!"

Fern laughed heartily. "Who would dare question me if I told them you’re my nephew?"

Kyle flushed, clutching his trousers. "I… uh… thank you very much!"

"How’s your grandmother’s health?" Fern asked, his tone softening.

"She always says she’s fine," Kyle said, his voice heavy. "But I think she’s hiding something."

Fern nodded, his expression somber. "I’ll send a doctor to check on her later. Don’t worry about the water supply either."

Kyle’s face lit up. "A very muc–, a thank–, Thank you very much, Chie– I-I mean, Un—Uncle Fern!"

As he stammered, he felt embarrassed.

"Haha… Don’t mention it," Fern said with a smile, though his gaze lingered on Kyle a moment too long, an inscrutable expression crossing his face.

As Kyle left and closed the door, Fern stared at the closed door with mischievous eyes.

Kyle stepped out, standing in front of the chief’s house, gazing at the wide and beautiful streets ahead.

Suddenly, he felt someone poking his back. He turned around, and it was Elly.

"Hey, what were you talking about with Father?"

"Um, it was nothing. He asked how me and Grandma were doing."

Kyle noticed her sudden disappointment.

"Hey… hey, Kyle," she stammered. "Would you like to play with me? I’m free, you know." She asked, rubbing her foot on the ground nervously.

Kyle, oblivious to her intentions, replied, "Sorry, Lady Elly, but I have to hunt for today’s meal. Otherwise, Grandma and I will starve."

Elly hesitated. "Oh… then can I—"

But Kyle cut her off. "I have to go now. Those muscleheads might hunt all the rabbits! Bye, Elly! See you!"

Elly stood frozen in shock, her hand reaching toward the already-distant Kyle.

"You’re the biggest brickhead…" she muttered, blushing as her frustration boiled over. "Dummy!"

...