I stood in a large arena, gripping a wooden sword tightly.
Across from me stood the village elder—a stocky, muscular man who clearly had a lot of combat experience.
Before the fight, I asked the Soul to merge with me again. That would give me 115 seconds to not only hold my ground but also possibly copy one of his skills.
I knew I had little chance of winning, but if I could at least see and feel his techniques, maybe I could learn something valuable.
"I have to get stronger. If I want to survive and find a way home, I need power. I can’t stay weak."
— Boy, what are you thinking about? — the elder asked, stretching his wrists.
— I’m ready.
— Then let’s begin!
I immediately used [Force Push], but the elder easily dodged it.
— Is that all you’ve got? — he laughed. — You can’t even hold a sword properly.
I tried a few attacks, but he effortlessly blocked them, barely putting in any effort.
— You’re worse than a beginner… How did you even survive in that forest?
— Honestly, I was shocked too when I found out there were S-rank monsters like dryads in there…
— Ahaha, I see. So you’re just lucky. But since you accepted this challenge, I’ll show you what a real fight looks like.
The elder changed his stance.
— Get ready!
"Instant Step!"
His figure vanished.
I didn’t even have time to react before I felt the cold touch of a wooden sword against my throat.
"What… when did he move?!"
Before I lost consciousness, a mysterious voice echoed in my mind:
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You have acquired a passive skill: [Mana’s Blessing (Lv.1)] – When reaching 0 mana, your maximum mana increases by 5 after a full recovery.
The next morning, I woke up back in the elder’s house.
A pair of kids sat beside me, and as soon as I moved, they rushed to call their father.
The elder walked into the room, arms crossed over his chest.
— What’s wrong with you? Why do you keep passing out?
I honestly explained my problem—whenever the Soul is active, my mana drains every second.
The elder burst out laughing.
— Ahahaha! You thought you could copy my technique? So, how did it go? Did it work?
I checked my status.
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* Attack: 2
• Mana: 20
• Speed: 2
• HP: 10
"Speed 2? Why?"
— Interesting… I got a passive skill, and now my mana increases whenever it reaches zero. But why did my speed go up?
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I checked the Soul’s status—its stats had changed too:
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* Speed: 2
• Attack: 2
• Mana: 130
"So it really copies all my abilities… But why is its mana so high?"
The Soul spoke:
— When you grow stronger, I grow stronger. That means I can level up alongside you.
— But this is dangerous… This time, I was unconscious for even longer than before…
"Wait. The Soul now has mana regeneration? 0.1 per hour? What about me?"
I checked again—I had the same regeneration rate.
"What?! 0.6 mana per 6 hours?! That’s way too slow!"
I came to a realization:
"Stats update when I discover something new about myself. That means I need to keep learning more."
I decided to ask the elder:
— Is there a library in the village? Or any books about combat techniques?
— No, boy. Books are rare. But the city, about 10 km from here, definitely has them. If you want to learn more, you’ll need to earn some money and get stronger.
"Then I’ll train!"
I woke up with a single thought—becoming stronger.
Yesterday, I learned that this world has a history.
A Hero-King once existed and changed everything.
But none of that mattered if I stayed weak.
— We need to train, — I muttered, sitting up.
— And what do you suggest? — the Soul asked, floating beside me.
I glanced at it—this small, glowing sphere had been following me since I arrived in this world.
It was part of me, and its words often felt like my own thoughts.
— First, I need to reach Level 2 and see what happens.
— Levels, levels… What if nothing happens? — the Soul sighed.
— Then we’ll find another way to get stronger.
I stood up, opened the door, and stepped forward into a new day.
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When I walked out of my room, a young boy who had been waiting in the hallway suddenly flung open the door to the next room.
He stared at me in surprise before grinning.
— Breakfast is ready! — he cheered and ran toward the dining area.
I froze for a moment.
It was such a simple thing, but for some reason, it felt warm.
"How long has it been since someone greeted me like that in the morning?"
Following the boy, I sat at the table and began eating.
The food was simple but filling.
But even during breakfast, I couldn’t stop thinking about this world.
"I know too little about it."
I looked up at the elder, who was sitting across from me, stirring his drink thoughtfully.
— Tell me about this world, — I asked.
The elder lifted his gaze, considering my request.
— That’s a long story, boy, — he said.
— I’m not in a hurry, — I replied, continuing to eat.
The old man nodded, set his cup aside, and began to speak.
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The Rise of the Hero-King
— We live in the Second Era, in the Kingdom of [Human Kingdom], located on the edge of the continent, — the elder began.
— Right now, four kingdoms exist, constantly warring against each other. But it wasn’t always this way…
I leaned forward in interest.
— Long ago, during the First Era, there was only one great kingdom. It was founded by the Hero-King, who appeared out of nowhere in the year 0, when this world was in chaos.
— Before him, there were no calendars, no structured governments, no unity. He brought the first system of time—days, weeks, months, and years.
— At that time, the continent was divided into countless small settlements, clans, and races. Wars and starvation ruled over all. But the greatest threat came from the demons—invaders from beyond the continent who conquered nearly everything.
— At their head stood the Demon King, alongside the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They burned cities, killed rulers, and enslaved or sacrificed people to their dark gods.
— It was when the world was on the verge of collapse that the Hero-King appeared.
— No one knew where he came from. He wasn’t of royal blood, and he had no army. But he had unimaginable strength and charisma.
— His sword was so powerful that it could cut through even the toughest armor in a single strike. But his name… was lost.
— He began gathering forces, uniting races that had once been enemies. Humans, elves, dwarves, even monsters—all stood under his banner.
— His crown bore the symbols of all races, representing their unity.
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The Hero-King had fought against the Demon King and won.
But after the final battle…
He disappeared.
No one ever found his body, his sword, or his crown.
With his disappearance, the kingdom collapsed into war and division.
But some still believed he would return someday.
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As I listened to the elder’s words, my fists clenched.
"The Hero-King… He disappeared, and people think he was a messenger of the universe. But what if… he was like me?"
A stranger from another world.
"If this world really brings outsiders to save it… then I don’t want to just survive. I don’t want to be weak. I must become strong."
The Soul hovered quietly beside me, as if sensing my determination.
— We’re going to the forest, — I said.
And so, my true journey began.