For a few days, there were a stigma surrounding Ayva in the small village. Wherever he goes, there will be people whispering 'how violent' or, 'how could a child like that beat a grown knight'. Girls avoid him, boys are too afraid to be near him.
Even in his family, there was small strife. The biggest hit to Ayva's ego was when one day, Ayva's younger brother looks at him and asks
"How did you beat mister Knight? Could I do that one day?"
It disturbs him to the core. It was because Ayva didn't want to bring any of that shit back to his family. In the past, he could never imagine that one day a lyric from Diddy would fits his situation so perfectly.
"Don't be like me okay? Don't be like me."
That night, Ayva's brother, Max injured himself with a knife because he waved it around wanting to be like his brother. Dinner that night was normal after Max was treated, however even though the food is hot, Ayva has never felt so cold.
In the morning, Leonel visits him. Ayva was chopping wood at the back of his house.
"What is it?"
Ayva hasn't seen his childhood friend since the incident when he hacked and slashed the knight who was to be his friend's mentor. The man was fine afterward, the only damage dealt was against his ego. After that the knight was summoned back to the capital, while the wizard, Albrect will still be stationed there.
Ayva looks at the eyes of his childhood friend, suddenly, the guy bows sincerely.
"I'm sorry."
"W-what?" If anything, it is he who should apologize. Stress not withstanding, it is him who snapped in the first place and acted rashly. He didn't know how to face Leonel and Eliza after that and that was why he has been avoiding them.
"Ever since they told me I were the hero, I have been keeping a distance from you.
In the first place, I didn't want to hurt you. You were my friend, but you were a normal person. If anyone needs to shoulder that responsibility, it should be me. I know that you didn't want to join the war, so I didn't want to force you.
But you know what happened on that day when I saw you at that training ground? I was glad. Finally, my friend will walk with me. I'm sorry for Mr. Aldrich's insult. If I were you, I would give him a good punch too."
Leonel holds out a fist jokingly. Ayva looks down at the fist. For some reason it hurts. Even though Leonel is the one who is trying to fix the situation, Ayva feels bad. Damn it, it hurt. It hurts acknowledging that you were the lesser man in the situation. That was just the pride speaking but damn it, it hurts. It hurt to accept that he was in the wrong. It hurts being the lesser man.
However, that was just part of life.
Finally, he looks at his friend in the eyes and accept the hand that was reaching out.
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In a few more weeks, a new trainer was sent from the capital
"...and Ayva with no last name is also eligible for training..."
The knight says it short and curtly. His name was Mycah. He was younger than the previous knight.
From then on, Ayva joined the training session. However, he knows full well that despite Leonel being the better man in that situation, his relationship with his other childhood friend's Eliza is never quite going back to what it was.
Even though she told him to stop being a coward and gives his life for his country, she did not like his violent action in that one incident. However, after a while, she could finally joke during one of his training session with Mycah
"Be careful teacher Mycah, if you slip, Ayva will beat you up."
And
"Why are you so stupid Ayva, don't talk to me."
At least he hopes those were jokes. At least sometime, they can have lunch together like old time, but it is just not the same. They are not children anymore, they could not go back to the time that they were innocent and the only worries they have were what games they will play the next day or what lesson they were learning from the local teacher.
It is far gone.
Time keeps slipping by, there are no take back.
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"This is the final test." The wizard in charge of training Eliza, Albrect spoke up.
2 years have gone by in the blink of an eye. Time flows quickly for Ayva. At first he feels like shit. Just one incident with an arrogant knight and it almost ruins his life. However, over time the rumors die down, and Ayva just continues on. It quickly becomes a routine. Wake up, training, being a hanger on to Leonel and Eliza, go home, have some light talk with the family, go to sleep then start it all over again.
After that one time, and a stern talking to, Max never holds a dangerous blade again. He stops doing such foolish activities. It is enough that his older brother is going to kill a lot of sentient being in the future, the younger brother needs not to follow the footstep of the brother.
Over the span of two years, both Leonel and Eliza have bloomed beautifully. Leonel has turned into an excellent young man, wearing the best armor, best shield, best weapon, at least it is the best the kingdom has to offer. None of them was even enchanted like Giant's Bane though. Eliza has mellowed down on her dislike of Ayva, there was still the occasionally
"STUPID AYVA"
Though. Ayva could swear his two childhood friends are drifting closer and closer everyday he saw them. He doesn't even know if they have secret dates.... All normies should die! Seriously!
It is a common story. A young man with great destiny. A beautiful childhood friend who was called the Saint, fitting for a companion to a hero. It is normal for them to fall in love, for a time.
The two are living out there golden years of youth. However, for Ayva, the golden time of his youth all feels so draped.
Was it because the pressure he feels about the future battle? Was it because he was training everyday to be a combatant, and to him it was crazy? To his friends though, it was normal, so perhaps it is indeed him that stops himself from enjoying the fruit of youth.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
The Wizard was confirming the status of every one. He needn't have, considering the moment the priest unlock it for Ayva, the boy has been able to treat it like a game interface in the game, even to the point he has been able to retrieve item from the inventory. A few days after the wizard is gone and there was no eyes of the kingdom anymore, Ayva will open his inventory to equip all his friends.
Still though, the next part is going to be the most difficult part. Even though he already knows his own stats, Leonel and Eliza don't.
Leonel
HP: 2000 Damage: 150 Hit: 1 Technique: Resolve, Single Strike, Sweeping Strike Can use: Sword, Spear, Bow, Mace, Light Armor, Heavy Armor
In game, Resolve was a damage boost skill.
Resolve Increase physical ability beyond the current limit. Target: Self, Physical damage +10%, Duration: 10 rounds.
MP:2 Single Strike Deliver a single focus strike with a sword. Attack damage: +50%
MP:2 Sweeping Strike Spin the blade and hit several enemies at one
MP:4
Ayva didn't know that it was possible for the stat sheet of an NPC to grow. His eyes change a bit. Perhaps indeed Leonel was the 'real' hero of the world in comparison to the faulty status of the player character. Not only does he gain a set of enviable skill since his childhood. Though it was not enviable because of its effect, as an end game character that has undergone class change, the 'Evra' unit has better version of all the skills. However, even in game, Evra can't use all of it willy nilly. As a restraint for players abusing skills against enemies NPCs, all skill, magic or not cost MP to use, and the max MP for a physical character at end game was lower then 150. That is less than 20 uses of the ultimate version of the skill Sweeping Strike III which cost 8MP.
For Leonel however, he does not have that MP limit because his stat sheet is that of an enemy NPC.
Already, Leonel overtakes him and could kill him in one strike... if he hits him in the first place.
However, it was Eliza that Ayva was worried about
There was no change in her skill set, only her HP grew.
Eliza HP:800 Damage: 30 Hit: 1 Spell: Heal Greater Wound, Mass Heal Greater Wound, Fire Draw Can use: Staff, Mace, Bow, Light Armor
Eliza seems disappointed about her growth. However, at this point, she should already be better than the defacto healbot priest of the game what with her not having an MP system.
Ayva knows that Eliza is disappointed, however, there was nothing he could do. She was visibly upset after seeing the status of Leonel before her.
Well, at least there was one thing Ayva could do.
Ayva steps up to the wizard and shows his status
Name: Ayva (Evra) Base Class: Human Lord (Faulty Heroes) STR: 20 (capped) Race: Human INT: 8 Experience : 2546181 AGI: 20 (capped) Level: 3 VIT: 10 Class Level HP: 130 Human Lord Level: 3 MP: 83 Rogue Level: 54 Attack: 10 - 15 Class Experience Number of Attack: 4 Human Lord (current): 128 Weapon Damage: +6 Rogue: 2546053 Hit Chance: 140% Dodge chance: 90% Magic resist: 50% Breath resist: 40%
"There has been no change since 2 years ago?"
Eliza said in surprise
"No, there was a few more changes in his HP, he increase it by 30 HP. But still, your status is as amazingly strange as they said."
On the status page, most of everything has been smeared out. Ayva closes his eyes, it was to be expected.
On Leonel status page, there was no STR, VIT, AGI, INT, or dodge chance, magic resist and breath resist at all. That is to say, they were on two completely different system. If Leonel was the hero the world treated like an NPC in game, Ayva was the lowly player of an idle game. Of course raw stat alone, an enemy NPC has to have more than the player.
And it was fitting enough for the faulty hero.
Funnily enough, Faulty is the only word that is clear in that whole status page. In game, for every level, a player's unit gain roughly 10 HP and roughly 1 MP. From level 30 upward, every level, a unit gain 20 HP and 2 MP. An end game unit is roughly level 50, which is enough to storm the demon king palace again and again until they are all gone.
Still with this, it is just fine to show to Eliza