Kingdom of Aelfhim

The princess sat hunched over her desk, her fingers gripping the ring tightly as her eyes flicked between it and the room, frustration etched across her face. She had been pondering the ring's significance for hours, yet no clear answers came to her. Her thoughts kept circling back to one impossible question: Who could the ring have chosen?

After a long silence, she finally tossed the ring across the room in a fit of exasperation. It flew through the air and landed on the floor just as the servant boy entered, carrying a bag in his hand.

"Your Majesty! You dropped this!" the servant hurriedly said as he bent down to pick up the ring. As he did, a faint, ethereal glow emanated from the ring—something the princess had never seen before.

"Pause!" The princess's voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing at the glow. It hadn't glowed like this before, and she instinctively knew it signaled something important. Her heart skipped a beat as a flash of memory suddenly came to her.

[Two years ago, when the servant boy was cleaning her office, she had left the ring on her desk. But a sudden, heavy pressure filled the room, forcing her to return. She had found the boy holding the ring, unconscious and unexplainable.]

"It seems the heavens have not abandoned us completely!" she murmured softly, her voice a mix of disbelief and hope. She stood and walked toward the servant boy, now looking at him with newfound interest.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" the servant asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. The princess's gaze was intense as she approached, her every step deliberate.

"I originally thought the person destined for this ring would be a mage or a warrior! But to think it fell into the hands of a servant boy..." The princess shook her head, her voice trailing off as she stared at him with a sense of awe. "Answer me, boy. Do you know anything about magic?"

"N-No, Your Majesty! I'm just a servant!" The boy's head was bowed in shame, but his eyes flickered nervously as the princess's gaze bore into him.

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"It's okay." The princess's voice softened, though her tone was still commanding. "Put the ring on. I need to see what happens."

The servant hesitated, clearly unsure. "I wouldn't dare wear His Majesty's treasure—"

"—It's an order!" The princess cut him off, her patience thinning.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The boy quickly dropped the bag from his hand and slipped the ring onto his right index finger.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

"Nothing ha—" The princess began, but she was immediately interrupted as an overwhelming surge of energy burst from the ring. A powerful aura of a 4th order mage radiated outward, entering the servant's body. The princess's eyes widened in shock.

"Even though I myself am a 5th order mqge, that 4th order aura is incredible… It's more potent than mine!" she muttered to herself, astonished by the intensity of the magic. But before she could say more, the servant collapsed with a loud thud.

---

Elsewhere…

A young voice echoed through an endless, formless void.

"Is this how I'm going to die?" The words reverberated, and though the boy couldn't recall how long he'd been trapped in this place, he instinctively knew it had been a long time. He had thought himself dead—but now, it was unclear.

"Where am I?" His eyes snapped open, and he was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling. He blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Before he could process further, a voice interrupted.

"Good! You're finally awake!" The princess's voice was full of relief. The boy looked around in confusion and saw her standing beside him. His head throbbed with pain, and it took a moment before he could speak.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I... I'm fine, Your Majesty," the servant said softly, rubbing his head, only now starting to understand his situation. "But... where am I?"

"You passed out after wearing the ring," the princess explained, her tone serious. "It's been two whole days since. Tell me, do you feel anything different?"

The boy closed his eyes, sensing the strange energy flowing through his veins. "I feel... strange. Stronger, maybe? I think it's the ring's effect."

"That's good to hear!" The princess nodded. "You'll need to begin training right away. You can consider yourself humanity's hero now."

The servant's eyes widened. "I'm not sure I'm ready for such a responsibility."

The princess's face softened for a moment before hardening again. "What's your name again?" She seemed to dismiss the thought almost immediately. "Never mind. It seems you don't understand your situation. You've been chosen by fate. If you accept it, your future will be great. Or do you want to stay a servant for the rest of your life?"

The boy's head dropped. "Your Majesty, that's not what I meant! I've never even fought before! I can't be the one to fight for humanity."

"You don't have a choice," the princess said, her gaze firm. "All you have to do is accept your fate, and everything else will follow."

The boy stood, determination slowly creeping into his eyes. "If that's the case... I, Leonel, promise to fight for humanity and gain the power to defeat our foes!"

"Then prepare yourself. Today marks the beginning of your awakening ceremony."

As the princess left the room, the boy stood still for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Becoming humanity's hero... me? Well, let's see if this 'hero' role comes with any cheat skills."