[SSS-class Mission: Holy War
Mission Objective: Eliminate the Demon Lord (0/1)
Number of Participants: 100+
This mission poses a high risk of participant casualties. Do you wish to proceed?
Confirm/Confirm]
'There's no option to refuse the mission!'
'I've come this far, is there any reason to retreat anyway?'
"Confirm."
.....
[Sword Hero: Anyi · Carl (Dead)
Killer: Demon Lord
Cause of Death: Suffered up to 8 fatal injuries]
...Anyi was dead.
No surprises there.
Confronting the being who overwhelmed all existence in the world, Anyi delivered a final blow, unsure if it would land, and in the end, he perished.
'Now, thinking about the Demon Lord still sends chills down my spine. Can over 100 Heroes really defeat him?'
As for why he thought "Now," it's because... Anyi had reincarnated.
He was reincarnated quite suddenly.
The moment Anyi died to the Demon Lord, his vision faded into darkness. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the faces of his long-deceased parents.
-------18 years later
"Clack!" In the training yard, a wooden sword flew and landed on the ground.
"Hoho!" The uncle, surprised by the black-haired boy standing before him, watched as the wooden sword flew away.
"You're still young, but your technique is impressive!" The uncle smiled, genuinely admiring.
"Of course, he's my son!" A muscular man approached, proudly draping an arm around Anyi's shoulders.
He was Assel · Carl, Anyi's father.
"My son is a prodigy! The most talented swordsman among the younger generation in our village."
"Certificate, may I have it?" Anyi asked calmly, devoid of emotion.
"Of course! Here you go!" The examiner, seated nearby, stood up, swiftly noted the details on the card, and stamped it before handing it to Anyi.
"Alright, here's your monster hunter certificate." the examiner declared, "From today onward, you're officially a monster hunter."
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Anyi accepted the certificate, "Thank you."
With that, Anyi gently removed Assel's hand from his shoulder and turned to leave.
Assel was accustomed to his son's reserved demeanor. He glanced at Anyi, then back at the examiner, offering a smile, "Anyi has never been one for words. He's been like this since he was little, haha..."
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. Prodigies like him are always a bit peculiar!"
"Haha——"
Outside the door.
"Hey, kid!" Assel patted Anyi on the shoulder from behind.
"Why the sudden interest in getting a Monster Hunter certificate? Did you read some heroic stories and decided you want to go out and hunt monsters?"
"With your talent, I think you're more than ready for a real fight, but— you still need a bit more practice! Once you're as strong as me, then you can set off on adventures!"
"But haven't I been beating you since I was ten?" Anyi changed at him.
"Ah." Assel's smile faltered. Ignoring him, Anyi pocketed the card.
In this world, without "Authority", anti-personnel weapons cannot be used outside the guarded area.
It's like the Law of this world and no one can go against it....
Therefore...
[Monster Hunter Authority: When encountering monsters, you gain the right to use weapons regardless of location.]
In his previous life, the Hero Chronicles recorded something related about him——
---------
[The Birth of Sword Hero
Description: "Monster Invasion: Disaster in Sunderland Village"]
A monster invasion occurs and the first group to discover the monsters is a pair of siblings who are gathering herbs.
To shield her younger brother from harm, the older sister sacrifices herself as the first victim.
Despite her tragic death, the younger brother swiftly alerts the village, allowing them to prepare defenses in time.
At dawn, hordes of monsters overrun the village. With just over ten hunters, even their best efforts couldn't fend off the onslaught.
By the incident's end, the entire village, except the young brother, perishes—no one escapes, all die to the monsters' hands.
On his eighteenth birthday, the young man "Awakened".
That lone survivor, the budding swordsman, now sets forth on a journey to vanquish the Demon Lord.
The village's devastation heralds the rise of [Sword Hero: Anyi · Carl].]
----
In fact, the invasion occurred the day before Anyi's eighteenth birthday.
Today, later in the afternoon, he and his sister would encounter the monsters together.
Tonight, the monsters would breach the village. By dawn, the once peaceful village would be transformed into a living "Hell."
On this fateful night, Anyi was powerless because... he had yet to become the [Sword Hero].
All Heroes were only "born" once the first [Holy Hero] awakened—the original hero.
In other words, until the [Holy Hero] awakened, Anyi would lack hero abilities—no systems, no additional attributes, no special powers.
The invasion will commence this afternoon. Based on Anyi's recollection, the [Holy Hero] was scheduled to turn eighteen at noon tomorrow.
"Anyi! Where did you go with Dad this morning? I told you to come early today to gather herbs. If we don't leave now, we'll be late."
A girl with two pigtails stood at the door, dressed in simple clothes.
Annie Carl, Anyi's older sister, inherited their mother's beauty and was well-known for her charm in the village.
"Can't we skip it?" Anyi asked calmly.
"Absolutely not. If we miss a day of gathering these precious medicinal herbs, we'll have to wait a long time before they're available again," Annie replied, glancing at Anyi.
'If nothing would happen if we didn't go. Just thinking about that feels liberating.'
But based on Anyi's past experiences, avoiding significant events in life seemed impossible.
However, that didn't mean change was out of reach.
In his previous life, he was an ordinary person suddenly transported to this game-like world. He didn't gain a system until he turned 18, feeling as if he had entered a "plot."
But in this life, holding memories from his previous life, Anyi displayed remarkably strong swordsmanship from a young age, accompanied by a profound change in his personality.
While certain events still unfolded, his superior strength often altered their outcomes significantly.
For example, he lost an important swordsmanship competition in his previous life, causing him to blame himself and practice diligently since then. But in this life, Anyi won that competition without much effort.
In this life, he must change the village's destruction. He wants to save his sister, save the village.
He wanted to confront those monsters himself.
"Hey, sister," Anyi called out.
"Before we head out, change into lighter clothes and bring a potion that repels monsters."