Synopsis
Neil figured out pretty quickly that there’s no such thing as a true hero.
He missed the days when making a fool out of himself was the worst he could do. Now though…
Your chances of getting eaten by a dragon aren’t high, he thought, glancing up at the sky. But never zero.
A distant roar shook the trees, and Neil did his best to make himself look less appetizing.
Every century, monsters surge across the kingdom of Enkhyria, and only the heroes can stem the rising tide of darkness.
Unfortunately for the monsters, the Pentarchy outsourced and industrialized the process of hero-making millennia ago.
Across the land, hundreds of heroes—summoned in bands of five—are trained, armed, and sent to fight in the Pentarchy’s war. The gods themselves have blessed their champions with power, though it is up to each of them to discover what these blessings do.
Until someone makes a mistake.
A band of six is summoned, and one of the heroes… isn't one.
Neil. The mistake—not that he knows it yet. The sixth hero in his band. The gods haven’t granted him power; best he can tell, they don’t even know he exists. He has to get strong enough to survive this world the hard way, before his keepers figure out who he isn’t and they scrap him for parts.
This story is an unironic exploration of the power of friendship and humor in an increasingly chaotic fantasy world. It’s based on the Unchosen-One trope, where the main character is a ‘normal’ human summoned with a group of heroes. He doesn’t figure it out right away, but when the others start punching through walls and summoning swords of holy light, and he’s still regular-old-Neil, something must be up.
…Luckily, he doesn’t turn out totally helpless…
Table of Contents
- 1Prologue: A True Hero Isn’t Born. Kind Of The Opposite, Really2024-11-13
- 2Chapter 1: A True Hero Isn’t Wearing Any Pants2024-11-13
- 3Chapter 2: A True Hero Isn’t Feeling Their Best2024-11-13
- 4Interlude: A Wise Man Tells It How It Is2024-11-13
- 5Chapter 3: A True Hero Never Quits2024-11-13
- 6Chapter 4: A True Hero Has A Mighty Will To Live2024-11-13
- 7Chapter 5: A True Hero Anticipates Grave Danger2024-11-13
- 8Chapter 6: A True Hero Makes A Grave Mistake2024-11-13
- 9Chapter 7: A True Hero Marches Slowly Towards The Grave2024-11-13
- 10Chapter 8: A True Hero Is Underwhelmed By Danger’s Grave-ness2024-11-13
- 11Chapter 9: A True Hero Gravely Goes Where No Man Has Gone Before2024-11-13
- 12Chapter 10: A True Hero Is Dead Tired Of Gallows Humor2024-11-13
- 13Chapter 11: A True Hero’s Greatest Weapon Is…2024-11-13
- 14Chapter 12: A True Hero Knows A Rat When He Sees One2024-11-13
- 15Chapter 13: A True Hero Stops To Smell The R-Rats2024-11-13
- 16Chapter 14: A True Hero Battles The Wee Tim’rous Beasties2024-11-13
- 17Interlude: A Good Friend Leaves You Laughing2024-11-13
- 18Chapter 15: A True Hero Wants To Know What The HECK That Was2024-11-13
- 19Chapter 16: A True Hero Is Prepared For Anything2024-11-13
- 20Chapter 17: A True Hero Is Prepared For Most Things2024-11-13
- 21Chapter 18: A True Hero Wasn’t Prepared For THIS2024-11-13
- 22Chapter 19: A True Hero Bears Arms. Err—Groundhogs Arms?2024-11-13
- 23Chapter 20: A True Hero Is A Mere Vessel2024-11-13
- 24Interlude: Holy Men Wear Sandals2024-11-13
- 25There’s No Such Thing As A Perfect Map (not a chapter)2024-11-13
- 26Interlude: A Wise Woman Splits The Party2024-11-13