As Altleno returned to the village, Guiko’s lifeless body slung over his shoulder, the bustling square fell silent. The villagers froze, their eyes widening in shock. Slowly, realization crept in, and grief followed like a tidal wave. Some wept openly, mourning the loss of their elder, while others stood in silence, unable to process the sight before them.
One by one, their gazes shifted from Guiko’s motionless form to Altleno, the towering figure carrying him. Fear, anger, and confusion swirled in their eyes. An unspoken accusation hung heavy in the air, thickening the tension with every passing second.
A man near the front of the crowd, his face contorted with rage and sorrow, broke first. “You… you killed him!” he shouted, his voice cracking. With trembling fists, he charged at Altleno, his grief fueling his attack.
Altleno didn’t flinch. He stood firm, his head bowed, his eyes shadowed by regret. The man stopped just short of striking him, his rage faltering as he noticed Altleno’s expression—one of quiet, unyielding remorse.
“I understand your anger,” Altleno said, his voice low and steady, yet burdened with guilt. “I didn’t want this to happen. Guiko… he was a worthy opponent. I never meant for it to end like this.” He lifted his head, his gaze meeting the man’s. “If you’ll let me, I promise to protect this village. I owe him that much.”
The man’s fists fell to his sides as confusion and grief overtook his anger. But others in the crowd weren’t as forgiving.
“We don’t need you!” someone shouted.
“We can protect ourselves!” another voice called out, brimming with mistrust.
The crowd splintered, whispers spreading like wildfire. Some villagers exchanged hesitant glances, intrigued by Altleno’s vow but unwilling to voice it aloud. Others scoffed, their pride and pain blinding them to his sincerity.
Despite the mounting tension, the villagers eventually agreed to honor Guiko with a proper burial. Altleno worked alongside them, assisting with the sacred rites. He helped lower Guiko’s body into the tranquil waters of a sacred river as part of the village's traditions. Later, they laid him to rest in the graveyard, the ceremony heavy with solemnity and unspoken emotions.
After the burial, the villagers dispersed, each grappling with their own turmoil. Altleno wandered the village, feeling the weight of their stares and whispers. Eventually, his attention was drawn to an elderly woman sitting alone at her stall. Her wares were untouched, her posture rigid as villagers walked past without a glance.
Curious, Altleno approached her. “Do you sell anything here?” he asked, his tone soft.
The old woman looked up, her eyes narrowing. “What are you still doing here?” she snapped. “Haven’t you done enough? What’s next—killing the rest of us?”
Her words hit him harder than he expected. Kneeling before her, his imposing figure suddenly seemed smaller. “I didn’t mean for Guiko to die,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “The fight… I thought he felt the same thrill I did. I didn’t know…” He trailed off, his hands balling into fists. “I didn’t know it would end like that.”
The woman’s expression flickered, a brief crack in her hardened exterior as she saw the pain in his face. But she quickly hardened again, turning her gaze away. “Words won’t bring him back,” she said coldly.
Altleno lowered his head further, his knees pressing into the dirt. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For everything. I didn’t come here to bring harm to your home. I only wanted to test my strength, to prove I could stand among those stronger than me. I owe you all a debt I may never repay.”
Nearby villagers overheard his apology. Some paused, their anger softening as they saw his sincerity. Others remained wary, their suspicion rooted too deeply to be swayed.
“Is he truly sorry?” one woman murmured.
“Or is this just a trick?” another countered.
Altleno stayed kneeling, unmoving, waiting for judgment from the people he now felt compelled to protect.
The tense silence broke when an elderly man stepped forward, his gait unsteady but his voice resolute. “Altleno,” he said, his tone a mix of desperation and determination. “If you truly wish to help, then there’s something you can do. A massive boulder has blocked our farmland for weeks. We’ve tried everything, but it won’t budge. Without access to the fields, we’re running out of food and resources. Can you help us?”
Altleno rose to his feet, his expression softening. “Show me,” he said simply.
The elder led him through the outskirts of the village. There, towering over the ruined farmland, was a colossal rock, its surface cracked and weathered. Altleno’s eyes narrowed as recognition dawned—it was one of the boulders that had fallen during his fight with Guiko.
Wordlessly, Altleno approached the rock. Placing both hands on its surface, he took a deep breath before lifting it effortlessly. Gasps echoed from the crowd of onlookers as they watched him carry the massive weight to a clear area near the village walls.
Once he set it down gently, Altleno turned to the gathered villagers. “May I use this rock to create a statue of Guiko?” he asked. “I want to honor him—for all he did for you.”
The villagers exchanged uncertain glances until one stepped forward, tools in hand. “I’ll help,” the man said.
Together, they began shaping the rock. As they worked, the man hesitated before asking, “Where did you come from before you came here?”
Altleno paused, his hands stilling for a moment. “I came from the forest to the east,” he replied.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The man froze, his expression shifting from curiosity to fear. “The Forbidden Forest?” he whispered. “They say it’s cursed. Long ago, adventurers fought a beast there—a creature so powerful it could destroy the world. They barely managed to seal it away. No one’s supposed to go near that place.”
Altleno frowned. “I’ve lived there my whole life,” he said calmly. “I never saw any such beast. If it exists, it hides well—or it’s long gone.”
The man stared at him, torn between disbelief and awe. “Then how did you survive? That place is a death trap.”
Altleno’s gaze turned distant. “I survived because I had to,” he said quietly. “But perhaps the forest holds secrets even I don’t understand.”
The man nodded reluctantly but said no more, his unease lingering. Despite the tension, he continued working on the statue alongside Altleno, recognizing that, for now, the stranger meant to help.
As time passed, the villagers gradually warmed up to Altleno. His willingness to help with their daily tasks spoke louder than his words. He could often be seen carrying heavy rocks, plowing fields, and assisting with farming. Occasionally, he joined the villagers in their recreational activities, from push-up contests to simple games. Slowly, the intimidating figure who had once brought fear to their hearts began to feel like part of the community.
One day, Altleno received a summons from the Adventurer’s Guild. A guild messenger approached him in the village square, her expression a mix of nervousness and urgency.
“Altleno,” she began cautiously, “the guild needs your help. A group of ogres has been spotted near the outskirts of town. They’ve been raiding travelers and disrupting trade routes.”
Altleno’s eyes narrowed. “How many?”
“We estimate at least a dozen,” she replied. “They’re well-organized, and our scouts warn they could be dangerous.”
Without hesitation, Altleno nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
The next morning, Altleno set out for the outskirts of the town, following the directions provided by the guild. The path led him to a dense, shadowy forest, the air heavy with an ominous stillness. As he approached the suspected location of the ogres, an uneasy feeling crept over him, like a warning whispering at the edge of his senses.
Still, he pressed forward. Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound broke the silence. Altleno instinctively sidestepped just as a massive spear struck the ground beside him, embedding itself deeply in the dirt.
He snapped his head toward the treeline, his body tensing. A moment later, a horde of ogres burst out from the shadows, their guttural snarls reverberating through the forest. Armed with crude but deadly weapons, they charged at him, their sheer numbers creating a wall of chaos.
Altleno clenched his fists and met them head-on. He started with punches and kicks, each strike delivering devastating force. He sent ogres flying with every blow, but their overwhelming numbers began to close in, forcing him to take a defensive stance.
As the battle raged on, Altleno’s breathing grew heavier. For every ogre he defeated, two more seemed to replace it. Frustrated, he decided it was time to shift the balance.
He released his aura.
Destroying the terrain around him as
a powerful surge of energy radiated from his body, forcing the ogres to momentarily halt. The shockwave created a brief window of opportunity, and Altleno pressed the advantage, taking down several more of the creatures with renewed strength and speed.
Then, a deafening roar tore through the air.
Altleno froze mid-strike, his heart pounding. The sound was primal and ferocious, unlike anything he had ever encountered. From deeper within the forest, the ground began to tremble, each heavy step shaking the earth.
A colossal figure emerged from the shadows, towering over the ogres that surrounded it. It was an ogre unlike the rest—massive, scarred, and radiating a terrifying aura of power. Its yellow eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, and it wielded a spiked club that looked capable of smashing through stone.
The lesser ogres rallied behind their leader, their snarls growing louder as their confidence surged.
Altleno’s breathing quickened as he stared at the monstrous figure. For the first time, a cold wave of fear coursed through him.
"So... you're the leader," Altleno muttered under his breath, steadying his stance. He forced himself to push aside the fear as he remembered the training he went through, his muscles tense as the massive ogre let out another earth-shaking roar.
The battle was far from over.
Altleno stood frozen, his chest heaving as the monstrous beast loomed before him. The night air crackled with tension, and memories of the brutal training he had endured flooded his mind. "If I can't defeat this monster, how can I hope to face the Demon King?" he thought. "How can I fulfill the objectives of that strange being and finally earn my freedom?" The weight of his fate pressed heavily on his shoulders, threatening to crush his resolve.
The creature picked up the other ogres and ate them absorbing their power, giving it more strength. As some ogres fled, the hybrid pursued them relentlessly, their cries silenced one by one. The creature's eyes glow an eerie color as it's body contorted, it's muscles swelling grotesquely as it consumed the ogres, their screams fading into the monstrous roar of its transformation. The creature's roar shook him from his thoughts. Before he could fully process the threat, a massive tree trunk swung toward his head. Altleno barely ducked in time, the wind from the attack whipping past his face as he leapt backward. His gaze locked onto the grotesque form of the beast: an unholy amalgamation of ogre and dragon, its malformed body covered in scales and patches of mottled flesh.
The sight made his stomach churn. For a fleeting moment, he felt the urge to vomit, but he steadied himself, forcing his body to respond. The monster lunged again, its claws striking with terrifying speed. Altleno was sent hurtling through the air, his body crashing into the ground with bone-jarring force. Before he could recover, the beast closed the distance, delivering a thunderous punch that launched him into the trunk of a massive tree.
The impact shattered the wood and sent splinters flying as Altleno collapsed in a heap. There was no time to breathe. The creature grabbed him by the legs, lifting him like a rag doll. Altleno's vision blurred as the monster slammed him into the ground repeatedly, each impact sending shockwaves through the earth. His ribs screamed in protest, his mind drowning in pain.
Dust and debris filled the air as the beast finally tossed him aside like discarded prey. Altleno skidded across the forest floor, coming to a stop in a crumpled heap. Gritting his teeth, he tried to rise, his body trembling under the strain. Blood trickled down his face, pooling at the corner of his mouth. His aura flickered weakly as he attempted to summon it, but his strength was failing.
The monster uprooted a massive tree with ease, raising it high above its head before swinging it down with terrifying force. The improvised weapon crashed into Altleno again and again. One particularly devastating blow tore into his left arm, leaving a deep, gaping wound. He gasped in pain, his mind spiraling. Was this the end? Was this how he would die?
As the beast picked him up once more, its claws digging into his battered frame, as Altleno touched some of the beast's blood. A strange energy pulsed between them, surging through his broken body. As strength returned to his battered body, a slow, defiant smile crept across his face. For the first time, he felt invincible
Instinctively, Altleno began absorbing its power. Unconscious at first, he barely registered the sensation as strength coursed through him. The beast, sensing something amiss, hurled him through the air again. Altleno crashed into the ground, but this time, he pushed himself up. His knees buckled, and his body screamed in protest, but he stood. The energy he'd absorbed steadied him just enough.
The creature roared in rage and charged, its colossal fist swinging toward him. Altleno braced himself. When the blow connected, he grabbed hold of the monster's massive hand, his grip unyielding. The beast thrashed, trying to shake him off, but Altleno clung to it like iron. He felt its life force flooding into him, dulling his pain and strengthening his resolve.
His aura flared, glowing faintly but steadily. The creature howled in frustration, but Altleno refused to let go. With a guttural roar, he freed himself from the monster's grasp and retaliated with a punch of his own. The force of the strike sent shockwaves rippling through the forest, uprooting trees and shaking the earth.
The beast staggered, its footing faltering for the first time. Altleno seized the opportunity, unleashing a relentless barrage of blows. Each punch siphoned more power from the creature, weakening it further while he grew stronger. Finally, with one devastating strike, Altleno drove his fist into the monster's chest. He felt its massive heart beating beneath his hand.
With a victorious snarl, he tore it free, blood spraying across the battlefield. The creature let out a final, guttural cry before collapsing to the ground, its body shaking the forest floor. Altleno stood over the fallen monster, chest heaving, his injured left arm hanging limp at his side. The severed heart in his hand dripped blood onto the ground.
Exhausted but victorious, he stumbled forward. Summoning the last of his strength, he gripped the beast's thick neck and, with grim determination, severed its head.
When he returned to the village, dragging the grotesque trophy behind him, silence fell over the crowd. Villagers stared in a mixture of horror and awe. Some turned away, unable to bear the sight of the disfigured head, while others whispered in admiration of Altleno's strength. His bloodied body told the story of his struggle, and he was quickly sent for treatment.
In the days that followed, Altleno was both celebrated and feared. The villagers hailed him as their protector, children flocking to him with bright smiles and laughter. Yet, not everyone looked upon him kindly. Some envied his strength, their glances sharp with jealousy. While others were frightened, some group of villagers even created a group planning to use all their power if Altleno we're to turn evil. Women approached him boldly, their intentions clear as they sought to bear the child of strongest adventurer. Even married men, hoping to raise children of power, urged him to lie with their wives. Altleno fled, masking his excitement, only to return moments later with a composed, stern demeanor, knowing he couldn't the complications such actions will bring
His deeds earned him the title of Supreme Adventurer, a rank spoken with both reverence and trepidation.
Yet, despite the accolades, Altleno felt hollow. The weight of his actions lingered heavily on him, and the gnawing emptiness within his heart refused to be silenced. As he patrolled the village, ensuring its safety, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing-a purpose beyond strength and survival. For now, his journey was far from over.