"Aaa... nom!"

Ava joyfully eats another spoonful.

Anna asked me to feed Ava breakfast while she does the dishes.

Having a sibling is a new experience since i was an only child in the old world.

It has been a little over a week since i visited Luton with Alfreda.

Every time we hangout, she's the one who initiates it.

We don't hang out every day but the longest time we haven't hung out was only 3 days.

Since Luton she hasn't come over once.

Well whatever, more time for training.

I finish feeding Ava and i clean her mouth with a piece of cloth.

"I'm going outside."

"Okay, dear."

I don't see Eric in the backyard so he might be doing fieldwork.

I walk to the big tree i use for training and do some stretching. After a few years of striking it, the tree bark on the spot has scraped away and it's all smooth.

The skin on and around my knuckles has hardened and barely bleeds anymore, the pain has also diminished.

Besides punching, my kicks are improving nicely.

A few months back i found a piece of wood which i carved into a cylinder. I use it to condition my shins by rolling it over them.

Coach taught it to me and It sucks to learn it again because the pain is so unbearable at the start but it will help make my kicks stronger.

"Alright."

I take my fighting stance, focus and strike with my right.

At first my punches are light, so that i can get used to the hardness of the tree, slowly adding more power to the next strike.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I begin decreasing the time between punches while adding more power.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Inside, Anna walks by a window while holding Ava and sees me.

"Ehh?"

Ava reaches out to her face while cooing. Anna chuckles and rubs her cheek.

"Your big brother is rather strange."

They walk off to resume whatever they were doing.

As i keep striking the tree, i fall deeper into focus.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The surrounding noise begins fading out.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I focus intensely on the spot i'm striking and every thing around me fades to black.

All that there is left is me and the tree.

Memories of my death begin flashing in my mind.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Anger builds up and my strikes get faster and stronger.

The skin on my hands breaks and stains the wood with blood.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

My breathing gets heavier, my face distorts to one of rage and i strike the tree with everything this small body is capable of.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Suddenly, a tap on my shoulder.

"What the...!?"

I turn around quickly but i stumble on my feet and fall on the ground.

I raise my eyes to look at the person who startled me.

"Hello Alex, i came to hang out."

Alfreda greets me with a smile.

I stare at her, breathing heavily and my hands aching.

"Huff, huff!"

She tilts her head in confusion.

"What's wrong Alex?"

After a few more breaths i shake my head and quickly get up.

"N-Nothing!"

I say slightly annoyed.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I wanted to come hang out."

I turn my head to look at the tree.

The blood stain on it is large and noticeable. How long was i striking it?

"Yeah, sure."

I look at my hands which are bloody and the skin is more broken than i intended.

Yeah, i definitely got carried away.

Our backyard has a well so i walk over to it.

I grab a bucket, fill it with water and walk back.

The blood washes away as i throw water on the spot.

Some water lands on my hands, causing them to sting.

"Gah!"

I walk to the well again to fill the bucket and head inside.

"Come, let's go inside."

"Okay, lead the way."

She says cheerfully.

We step inside from the backdoor and go to the kitchen.

I look around for a small bowl and a piece of cloth when Anna comes to the kitchen as well, holding Ava.

Alfreda sees her and shyly introduces herself.

"Hello, my name is Alfreda."

Now that i think about it, Alfreda has never met Anna, only Eric a few times. She has never been inside the house despite us being friends for so long. We always went somewhere else when we hang out.

Anna kneels down and greets her back.

"Hello Alfreda, nice to meet you."

Alfreda sees Ava in Anna's arms and becomes excited.

"Waah! Alex, you didn't tell me you had a little sister. She's so cute!"

I didn't?

"What's her name?"

"Ava."

Anna positions Ava so Alfreda can have a better look.

Alfreda's eyes are practically sparkling and she's all giddy.

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Can i!?"

Alfreda sits on a chair and Anna carefully hands Ava over.

"Put your hand here to support her and keep her head steady."

Once Ava is securely on Alfreda's lap, her heart melts.

"Aw! So cute! And her little tail!"

Ava reaches out to touch her face and coo's happily.

"Hello Ava, i'm Alfreda."

She introduces herself to her.

Anna chuckles at the wholesome sight.

"She seems to really like you Alfreda. Say, would you like to come babysit her sometime?"

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She looks at Anna with a serious and determined look.

"I'd love to!"

Anna chuckles at her eagerness.

"It's settled then."

I finish finding what i was looking for and approach Alfreda and Anna to see what the fuss is about.

"Look Alex! She likes me."

I look at her and Ava with a disinterested look.

"Hmm, is that so?"

I throw the piece of cloth i found over my shoulder and fill the bowl with water from the bucket.

"I'm going to my room."

"Ah, wait for me!"

Alfreda hands Ava back to Anna.

"I'll look forward to babysitting her soon!"

With that Alfreda hurries to follow me upstairs where my room is.

Alfreda blinks a few times as she looks around my room, not sure whether to be disappointed, surprised, or both.

The room size is average. She sees a bed, a dresser, a desk, a chair, a candle, a few books, a window facing the backyard and not much else.

I set the bowl and cloth on the desk and take seat. Alfreda walks over to my bed and sits on it. At least the bed is somewhat comfortable.

The house overall doesn't look cheap and my family is quite well off due to Eric's successful mercenary career. Alfreda just wonders why my room is so "bland" compared to the rest of the house.

I press my lips together from the pain as i put my hands in the bowl, the cold water mixing with the blood. The cloth also turns red as i use it to clean my knuckles.

Alfreda swings her legs on the bed, feeling rather bored. She sees the books on my desk and walks over to them.

She picks one up, opens it and begins flipping through the pages.

"Where are the pictures?"

"Pictures? You don't know how to read?"

"No..."

Well she's five so i'm not surprised.

The book has a simple picture on the cover, indicating it's a story book so she's a little interested in it.

"Do you want me to read it to you?"

"Can you?"

"Yeah, once i've finished cleaning my hands."

After a moment i finish cleaning my wounds from any dirt.

My desk has a drawer and i take a bandage roll from it.

With practiced ease i quickly wrap it around my knuckles and put the roll back in the drawer.

I turn my chair around towards the bed where Alfreda is sitting, waiting eagerly and holding the book against her chest.

Seeing that now i'm ready she hands it to me and i take it.

Oh, it's this book.

Even though i taught myself to read, i never finished it.

If i recall correctly it's a story about a hero who is sent to defeat an evil dragon.

I think i found it boring which might be the reason i didn't finish it.

"Sigh. Okay then, once upon a time..."

The story begins by introducing the would-be hero, a young boy from a humble village.

From hearing stories from his parents, the boy aspires to become a great hero and begins training vigorously every day.

The boy would train day and night with a wooden sword and a shield, his goal being to one day slay a mighty beast for fame and prosperity for his village.

Other people from his village would make fun of him and tell him to learn a proper profession, something that would help the village.

This however, didn't deter him from following his dreams and he began training even harder.

Hmm, i can see some similarities with this character and me.

When the boy reached adult hood at the age of 16, he...

Wait a minute, 16? An adult? Are you considered an adult in this world when you turn 16?

I have to confirm this.

"Please continue!"

My pause is interrupted by Alfreda who is eager to hear more.

"Right..."

Back on track.

The boy left his village and headed to the capital of the kingdom his village is part of.

But the journey to the capital isn't without it's own set of challenges.

Between the capital and the boy's village, there is a dense dark forest he must go through.

With a proper sword and a shield he received from the village blacksmith, he fights the many monsters and beasts that inhabit the dark forest, becoming more experienced and stronger.

But he isn't perfect and suffers some injuries himself.

The forest is vast and he reaches the middle point and makes camp to rest and tend to his injuries.

While camping, suddenly a mysterious figure arrives at his camp.

It's an male elven ranger, who was lost in the forest and is heavily injured.

The boy, who now calls himself a hero, treats the ranger's injuries with a health potion he got from his village healer.

Thankful for the hero's help and with some talking, the ranger joins the hero and they form a party.

The next day, with the strength of two people, they fight their way to the edge of the forest.

Just as they are about to escape the dark forest a giant bear, which appears to be cursed blocks their path.

With teamwork and clever coordination, they manage to defeat the bear and make their way out of the forest and into the country side.

After a few weeks of traveling, the hero and the ranger continued defeating beasts and monsters that crossed their path, eventually arriving to a village that is currently being raided.

The two decide to defend the village and attack the bandits, making their way to the village center.

In the middle of the village they find a church that is surrounded by a magical barrier and the two conclude that the villagers are sheltered there.

There are many bandits trying to break through it using their weapons and spells.

Together the hero and the ranger take the bandits by surprise and swiftly defeat the rest of the bandits.

Once the fighting is over, the barrier disappears and the villagers come out of the church.

The villagers thank the pair and hail them as heroes, gifting them with powerful gear and items.

Among the villagers appears a girl wearing nun clothes.

She introduces herself as a priestess who can heal and use holy magic.

She was the one who cast the barrier around the church.

After a few days in the village the priestess joins the hero's party and the three of them resume heading to the capital.

Eventually, after defeating more monsters and beasts on the way, the party finally arrives to the capital and head straight to the king's castle.

There, the old king grants the party an audience and the hero tells him of aspirations of becoming a real hero and bring prosperity to his village.

The old king is convinced by the party's eagerness and reveals to them that there is an evil dragon living high in the mountains.

The party accepts the task of slaying the evil dragon and decide to rest a few days in the capital to gather supplies.

Before the party leaves the capital, a middle-aged man approaches them.

He is the court wizard and the king's advisor, who on the king's request will accompany the party to the dragon's lair as a party member, a guide and a witness.

The party, which now consists of the hero wielding a sword and a shield, the ranger with his bow and arrow, the priestess with her healing and holy magic, and the wizard with his spells and extensive knowledge.

With the party now gathered and ready, they chart the course to the mountains where the evil dragon's lair is and begin their journey.

Due to the dragon's frequent attacks near the mountains, the roads leading there are old and unmaintained and only a few villages are left standing with even fewer residents, who have chosen to remain there.

The monsters defeated along the path are growing more stronger the closer the party approaches the mountains, due to lack of intervention from people.

This also means the acquisition of better loot and useful equipment and the party also becomes more powerful and experienced.

After weeks of facing dangerous monsters, the party grows closer as they work together and become great friends.

Even the hero and the priestess reveal their feelings for each other and the hero vows to marry her after they slay the evil dragon.

The party begins ascending the mountain...

"Snore..."

My reading is interrupted and i look at the bed to find Alfreda asleep.

I look outside the window and see the sun is starting set.

How many hours did i read?

It's a big book, and i'm surprised at myself for getting so caught up in it that i lost track of time.

I look back to Alfreda.

She had taken my pillow and is resting her head on it.

This is the first time i've seen her sleep and she looks quite peaceful.

Oh, and she's drooling on the pillow.

Sigh, i guess i'm sleeping without it tonight.

I get up and stretch my legs.

I lean down towards Alfreda and nudge her awake.

"Mm, what is it? Did i fall asleep?"

She's drowsy and rubs her eyes.

"Yeah and it's getting late. Time for you to go home."

"Yawn, okay..."

I lead her downstairs to the front door.

Eric pops his head from the living room.

"Can you escort her home to make sure she gets there safely Alex?"

"Fine."

I'll just jog back and count it as late night training so i'm not too bothered by having to escort her.

"You have to finish reading that story for me someday, okay?"

She asks when we arrive at her house.

"Or i can just teach you to read so you can do it yourself."

"Hmm, i'd like that!"

I expected her to whine a little but to my surprise she doesn't hate the idea.

She hurries inside her house and waves me goodbye.

"It's a promise then! Bye bye!"

I wave at her and begin jogging back.

"Huff, huff."

My mind wanders back to the book.

In the old world, the only books i read were for school so i'm a little shocked that i want to finish reading it, even if it's a generic story meant for children.

I arrive back home and go to he living room where Anna and Eric are.

They see me just standing there and Anna speaks up.

"Something on your mind, dear?"

"Yeah, at what age are you considered an adult?"

"Heh, are you in a hurry to grow up?"

Eric chuckles at my question and i roll my eyes.

"Well?"

I say firmly, waiting for an answer.

"Well let's see, i think i was 16 when i left home and joined the military. Hmm, and if i recall correctly the minimum age of enlistment was 16."

"I thought you were a mercenary?"

"You're right, but i served in the king's army for 6 years before i left to join a mercenary band. I wanted more freedom and independence."

I consider his words. From his information the age of adulthood is 16. I guess i'll be able to move out sooner than i thought.

"Hmm, what about you, Anna?"

"My parents were unable to take care of me when i was very young and placed me in an orphanage. Once i and some others turned 16, we had to leave. I had slight talent in healing magic, so i was able to join a church as a healer."

Satisfied with their answers i take my leave and go to my room.

Eric and Anna look at each other, amused why i was so serious about such a question.

Back in my room i find the book on my desk.

It has gotten dark so i light up a candle and get comfortable on my bed.

I find the page where i left off and resume reading.

The party begins ascending the mountain, which proves to be quite difficult due to the dropping temperature and strong winds.

Information provided by the wizard tells that the dragon's lair was originally a mountain fortress inhabited by humans.

The dragon suddenly attacked it and claimed it as it's own.

The fortress was guarding a highly profitable mine with rich gold and silver veins.

With these vast riches the fortress claimed the whole mountain and declared independence.

The party finds what appears to be remains of the ancient path to the fortress.

Along the path they fight undead inhabitants of the fortress, most likely raised by the evil dragon's magic.

Higher on the mountains the path leads inside it, the dragon's lair finally near.

The ranger suggests making one last camp before the much awaited confrontation with the dragon.

Together they discuss strategy, with the wizard offering insight into the dragon's magical capabilities, the ranger discussing its nature and behavior, and the priestess speculating on its weakness for holy magic due to its evil nature.

The hero, who has proven himself to be a great leader, gives the party a great morale boost.

He talks about the hardships they have gone through and how they supported each other when someone was struggling.

Once the ranger and wizard are asleep, the hero and the priestess decide to spend the night together as they have some doubts about surviving this final encounter.

Next day, now fully invigorated, the party descends deep into the mountain while fighting numerous undead hordes the dragon has raised.

The priestess's holy magic shines here as the undead are weak to it and they finally reach the dragon's lair mostly unharmed.

The party is now face-to-face with the mighty evil dragon.

The hero rallies the party and they charge the dragon.

The wizard fights the dragon's magic with his own, the ranger moves around quickly, dodging the dragon's attacks while shooting his arrows at it's weak spots and the priestess prays to her goddess and smites the dragon with holy lighting and fire.

The party succumbs to exhaustion and injuries, the dragon seizing this opportunity for a final attack.

Sensing that this moment will decide everything, the hero charges at the dragon with a loud roar.

The hero and the dragon clash, the dragon swiping it's claw at the hero but the hero dodges it in the air and aims at it's neck.

With his final attack the hero cleanly cuts the dragon's head off and the party is triumphant.

The three approach the hero to celebrate, only to find that the hero wasn't able to dodge the dragon's attack without getting hurt and has suffered a mortal wound.

Embraced by the priestess, the hero dies in her arms.

The three return to the old king and the hero receives a great burial.

He is declared a hero and his village becomes prosperous.

A year passes and the priestess is sitting inside a house, holding her and the hero's baby in her arms.

The end.

Blink blink.

What? The hero died? What a fool.

He did manage to slay the dragon but in my opinion he failed.

Even if it's a story meant for children i can't help but to feel irritated.

Had he not met the others and instead fought alone, he would have been strong enough to survive.

Instead, he shared the burden with his party members, which left him too weak to survive the final clash.

Although i can relate with his determination but his reliance on others was his downfall.

I place the book on my desk and extinguish the candle.

After undressing i get comfortable under the covers and stare at the ceiling.

To become the strongest, you can only trust your own strength, that's what i did in the old world.

Unlike the hero, i will survive using my strength and my strength alone.

I don't need companions to distract me and stand in my way.

With my strength, i will be strongest.