Chapter 15

Not a Hero

I take a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. Slowly, I extend my arm forward searching for any injury or lingering fatigue inside my body. Satisfied with the results, I retract my hand back.

It looks like the sickness Anna had is truly gone. If that’s the case, then that means I don’t have to hold back anymore.

I tightly ball my hand into a fist and punch the air as hard as I could. The wind picks up as I throw a series of punches. I shift my weight left and right pretending to dodge attacks. Sand flew into the air along with my leg I kick off the ground.

“Whoa!” I stare amazed at my leg that I easily raise over my head. I’m pretty sure Anna couldn’t do this. Hell, I don’t even think my old body was this flexible. I guess this confirms my theory. Giving my soul not only wipe the illness from her body, it also developed her body to its peak performance and perhaps even past that. Although I still don’t understand why some of her features change to resemble my old body. If I had to guess, her body change because its trying to adapt to my soul.

I’m probably the only person in the world that succeeded in soul transfer, so all I can do is make wild speculations. It’s going to be hard finding a way to separate myself without any solid information.

My body slumps forward. The thought of being trapped like this forever drain me of my strength. ‘

“No!” I shake my head to free myself from the black cloud forming in my mind.

This world is filled with strange things and creatures. I’m sure if I look hard enough, I’ll eventually find something that can help with my current predicament, I’m positive of it. But, before I start looking. I should keep training. This body responds perfectly to all my thoughts, but still, it’s going to take some time getting used to my shrunken height and the extra weight on my chest.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” A half-naked man wearing only short pants approach me while clapping his hand. Confused, I looked around hoping he was talking to someone else, but my hope was crushed rather quickly when he stops in front of me. The man was a head taller than me which forced me to look up at the cocky smile he was wearing.

“You see something you like?” He lifts his arms and flexes his muscles.

“….” My mind went blank. Even though I knew exactly what was going on, I couldn’t accept it.

“Oh, who’s the cutie?” Two more guys approach me. Just like the one hitting on me, they were both shirtless, happily showing off their tan skin and tone bodies to everyone on the beach.

“I don’t know she hasn’t told me yet.”

“It looks you like you scared her silent.”

No, I’m just trying not to vomit. When I said, I wanted a harem I didn’t mean I want to be hit on by a bunch of burly men!

“Sorry, but I have somewhere to go.” I tried to walk away, but one of the guys grabs my arm.

“Hey, what’s the rush?”

“Yea, why don’t play with us for a little? I promise it’ll be fun.”

“Let go of me. My patience is thinning.” I grit my teeth to hold back the anger building inside of me.

“And what will happen if your patience fades away?”

My body begins to tremble with rage. Fearing, I might snap and do something stupid I look around hoping someone would step in. The curious onlookers watching me couldn’t quickly look away pretending they don’t see what’s happening. I don’t blame them. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t get involved in something this stupid either.

“You see that? No one is going to help you, because they know this is our turf.

“That’s fine. I don’t need anyone help.” I ball my hand into a fist. Noticing it, the three men laugh at me.

“Oh oh be careful, it looks like she’s going to punch you!”

“That’s fine by me.” The man holding my arm puff his chest out. “Go ahead and hit me, and I’ll show you why I rule this turf!”

“Brace yourself.” I raise my clench fist into the air.

“No need, your punch won’t hur- “Before he could finish speaking I dug my fist into his stomach knocking all the air out of him. He drops to the ground, gasping for air.

“What the hell happen?” The two guys who were laughing face twist and horror and confusion as they watch their friend cough up blood.

“What did you do?!” One of them demanded.

“Nothing, I punch him just like he asked me to,” I said in a matter of factly way.

“You bitch!” one of men charges at me. I step out of the way and kick his leg, tripping him into the sand.

“How disappointing. I thought you guys would be strong since you own a territory. I guess you guys bluff all your opponent’s away, right?”

“Don’t look down on us!” The man tries to get back up, but I plant my foot on his face and push back into the sand.

“I would, but you guys are like insects begging me to crush you.” The man screams in pain as I put more weight on my foot. Veins bulge from his arms as he desperately tries to move my foot off his face. Overwhelming satisfaction washes over me as I watch the resolve in his eye fade away.

“Let go of him!” The third guy shouts as he throws an incredibly slow and predictable punch at me which I easily catch. I twist his arm forcing him to his knees.

“I give! I give!” He screamed as he tries to wiggle his hand free from my grip. I tilt my head pretending I didn’t understand him.

“Hmm, what exactly are you giving me?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“No! I give up, I surrender!” Tears formed in his eyes. I wanted to keep toying with them, but more and more onlookers gathered around me creating a circle I click my tongue and let the two guys go.

“Don’t ever come near me again. If you do, then next time, well I’m sure you guys aren’t stupid enough for there to be a next time right…. Right?” I narrow my eyes at them, causing all three of them to flinch.

“R-Right we won’t bother you again!” Satisfy with their answer, I turn around, the spectators that formed a circle around me quickly step out of my way.

“You saw that? She defeated those three guys effortlessly. Is she even human?

“No way, can’t be, didn’t you see those fangs, she’s definitely a monster.”

“Should we alert the guards?”

Have they never heard of whispering? Do they think I’m deaf? Or maybe they just don’t care I can hear them. Either way, it’s incredibly “Annoying.” My thoughts slip out my mouth. The crowd fell silent and back away from me.

The fear in their eyes, it’s the exact way people looked at me in the past. But that’s fine with me, I rather people run away from me in fear then get hit on by another meathead.

I shrug off their fearful stares and walk into the nearby woods hoping I wouldn’t deal with anyone there. The sound of humans gossiping faded as my way in the forest.

I guess becoming a human doesn’t mean I automatically fit into human society. “Maybe, I should’ve never left the castle... “ The black cloud from earlier begins to form in my mind again.

Jeez, why am I so bothered about what human say about me? I never care before. Right now, the only thing I should be concerned with is how strong I am. And this seems like the perfect place to do without getting interrupted.

I take a quick glance at my surrounding to make sure no one was around. Thanks to the Entities, what I’m about to do next could be considered illegal.

I open the palm of my hand and concentrate solely on it. Air gathers in my palm and twirls in a circle, growing faster and hotter by the second until it combusts into a ball of flame.

I stare at the fireball floating in my hand somewhat impress. “Looks like this confirms it, this body has Ascended.”

Ascension: Manipulating the energy in one’s body to bolster their abilities. Everyone can use this power, but thanks to Athena and the other Entities most of the world is unaware they possess it.

And if by some miracle a person discovers they possess such a power they will have to train like a madman to reach Ascension, but it seems fusing with me cause this body to ascend on its own. Well, I already confirm this in my fight with that oversized goblin, although creating this fireball prove not only have this body ascended, but it has access to all my abilities…

I guess I should be happy, but even in my old body I had a hard time controlling my powers, so what happens if I tried to use it in a human body? It could potentially destroy me.

Suddenly, the fireball I held in my hand seems incredibly dangerous. I shake my hand fiercely to rid myself of it. Instead of going out like a normal fire, the ball of flames drops to ground setting the grass ablaze.

Thankfully the fire I created wasn’t that strong it spread at an incredibly slow pace, but still, I should do something before I’m label as a pyromaniac.

I lightly tap the ground with my foot. A green vine dug its way from out the ground. With a simple gesture of my hand, the vine wrap around the fireball snuffing it out.

I can create basic elements. I can use “blight” and even create “blighted golem, the last thing on my checklist is my main ability, “Corruption.”

Last time I use it was when I wipe Eden off the map. Can the current me handle such a dangerous power? Well, I guess I’m about to find out.

A warm energy rises from within my body and envelops me in a transparent blanket.

Aura, a sign that one has ascended. This thin veil of energy increases one strength immensely. Usually, most amateurs that make it this far are content with this level of power, unaware that true strength lies deeper within.

The grass near my body withered away as the energy surrounding me grew darker and colder.

“So much...” My breathing grew erratic as more energy surge through my body. “There’s so much power flowing through me!!” filled with overwhelming excitement, I let out a hysterical laugh “Why the hell have I been holding myself back?! With this power, I could do whatever the hell I want, and no one will be able to stop me!” I continue to giggle happily while letting the black aura flowing my body to consume everything in the area, slowly turning the area into a wasteland.

“Um, excuse me.”

My heart nearly stops. I slowly turn around to face the timid voice that called out to me. The wolf girl from earlier stood frozen looking at me in horror.

“What are you doing here?” I take a step towards the girl, she tries to back away from me but trips over a low branch. She raises her shaky hand to show me a silver coin.

“You dropped this when you were fighting those big bullies, I… I wanted to return it to you.”

Are you serious? A lousy coin is the reason I got caught? “How utterly stupid.” I cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing at my own shitty luck.

Now, what to do with her? She saw me use corruption. If let her go she’ll tell everyone and eventually, the other Entities will find me.

No, I can’t let that happen! I refuse to be caught after I finally free myself from that accursed castle! I have no choice, I have to kill her.

I raise my hand in the air and let black energy wraps around my arm transforming it into a claw. The little girl’s eyes widen in surprise. “C-could it be…” While shaking in fear, she continues to struggle with her words.

Go ahead say it, call me a monster. I stretch my arm out, preparing to finish her in a single attack.

“Could it be you’re a hero?”

“Huh?” The little girl’s question froze me in place. While I ponder her question, my surroundings suddenly got darker.

“B-behind you!” Terrified, she points at something behind me. I turn around to see a tree slowly leaning towards me.

Looks like activating my ability destroys the roots that were holding it in place. Man, I really do have shitty luck.

I raise one of my hand up easily catching the falling tree, the black aura gathered around my hand spreads to the tree. Devouring it and turning it into ash in an instant.

“Wow, you really do have superpowers!” The little girl who was quivering in fear a moment ago was now standing next to me, her yellow eyes glowing with excitement.

“Are you not scare of me?” The excitement in the girl’s eyes fades instantly, and she looks away from as if she was embarrassed.

“I’ll admit it when I saw laughing you I was kind of scared.”

I was laughing? Crap, I must've lost control of myself?  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Corruption eats away at my sanity. Even in my old body, I had a hard time keeping myself in check when I used it.

“But, you protected me from those noble bullies and stop the tree from crushing me. There’s no way you’re evil, right, miss?” The little girl looks up at me with a smile so bright I had to look away.

This is the first time someone didn’t run away after seeing me use my power. Perhaps I can get out of this situation without having to make a grave.

I let the energy around my body fade away, so I could approach her without hurting her. “You’re right, I am a hero.”

“I knew it! I knew it!” She said happily while jumping up and down. I place my hand on her fluffy head to stop her from bouncing around.

“Calm down, you need to keep this a secret. You see I’m currently spying on this evil organization, so I need to remain incognito, understand?”

What the hell am I saying? No way she’ll believe such a stupid lie.

“Yes, I understand!” She energetically nods her head at me.

Thank god she’s an idiot.

“Oh, yea your coin.” She hands try to hand me the silver coin from earlier, but I close her hand and pushes it back to her.

“You keep it. Think of it as our vow of silence.”

“….” She quietly held the coin near her heart while her tail wag happily back and forth. “I promise I’ll treasure this for the rest of my life.”

“I’m counting on it, now run on home.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Shining me a bright smile, she turns around to head home but ends up tripping over another branch, “Ouch.” She quickly hops back onto her feet and bows to me. “Sorry about that!”

“Don’t apologize to me, you’re the one that fell.”

“Oh right, sorry sis.”

“Wait, sis?”

“Well see you tomorrow, big sis!” After dusting her dress off she dashes out of the woods, leaving behind a small coin where she fell.

How concerning, she dropped the coin she vowed to treasure her whole life. Maybe I was better off killing her after all.

I pick the coin up and flip it in the air. The little girl words echo in my head while I watch it fly in the sky.

“A hero huh? What a foolish thing to call me.”