I knew only of the white room. This God forsaken white room, while stuck inside a body that could not move nor speak, constantly riveting in pain that came and went as it pleased, never knowing the bright shining world outside the glass windows.
The only thing that kept me going was the stories my mother told me. The wonderful picture books of birds and chickens, slowly evolving into cool-looking dudes and gals fighting with swords and shields. Apparently they were a piece of literature from the country my mother was from.
Despite having a broken son like me, her enthusiasm never faded, and she kept going on and on about these people whom I never met, yet could their journeys through the wonderful panels of black and white formed into pieces of art.
Ah … How I wished to be like them, to walk and run like my life depended on it, instead of being trapped in a bed attached to hoses and wires, listening to the beeps displayed on the monitor as I waited for the day it would stop.
The night shall be it. I could feel it.
But what about my mother? How would she feel knowing his son’s life was slipping away.
Then again, maybe it was better this way. At least she would no longer need to carry a burden and could start a new life with someone new.
That would be nice …
…
…
…
Hmm?
Have I died already?
I opened my eyes and saw a tall brown ceiling arching and interviewing to form patterns upon patterns which I’d never seen before. And there were many strange people around me, looking at me. Knights in shining armor who brandished the green banners of silver eagles.
I stood up to see more of my surround—Wait, I stood up? I … stood up?
I stood up.
I stood up!
I stood up!!!
Not only that, I no longer felt any fatigue nor pain aching within my body. This must be a dream, or could this be the afterlife? But I certainly did not expect the afterlife to look so medieval.
I raised my hand and pinched my cheeks. It hurts. It really hurts. Nevertheless, it felt real. Everything felt real! This entire world felt real and I was now standing on top of it!
“This is surprising,” a sweet voice came from behind. “You must be really happy to be here, Hero.”
I turned around and saw a gorgeous lady around his age, wearing an elegant gown of pink and white, with overflowing blonde hair and blue eyes sparkling like the ocean which I’d seen only in videos.
And beside him were a pair of tall guys in robes carrying ten-pointed star staffs, accompanied by a sword around their belt. Not only that, they had glowing golden stars floating behind them.
Nothing made sense, or did it? The mangas which his mother read and showed him reflected the reality I was now facing. Could this really be another world?
“Seems like you’ve figured it out,” the young lady curtsied toward him. “Greetings, Hero. I am First Princess Eryliana of the Pylfur Kingdom and thank you for answering our kingdom’s call.”
“Hero?”
“Yes, you are a hero,” she said. “You should be able to see it in your stats. Try squinting your eyes for a bit.”
I squinted my eyes and a panel suddenly appeared before me.
=====================================
Name : Dmitri Sergeyevich Petrov
Age : 17
Race : Human
Class : [Priest]
Titles : [Hero], [World Traveler]
HP : 30
MP : 60
STR : 3
DEF : 3
AGI : 3
INT : 12
WIS : 17
CHA : 5
LCK : 7
Skills : [Appraisal D] [Translator EX]
=====================================
At that point, I could clearly tell that this was not the earth I know. Heck, it could not even be called earth!
However, back to the panel itself, first and foremost, why the low stats on strength, defence, and agility? Second of all, what was up with this overwhelming wisdom?
Maybe these stats were a reflection of my abilities in my previous life. Except that would mean I would still remain bedridden, yet here I am, standing and walking and breathing like any normal person.
Also, I don’t really see myself as a very wise person, be it in this life or my previous one. Wait, could this be counted as a reincarnation? My name was the same and I still felt like me.
Obviously, I approached one of the knights, looking at my reflection upon his shining armour. Nothing changed about my appearance apart from looking healthier.
Man … I feel like my head’s about to burst. I decided not to think about it too much and just accepted the fact that I’ve travelled to another world. It even said right there!
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
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Titles : [Hero], [World Traveler]
============================
But still, a hero … Sounds pretty awesome!
I get to fight goblins, orcs, dragons, and maybe the demon king as well!
“Ahem!” the princess diverted my attention back to her, as I gave an apologetic look. “I must say, out of all the heroes that were summoned, you’re probably the one most excited out of all of them.”
“Wait, there are more?” I asked.
“Yes, there are five heroes summoned by five different kingdoms, including Pylfur. So, unfortunately you won’t get to meet them until a much later date.”
“Is that so …”
Certainly, I was kind of disappointed. The thought of suddenly crossing over worlds alone did lingered on the back of his mind, causing anxiousness here and there. Knowing that there were others relieved me of that worry if only a bit.
“Out of the five, four have been summoned,” she continued. “and you have arrived as the fourth, Sir …”
The princess looked confused, as her eyes glanced between me and peculiarly at the empty space next to me.
“It’s Dmitri. Dmitri Sergeyevich Petrov.”
“Dmitri … What an interesting name,” she said.
“You probably didn’t expect someone from Russia, huh?” I spoked somewhat awkwardly. It was my first time talking to someone else my age. “It’d probably make more sense for someone Japanese to be in my spot.”
“Russia … Japanese?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. More importantly, are there really other heroes?” I felt curiosity tip toeing on my fingertips.
“Why, of course. This has been a time of crisis. Orbiterra, this world we are in, is currently facing a time of crisis. A Demon King has risen and monsters are growing in threat, miasma has seeped into the crops and infected the people starting from the northside … My father, the king, and other monarchs can only stress the fact that we now need a hero to save us, for only a hero could fight and kill the Demon King once and for all.
“But a hero can only do so much alone, thus five kingdoms decided to call upon five heroes from distant worlds to fight for the sake of our survival. Four have since answered. You, Dmitri, being the most recent one, and I’m sure you’ll make a great hero.”
Hearing the princess’ words gave me confidence, but after some more time to think, I realized that I still had a long way to go. Just because I could now walk and maybe run, didn’t mean I could necessarily do well on those things.
Thinking about those protagonists getting on the fast-track of their heroic journeys, made me wonder if the same applied in real life, since it didn’t look like I got any unique or OP-looking skills.
Also, [Priest] was a healing class, no? I would probably be relegated to the backline instead, healing and providing buffs and cleanse debuffs for my soon-to-be allies. Not the kind of battling I expected.
Battling … Can I really do that?
The princess placed her hand over my shoulder, having noticed my crestfallen expression and anxious heart. Her beautiful ocean clam eyes seemed to know everything, as they transfixed themselves upon his autumn green ones.
“It’s alright, Hero Dmitri. I and the Pylfur Kingdom will stand by your side from start to finish.”
“Really?”
“Really,” the princess affirmed and I trusted her. Her expression looked like someone with the full determination to never give up.
That being said, some anxiety still persisted, tugging upon my chest, but surely with everyone’s help, I would be able to stand as my own person and become the kind of hero they hoped for.
“Now then, I’m sure you’re starting to feel the drab of this. Let’s go outside. I promise, you’ll see an even more magnificent sight.”
The princess took my arm and yanked me past her personal guards and through the door, sprinting through the hatching hallways and corridors, as I followed through and gave my best shot at my legs.
Faster and faster I ordered my legs running, slowly catching up to the princess, before finally overtaking her. This overwhelming exhilaration sent my heart racing, as I went and shouted my lungs out. “WOOOOO!!!”
Soon we ended up somewhere at the edge of the castle. Our balance fell, as we sat next to each other on the floor, gasping for air.
“You’re quite a fast runner,” said the princess. “You must have very high stats.”
“Not at all. I simply pushed myself a bit harder than before.”
I lied. I pushed myself all the way to the edge, as I felt a tight aching squeeze on both my chest and stomach, as well as the sores on both my legs.
I should probably make strength and agility my priority for now. Going training or adventuring would surely take a whole lot of stamina, even for a [Priest].
After taking a while to relax, we finally stood and set our gazes upon the blue horizon and the city below. A bustling paradise of street merchants stretching all the way toward the harbour overlooking the ocean waters on the far side of the kingdom.
The wind’s breeze came and brought forth a scent of herbs and spices unknown to me, as well as the many colourful kites flying in the air, with this elephant-tiger-looking one being as wide as one of the castle’s towers.
“Kite-making is our specialty,” told the princess. “Many visit Pylfur because they wish to see all the amazing innovative kites soaring across the kingdom’s sky. The sky is but untold territory for us to lay witness, but kites send our hopes and dreams across to the gaze of Ilhair, the God of Sky.”
The princess casted a look of wonder upon the beautiful evening and the kites glinted upon the warm orange rays of the setting sun.
“They fly as birds do, free to go anywhere they please,” she said.
“But still tied down so they remain safe within the boundary that has been set,” the words suddenly popped out in my mouth.
“Looks like we have a very wise guy as our hero,” she smirked.
“No, I wouldn’t say that I’m wise.”
“But you did get the [Priest] class when you were summoned.”
“How did you …”
“The [Appraisal] skill,” she said. “Higher level than yours though. Those with appraisal can assess their own stats and skills, and could level it up to see the stats and skills of others’.”
“So this ‘panel’ is part of the skill?”
“Of course. Also, every hero summoned since the ancient past has this skill from the start, unlike us Orbiterrans which require a specific class such as [Judge] and [Diplomat].”
What sorts of other classes are there? I wondered, but at the same time, why priest? Could it be that I became a priest because I was surrounded by lots and lots of medical facilities? What determined a person’s class in the first place?
“You must have a lot of questions,” said the princess. “And I will answer them all in due time. For now, you should get yourself adapted to Orbiterra as your fellow heroes are doing now.”
What kind of people are they? I asked myself, while staring once more into the city below full of life. This was something I never expected to happen after all.
I once thought my life would be reduced to simply laying in bed for my whole life. These nineteen years of struggling and trying to get better only resulted in even more excruciating pain.
However, I couldn’t possibly show it. Not to my mother. Not to the one who stayed by my side for all those years.
But now she was no longer by my side.
I left her.
I left her alone …
Yet despite it, my heart continued to be touched by my mother’s warmth as if she would continue watching over me, whether it’d be in my old life or this one.
“Hero Dmitri, what’s going on? What happened? Why are you …,” the princess looked baffled. Of course who wouldn’t, when someone you’d just met suddenly became balling tears out of nowhere?
Still, I kept gazing forward with my heads up. Even though I was no longer by her side, I would continue on to live this life with her lessons and stories in mind.
This new beginning must be a gift from God and forsaking it would only forsaking my mother who’d given up most of her time for me, and so I too shall relinquish my time in pursuit of bringing this tale to its end.
I formed a fist, raised it high to the sky, and yelled, “I, DMITRI, PRIEST HERO OF PYLFUR, WILL DEFEAT THE DEMON KING!”
Flocks of pigeons flew, sent to the heavens by my loud passionate cry. This second life of mine would not go to waste, as I vowed to become the hero everyone wished me to be.